First-Year Internship—And You Went to Site 749 to Contain Monsters?!

At that point, Zhou Huo was completely convinced.

He matched Lu Ding’s pace closely.

After leaving the Purple Cloud Sect.

Silent, Zhou Huo didn’t know how to speak, until Lu Ding broke the silence.

“Sorry about earlier.”

Zhou Huo didn’t react at first: “Special envoy, you mean...”

Lu Ding shifted his gaze, his eyes falling on Zhou Huo’s swollen cheek.

Only then did Zhou Huo realize.

He hurriedly circulated his spiritual energy and rubbed his face to reduce the swelling, repeatedly saying, “It’s fine, it’s fine........”As he spoke, he gradually became dazed.

Not because of anything else.

He just felt that someone like Lu Ding should not be apologizing to him.

Even if he was wrong, he should still be right.

Those above do not easily bow their heads to admit fault.

This was what Zhou Huo had seen and learned in the Liberation Sect, and that mindset had deeply influenced him.

But today, that ingrained belief was shattered.

“What are you thinking about?”

Lu Ding asked casually.

Zhou Huo held back a moment, but couldn’t help saying, “Special envoy, why did you apologize to me? You don’t need to apologize to me, it will affect your dignity.”

Lu Ding was speechless.

He countered: “And after I apologized to you, how did you feel?”

Though unwilling to admit it, Zhou Huo answered honestly: “I felt instantly relaxed.”

Lu Ding slowed his pace to walk alongside him: “So why can’t I apologize to you? It’s politeness. I made a wrong decision because of a judgment error, so I should apologize.”

“Dignity is never about holding your head high and refusing to admit mistakes.”

“Dignity is position, it is strength.”

“No one is without faults. Many times mistakes come from emotional impulses or flawed judgment. In those moments you must use reason to remedy it, to face it, to take responsibility.”

“When you can genuinely apologize for mistakes and have the courage to take full responsibility, that is dignity!”

“People must learn to apologize.”

These words struck Zhou Huo, who had joined the Liberation Sect since childhood, profoundly.

In the Liberation Sect he had only learned skills; he only possessed power.

Between fighting and killing, competing and bullying, there was no time to learn, and no one truly taught him what politeness meant.

What he knew was only to flatter those far above him and trample the weak; if someone was mediocre, he’d arrogantly proclaim, I’m a genius, I have temperament and character!

That was the Liberation Sect’s general atmosphere.

But today he learned what politeness truly was.

Even if Lu Ding’s strength and status were higher, he still sincerely apologized when he was wrong.

In that moment, Zhou Huo’s personal refinement shot up dramatically!!!

It just got a bit off-track, and afterwards, whenever he hit someone, he’d say,

“Sorry” “My apologies.”

Zhou Huo nodded seriously: “I’ve learned it, thank you, Special Envoy, for teaching me.”

Lu Ding felt satisfied inside.

Not bad, he can learn, he can be brought back.

The two continued on.

Lu Ding now had time to check his new skill.

[Contain Monster: Harm Dragon]

[Containment Reward: Harm Dragon Agarwood Chariot]

[Harm Dragon Agarwood Chariot: When the Harm Dragon pulls the chariot, disaster descends on a region, a bloody fragrance becomes mist, vitality is cut off; can be combined into the Nine Dragons Agarwood Chariot]

“So it’s a Harm Dragon....”

If it had shown up as Poison Dragon, Lu Ding really wouldn’t have been able to pin down much about its background.

After all, Poison Dragons appear so often in folklore and records.

There’s no precise definition, everything’s possible.

It’s like the word “poisonous snake”—just those two characters, who can tell what kind of venomous snake it is?

Anyway, if it’s poisonous, that’s the end of the story.

But if you call it a Harm Dragon,

the most famous example is the one in “Zhou Chu Eliminates the Three Harmful Creatures.”

That tale is so commonplace that Lu Ding didn’t bother looking up the original; it’s almost household knowledge.

Basically, Zhou Chu was this wild, reckless guy, bold and chivalrous in his own way, but overall a mess—doing more wrong than right.

There were even rhymes in the city about him: Little Zhou Chu, strong in body, by day wielding knives and bows, by night handling spears; punching Li, kicking Zhang, like a fierce tiger pouncing on a flock.

Later someone egged him on, saying, aren’t you great?

There are two creatures more powerful than you.

There’s a tiger on the mountain and a Harm Dragon in the river. You’re only big in the city; go out and you’ll see who’s stronger.

When Zhou Chu heard that, he thought, what the hell?

I’m all about knives and guns, and there are people tougher than me?

Not acceptable!

He went up the mountain to fight the tiger, then down into the river to slay the dragon.

Fighting the tiger was easy, but slaying the dragon was brutal—flying kicks, explosive strikes, blades at the waist, a three-day, three-night battle in the river.

In the end, everyone thought Zhou Chu was dead and celebrated.

But that bastard crawled out of the river.

Seeing everyone rejoicing over his death, he suddenly enlightened himself and reformed.

To be honest, Lu Ding found the story rather crude.

But compared with reality,

it felt not so crude, and the story strangely contained foreshadowing across worlds.

After Zhou Chu eliminated the three harmful creatures, he worked hard to improve, reformed himself, and became a student of the literatus Lu Ji; Zhou Chu already had fighting skills that ordinary teachers couldn’t teach.

What he learned was culture.

After becoming an established figure, he gained the court’s recognition.

Here the foreshadowing clicked into place.

Lu Ding glanced at Zhou Huo with a strange expression.

Zhou Chu’s surname is Zhou, Zhou Huo’s surname is Zhou.

Zhou Chu was capable, Zhou Huo also had talent.

Zhou Chu lacked culture, Zhou Huo seemed to lack culture too.

Lu Ji’s surname is Lu, and his own surname... is also Lu!

Zhou Chu learned culture and reason from Lu Ji; Zhou Huo had just now seemingly learned culture from Lu Ding...

This damn...

Lu Ding was baffled—why was his surname so universally suitable...

Even more amazing,

he was now leading Zhou Huo to the court’s favor.

Lu Ding couldn’t help but ask: “Zhou Huo, have you fought a tiger before?”

Zhou Huo was lost in his own world, pondering how to be more “polite.” Suddenly Lu Ding’s call snapped him back and he unexpectedly said, “Special Envoy, have you heard of my deeds?”

Lu Ding only wanted to clap his hands together.

Got it.

It lined up.

“And the dragon?”

Zhou Huo shook his head: “Not really, dragons are rare, I haven’t seen many.”

Lu Ding thought this might be different.

But Zhou Huo changed tack: “But I have killed flood dragons; I’ve slain many spirits and fiends. Among the younger generation of the Liberation Sect, I’ve completed the most missions, with the highest mission completion rate, almost all finished.”

“The only blemish was when I fought the dragon at the Langgunsha shore—the intel was wrong, I underestimated its power.”

“That caused the mission to take longer than planned; it wasn’t perfect.”

Hearing this,

well then.

Everything matched this time.

Seeing Lu Ding silent, Zhou Huo thought it was because his mission record wasn’t flawless, so he stayed quiet.

After all, he couldn’t accept anything less than perfection for his missions, and only this one had a flaw.

Zhou Huo hurriedly added: “Special Envoy, rest assured, from now on any mission you assign me will never have this problem again.”

“You pulled me completely out of the Liberation Sect; I am a new me now. I will be your blade—however you say to act, I will act.”

“I’m not good at expressing myself, and I seldom tell people things, but I have my sincerity!”

Zhou Huo quickened his pace, moved in front of Lu Ding, cupped his hands: “I have begun a new life; Special Envoy, please, rename me!!!”