Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Most Highly Rated E-Class Esper

Chapter 27: [The Highest-Rated E-Class Esper]

Xia Zheng slowly opened his eyes, awakening from the fragments of Nalan Sheng’s memories. Nalan Sheng, too, opened her eyes, coming to herself from a state of frenzy and sleep. Their gazes met, and both of them blushed in unison.

“You bastard… how long are you going to keep holding my daughter?” A man’s furious roar startled Xia Zheng, who immediately let go of Nalan Sheng.

Nalan Sheng also seemed suddenly at a loss, for this was the first time she had ever been held by a boy—and even kissed. The thought made her instinctively cover her face with her hands, but she couldn’t help peeking at Xia Zheng through her fingers. In her memory, Xia Zheng had appeared, his comforting words and gentle demeanor making him seem far more handsome than he actually was, even though he was merely pleasant-looking.

Nalan Yun strode over angrily, glaring at Xia Zheng so fiercely that Xia Zheng felt chills. Camilla soon arrived, standing by Xia Zheng’s side and giving him a discreet thumbs-up, indicating he’d done well.

“You… Which noble family are you from?” Nalan Yun asked seriously.

Xia Zheng shook his head. “I’m not from any noble family. I’m just an ordinary civilian.”

“Oh…” Nalan Yun’s disappointment was palpable; he’d considered letting his daughter get closer to Xia Zheng, perhaps even bringing him into the family as a son-in-law. But if the boy was just a civilian, there would be little benefit for the Nalan family.

At that moment, Camilla interjected, “Mr. Nalan, Xia Zheng is a specially recruited candidate the military is desperate to enlist—but he turned them down. Are you sure you want to pass up this opportunity?”

“Oh?” Nalan Yun’s eyes lit up as he recalled some of the news he’d seen when searching Xia Zheng earlier, including a certain rumor. The rumor had two parts: first, the military had revoked Xia Zheng’s special recruitment, only for him to perform exceptionally well in the entrance examination, making the military look foolish. Later, during a re-examination, Xia Zheng performed even better, embarrassing the military further. Some even said that General Song Xinghui himself went to persuade Xia Zheng, only to be refused.

A military recruit was nothing unusual—there were plenty every year. But for someone to attract the personal attention of a federal heavyweight like General Song Xinghui meant Xia Zheng’s potential was enormous; he might well become an S-Class Esper in the future, making him a worthy investment.

Nalan Yun himself was only an A-Class Esper, and a special case at that—not naturally awakened, but created through expensive family genetic modifications, with a time limit. He could only maintain his abilities for twenty years at most; in ten, he would become an ordinary man, with a shortened lifespan. Even so, the rest of the family’s children couldn’t become special Espers even with genetic engineering, making Nalan Sheng’s value immense. If Xia Zheng and his daughter became a couple, even marrying and having children, their offspring would have a high likelihood of awakening powers, and the Nalan family would rise.

“Very well, a civilian is good—no bad habits from the nobility. My daughter Shengsheng has been raised strictly and has never had a boyfriend. When you interact, you must observe the rules and never cross the line. Understood?” Now that he’d thought it through, Nalan Yun no longer objected to their relationship, though he still issued a warning, lest young people lose control.

Nalan Sheng blushed furiously and ran off the stage, immediately surrounded by a group of girls, all chattering and questioning her. She seemed to have completely forgotten that Xia Zheng had just eliminated her from the competition—after all, if it was her own boyfriend who knocked her out, it wasn’t so humiliating.

Xia Zheng, on the other hand, was utterly baffled. He couldn’t understand how he’d suddenly acquired a girlfriend, nor why her father didn’t object—in fact, he seemed to encourage it. Xia Zheng admitted Nalan Sheng was beautiful, but wasn’t this all happening a bit fast?

“Uncle, I…” Xia Zheng tried to explain.

“All right, all right. Xia Zheng, your performance today was excellent. You’ve passed the Esper assessment. Go get some rest and wait for notification. Tomorrow, come to collect your Esper identification,” Camilla cut him off, clearly not wanting him to say more, and ushered him away. Nalan Yun, stroking his chin and smiling as he watched Xia Zheng leave, decided he needed to have a deep discussion with his own father about his daughter’s future—this Xia Zheng was a promising investment.

Back at the hotel, Xia Zheng soon received a friend request from an unfamiliar contact on his usual social app. Puzzled, he accepted—and saw a girl’s profile picture. As soon as he passed the friend verification, the contact sent a string of shy emojis, then sweetly typed, “Zheng~”

Xia Zheng instantly got goosebumps and asked curiously, “Who is this?”

The reply was a string of ellipses, then a series of pitiful emojis: “It’s Nalan Sheng. Have you forgotten me already?”

“Ah… No, I mean, why are you speaking so ambiguously? Um, Nalan Sheng, you… I… I don’t know how to say this…” Xia Zheng had never dated before, and even felt shy around pretty girls—he’d been completely out of sorts when Filina, the center-back, had invited him out.

Nalan Sheng immediately replied, sounding aggrieved, “You don’t like me?”

“That’s not it—we only met today…” Xia Zheng answered.

“Haven’t you ever heard of love at first sight?” Nalan Sheng asked curiously.

Xia Zheng replied with a row of Genghis Khan emojis: “I thought that only happened in novels and TV dramas.”

“Well, I’m living proof!” Nalan Sheng, at least on her phone, was much more talkative than in person—they seemed like two different people.

Xia Zheng was helpless, but didn’t want to refuse her. Besides, Nalan Sheng was indeed a beautiful girl—how could he object? And so, inexplicably, he had a girlfriend.

For the first time, he chatted with a girl late into the night. Xia Zheng found it hard to sleep and even indulged in some unrealistic fantasies, resulting in a rather racy dream that forced him to change his underwear in the morning.

Checking his phone the next morning, he found even more messages from Nalan Sheng—perhaps she hadn’t slept either. He wondered if she’d had a similar dream.

He also noticed two missed calls, one from Chu Yan and one from his master, Shen Hua.

He briefly reported to Chu Yan that he’d passed the Esper assessment. The captain wasn’t surprised, only telling him to come back soon so they could celebrate—making Xia Zheng feel a bit flattered. Was it really worth celebrating so much for an E-Class Esper?

His master’s call was more perplexing. Shen Hua sounded displeased, demanding he focus on improving his cultivation and abilities and not be distracted by outside matters—especially romance, and above all, not to lose his chastity. Xia Zheng couldn’t help arguing with her, feeling harried and suspecting she was stalking him—how else would she know he’d started a relationship?

After washing up and having breakfast, Xia Zheng arrived at the Professional League’s main hall. Here, Espers could receive their qualification certificates and open a “Hunter Account,” the main pathway for Espers to raise their rank.

Through this account, one could accept all sorts of missions, earning experience points, rewards, and building a reputation. In society, Espers were most commonly seen as “bounty hunters,” thanks to this very system.

While waiting in line for his certificate, Xia Zheng received a message from Nalan Sheng: she would be heading home at noon, but wanted to see him once more and have a meal before leaving.

Xia Zheng agreed, and they arranged to meet at a popular city restaurant, known online as a favorite among young couples—reputedly with great reviews.

“Congratulations, Mr. Xia Zheng. Here is your Hunter’s License. With this card, you can enjoy discounts at all Federation League entertainment and lifestyle facilities, and as your rank increases, your benefits will grow. You can also sell rare treasures or materials you find during your adventures to the League’s Hunter Shops, where you’ll get a better price than on the open market.” The staff member respectfully handed him the certificate, which filled Xia Zheng with excitement. From today, he was an official “Esper Hunter.”

The license was made of an unknown synthetic material—light, tough, and high-quality, a shade close to bronze. His information was simply listed:

Name: Xia Zheng
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Height: 175 cm
Weight: 63 kg
Profession: Mind Adept
Rank: E-Class (Dragon)
Affiliation: Heavenly Blade Squad

Xia Zheng noticed the “Dragon” symbol next to his rank and curiously asked the staff about it.

The staff member smiled and explained, “This is the League’s evaluation of you, Mr. Xia. The combat ability of Espers at each rank can vary greatly. The most ordinary ones have no special mark. Those with evaluations are, in ascending order: Wolf, Leopard, Lion, Tiger, and Dragon—with Dragon being the highest. This means you are recognized as the strongest E-Class Esper by the League, possessing combat power beyond your level. This evaluation brings benefits—for example, you can accept missions up to two ranks higher than your own. Mr. Xia, you can take on up to C-Class missions, earning more experience and rewards. We do recommend you familiarize yourself with the process and difficulty before attempting higher-level missions, though. You’ll also get extra discounts and privileges, but the rest you’ll discover as your career unfolds.”

“Thank you very much.” Xia Zheng left, satisfied, and downloaded the exclusive Hunter App on his phone. After registering, he could now accept missions wherever there was a network connection. The app explained that rewards could be claimed at any League Hunter Shop in the Federation—just deliver the required items or upload evidence, and the reward would be processed.

Virtual rewards—experience, reputation, money—would be credited quickly. Physical items depended on logistics; some required visits to major city League halls, but most could be collected at the nearest Hunter Shop.

Checking the time, Xia Zheng saw it was almost noon—close to his appointment with Nalan Sheng. He called a taxi and headed straight there.