Shen Yan's Terror

026

As he passed through the safety passage and stepped into the city district, the taut nerves in Jiang Fu's body finally relaxed completely.

He was back at last!

Now, hearing the guard's words again, Jiang Fu couldn't help sneaking another glance at Shi Jiu in his arms.

Only at this moment

did he realize one thing.

The backing he held in his arms was a girl so good-looking it was almost excessive.

And he had carried her all the way back like this...

Right now, Shi Jiu was curled up in Jiang Fu's arms, playing a game on her phone.

Noticing Jiang Fu's gaze, she lifted her eyes slightly. "What's wrong?"

Jiang Fu let out an "Ah." "Nothing."

"...Where are you headed next?"

Shi Jiu withdrew her gaze.

Her fingertips slid swiftly across the screen. "Can't move for now. Wherever you go, I go."

Jiang Fu nodded. "...Alright."

He planned to head to the Martial Artist Guild hall first, to sell today's spoils.

The Battle Knife and Combat Suit in his backpack were a bit too shady to show, so he had no intention of selling them for now.

But those hundred Red-tailed Rat tails...

should fetch about twenty thousand.

Not enough for a Vitality Pill, but it ought to buy something else to replenish his blood and qi.

Fight again tomorrow!

Thinking this, Jiang Fu couldn't help quickening his pace.

Just as he stepped into the Martial Artist Guild's first-floor hall

and headed toward the trading area, a clearly anxious and flustered voice rang out.

"Student Shi, what happened to you!"

Immediately after, Shen Yan, now in a change of clothes and with his hair back to normal, rushed down from the second floor like the wind, stopping in front of Jiang Fu in an instant.

"Let go of Student Shi!"

As he spoke, he had already reached out, about to snatch Shi Jiu from Jiang Fu's arms.

Jiang Fu frowned.

His legs and core tensed simultaneously.

Neural reaction speed multiplied by ten!

Speed multiplied by ten!

Explosive power multiplied by ten!

In an instant, he dodged Shen Yan's grab.

Jiang Fu shielded Shi Jiu in his arms, his cold gaze fixed warily on the man before him.

Shen Yan was stunned for a moment, then his face twisted with anger as he looked at Jiang Fu, about to start scolding.

But in the next moment—

His body gave a slight shudder, and the reprimand about to leave his lips was forcibly choked back.

Shi Jiu lifted his eyes slightly, fixing Shen Yan with a cold, eerie stare.

At this moment—

Shi Jiu and Jiang Fu's gazes...

Were somehow eerily similar.

Shen Yan felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him from head to toe.

He snapped back to clarity in an instant.

He could have slapped himself.

What the hell was I thinking?

With this Little Ancestor's strength—

If she didn't want to be touched, who could even get close to her!

Shen Yan quickly scrambled to cover his mistake. "Ahem! That was rash of me."

"Classmate Shi, you two are..."

Shi Jiu withdrew his gaze.

He went back to playing his game. "Tired. Don't want to walk."

Jiang Fu nodded solemnly.

At the same time, he took a few steps back.

Shen Yan said dryly, "I see, I see..."

As he spoke—

He stole another glance at Jiang Fu standing before him.

A flicker of uncertainty stirred in his heart.

What fast reflexes!

No wonder he's a genius with an initial Spirit Power of 1000!

Shen Yan looked at the boy before him, still wearing a wary expression.

And the Little Ancestor cradled in his arms...

For a moment—

Shen Yan felt dazed.

In both of their trouser pockets were rolled-up file folders, identical in shape.

On the zipper pulls of their school uniforms hung two identical Martial Artist Badges, which, due to their posture, lightly clinked together.

Wait!

What the hell was going on here?

Was he crazy, or was the world crazy?

This Little Ancestor—

Ruthless in action, brutal in methods, and cold to the point of being almost inhuman.

And now, she was curled up in a boy's arms...

Playing on her phone with a relaxed expression?

Could it be...

Shen Yan couldn't help but look at Jiang Fu with a hint of envy.

"Supervisor Shen, is there something else?"

Seeing Shen Yan blocking his way with a lecherous look—

Jiang Fu grew impatient.

"Ah, no!"

Shen Yan snapped out of it and quickly stepped aside.

Jiang Fu said nothing more.

Holding Shi Jiu, he walked straight toward the trading zone.

Only then did Shen Yan breathe a sigh of relief.

Then, still shaken, he muttered, "Good thing Jiang Fu dodged."

"Otherwise, these hands of mine would probably be gone."

"Tch! With those two's relationship, it looks like this genius Psychic Master with an initial Spirit Power of a thousand is out of reach for the Martial Artist Guild..."

At the very center of the trading zone.

That was the official trading hall established by the Martial Artist Guild, specifically for purchasing materials from the Wilderness Area.

"You want to sell something?"

Shi Jiu's gaze lifted from his phone and landed on Jiang Fu's face.

Jiang Fu nodded. "I collected some Red-tailed Rat tails."

Shi Jiu looked away. "Sell the Silver Moon Wolf too."

After a pause, he added, "I need to take that snake back for research. Can't sell it for now."

Jiang Fu pressed his lips together.

Multiply by Ten was his trump card.

He couldn't expose it.

Jiang Fu nodded. "Alright, how do we split the money?"

Shi Jiu lowered his head, resuming his phone game. "You killed the wolf."

Jiang Fu looked at Shi Jiu, his expression serious. "You helped too."

Hearing that.

Shi Jiu's expression froze.

The image of being thrown into the air by this guy as bait instantly flashed through his mind.

...And the catch afterward was pretty steady too.

Shi Jiu's eyes lingered on his phone screen, and he let out a distracted "Oh."

The hero in his game had just been killed by a minion.

Jiang Fu continued on his own. "Then let's split it fifty-fifty, half each!"

As he spoke.

He strode eagerly into the Martial Artist Guild's official purchasing shop.

The trading hall's interior was spacious.

A large number of martial artists had gathered here.

Most had returned from the Wilderness Area, bringing their prey to trade.

Of course, there were also those with empty hands, wandering around the hall.

Their eyes darting everywhere, as if hunting for prey.

The moment two students in school uniforms walked in, they immediately drew most people's attention.

Especially Shi Jiu, held in Jiang Fu's arms.

So beautiful it was hard to look away.

Originally, Jiang Fu had planned to set Shi Jiu down on a nearby sofa.

But seeing these martial artists around them...

And recalling that sleazy Shen Yan from earlier...

...Better to keep holding him.

With a Quasi-Martial Artist's physique.

Strength multiplied by ten, endurance multiplied by ten.

Jiang Fu couldn't even feel Shi Jiu's weight.

Jiang Fu approached an empty counter.

He greeted the staff member inside with great politeness. "Hello."

The woman looked about twenty-five or twenty-six.

She wore a dark blue professional skirt suit, appearing sharp and capable.

On the white work badge pinned to her chest, the words "Manager" and "Li Yue" stood out clearly.

Li Yue smiled. "What can I help you two with?"

Jiang Fu quickly said, "Do you buy Red-tailed Rat tails here?"

Li Yue paused for a moment.

She had initially thought a male student carrying a female student had come to her counter.

And assumed they were asking for help.

...Red-tailed Rat tails?

Someone actually went through the trouble of catching Red-tailed Rats for such a thankless reward?

However, seeing the Ninth High School uniforms on the two of them...

That made it perfectly reasonable.

Li Yue's mind had already filled in plenty of details.

Two high schoolers who had just become Martial Artists, rushing impatiently to the Wilderness Area.

Lucky enough to encounter a lone Red-tailed Rat on the ground in the Blank Zone.

Working together, they finally killed it and cut off its tail.

Eagerly bringing back their trophy.

Li Yue looked at Shi Jiu in Jiang Fu's arms, a pang of sympathy rising in her heart.

This pretty little girl must have gotten hurt while catching that Red-tailed Rat!

With that thought, Li Yue put on a smile. "We'll take it."

"You two, let's talk inside."

As she spoke, Li Yue stood up.

This was just the outer reception area.

The real trading hall was further in.

Jiang Fu, holding Shi Jiu, quickly followed.

Not far away, a Martial Artist in a camouflage Combat Suit stared at Jiang Fu's back.

His brows furrowed deeply.

"That's Jiang Fu!"

"He's still alive?!"

"Did Brother Peng and Brother Hu fail?!"

Inside the private trading room, Li Yue looked at the boy and girl before her.

Her smile was warm. "The Martial Artist Guild buys Red-tailed Rat tails at two hundred Xia Coins each."

"But since you two have just become Martial Artists and it's your first time at the guild's trading hall, you're eligible for a premium purchase benefit.

A Red-tailed Rat tail, five hundred Xia Coins each. What do you two think?"

Two budding Martial Artists, please take a moment to appreciate this goodwill from the world of Martial Artists!