Having Enemies Isn't Necessarily a Bad Thing

The black robe concealed nothing more than a mass of black mist, yet it was capable of making sounds.

It floated in mid-air, its lower half swaying slightly beneath the robe, its general appearance quite similar to the specters of Western legends.

Black Soul Envoy, that was what it called itself.

Luo Qiu sized it up. The altar that had imprisoned his soul was now diligently providing him with information about this Black Soul Envoy.

The Club needed a constant stream of customers; otherwise, its owner would soon die. So, how could they increase the number of customers?

Similar to the existence of the Black Card, which offered discounts to entice customers to make transactions, there were also PR-like existences.

The Black Soul Envoys were the Club's PR.

They roamed society, continuously spreading the existence of the Club in secret… Legends, in fact, were created by those with intent.

These Black Soul Envoys were themselves evolved from souls—souls that had ultimately become the property of the Club as transaction fees.

If they felt useful, or if their abilities were good, they could choose to store the souls obtained from transactions, then transform them into Black Soul Envoys, and finally work for the Club outside without compensation.

The Club's new top dog thought such free labor was excellent—he had no complaints. These loyal, unbetraying laborers who didn't even require wages and quietly brought in customers from outside deserved the highest praise, didn't they?

"I have also met Miss You Ye." The Black Soul Envoy's voice was as respectful as it had been when facing Luo Qiu.

From this, it was clear that You Ye's status in the Club was indeed second only to the owner's privileged position.

"Does Master wish to hear Report Number 9?" You Ye asked Luo Qiu.

Knowing that the Black Soul Envoys had no names, only numerical designations, Luo Qiu looked at You Ye curiously. "You should, shouldn't you?"

You Ye explained, "The previous owner always left this to me."

That must be because the former owner had reached new heights of reclusiveness, Luo Qiu chuckled. "I'll listen."

"Number 9, begin your report," You Ye nodded and instructed.

Black Soul Envoy Number 9 then emitted a sinister voice, "Master, Number 9 has successfully implanted information about the Club into seven different benefactors."

Black Soul Envoy Number 9's black robe suddenly opened, and seven white cards flew out from its mist-like body, appearing before Luo Qiu.

Black Soul Envoy Number 9 continued, "These are the details of the seven new benefactors. Master, please take a look."

By simply placing a finger on a white card, one could access the information stored within, rather than reading lengthy documents or listening to tedious explanations. Feeling that this was truly wonderful, Luo Qiu began clicking on one of the white cards without hesitation.

Perhaps fearing Luo Qiu was unaware of the established rules, You Ye softly said, "Master can choose suitable benefactors from these seven new ones and grant them Black Card discount privileges. Of course, you don't have to create Black Cards. Black Soul Envoys have been handling this business for many years, and over seventy percent of the benefactors they select eventually come to the Club."

Black Card discounts were merely a means of attracting transactions, but if there was a genuine need, they would come even without a discount.

The butterfly demon Pianxian was one such example.

Of course, the reason the benefactors chosen by the Black Soul Envoys were called benefactors was naturally because these individuals were more likely to offer greater compensation than customers who didn't have a Black Card or didn't stumble upon the legends and simply walked in.

The Black Soul Envoys called this their business. The more benefactors they found, and the more individuals who ultimately completed transactions, the higher the Black Soul Envoy's performance would be. High performance could also bring certain benefits to the Black Soul Envoy.

For example, they could gain a physical form, recover some memories, or be released from the Club's servitude.

Well, the last reward could actually be crossed out manually.

Because in the history of the Club, no Black Soul Envoy had ever successfully obtained the reward of liberation.

As Luo Qiu read the information from the seven white cards, he asked You Ye, "How many Black Soul Envoys do we have in total?"

"Currently, there are twenty-one remaining," You Ye quickly reported the number.

Luo Qiu was surprised. "So few?"

You Ye explained, "Master, you already know that cultivators and yokai exist in this world. Therefore, you should also be aware of various unusual individuals who claim to exorcise demons and subdue monsters. The existence of Black Soul Envoys is very similar to evil spirits, so there have always been meddlesome exorcists or demon-subduing forces in the world that specifically target and eliminate Black Soul Envoys."

You Ye elaborated further, "Because in the eyes of these people, the Club is an evil existence..."

It truly is an evil existence...

Luo Qiu inwardly grumbled but listened silently.

"...So, under the guise of justice, they have been trying to eradicate the Club all these years," You Ye sneered. "However, these fellows are overestimating themselves. They have no idea that the only reason the Club hasn't acted against them is simply because these individuals themselves are benefactors who can provide significant transaction fees."

Looking at another side of the doll-like maid, Luo Qiu remained silent and continued listening. "We don't choose to retaliate directly against these meddlesome individuals. Instead, we send more Black Soul Envoys to tempt them. As long as they have desires in their hearts, that is their weakness. The soul of a demon-subduer filled with a sense of justice and nobility is worth tens, even hundreds or thousands, of ordinary people's souls."

Luo Qiu, not intending to comment on this for now, frowned and asked, "If that's the case, there should be many Black Soul Envoys needed, so why are there only twenty-one left?"

You Ye replied, "One reason is to show weakness. If there were too many Black Soul Envoys, making these self-proclaimed righteous ones despair would eventually lead to their extinction. Once they are extinct, there would be no way to cultivate more descendants, and one of the Club's truly important sources of transaction fees would disappear. Another reason is that the previous owner has been disengaged from work for the past few decades. As the accumulated Black Soul Envoys were eliminated one by one, no replacements were made."

Luo Qiu nodded, put away the white cards in front of him, and said to Black Soul Envoy Number 9, "I'll look through this information slowly. You can continue your work."

Black Soul Envoy Number 9 said nothing and silently withdrew from the Club.

Luo Qiu then looked at You Ye and said, "I want to go and see Boss Aisath's room."

Boss Aisath was the former owner of the Club who had made the transaction with Luo Qiu, selling the Club to him.

And the former owner's room had always been locked.

Of course, it could be opened.

And Luo Qiu now felt that he could go in and take a look.