Next Time, I'll Still Dare

It was almost winter now. Just thinking about how cold it would be there made Xia Chujian feel a chill run through her body.

The cold-weather clothes available in Mulan City would be useless in the Exotic Beast Forest. She needed specially made equipment like this.

Xia Chujian also rented two Small Controlled Nuclear Fusion Generators from the Association.

One for daily use and one as a backup.

As long as these Small Controlled Nuclear Fusion Generators did not malfunction, they could run for a hundred years without issue.

Unfortunately, she would have to return both generators once the Mission was complete.

You could not buy these things outside even if you had money.

Even within the Dark Night Hunter Association, not just anyone could rent them.

Eligibility was determined entirely by the specific Mission.

Xia Chujian could not help feeling suspicious.

She had never seen a Geng Grade Mission that could rent Small Controlled Nuclear Fusion Generators! It was said that even Jia Grade Missions might not get such an opportunity.

She sensed something was off, but did not think too much about it.

There was no point in thinking about it anyway. She had taken this Mission for personal reasons.

So regardless of what the Association intended, she was going to the Exotic Beast Forest to find the Blood Kirin.

By the time she had registered and collected everything, it was already five in the afternoon.

It was completely dark outside.

She collected the identification plate for the Small Combat Aircraft assigned to her by the Mission, entered her account information, and completed the locking procedure.

After leaving the Association branch's lobby, Xia Chujian boarded the Small Combat Aircraft directly, intending to take it for a test flight first.

As Xia Chujian began circling through the sky above the top floor of the skyscraper, a tall noblewoman wearing a veil was flying into a rage inside an extremely luxurious yet understated villa in West 001 District.

"The Mission failed?! How could it fail?! Didn't I tell you to find Mental Strength Experts and crush them in a slaughter?!"

At that moment, a virtual screen appeared before the veiled noblewoman, and a video began playing automatically.

When she saw a spindle-shaped Flying Vehicle surrounded from every direction and annihilated by six Micro Missiles, the veiled noblewoman flew into a furious rage.

She flung away the fine white bone china teacup with gold trim in her hand, her face turning livid. "This is the Mental Strength Expert you found?! I said I wanted someone who could crush them directly! What the hell is this?!"

The Housekeeper before her had lowered her head so far it was nearly touching the floor. She repeatedly said, "It was my fault! I was careless! I only thought that the highest Mental Strength level in that team was D-Rank Mid-Stage, so a Mental Strength Expert at C-Class peak would definitely be enough. Who knew this would happen..."

"The Mission failed at dawn, and you only got the exact news now! Are you as stupid as those Humanoid Lowly People slaves?!" The slightly plump noblewoman was so enraged that her chest rose and fell, her tightly wrapped bodice nearly bursting apart.

Unable to bear the immense pressure, the Housekeeper dropped to her knees with a thud and kowtowed desperately. "Please calm your anger, Madam! Please calm your anger! I truly did not expect..."

"I do not care what you did not expect! I only want their lives!" The veiled noblewoman raised one finger and said coldly, "You have one more chance. If you fail This Time too, you know what awaits you!"

"Yes, Madam. Rest assured!" The Housekeeper withdrew, trembling.

An hour later, an unremarkable, medium-built man in Mulan City West District received a Huge Sum of Money as a deposit.

He was one of the most famous independent Bounty Hunters in the entire Beichen Empire. His surname was Feng, and he was known as "Instant Execution." Everyone had forgotten his real name and only called him Feng Qianzhan.

It was said that he had assassinated thousands of people without ever failing once.

For This Time's Mission, the client demanded that he kill everyone in that team at any cost, without leaving behind any clues.

If the client had not paid so much, he would not have wanted to take this Mission at all.

It was far too low-end.

He was a Gene Evolver whose Mental Strength had already reached Rank B Peak.

Yet the captain of the team he was meant to assassinate only had D-Rank Mid-Stage Mental Strength, a full two major ranks below him.

And that team even had an Ordinary Person whose genes could not evolve and who had no Mental Strength!

Wiping out that team would be as easy as chopping melons and vegetables for him. There would absolutely be no clues left behind.

Having someone like him deal with people like that was truly Killing a Chicken with a Cow Cleaver.

But the client was simply paying too much. For the sake of the Money, he quickly signed the contract.

Soon, the client sent him a message: Team 321 has accepted a Mission to enter the Exotic Beast Forest and search for the Blood Kirin. They will enter the Exotic Beast Forest soon.

Feng Qianzhan was even more pleased when he saw it.

If he wanted to eliminate those five without leaving a trace, the best place was the Exotic Beast Forest north of Mulan City! Every year, countless Bounty Hunters died there without a sound!

Those so-called Dark Night Hunters were also Bounty Hunters. They were merely organized Bounty Hunters, unlike Feng Qianzhan, who was independent—a free Bounty Hunter who belonged to no organization.

With that thought, he was no longer in a hurry. He replied: Received. I can go to the Exotic Beast Forest, but it will cost extra.

The other party immediately transferred another One Million Beichen Coins to him.

They had previously agreed on Five Million Beichen Coins. He had first been given a deposit of One Million Beichen Coins, with the requirement that no trace be left behind and that even if he were caught, he could not reveal any information about the Employer.

The remaining half of the final payment would be paid once the Mission was complete.

The other half of the final payment would be paid three years later.

That other half was to ensure that, within those three years, even if he were caught, he would not reveal any information about the Employer.

Seeing the client so readily transfer another million, Feng Qianzhan was delighted. He immediately left his private residence and went to Mulan City's Black Market to buy equipment for entering the Exotic Beast Forest.

As a Gene Evolver with Mental Strength Rank B Peak, the cold of the Exotic Beast Forest had no effect on him at all.

What he needed was equipment for tracking and concealing his trail. That way, he could crush them with Mental Strength while they were unprepared and kill all five in one go.

Because the buyer did not want any clues related to the killings left behind, he would use common weapons whose sources could not be traced.

Of course, with his formidable Mental Strength as assurance, he would not need those conventional weapons at all.

But he was going to the Exotic Beast Forest, where there were so many Fierce Beasts and Alien Beasts. He had to ensure his own safety too. And even as a Mental Strength Expert at Rank B Peak, it did not mean he could use Mental Strength without restraint.

To Gene Evolvers, Mental Strength was like physical strength—it also required rest and recovery.

So he had to prepare a batch of common conventional weapons circulating on the Black Market.

After Xia Chujian became familiar with the new Flying Vehicle, she went home.

She did not stay long. She first put the thousand in cash she had withdrawn into the mailbox outside Aunt Chen's home as compensation for the things Aunt Chen had previously given her.

Then she found the box of cheap Low-Level Nutrient Solution she had bought some time ago that was close to expiring and carried it into her newly assigned Small Combat Aircraft.

This would be her nutritional supply in the Exotic Beast Forest.

She did not know how long she would be inside. She had to eat, after all.

Finally, she did not forget to send another Leave Request to her Class Teacher, saying that her aunt was seriously ill and needed a month of personal care.

Her Class Teacher had already given up on her and only replied with one word: Mm.

Xia Chujian stared at that "Mm" for a while before jumping into the Flying Vehicle expressionlessly.

Xia Chujian put on the full-body Bulletproof Vest she had collected from the Association, with her Exotic Beast Fur Coat still worn over it.

Her aunt had prepared it for her before falling ill, though Xia Chujian had no idea where her aunt had obtained it.

The coat fit her perfectly, and its inner fur was fiery red, making it especially warm.

On her feet were the knee-high Exotic Beast fur Military Boots she had collected from the Association that day.

A self-heating microbial-defense mask and Bulletproof Helmet covered her face, protecting her tightly from head to toe.

She checked the time on her Smart Bracelet. It was only six in the evening.

She set the Coordinates for the entrance to the Exotic Beast Forest in the north and activated autopilot mode.

The Flying Vehicle activated stealth mode, silently rose into the sky, and flew toward the Exotic Beast Forest to the north.

There was an exceptionally tall Enclosure Wall north of Mulan City.

Beyond the Enclosure Wall lay the Exotic Beast Forest.

The Exotic Beast Forest bordered the sea to the East Side and a lake to the west, while to the north lay the boundless Land of the Far North, Guiyuan Star's Restricted Life Zone.

Its only land entrance was on the south, where it bordered Mulan City.

Therefore, under normal circumstances, anyone entering the Exotic Beast Forest had to pass through Mulan City's Enclosure Wall.

Mulan City had also established a Checkpoint on the Enclosure Wall.

Anyone entering the Exotic Beast Forest from there had to register at the Checkpoint.

It was also a form of management.

Of course, it was possible to skip registration and fly directly over the Enclosure Wall through the Upper Space, but that counted as illegal crossing. Getting back would not be easy.

Xia Chujian was carrying out a Mission normally, so there was no need for her to cross illegally.

Her Flying Vehicle deactivated stealth mode at the Checkpoint and slowly descended.

Although it was dark, the Enclosure Wall Checkpoint was brightly lit, as clear as day.

At a glance, quite a few people were heading into the Exotic Beast Forest.

Besides private Flying Vehicles of all sizes, there were also several off-road vehicles suited for the wilderness.

The moment Xia Chujian stepped out of her Flying Vehicle, she saw four people carrying combat packs walking toward her.

"Captain?!" Xia Chujian spotted Captain Ye Shijie at the very front at first glance.

Behind Ye Shijie were Li Fu, Song Mingqian, and Ping Qiong.

"Chujian, you're really being too distant. How could you leave by yourself without saying a word? Do you really not think of us as teammates anymore?!" Li Fu was the first to stride forward and give Xia Chujian's shoulder a heavy smack, nearly planting her in the ground.

Song Mingqian and Ping Qiong came over from either side, surrounding Xia Chujian. "Chujian, do you think we're the kind of people who only take advantage? Who rush in when there are benefits and run away when there's danger?"

Ye Shijie also said with a grim face, "Xia Chujian, do you think you're so great? Do you think we're all petty people?!"

Xia Chujian: "..."

Ye Shijie coughed. "We won't pursue the matter of you using the team account to accept a Mission without authorization This Time. But only This Time. Not Again!"

Xia Chujian looked at each of their faces in turn. Her heart warmed, but she did not know how to show it. She merely slapped the Flying Vehicle's control panel and shouted, "Sorry, Captain! Next time, I'll still dare!"

Seeing that readers are asking about update times again, I'll say it once more: during the New Book Period, updates are at 12:05 a.m. every day.

After it goes premium, there should be two updates daily. The exact times will be decided later. (#^.^#)