A Metaphysical Way to Distinguish Loyalty from Treachery

This time, Xu Qianqian broke her usual pattern. Unlike before, she didn't act as if she were naive and unaware of the world, casually leaking information to Su Ming.

"This matter has nothing to do with the current mission. It's my personal affair, and I'll handle it myself."

After saying this with an expression as cold as ice, Xu Qianqian made no further mention of the ambush she had suffered.

Su Ming wasn't exactly unconcerned, but seeing Xu Qianqian's frigid demeanor, he understood that this wasn't something she could casually discuss.

So, Su Ming dropped it.

"Anyway, you're the one who got ambushed, not me. I don't really care."

His response was as blunt as a straight man could get.

Xu Qianqian didn't mind. She truly seemed to have no intention of involving Su Ming in this matter.

She only wanted Su Ming to get involved in her mission.

"Because of that ambush, I probably can't move freely anymore. If I do, I'll definitely be targeted by whoever's lurking in the shadows, and I could lose my life at any moment." Xu Qianqian said this to Su Ming. "So, I have no choice but to entrust this mission to someone trustworthy."

That was the reason Xu Qianqian needed help.

"Hold on." Su Ming cut Xu Qianqian off, staring at her with a mix of shock and bewilderment. "Are you saying I'm that trustworthy person you've chosen?"

"What about it?" Xu Qianqian tilted her head, looking puzzled. "Is there a problem?"

"There's a huge problem!" Su Ming said bluntly. "Senior, I don't think we're that close, are we?"

If Xu Qianqian's words had been heard by those rough-and-tumble guys from the Demon Hunter Academy, they'd probably be ecstatic to the point of losing their minds, willing to lay down their lives for her.

But Su Ming wasn't Xu Qianqian's simp, nor was he her friend. Forget having any bond—before this, the two of them hadn't even exchanged a single word.

Under these circumstances, Xu Qianqian actually called him trustworthy and entrusted him with an important mission personally assigned by the top brass of Base City?

It made no sense!

Not to mention.

"Haven't you ever suspected why I showed up here that night, and why I was dressed just like those suspicious characters?"

Su Ming pointed this out.

In his view, he wasn't even worthy of Xu Qianqian's trust. It wouldn't be surprising at all if she suspected him of being an accomplice of that shady group.

Just based on the fact that he had inexplicably appeared there that night, anyone would have ample reason to doubt his identity.

On top of that, Su Ming had been hiding his strength, and Xu Qianqian already knew about it. This young lady of the Xu Family not refraining from suspicion was one thing, but actually calling him trustworthy?

Wasn't that nonsense?

But just as Su Ming was thinking this, Xu Qianqian's reply in the next second left him dumbfounded.

"I told you, you might fool others, but you can't fool me." Xu Qianqian stared straight at Su Ming. "If you were truly an evil person, your scent wouldn't be so rich and pure."

It took Su Ming a long moment to realize that the "scent" Xu Qianqian mentioned referred to his blood.

"My blood is rich and pure, so I'm not an evil person?"

Su Ming couldn't for the life of him figure out the logic behind that statement.

Xu Qianqian didn't seem inclined to explain. She only said quietly, "I don't know who I can trust anymore. I feel like everyone around me might betray me, just like the one who attacked me that night. But you—I'm certain you're not that kind of person."

Now, Su Ming finally understood.

So, this female vampire had no one else to trust or entrust this to, and that's why she came to him, right?

Su Ming was speechless.

Of course, the biggest reason Xu Qianqian had sought out Su Ming was that his strength didn't match his reputation at all.

This mission wasn't easy. Even if it was just an investigation, facing a sizable shady group and its backers required a certain level of power.

Xu Qianqian didn't know Su Ming's true strength, but she had already acknowledged him, believing he was at least as capable as herself.

With that, combined with Xu Qianqian's state of having no one to trust and her mystically unreliable method of distinguishing good from evil, this Campus Belle ultimately chose Su Ming.

"That's about the gist of it." Xu Qianqian finished her explanation. "Can you help me?"

As she spoke, Xu Qianqian couldn't help but cast a hopeful look at Su Ming.

To be honest, there probably wasn't a man alive who could remain unmoved by that gaze.

Su Ming was no exception. He felt a bit lightheaded under that look, overcome with a sense of "it's me or no one" and an urge to act.

Not for any other reason, but because the one looking at him like this was the famous High Mountain Flower of the Demon Hunter Academy, the goddess in the hearts of all students.

Fortunately, Su Ming didn't lose his head.

"Are you sure it's just an investigation?"

Su Ming rubbed his chin and suddenly asked Xu Qianqian this.

"I'm sure." Xu Qianqian seemed to sense something, and a hint of joy crept into her heart as she nodded repeatedly. "If it were more than an investigation, this mission wouldn't be something someone at our level could handle."

This involved power struggles among the top brass of Base City. If the mission's scope weren't limited to investigation, there was no way it would ever be entrusted to a student.

Even if such a mission had to be given to a student, Xu Qianqian would never hand over something so important to someone else.

The reason this was possible was simply that the power struggles among Base City's higher-ups had only just begun. This investigation mission was nothing more than an appetizer before the real conflict arrived.

"If that's the case, it's not impossible to work something out."

Su Ming's eyes flickered slightly.

Yes.

He did have some ideas now.

"You agree?"

Xu Qianqian quickly sought confirmation.

"Don't get too excited." Su Ming poured cold water on Xu Qianqian, saying, "It's not that I can't help you, but I have conditions."

"Name them." Xu Qianqian spoke concisely, exuding an air of wealth and boldness, as if she was open to any terms.

Su Ming immediately laid out his conditions to Xu Qianqian.

"First, I can help you investigate that suspicious group, but you can't reveal this to anyone, including those high-ups in the Base City who entrusted you with this mission."

That was Su Ming's first condition.

"Why?"

Xu Qianqian didn't understand.

She had no other thoughts, only that if Su Ming really helped her this much, she would definitely put in a good word for him with the Base City's higher-ups, securing him generous rewards and attention.

That way, Su Ming's future path might become smooth and bright because of it.

This was something others would beg for.

Yet Su Ming wanted it kept secret—how could Xu Qianqian not find it strange?

But Su Ming didn't explain.

"I have my reasons. Just tell me if you can do it or not."

Su Ming's attitude was very firm.

Xu Qianqian frowned deeply. Though she found it hard to accept, she didn't argue.

Since he didn't want credit or fame, anything more she said or did would just be superfluous.

Seeing Xu Qianqian fall silent, Su Ming ignored it and spoke again.

"Second, regarding my personal matters, I hope you won't reveal anything to anyone—neither about me hiding my strength nor about our interaction in this incident."

Su Ming's second condition was also about his own concealment.

Xu Qianqian wanted to ask why he had to do this.

But in the end, she didn't ask.

Just as Su Ming said, he had his reasons.

And if he didn't want to talk, even if she asked, he wouldn't answer.

Hadn't she also kept the ambush from him?

Maybe he had some unspeakable difficulties too.

Still...

(He really is different from others.)

Xu Qianqian silently thought to herself.

In the past, everyone who appeared around her, trying to get close, wanted to borrow her fame, to use her status for attention and benefits.

Especially the men—many were likely attracted not just by her looks but by her family background.

Every single one of them couldn't wait to show off, to display their strength and value in front of Xu Qianqian. Unlike Su Ming, who avoided her like the plague and desperately tried to keep a low profile.

The question was, if that was the case, what benefit did he get from helping her investigate that suspicious group?

Just as Xu Qianqian had that thought, Su Ming personally told her what he wanted out of this.

"Third, I need you to help me handle some goods."

Su Ming stated his final condition.

"Goods?"

Xu Qianqian was stunned.

"Some supernatural items." Su Ming explained to Xu Qianqian, "I have things I need to sell, but I don't want too many interested parties to notice. So I want you to handle my goods long-term, exchanging them for equivalent items—whether Phantom Demon materials or other supernatural items."

This was the condition that truly benefited Su Ming.

All along, Su Ming had been troubled by how to deal with the various items he opened from his packages.

Some were useful to him, but others were useless, just piling up in his inventory.

He wanted to sell them and exchange them for equivalent items, which could then be turned into Crystals to open more packages.

Although items from packages could be thrown into the Marketplace for Crystals, the Marketplace only gave Crystals equal to the item's intrinsic value.

But if sold on the market, depending on rarity, circulation, demand, quality, and other factors, their value could fetch a premium beyond the base price.

This way, Su Ming's goods would become significantly more valuable.

And if he used the money from selling them to purchase other supernatural items, Su Ming could convert a large amount into Crystals.

This was undoubtedly a very advantageous deal for Su Ming.

However, given Su Ming's persona, if he were to sell a large quantity of valuable supernatural items, it would be impossible not to attract the attention of those with ulterior motives.

Therefore, up until now, Su Ming had never been able to realize this idea.

Until today, when the opportunity finally arrived.

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