Strange, Strange Web?

Needless to say, Xu Qianqian met Su Ming's requirements in every respect.

To avoid attracting attention, Su Ming had no way to take the many extraordinary items in his backpack out and put them in his hands, lest someone with ulterior motives spy on him.

But if those things appeared in the hands of the Xu Family's eldest daughter in Longyao City, it would undoubtedly seem much more reasonable.

As long as Su Ming was careful not to bring out anything too valuable, given Xu Qianqian's family background, no one would find it strange no matter how many extraordinary items she produced.

Moreover, with Xu Qianqian's status, it would be convenient for her to use the Xu Family's channels to deal with these extraordinary items. She might even be able to find better channels and sell them for a higher price.

If it were Su Ming, even if he did not care about being watched by people with ulterior motives, dealing with a large number of extraordinary items would still present problems in terms of safety and channels. Things would undoubtedly become very troublesome.

Now, though, things were different.

With Xu Qianqian, the Xu Family's eldest daughter, around, he could completely rely on her background to deal with these things and play the part of a merchant who bought low and sold high.

Under these circumstances, Su Ming did not mind helping Xu Qianqian.

After all, he was only investigating. He would not be directly clashing with the suspicious organization, nor would he be dragged into the struggles among the higher-ups of Base City. Why not do it?

If Su Ming had been asked to take action and expose his strength, he definitely would not have agreed so readily.

But for an investigation, Su Ming really did have a few little gadgets that could let him complete the task without any risk.

After considering this, Su Ming agreed.

Of course, he still needed the Xu Family's eldest daughter to agree.

Xu Qianqian should agree.

After all, the conditions Su Ming had proposed would not cause Xu Qianqian any losses.

Sure enough—

"I agree."

Xu Qianqian accepted Su Ming's three conditions.

However, verbal promises were still somewhat unsettling.

So Su Ming took out a scroll that looked like it was made of parchment.

"This is a Contract Scroll." Su Ming looked at Xu Qianqian and said, "Let's sign a contract."

The parchment-like scroll was made from the skin of a Phantom Demon known as a Blackheart Demon.

The Blackheart Demon was a type of cursed creature. Any living being that touched its skin would suffer its curse, causing all kinds of abnormalities in both body and mind.

Alchemists who specialized in using Phantom Demons from the Spirit Fiend Abyss and special materials to create various extraordinary items could tan Blackheart Demon skin using special methods. Combined with other materials, they could turn it into a document.

As long as the corresponding content was written on the document and the parties signed their names, if a signer failed to fulfill anything mentioned in the document, the Blackheart Demon's curse would take effect.

At that point, the one who broke the contract would taste the curse and suffer unbearable pain.

This was the Contract Scroll, an extraordinary item that had already become widespread in this world and was extensively used.

This sort of item was far more useful than a contract in the literal sense.

Especially in a world where humanity's position as the dominant race was being challenged, sometimes the human heart was more frightening than a Phantom Demon. A contract's literal wording alone could not restrain many people.

Whether they were Hunters and Warlocks or ordinary people, compared to literal contracts, they were all more willing to trust the effects of a Contract Scroll.

Especially certain custom-made Contract Scrolls—the curse effects attached to them were so powerful that they could even curse the highest-level Hunters and Warlocks to death, or directly kill every living being within an entire Base City. It was astonishing.

It was said that whenever different Base Cities sat at the negotiating table to draft treaties, they would use these custom-made Contract Scrolls, ensuring that the contracts took effect and received protection to the greatest extent possible.

The Contract Scroll in Su Ming's hand was not that powerful. However, judging by the Demonic Power radiating from it, Xu Qianqian had reason to believe that with her current strength, if she violated the contract, she would at the very least suffer terribly, if not die.

"I didn't expect you to be carrying something like this."

Xu Qianqian accepted the Contract Scroll while looking at Su Ming strangely.

"Don't look at me like that. You'll make me shy."

Su Ming scratched his head with an embarrassed expression, leaving Xu Qianqian utterly speechless.

But Xu Qianqian did not object to signing the contract.

The two of them had only met by chance. They were not even casual acquaintances. Su Ming was not like Xu Qianqian, who had a mystical way of distinguishing friend from foe, so it was perfectly normal for him to feel uneasy about her.

Xu Qianqian was quite reasonable. After discussing it with Su Ming, she quickly settled on the contents of the Contract Scroll.

The gist was that before the unknown suspicious organization achieved its goal, Su Ming had to investigate the organization's objective and the details of its actions, then inform Xu Qianqian, the mission's client.

Once the commission was completed, Xu Qianqian had to fulfill the three conditions Su Ming had proposed. Anyone who violated the contract would suffer the curse caused by its activation.

After finishing the Contract Scroll, Su Ming and Xu Qianqian each signed their names.

The next moment, the Contract Scroll automatically split into two. One copy fell into Su Ming's hands, while the other fell into Xu Qianqian's.

From that moment onward, the contract took effect.

The instant someone violated the contract, the Contract Scroll's curse would take effect.

"This should do, right?"

Xu Qianqian put away her copy of the Contract Scroll.

"Of course."

Su Ming also put the Contract Scroll into his backpack, looking thoroughly satisfied.

This trip had not been in vain. Not only had he solved the concern of exposing his strength, but he had also resolved the problem that had troubled him for so long.

Once he had investigated the suspicious organization's objective, Su Ming could report back to Xu Qianqian and have her fulfill the contract by helping him deal with the items he had obtained from his packages.

This was a long-term transaction.

From now on, Su Ming could continually use Xu Qianqian's channels to sell the items he obtained from opening packages and earn a great deal of money.

He would use that money to buy all kinds of Phantom Demon materials and extraordinary items, ultimately exchanging them for Crystals to open packages.

The useful items he obtained from opening packages could be kept to increase his strength, while the useless ones could continue to be dealt with through Xu Qianqian.

By recycling them in this way, buying low and selling high, Su Ming would effectively have endless Crystals, endless packages to open, and a chance to rapidly increase his strength.

Thinking of this, Su Ming's gaze toward Xu Qianqian became much gentler and warmer.

Well, this eldest daughter isn't completely without merit. Let bygones be bygones.

Su Ming was simply that practical a person.

"Let's head back." Su Ming stood up and, unusually, showed some concern for Xu Qianqian. "By the way, running out like this—won't you accidentally get targeted by the hidden attackers again?"

"...Probably not." Xu Qianqian shook her head and said indifferently, "They're probably still shocked that I survived. They shouldn't take action again so soon, within just a few days."

In other words, once they recovered and formulated a new plan, Xu Qianqian might be attacked by them again.

"No wonder you feel so constrained and can only entrust someone else with the investigation."

Su Ming spread his hands.

"Don't worry. I won't let them remain at large for long." Xu Qianqian's tone was cold, and she seemed unwilling to discuss the matter. Turning to Su Ming, she said, "After we return, I'll send the investigation results I've gathered about that suspicious organization to your phone. I hope they'll be of some help."

"You're just going to send them directly to my phone?" Su Ming's cautious nature flared up again, and he could not help asking, "Is that safe?"

"They're all encrypted files. It's unlikely that anything will happen." Xu Qianqian said, "Unless you connect to some strange, strange web, the chances of something going wrong are very small."

Hearing this, Su Ming instinctively wanted to nod, but suddenly realized what she had said.

"A strange, strange web?"

Why did it feel like this eldest daughter was implying something?

Am I imagining it?

Whether he was or not, he should explain himself first.

"I never visit those trashy websites!" Su Ming said righteously to Xu Qianqian. "That's something my roommate, Lei Hao, would do!"

"???" Xu Qianqian's head filled with question marks.

"Ahem, it's nothing." Su Ming coughed awkwardly and fell silent.

Afterward, the two exchanged only a few more words before splitting up. They returned to the academy one after the other and went back to the dormitory.

At that time, Lei Hao and Ye Bai still had not woken up. They had not noticed Su Ming leaving the dormitory and were sleeping soundly in their beds.

However, the two fellows did not seem to sleep very peacefully.

"Su Ming... the letter..."

Ye Bai still seemed to be hung up on the matter of delivering the letter. His wicked desire to scheme against Su Ming had not died.

"Don't steal my goddess—ah, my goddess..."

Lei Hao was also mumbling in his sleep. His face was filled with pain, and tears streamed down it, making him unbearable to look at.

Su Ming changed into his pajamas and lay down, but he found that he could not fall asleep no matter what.

Especially when he thought about what had happened that day and these two inhuman friends, Su Ming felt a burst of irritation.

A minute later, Su Ming swiftly climbed out of bed, lit two mosquito coils, and threw them into Lei Hao's and Ye Bai's blankets before lying back down.

"Ah! My butt!"

"It's so hot!"

Before long, the two malicious friends' screams rang out one after another.

Su Ming immediately felt his thoughts flow freely. He closed his eyes and finally fell into a comfortable sleep.

He believed that tomorrow would definitely be a good day.

The next day.

When morning came, Su Ming was not woken by Lei Hao's booming voice. Instead, Ye Bai shook him awake.

"Su Ming! You bastard!"

Hearing the heartbroken cry, Su Ming slowly woke up and saw Ye Bai clutching his clothes with tears streaming down his face.

Su Ming jolted and became fully awake.

"What are you doing?"

Su Ming hurriedly knocked Ye Bai's hand away and clutched his blanket, looking wary.

Ye Bai ignored him completely and remained utterly grief-stricken.

"Xu Qianqian is one thing, but you actually made a move on my goddess too?"

Ye Bai's grief-stricken voice left Su Ming confused.

What is he even talking about?

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