Triggering a Quest

"Don't act up." Chu Huai Xu refused outright.

A smile crept back onto his face, but that meaningful look in his eyes—it was like he was watching a little fool again.

This made Han Shuangjiang a bit irritated.

Chu Huai Xu looked at her, not taking the wine jar she held high, just staring into her beautiful eyes and said:

"Do you know what'll happen if you go home and I deliver the wine? You could end up in danger."

Han Shuangjiang frowned, staring straight back into his eyes without flinching in the slightest. This iceberg replied:

"Of course I know!"

We've talked this openly—I'm not actually stupid, so stop looking at me like that!

She knew there was danger, which was why she chose to go home herself and let him seek help.

Seeing her stubbornness, Chu Huai Xu's smile grew wider.

"And do you think the danger a man faces is the same as what a woman faces?"

With that, he gave her a once-over.

Meeting his gaze, Han Shuangjiang's body tensed for a moment, and she immediately understood his meaning.

She hadn't expected Chu Huai Xu to be so thorough, even thinking of that.

"But—" she wanted to say more.

No matter what, it all started because of her.

"Don't 'but' me. Do as I say!" His tone was unyielding, even a bit harsh.

The cold-faced girl couldn't help but press her lips together, and in the end, she had no choice but to yield, turning away with a hint of annoyance.

"Heh! Little housekeeper, you think you can run the show?" Chu Huai Xu thought to himself as he watched her walk east.

He felt no pressure or tension, just carried his groceries home, whistling a tune.

In his view, having some indirect contact with Niu Yuanshan was harmless.

But at this stage, direct contact should be kept to a minimum.

Besides, as a fellow member of the organization, going to beg him in person would seem cheap.

"And if I remember right, players dug up before that this organization has a bunch of messy rules."

"They're all brainwashed, ready to sacrifice themselves for some cause."

Thinking rationally with common logic, even if undercover agents can't cover for each other, they shouldn't cause trouble for one another.

Chu Huai Xu guessed that not showing up in person might better fit the organization's way of doing things.

Giving Niu Yuanshan a jar of wine from the Moon Kingdom was enough.

Given the current trade situation between the two countries, it wouldn't be a flaw.

Like on Earth—you can't call me a walking fifty-thousand just because I use an iPhone, right?

No way, no way.

Of course, there was something more important.

Chu Huai Xu was waiting for something.

Back home, he set all the groceries at the door of Han Shuangjiang's Bamboo House.

"She said she'd cook, so it goes to her place. I'm not making a single meal!"

"And I'm not washing dishes either!" he resolved silently.

Just as he finished, a system prompt sound rang in his ears.

"Here it comes!" Chu Huai Xu's heart leaped with joy—he had no Experience Points left to use.

"Ding! You have triggered a passive mission—Liu Chengqi's Revenge!"

"Mission difficulty level: Class A!"

On the other side, Han Shuangjiang had arrived outside Niu Yuanshan's courtyard.

As one of the Nine Stewards of Outer Sect, his courtyard looked far more upscale than the Bamboo House.

How to put it—quite elegant.

Chinese aesthetics are luxurious; this courtyard probably cost a pretty penny.

Standing at the gate, Han Shuangjiang suddenly thought: "What if Steward Niu isn't home?"

As part of the outer sect's management, Niu Yuanshan had duties to handle.

If he wasn't home, he was likely at the Steward Hall.

The Registered Disciple's handbook had a Map, and Han Shuangjiang knew where the Steward Hall was—not too far from here.

But still, it would take time.

She was a bit regretful, feeling she'd spent too much time buying groceries, and wondered: "Why was he so unhurried the whole way?"

Little did he know, Chu Huai Xu was simply waiting for the quest to trigger.

The girl carried a wine jar and raised her hand to knock on the courtyard gate.

Before parting, Chu Huai Xu had given her a few instructions, and she had been rehearsing her lines along the way.

The courtyard gate soon opened, revealing a servant from within.

"You are?" the servant asked.

"My name is Han Shuangjiang. I'm here to visit Steward Niu," she said.

As soon as she spoke, a gentle voice came from inside the courtyard: "Ah, it's Shuangjiang. Come in."

Han Shuangjiang let out a sigh of relief.

Though she had only met Niu Yuanshan once, she had a good impression of this middle-aged man. He struck her as an upright and kind elder, fitting her image of what a manager from a righteous sect like the Dao Sect should be.

The undercover Old Niu was currently tending to flowers and plants in his own small courtyard.

It was a Dragon Blood Grass, the main ingredient for making Blood-Stopping Pills.

Blood-Stopping Pills weren't rare—just low-grade spirit pills.

He wasn't raising it here to refine pills; he simply thought the Dragon Blood Grass looked beautiful, with a unique shape and an especially vivid color—red as blood!

Niu Yuanshan watched Han Shuangjiang approach, his gaze settling on the jar of Erlang Wine she carried.

He gave her a slight smile and a nod, then turned his back to her to fiddle with the Dragon Blood Grass, though his eyes sharpened subtly in the shadows.

"Erlang Wine?" Niu Yuanshan squinted.

He always acted cautiously in the Dao Sect, with a spy's keen awareness and discipline—a textbook case of a highly sensitive person.

A jar of wine from the Moon Kingdom couldn't escape his notice.

Restoring his expression to normal, Niu Yuanshan put down his shears, turned to Han Shuangjiang, and said, "You came, but why bring a jar of wine?"

"Erlang Wine? Isn't that from the Moon Kingdom?" he added.

Han Shuangjiang set the wine jar on the nearby stone table and replied, "Reporting to the steward, Chu Huai Xu asked me to bring it. He said it would be rude to show up empty-handed on a first visit."

At the sound of that name, all of Niu Yuanshan's doubts vanished.

In fact, he even felt a touch of old-man satisfaction.

Was this just a jar of wine?

No—it was an unspoken understanding between two people from the Moon Kingdom!

"Good child, how thoughtful," he said with a smile, praising the absent party.

He had suspected earlier that this newcomer might know his identity.

Now, it was like playing with cards on the table.

Niu Yuanshan first sat down on a stone stool, then gestured for Han Shuangjiang to sit across from him.

"By the way, why did you come alone?" Steward Niu naturally steered the conversation toward the organization's newcomer, following her lead.

Han Shuangjiang kept Chu Huai Xu's instructions firmly in mind. No matter how anxious she felt inside, she couldn't directly reveal her purpose for coming.

But she wasn't stupid—Chu Huai Xu just liked looking at her like she was.

At that moment, an idea struck her. She recalled how Chu Huai Xu had taken half a palm strike from Liu Chengqi when they fought.

And so, Han Shuangjiang quickly found the perfect entry point:

"Steward Niu, it's because he's a bit injured."

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