What If I Really Die

Hiss--

As Yue Wen carefully finished reading the text on the purple skin, the fiery characters that had been present for a while dissipated one by one in the wind.

Only a few embers drifted in the air.

After a long pause, Yue Wen was left with only a blank piece of purple skin in his hand. This time, even if he used spells again, he wouldn't be able to see anything, because the information conveyed had already been read.

Three short sentences made Yue Wen ponder for a long time.

From the meaning of the words, this "Demon Emperor Skin" was gifted to the Purple Throne along with the "Snake Mountain Bronze Cauldron" by the letter's author.

Undoubtedly, it was this "Demon Emperor."

If it had gifted someone else's skin, the recipient of this purple skin wouldn't be able to contact it. It would be like someone on the street actively asking for another person's phone number and then leaving a fake one.

Purely playing around.

A normal person wouldn't do such a thing.

There weren't many beings in the Demon Race who could be called "Demon Emperor."

And the one related to Snake Mountain Tiger Tomb seemed to be only the "Demon Snake Emperor" who descended six thousand years ago.

That was too long ago, wasn't it?

Although the Demon Race had long lifespans, and it was rumored to have a cultivation comparable to the Ninth Realm... that was six thousand years ago; the Spiritual Energy era had been updated twice. The Tiger Heavenly Emperor who suppressed it back then had already become a blurry mythological figure.

Was it still trying to break free?

Getting this Demon Emperor Skin could allow him to send a message back to the other party, but Yue Wen had no such plans for now. This matter was too big, and he didn't dare to try it casually.

Dealing with a mythological figure could truly be fatal.

If possible, he really wanted to hide this skin, wash his hands of the matter, or hand it over to the Supervision Bureau for some reward money.

But the "Snake Mountain Bronze Cauldron" written on the skin caught his attention. He didn't care about the gift itself, but the letter writer said it was the key to entering the Tiger Tomb...

Snake Mountain Tiger Tomb was exactly the place he wanted to explore.

The card mentioned by his father when he left had the only clue being the emblem of Snake Mountain Tiger Tomb; he had to go there sooner or later. Was the key to entering it that Snake Mountain Bronze Cauldron?

What was this bronze cauldron and where was it?

To summarize, it seemed the "Demon Emperor" who wrote the letter wanted to establish contact with the "Purple Throne," perhaps seeking its help to break free? To show its sincerity, it sent this Demon Emperor Skin and a treasure called the Snake Mountain Bronze Cauldron, which could lead people into the Tiger Tomb.

But now this Demon Emperor Skin had fallen into his hands; he didn't know what accident had occurred in between. Before he obtained it, this skin had already been sold to an antique shop.

The information on the skin would degrade to varying degrees over time. Judging by its wear and tear, it should have recorded information from no more than six months ago.

The bronze cauldron that should have been with the Demon Emperor Skin was nowhere to be found.

After thinking for a while, Yue Wen decided to temporarily seal and preserve the skin.

If he handed this thing over to the Supervision Bureau, many things couldn't be explained, such as his failure to report the Zhang Wei incident or how he obtained the Method of Breaking Curses.

These involved his parents' disappearance and Da Long's secrets, which couldn't be disclosed to the public.

Furthermore, the writing on the skin disappeared after being read, so he had no evidence to prove what he said. Even if the people from the Supervision Bureau believed him, could he completely trust them?

Not necessarily.

The Demon Race's influence in the human world was almost all-pervasive. Who knew where their informants might be?

It was safest to keep the secret to himself.

That Snake Mountain Bronze Cauldron... if he encountered it in the future, he should still try to get it.

Just as he was pondering, Zhao Xing'er's voice called from downstairs.

"Boss, someone's looking for you!"

Since the agency's business was still slow, Yue Wen usually cultivated upstairs, and Zhao Xing'er, as his assistant, handled the front desk, calling him down when needed.

When Yue Wen went downstairs, he saw a young man in a white training uniform standing at the entrance. His bangs covered half of his eyebrows, and his expression was cool. He was holding a colorful fruit basket and waiting quietly.

"Brother Qi!" Yue Wen chuckled, "What wind brought you here?"

"Brother Yue." Qi Dian finally relaxed a little and stepped forward, handing over the fruit basket. "I came to City Seven with my sect to carry out a mission. I have half a day of free time, so I came to see you."

"Oh, the fruit basket is enough, you didn't have to come in person." Yue Wen politely took it.

Qi Dian was stunned for a moment, huh?

Yue Wen knew that Qi Dian was still grateful for being saved last time, which was why he came to visit. Qi Dian was a kind person. Although Yue Wen felt that two minor Supernatural Powers would have been enough, Qi Dian surely felt it wasn't.

Yue Wen then turned around to introduce Zhao Xing'er and Qi Dian to each other, after which he asked Qi Dian to sit down.

"Brother Qi, have some yogurt." He handed out a yogurt from his drawer.

Qi Dian glanced at it, put it down silently, and said, "I don't like yogurt."

"Right, it's almost noon, Brother Qi, you haven't eaten yet, have you?" Yue Wen called out, "Xiao Zhao, use my phone to order some takeout, a luxurious one, to treat Brother Qi."

Zhao Xing'er said, "Boss, I'll order it. I still have coupons I haven't used."

"You haven't been paid yet, how can you use your money?" Yue Wen immediately refused.

"Oh, I know you're not exactly rolling in it either," Zhao Xing'er said generously. "I managed to snag a 50-off-45 coupon!"

"..."

Watching the two of them bicker, Qi Dian felt a bit awkward sitting there. He pulled out his phone and offered, "How about I pay for some of it?"

"That wouldn't be right," Yue Wen and Zhao Xing'er said in unison, then turned their heads to look at Qi Dian with pleading eyes.

"?"

A question mark slowly formed above Qi Dian's forehead. It was just a meal, but why did he suddenly feel like he'd walked into a trap?

As he started ordering, Yue Wen made small talk. "Brother Qi, what mission brings you to City Seven this time?"

"There's an auction next week here in City Seven. Our Linjiang Gate has been commissioned to handle some of the security work. We just escorted a batch of treasures over today and will be responsible for guarding them starting this afternoon."

Qi Dian answered truthfully, without any reservation.

"The auction in Treasure Forest?" Yue Wen asked.

"Brother Yue knows about it?" Qi Dian replied.

"Heh heh, I've heard a little," Yue Wen said, watching him finish his order. "It's good you came today. Actually, I was hoping to get some information."

Qi Dian said, "Whatever it is, Brother Yue, just say the word."

"You Immortal Sect disciples have wide connections. Have you heard of any jobs lately that can make big money?" Yue Wen asked with a slightly embarrassed smile. "The clients who come to our agency are all small fry, and I'm in urgent need of cash in a few days..."

"How much do you need, Brother Yue?" Qi Dian asked.

He was thinking that if he could afford it, he'd just pay for Yue Wen himself. After all, Yue Wen had saved his life last time, and it had only cost him a few hundred yuan in total, which had made him feel a bit bad.

Yue Wen replied, "Ideally, something that can earn about a million in a week. Of course, there's no upper limit."

"This?" Qi Dian's pupils visibly widened.

He didn't say it out loud, but his expression clearly conveyed... Brother Yue, have you gone mad for money?

Yue Wen chuckled sheepishly. "Never mind if there isn't. I know it's a bit of a long shot."

But Qi Dian frowned and pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "Speaking of earning a lot, I actually do know of something. It only takes three days. A million might be unrealistic, but according to what they told me, earning a few hundred thousand is quite possible."

Hearing this, Yue Wen's eyes lit up. "Really? Godfather?"

Qi Dian quickly said, "Please, don't say that."

Zhao Xing'er chimed in from the side, "As expected of an Immortal Sect disciple, always willing to help others."

"Ahem." Hearing the compliment from a beauty, Qi Dian's lips twitched almost imperceptibly before he quickly suppressed it. He cleared his throat and said, "It's only natural for us cultivators to help each other. Miss Zhao, if you have any questions about your cultivation, you can also ask me."

He wasn't saying this out of arrogance, but with genuine sincerity to help.

In his opinion, even if Yue Wen's cultivation surpassed his, his cultivation resources were far inferior. He had even asked Qi Dian for help with Supernatural Powers before.

Zhao Xing'er was just a small assistant Yue Wen had hired, likely just an amateur cultivator, so it was even more so for her. Guiding her would be a significant help to her.

Before he could finish speaking, a sedan stopped in front of the agency's narrow entrance, directly crushing the yellow "No Parking" sign. The road in the bustling street was already narrow, and this immediately blocked traffic.

Zhao Xing'er immediately shouted outside, "Can't you see? You can't park here!"

About a dozen burly men got out of the car. The driver casually waved his hand inside. "We're going to eat next door. We'll just park for a bit."

"If you park here, people passing by have nowhere to go. Have you no manners?" Zhao Xing'er walked out, stood on the steps with her hands on her hips, and berated them.

"Tch." The burly men, relying on their numbers, sneered. "We have no manners, so what? If you've got the guts, get the authorities to tow us away!"

"Tow us away?" A red light flashed in Zhao Xing'er's eyes. She drew a black steel mace, took a step, twisted her waist, and with her arms fully loaded, swung the mace upwards from below.

Bang--

A flash of red light streaked past. The mace sent the sedan flying like a golf ball, spinning dozens of times into the sky before becoming a speck in the distance.

The dozen or so burly men stood frozen on the spot, stunned for a long moment before one of them shouted, "Ah! My parents, wife, and kids, six people are still in the car!"

"..." Qi Dian watched the scene unfold outside, stunned for a moment. Then he turned to Yue Wen. "Miss Zhao... what was that red light? It looked a bit terrifying."

"Simply put, Xing'er is an immature Innate Immortal Body," Yue Wen said. "And she possesses a quite mature martial arts system."

"..." Qi Dian fell silent for a moment, his face instantly flushing red.

Heh heh.

So, I was about to try and mentor an Immortal Body possessor?

Even if I don't know why she has such skills and is working for you... I'm really quite laughable.

He lowered his head and pondered for a long time, recalling his earlier boastful demeanor, and felt a shadow cast over him.

Maybe I should just die?