To Chen Lin's surprise, the Green-Clothed Girl did not hesitate at all when she heard his request. With a gentle flick of the hand holding the Yellow Apricot, she sent a streak of yellow light flying out of the painting.
Before he could reach for it, the yellow light landed directly in his hand. It was a Large Key.
The key was a full half-foot long. Its design was simple, with only a few teeth of varying heights, and it was the same golden-yellow color as the lock on the courtyard gate.
Chen Lin froze briefly, then immediately wrapped his palm in Innate Power to guard against anything strange happening.
But nothing happened. The key appeared to be made of much the same material as the large lock, with no energy fluctuations whatsoever.
"Thank you for accepting my task, Lord Bailiff. Under Nightmare Law, once you complete the task, my family heirloom will be yours! If you fail, you must provide a treasure of equal value as compensation. If you break your agreement and abandon the task, you must pay tenfold compensation. If you cannot produce that compensation, you will be punished by the rules."
The Girl in the Painting's voice rang out.
Then, before Chen Lin's astonished eyes, she actually rose from the boat. Her earlier playfulness was gone, and she bowed gracefully to him with a solemn expression.
This is bad, Chen Lin thought. He immediately demanded in a low voice, "When did I agree to accept your task? Don't spout such blatant lies!"
He had to make his position clear now. He could not let her forcibly saddle him with the task.
But the Girl in the Painting ignored his challenge and continued on her own. "My lord, you hold the position of Bailiff, so Huang Batian