But most of them were only there to watch. Not a single Soul Master had bought a Mission Card.
Suotuo City was a small city, after all, and millionaires were few and far between.
The Soul Masters here had limited spending power.
Ten thousand Gold Soul Coins wasn't something an ordinary person could afford.
So Li Haiyun had very little work to do and spent most days at ease.
As soon as Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing arrived,
a passerby nearby recognized Ning Rongrong as the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect who had come to buy a Mission Card the night before. He immediately led the way, clearing a path for her.
"Boss! Boss Li, I'm here!"
Ning Rongrong called out excitedly, her voice so sweet and clear.
Li Haiyun perked right up and rose from his rocking chair.
His gaze swept over them, and he noticed a young woman standing beside Ning Rongrong.
She wore a tight black leather outfit that accentuated her graceful, curving figure. Her perfect silhouette put the women around her to shame.
She was stunningly beautiful, no less so than Ning Rongrong.
Especially her long, shapely legs, outlined by her leather pants. They were slender and smooth, and each step radiated irresistible allure.
If all eyes had been fixed on Ning Rongrong the night before,
then today, every passerby present was captivated by Zhu Zhuqing.
Taking in her breathtaking curves, Li Haiyun couldn't help admiring her inwardly. No wonder she's Zhu Zhuqing. Stunning face, slim waist, long legs, a full chest—looks like a D cup. A true beauty!
That sight roused him even more, sweeping away all his drowsiness.
"Rongrong, you're here."
Li Haiyun greeted her warmly, showing no sign of what he was thinking.
Ning Rongrong led Zhu Zhuqing over to him and introduced her. "This is my good friend. Her name is Zhu Zhuqing. I brought her here today to use a Mission Card and accept a quest!"
"Zhuqing—that's a lovely name, and you're a lovely girl, too!"
Li Haiyun smiled warmly and praised her without holding back.
Then he added, "You're both very welcome to come here to buy and use Mission Cards. If there's anything you don't understand, I'd be happy to explain."
"Thank you, Boss Li!"
Ning Rongrong thanked him with a gentle smile, then quietly nudged Zhu Zhuqing's arm.
Zhu Zhuqing played along and softly added, "Thank you!"
As they spoke, Zhu Zhuqing took a moment to observe Li Haiyun.
She found that, just as Ning Rongrong had said, Boss Li Haiyun really was handsome and refined, with an easygoing manner and graceful speech.
His character, appearance, and bearing—
compared with Flender, Dai Mubai, Tang San, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar at the academy,
were like the heavens and the earth.
Zhu Zhuqing no longer felt so wary or dislike toward Boss Li. She could get to know him and see how things went.
Once they had finished exchanging pleasantries,
Ning Rongrong got straight to the point. "Zhuqing, you can use your Mission Card now and accept your first quest! Just do what I told you—send a wisp of Soul Power into it."
"All right, Rongrong. I'll give it a try!"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded and replied.
Then she took out a Mission Card and sent a wisp of Soul Power into it.
In an instant,
several lines of black text appeared on the card, describing the quest.
Quest Grade: [Black Grade]
Quest Details: [Right here, in front of everyone, shout at full volume ten times: "I am the master of my own fate, not Heaven's! The east bank of the river may be down today, but the west bank will rise tomorrow. Don't look down on a poor girl!" Show your determination to defy an unfair fate!]
Quest Type: [Public]
Quest Reward: [One 30,000-year Nether Civet Wind-Chasing Left Leg Bone!]
Notes: [None]
PS: Good night, good afternoon, and good morning, everyone! Wishing you a smooth and happy new day (Thursday)! Please show your support!
I Am the Master of My Own Fate
This was a Black Grade quest.
As Zhu Zhuqing read the Mission Card,
her usually icy expression finally cracked, turning animated with surprise.
"Th-this is a Black Grade Quest?"
"And completing it rewards a 30,000-year Nether Civet Wind-Chasing Left Leg Bone!"
"That reward is way too generous! Is it real?!"
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes shone with disbelief.
Then
she looked closely at the quest details.
Shout in front of everyone:
"I am the master of my own fate, not Heaven's!"
"The east bank of the river may be down today, but the west bank will rise tomorrow. Don't look down on a poor girl!"
At first glance, the quest seemed very simple.
But when she considered the deeper meaning behind those two lines,
Zhu Zhuqing's body suddenly tensed, and her alluring eyes widened.
"My fate... is mine to command, not Heaven's!"
"The east bank of the river may be down today, but the west bank will rise tomorrow. Don't look down on a poor girl!"
As she read the words,
Zhu Zhuqing's blood began to boil. Her delicate hands clenched into fists, and her body trembled faintly.
That was right!
Her fate should be in her own hands. It shouldn't be decided for her from the moment she was born!
Why couldn't she choose her own marriage? Why had her family arranged for her to marry Dai Mubai before she was even born?
She wouldn't accept it. She would fight back against her family's arrangements!
Her fate was hers to command—not Heaven's, and not the Zhu Family's!
And you, Dai Mubai!
It was bad enough that my elder sister despised me.
But you, my fiancé, don't have a shred of a man's sense of responsibility!
You left me behind and ran off to Shrek Academy all by yourself.
I struggled all the way to the Heaven Dou Empire to find you.
And what did you do, Dai Mubai? You let yourself go, chasing pleasure, womanizing, and living it up!
I can't rely on my sister, and my fiancé is even less dependable!
Zhu Zhuqing had borne so much on her own. She felt utterly wronged and heartbroken!
She would fight back. She would defy this unfair fate.
"My fate should be in my own hands."
"No one gets to interfere with what I want to do!"
"The east bank of the river may be down today, but the west bank will rise tomorrow. Don't look down on a poor girl!"
Zhu Zhuqing clenched her fists, trembling all over, an intense aura pouring from her.
The passersby who had been admiring Zhu Zhuqing's beautiful figure felt that fearsome aura and quickly reined in their hungry stares.
As Zhu Zhuqing's good friend, Ning Rongrong immediately noticed something was wrong.
"Zhuqing, Zhuqing, what's wrong?"
Ning Rongrong asked with concern, stepping closer to gently tug at Zhu Zhuqing's arm.
Ning Rongrong had been perfectly respectful and hadn't tried to peek at the contents of Zhu Zhuqing's Mission Card.
"Hoo..."
Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath and quickly steadied herself.
"Rongrong, I'm fine. I just thought of some painful things I've been through. It's nothing...!"
Zhu Zhuqing replied softly.
Ning Rongrong nodded. "All right. I'm glad you're okay!"
She knew Zhu Zhuqing was a strong-willed girl. If Zhuqing said she was fine, then she was fine.
Pressing her for answers would only make things worse.
Then Ning Rongrong asked, "Zhuqing, what's your quest? Can you tell me?"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded. "My quest is public."
Then, as usual, the taciturn Zhu Zhuqing handed the Mission Card to Ning Rongrong and let Rongrong read it for herself.
As Ning Rongrong looked at the black writing on the Mission Card,
her small, cherry-red mouth fell open in an "O" of shock.
"Wow, wow, a Black Grade Quest! Zhuqing, you got a Black Grade Quest!"
"And the reward is a 30,000-year Nether Civet Wind-Chasing Left Leg Bone! It's a perfect match for your Spirit Cat Martial Soul!"
"Wow, your luck is incredible!"
Ning Rongrong bounced around, her face alight with joy.
"Hehe."
Seeing her good friend Ning Rongrong so happy she was hopping around like a little kid, Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help giggling.
"What! A Black Grade Quest, with a 30,000-year Spirit Bone as the reward!"
"Oh my heavens, how did that girl get so lucky? She got such an incredible quest and reward!"
"This is crazy! That's a Spirit Bone from a 30,000-year Soul Beast. Will they really give it to her?"
"..."
When the passersby heard the news, they erupted like a pot of boiling water.
They truly hadn't expected a Mission Card bought for ten thousand Gold Soul Coins to offer such an incredible reward!
Everyone felt an urge to buy a Mission Card.
Only a fool wouldn't buy one.
But they didn't have the money.
The Mission Card cost ten thousand Gold Soul Coins. It was clearly a bargain.
But they still didn't have the money. They couldn't scrape together ten thousand Gold Soul Coins...!
Many people felt their hearts bleed!