Starry Sky Escort Agency: Mission Guaranteed

Zhang Lexuan's mouth twitched. Well, that was the King's Escort Agency for you. The moment an opportunity appeared, they started doing business.

This Zhao Huaizhen really did business wherever he went.

One moment he was saving lives; the next, he was taking orders.

But Zhang Lexuan's eyes lit up. Xuan Zi was hopelessly unreliable, so she might as well rely on these capable people who got things done for money.

Money wasn't a problem for her. Zhang Lexuan promptly took the order form and asked, "About how much would it cost?"

"Escort jobs are very cheap."

Zhao Huaizhen raised a finger and said with a smile, "Just one million Gold Soul Coins per job."

That was only a hundred points. It was a little low, but better than nothing. They were headed that way anyway.

One million Gold Soul Coins?

Zhang Lexuan didn't hesitate for even a second. A million to keep all five of them alive was an incredible bargain.

"But I'm not the only one. Several others still haven't obtained their Soul Rings.

Mr. Zhao Huaizhen, I have another favor to ask. Can I place a Hunting Order with you?

I have money."

"Absolutely. Of course you can."

At the unexpected bonus, Zhao Huaizhen's eyes nearly curved into crescents.

A targeted Hunting Order was expensive. This would bring in another few hundred points, and soon they could summon another companion. What luck.

Meanwhile, a thousand miles away, at the gates of the Starry Sky Escort Agency in the Heaven Dou Empire, Phainon and the others had assembled.

Su Yanshang and his spouse had finished writing their script the night before and sent it over without delay.

They were leaving for Shrek early that morning. The script placed their arrival just after the new students started school, and its instructions were interesting: they were to strike when Zhou Yi expelled a student. That would certainly feel satisfying.

The most interesting part was that if Zhou Yi didn't expel any students this year, she could live. They had actually given her a chance. How very "kindhearted" of the family.

But given the way Zhou Yi acted, was there any chance she wouldn't expel someone?

That was the cruelest cut: I gave you a chance to live. You were the one who had to be such a bitch. Who could take that?

The job paid well, and carrying out the script sounded entertaining. Everyone was eager to get started.

The five stood at the entrance, each with a presence of their own.

"All right, everyone's here. Let's go."

Phainon glanced over the group and was about to shut the door and set off.

Just then, a young person hurried around the street corner and stopped in front of them.

The newcomer wore neat boys' clothes and had an impossibly handsome face. Yet those delicate features and smooth skin hardly looked like a boy's.

It was Wang Dong.

She jogged up, slightly out of breath, and spoke directly to Phainon.

"Boss, I'd like to place an order."

"Oh?"

Phainon raised an eyebrow. His first instinct was to refuse, but he asked anyway, "What kind of order?"

"Escort me to Shrek Academy."

Wang Dong got straight to the point. "About how much would that cost?"

"An escort job."

Phainon looked her up and down. "Those are cheap, but I need to ask first: is there any specific danger along the way? Any known enemy coming to kill you, for example?

If there is, the price will be completely different. And please don't lie to us. It'll all be written into the agreement, and if we find you've concealed anything, we'll terminate the job immediately."

"Of course not."

Wang Dong shook her head. If anyone came after her, it would only be her eldest and second fathers. They would never kill her, so there was no danger on that front.

"I just heard you're the strongest escort agency in Heaven Dou City. I happen to be enrolling at Shrek Academy, and I don't want to trouble my family to take me, so I came to place an order myself. I have money, anyway."

"Money's good."

Phainon smiled. "Then it's simple. For a straightforward escort job with little danger along the way, it'll be just one million Gold Soul Coins."

One million Gold Soul Coins?

Wang Dong froze. That wasn't expensive?

She instinctively wanted to haggle, but after boasting that she had money, how could she admit she couldn't pay?

She checked her Storage Soul Tool and found she had exactly one million Gold Soul Coins on her. Regret hit at once. If she spent it, she would be poor once she got to the academy.

"You do have the money, don't you?"

"Of course I do!

I have money."

Stung by the question, Wang Dong tipped up her chin, putting on the air of a young master who had money to burn, and took out one million Gold Soul Coins. "Who says I don't have money?

I do."

"Then let's sign the contract."

Phainon took an order form straight from his Storage Soul Tool.

Wang Dong thought, Five people escorting me is a pretty grand arrangement. It's worth it.

"Fine, I'll sign."

She took the form and signed her name without hesitation: Wang Dong.

She had no idea that Phainon and the others were headed to Shrek Academy specifically to kill someone. Escorting her was right on their way.

Phainon accepted the form, unable to stop smiling. They had picked up a hundred points for a trip they were already making.

Kafka, Silver Wolf, and the others thought Phainon was shameless. He had the nerve to charge the young girl a million Gold Soul Coins when they were going the same way.

Still, they rather liked the way Phainon would do anything to earn points. How else could they catch up with the other escort agencies without being a little ruthless?

In business, saving face was worth the least of all.

With the contract signed, Phainon, Kafka, and the others took Wang Dong along toward Shrek Academy.

Meanwhile, in the Star Dou Great Forest, Tang Ya and Bei Bei had successfully talked Huo Yuhao into joining the Tang Sect, just as before.

The reason was practical: they could give him a cultivation method and a special admission place at Shrek Academy. Huo Yuhao couldn't turn down either of those.

Lin Chen couldn't give him those things—no, that wasn't it. With Lin Chen's position and methods, providing a cultivation method and admission would be as easy as lifting a hand. But why should he?

He had no desire to play nanny to Huo Yuhao.

He had taken this escort job only because it was on his way. What he wanted was Electrolux's soul. As for Huo Yuhao joining the Tang Sect, that was part of a story already set in motion. Lin Chen was an outsider; he only needed to respect the course of others' lives.

Bei Bei and Tang Ya had made up by now, their awkwardness seemingly behind them. But Lin Chen could see that Tang Ya still harbored misgivings. She hid them well.

Of course, if she planned to use Bei Bei, the least she could do was smile at him. Tang Ya understood that much.

Honestly, Tang Ya really was suited to becoming an Evil Soul Master. The system's task had been right.

After encountering Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and joining the Tang Sect, Huo Yuhao felt as though he were dreaming. He couldn't contain his excitement.

Soon he would grow stronger. He had joined the Tang Sect, and he would be able to study at Shrek Academy—the finest academy on the continent. His future looked bright.

And now it was time to say goodbye.

Bei Bei and Tang Ya glanced at Lin Chen and asked with smiles,

"We're heading to Shrek Academy too. Where are you planning to go, Lin Chen?"

"Me?"

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow. "Huo Yuhao didn't tell you?

I'm going to Shrek Academy too."

He paused, then continued, "I'm twelve. Is it so strange for me to enroll at Shrek?"

Bei Bei and Tang Ya froze. When he put it that way, there was nothing strange about it.

But Lin Chen's real purpose—

Study at Shrek?

No.

Infiltrate Shrek?

Yes.