Invincible below the gods, trading one life for one above them

"And another thing."

Lin Yan immediately added:

"Only people who've confirmed they're placing an order are qualified to test the strength of these escort tiers.

The rest of you, stop joining in just to stir things up.

I need to ask my paying customer what she thinks."

Lin Yan immediately turned to Zhu Zhuqing.

"I want to" was written all over Zhu Zhuqing's face too.

But...

She seemed to have a kind of blind faith in Lin Yan's shop:

"Boss, I trust you.

Your shop has abilities so unfathomable that even gods and ghosts couldn't fathom them. It's perfectly normal for the guards you arrange to be this strong."

Zhu Zhuqing's words were pleasing to the ear, and they left Lin Yan's heart surging:

"Listen to that! Now those are words fit for a human being! Every one of you keeps doubting me without placing an order, while the one actually paying acknowledges my little shop from the bottom of her heart."

Enough said. Brotherhood was something you kept in your heart!

Lin Yan looked at Zhu Zhuqing and smiled:

"It's fine. Even though you said you trust me, I'll still let you inspect the goods.

Once Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo come back, I'll let you see the true strength of these escort tiers for yourself.

For now, let's assume you've already confirmed their strength and start discussing our deal.

Which price tier would you choose?"

Seeing Lin Yan so confident, and remembering how extraordinary this shop was, more than half the people outside already believed him.

At this point, they too followed Lin Yan's suggestion, treating the guards' strength as already verified and beginning to consider which package to choose.

"Boss, what were those restrictions you mentioned just now? I didn't quite understand."

"Yeah, tell us again."

Zhu Zhuqing also only half understood.

Seeing the look in her eyes, Lin Yan spoke again:

"The guards only protect the child's life. They will never actively intervene in any conflict on the continent, interfere in vendettas or killings, or help customers throw their weight around and bully others. All malicious use of the escort service is prohibited.

If you deliberately place the child in danger in an attempt to use the escort's fighting strength to stage a rebellion or handle private business, this shop will immediately deem you in violation, cancel the package, and refund your money.

Furthermore, in serious cases, this shop will unconditionally revoke your custody of the child.

Remember, children are not tools for you to profit from or use as bargaining chips."

"Also, these packages aren't available to just anyone. The first tier requires over 40 points, the second over 60, the third at least over 80, and the final tier over 100."

"Then, Boss, where do you draw the line on that judgment? If an enemy is hunting me down and I happen to have my child with me, does that count as maliciously exploiting the escort, or...?"

"Now that's the right question.

If an enemy is hunting you down while you have your child with you, the escort will definitely act, because after killing you, that enemy might not spare the child either. Or they might kill the child before killing you."

"Then isn't that still the same thing? Doesn't it amount to having an extra super-bodyguard?"

"There's a difference. Everything this shop mentioned hinges on malice and deliberate intent.

In short, if you use your child to force a conflict with someone else and profit from it, that's a violation.

As for vendettas and other pursuits, those depend on the circumstances:

If they already existed before you obtained the child, we won't intervene afterward;

After all, we can't be sure whether you wanted a child just to save your own life.

So we'll only concern ourselves with whether the child lives or dies, and take only the child away.

However, if there truly are extenuating circumstances, we'll handle it at our discretion.

If it happens after you obtain the child, we'll act according to the circumstances-if the child provoked it, the escort will act unconditionally;

If you provoked it, but without subjective malice or deliberate intent, we'll save your life at most. Hoping for anything more than that is out of the question.

Have I explained that thoroughly enough?"

After Lin Yan said this, everyone understood.

Then the entire crowd instantly erupted.

"These rules are very clear, and very reasonable. Everything revolves around the children. Everything is for their sake."

"If the fighting strength the shopkeeper described really exists, that would defy the heavens!"

"My heavens! If someone could hire one of them to stay with them long-term, couldn't they strut around unchallenged for the next few decades? They'd be outright invincible!"

"Exactly. Forget that fourth-tier Demon King Guard. Even the third-tier Obsidian Guard, with a Limit Douluo's fighting strength escorting you for a full eighteen years, would be practically going for the price of cabbage."

"A Limit Douluo escorting you for eighteen years? Did your PE teacher teach you math? You're even worse than the boss.

This child is already six years old. There aren't eighteen years left at all-only twelve years of escort service."

"But even so, twelve years is still heaven-defying. Spread it out, and the annual cost is ridiculously low."

"Exactly! If it's twenty-seven million for twelve years, that's only a little over two million a year for a powerful Limit Douluo to escort you personally. That value for money is incredible!

I guarantee that the stipends top factions pay their Limit Douluo retainers are far higher than that. Probably several hundred thousand a month."

"Would someone like that even need others to pay them a salary? They're Limit Douluo already. There are only three known Limit Douluo on the continent: one in Spirit Hall, one on Sea God Island..."

"And the other one?"

"Tang Chen of the Clear Sky Sect?"

"Oh my, you know quite a lot."

"We're all old hands here. Stop pretending to be some greenhorn.

Which of us isn't an old Soul Master who's spent decades scraping by in Suotuo City?

Information flows in from every direction here. Who doesn't know that?

Too bad Tang Chen disappeared. Otherwise, the Clear Sky Sect wouldn't have fallen this far."

"Yes, yes, let's not get sidetracked.

Still, ordinary factions can't afford this price, and those that can don't need it."

"Who says they don't need it? If it were the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, they could buy the fourth-tier escort outright. Believe it or not?"

"That I believe. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is the very picture of deep pockets and swagger. They have money to spare.

I really want to see them test that Demon King Guard's fighting strength after buying the fourth-tier escort.

Could it really be just as the shopkeeper said-

'Invincible below the gods, trading one life for one above them'? God-level fighting strength? That's a level straight out of legend."

"Damn! If it's the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, it really might happen."

"Then does that mean we might get to see it?"

"Of course.

But if it's really as the boss said-level 90 with level 95 fighting strength, level 93 with level 97 fighting strength, level 96 with a Limit Douluo's fighting strength, and level 99 with god-level fighting strength-then this price is an absolutely top-tier benefit."

"Yeah, it really is a benefit.

Tell me, what faction on the Douluo Continent could provide guards of this caliber?

But this is still bundled selling. This boss really proves that no merchant is without guile.

If you want this benefit, you have to spend big here. You have to spend tens of millions first before you can unlock the higher-tier escort packages.

One loop hooks into the next. What a crafty man. Far too crafty.

But it really is worth it. Still, like I said, it's another rich person's game. Poor people like us should stop looking."

"Yeah, exactly."

Amid the discussion filling the air, Zhu Zhuqing held her quiet, well-behaved daughter's hand, her heart pounding wildly.

No matter what, she was definitely buying this escort package.

Who wouldn't want a trump card in hand, allowing their daughter to grow up safe and free of worries?

And her own life would be protected too!

The boss had said that as long as she wasn't maliciously exploiting the child, the escort would protect the mother's life. At the very least, she would stay alive.

The boss had said he would handle things at his discretion.

Even if the Zhu Family of the Star Luo Empire wanted to do something to her, at least she wouldn't lose her life, and her daughter would have even less to worry about for the rest of her life.

The strongest person in her family was only her father, and he was currently just a Soul Douluo. There seemed to be someone stronger, a clan elder, but he never showed himself throughout the year and would never appear unless the clan faced annihilation.

So the worst-case scenario was her father coming to deal with her personally. Then there was her current situation: other people might covet what she had.

In that case, she couldn't choose anything too weak.