[ Catch a Fox Spirit: I'm going back to the Yin-Yang Temple tomorrow, is anyone free tonight?]
[ Catch a Fox Spirit: I'd like to treat everyone to dinner to thank you for your help two days ago, and also to say goodbye.]
[ Slacking on the Sidelines: Going back so soon?]
[ Catch a Fox Spirit: I can't leave the Yin-Yang Temple for too long]
[ Slacking on the Sidelines: Has time]
[ Passerby A: Me too]
[ Scholar: Add one]
[ Catch a Fox Spirit: @Fairy Fairies Don't Poop, where's the Fairy?]
[ Fairies Don't Poop: I'm no longer in Snow City, you guys gather here]
[ Catch a Fox Spirit: Okay, I'll do it another time if I have the chance.]
Thank you.
Qin Ze felt that the Taoist's personality had suddenly changed a lot.
He used to be unruly and full of witty remarks in group chats, but now he has become much more composed.
Qin Ze thought of his deceased master and sighed silently.
[ Passerby A: Speaking of which, you should be looking for apprentices by now, right? Do you have anyone in mind?]
[ Catch a Fox Spirit: Let's see how fate brings us]
[ Catch a Fox Spirit: We'll meet at the Soaring Hotel on the east side of the wall at 7 PM.]
Qin Ze left the chat group and stretched.
After being cooped up indoors for two days, it's time to get some fresh air.
"A hundred million has come looking for you."
Suddenly, a message came from the Dharma King on the Local Area Network.
Qin Ze was quite surprised; what did this kid want with him?
In the abandoned factory, Zhan Li appeared somewhat nervous, surrounded by the Dharma King and more than ten of his clones.
"I mean no harm. I want to see your Troupe Leader; I have something to say to him."
The Dharma King smiled and said, "You mean no harm, but we do."
Zhan Li shivered when he saw everyone staring at him, practically drooling.
The Dharma King, "Your secret escape last time caused your reputation with us to plummet."
"So we've decided to take your money to the embassy and exchange it for 100 million."
Zhan Li panicked. "No! I can give you two hundred million, three hundred million is fine too!"
The Dharma King narrowed his eyes. "Words are no proof."
Zhan Li swallowed hard. "I can write you an IOU."
The Dharma King snapped his fingers.
The clone beside him immediately handed over a pre-written IOU.
The Dharma King wrote a number on it and handed it to Zhan Li.
"Sign and affix your seal."
Zhan Li twitched the corner of her mouth.
He felt he had been cheated, but he had no evidence.
After the signature and seal were completed, the Dharma King carefully put away the IOU.
"May I ask what brings Your Highness, Fifth Prince, here?"
Qin Ze, wearing Troupe Leader's mask, walked in from outside, surrounded by a large group of his underlings, exuding an air of superiority.
Zhan Li cut to the chase. "I'm going back to the Empire."
Qin Ze nodded. "Good news, we're still waiting to collect the debt."
Zhan Li looked at Qin Ze: "I want to hire you to come back with me."
"To be your bodyguard?"
I guess so.
Qin Ze raised his right index finger and waved it. "I'm very expensive; you can't afford my appearance fee."
Zhan Li asked, "More expensive than three hundred million?"
Qin Ze replied, "It's far more expensive than three hundred million."
Zhan Li was silent for a moment. "Aren't you afraid that if I leave and never come back, your three hundred million will be gone for good?"
Qin Ze smiled and said, "There are only two possibilities for you not to return: either you die, or you become a prince again."
"If it's the former, then we're a bunch of gamblers anyway. If you bet 100 million and it turns into 300 million, and you die, we'll accept it."
"If it's the latter..." Qin Ze took the IOU from the Dharma King's hand. "Your Highness, Fifth Prince, you don't want your debt to become known throughout the entire empire, do you?"
Zhan Li opened her mouth.
What a cunning and shrewd old fox!
Immediately, Qin Ze continued, "For investors, the lower the risk, the higher the return."
"I regret to inform you that I see no reward beyond the risks involved in accepting your employment."
Zhan Li remained silent for a long time.
Qin Ze: "See the guest out."
The image of the Dharma King is that of a steward, standing sideways with his left hand behind his back and his right hand slightly bowed.
"Please, Your Highness."
Zhan Li got up and walked towards the door.
Qin Ze suddenly spoke again, "Fifth Prince, I believe we will meet again soon."
Upon hearing this, Zhan Li paused briefly but did not turn around, walking straight into the vast expanse of white snow outside.
The Dharma King said, "It seems this kid has run into some pretty tough trouble, he's even come to us for help."
Qin Ze pondered for a moment, "I'm becoming more and more curious about what's happening within the Maka Race."
The Dharma King asked excitedly, "When do we set off?"
Qin Ze thought for a moment and said, "Now that we've finished helping the Taoist, and we don't have anything else to do in the Northern Territory, let's set off tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, the clones immediately became incredibly excited.
New Land!
"The area ahead can now be explored!"
" Abyss, here we come!"
"Punching monsters, kicking makkabahs, who else can do it!"
"..."
Leaving his clones to pack their luggage, Qin Ze went to attend the group members' second large-scale offline meetup.
An hour earlier, "Slacking on the Sidelines" had sent the time and location to the phone of the pseudonym " Qin Ze ".
Outside, the wind was biting cold, but inside the private room it was warm and cozy.
Qin Ze, the Taoist, the Scholar, and the Dew Duo sat together, eating and chatting.
The Scholar and the Passerby A were both silent; most of the time, Qin Ze and the other two were talking, while the two of them listened quietly.
"After this parting, who knows when we'll meet again?"
It's a pleasure to meet you all.
"It's getting late, I still need to catch the last military train back to Sea Capital tonight."
Farewell, everyone. Take care.
The Taoist drank the wine in his cup in one gulp, bowed, and got up to leave.
Take care, fellow Daoist.
Everyone watched him leave the private room.
Qin Ze narrowed his eyes; he noticed a faint, almost imperceptible black aura emanating from the Taoist.
After the Taoist left, Slacking on the Sidelines's playful expression vanished, and he said in a deep voice, "You all saw it?"
The group nodded.
"Is Brother Dao possessed by an evil spirit?" Slacking on the Sidelines casually.
The Scholar said calmly, "It's more like a concrete manifestation of some kind of negative energy accumulating to a certain degree."
Qin Ze said, "Becoming stronger quickly always comes at a price."
He deeply understood this through his Desolate God Bloodline.
The Taoist's cultivation level improved so quickly; he must have paid a price.
Tonight, the black aura emanating from him further confirmed Qin Ze's suspicions.
Their thoughts became somewhat complicated.
"I'm going down into the Abyss tomorrow."
"There's no signal in the Abyss; it might be a long time before we can contact each other again."
The three looked at Qin Ze in surprise.
"You want to go down into the Abyss?"
Qin Ze nodded. "I've reached level four, I should go check out the Abyss."
The three of them were utterly shocked.
I passed the CET-4 (College English Test Band 4) before the first semester of my freshman year was even over.
This can no longer be described as merely a prodigy.
That's absolutely insane.
"Be careful!" (Slacking on the Sidelines )
Then, the three of them began to explain to Qin Ze the precautions for his first descent into the Abyss.
A dark room.
An old man was sitting on a meditation cushion, meditating.
A knock suddenly sounded on the door.
"President, she got the item."
The old man opened his eyes, opened his palm, and a black Relic appeared.
His voice was slightly hoarse. "Now that she's passed the test, she'll be the new Virgo."
The voice outside the door said, "Yes, I'll go inform them right away."
The old man carefully examined the Relic in his hands and muttered to himself, "Now is not the time for you to wake up. Continue to sleep for now."
Suddenly, he frowned. "The things inside are gone."
" Apostle..."