But then again

There was only one middle-aged peace officer on duty at the station. He wore a Federation uniform with a short baton tucked at his waist and was dozing behind his desk.

Hearing the door, he raised his head and rubbed his eyes.

"What is it?"

Bi Ji walked up to the desk and smiled. "Officer, I'd like your help verifying my identity. This young boy suspects I'm a human trafficker and wanted to bring me to the station to check."

The officer glanced at Bi Ji, then Bai Yushan, then Na'er, who was hiding behind Bai Yushan.

"You are..."

"My name is Bi Ji. I'm a Level 6 Soul Engineer registered with the Federation. Here are my credentials."

Bi Ji took a little green booklet from inside her clothes and placed it on the desk.

The officer picked up the booklet and opened it. Inside were Bi Ji's photograph, the embossed seal of the Federation Soul Engineer Association, her Soul Master rank, and her registration information.

"Bi Ji, the Emerald Swan?" The officer's eyes widened a little. "And a healing-type Soul Master?"

The officer's attitude immediately grew warmer.

He stood up, returned Bi Ji's Soul Master credentials, and looked at Bai Yushan again.

"Little brother, Lady Bi Ji really is a good person, not a human trafficker. You can rest easy."

Bai Yushan felt frustrated.

Fuck, who could have imagined that some random suspected human trafficker would be this strong? And a Level 6 Soul Engineer registered with the Federation, at that?

He had originally planned to use the visit to the station to get the officer to help restrain this woman. Instead, the officer had outright vouched for her.

Great. He hadn't caught a human trafficker and had ended up looking like an idiot instead.

Watching Bai Yushan's expression, Bi Ji smiled brightly.

"Little fellow, do you believe I'm not a bad person now?"

Bai Yushan said nothing, his face dark.

Seeing him like this, Bi Ji found him even more amusing.

She thought for a moment, then asked, "Little fellow, what's your name?"

"Bai Yushan."

"Bai Yushan... a fine name." Bi Ji nodded. "Young boy, your cultivation is at rank three now, isn't it?"

Bai Yushan eyed her warily. "How do you know?"

Instead of answering directly, Bi Ji said, "Reaching rank three at six years old is already quite impressive. Your combat instincts are very strong, too. You just lack systematic training."

Bai Yushan stayed silent, waiting for her to continue.

Bi Ji looked at him, a trace of appreciation flashing through her eyes.

"Little fellow, would you like to come home with me?"

Bai Yushan's eyes widened.

"And you still say you're not a human trafficker!"

Bi Ji covered her mouth and chuckled.

"I'm not trying to abduct and sell you. I want to invite you to be a playmate for my Na'er."

She pointed at Na'er, who was hiding behind Bai Yushan.

"As you've seen, Na'er doesn't remember anything right now, and she won't go near anyone else. But she's willing to approach you, which means she trusts you. I'd like you to keep her company and be her friend."

Bai Yushan glanced at Na'er.

Na'er was looking at him too, her amethyst eyes filled with dependence and trust.

Bai Yushan felt a little irritated.

Clingy little brats like this annoyed him most.

"No."

He refused without hesitation.

Bi Ji was in no hurry either and continued, "I'll pay you three hundred thousand Federation dollars a month. How about it?"

"But then again!"

Bai Yushan stopped in his tracks and turned around, smiling. "There's nothing I love more than helping others. I'm sure you could tell just now."

Watching Bai Yushan's change of expression, Bi Ji couldn't help letting out a laugh like silver bells.

This little fellow changed his face faster than turning a page. A moment ago, he had refused with a look of disgust, only to change his tune immediately upon hearing three hundred thousand. She found that straightforward personality rather endearing.

She reached out and ruffled Bai Yushan's hair.

"Then come with me. With the officer as our witness, you'll have something to fall back on if anything seems wrong, won't you?"

Bi Ji's fingers were soft, her palm warm. As she rubbed Bai Yushan's messy hair, she left his already disheveled locks even more tangled.

Bai Yushan resisted the urge to slap Bi Ji's hand away.

Normally, if anyone dared ruffle his hair like this, he would have greeted them with an electric punch long ago.

But she was his benefactor-a major benefactor paying three hundred thousand a month.

Until Electric Current Push reached five hundred thousand volts, he still needed to rely primarily on eating to replenish his energy. Funding had therefore naturally become his most pressing concern.

For three hundred thousand, I'll put up with it.

Bai Yushan gritted his teeth and forced a smile.

"You're right. With the officer as our witness, I feel reassured."

Seeing his forced smile, Bi Ji laughed even more happily.

Watching the interaction between the adult and child, the middle-aged officer beside them couldn't help speaking up.

"Little one, Lady Bi Ji is a Soul Douluo-level Lord Soul Master. Whatever else, she wouldn't set her sights on you."

The officer's tone was relaxed, as though he were stating something perfectly obvious.

Soul Douluo-level Soul Masters were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns throughout the Sun Moon Federation. Someone like that had all the money and power they could want. How could they possibly abduct and sell some little brat?

Hearing this, Bai Yushan felt even more frustrated.

A Soul Douluo? This woman was a Soul Douluo?

No wonder he couldn't beat her. Never mind a little rank-three Soul Master like him-even a Seven-Ring Soul Sage would have to behave in front of a Soul Douluo.

This was the flaw in the Sun Moon Federation's rule of law. Once Soul Masters were involved, the wheels of justice began to drag.

If ordinary people or low-ranking Soul Masters broke the law, the station would arrest them immediately. But high-ranking Soul Masters were different. They had far too many privileges and immunities. As long as they didn't cause too much trouble, the station generally kept one eye open and the other shut.

Naturally, Bai Yushan wouldn't trust Bi Ji completely.

So what if she was a Soul Douluo? Couldn't a Soul Douluo be a human trafficker? Couldn't a Soul Douluo do bad things?

In this world, when people with money and power did evil, they were more frightening than ordinary people.

He said to the middle-aged officer, "Uncle, if I don't come to see you tomorrow, please make a trip to Red Mountain Academy and find my headmaster, Chen Qingquan."

Bai Yushan's voice was calm, but his tone held a note of seriousness.

Hearing Chen Qingquan's name, the middle-aged officer's expression shifted.

Chen Qingquan? The headmaster of Red Mountain Academy?

The Chen Qingquan who had been known as the "Iron-Faced Judge" back then?

The officer looked at Bai Yushan, then at Bi Ji, and knew where things stood.

That old fellow Chen Qingquan was not someone to provoke. Though he was merely an academy headmaster, that was only because he had backed the wrong side back then and been exiled to this small coastal city. His network among the Federation's upper ranks remained extensive. Moreover, he was notoriously stubborn and showed deference to no one. If he really came knocking, even a Soul Douluo would have to give him an explanation.

The officer nodded in agreement.

"All right, little one, don't worry. If you don't come tomorrow, I'll go to Red Mountain Academy myself."

Only then did Bai Yushan relax.

With this safeguard in place, even if Bi Ji really did harbor ill intentions, he had a fallback.