Qi Dian's Assignment

However, his modest brush with fame on the livestream did not translate into much foot traffic. When the next day arrived, not a single customer walked through the agency's doors. A few passersby did stop outside to snap photos and share them online with laughs, treating the place as a local novelty check-in spot. It made sense when he thought about it. Anyone genuinely troubled by evil entities would hardly be in the mood to watch livestreams. The viewers watching Yue Wen that day had mostly been idlers looking for amusement. The odds that one of them lived in Seventh City and was about to encounter an evil entity anytime soon were practically nonexistent. Still, at least their name was out there now. That was certainly more effective than plastering flyers or handing out leaflets. By past ten the following morning, there were still no commissions at the door. Yue Wen and Zhao Xing'er left together, riding their electric scooter toward Treasure Forest. He had messaged Qi Dian the previous day. Qi Dian was currently assigned to security duties at Treasure Forest's venue and only had free time during lunch, so Yue Wen had arranged to treat him to a meal nearby. Leaving a little early gave them just enough time to appraise their spoils first. Treasure Forest was noticeably busier lately. The main hall was preparing for an upcoming auction, and the moment they stepped within range of the defensive formation, they saw numerous cultivators in training robes maintaining tight security. Providing security services to local businesses or wealthy magnates had always been a steady source of revenue for sects. Even the top ancient immortal sects of the human realm took on assignments like this, earning some living expenses on the side while keeping public order. Yue Wen watched with considerable envy. Only major sects capable of holding real sway locally could land commissions like these; they were far beyond his agency's reach. If heretical cultivators or petty crooks around Jiangcheng City heard that Xuanfeng Temple or the Linjiang Sect was handling security, they would back off immediately. But if they heard it was the Yue Cultivation Agency on duty, they would probably rush right over to show off their professional skills. There was simply no helping it. The wait this time was slightly longer than before. After waiting in line for a while, their service number popped up on the display screen outside the appraisal room. Yue Wen and Zhao Xing'er donned their masks and stepped inside. Originally, Zhao Xing'er had been too lazy to come, but Yue Wen insisted she join him to hear what the items were worth. After all, the spoils had been won by both of them; he couldn't just handle it alone. "Greetings to you both. I am Appraiser Guan Bo, Number 65 at Treasure Forest." A somewhat chubby, middle-aged man sat behind the desk, offering a polite smile. Compared to the young man from their last visit, this middle-aged appraiser seemed more dependable. After all, when it came to evaluating treasures, an older expert naturally inspired more confidence. "Master Guan," Yue Wen greeted him in return, then smoothly retrieved the items from his mustard seed jade plaque. "Let's get right to it." "Very well," Guan Bo nodded. Yue Wen first took out the unidentified chunk of meat and asked, "Can you tell what this is and what effects it has?" Guan Bo put on a pair of gloves, leaned in close to inspect the grain of the rock-hard meat, and looked up. "May I make a small cut? It won't harm its spiritual nature or potency, but otherwise it's hard to tell." "Go ahead," Yue Wen agreed. Guan Bo drew a gleaming small knife and lightly sliced into the meat, releasing a faint scent infused with spiritual qi. "This should be the flesh of a demonic beast with lightning and earth spiritual power attributes. It was refined to solidify all its spiritual power within. It's non-toxic, though the flavor is mediocre. The refining technique is crude, typical of something processed by a demon. A human cultivator's method would be much finer." Examining it closely, Guan Bo offered his assessment. "If this was obtained near Jiangcheng City, my guess would be a sand thunder bear from the wasteland zone. It was likely killed by other demons, and a portion of its flesh was refined to save for later consumption during cultivation. "Its effect is that if consumed before practicing a martial cultivation method, it can invigorate qi and blood and bolster inner strength over a period of time, improving the results of training. It takes effect slowly and isn't of much use in actual combat. Eating a small strip at a time is enough. Don't eat too much at once... it easily causes constipation." "Here, you eat it then," Yue Wen said, pushing it toward Zhao Xing'er. Zhao Xing'er glanced at him. "Boss, do you have constipation?" "I rarely train in martial methods..." Yue Wen said, feeling rendered speechless, as if his good intentions had been treated like a plate of raw donkey intestines. Zhao Xing'er wrinkled her nose. "Honestly, I don't want to eat it either. This thing looks disgusting." "If the taste is truly unbearable, you can dip it in barbecue seasoning. It tastes just like beef jerky that way," Guan Bo helpfully suggested. "Just take it. Let's not waste time," Yue Wen urged, pushing the meat into Zhao Xing'er's hands while casting an appreciative smile at Guan Bo. You really had to hand it to veteran masters—all practical advice. Truthfully, he just wanted Zhao Xing'er to get something useful. Taking advantage of the girl all the time made him feel genuinely embarrassed. Once Zhao Xing'er stowed the demonic beast meat away, Yue Wen brought out the box of injectors. "What do these do?" "Combat drugs?" Guan Bo glanced over, inspecting the packaging. "They look like inferior strength-enhancing drugs. Severe side effects—use too much and it damages the brain. They're typically administered to spirit pets, demonic beasts, and the like. If a human cultivator possessed a physique strong enough to endure the side effects, they wouldn't need this bit of extra strength anyway." "So they're combat drugs for beasts." Yue Wen felt a flicker of disappointment. Huang Dahu could inject these, but the two of them certainly couldn't, making them virtually useless to keep. Besides, with incomplete packaging, selling drugs second-hand was nearly impossible; buyers would worry about the risks. "Keep them," Zhao Xing'er said. "What if we raise a silly roe deer as a pet someday?" "Why, after beating up a roe deer, did you suddenly decide they're cute...?" Yue Wen muttered, then took out two more items. "Oh, right, these two as well." He produced the hammer and wrench from the Roe Deer Brothers. "Though these are just simple tools, they're extraordinarily hard. They clashed against exceptional weapons without taking any damage. Could you check what material they're made of while you're at it?" Even if they had no use for the tools, if the material was valuable, they might fetch a decent price. He had only brought them out as an afterthought since they were already there. To his surprise, the moment Guan Bo saw the two tools, his eyes widened slightly in astonishment. "Are these artisan tools from the Tiangong Sect?" "Hm?" Yue Wen asked. "The Tiangong Sect?" He had heard the name of that sect before. It was a well-known artisan sect in the cultivation world with ancient roots, highly proficient in artifact crafting, formations, and architecture. Many renowned magic implements and grand structures had been crafted by their hands. "Indeed. The material is Ninefold Dao-Pattern Steel, which only the Tiangong Sect can forge. Who else would use such precious material to make ordinary tools? These were forged by Tiangong Sect craftsmen for their own use, and they usually have serial numbers stamped on the base of the handle." Guan Bo picked up the hammer and turned it upside down. Sure enough, stamped onto the bottom of the hammer was a number: "4090." Yue Wen checked the wrench and found an inconspicuous serial number stamped on the bottom as well. "How did tools belonging to a Tiangong Sect artisan end up in the hands of those two demons?" Yue Wen furrowed his brows in thought, arriving at a possibility. "Could it be..." "Artisans never let tools like these leave their side. If you seized them from demons, they were likely lost in the wasteland zone and scavenged, or..." Guan Bo paused, then said, "the artisan was murdered." "Then it's better to return these to their rightful owner," Yue Wen said. In the cultivation world, there was a somewhat fuzzy unwritten rule regarding treasure ownership. If you robbed someone directly of their treasure, you were undoubtedly a bandit. But if someone's magic implement was stolen by demons and you then seized it from those demons, you bore no liability whatsoever. Of course, if the original owner wanted the treasure back, both parties would typically negotiate a mutually agreeable price in a friendly manner. Yet to this day, no clear regulation strictly defined such situations. After all, there was plenty of gray area—what if someone hired demons to rob a treasure just to hand it over to them? Who could prove otherwise? In the end, it often came down to whose cultivation was higher, giving them the leverage to stand their ground. Tools belonging to a Tiangong Sect artisan were useless to Yue Wen anyway. Marked with serial numbers, no merchant would dare buy them—not to mention that nobody else would have a use for them anyway. If returned to the rightful owner, a prominent sect would surely understand social etiquette; they would offer a token of gratitude and treat him well enough. Put that way, these two tools might turn out to be the most valuable harvest from the entire outing. Yue Wen had hesitated when picking up the hammer and wrench earlier. Fortunately, remembering that he wasn't wealthy and sticking to his principle of not wasting anything, he had scavenged whatever was lying around. Who could have guessed it would yield an unexpected reward? Thank goodness for poverty. *** Leaving the appraisal room and heading downstairs, they spotted Qi Dian waiting in the lobby. He still wore his worn, shiny training robes, his bangs obscuring his eyes, maintaining a cool, aloof expression. Seeing Yue Wen and Zhao Xing'er descend, he smiled and greeted them. "I saw your performance on the livestream. Outstanding work. I even tipped you a grand flying saucer." "It's all thanks to your recommendation, which is why we wanted to treat you properly to show our appreciation," Yue Wen replied with a laugh. Having met several times now, they had grown familiar enough to drop formal pleasantries. Chatting and laughing, the three walked outside toward a restaurant near Treasure Forest. Qi Dian had picked the place. There were very few eateries along this road, and this was the closest one to Treasure Forest. But when they arrived, they found its doors shut tight. "Why is it closed in broad daylight?" Zhao Xing'er asked in surprise. "No idea," Yue Wen said. "Let's find another place." "This is the only restaurant around here. If I go too far and an emergency comes up, I won't make it back in time," Qi Dian said. "Let's just order takeout and eat together back in my room." "All right, that's the only option then," Yue Wen said. "I'll order a lavish feast for us." "Let me do it," Zhao Xing'er chimed in. "I just snagged some coupons recently." "Come on, how can I let you pay when I'm treating my friend?" Yue Wen argued. "Qi Dian is my friend too," Zhao Xing'er countered. "You're the assistant, so naturally I should pick up the tab..." Yue Wen said. "Don't forget how much your monthly salary is," Zhao Xing'er replied. "..." Watching the exchange, Qi Dian suddenly picked up a familiar scent. Testing the waters, he said hesitantly, "How about I..." The two whipped their heads around in unison, looking at him together. "Oh, how could we possibly let you do that!" *** After Qi Dian finished placing the takeout order, Yue Wen asked, "Is your security assignment really that tight? You can't even step away for a meal?" "In past years it was fine, but the grand finale lot at Treasure Forest's auction this year is causing some tension. Word is that factions tied to the demon race have set their sights on it, so we dare not let our guard down day or night," Qi Dian explained. Yue Wen grew curious. "What could be so enticing?" Qi Dian answered, "A Snake Mountain bronze cauldron."