Hearing Zhang Yuanqing's words, Annie's tense body gradually relaxed, and she pushed herself up with great effort.
She originally wanted to lean against the sofa, but the wound on her back forced her to sit upright.
Taking the cup Yuanshi Tianzun handed her, Annie drank the potion in one gulp. A healthy flush gradually returned to her cheeks. She let out a long breath and whispered, "Thank you!"
Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "Mr. Bill went to handle the aftermath. You can rest a bit longer. Er, 'handling the aftermath' means dealing with the cleanup and consequences."
He watched as Annie leaned forward to set the cup on the coffee table, then tucked her hair behind her ears with her slender, elegant fingers.
Her face was pale, and her demeanor was quiet and refined.
Truth be told, when this woman quieted down, an aura of noble elegance emanated from her, like a young lady born of aristocracy. It was just that her usual seductive posturing and overt allure concealed this noble grace.
"Thank you so much for saving my life, Mr. Yuanshi. I will send an email to the association headquarters and report this matter. It counts as a contribution, and the Goddess of Beauty Association will record your merit. Once you accumulate enough points, you can exchange them for whatever resources you want." Having finished with the formal business, Annie smiled bewitchingly.
"Mr. Bill told me you would visit today, so I kept praying to God—praying that Mr. Yuanshi would arrive in time. God heard my prayers, and I'm very happy."
A faint smile graced her charming, gorgeous face, radiant without being wanton, warm and docile.
*You should say, 'Oh my God, He heard my prayers!' That's the proper tone for you foreigners. If Decurion were here, he would definitely correct your accent...* Zhang Yuanqing averted his gaze. He discovered a terrible development: the drawback of the Mountain God Scepter had kicked in.
He could only complain inwardly to distract himself.
At the same time, Zhang Yuanqing could clearly sense that Annie had begun to respect him.
Yes, respect!
In the past, Annie's mind had been consumed with flirting with him and sleeping with him, seizing every opportunity to flaunt her charms. Just like a man who thought only of bedding a woman, it was a form of disrespect.
Yet from the moment she woke until now, Zhang Yuanqing felt no deliberate urge to "seduce him" coming from Annie.
This meant she was deliberately holding back her allure.
After resting for a moment, nurtured by the potion, Annie had largely recovered. She said, "Mr. Bill isn't good at handling those matters. I'll go help."
"Wait..." Zhang Yuanqing hurriedly warned her.
But it was too late. As Annie stood up, her white dress shirt slipped down, along with her black bra. Her upper body was exposed almost entirely before Zhang Yuanqing.
Her white shirt and shoulder straps had both been slashed open during the battle. They had hung loosely while she was seated, and the moment she stood, they slipped off completely.
Delicate collarbones, fair and plump breasts of impressive size yet extraordinarily beautiful shape, firm and rounded, and further down, a flat, softly toned belly.
The shirt hung at the sides of her chest and waist, half-on and half-off, looking even more tantalizing.
Zhang Yuanqing stared blankly, feeling a surge of heat rush up from his lower abdomen. His mouth went dry, and an irresistible impulse to push her down flared within him.
"Excuse me..."
Without rushing, Annie gathered the collar and pulled it closed. She did not scream, nor did she blush.
It was hard to tell whether she had done it on purpose.
At that moment, having kept an eye on Yuanshi Tianzun's reaction all along, she noticed the abnormality below his dantian.
*He feels that strongly about me? Just looking at my body made him lose control of his desires?* Annie's eyes instantly softened with flirtatious warmth, her body turning languid. Sinking back onto the soft sofa, her eyes brimming with seduction, she said, "Mr. Yuanshi, as commissioners of the Goddess of Beauty Association, we also provide personal services... as long as you are willing."
Belonging to the Desire profession, she was acutely sensitive to lust and could easily detect Yuanshi Tianzun's current state of burning passion.
As she spoke, her soft, delicate body leaned toward him.
Annie was delighted. She had attempted to seduce Yuanshi Tianzun multiple times, only to be rejected every time. Although she had successfully recruited him as a member of the Goddess of Beauty Association, his "three ground rules" had dealt a heavy blow to her confidence.
Now it seemed his previous refusals had all been an act of forced composure. Deep down, he craved her body.
Zhang Yuanqing arched his body and retreated rapidly, shrinking back to the edge of the sofa. Forcing his gaze away, he said in a deep voice, "Now is not the time for moonlight and romance. Er, by romance, I mean fooling around."
This woman's Chinese was only good enough for everyday conversation; she didn't understand many idioms, which was why he had to offer an extra explanation.
Realization dawned on Annie. Remembering that many innocent company employees had just perished, her mood for fooling around evaporated. She stood up, walked to Bill's desk, picked up the suit jacket draped over the back of the chair, and said, "I'll go back to my office to change first."
She had her own assistant office.
*Sigh, the drawback of the Mountain God Scepter is quite a headache. For evil professions, indulgence in lust isn't even a penalty, but I can't fool around with women just because of desire. Besides, I must take the Demon Lord as a warning. I don't want to return to the Spirit Realm one day, leaving behind a successor who has to guard an Elvis speaker every day...* Zhang Yuanqing sighed inwardly.
In the Demon Lord's later days, his obsession with sleeping with women had been subtly induced by the long-term influence of the Enduring Spray.
He suspected that if he indulged himself, the influence of the Mountain God Scepter would only deepen. When that happened, his title as the Demon Lord's successor would truly be earned.
A man ruled by lust was unworthy of Guan Ya.
Still, holding it in was excruciating; he had nearly lost control and pounced on Annie just now.
*I'll just have to take matters into my own hands tonight. Let's hope my technique hasn't gotten rusty...* he muttered inwardly.
***
Two hours later, in the office.
Having cooperated with the Public Security Bureau to send all the unconscious employees into ambulances and locked up the company doors, Bill leaned wearily against the sofa in the reception area, letting out a long, heavy sigh.
"In this disaster, twelve people died, twenty-four were critically injured, and thirty suffered minor injuries. Having lost so many excellent employees, I don't know how to face their families."
The sorrow on Mr. Bill's face was genuine. As a member of an orderly profession, his moral character was commendable—except when doing business.
"...And even though the other six shared a large portion of the burden, a third of the Morality Points I painstakingly accumulated over the years was wiped out in an instant." Mr. Bill felt thoroughly wretched.
"At least you survived, Mr. Bill. Nothing is more profitable than that," Annie remarked from the side, now dressed in a fresh office suit.
Zhang Yuanqing chimed in at the right moment. "Mr. Bill, didn't you know the Bacchus Club would target you?"
Mr. Bill fell silent for a moment, then sighed.
"Mr. Yuanshi, I don't want to discuss this sorrowful topic right now... If I remember correctly, you came to do business with me. What would you like to buy? Let's finish the trade quickly so I can go home and rest."
Zhang Yuanqing immediately stated his requirements.
After hearing them, Mr. Bill answered without hesitation, "I only have half of the materials you want in my warehouse. The other half must be requested from the guild, which will take two days at most to retrieve."
As a successful Merchant, he knew his inventory like the back of his hand.
"Roughly how much will it cost?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.
"Three sets of materials, two of which are of Saint quality. Although materials are cheaper than items, materials for the Night Walker profession are exceedingly scarce. In total, fifty million," Mr. Bill said.
Zhang Yuanqing thought for a moment and said, "Forget the core materials for now. How much for just the auxiliary materials?"
Mr. Bill answered, "Twenty million."
"For the sake of me saving your life, how about two million?" Zhang Yuanqing slashed the price aggressively.
"Let's make it one point five million," Annie chipped in with another slash.
Bill: "..."
After pondering for a long time, the successful Merchant agreed with an expression of immense pain.
"Life is priceless, after all!" he consoled himself.
With the deal struck, Zhang Yuanqing changed the subject and asked, "Mr. Bill, what item were those shoes you were wearing earlier?"
He still vividly remembered Mr. Bill's dashing sliding tackle, passing through a storm of attacks without a single leaf clinging to his clothes.
"You mean these?" Hearing this, Mr. Bill opened his palm and summoned a pair of black running shoes. They looked identical to normal running shoes, except they had no logo.
"They are an item of the Void profession and one of my ultimate life-saving treasures."
"May I see their attributes?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.
"Sure!" Mr. Bill handed the shoes over.
Zhang Yuanqing took the shoes. After waiting a few seconds, the item's information surfaced:
[Name: Extremely Angry Sliding Tackle]
[Type: Footwear]
[Function: Evasion]
[Description: One cannot generalize about the human constitution. In a state of extreme anger, a sliding tackle can help you resolve crises. Always keep in mind: he who fails to E shall surely perish.]
[Remarks: Can be used up to five times a day, or you will suffer banishment.]
Mr. Bill chuckled and said, "They can evade attacks, whether physical or spiritual. Below the Dominator stage, almost no one can threaten you. But their drawback is obvious as well: they can only be used five times."
Clutching the running shoes tightly, Zhang Yuanqing said eagerly, "Mr. Bill, I'd like to buy them..."
"No, no, no!" Mr. Bill shook his head. "These are not for sale. No matter how much you offer, I won't sell."
"Mr. Bill, you're a Merchant. To a Merchant, nothing is off the table," Zhang Yuanqing said grandly. "Name your price."
"One hundred million!"
"Hahaha, just one hundred million? That's all? I understand..." Zhang Yuanqing swiftly shoved the running shoes back into his hands. "Please keep them safe!"
Bill: "..."
Granting absolute immunity against all attacks below the Dominator stage, whether spiritual or physical, even if limited to five slides a day, this was undeniably a god-tier item.
It was more valuable than some rule-based items.
Unfortunately, it was far too expensive. Only the Money Prince, who conquered all with his virtue and wealth, could afford it.
Zhang Yuanqing felt a pang of regret.
Mr. Bill said in a low voice, "If you can offer a high-quality Saint-stage item, I might consider a trade."
*A high-quality Saint-stage item?*
Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a few seconds. The Saint-quality items in his possession included the Mountain God Scepter, the Houtu Boots, Swordsmanship Master, the Unyielding Heart-Protecting Mirror, and the Daluo Astrolabe.
The only ones that could be considered "high quality" were the Daluo Astrolabe and the Mountain God Scepter, but both possessed extraordinary traits and could not be sold.
*I'll just have to find a way to get my hands on a high-quality Saint-stage item that isn't essential to me...* Zhang Yuanqing nodded.
"Deal!"
***
June quietly slipped away without haste, giving way to an even hotter July.
This summer was exceptionally scorching, hot enough to fry an egg directly on the pavement. The average daily temperature reached an astonishing 46 degrees Celsius.
The entire city groaned in agony under the sweltering heat. A five-minute walk outside was enough to leave one's crotch drenched in sweat.
The only silver lining was that due to the heatwave, Songhai had started its summer vacation early; the holiday was originally scheduled to begin in mid-July.
At night, in the living room where the air conditioner hummed loudly with cool air, Zhang Yuanqing's uncle dropped by for a visit after dinner. Everyone sat on the sofa watching television. The uncle said, "Mom, Dad, let's go south to that exile resort to escape the heat."
"Not going!" Grandpa rejected the idea without a second thought.
Grandma also shook her head. "We're too old. We can't handle all that traveling."
"It's only three hours by plane. It's not exhausting at all," Uncle coaxed persistently. "Look, Yuanzi is on summer vacation too. It's the perfect time to take him along for some fun."
"Not going. I'm too young. I can't handle all that traveling either," Zhang Yuanqing flatly refused.
He had official duties to attend to and could not leave his jurisdiction, even though things had been peaceful lately and he had barely been called for any missions.
Songhai had also been very quiet. The evil professionals of the Bacchus Club chose to lie low and caused no trouble.
Over the past few days, he had occasionally visited Queen and Little Green Tea. Every time he went, he brought Guan Ya along, never mingling with the two girls in private.
The friendship between Little Green Tea and Queen had progressed by leaps and bounds. When they weren't out shopping and dining, they were curled up in the villa watching movies.
Mr. Bill's application had already been approved. Zhang Yuanqing had also arranged through the Songhai branch to purchase the main materials for refining yin corpses and spirit servants from the Taiyi Sect, elevating both Blood Rose and the Ghost Bride to level 4 in one go.
Little Doubi had also received a massive upgrade. His intelligence was notably higher, best illustrated by the fact that Zhang Yuanqing could no longer trick him with an unplugged controller.
The price, however, was that not only had he spent all his savings, but he also owed Fu Qingyang five million yuan, bringing his total debt to thirty-five million.
Fortunately, the virtuous Money Prince did not charge interest and set no deadline for repayment.
He hadn't neglected Xiao Yuan either, heading over every two days, even though the glamorous older woman barely gave him the time of day ever since he had pressed a gun against her rear.
Another matter that continually weighed on Zhang Yuanqing's mind was that Li Chunfeng had still not replied.
Furthermore, before mid-July, his first instance dungeon since becoming a Starlord would arrive.
His last dungeon had been a solo one. According to the Spirit Realm's mechanics, the July dungeon should be a multiplayer instance. He just didn't know whether it would be team versus team or cooperative.
"Be quiet!"
At that moment, Grandpa interrupted Uncle's incessant nagging, fixing his attention on the television.
A news report from Jiangnan Province was broadcasting.
"After many days of excavation, the archaeological team has finally unearthed the first cultural relic from this ancient tomb. As we can see, it is a two-meter-tall bronze statue. According to on-site experts, the craftsmanship of this statue most likely dates back to the Song Dynasty. If that is indeed the case, the era of the ancient tomb can be confirmed. The bronze statue will be transported to the local museum tomorrow, where experts will conduct further research..."
The cameraman gave the statue a close-up.
Standing two meters tall, it was clad in armor and wielded a three-foot bronze sword. Its eyes bulged like bronze bells, and its expression was exceptionally ferocious.
Zhang Yuanqing didn't care for television. Patting his rear, he stood up and called out to Jiang Yu'er, who wore her hair in a bun, "Auntie, come play games in my room."
"Okay, okay!"
His aunt happily followed her nephew into the room.
Grandma turned her head, eyed the two of them for a moment, and said, "Don't play too late. You must wrap it up before eleven."
***
The next day, after having breakfast and brushing his teeth, Zhang Yuanqing went to knock on his aunt's door.
"I'm only giving you ten minutes. If you're not out in ten minutes, I'm going out by myself." Having gotten carried away playing games yesterday, he had accidentally promised Jiang Yu'er that he would go shopping at the mall with her today.
His aunt's voice came from inside the room. "Hmph, ten minutes isn't even enough for me to apply foundation."
"You took half an hour to shower and another half hour for makeup. We might as well not go out and just wait at home for lunch," Zhang Yuanqing grumbled irritably. "Hurry it up."
"I know, I know," his aunt retorted crossly. "A fairy definitely needs makeup before going outside."
"You don't need it. You're naturally beautiful," Zhang Yuanqing tossed out as he turned away, heading back to his bedroom to catch up on some sleep.
Just as he walked past the living room, he heard a news broadcast on the television:
"A sudden heavy fog struck Jinhui City today, causing frequent traffic accidents across the urban area. Ambulances are facing severe travel difficulties, and the situation is grim. According to news from the scene, criminals are taking advantage of the heavy fog to fish in troubled waters. The Public Security Bureau has already received dozens of reports involving assault..."
*Jinhui City?* Zhang Yuanqing stopped in his tracks, looked at his grandfather sitting on the sofa, and asked, "Is that the place where they dug up the bronze statue yesterday?"
Grandpa gave an affirmative grunt, then remarked in confusion, "How could such thick fog appear in weather this hot?"
At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing heard his phone ringing in his bedroom.
Paying no more attention to the news, he entered the bedroom and picked up his phone. The caller ID displayed Fu Qingyang.
"Boss, what is it?" Zhang Yuanqing answered.
"We have a mission," Fu Qingyang said. "Gather your team members and head to Jinhui City in Jiangnan Province to investigate an ancient tomb. In addition, rescue a squad that has gotten lost in the thick fog."
Chapter 319