Chapter 70: Finding Yin
Mo Ya forced a smile. "Before I answer, there's something I want to ask, sir. What if I go back on my word and choose to run?"
"Is that answer still important now?" Qin Xuan retorted, tossing Mo Ya his unique recruitment card.
"You're right." Mo Ya caught it. Surprised to see his own portrait on the card, he nonetheless bit his finger just as Nong Yu had and let a drop of blood fall onto it.
Then, a shocking scene unfolded. Seeing Mo Ya sign the contract, Bai Feng stubbornly bit his own finger and let his blood drip onto the card as well.
"Why are you doing this?" Mo Ya felt both touched and helpless. "Now that Ji Wuye is dead, Nightfall is leaderless. You could have used this chance to break free from that quagmire."
Bai Feng said proudly, "Where I go is my business. I believe my abilities are no less than yours, Mo Ya. I am willing to follow sir, please grant my request!" With that, Bai Feng knelt on one knee before Qin Xuan.
Mo Ya shook his head with a bitter smile and knelt beside him. "Please grant our request, sir."
"I'm not short of mouths to feed. Do as you please." Qin Xuan retrieved the cards and glanced sideways at Bai Feng.
[System Introduction: Bai Feng, 17 years old. Member of Nightfall's 'Hundred Birds'. Spirit Power Level 47 (internal cultivation converted). Spirit: White Phoenix (unawakened). Talent: S+. Loyalty: 100. Favorability: 60]
Regardless, Bai Feng's skills were formidable, and his talent was even greater than Mo Ya's. Since he was offering himself for free, there was no reason to refuse.
Nong Yu looked in shock at the two men kneeling on the ground, then at Ji Wuye's corpse, and finally at Qin Xuan. A feeling of utter bewilderment washed over her.
Good heavens, she thought, this scoundrel never intended to let Ji Wuye live from the very beginning. Nor did he plan to harm my companions. He just set a trap and waited for us to walk into it. She should have realized it sooner; a powerful man who would spare the innocent maids of the Sparrow Pavilion couldn't be a truly wicked person.
Thinking of this, Nong Yu didn't know whether to feel relieved or sorrowful. Relieved that the man she was bound to serve wasn't truly evil, but sorrowful that she had been completely manipulated by him from start to finish.
"Alright, relax," Qin Xuan said. "I'm not a bad person, and I won't make you commit murder and arson every day. I believe that in the future, you'll be glad for the choice you made today."
After he finished speaking, a white light emanated from his body and spread out, instantly covering the entire room. When the light dissipated, only Ji Wuye's corpse and battle saber remained.
The moment they left, the Sparrow Pavilion collapsed with a thunderous crash, completely engulfed by the inferno. Poor General Ji Wuye, who had wielded immense power in the Han State for over a decade, died without a single line of dialogue, making his only appearance as a corpse.
"...And that's roughly it."
Back on the Douluo Continent, Qin Xuan had just finished awakening the Spirits for Mo Ya, Bai Feng, and Nong Yu. He gave them a brief introduction to the local customs before handing out their first assignments.
"These are the 'Spirit Beast Encyclopedia' and the 'Spirit Master Cultivation Manual' I compiled, along with my wife's notes on learning the language and script. The annotations are in the script of the Qin Kingdom, which you should recognize."
"Your first task is to master the language and script of the Douluo Continent. Then, using these books, choose Spirit Beasts suitable for yourselves to acquire spirit rings."
"Oh, right. Your physical constitutions are already equivalent to Spirit Grandmasters here. If you want to become stronger, you can absorb a second-level spirit ring for your first one. The choice is yours."
Having said that, he put away the 40,000-year Windchaser Left Leg Bone he'd been rewarded for recruiting Mo Ya and began to assign their next task.
"Even though I don't have to be an assassin anymore, I still don't feel happy," Mo Ya grumbled, looking overwhelmed by the two thick stacks of books in his hand.
Nearby, Bai Feng clutched his head and nodded in solemn agreement.
"What, do you two have an opinion?" Qin Xuan asked in a low voice.
"No, no..." they replied quickly, shaking their heads like rattles. After their brief interaction, they already understood Qin Xuan's temperament. He wasn't easy to get along with, and certainly not a 'good person'. But compared to a scoundrel like Ji Wuye, this new master was a living Bodhisattva.
"Remember, I'll give you half a year at most," Qin Xuan emphasized, then took out three drawings from his storage spirit tool. The first two were portraits of Tang Hao and Tang Xiao, complete with their personal histories. The last was a map of the Douluo Continent. He had obtained all of them through Spirit Hall channels.
In half a year, Tang Hao would turn thirty-four. He would meet Ah Yin when he was thirty-five. Time was pressing, and the interception was imminent. Furthermore, in the coming months, Qian Xunji would forcibly take Bibi Dong, so Qin Xuan had to remain in Spirit City and couldn't leave. He could only entrust the task of finding Ah Yin to Mo Ya and Bai Feng, whose main skills were tracking.
"Sir, this is...?" Mo Ya was stunned. Find a man? Shouldn't a man of his temperament be looking for beautiful women?
Qin Xuan explained, "This is your second task. The younger one is Tang Hao, and the one with the long beard is Tang Xiao. They are brothers from the Clear Sky Sect, known as the 'Clear Sky Twin Stars.' They are famous and act in a high-profile manner, so they shouldn't be hard to find."
"Your job is to follow them to any Soul Beast Forest they might visit. Find a young girl with blue hair, a Blue Silver Grass Spirit, who is exceptionally beautiful... Remember, pay special attention to forests where the Blue Silver Grass is particularly lush."
Freed from the shackles of Nightfall, Mo Ya was gradually returning to his true, playful nature. Hearing that he was to find a beautiful woman after all, he glanced meaningfully at Jing Ni and Nong Yu. "Your subordinate understands completely," he said mischievously. "Once I find her, I will send her to you immediately, sir."
Smack!
Qin Xuan flicked Mo Ya's forehead. "Nonsense! Once you find her, notify me immediately. And before I arrive, do whatever you can to delay a meeting between those Tang brothers and the girl."
What is he planning? Bai Feng looked at Mo Ya in confusion. Having spent years together, they could read each other's thoughts with a glance. Mo Ya rubbed his stinging forehead and shook his head, as if to say, You're still young. You'll understand when you're older.
Bai Feng rolled his eyes and walked away to find a quiet place to read.
Finally, only Nong Yu was left. She pointed to herself with some trepidation. "Sir, what do I need to do?"
"You..." Qin Xuan scrutinized her from head to toe. She was curvaceous, seemingly good for bearing children. His gaze then shifted to Jing Ni. "Madam, as a personal maid, what do you think she should do?"
Jing Ni already knew about Nong Yu's tragic past. While she felt some sympathy, she also understood Qin Xuan's true intentions. There were many people with tragic backgrounds; if Nong Yu were ugly, would he have saved her?
So, she gave a 'Qin Xuan-style' answer. "Naturally, she should do what a personal maid does. During the day, help take care of A Yan. And at night... if my husband has any needs, she should take care of him."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Nong Yu's face turned pale. It was over. Even the madam had said so. She had escaped the wolf's den only to enter the tiger's lair.