As the sun set, its last rays bathed the girl's clean blue dress, transforming the cold blue into a warm, inviting purple. She stood among the corpses, smiling gently, her elegance starkly contrasting with the blood-soaked scene. The forest fell silent, the wind howling through the mountains, making her presence all the more eerie.

Even Zhou Cen, with his vast experience, couldn't help but feel a chill running down his spine.

Jin Hong, despite being on the same side, instinctively stepped back, seeking refuge behind Ling Ji.

Only Ming Ying, whose eyes were clouded by a mentor’s bias, remained oblivious to her true nature. "What deal?"

"We protect you and ensure the safe delivery of the demon core and serpent to Peng City. In return, you provide us with a house and one million yuan," Xing Miao proposed with a sweet smile.

Ming Ying frowned, looking at Zhou Cen for approval. While Ming Ying wanted to agree, he knew he couldn’t make such a decision alone.

Zhou Cen, after a brief consideration, nodded. His swift agreement surprised not only Ming Ying but also Xing Miao, who had prepared for a negotiation.

"We also need a phone, identification, and a bank card," Xing Miao added.

"Sure. Once we reach the city, I'll take you to a store to get a phone. In Peng City, I'll provide you with a more advanced phone from our bureau. As for the identification and bank card, we'll handle that once we return to Peng City. You can decide on your identity by then."

Xing Miao paused, considering if she had asked for too little, but Ming Ying's cough signaled it was enough for now. "Alright, let’s move. We can't let Lady Ling Ji stay out all night."

Xing Miao's initial goal achieved, she didn’t push further. She smiled warmly at Zhou Cen, "Deputy Director Zhou, you truly live up to your reputation. Your decisiveness is commendable."

Zhou Cen's face remained composed, his smile unwavering as he calculated the best way to explain the deal to his superiors. The director had given him the authority to negotiate any terms necessary to secure Ling Ji’s assistance with the flood. Adding her as a bodyguard and potentially a new ally for the bureau seemed a beneficial outcome.

"A house and a million yuan should be manageable," he mused.

"Why didn't we ask for food?" Jin Hong, puzzled by the negotiation, whispered. "Lady Ling Ji prefers food."

Ling Ji looked at Xing Miao, her gaze questioning.

Xing Miao's smile widened, her voice sugary sweet. "Do you know how much food one million yuan can buy?"

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Both Ling Ji and Jin Hong shook their heads.

"About as much as that mountain," Xing Miao pointed to a nearby peak.

Ling Ji's eyes sparkled with delight. She looked at Xing Miao with approval, "You’re quite clever."

Apart from Bai Luan, Xing Miao was the second human to offer her a substantial amount of food.

Ling Ji decided to treat this practitioner well, "You may stay by my side."

Though her words sounded patronizing, akin to a general assigning a task, for Ling Ji, an ancient and powerful demon, it meant she accepted Xing Miao as one of her own, offering protection.

Xing Miao, understanding the significance, beamed brighter than the sun, her smile not fading for three days.

An hour later, Zhou Cen and Ming Ying regrouped with Yi Yang in Fengchuan County. Briefly explaining the situation, they decided to split into two teams: Zhou Cen and Ming Ying would escort the demon core and serpent to Peng City with Ling Ji, Jin Hong, and Xing Miao. The others would trail them, gathering clues to uncover the mastermind.

With Ling Ji as their ace, Zhou Cen confidently called Peng City to report their success and route. The call sent Peng City into a frenzy of preparations.

"What? Y115 captured by Zhou Cen? Y114 reduced to a demon core?" Zhao Boshan, in his luxurious villa, nearly dropped the phone. "Weren’t interceptors deployed? How did they still end up with Zhou Cen?"

"They had expert assistance?" Zhao Boshan sneered at the excuses. "I thought you were all experts. Are there different levels of mastery?"

"Increase manpower. If necessary..." His sentence was cut short by another ringing phone. Seeing the caller ID, his expression changed instantly. "Sir."

Zhao Boshan listened respectfully, his face shifting from confusion to worry, then resignation. "Understood, I’ll make the arrangements."

Ending the call, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and grabbed another phone. "Intercept Y115 and Y114's demon core, but do not harm Zhou Cen. Understood?"

"And the others aiding Zhou Cen?" Zhao Boshan’s face twisted with cruelty. "Kill them."

---

"Twenty this time," Ming Ying noted, wiping his bloodied sword. "Five more than last time."

"Their skills have improved too," Xing Miao kicked aside a corpse. "They’re getting desperate."

"But it’s all in vain," Zhou Cen sheathed his heavy sword, glancing at Ling Ji, who was engrossed in her phone. "They can’t beat us."

Xing Miao smiled, recalling how Ling Ji had effortlessly dispatched most of the attackers with a single punch. "True. We have a formidable ally."

"Lady Ling Ji, what are you doing?" Xing Miao asked, peeking at her phone. She noticed a new message.

[Once you arrive in Peng City, go to this address. The promised food will be there. Just give my name. And behave—no tantrums or trouble.]

Xing Miao’s eyebrow raised at the paternal tone. Was someone treating her like a daughter?

She glanced at Ling Ji, whose youthful appearance could easily pass for a child, and found the idea amusing.

Xing Miao quickly looked away, missing the address in the message: Peng City, Chaoyang District, 88, Yumu Film Company—a massive and wealthy entertainment company.

---

In a high-end office in Peng City, a neatly manicured hand pushed open the grand revolving door. The receptionist stood up quickly, "Good afternoon, President Ying."

Ying Ning, impeccably dressed, acknowledged with a nod, her gaze catching security personnel moving boxes into the executive elevator. "What's going on?"

"Those are items the president ordered," the receptionist explained.

Ying Ning walked over, stopping before another elevator. Her eyes couldn't help but stray to the boxes, noticing their contents. "Snacks? Candy? Milk bread? Chocolate?"

She blinked, wondering if she had misread. Since when did their esteemed president indulge in children’s treats?

Her confusion was resolved upon entering the president’s office. "Those snacks have arrived. I had them placed in my office. I’ll take care of that girl as promised."

"Who is she?" Ying Ning asked, taking a seat.

"The Dragon God," came the reply.

Ying Ning: "..."

Alright, I shouldn’t have joked. My son’s love life is doomed.

"President," Ying Ning resumed her professionalism, "Huatian Entertainment's Jiang Lingyan is in trouble. Qin Yan plans to drop her. I suggest we take this opportunity to promote our artists."

"Who do you have in mind?"

"Huli and Lushu."

"They’re promising," the president agreed. "Do it."

"Also, join me at the mall later," she added. "We need to buy clothes for a young girl."

Ying Ning raised an eyebrow, understanding. "Is it for the owner of those snacks?"

The president laughed. "Yes. Jianghuai has taken an interest in a girl for the first time."

"Let’s meet her first," Ying Ning suggested, glancing at the numerous boxes. "We’ll know soon enough."

The president laughed, "Yes, we’ll see."

---