Chapter 120: It’s Decided—You!

The room was silent.

Chen Huai’an was cultivating.

Da Qingyu and Baji were also cultivating.

As he completed the first major circulation of the Tideborn Technique, the surrounding Spiritual Qi surged toward him, forming a Qi cyclone inside his body.

Then, with a soft pop, a wisp of clear Qi rose from the top of his head and dispersed into the air.

Chen Huai’an opened his eyes, unable to suppress his excitement.

"Hahaha! It worked! I’ve finally done it!"

Baji cracked open one eye, glanced at Chen Huai’an, now at the first level of Qi Refinement, then swiftly turned away, curling up into a more cat-like position and continuing his own cultivation.

Chen Huai’an clenched his fists. It was a completely different sensation. He could distinctly feel Qi flowing through his limbs and meridians.

As he tightened his grip, most of the Qi in his Dantian was drawn toward his fists, concentrating there.

He looked at the wall.

Somehow, he just knew—

If he punched it now, he could at least leave a dent.

A small step in Qi Refinement, a giant leap toward Immortal Ascension.

His senses had also sharpened significantly, making him aware of things he had never noticed before.

For instance, something was off about the potted plant on the windowsill.

He leaned in.

The Spiritual Qi around it was so dense that it felt like a spring of clear water, seeping into his body with every breath.

"My god… I’m so sorry, Grass Bro! I have sinned!"

Staring at the ugly little plant, Chen Huai’an was utterly stunned.

He hurriedly poured some water into the pot. Up until now, he had completely neglected it, leaving it to survive on its own.

Looking closer, he finally noticed—

This seemingly ordinary weed was anything but.

Its leaves were crystal clear, and faintly etched into its surface were intricate carvings of celestial palaces.

The level of detail was on par with ancient scroll paintings.

"This thing is insane!"

Chen Huai’an gave the Nine-Turn Spirit Orchid a thumbs-up.

At first, he thought its name was just some exaggerated title.

Turns out—it was the real deal.

But this raised an important question.

The pot it was growing in contained Nuwa’s Earth.

If he planted himself in it, waited patiently, and nurtured himself…

Would he one day turn into Sun Wukong?

He stared at the small lump of Nuwa’s Earth, barely the size of two fists, and decided to drop the idea for now.

"Now all I need is money. Who knows when my bounty reward will arrive… I feel so unsafe being broke…"

Chen Huai’an opened his wristwatch, quickly locating the mission app.

Its name was as straightforward as it was brutal—

Demon Slayer Bureau Bounty Center.

The moment he launched the app, a flood of missions filled the screen.

Fifty tasks, listed top to bottom, densely packed.

Scrolling all the way down, he saw seventy more pages.

That meant there were already over three thousand unresolved demonic disturbances, and that number was only what had been officially recorded.

Many new cases were likely happening right now, still waiting to be reported.

"So the world that seems normal to ordinary people is actually a complete mess behind the scenes… The government is really pulling off a miracle keeping things under wraps."

Chen Huai’an shook his head.

At this rate, the situation wouldn’t stay contained for much longer.

But that wasn’t his concern.

He was here to make money, not save the world.

"Lots of missions, but most of them pay peanuts. The high-paying ones are too far away… And some of these overseas ones are just ridiculous…"

The three highest-paying missions currently available were:

[Mission: Travel to Japan and Seal the Cursed Blade—Muramasa]

Time Limit: None

Location: Osaka

Details: Discuss in person

Reward: 10 million

Recommended Rank: Shikigami Master

[Mission: Travel to Southern Europe and Assist in Sealing or Eliminating the Vampire Progenitor]

Time Limit: None

Location: Holy Cathedral

Details: Discuss in person

Reward: 30 million

Recommended Rank: Gold-Tier Hunter

[Mission: Investigate the Black Coffin Cliff of Dragon-Tiger Mountain]

Time Limit: None

Location: Dragon-Tiger Mountain

Details: Discuss in person

The reward for the mission was simple: survive and bring back useful intelligence, and you’d get five million.

The recommended cultivation level? Soldier rank or higher.

Chen Huai’an stared at the high-reward missions, feeling a deep sense of temptation.

But that’s all it could be—temptation.

The cursed blade and vampire progenitor were clearly big shots. If he, a mere Qi Refinement cultivator, dared to take them on, he’d be throwing his life away.

As for the Black Coffin Cliff, the fact that the only requirement was to survive and report back meant that nine out of ten people who entered never made it out. The last one probably went insane—otherwise, the mission wouldn’t be so vague about what was actually inside.

No details?

That meant the unknown.

And the unknown was usually the most dangerous.

Right now, he needed a high-paying mission that was also nearby.

Many of the listed missions had already been investigated but remained unresolved.

One, in particular, caught his eye—it was right in his neighborhood.

[Mission: Exorcise the Wandering Spirit]

Time Limit: Three days

Location: Unit 1906, Building 3, Phase 2, Dijun Jincheng

Details: Investigators have confirmed unusual nighttime disturbances in the residence. Preliminary assessment suggests a wandering spirit.

Reward: 5,000 bounty, additional rewards for turning in collected materials.

Recommended Rank: White rank

Wandering spirits were the lowest tier of ghosts, weaker than even minor demons.

According to San Ge Dan, white-rank Demon Slayers typically took on these small jobs to gain experience and earn a living.

That meant this kind of mission was in high demand.

And sure enough—after refreshing the app, the mission was already gone.

Someone else had snatched it up.

But that was fine.

Chen Huai’an’s eyes had already locked onto another mission.

[Mission: Investigate the Abandoned Construction Site at Century New City, Phase 3]

Time Limit: One week

Reward: 50,000 bounty

Details: Unknown. Further exploration required.

Recommended Rank: Master rank

Note: Three white-rank civilian Demon Slayers have already gone missing. Simply entering the site and bringing back any concrete intelligence will earn you 50,000. Fully resolving the incident will grant an additional 50,000. Any recovered materials will be evaluated separately.

"Century New City, Phase 3…?"

Chen Huai’an tried to recall the location.

He had glimpsed it the last time he and San Ge Dan went to Longteng Internet Café.

A quick map search confirmed it—

It was only a ten-minute cab ride away.

"It’s decided. You’re the one."

A hundred thousand Spirit Stones on the line.

Chen Huai’an accepted the mission.

There was still some time before Lin Lingling returned, so he continued cultivating.

—

Meanwhile, at the Tianfu Demon Slayer Bureau’s new base—the Panjia Courtyard Market.

Lin Lingling had just submitted her initial reports on Baji and Xiao Qing to her superiors and had purchased a new wristwatch.

But the moment she logged in—

A mission alert popped up.

[You have accepted a Master-rank mission: Investigate the Abandoned Construction Site at Century New City, Phase 3. Time limit: One week. Failure to participate within the time limit will result in a loss of reputation points. Please proceed to the mission location as soon as possible.]

"Holy sh*t!"

Lin Lingling’s hand trembled, nearly flinging the watch away.

She immediately realized what had happened.

Chen Huai’an had taken the mission.

Since he didn’t have his own Demon Slayer account, he had been using hers—and she hadn’t logged out yet.

But that wasn’t the problem.

The problem was—

This mission was bad news.

Back when she wanted to take it, another Demon Slayer had fought her for it.

But Uncle Beard had warned her not to go.

That same Demon Slayer who had stolen the mission from her?

Never came back.

After three white-rank Demon Slayers went missing, the mission was upgraded to Master rank.

And even now, there was still no solid intelligence.

The fact that they couldn’t determine the real danger level meant it could be even worse than Master rank—a complete death trap.

And now, thanks to that idiot Chen Huai’an, he had walked straight into it.

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