Chapter 99: A Warm Welcome

"I'm here to keep an eye on you."

Lin Lingling took a sip of her drink. Her words were full of authority, her expression calm, but her voice trembled slightly.

The sofa was three meters long.

Baji was on the far left, Lin Lingling on the far right, with what seemed like an invisible boundary between them.

Chen Huaian's mouth twitched as he watched this scene. "Three Zeros, are you scared of cats?"

Lin Lingling glanced at Baji and swallowed hard. "Yes."

"Shouldn't girls like cats and dogs?" Chen Huaian was genuinely surprised.

He reached out and ruffled Baji's head. Baji wasn't ugly—he thought it would be quite appealing to girls. And judging by Baji's trembling, it seemed equally scared of this unfamiliar girl, Three Zeros.

Hah, isn't this a kind of mutual avoidance?

Lin Lingling lowered her head, not daring to speak.

She wasn't scared of cats, but only if it was a purebred cat!

When she arrived, the bearded man had already told her. Based on the power of the talismans alone, Chen Huaian could be classified as at least a Class C awakened at the soldier level. But considering the severe cost of obtaining the talismans, Chen Huaian was ultimately classified as a Class A at the master level.

For someone like her, who was only at the white level, a Class A master was undeniably a big shot!

And in the eyes of a big shot, that cat demon was just a little kitten?

Truly a boss, even his pets were extraordinary.

Chen Huaian sat between Baji and Lin Lingling.

With his presence separating them, he could clearly feel both sides relax. The previously tense atmosphere seemed to ease up a bit.

"You said you're here to keep an eye on me?"

"Yes," Lin Lingling said straightforwardly. "Actually, surveillance is secondary. You're very important to the Demon-Slaying Division, and you possess extremely powerful talismans. Considering some potential safety risks, a formal member of the Demon-Slaying Division needs to keep an eye on you… Of course, the main purpose is to provide you with various conveniences. If you have any needs related to the Demon-Slaying Division, you can tell me, and I'll help you fulfill them."

"What if I don't cooperate with your surveillance?" Chen Huaian narrowed his eyes.

Lin Lingling turned to look at Chen Huaian, her short legs that were dangling in the air now crossed as she sat.

Then she shifted her body, changing from sitting to kneeling, placing her palms on her forehead, taking a deep breath, and suddenly bowing…

She kowtowed to Chen Huaian!

"Please, you must let me keep an eye on you."

Chen Huaian: "…"

He was silent for a moment, then, as if possessed, asked, "Do you get paid for keeping an eye on me?"

"Yes."

"How much?"

"A thousand a day."

"Let's split it fifty-fifty."

"Okay."

Chen Huaian extended his right hand with a friendly smile. "Welcome to keep an eye on me."

Lin Lingling shook Chen Huaian's hand up and down, saying seriously, "Please take care of me in the future!"

Baji: "…"

"By the way, if I'm keeping an eye on you, I'll need to live closer to you… But the apartments next door, upstairs, and downstairs are all occupied." Lin Lingling blushed slightly and whispered, "From now on, you'll be my brother, and I'll be your sister. That's our cover identity. Since I'm still in school, if we have the chance to go on missions together, it'll help hide our identities as awakeners."

"Fine." Chen Huaian pointed to the master bedroom. "You can stay there. It has its own bathroom. Don't use the one outside. I like to sleep naked."

Lin Lingling: "…"

"Oh, and call me 'Onii-chan'?"

Lin Lingling: "???"

Her face stiffened, her mouth twitched, and after hesitating for a long time, she finally squeezed out an "Onii-" under the pressure of the boss's authority. Before Chen Huaian could hear the rest, she had already dragged her suitcase into the master bedroom and slammed the door shut with a loud bang.

Baji was stunned.

The boss actually let this human child, who knew its identity, move in?!

Didn't that mean it was at risk of exposure even before the boss's memories fully awakened?

At this moment, it felt a suffocating pressure, like a python coiling around it.

Chen Huaian looked at the closed door, stroking his chin and pondering for a while.

Although he didn't like being monitored, there were two sides to everything.

With Three Zeros here, it would be easier for him to gather details about the Demon-Slaying Division's missions.

He could have asked the bearded man about these things, but the bearded man was part of the leadership. Some things might not be disclosed to him.

But someone like Three Zeros, a junior member, would be easier to handle.

While the Demon-Slaying Division was observing him, wasn't he also observing them?

After all, it was a place to earn money. He needed to understand it properly.

"Hey, Three Zeros!" He knocked on the master bedroom door.

The door cracked open slightly, revealing an eye peeking out.

"After dinner, I want to take on some monster-hunting missions to earn money. Can you help?"

A look of surprise flashed in Lin Lingling's eyes.

The bearded man had hoped that Chen Huaian would take the initiative to accept missions. After all, this would keep him in frequent contact with the Demon-Slaying Division and help clear some of the backlog of missions, curbing the rampant monster activity in the Tianfu District. She had thought persuading Chen Huaian to take on missions would be difficult, but she hadn't expected him to bring it up himself.

Well, it made sense. People who had just discovered they were awakeners usually wanted to test their abilities.

But after witnessing the horror of monsters, that enthusiasm often turned into fear.

"No problem. New missions refresh at 9 PM. We can go check them out then. The intel for new missions is always fresh."

"What do you mean? Is the Demon-Slaying Division's intel often outdated?" A hint of suspicion appeared in Chen Huaian's eyes.

Lin Lingling realized she had slipped up and quickly averted her gaze, closing the door slightly. She laughed awkwardly, "Haha, of course not! Our intel is always updated in real time. There's absolutely no way something like incorrect intel leading to member danger would happen!"

The bearded man had said not to expose the Demon-Slaying Division's flaws. The flaws were temporary, and things would get better.

If Chen Huaian found out about these, she'd get her pay docked.

"Then why were you beaten to a bloody pulp?"

"Damn it, of course it's because the intel was…"

Before she could finish, Lin Lingling froze, realizing what she had said, and quickly covered her mouth.

Bang—!

Chen Huaian looked at the tightly shut door and suddenly understood.

The Demon-Slaying Division was short-staffed, to the point that intel couldn't be updated in time.

That made the Demon-Slaying Division even less appealing. It was better to stay as an external member and just collect bounties.

After all, his current goal was to survive. He couldn't take big risks.

…

Behind the door.

Lin Lingling leaned against the door, feeling utterly exhausted.

But the more she thought about it, the angrier she got. The angrier she got, the more frustrated she became. She slapped herself lightly, not daring to hit too hard, and muttered dejectedly, "Lin Lingling, you're such an idiot! You're so stupid, really!"

…

Lingxi Valley.

"Young Master, two disciples from the Sword Pavilion will arrive tomorrow. The formal notice has already been sent."

"Oh? The Sword Pavilion?" Yun Suxin, who had been meditating with her eyes closed, opened her beautiful eyes and looked at the Lingxi Valley disciple outside the curtain. "Did they state their purpose?"

"Young Master, they want to buy some spiritual herbs."

Lingxi Valley had thousands of acres of spiritual fields, making it a major producer of various spiritual herbs in the Cangyun Realm.

Many sects or independent cultivators would buy spiritual herbs from Lingxi Valley.

Not only were the prices cheaper than elsewhere, but the quality was also guaranteed. Lingxi Valley never turned away such business.

But when it came to the Sword Pavilion, things were a bit different.

"Good, let them come."

A playful smile appeared on Yun Suxin's lips.

Well, well, Sword Pavilion. She hadn't settled the score with them for snatching Lingxi Valley's business before, and now they were coming to her doorstep.

She, Yun Suxin, had never seen such a self-aware group.

Naturally, she would give them a warm welcome!

…

…