Chapter 13: Shocking Discovery!
After sending Ye Xinxia back to school, Jing Wuji didn't return to class. Instead, he went to an anime merchandise store and bought a metal mask identical to the one worn by Kaneki Ken.
Putting on the mask and donning the hooded cloak he had prepared earlier, Jing Wuji set off toward the Hunter Alliance.
...
The Hunter Hall was bustling, crowded like a New Year temple fair.
The noise and crowd made Jing Wuji, who disliked busy places, feel slightly irritated.
Above the hall hung a massive LCD screen displaying the latest bounties. The list scrolled continuously, and Jing Wuji even spotted bounties worth millions of dollars.
"Ice mage needed! I am urgently seeking a Level 2 Ice Mage with over three years of combat experience. Team players are preferred. The bounty is already accepted. Payment is distributed by contribution. Join us now!"
"The Blazing Flame Squad is recruiting a Fire Mage! Guaranteed efficiency, payment upon completion!"
"Scout wanted! Our team urgently needs a scout! Preferably a Wind Mage with experience in luring monsters!"
Hearing the loud, overlapping shouts, Jing Wuji couldn't help but feel a little dazed. It reminded him of the online game lobbies in his past life, where players gathered to recruit teammates before a dungeon raid.
He walked to the front desk to register for a Hunter's License.
"Hello, are you here to post a request or accept one?" the receptionist asked with a smile.
"Register for a Hunter License," Jing Wuji replied, his muffled voice coming from beneath the metal mask.
"All right, please wait a moment." The receptionist pulled up the registration page on her computer.
"Name?"
"Qi." Jing Wuji didn't plan to use his real name—after all, the Hunter Alliance didn't require it.
"Element and cultivation level?"
"Primary Level 2."
"Are you not willing to disclose your element?"
Jing Wuji nodded silently.
"Please wait a moment. Your Hunter License is being generated. It's valid nationwide at any Hunter Alliance branch. Since this is your first registration, your starting rank will be Junior Hunter. Completing bounties and commissions will earn you contribution points. Accumulate enough points, and your rank will automatically increase. We wish you great success."
The receptionist handed him the Hunter License with a smile.
Taking the card, Jing Wuji turned and walked into the hall, determined to find a bounty he could handle with his current strength.
"Request: A complete hind leg bone of a servant-level One-Eyed Demon Wolf. Reward: 100,000 yuan."
Jing Wuji glanced at it and skipped. Without a mid-tier level, it was nearly impossible to handle.
"Request: A complete hind leg bone of a servant-level Giant-Eyed Blood Rat. Reward: 50,000 yuan."
That one might be doable, but his damage output was too low—it would be tough to kill a monster. You better keep looking.
"Bounty: One complete Moonlight Herb. Reward: 20,000 yuan."
This was the one. At least he could find things, and if things went south, he could still run away.
He went back to the front desk and accepted the commission.
"Are you sure you want to accept this task? If you fail, it will be recorded in your hunter profile and affect your completion rate," the staff reminded him.
"I accept."
"Would you like to form a team? This task is quite difficult to complete solo," the staff asked again.
"No need," Jing Wuji replied. He didn't want to drag along a burden.
"All right. Please complete the task within two weeks. Best of luck."
The listing on the LCD screen changed to show that the commission had been taken.
Some hunter who noticed the update on the screen exclaimed in shock, "Whoa! Someone took that suicide mission! The Moonlight Herb grows right next to the One-Eyed Demon Wolf's cave!"
"Must be some clueless rookie who doesn't know better. Looks like this guy's going to be wolf food!"
Jing Wuji paid no mind to the hunters' chatter.
Come on—he was a top student. How could he not know that Moonlight Herb grew near the One-Eyed Demon Wolf's cave? His abilities were perfectly suited for this kind of mission.
After buying some compressed biscuits and a water bottle, Jing Wuji boarded the bus heading to the Xuefeng Mountain Station.
...
Once at the station, Jing Wuji headed straight toward Baicao Valley, where he'd trained previously.
Back during training, someone had mentioned that One-Eyed Demon Wolves had been spotted there.
Although they had switched to summoned beasts later in the training, the fact that there had been wolves there before was true.
Besides, he still had a few unanswered questions—he could take the opportunity to check out the valley again.
Crossing mountains and rivers, it took him only five days to reach Baicao Valley.
Last time, it had taken longer because the instructors made them follow a designated route.
Suddenly, a large patch of flattened grass put Jing Wuji on high alert!
The grass in Baicao Valley grew thick and tall—up to his waist. To get through it, someone would have had to trample it, leaving signs behind.
And wild grass like this had strong vitality—flattened grass usually straightened up within two days. This meant someone had passed through here within the last 48 hours!
Normal hunters wouldn't come here, since there were rumors of One-Eyed Demon Wolves lurking around. This meant—he might have just found the source of the lowered water levels inside the cave—and possibly the culprit responsible for contaminating it!
Jing Wuji immediately lowered his body, half-submerging himself into the shadows. He concealed his presence completely and cautiously crept toward the cave.
As he neared it, a wave of nauseating stench hit his nose, making him retch.
Holding his breath and resisting the urge to vomit, Jing Wuji sank fully into the shadows and slipped into the cave.
The darkness inside provided the perfect cover. He could remain in the shadows until his mana ran out—and maintaining a Level 1 Shadow Slip only consumed a small amount. He could sustain it for six hours.
Turning a corner, Jing Wuji peeked through the shadows—and saw something... humanoid.
Focusing his gaze, his expression hardened.
"A Black Spawn Demon? Why is that here? What's the Black Church planning?"
It had a monkey-like face, a distorted human body, its entire form pitch-black like it was wrapped in a tight leather suit. Ugly, reeking—it was unmistakably a Black Spawn Demon, one of the Black Church's signature creatures!
A chilling feeling crept through Jing Wuji. He sensed that he had just stumbled upon something truly terrifying.
He moved silently through the shadows, bypassing the lone Black Spawn Demon, and looked deeper inside—
There were dozens of them!
Now he understood why the water level had dropped so much.
Without hesitation, Jing Wuji withdrew immediately from the cave, not looking back once.
This wasn't something he could handle. There might be a colossal conspiracy at play. The best thing he could do was inform Instructor Zhan Kong—without revealing his own identity. He wasn't about to put Ye Xinxia or Mo Fan in danger just because he decided to play the hero.
Still, the commission had to be completed. His instincts told him that Moonlight Herb must be nearby.
After searching the outer area for a while, he indeed found a Moonlight Herb plant. Carefully collecting the requested item, he hurried back to Xuefeng Mountain Station, completing the journey in just two days.
At the station, Jing Wuji bought a pile of old newspapers, cut out the letters, and pasted together a letter based on his findings.
After confirming Instructor Zhan Kong's location in the station, Jing Wuji used Shadow Slip to sneak into his resting quarters. He left the letter there and immediately boarded a bus back home.
"Phew… Finally done. Hopefully, this will blow open the Black Church's plot," he murmured as he drifted into a light sleep, remaining vigilant even as he rested.
During the two-day return and the day spent delivering the letter, he had barely slept a few hours.
Though the young man was fast asleep, there was a faint smile on his face.
He must've been having a pleasant dream...