…
…
The next morning, Zhong Li woke everyone up as soon as the sun rose above the horizon.
"Captain, a messenger eagle has brought us a quest from the Hunter Union. The price is pretty high, and it happens to be a Lizard Demon that we are familiar with!" Zhong Li said excitedly.
"Let me see it," Gu Ying said.
Messenger eagles were normally used by Hunter Masters to communicate in the wild. Normal communication devices were not available in the demon creatures' territory, so the messenger eagles had become an important way for Hunter Masters to transmit and receive information.
"They want a wild Lizard Demon's infant. The price is a million … how generous!" Xie Hao exclaimed in surprise.
"Is a Lizard Demon's infant really worth that much? Not only are they difficult to catch, they are also prone to causing trouble. Could it be a fake quest?" the big-nosed Mage said.
"The message is real. It's a messenger eagle from a Hunter Master. It even has the Hunter Master's seal on it. The seal hasn't disappeared over time, which means the quest is valid," Gu Ying said.
"Doesn't that mean we're in luck? Catching a Lizard Demon's infant isn't a piece of cake for us!" Xie Hao said.
"Besides, there's another condition on the letter. The Hunter Master is looking for an elite squad of Intermediate Mages who are familiar with the area around the Thousand Islands Lake. She's willing to pay twenty-four million for a one-to-two-month contract, as long as the squad can catch a Lizard Demon's infant within a week," Gu Ying said.
"Twenty-four million!" The members of the Foehn Squad gasped. Their eyes glowed!
"Twenty-four million, if we split it among the six of us, that's four million each. That's a lot of money. I don't think our Foehn Hunter Squad has ever received a quest with a reward of more than ten million, right?" Zhong Li blurted out.
The quests were categorized into different levels. Hunters were only allowed to accept quests of higher levels when they had a certain title. A quest with a bounty of ten million was considered a huge one. For Intermediate Magicians, they could rest for the day after completing the quest. Meanwhile, a bounty of twenty-four million was even more ridiculous. Everyone could even buy some magic equipment with the money they received. If they had some savings, they might even be able to afford some cheap Soul Seeds!
Some Elemental Soul Seeds were priced between fourteen to eighteen million. They had earned four million from a single quest. If they could complete a few more quests, they would not be too far away from obtaining a Soul Seed!
"Ahem, we have seven people in our team now," Gu Ying corrected him.
"Wow, he's getting a share too? That guy didn't do anything. He was just trying to fill in the numbers for us, yet he's getting more than three million. How could there be such a good deal in the world!?" the big-nosed middle-aged Mage said unhappily.
If it was a mission with a reward of a few million, it would be fine if it was split among seven people. Although it would be a little painful, it was still better than not having enough people and not being able to complete the mission and wasting time. However, this was a mission with a reward of 24 million. One more person would mean an extra 3 million. How could they not feel heartache?
"That's right, he has joined the team. We are only looking for the Heart Orb of the Salamander Demons. I don't think he's part of the quest," the Earth Mage said.
"I don't think that's a good idea. He's one of our members now," Zhong Li said awkwardly.
"Seriously, why are you all arguing? You're talking like the 24 million is already ours. We haven't even taken any action yet. Fan Mo has already joined the team, so he's part of the reward too. Stop arguing, hurry up and come up with a plan. If the Messenger Eagle is delivering the reward, it means the other Hunter Groups will receive it too. If the other Hunter Groups get the baby Salamander first, we won't get a single cent! "Gu Ying scolded her teammates.
The big-nosed Mage and the Earth Mage were displeased, but they did not argue with Captain Gu Ying directly.
Mofan was quite surprised, too. It was true that they should not kick him out of the team in terms of morality. After all, they had already decided to give up on the quest for the Heart Orb of the Salamander Demons, but how many Hunters in the world would be so greedy for money? Even if the Hunter Union reported it, they had accepted a new quest. It was not against the rules to give him a share of the reward without bringing him along!
Mofan was surprised that Gu Ying did not kick him out of the team. He immediately had a whole new level of respect for Gu Ying. It was rare to find a Hunter with such morality, especially when it came to someone who was in dire need of money.
"Actually, there's no need to argue over me. I was only planning to take the quest for the Heart Orb of the Salamander Demons. I won't be joining the team if you can do something else …" Mofan said.
Mofan was quite impressed with Gu Ying, so he did not want her to offend the big-nosed Mage and the Earth Mage because of him. It was already difficult for a female captain to establish her authority in the team. If she did something that would harm everyone's interests, the team would most likely be disbanded.
"Fan Mo, you don't have to feel inferior. Every one of us used to be rookies. Every one of us went from the Basic Level to the Intermediate Level. We didn't complete the quest for the Heart Orb of the Salamander Demons because we weren't prepared enough. You're just going to waste your time like us. We are determined to get the new quest. If you join us and buy some resources, you might be able to reach the Intermediate Level. It's embarrassing that you're still in the Basic Level when you're not young anymore. It's useless to be good-looking in this world. A man needs to be strong and wealthy. Otherwise, he wouldn't even dare to pursue a beautiful goddess that he likes, "Gu Ying told Mofan.
Mofan was left speechless by Gu Ying's words.
How did she tell him that he was feeling inferior?
A few million was nothing to Mofan. He would not even have enough snacks for Little Flame Belle when she had a better appetite!
Forget it, if he told them that, they would think he was bragging again.
"Well, I'm studying the Salamander Demons, so I'm only interested in them. I'm not interested in the other quests," Mofan said.
"Captain, if he said so himself, why are you still asking him to stay? Let's head out now. We're really going to lose the money if we're late, "the big-nosed Mage said. He glanced at Mo Fan as if to say, "At least you know what's good for you."
"Yeah, that's right, we might not necessarily get the bigger quest," the Earth Mage agreed.
Gu Ying seemed troubled, but since Mofan had taken the initiative to say so, she had no reason to force him to stay.
"I'll return the deposit to you," Gu Ying said.
"Sure."
Gu Ying returned the deposit to Mofan. To Mofan's surprise, the deposit was double the amount he had paid. Gu Ying was implying that their team was partly responsible for the failure of the quest. They were supposed to bring Mofan here to earn some money, yet they had given up halfway. The double deposit was their compensation to Mofan.
Mofan didn't want to accept the deposit, but Gu Ying insisted, so he had no choice but to accept it.
…
After parting ways with the Foehn Hunter Squad, Mofan went around the Thousand Island Lake on his own.
He started attacking the Salamander Demons with his spells, trying to see how quickly he could eliminate the Salamander Demons. As he expected, the Salamander Demons were a lot harder to kill than ordinary Warrior-level creatures, regardless of what Element he was using. Mofan spent an entire day killing the Salamander Demons near a huge island, yet he only managed to clear a small area of the island.
The Thousand Island Lake was huge, and there were so many Salamander Demons. Even a destructive Mage like Mofan, who was like a magic cannon, had failed to reduce the number of Salamander Demons. It was unlikely that he could solve the problem with brute force!
"Forget it, I'll head back first. I'll see if Ling Ling has any ideas," Mofan was helpless. He had no choice but to head back when he saw that it was getting late.
Mofan spent a few days on the Thousand Island Lake on his own, yet he failed to find any effective solution.
…
Mofan went back to Minghu Outpost and found Ling Ling.
Lingling was engrossed in studying something. She had a focused and serious look on her face. She exuded the sacred and inviolable temperament of a highly intelligent scholar.
Apas was sitting by the window, munching on a red apple. She was swinging her long legs in her pleated dress. She seemed to be enjoying herself, but she was actually very bored.
"Nothing, just put her in the Contract Space," Ling Ling said to Mofan. She was obviously referring to Apas.
"I'm not in your way!" Apas was displeased.
"Your breath is affecting my work," Ling Ling said.
"Hmph, what an annoying brat!" Apas jumped down from the window and went up to Mofan. She wrapped her arms around Mofan and stuck her soft bunnies to him. She asked coquettishly, "Big brother, what did you find in the past few days?"
"Not much. These Salamander Demons are too difficult to kill. If we rely on brute force, we'll have to hire a bunch of Super Mages, but the Thousand Island Lake will be destroyed too!" Mofan said. He did not mind Apas acting coquettishly. It felt good to touch her.
Ling Ling glanced at the pretentious Apas. She did not have any expression on her face, but her eyes were full of disgust and disgust.
"Take a rest. Go to the Hunter Union for me later," Ling Ling said.
"Did you make any progress?" Mofan asked.
"A little."
"That's good."
The reason why Mo Fan was able to complete the quests when he was still a low-level Mage was mainly because of Lingling's outstanding knowledge and incomparable intelligence. Therefore, in their team, Lingling was the brain, while Mo Fan could just be a retard with all his limbs!
Puff ~ Puff ~ Puff ~
Outside the window, the sound of flapping wings could be heard. Mo Fan's face was filled with doubt.
However, Apas seemed rather excited. Before she could lean against the window, Lingling immediately said sternly, "Don't touch it!"
…
…
In the Hunter Union's hall …
A strong smell of mud lingered in the air. The Hunters who passed by quickly pinched their noses and dodged to the side.
A group of Hunters in ragged clothes reeking of mud quickly entered the hall. They did not care about their appearance and smell. They quickly went to a separate room.
The group was none other than the Foehn Hunter Squad. They were very efficient. They had completed the quest of the young Lizard Demons in less than four days. They had immediately come to hand in the quest.
However, to their surprise, there was another group of Hunters in the room. They had obviously completed the quest too, and were waiting for their employer!
"Why are you here!?" Gu Ying straightened her face when she saw the other group.
"Hey, isn't this Captain Gu Ying? Why do you look like you just came back from begging for food … tsk tsk, what's that smell on you? Did you fall into a cesspool? Why don't you take a shower before coming here? This is the private area of a Hunter Master.
The speaker was a woman in her thirties. Her face was covered in a thick layer of powder. She looked quite pretty at first glance, but if one were to take a closer look, they would find the powder disgusting.
"What are you doing here?" Gu Ying said coldly.
"We're here for the quest, of course! My group has caught a young Lizard Demon, so we're here to hand it in … oh, don't tell me you've accepted the quest too? What a coincidence, we arrived first. We've already informed our employer," Li Yumei said.
"That's impossible, the only place with young Lizard Demons in this season is the Great Snake Valley. Our group didn't see any Hunter Squads around there. There must be something wrong with the young Lizard Demon. Someone is raising it as a Contracted Beast!" Gu Ying said.
The Lizard Demons had already passed their breeding period. It was unlikely that they would find a young Lizard Demon anywhere in the Thousand Island Lake. However, the Foehn Hunter Squad knew of a place where one or two Lizard Demons might appear due to its unique environment. It was why they were so determined to get the quest, yet Li Yumei had come all the way here to hand in the quest. It was impossible!
"You're not the only one familiar with the Thousand Island Lake. Don't think I'm cheating just because I'm faster than you. The Hunter Master isn't blind. He can identify the creature. I think you should go back and take a shower. The stench is making me sick. We're going to have a feast tonight! "Li Yumei said disdainfully.
"Damn it, damn it!" Gu Ying immediately lost her temper. She looked like she was going to fight Li Yumei to the death.
"Crazy woman!"
A Hunter Mistress came out when the two were about to start a fight. She frowned and scolded them when she saw them about to start a fight, "What are you doing? Don't you know it's forbidden to fight here?"
"We're here to hand in the quest. They came later. Master's assistant, please chase them out," Li Yumei said.
"Leave if you want to make a fuss. Since you've completed the quest, just stay. Our Master will accept any quest with a reward of a million yuan. As for those who are competing for the job, it doesn't matter if there are a few more teams. Our Master will choose the candidates … "the Hunter Mistress said.
"Of course, of course," Li Yumei said with a fawning smile.
Gu Ying's expression was extremely unpleasant. Her face was already dirty, and her hair was disheveled and dirty. She looked like a completely different person compared to when they first set off. She was no better than a beggar on the street.
The reward of a million yuan for the baby of a Lizard Demon was not the main point. The reward of twenty-four million yuan was the main point. Their team had seriously disregarded themselves as humans just to be the first to complete the quest. They had been squatting in the stinky mud for three days and three nights …
They had finally caught the baby of a Lizard Demon, yet they had rushed back in a hurry. They did not even have the chance to sleep. She would be utterly disappointed if she lost the chance!
What was even more infuriating was that the person who was competing with her was this shameless woman.
Gu Ying and Li Yumei had been on the same team for a long time. Their captain was an outstanding Mage. Li Yumei had shamelessly offered herself to the captain to kick Gu Ying out of the team. She had even become the captain's wife.
The woman had done nothing, yet her Hunter Rank was higher than Gu Ying's, and the reputation of the Hunter Squad was greater than hers. She had even reached the Advanced Level not long ago!
Gu Ying hated Li Yumei's guts. Li Yumei had already ruined her future. If her last attempt was ruined too, she had a strong urge to take Li Yumei down with her!
The reward of twenty-four million yuan was extremely important to a team like theirs. Not only would they earn money after completing the quest, they would also earn a lot of Contribution Points. With such a high reward, it would be a lot easier for them to accept more quests with a reward of more than ten million yuan. The employers would be more than willing to join their team if they could complete a quest worth twenty-four million yuan.
Most of them were only accepting quests with a reward of a few million yuan, but it would take six to seven people to split the reward. How long would it take to buy a Galaxy Vein?
An incomplete Galaxy Vein would cost fifty to sixty million yuan!
As such, Gu Ying treated the reward of twenty-four million very seriously. If she could complete the quest, it would be a great change for her. She would at least be able to accept quests with a reward of more than ten million yuan. She might be able to earn enough Galaxy Veins after working hard for another five to six years.
"I've transferred a million yuan to your account. You can leave your cubs to me," the Hunter Mistress said to Li Yumei and Gu Ying.
"Well, what about the master's job? We were actually thinking of accepting the other quest with a reward of twenty-four million. Can we ask the master to meet us? The Foehn Hunter Squad is made up of elites. Our discipline is as strict as an army. I guarantee that we can be the master's assistants," Zhong Li could not help but ask.
"The master will make the decision after we hand the cubs over to him. You can wait here, or you can go back first. I'll let you know if I have any news," the Hunter Mistress said.
"Can you please tell the Seven Star Hunter Master that our Panshan Hunter Squad is a team that was formed by Hunter Master Lu Zhuo. We are more professional and capable than some random Hunter Squads," Li Yumei said.
"What did you say!?" Gu Ying snarled.
"Captain, calm down," Zhong Li quickly stopped Gu Ying.
"Humph, the Seven Star Hunter Squad is more than capable and reputable … Master's assistant, the Panshan Hunter Squad will be leaving for now," Li Yumei said.
Gu Ying trembled with anger when she saw Li Yumei leave with her team.
However, Gu Ying did not leave. She stood in the room and stared at the Hunter Mistress. She said to the Hunter Mistress as if she was going to throw caution to the wind, "Master's assistant, can you let me meet this Seven Star Hunter Master? I can guarantee that there's something wrong with Li Yumei's baby lizards. Our Foehn Hunter Squad might not be famous, but every member is outstanding. We'll do whatever it takes to complete the mission that we're given. Please give the Foehn Hunter Squad a chance!"
Gu Ying did not want to give up, especially when she saw Li Yumei's smug face. She had to take the initiative to fight for it!
"I told you, we'll have to wait for the Master to appraise the cubs … there's no need for you to say that," the Hunter Mistress said calmly.
"Please let me see the Seven Star Hunter Squad, please!" Gu Ying bowed at the Hunter Mistress.
She could expose Li Yumei's cheating once she saw the Seven Star Hunter Squad.
Li Yumei must have bought the cubs. There was no way they had captured them alive!
Someone like Li Yumei was not worthy of being recruited by a Seven Star Hunter Master!
"I'll pass the message to the Master. However, it's up to the Master to decide if he wants to see them or not. " The Hunter Mistress was convinced by Gu Ying's words. After all, the Hunter Squad did not even have time to treat their injuries before they came to take over the job.
…
The Hunter Mistress left the room and handed the cubs to her employer.
Around two hours later, the Hunter Mistress returned to the room. She was surprised to see the Foehn Hunter Squad still there, as if they were waiting for the news.
"Don't wait here, hurry up and go treat your injuries and get some rest. I'll let you know if there's any news … by the way, I've already told the Master what you said. She said she's busy. She can decide if the cubs were captured alive or from wild beasts. You don't have to worry about it," the Hunter Mistress said.
"Oh, oh, alright." Gu Ying nodded in disappointment.
"Captain, don't be discouraged. A Seven Star Hunter Squad is surely able to see through Li Yumei's little trick …" Zhong Li comforted her.
"Speaking of which, I didn't even know it was a Seven Star Hunter Squad before I came here! Wow, it's already rare to meet a Hunter Squad Master. I didn't expect them to be a Seven Star Hunter Squad Master. No wonder they're so generous! "the big-nosed Mage said.
A Seven Star Hunter!
A Seven Star Hunter Squad Master was definitely a VIP in Gu Ying's eyes. The man Li Yumei was trying to hook up with was only a Three Star Hunter Squad Master. A Three Star Hunter Squad Master was basically a junior in front of a Seven Star Hunter Squad Master!
Gu Ying did not expect to stumble into a Seven Star Magician, so she was even more eager to claim the opportunity. She had worked for a Seven Star Magician before, so she would have a huge advantage in the future. They could even take on a Seven Star Magician with a higher bounty, let alone ten million!
"Master's assistant, may I ask which Seven Star Hunter Squad Master it is? I took a look at the stamp. I remember many Seven Star Hunter Squad Master's stamp, and I've seen them before. Why haven't I seen this Hunter Squad Master's stamp before? Isn't a Hunter Squad Master keeping a low profile? "the big-nosed Mage asked carefully.
The Hunter Squad Master's stamp was a kind of identification. The more famous a Hunter Squad Master was, the more obvious it was. The stamp was enough. The big-nosed Mage had read the letter, but the stamp did not match the stamp of a famous Seven Star Hunter Squad Master.
"Actually, I'm not too familiar with the two Seven Star Hunter Squad Masters, since they belong to a private hunting agency. But this agency is very famous. You must have heard of it, "the Hunter Mistress said.
"A private hunting agency?" The Foehn Hunter Squad was astounded.
Most Hunters would visit a private hunting agency to look for work, but private hunting agencies were usually very reputable. Some employers would take the initiative to look for them. Therefore, only Senior Hunters in the Hunter Realm would open a private hunting agency. They were basically exclusive to Senior Hunters!
"Then … which private hunting agency is it?"
"The Clearsky Hunter Agency of Magic City's Jing 'an District."
— — —
(Two chapters combined into one. I'm too lazy to split into chapters.) Don't be silly and say in the comments after reading it, "Uncle Luan, why is there only one chapter today … Crying!"
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