Chapter 42: Career Change
The reason Su Xiao hadn't directly eliminated Mi Tang was simple: she still had some use, was cooperative enough, and, on top of that, she was a violator from Holy Light Paradise.
"Eat this."
Su Xiao handed Mi Tang an object that looked like a piece of chewing gum. Mi Tang didn't hesitate at all, tossing it into her mouth and starting to chew—exactly like chewing gum.
"This thing has a weird taste."
As she spoke, Mi Tang blew a white bubble from her mouth. Bubu Wang was stunned; he swore to the heavens that this was the first time he'd seen someone blow a bubble with an alchemy bomb.
Pop~
The bubble burst, and Mi Tang continued chewing.
"Once you get used to the taste, it's not bad. What kind of poison-flavored gum is this? Will I die instantly if I eat too much? If not, give me a few more."
"..."
Su Xiao said nothing, quickly drafting a contract.
"Sign it."
"Coming right up."
Mi Tang took the contract, and soon her small face twisted into a grimace.
"If I run into you again, does that mean I'll be stuck as your errand girl forever? This contract is way too detailed—seventy-eight clauses..."
Despite her complaints, Mi Tang still signed the contract through her brand, chewing on the alchemy bomb as she did.
"Little sister, if you don't want your head blown off, swallow that thing."
Baha stepped back a few paces to avoid getting splattered if Mi Tang's head exploded.
"So it's a bomb. No wonder it had such a good chew."
Mi Tang gulped down the alchemy bomb with a gulp, then sat on the ground, tilting her head back to stare at the sky. She was contemplating how to survive.
After resting for two hours, Su Xiao got up and headed toward the direction of the Serpent Abyss Manor. Having dealt with Xi and the entity behind her, he had successfully completed Main Mission 2, allowing him to focus on finding the "Space-Time Hub Coordinates," which greatly reduced the pressure.
Through Mi Tang's unsolicited confession, Su Xiao learned that she had no connection to Xi. Before entering this world, Mi Tang had accepted a commission through a "black intermediary" to assist someone in completing a task. During this period, Mi Tang wasn't involved in combat; her only duties were perception-based warnings, searching for clues, and scouting terrain.
Mi Tang was used to this kind of commission. She wasn't even curious about Xi's goal or origin—those could bring trouble. Complete the commission, get the reward—that was all Mi Tang had to do. As for whether she was lying, the contract had restrictions; if she dared to lie, she'd be directly executed.
"So, you violators have some kind of intermediary organization that provides commissions and intel?"
Su Xiao hadn't killed Mi Tang, partly because of her identity as a violator. Such a cowardly violator was rare, and through her, he could learn many secrets about violators.
"I never said it was a black intermediary for violators. You figured that out yourself."
Mi Tang stretched lazily, clearly bound by some kind of confidentiality contract.
"But, there is something I can tell you."
"Speak."
"Your Reincarnation Paradise violators are different from 'us.'"
"Elaborate."
"Uh... Your Reincarnation Paradise violators are all lunatics, and by the high ranks, they're all old schemers with bizarre abilities. The scariest one I ever saw could devour equipment from contractors and violators of other paradises—no need to open a Scarlet Card, just rip the gear off a corpse and eat it, ignoring ownership rights."
Saying this, Mi Tang rubbed her shoulders, clearly disturbed by the memory.
After traveling for several hours, Su Xiao reached the wooden bridge. Purple ribbons fluttered on the bridgehead. Crossing the bridge and walking a bit more along the mountain path would bring them to the Serpent Abyss Manor.
"So, we're just... going straight in?"
Mi Tang looked at Su Xiao, then at Bubu Wang, Amu, and Baha.
"What do you think?"
Baha landed on a wooden post at the bridgehead.
"Shouldn't we sneak in? The situation at the Serpent Abyss Manor is a bit..."
Mi Tang trailed off mid-sentence, suddenly connecting some dots.
"My barrier ability is pretty decent—Level 59. So that's why I survived."
Mi Tang seemed foolish and cheerful, but she was actually very sharp. As a solo perception-type contractor surviving this long proved that. But this time, she guessed wrong; Su Xiao didn't need her barrier ability at all.
Su Xiao stepped onto the wooden bridge, crossed the stone bridge, and arrived at the stone steps he'd reached before. Soon, he stood at the main entrance of the Serpent Abyss Manor.
The four Tianba clan members, covered in slime, were still guarding the door, their heads drooping. As long as no loud noise was made, they wouldn't be disturbed.
"Seventeen enemies total. The four Tianba in front are of the Soak attribute. Past the porch, about twenty meters in, there are thirteen Tianba of the Drown attribute. They..."
Before Mi Tang could finish, she noticed Su Xiao staring at her. In an instant, she understood everything.
"Nice! Working with a smart guy like you is so easy. Give me five minutes."
Mi Tang pressed her hands together, and her mana points drained like flowing water.
Five minutes later, Mi Tang's face was deathly pale. She raised her hand and pressed it against Su Xiao's right arm.
"After using this, I'll be weak for a few days. I've already disengaged from combat. If you lift clause 18 of the contract, I can leave this world. With the other clauses in place, I can't reveal anything about you. That should be fine, right?"
"Fine."
"Alright then."
White light surged from Mi Tang's body. This ability was originally meant for Xi, but since Xi was already dead, Mi Tang had no reason to hold back.
[Notification: The Hunter has received the 'Sealing Spirit Concealment' buff. The Hunter will enter the 'Spirit Concealment' state. This effect lasts for 1 hour and 23 minutes. It will be dispelled immediately upon entering combat.]
The white radiance faded into Su Xiao's right arm, and a triangular formation appeared on the back of his hand, slowly dissipating. It would vanish completely in 1 hour and 23 minutes.
"Commission... complete. Hope we meet again someday. Next time, I hope you're the one hiring me, friend from Reincarnation Paradise. I'm off now. Since my employer lost, the ransom is the price of failure. Heavy loss..."
Mi Tang smiled, her pale face retreating step by step. After backing away more than ten meters, she took out a scroll and crushed it.
Invisible threads clung to Mi Tang's body, and spatial fluctuations emerged. Her form gradually faded. For Mi Tang, this commission was both a huge loss and a huge gain. The loss was that she not only failed to get the full payment but also paid a ransom. The gain was that she survived.
Su Xiao checked the contract he'd signed with Mi Tang and confirmed through it that she had left this world.
[You have received Soul Crystal (Complete) x14.]
[You have received Legendary Medal x16.]
[You have received Iron Wall (Epic Gem).]
[You have received Scorching Agony (Epic Gem).]
[You have received Immortal (Epic Gem).]
...
Fourteen Soul Crystals (Complete)—just one short of leveling up his Blade Grandmaster skill. Sixteen Legendary Medals (essential for forging Legendary equipment), and three Epic Gems. These were the ransom Mi Tang had paid, already traded to Su Xiao. After she left this world, he gained full ownership.
Compared to the rewards from killing Mi Tang, what he got now was far superior. Killing her didn't guarantee a Scarlet Card, and even if he got one, it might not yield anything good.
As for bringing Mi Tang into the Serpent Abyss Manor, Su Xiao had never considered it. The danger inside was obvious. Even with a contract that nearly permanently bound Mi Tang, he wouldn't trust her.
"Next time you sign a contract, remember to use a microscope."
As Su Xiao spoke, he snapped his fingers. At the same time, Mi Tang, still in the middle of teleportation, suddenly felt a pulling force and a heavy blow to her head.
When Mi Tang exited the teleportation state, she scratched her head in confusion.
"That feeling... was I... having some memories ripped away? And this contract—what the hell is this thing? Did something go wrong during the commission? And I survived? Hmm, a lot of stuff is missing from my storage space. I'm broke. Whatever. The more you know, the faster you die. Time to change careers. Take too many commissions, and you'll eventually crash. This time, I even lost a month's worth of recent memories. How terrifying is that?! What kind of monster did I run into?"
Mi Tang gritted her teeth and decided to change careers.
...
In front of the main gate of the Serpent Abyss Manor.
Su Xiao walked toward the manor, still in the "Spirit Concealment" state.
As he got closer to the main entrance, Su Xiao raised his hand and rested it on the hilt of Dragon-Slaying Flash.
When he was only five meters from a Tianba clan member, that Tianba slightly lifted its head. But as it scanned its surroundings, Su Xiao had already leaped onto the tiled roof of the porch.
After initial testing, Su Xiao concluded that the so-called Spirit Concealment state wasn't invisibility. As long as he didn't get within five meters of an enemy and wasn't in their line of sight, the Tianba couldn't detect him. That was more than enough.