Chapter 6: A New Commission (1 / 1)
"Jiang Li, I'll be troubling you for the next three months."
On the streets of Shrek City, Ning Tian said.
Jiang Li, walking beside her, shook his head with a smile.
"The boss is paying, so what trouble could there be?"
Ning Tian couldn't help but smile at that reply.
As they spoke, the three arrived outside a two-story house.
The wooden door had faint golden grain patterns, and a wind chime hung under the eaves.
Ning Tian pushed the half-closed door open, revealing a simple courtyard inside.
"The environment here is quite quiet. You can stay here for the next three months."
She stepped aside, her gaze sweeping over the stone table and stools.
Wu Feng crossed her arms, smiling.
"Jiang Li, I'll be coming here often for your guidance."
Jiang Li glanced over the courtyard, his gaze briefly lingering on the second-floor window.
Then he turned back with a calm smile.
"You're welcome anytime."
Ning Tian nodded and took out a key from her storage tool, handing it to him.
"This is the key."
Jiang Li took it, feeling the cool metal between his fingers, and casually put it away.
"Boss is generous."
Ning Tian waved her hand, a hint of trust in her eyes.
"Then we'll leave. We'll come find you after class every day."
Jiang Li nodded.
"Alright, boss."
With no further pleasantries, Ning Tian and Wu Feng turned and left, soon disappearing around the corner.
Jiang Li stood at the doorway, watching them go with a faint smile.
Then he stepped into the courtyard.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Jiang Li stretched lazily, found a rattan chair, and lay down to bask in the sun.
At the same time, he murmured inwardly,
"Getting paid without effort… not bad~"
—
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, a month went by.
During this time, Jiang Li lived quite comfortably.
Every day, aside from guiding Wu Feng's close-combat skills, he spent his time napping in the courtyard.
He thought the remaining two months would pass the same way—
But an unexpected commission came knocking.
"Jiang Li, I have a commission I'd like to ask of you."
In the courtyard, Ling Luochen sat across from him.
A cup of tea still steaming sat on the stone table, mist softening her delicate features.
She wore the Shrek Academy uniform—dark blue fabric highlighting her fair skin. A breeze lifted the strands of hair on her forehead, but her eyes carried a rare seriousness.
As one of the current Shrek Seven Monsters, a level 52 Soul King, she rarely showed such an expression.
Jiang Li sat up from the rattan chair, stretching lazily.
Looking at her, he smiled.
"This is your first time commissioning me. What's important enough for you to come personally?"
Ling Luochen took a sip of tea, her fingers lightly tracing the rim of the cup.
"The academy assigned me a supervision mission—to eliminate a gathering of evil soul masters."
When she said "evil soul masters," her voice turned colder, a trace of disgust flashing in her eyes.
Jiang Li raised an eyebrow, his laziness fading slightly.
"Can't you find classmates to help with a Shrek mission?"
"The other inner court members are busy with breakthroughs or their own tasks," Ling Luochen said helplessly.
"I planned to go alone, but there may be quite a few of them. Acting alone is too risky."
Jiang Li stroked his chin, calculating.
He enjoyed leisure, but he wasn't afraid of trouble.
Most importantly—he never refused good money.
Smiling playfully, he said,
"My commission fees are expensive. Can Miss Ling afford it?"
Hearing this, the tension in Ling Luochen's eyes eased.
"Don't worry. I'm not lacking in money."
"Then fifty thousand gold soul coins," Jiang Li named his price.
Ling Luochen thought briefly, then nodded.
"Deal."
With the price settled, Jiang Li dropped the playful tone.
"What do you know about the location?"
"The academy only provided a rough location. The internal layout is unknown," Ling Luochen admitted awkwardly.
Jiang Li frowned.
"Shrek Academy really sends students on missions without complete intel?"
Ling Luochen felt slightly embarrassed, unsure how to respond.
Fortunately, Jiang Li didn't press further. Tapping the armrest of his chair, he smiled.
"When do you plan to leave?"
Ling Luochen set down her cup, determination returning to her eyes.
"In three days. I'll use the time to prepare equipment and gather terrain data."
Jiang Li lay back again, sunlight casting shadows across his face.
"Good. Three days is enough to stretch my muscles."
"I've been sleeping too much this past month—my bones are getting rusty."
His tone was casual, but a sharp glint appeared in his eyes.
Seeing this, Ling Luochen smiled faintly.
"I'll transfer the advance payment within these three days. The rest will be paid after the mission."
"Boss is straightforward," Jiang Li grinned slyly.
"But let's be clear—if we encounter unexpected danger, like a Soul Sage or above, the price goes up."
"Don't worry. The academy estimates the risk won't exceed Soul King level," Ling Luochen said with a light laugh.
She stood up and adjusted her uniform.
"I'll go prepare. Three days later, at dawn, I'll wait for you at the east gate."
Jiang Li waved lazily.
"Safe travels, Boss Ling."
As Ling Luochen disappeared, the wind chime at the door swayed, breaking the afternoon's silence.
Jiang Li narrowed his eyes, staring at the leaves above.
His fingers tapped the chair absentmindedly, and the lazy smile on his face slowly faded.
Fifty thousand gold soul coins wasn't a small amount.
A mission rated at Soul King level didn't sound like easy money.
But he never avoided this kind of "moderate excitement."
After all, compared to lying in the sun every day, a little action made life more interesting.
…