Chapter 33: Oh Ho? Someone Wants to Bully My Brother’s Plum Blossom?
After tossing out that line, Qin Hongye scampered away like a startled rabbit.
Yun Zhonghe barely had time to say a word.
This Miss Qin really is a peculiar one, but compared to her slightly ridiculous behavior from the late game, she’s quite adorable now.
It’s really that little buddy of hers, who only ever comes up with terrible ideas, that led this clueless young lady down a one-way street.
But now things are different! As long as Yun Zhonghe becomes a true friend to her, he’s sure he can help her become an exceptional woman under his careful tutelage, fulfilling her wish to rush to Huang Aotian’s side.
Don’t worry! I, Yun Zhonghe, your good brother, will do everything I can to help you!
As he returned to Tao Jiu’er’s side, Yun Zhonghe noticed she was looking at him oddly.
“What’s up?” Yun Zhonghe asked curiously.
Tao Jiu’er squinted her eyes: “When did you turn into a scumbag, Young Master?”
Yun Zhonghe: ???
Tao Jiu’er realized that lately, Yun Zhonghe had become quite the player, skillfully juggling three girls at once!
She couldn’t remember ever teaching him these tricks.
Yet Yun Zhonghe blinked innocently with his clear eyes, utterly confused by Tao Jiu’er’s accusation and how he’d been labeled a scumbag.
He just wanted to be everyone’s good friend, a good brother! Was that a crime now?
“Um… maybe I’m overthinking this.”
“Jiu’er, you’re talking a bit weird.”
Yun Zhonghe retorted, but given his relationship with Tao Jiu’er, he wasn’t worried about her causing him any trouble, so he didn’t press the matter further.
Returning to the front desk, he found the receptionist had completed his registration and handed him a badge.
“Yun Young Master, I’ve got everything sorted out for you. Just wait for the mission start date, and bring this badge to meet the other members.”
This badge represented his identity, and if anything went wrong during the mission, teammates could use it to report back.
Yun Zhonghe nodded, finally wrapping up one task, but just as he was about to leave, he suddenly had a thought and told the receptionist, “I remember the Immortal Alliance can also issue commission tasks in an individual capacity, right?”
“Yes, does Yun Young Master want to issue a commission task?”
Yun Zhonghe smirked, eyeing the surroundings to ensure no prying ears were around, and leaned in closer: “I want to post a task for gathering Tianlu Grass—one hundred stalks. I’ll buy them at ten Spirit Stones each!”
The receptionist’s lips quivered in shock.
Tianlu Grass was merely a low-grade water-type spiritual herb, worth only one Spirit Stone in the market! Was Yun Zhonghe crazy to want to buy it at ten?
However, Yun Zhonghe had more requirements: “I only want the freshest Tianlu Grass, harvested within ten days, and must be carefully selected for quality. If one isn’t up to par, I’ll refuse the whole batch. I have an important use for this batch!”
The receptionist understood and nodded: “Though the conditions are a bit harsh, they match the purchase price. I believe as soon as the task is posted, there will be a flood of people bringing in the herbs.”
Yun Zhonghe shook his head vigorously: “No, I don’t want this task publicly announced—only a select few should handle it. Plus, I’d like to request that it’s assigned to a specific individual.”
With that, he described the distinctive traits of the person he had in mind.
This person was none other than the cannon fodder who was supposed to become Qin Hongye’s sidekick.
“This person… I have a vague recollection of him. He came by yesterday to inquire about the investigation task in Qingzhu Town, but he said he needed to think it over. He’ll probably be back today.”
Yun Zhonghe’s heart raced. He thought, “I really came at the right time. One more step and I would’ve missed it!”
So, he silently pulled out two money bags, each filled with a thousand Spirit Stones, and discreetly handed them to the receptionist: “Brother, please make sure this task is assigned to that guy. There will be a big reward after it’s done.”
Finding a hundred stalks of Tianlu Grass within ten days was no small task—he’d have to search up north at Xishui Town on the outskirts of Cangzhou City, which was quite a trek!
This way, he could perfectly steer that cannon fodder off course.
Plus, as far as Yun Zhonghe knew from the game’s secret formula, fresh Tianlu Grass would come in handy.
In fact, he was basically saving the guy’s life; considering that in the natural course of the story, this cannon fodder was destined to d*e at Huang Aotian’s hands due to his own reckless actions.
Now, Yun Zhonghe was changing his fate and even setting him up for a sweet gig! He’d probably owe him a thank you later.
At this moment, the receptionist felt the weight of the Spirit Stones in his hands and caught on.
While they, the Immortal Alliance, never accepted money from outsiders and rejected bribery, Yun Zhonghe was one of their own—helping him with such a small favor was a no-brainer!
“Don’t worry, Young Master Yun! I’ll take care of this!”
After some friendly banter, Yun Zhonghe realized the time and said his goodbyes.
Once outside the Immortal Alliance, he stretched, feeling relaxed. His preparations were nearly complete; now, all he needed to do was practice his swordsmanship at home until he perfected the “Eight Directions Sword Technique.”
“Hm?”
However, he suddenly sensed something odd; he felt a gaze watching him.
“Strange, could it be Qin Hongye?”
He occasionally felt this watchful gaze, initially assuming it belonged to Qin Hongye, but now she clearly wasn’t around. Who could it be now?
Yet when Yun Zhonghe turned to catch a glimpse of the watchful figure, he found they had already left.
Deep down, he felt something significant was about to happen.
…
In the Lin Mansion.
In the Elder’s Chamber.
“Father, according to our scouts, these days, Lin Zhongyu has been frequently meeting with that young master from the Yun family. It seems the Yun family is secretly supporting that waste of space, and it could ruin our plans!”
In the room, Lin Feng, son of the Grand Elder, reported gravely to the middle-aged man seated in a chair.
The Grand Elder of the Lin family—most powerful figure in the clan, even overshadowing the family head in recent years.
It was all because Lin Zhongyu, whom they had high hopes for, suddenly lost her talents overnight, causing a significant blow to the family head’s influence and putting him in a precarious position, gradually being surpassed by the Grand Elder’s faction.
In recent years, the Grand Elder’s faction had been luring in other factions, aiming to usurp the position of family head. They were just a step away from achieving their goal, with the upcoming recruitment ceremony of the Xuantian Sect held in a few days poised to be a crucial turning point!
As long as Lin Feng could successfully enter the Xuantian Sect, the Grand Elder’s faction’s prestige would soar within the family, making it easier to oust the current family head from power.
But today’s news of Lin Zhongyu potentially regaining her talent had slightly disrupted their rhythm.
At this moment, the Grand Elder, sitting in his chair, narrowed his eyes, which bore the weight of age yet gleamed with sharpness: “The affairs of the Lin family are not for the Yun family to meddle in. That boy from the Yun family is likely just chasing after Lin Zhongyu’s beauty for fun; a spoiled rich kid can’t amount to much. Does he really think he can elevate Lin Zhongyu?”
The Grand Elder analyzed the information he had gathered over the past days, scoffing at the idea.
