Chapter 391: Investing in a Demon Hunting Team!
Jiang Chen tracked down Zhang Laizi just as she finished fencing a demon carcass. She was debating where to rest her weary bones when a shadow suddenly blocked her path.
“I just got back,” she grumbled without looking up. “I’m not joining any demon hunts right now.”
“Oh?”
“Are you deaf—huh?”
Assuming it was just another recruiter from a local hunting squad, she snapped her head up to glare at the intruder. The moment her eyes locked onto his face, she froze.
A faint, half-smile played on Jiang Chen’s lips. “It seems you still remember me.”
Zhang Laizi’s pupils contracted. “Zhu Rong… Senior?” she stammered, disbelief washing over her features.
Feigning ignorance, Jiang Chen asked, “Why are you flying solo these days?”
The light in her eyes dimmed. A heavy silence stretched between them before she finally muttered, “I left the Red Tiger squad.”
Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. “Then who exactly am I supposed to collect my Spirit Stones from?”A bitter, mocking smile twisted her lips. “Who else? Red Tiger.”
Ever since The Sen Clan took a liking to the Red Tiger squad, resources had poured in like a flood. Li Tie had successfully broken through to Foundation Establishment, and Red Tiger himself had become a highly sought-after VIP across the city.
In the old days, the entire team would bleed and sweat for a whole year just to scrape together a dozen Mid-grade Spirit Stones. Now, Red Tiger alone raked in hundreds.
Jiang Chen jerked his chin down the street. “Lead the way.”
Zhang Laizi hesitated. She had sworn never to cross paths with Red Tiger again, but she didn’t dare refuse the terrifying cultivator standing before her. Swallowing her pride, she gave a helpless nod. “Follow me.”
The two navigated the bustling streets in tandem. Along the way, they passed the Evergreen Wine Shop. Zhang Laizi ducked inside, emerging moments later with three ounces of premium Spirit Wine. She took a long, burning swig and continued leading the way.
It didn’t take long to reach the imposing gates of Red Tiger’s new estate. Back when the squad only had five members, they had crammed into a tiny, run-down house, but the camaraderie had been warm and genuine. Now, the courtyard was sprawling and opulent, yet the bonds of brotherhood had long since rotted away.
Just as they approached the entrance, a burly mountain of a man strode out. He spotted Zhang Laizi instantly, a look of surprise crossing his rugged face. “Laizi. You came back after all.”
Zhang Laizi curled her lip in open disdain. “Don’t flatter yourself, Li Tie. I’m just playing tour guide.”
Li Tie, now the deputy leader of the squad, frowned. He shifted his gaze to the man standing behind her, and his eyes nearly bulged out of his skull. “Senior Zhu Rong!”
Jiang Chen’s expression remained as cold and unreadable as carved stone. “Are my Spirit Stones ready?”
Li Tie snapped to attention, immediately bowing at the waist and stepping aside. “We’ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival, Senior.”
Without another word, Jiang Chen strode past him.
Zhang Laizi didn’t follow. She spun on her heel and walked away, not lingering for a single second. She knew in her bones that her path had permanently diverged from Red Tiger and Li Tie’s. And as for Zhu Rong… they existed in entirely different worlds.
Not long after, Li Tie guided Jiang Chen deep into the estate, ushering him into a lavish reception hall. The room reeked of newfound wealth, outfitted with heavy solid wood furniture, elegant ink wash paintings, and delicate ceramic antiques.
Li Tie hurriedly poured a cup of steaming tea. “Please wait a moment, Senior. I will notify the captain immediately.”
Jiang Chen offered a noncommittal grunt. Li Tie bowed again and scurried off.
“Hahaha!”
Moments later, boisterous laughter echoed down the corridor before Red Tiger even stepped into the room. “Senior Zhu! Your esteemed presence brings boundless honor to my humble abode!”
Jiang Chen cast a sidelong glance at the doorway. Red Tiger, Li Tie, and Zhou Cui filed in together. The raw, desperate ferocity that used to define Red Tiger had vanished, replaced by the slick, polished veneer of a wealthy merchant. As for Zhou Cui, his waistline had expanded considerably, his belly straining against his robes.
*I can feel the greasy corporate malice radiating off them,* Jiang Chen thought dryly.
Before his rear even touched a chair, Red Tiger produced a small Storage Bag and slid it across the mahogany table. “Senior Zhu, your Spirit Stones.”
Jiang Chen swept the bag with his spiritual sense. “One thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones?”
Red Tiger beamed. “Is it to your satisfaction?”
Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t this a bit much?”
He wasn’t an expert on the demon carcass market, but he knew basic math. There was no way their haul had sold for this much. The Nightmare Wolf King wasn’t some mythical beast. Even if they bundled the Green-backed Wolf, the Nightmare Demon Wolves, and the Wolf King together, the total payout would barely scrape past a thousand—and that was before dividing the shares among the crew.
Red Tiger offered a smooth, practiced smile. “If it weren’t for you, Senior, The Sen Clan would never have taken us under their wing. We wouldn’t have our current status, our wealth, or our territory. Consider this thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones a token of our profound gratitude.”
Hearing that, Jiang Chen didn’t bother with false modesty. He snatched the bag and tucked it away. He had expected a few hundred at best; walking out with a thousand was a highly profitable surprise.
Red Tiger leaned forward, his smile widening. “Actually, there is one more matter I’d like to discuss with you.”
Jiang Chen’s face remained impassive, completely unsurprised. *Here comes the hook.* “Speak.”
Red Tiger exchanged a meaningful glance with Li Tie and Zhou Cui before lowering his voice. “Deep within the Dark Forest, our squad has been conducting joint explorations with The Sen Clan. We suspect we’ve discovered the entrance to an uncharted secret realm. I wonder… would Senior be interested?”
Jiang Chen blinked, genuinely caught off guard. “A secret realm?”
The Dark Forest was a sprawling, primordial expanse. While the outer fringes had been thoroughly mapped and bled dry by hunting squads, the inner depths remained a deadly, uncharted mystery. Huang Yuanhua’s cave abode was the perfect example.
Green City had stood for over a century, boasting hundreds of active demon hunting teams, yet that ancient cave had only been unearthed the year before last. It was entirely plausible that undiscovered secret realms still lurked in the shadows—perhaps even several of them.
Red Tiger’s tone turned dead serious. “Right now, our expedition lacks a true powerhouse to anchor the vanguard. If you agree to join us, we can deploy immediately. Furthermore, we are willing to offer you a seventy-thirty split of the profits.”
Jiang Chen didn’t even hesitate. He shook his head. “Not interested.”
If it hadn’t been for Shen Peng’s invitation and the promise of a payout, he wouldn’t have set foot in Green City, let alone the Loose Cultivator market. Without another word, he stood up and headed for the door.
Red Tiger and Li Tie half-rose from their seats, desperate to make him stay, but neither dared to physically block his path. They could only watch his retreating back, their faces twisting with bitter regret.
Stepping out of the grand estate, Jiang Chen cast a brief glance over his shoulder at the three men hovering anxiously in the doorway. *People really do change,* he mused.
Back when they were starving in the gutters, Red Tiger had been willing to put his life on the line to carve out a future. Now that he was fat and comfortable, he had become a coward, hiding behind The Sen Clan’s skirts.
Still, the man’s offer had sparked an idea.
Before he could attempt his breakthrough to the Golden Core realm, he needed to harvest the core organs of five specific demons, each corresponding to the five viscera and the five elements.
Venturing into the apocalyptic demon battlefields of the Central Region was practically suicide right now. So why risk his neck when he had a perfectly good labor force right here? He could simply invest in his own Loose Cultivator demon hunting squad and have them secretly harvest the materials for him.
He needed reliable, familiar candidates. Red Tiger’s crew was out; they were already lapdogs for The Sen Clan. The Shen Clan was tied up with their own commercial ventures, ruling them out as well.
That left only two viable options: Zhang Laizi and Wang Linxun. One was at the early Foundation Establishment stage, and the other was at late Qi Condensation.
Inside an orthodox immortal sect, they would be considered mediocre at best. But out here in the gritty Loose Cultivator market, they were elite muscle. More importantly, he had worked with them before, he knew their temperaments, and both were currently unemployed.
His mind made up, Jiang Chen cast his spiritual sense over the district, instantly locking onto Zhang Laizi’s aura.
She hadn’t gone far. She was slumped at a cheap street stall, aggressively tearing into a skewer of roasted demon meat and washing it down with her newly purchased Spirit Wine.
Mid-bite, a tall shadow fell over her table, blocking out the sun.
Annoyed, Zhang Laizi looked up, a string of curses ready on her tongue, only to freeze once more. “Senior Zhu?”
Jiang Chen offered a faint, knowing smile. “Tell me… would you like to be a captain?”