Chapter 199: Lucrative Rewards, Xue Jing's Flexible Bottom Line, and the Midnight Black Dragon Knigh

Chapter 199: Lucrative Rewards, Xue Jing's Flexible Bottom Line, and the Midnight Black Dragon Knight

Rewards?

At the mention of rewards, Pei Xiaoen looked up, his expression earnest as he said, "Rest assured, you will be offered a satisfactory amount. This is a matter of saving the entire city, and our government will definitely not skimp on showing our gratitude..."

Xue Jing smiled noncommittally and simply wagged his index finger at Pei Xiaoen.

"Don't make promises so hastily. My requested reward is not something as simple as money."

Pei Xiaoen thought, "This guy is tough to deal with... He doesn't act like a typical young man at all."

Although he knew that Xue Jing was highly regarded within the agency, he was well aware that he was no ordinary youth.

Nevertheless, despite his mental preparation, as their interaction went a little deeper, he still found himself surprised by the boy's maturity and shrewdness, which were beyond his years.

It wasn't about strength or ability but rather a matter of mental acuity.

Here is the rewritten text:

Most young men would have been swayed by such an argument.

Xue Jing's demeanor was that of a shrewd businessman, completely unmoved by the call to heroism. He cut straight to the chase, his eyes gleaming with interest as he inquired about the potential rewards.

He was like a seasoned veteran who had seen enough to see through superficial embellishments and get straight to the heart of the matter.

Or perhaps not. Maybe he just had a relatively low moral compass...

Regardless, now that he had brought up the topic of rewards, it indicated that he intended to take on the commission. Pei Xiaoen's heart leaped with joy, and he vowed, "Name it, and as long as it's within our government's means, we won't hold back!"

It was a grand statement, but it was mostly empty words... Xue Jing didn't mind, though. He simply tapped his fingers on the table and smiled, "First, money... Although what I want is not just money, it is still essential. One hundred million is far from enough."

The Yellow Granny's Divine Fetal Casting technique required the construction of the 'Visceral Temple,' consuming an increasing amount of precious medicines, resulting in massive expenses. The next phase, the 'Nourishing Heart Medicine,' was even more outrageously priced.

Money wasn't precisely easy to come by, but with this opportunity, he intended to make a substantial profit.

Xue Jing placed the index fingers of both hands together, forming a'seal' with his fingers.

"One-time payment, ten billion."

He then added without any change in his tone, "In cash."

"...” Pei Xiaoen's jaw twitched.

Ten billion... This was a substantial sum to an ordinary person, but when it came to the city government, it didn't seem like such a big deal.

After all, this was the government; their financial capacity was enormous. How could they possibly not scrape together a mere ten billion?

However, the truth was that they couldn't produce that amount of cash.

Just like most billionaires couldn't readily produce ten billion in cash, the government had its funds allocated for various purposes, and it was often not enough. Many projects had to rely on loans to make up the shortfall.

Ten billion in cash was a considerable challenge for the Qingcheng government at the moment.

But no matter how difficult it was, it couldn't compare to the potential consequences of Qingcheng's destruction.

Furthermore, if his faction could resolve this significant crisis, the political gains would be immense... Pei Xiaoen grit his teeth and nodded in agreement, "Alright, we'll do our best to gather the funds."

"However... It will take time. We can't produce ten billion instantly."

Xue Jing nodded, "I understand. I'll give you some time to arrange the funds... Now, let's discuss the other part of the deal."

Pei Xiaoen's eyes narrowed slightly, "...Go on."

"Have you ever heard of Divine Relics?"

...

After signing a clandestine pact stamped with the official seal of the Qingcheng government, Xue Jing departed the Pei residence, keeping his aura masked. He took a discreet route back home, employing his Stealth technique while reflecting on the recent turn of events.

Along the way, he examined the agreement.

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Secondly, within three months, the Qingcheng government must acquire ten Divine Relics that Xuening hadn't laid eyes on before and deliver them to him. If they fail to meet the deadline, they will have to pay one billion Central Star coins in penalties for every extra month of delay.

This condition startled Pei Xiaoen, and he shook his head repeatedly. He was aware of the existence of Divine Relics and the challenges of acquiring them.

Perhaps one or two might be attainable, but ten Divine Relics? It would likely take the Qingcheng government a decade to compensate Xue Jing.

However, Xue Jing then 'grudgingly' relaxed his condition, stating that he didn't need the Divine Relics delivered to him; he only needed to be allowed to examine and research them for a while before returning them.

Pei Xiaoen carefully considered this condition and felt that it was doable. After all, they would only be 'borrowing' them, and many of the congress members had connections with Divine Relic acquisition companies. So, after confirming with Chu, the congressman, Pei Xiaoen agreed.

Xue Jing placed his hand on the agreement, sealing it shut, and tucked it away securely in his clothes, feeling rather pleased.

Although the agreement would only take effect if he successfully investigated and resolved Qingcheng's crisis, the prospect of ten billion Central Star coins and ten Divine Relics seemed within reach, making him feel delighted.

With these rewards, he wouldn't have to worry about funding his martial arts training for a long time, and he would also gain over 5,000 units of Divinity...

"I hope the congress members are up to something," Xue Jing thought.

This request from the Qingcheng government was like a hot potato. Investigating thirty ruling congress members, an act that would offend all of Qingcheng, wasn't something he would have been willing to do a couple of days ago.

But now...

Xue Jing opened his panel to check his skills.

【Shadowflame Lv7】【Concealment Lv4】.

These two skills were his trump cards for the investigation.

Concealment allowed him to hide from even his master, Li Qi, for a while, and Shadowflame possessed abilities like 'Shadow Sneak,' which enabled him to vanish on the spot, 'Shadow Jump,' which allowed him to escape any scene instantly, and 'Shadowflame Enshroud,' which could completely disguise him.

With these four layers of insurance, he had no worries about his identity being discovered. If he wasn't found, then it never happened!

"I never sneaked into the honorable congress members' homes. Don't slander me," Xue Jing thought, closing the panel. As he walked through a dark alley, he playfully reached out and ruffled the hair of one of the schoolchildren walking by, a little bald-headed boy.

The boy looked around, unable to find the culprit, and suspected that one of his classmates had done it. But when he asked, no one admitted to it, so he started a courtroom-style interrogation, listing everyone's motives and suspicions, determined to find the perpetrator.

Seeing this, Xue Jing chuckled softly.

Contrary to Pei Xiaoen's assumptions, he actually had a rather high moral standard, but his lower limit was equally low. In simpler terms, his moral baseline was flexible and adaptable.

When it came to significant interests, he wouldn't hesitate to act in his self-interest. Hesitating for even a second would be disrespectful to his own lower limit.

However, when it was within his capacity, he was also willing to do good deeds... Of course, if it exceeded his abilities or required him to sacrifice his interests, then it would be a different matter.

In fact, even without any reward, if he had simply known that the congress members' homes might be hiding a crisis that threatened all of Qingcheng, he would have likely taken on the task anyway.

Because, at this point, he truly had the ability to do so, and it wouldn't be difficult for him.

But when it came to his well-deserved rewards, he wouldn't hold back either.

If the Qingcheng government dared to give him a blank check, he would boldly add a few dozen zeros to it.

With these thoughts in mind, Xue Jing soon returned home.

Over the next few days, Xue Jing received the information about the ruling congress members from Pei Xiaoen.

The information included their residences, daily activity ranges, travel routes, personal habits, security measures, floor plans of their homes, and even marked a few suspicious areas, making it quite comprehensive.

Xue Jing spent an hour memorizing the thick stack of documents before burning them.

He didn't start working on the investigation immediately but instead spent several days, aside from his daily martial arts training, solely on leveling up his 【Concealment】 skill.

In those days, he managed to level up Concealment from Lv4 to Lv7 (32/4500).

During this period, the people at the Coiling Dragon Dojo suffered a bit... They were constantly startled by Xue Jing's mysterious appearances and disappearances, especially his little disciple, Zong Si Chan, who received extra 'attention.'

The little girl had never been scared away from the dojo by Xue Jing's Spartan teaching style since she became his disciple. But these past few days were the first time she'd ever thought of skipping her visits to the Coiling Dragon Dojo, truly frightened by the torment she'd endured.

After reaching Level 7, Xue Jing tested his ability and spent an afternoon in Li Qi's Nurturing Heart Room without being noticed, feeling confident and secure in his stealth.

Thus, he decided to take action tonight.

...

Deep into the night, the moon hung high in the sky over the quiet city.

In the northern district, on Mufeng Street, an area known for its affluent residents, many high-ranking officials called this place home, including several members of the ruling congress. As such, security was tight.

Especially at this late hour, past one in the morning, vigilant security personnel patrolled the streets. Their professional gait and alert gazes spoke to their expertise, and their bulging waistlines suggested they carried firearms. Clearly, they were not your average guards but a force to be reckoned with.

Yet, despite their prowess, they failed to notice a silent, black-clad figure perched atop a tall streetlight pole, hidden in plain sight.

The figure wore a full-body suit of ornate black armor, its entire form shrouded in darkness except for a pair of silver-white eyes that gleamed with indifference. Sharp, black bone spurs protruded from its joints and back, and its body was adorned with flickering black flames.

The urban legend—the Midnight Black Dragon Knight—had arrived.

Xue Jing's eyes fixed on a large villa in the distance as he recalled the information he had on its resident.

Congressman Song Shiju, known for his radical views, had openly expressed dissatisfaction with Chief Congressman Chi Liangyun's moderate leadership style on several occasions.

Xue Jing closed his eyes, his mental power surging as he began to visualize the interior of the villa, creating a mental map of the building.

He could pinpoint the location and actions of every living person within. Even the slightest sound, a mere breath, was enough for Xue Jing to calculate and visualize their movements.

Soon, Xue Jing opened his eyes, and with a flick of his finger, he sent a black flame silently soaring over the tall walls and into the villa's courtyard.

In the next moment, he stepped into the flame, vanishing from sight.

The black flame in the courtyard rippled, and a figure emerged, stepping softly onto the grass.

As soon as he appeared, Xue Jing immediately sank into the shadows cast by the house, moving stealthily toward the interior.

Along the way, he encountered several patrolling guards and even some well-hidden infrared alarms, reminiscent of the security measures in a spy movie.

However, no matter how cautious the security arrangements were, they were virtually non-existent in the face of Xue Jing's Concealment, Shadow Sneak, and Shadow Jump abilities.

He swam through areas he could pass and, for those he couldn't, he sent a black flame ahead, using it to teleport past the obstacles.

With his Level 7 Concealment, Xue Jing instinctively knew the location of every camera and the angles they covered, moving like a ghost through the villa, never once being detected.

As he gathered more and more information about the building, the mental map in his head became clearer and more detailed, allowing him to navigate faster. Soon, he had inspected every room.

Using the mental map, he easily located a hidden basement entrance in an inconspicuous corner, which he opened and slipped through.

However, aside from some gold bars, cash, and confidential files, there was nothing unusual in the basement.

Hmm, there's also a small notebook with a lot of women's names in it. They all have cute names like Lili, Juanjuan, and Wenwen, and each name has an address next to it. There are about two dozen names in total. I wonder what they're for...

Xue Jing put everything back in its original place, unconcerned about leaving fingerprints due to his armor. Then, he stepped back into the black flame and disappeared.

On a streetlight pole outside the villa, the black flame rippled, and Xue Jing stepped out.

Without hesitation, he flashed toward the home of the next congressman.

...

(I wanted to write more today, but I'm feeling under the weather with a bad cold. I tried my best, though, and I'll strive to do better in the future!)

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end