C10 Wen Lu's Plan

October 2019.

Upon arriving at the Hunter Guild, Liu Feng immediately began surveying his surroundings. His previous visit had been quite profitable, and he was eager to see what gains he could make this time.

There were several greeters, each with a distinct style from Wen Lu. Wen Lu's smile had seemed insincere, a typical professional courtesy that felt rather perfunctory and left people feeling uneasy. In contrast, the greeter this time had an eye-catching appearance with her white legs and high heels, her smooth legs glistening like flowing ice, complemented by a neatly parted hairstyle.

Liu Feng marveled at the Hunter Guild's apparent wealth, employing such beautiful greeters, each with their own unique style and temperament. They all seemed genuinely enthusiastic about their roles, as if they couldn't bear the thought of losing their jobs. He recalled how Wen Lu hadn't shown any anger when Qu Qi docked her pay. Liu Feng also suspected that these greeters might be arcanists, as he was unable to discern their level of cultivation. This could mean one of two things: either their skills were far superior, or they had no cultivation at all. Liu Feng was inclined to believe the former.

"Hello, sir. My name is Civet. How may I assist you today?"

Her approach was similar to Wen Lu's, but Civet's demeanor felt genuinely welcoming. As she spoke, her chest vibrated with a palpable excitement that was hard to ignore at such close quarters, causing Liu Feng to feel a bit overwhelmed.

He swallowed hard, the sound lost amidst the bustling noise of the guild.

"Uh, do you have any advanced books on fire or shadow arcane?" Liu Feng asked, trying to maintain his composure while speaking to the strikingly attractive woman before him. His heart raced, this being his first time conversing so closely with a woman of her allure.

"Are you looking to post a quest or to make a direct purchase from the guild? And what level are you interested in?" she inquired.

"I'd like to buy directly. How much for two low-level arcane books?" he responded.

"The low-level fire arcane book is ten thousand, and the low-level shadow arcane book is one hundred thousand," Civet replied with a smile.

"Uh..."

Liu Feng silently cursed to himself. Qu Qi, you sure know how to drive a hard bargain. Why don't you just rob me? I'm broke. Damn, I can only afford a list of fire arcane spells. And the shadow arcane? It's even worse. Why is it ten times the price?

Liu Feng was unaware that the shadow arcane was incredibly rare, with very few individuals awakening to it. Consequently, the number of people who could document these arcane spells was limited, driving up the price. During the Awakening Ceremony, Liu Feng was too elated about awakening two arcane types to consider what others had experienced.

Subconsciously, Liu Feng thought that since he had awakened two types of arcane, it didn't matter what others had awakened. Surely he could take on any single type?

Liu Feng remained silent for a while, making the atmosphere somewhat awkward.

As he was figuring out how to politely decline without losing face in front of the lady with the generous curves, a familiar voice cut through his thoughts.

"I'll buy these two books for him," Wen Lu offered. Having just finished with another customer, she had entered the hall and caught the exchange between Liu Feng and the civet cat. Noticing Liu Feng's predicament, she stepped forward to help.

'What's her angle? Why is she buying these for me? Well, it works out since I can't afford them. I'll just pay her back later,' Liu Feng reasoned to himself.

The civet cat eyed Wen Lu with suspicion. Wen Lu was known for her opportunism, and this guy looked like he had neither money nor skill. Why was she helping him?

"Alright, that works. You take care of this young man. I'll attend to other customers. He might need more items, and you can purchase those for him as well," the civet cat said, not minding passing Liu Feng off to Wen Lu and earning herself a bit of goodwill. Liu Feng didn't look like he had any money, so why stick around? It seemed wasteful to have both of them attending to him when there were other customers to serve. With that, she strode away on her long legs.

As Liu Feng watched the civet cat's retreating figure, he thought, 'Those legs could rival Zhuang Qiushuo's.' Meanwhile, he felt a surge of indignation, 'One day, you'll witness the formidable strength of my lower body, and then you'll see I'm no little boy.'

Wen Lu watched as Liu Feng gazed at the leopard cat with a lovestruck expression, her own gaze filled with contempt. She thought to herself, "He's practically drooling. Can't he at least try to be a little discreet, the creep?"

"Ahem, Liu Feng, do you need any assistance?" Wen Lu couldn't stand it any longer and interrupted his ogling.

She had already discreetly inquired about him with Lei Boshi and learned that the young man's name was Liu Feng. She reminded herself to invest in his potential. The president of the Hunter Guild had an impeccable track record; his recommendations were always the most promising newcomers.

Wen Lu knew that what the world lacked most was a helping hand in times of need, not just icing on the cake.

"Um, do you still have any of those devil crystals from before? I'd like to buy some."

Wen Lu, who had just resolved to buy whatever Liu Feng wanted, felt her face freeze and nearly collapsed. "How can this little pervert have such a huge appetite? You still want to buy some? You're broke, what on earth can you buy?" While inwardly berating Liu Feng, she pondered whether to purchase a piece for him, considering she still had some savings.

Liu Feng noticed Wen Lu's face turn pale and worried she might be unwell.

"If you're not feeling well, you should go rest. I can find someone else to buy from."

"You think you can find someone else to buy it? Can you even afford it? Are all you boys so clueless?" Wen Lu fumed internally. "Why did I get stuck with you?" But recalling the president's keen eye, Wen Lu gritted her teeth and took hold of Liu Feng's arm.

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?" Liu Feng asked, confused. The hostess was suddenly getting physical.

"I'm getting you that devil crystal. Just wait here," Wen Lu said through clenched teeth, her face betraying a hint of murderous intent.

Liu Feng, blissfully unaware of her menacing demeanor, beamed with joy. "Okay, okay, I'll wait right here."

A minute later, Wen Lu came back and tucked a small box into Liu Feng's embrace.

Liu Feng peeked inside the box and his heart leapt with joy—it was indeed the treasure he had firmly committed to memory last time!

"How much does it cost, Sister Wen Lu?" Liu Feng's demeanor had shifted ever since Wen Lu purchased the arcane tome for him, now affectionately calling her "sister" with each query.

"It's on the house—I'm giving it to you. It's not pricey, but make sure you don't lose it. It requires special authorization to purchase, and if you lose it, it's gone for good."

"Sister Wen Lu, you're truly a saint," Liu Feng said, though inwardly he scoffed at the deceitful guild president who, along with Lei, had fooled him into thinking this item was exorbitantly priced. And here the welcoming hostess was, casually gifting it to him—how costly could it actually be?

Yet, he took Wen Lu's words to heart, understanding that items like the Awakening Stone were beyond value, unattainable even with ample wealth.

"The devil crystal I've given you should suffice for your advancement to an intermediate arcanist. However, don't rely on it too frequently. It forcibly enhances your abilities and contains some impurities. You'll need to wait until these impurities have cleared from your spiritual world before using another, to avoid compromising your foundational strength and hindering future progress," Wen Lu explained with uncharacteristic solemnity. She was sincere, not wishing to see a promising talent ruined by the devil crystal she provided. After all, it would mean her investment had been for naught.

She also hoped to prevent Liu Feng from purchasing another devil crystal, which would reveal its true worth. If Liu Feng understood its value, he might refuse her gift, thwarting her well-laid plans.

Even the lowest grade devil crystal is valued at over a million, and this particular one had nearly depleted half of Wen Lu's fortune. Nevertheless, she considered it a worthy investment. Aware of her own modest talents and the fact that she owed her position as a hostess to President Qu Qi's compassion and assistance, she doubted she'd ever reach the top level of the arcane hierarchy. Investing in a young man with immense potential at the dawn of his arcane journey seemed a far more prudent choice.

Once he's grown up, even if he seeks her out merely out of nostalgia, the commission and service fees alone will allow him to recoup the cost of a devil crystal. It's a surefire way to avoid any loss.

"Oh, oh, I've got it," Liu Feng said nonchalantly as he slipped the devil crystal into his pocket. Subconsciously, Liu Feng believed that while purchasing a devil crystal required special authorization, it wasn't particularly valuable. And as for obtaining authorization, well, that's what the Hunter Guild president is for.