Hu Xian stuffed the gold notes into her pocket. "Let’s be clear. This is extra work. Whether it succeeds or not, I’m collecting a referral fee afterward."

Chen Chuan said, "Of course."

Hu Xian said, "Alright. There’s a reason I like you, Brother Chen. You understand it’s not easy for us to make a living. I’ll get this arranged for you."

Leaving the room, she went downstairs and found the middle-aged man in a room below. She told him about Chen Chuan’s request, and the man asked, "You agreed to it?"

Hu Xian said, "He pays, I do the work. This doesn’t break any assessment rules. My superiors told me to cooperate with the assessment candidates as much as possible. Isn’t this me cooperating with him?"

The middle-aged man looked upstairs. "I hope he knows what he’s doing."

Hu Xian said casually, "It’s just a rather bold reconnaissance mission. You think he’s going to make a move just like that? Don’t be ridiculous. That Brother Chen seems very cautious; he’s not that type of person."

The middle-aged man thought for a moment and agreed.

He believed Chen Chuan was using this transaction to get a close look at Boxing Lion and his team. By showing his face once, he could establish a preconceived identity in their minds, and there was definitely a follow-up plan.

This approach seemed very dangerous, especially since Boxing Lion was notoriously lawless. But right now, there was actually no need to worry.

Because Boxing Lion was currently looking for buyers everywhere, and this deal was crucial for his group to enter the Land of Chaos and establish a foothold. Therefore, it was impossible for him to kill a potential buyer right now. Otherwise, who else would dare trade with him?

Of course, the Land of Chaos was full of all sorts of people, and some might even admire such behavior. But a man like Boxing Lion, just because he disliked following rules himself didn’t mean he liked it when others broke them too.

The middle-aged man admired Chen Chuan’s bold yet cautious approach. He felt this was exactly the kind of quality a candidate applying for the Unlimited Defense Certificate should possess. Considering the candidate was only a first-year at Wuyi, his evaluation should be raised even higher.

After Hu Xian left, he took a file folder from the cabinet behind him. Inside were the record documents for Chen Chuan’s assessment itinerary, but most of it was still blank.

He took out a fountain pen, uncapped it, and carefully wrote down his thoughts and evaluation. After some thought, he added a final sentence, stating that such a student deserved attention and further training.

Evening came. Chen Chuan was in his room, carefully polishing the Snow Monarch Blade, when a knock sounded on the door. He sheathed the blade and said, "Come in."

Hu Xian pushed the door open and walked in, a cigarette dangling from her lips, though it wasn’t lit. Her sharp eyes glanced at the Snow Monarch Blade on the table before turning to Chen Chuan. "I’ve made contact for you. The gold notes have been delivered to Boxing Lion. They’ve decided to meet you tomorrow."

Chen Chuan asked, "What time tomorrow?"

Hu Xian waved her hand. "They didn’t say. Said to wait for their message. But if you ask me... we’ve dangled a juicy bone right in front of them, and their dog noses have already caught the scent. The fact that they can resist coming for you tonight—that’s not their style."

Chen Chuan pondered for a moment. ’It’s true. This group clearly needs cash urgently. They know I have money and that I’m right next door. Not being in a hurry to see me is indeed strange.’

He said, "Ms. Hu, you’re experienced. What do you think is the reason for their choice?"

"You want my opinion...?" Hu Xian thought for a moment. "I think they’ve probably found another buyer. They’re planning to bring both parties together to drive up the price."

Chen Chuan considered this. "Makes sense."

Hu Xian asked, "So what’s your call? Are you going tomorrow or not?"

Chen Chuan said in a relaxed tone, "Since the time is set, I’ll go and take a look tomorrow."

Hu Xian took the cigarette from her mouth. "Even if you’re just going to take a look, you can’t let your guard down. Need to bring anything? Let me know if you’re missing something."

Chen Chuan thought for a moment and asked, "Ms. Hu, do you have any Smoke Bombs?"

Hu Xian’s spirits lifted. "Smoke Bombs? Of course! What kind do you want? Obscuring mist or colored smoke? Want the special blend? Guaranteed to stuff up that dog nose of Ran Xiaoli’s!"

Chen Chuan said, "The latter. How much?"

Hu Xian replied, "Fifty a piece. No credit."

Chen Chuan considered for a moment. "Give me four."

"What? You don’t think that’s expensive? Not even going to haggle?" Hu Xian glanced at him a few times.

Chen Chuan said sincerely, "I’m a stranger in a strange land here. I wouldn’t know where to buy these things even if I wanted to. The fact that you, Ms. Hu, can provide them is already the greatest help to me."

Hu Xian waved her hand, pleased. "Alright! Since you’re so straightforward, here’s the deal: buy two, get one free. And I’ll throw in another two on top of that!"

"Thank you, Ms. Hu."

Hu Xian asked, "Need any firearms? I’ve got rifles, handguns, submachine guns."

"I brought my own."

"That works. You’re just going to negotiate a deal anyway, so you can’t bring the big guns in. Find me again if you need anything." Hu Xian gave a wave, walked out, and pulled the door shut behind her.

After she left, Chen Chuan sat back down in his chair, drew the Snow Monarch Blade again, and continued to oil and maintain it. Now, when he held the hilt, he could feel a faint, breath-like rhythmic vibration from within it.

After entering the Second Limit, he felt his connection to the Snow Monarch Blade deepen. Whenever he swung it, the blade would feel lighter and sharper. This lightness wasn’t a floaty sensation; rather, as his Power flowed through it, the blade achieved the perfect feel for the moment, as if it were an extension of his own body.

Just then, he looked toward the window and noticed specks of white snow beginning to fall.

It was snowing.

He glanced back at the Snow Monarch Blade. His own reflection was cast upon its mirror-bright surface, which gleamed with a cold, sharp light.

’Tomorrow will probably be very cold.’

After coming back from upstairs, Hu Xian met with the middle-aged man again. Once the man confirmed that Chen Chuan only needed Smoke Bombs, he became more certain of his earlier judgment. Chen Chuan was likely just going for reconnaissance, and Smoke Bombs were indeed convenient for making a getaway.

However, as an assessor, no matter what the candidate did, he had to find a way to observe them when they chose to make contact with the assessment target in order to properly record their score.

Meanwhile, in a four-story building over three hundred meters away, the team leader, "Boxing Lion" Katu, was listening to a report from one of his lackeys.

He had a powerful physique. His thick chest and back muscles strained against his tight tank top. The exposed muscles were clearly defined, giving off an incredibly hard impression as if they were filled with blocks of stone. The hair on the back of his head was braided into cornrows, which swung wildly and added to his untamed, savage appearance.

"Boss, there’s no mistake. ’Mr. Blue Sparrow’ from the Land of Chaos always keeps his word. If he said he’s coming to see the goods tomorrow, he’ll definitely be here."

The Double-bodied Person, Tuoqi, sat on a square stool. He looked like two people sitting back-to-back. The rear one was idly playing with a deck of cards, while the front one stared at the lackey and said with dissatisfaction, "He didn’t give you a deposit or anything?"

The lackey said awkwardly, "No." ’I’m just a gofer. How would I dare ask a boss from the Land of Chaos for money? It’s a miracle I made it back in one piece.’

The Bee Woman, Ran Xiaoli, was lounging on a sofa to the side. She said, "Boss, from the looks of it, the deal introduced by the Fox Immortal seems more sincere."

Boxing Lion was noncommittal. He said to the lackey, "Good job. Go get your pay."

Although he always broke the rules, he was very generous to those who worked for him. He knew that these brothers were the foundation of his livelihood. With them, he could trample on all those annoying rules.

"Thanks, Boss." The lackey left happily.

Boxing Lion looked at Ran Xiaoli. "Did the person the Fox Immortal introduced agree to come tomorrow?"

"They just replied. Said they’ll be here tomorrow."

"Then let’s have them meet and see who’s more sincere." A malicious look appeared on Boxing Lion’s face. He said, "We don’t know where this guy comes from. If he’s not strong enough, we might as well just... devour him. We happen to be short on assets here, and I think the Fox Immortal’s territory looks pretty good."

"That Fox Immortal is pretty good-looking," a few lackeys commented. The others snickered lewdly.

Ran Xiaoli reminded them, "To be able to open a shop here, the Fox Immortal’s background can’t be simple."

Tuoqi said with disdain, "Isn’t it just some old fling with ’Big Ma’ from the Land of Chaos? I’ve already looked into it. Big Ma has his own hands full recently; his reach doesn’t extend here. Once the boss gets in touch with *that person*, it’s not certain who will be answering to whom."

Boxing Lion then prompted Ran Xiaoli, "Where are the goods? Get them modulated to the pre-awakened state. We might need them tomorrow."

"Boss, they’re by the window." Ran Xiaoli pointed to a box on a corner table.

Boxing Lion said, "Watch it closely."

"Don’t worry, Boss. I’m watching it." As an abrupt voice spoke, a section of the wall actually detached itself. As it moved forward, everyone realized it was a person. His colors were so perfectly blended with the wall that no one present had noticed him until now.

Ran Xiaoli was furious. "Dammit, Song Zhi, you damn pervert, pulling this shit again! Don’t let me see you in places I’m not supposed to." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

The lackeys seemed to recall something and started snickering.

"What the fuck are you laughing at?" Ran Xiaoli glared around, her pretty face twisting into a vicious expression. Her eyes suddenly narrowed, and for a moment, it seemed like numerous pupils flickered within them, making one’s scalp tingle.

The lackeys immediately fell silent.

Ran Xiaoli glanced at the deep-eyed Boxing Lion. If this were the past, she would have bashed a few of their heads in on the spot. But Boxing Lion looked out for his men and didn’t allow casual killing, so she could only hold it in for now. ’I’ll find a way to blow off some steam after this deal is done,’ she thought to herself.

Boxing Lion grabbed a drugged drink from the table, chugged it down, and then crushed the metal cup in his hand with a light squeeze. "Tomorrow’s business is what’s important," he said. "Everyone go back. Take it easy tonight. Don’t fucking show up tomorrow all drained of energy."

"Yes, Boss!" The lackeys hurriedly dispersed.

The next day, Chen Chuan woke up early, washed up, and changed into a trench coat suitable for going out here. He wrapped a scarf around his neck and filled his canteen with water.

He opened his case and took out a small box of medicine.

This was the stuff Cheng Zitong had mentioned—some specially prepared Marching Powder. It wasn’t for ordinary people but for elite combatants in the military on special missions. It could replenish lost nutrients and rapidly boost combat effectiveness in a short period. As a refined product, its side effects were minimal.

There was a phone number on the medicine box, with a note saying to contact this person if any issues arose.

He didn’t plan to use it now, but he put it away, intending to carry it with him. Then he sat down, slowly guiding his breathing to regulate his condition while waiting for word from Hu Xian.

Around ten in the morning, Hu Xian knocked and entered. She saw Chen Chuan sitting at the table, wearing an ochre scarf and a light brown trench coat, with his long blade placed to the side. Bright sunlight streamed in through the window, falling upon him, creating an aura of deep tranquility mixed with sharp acuity.

Her eyes lit up. "Tsk, tsk. Brother Chen, you look really sharp in that outfit."

Chen Chuan looked up. "Is it time?"

Hu Xian nodded. "It is. I came to tell you. If you’re ready, we can head out now."

Chen Chuan stood up, taking the Snow Monarch Blade in hand. "Let’s go."

...

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