Chen Fuguang extended his index finger, "Ten million."
Xue Jing's eyebrows raised. He picked up his cellphone and said, "Looks like this is a pretty big deal."
Pei Youguang said, "I'm not too clear either, but my dad did seem very anxious."
Xue Jing thought for a mont and said, "Alright, I'll visit your house this afternoon to et your father, but as for whether I'll take this job, I'll decide after I hear the details."
Pei Youguang nodded repeatedly, "It should be like this... This afternoon is fine, I'll have my dad wait at ho for you then."
After chatting a few more sentences, Xue Jing hung up the phone.
...
In the afternoon.
Xue Jing kept his aura hidden to make his movents as undetectable as possible while he practiced his "Concealnt" skill on his way to Pei Youguang's ho in the North City District.
He had spent almost the entire day, apart from his daily martial arts practice, training "Concealnt."
From morning activation through teaching his young disciple, to hiding and eavesdropping in the Heart-Nourishing Room.
When he arrived at the large villa of Pei Youguang's family, he was accompanied by a prompt [ 311 Experience Points], and his Concealnt level had already risen to Lv4 (76/1200).
This skill not only gave him the ability to perform "Aura Blockade," but it also granted him quite impressive spatial hiding techniques.
Besides, there was an enhancent in control over his physical body and a boost in sensory agility—especially hearing and sll.
It could be said to be a quite useful skill, second only to foundational skills like [Fitness] [Health Cultivation].
Xue Jing quietly approached the grand villa's entrance and simply strode in.
The two security guards at the door seed vigilant but only noticed Xue Jing's presence three steps after he'd entered.
"Eh?"
"Mr. Xue!"
"Mr. Xue!"
They had seen Xue Jing before, and together with Pei Youguang's prior notice of his visit, they imdiately recognized him and greeted him respectfully.
Hearing the commotion here, two people chatting in the front yard also looked over imdiately.
One of them was Pei Youguang, while the other was a scholarly looking, slender middle-aged man with a slicked-back hairstyle.
"Jing!"
Pei Youguang quickly blinked to signal to the middle-aged man beside him.
Without needing the hint, the middle-aged man, upon seeing Xue Jing, imdiately walked over quickly, extended his hand, and said with a smile:
"Xue, good to et you, finally. Eh, you are quite good-looking; no wonder ever since your last visit, whenever I get up at night to use the bathroom, I can always hear my maids mumbling your na in their sleep. It scared so much I thought they were possessed."
"But now that I see you in person, I fully understand why they did that!"
Xue Jing shook his hand, responding noncommittally to the complent with a smile, "You are Youguang's father, may I call you Uncle Pei?"
The man, clutching his hand, nodded repeatedly, "Of course, of course you may, I shall take the liberty to call you Little Jing."
The man nad Pei Xiao'en had a voice that seed deliberately trained, deep and magnetic, quite pleasant to the ears.
"Co, Little Jing, let's go inside and talk."
Pei Xiao'en gestured invitingly with his hand.
As the group walked towards the inside of the villa, when Xue Jing passed by Pei Youguang, he smiled and patted his shoulder:
"Let's go, Youguang. Let's go in together."
Pei Youguang hesitated, then said, "Oh, okay."
Seeing this, Pei Xiao'en's gaze flickered thoughtfully.
Then he quickened his pace, walked forward, and patted Pei Youguang's shoulder as well, saying in a gentle tone, "Youguang, go and prepare so tea. Use the tea from the topmost cabinet in my room, and bring it to my study after you've brewed it."
It had been so long since Pei Youguang had seen such a gentle deanor from his father, his pudgy face showed a flattered and surprised expression, and he nodded repeatedly, "Okay, I got it!"
"This way, please." Pei Xiao'en turned his head toward Xue Jing, leading the way.
The two of them made several turns and arrived in an ancient-looking room, furnished with four large bookshelves.
After sitting down on wooden chairs, the two chatted casually for a while. Pei Xiao'en was quite the conversationalist, seeming to know a little about everything, from the far reaches of the earth to the seas beyond.
He even had considerable professional knowledge of martial arts, and conversed with Xue Jing astutely while maintaining an attitude of seeking advice, which satisfied Xue Jing's desire to speak and made him quite happy.
Xue Jing was also sowhat eloquent, but even he silently admitted inferiority when facing Pei Xiao'en.
When Pei Youguang brought in two cups of tea, the two enjoyed the tea for a while. Pei Xiao'en talked about tea with vivid language, subtly ntioning how precious the tea they were drinking was to show his regard for Xue Jing before he began to discuss the pressing matters at hand.
"...Little Jing, the reason I've asked you to co here is truly important, and even pertains to the survival of Qingcheng. I would like to entrust you with this matter," Pei Xiao'en said, setting down his teacup with a grave expression.
Xue Jing raised an eyebrow, "Go on."
After considering his words carefully, Pei Xiao'en continued,
"I am the secretary to Councillor Zhu, Chu Minyi. This commission to you is actually by Councillor Zhu's will..."
"Little Jing, you must be aware of the existence of a 'Heavenly Lodge Insect Mother' in Qingcheng, as you personally dealt with several of the 'cockroaches' it spawned."
Xue Jing nodded.
Pei Xiao'en's voice lowered, "In fact, the origin of this Heavenly Lodge Insect Mother is linked to quite complicated matters, so complex that even I am unaware of the specifics. Let's set that aside for now. The current issue is... we can't find the Insect Mother."
"Based on the speculations of experts, after this period of breeding, the Heavenly Lodge Insect Mother may have given birth to a swarm capable of threatening the entire city..."
"If it can't be found soon, the longer we wait, the more terrifying the number of parasites we'll be facing."
"Yet, during this period, our governnt has already mobilized all forces within Qingcheng for a comprehensive search, practically turning the city inside out, but we still haven't located the Insect Mother."
Xue Jing voiced his uncertainty, "Could it be outside the city?"
Pei Xiao'en shook his head, "Although that's certainly possible, the Insect Mother would likely not be outside the city if it's to achieve the effects 'certain people' desire."
"If it really is outside the city, then the matter would be much simpler, as the swarm could not breach Qingcheng head-on."
Xue Jing nodded, "Then what do you need for?"
Pei Xiao'en said, "While we've conducted a thorough search, there are actually a few places we haven't, or rather can't, search."
"That would be the hos of the thirty Governing Councilors located in the North City District."
Xue Jing's eyebrows lifted, "That seems unlikely, doesn't it? These are the thirty people most deeply connected to the interests of Qingcheng. Would they do sothing that could 'destroy the city'?"
"It's indeed unlikely, but this is the only remaining possibility, and we must verify it at all costs," Pei Xiao'en asserted.
"Little Jing, I know this is a tough request, but can I entrust you with investigating this matter?" He asked pleadingly.
Xue Jing thought for a mont before asking, "Why ?"
"Because in Qingcheng, only you have the qualifications," Pei Xiao'en firmly stated.
Xue Jing was taken aback, "?"
Pei Xiao'en nodded, "Indeed, you belong to The Sixth Agency, an organization with the 'Act First, Report Later' privilege. The Governing Councilors might occupy the highest positions in Qingcheng, but you are fully justified in investigating them."
Xue Jing scratched his head, "Then why don't you just find soone from the agency to do this? It's not like you lack the connections."
Pei Xiao'en smiled bitterly, "Actually, we don't, or rather, we can't find soone reliable... Investigating Governing Councilors is a risky business."
"Those from the 'agency' aren't too keen on dealing with local governnt officials like us, especially those who are quite high-ranking and powerful."
"And you, Little Jing, though I'm not fully aware of your circumstances, your reputation within the agency is quite high, and you are fully capable of handling this task."
Pei Xiao'en stood up, bowed to Xue Jing, and begged, "Little Jing, could you please, for the sake of Qingcheng, for the safety of your hotown, accept our request?"
Xue Jing's eyes reflected contemplation; he didn't answer imdiately, and Pei Xiao'en maintained his bow without moving.
After a while, Xue Jing finally slowly spoke, "Let's not rush the decision... Let's talk about the reward first."
...
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