Chapter 34: Commission and Fierce Battle

"This One‑Eyed Demon Ape should fetch a good price..."

Lu Jing dragged the ape's corpse, his expression still calm, as if the recent fight had been merely a warm‑up.

"Lu Jing! Thank you..."

Lóu Wǎnqīng came to herself, grabbed Lu Jing's hand, her face filled with the joy of having survived a disaster.

Lu Jing waved his hand, "Just a convenient favor, no need to worry about it, and I only stepped in because I heard there was Great Thanks."

"Boss, please accept my bow!"

Zhang Meng earnestly knelt on the ground and bowed, the rabbit ears on her hat twitching nonstop, making Lu Jing look exasperated.

"Anyway, we owe you this time," Huáng MáO tossed a healing Dan Medicine into his mouth, then leaned in, "Boss, I'm Huang Qitian; just call me Xiao Huang."

"Okay."

Lu Jing glanced at him and gave a slight nod.

This Huáng MáO is a bit overconfident and rather annoying.

But at the crucial moment he didn't flee; he bravely stood in front of the girl.

That, at least, is commendable.

Huang Qitian saw Lu Jing nod at him and instantly broke into a smile.

He fished a grimy card from his pocket with his filthy hand, handed it to Lu Jing, and said, "Boss, this is my token of thanks; it contains 200,000 cash. It can't match the life‑saving debt, but it's my respect..."

Yo heh!

Lu Jing's eyes lit up; the youngster was quite on point.

Lóu Wǎnqīng and Zhang Meng, seeing this, also pulled out bank cards and handed them over.

Lu Jing didn't hesitate and slipped them straight into his pocket.

In this world, few people from struggling families can get into a Martial University.

Because those from poor families simply can't pass the entrance exams.

Without money for Dan Medicine, even the best talent can't match the rich heirs who treat supplements as daily meals.

Moreover, Lu Jing saved their lives, so taking the money feels justified.

Lóu Wǎnqīng laughed, "Lu Jing, you're only a senior in high school and already this strong; any Martial University in the country is yours to choose. Want to consider coming to our school?"

"Our school is a lousy Martial University; Lu Jing would never come here."

Zhang Meng muttered softly on the side.

Yanghai University ranks among the lower‑tier Martial Universities nationwide; with Lu Jing's talent and strength, he could aim for a better one.

"Which Martial University to apply for can wait; you should hurry out, the Demon Beasts here are acting strange."

Lu Jing shook his head and turned to leave.

Suddenly, Zhang Meng blocked him.

"Lu Jing, may we hire you for a while?"

Lu Jing shook his head and said, "My time is precious, and I don't like being a babysitter. I'll keep going deeper; staying with me would be dangerous for you."

Lu Jing firmly declined, choosing to go in alone; he could flee at any sign of danger, whereas bringing them would waste time and force him to split his attention to protect them.

"We'll pay you a fee at market price; will you at least consider?"

Zhang Meng remained unyielding, continuing to try to sway Lu Jing, her tone tinged with a plea.

Lu Jing shrugged, "To be frank, it's not about the money; the Huāngshén Cónglín is too dangerous, and with my current strength I still can't guarantee your safety."

Zhang Meng was quite dejected by Lu Jing's refusal.

At that moment, Lóu Wǎnqīng stepped forward and rephrased, "Lu Jing, our School Mission isn't finished yet; could we ask you for a favor?"

She added, "We can transfer the mission's reward money to you."

"What mission?"

"Just use this sword to kill two First‑Rank Demon Beasts; we don't need the Beast materials."

"You mean you want me to complete your School Mission for you?"

"Yes, this sword is a mission‑specific weapon; any Demon Beast killed with it will be recorded. Just bring the sword back as proof. This mission is crucial for us, please!"

Lu Jing thought for a moment; the task didn't seem troublesome—slaying two First‑Rank Demon Beasts en route is just a side job.

"Fine, but my appearance fee is a bit steep; you should be prepared."

"Is 200,000 enough? Plus another 100,000 after the mission; we'll transfer it once we leave."

Zhang Meng pointed at Lóu Wǎnqīng and said, "Don't be fooled by her plain clothes; she's the heiress of Lóu's Dan Medicine Company, her family is wealthy, they'll definitely have money for you."

The Dan Medicine Company's heiress actually came to this cursed place for a mission—does it really matter?

Lu Jing muttered inwardly.

Lóu Wǎnqīng seemed to notice Lu Jing's doubt and hurriedly explained, "You might not fully understand Martial Universities; competition there is fierce, and mission requirements are strict. Even with a noble status, you must complete the mission yourself."

"After all, Martial University resources are allocated by the state; they won't support people without value, so please keep this mission confidential for us."

Lu Jing nodded; it seemed life at a Martial University was far harsher than he had imagined.

"By the way, are there any requirements for the killing method or the Demon Beasts?"

"No, as long as they're killed with this sword, it's fine."

Lóu Wǎnqīng finished speaking and handed over the long sword she held.

Lu Jing reached out and took it.

It is a long sword of simple ancient design, over three feet in length, with a crystal core set in the hilt displaying the number zero.

It must be the mission‑assigned sword for Yanghai Martial University, capable of recording the number of Demon Beasts slain.

"I'm leaving," Lu Jing slung the long sword over his back, "You can head southeast; my truck is parked near the exit over there, it's relatively safe."

After saying that, he walked toward the depths of the Huāngshén Cónglín.

Good, we'll wait for you there, be careful!

Lóu Wǎnqīng shouted at Lù Jǐng.

After saying that, she suddenly realized she had forgotten again to ask the other party for contact information, and couldn't help feeling somewhat regretful.

Ah, stop pining alone, we'll see each other again soon; we definitely need to get the mission sword back, right?

Zhāng Méng saw Lóu Wǎnqīng's thoughts, and teasingly said with a smile.

You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting!

Hearing the laughter coming from behind, Lù Jǐng's mood also improved a lot.

These students are indeed interesting, making him look forward to his future university martial arts life even more.

At the same time, on the other side of the Huāngshén Cónglín.

The four members of the Xuánwǔ Shòuliè Tuán were engaged in a fierce battle with a huge lizard.

The scene was extremely tragic; two Second‑Realm Martial Artists had already lost combat ability, leaving only Wú Lì and Shí Xiū still standing.

Damn, this map ought to be updated once in a while; how could there be a fourth‑rank cannon‑dragon lizard demon beast here!

Squad leader Wú Lì panted heavily, his lungs like a broken bellows, each gasp extremely rough.

After prolonged combat, his Blood Qi was nearly exhausted.

With great difficulty he blocked the cannon‑dragon lizard's claw with a single blade, Wú Lì shouted loudly to the side:

Shí Xiū! Are you slacking off? What time is it, still loafing around there!

Attack quickly! Do you want to get us all killed!