The next day, when the sun was high in the sky, Chen Nan lazily got out of bed. After he finished washing up, a rare guest from Shenfeng Academy arrived.
He had already changed inns, but he was still found by the people from the Divine Wind Academy. He could only admire their incredible abilities.
The person who came was Rose, a beautiful woman he had met several times before. This sexy and hot beauty had left a deep impression on him when Kamikaze Academy was admitting new students.
However, Chen Nan harbored a prejudice against this beautiful woman. Not long ago, when he went to Shenfeng Academy to sell divine bones to the vice dean, he was chased by Dongfang Fenghuang and the little princess. It was highly likely that Ruth had leaked his whereabouts.
Although he was annoyed, he had no evidence. He greeted her with a smile and said, "Is there something you need, beautiful lady?"
Ruth's alluring face was as beautiful as a rose. She chuckled sweetly, "Hehe, you seem unhappy that I came to see you?"
Hearing that sweet, coquettish voice, Chen Nan felt a chill run down his spine for some reason.
"I am of course very happy to have such a beautiful lady visit. But the outside is not the place to talk. Please come in." Chen Nan ushered her into the house.
Ruth walked into the room, glanced deeply at the blood-red garment on the floor, and then sat down in a chair. Chen Nan cursed inwardly; after returning yesterday, he had taken off his blood-stained clothes and carelessly tossed them on the floor, and hadn't cleaned them up yet.
"Beautiful lady, you must have something to say to me. So, what is it?"
Ruth laughed and said, "Don't be so wary of me, okay? I know I accidentally mentioned you to your sister last time, which caused you a lot of trouble. But I really didn't mean to. I didn't expect your sibling relationship to be so complicated."
Ruth took the initiative to admit that she was the one who leaked Chen Nan's whereabouts last time, which made Chen Nan feel embarrassed to hold it against her anymore.
"Are you really siblings? You two don't seem like siblings at all. Every time you two meet, Little Trouble looks like she's gritting her teeth."
"They are definitely siblings." Seeing that she didn't reveal her intentions, Chen Nan remained silent and waited for her to speak for herself.
Ruth chatted with him for a while about the little princess's interesting experiences at the Divine Wind Academy before stopping the conversation and saying, "Chen Nan, you have profound martial arts skills, yet you spend your days doing nothing. Don't you think that's a waste?"
Ruth looked directly into Chen Nan's eyes, as if trying to see through his true thoughts. Finally, she smiled and said, "Every man dreams of being a hero. Haven't you ever thought about becoming a powerful figure who wields authority and commands respect?"
Chen Nan laughed and said, "A powerful figure...hehe, I'm not ambitious and have never had such thoughts. Everyone has their own way of living. I think as long as you're happy, that's enough. Otherwise, even if you dominate the world and are the supreme person, there's no joy to be found."
"Heh, you really are detached, but it seems you're not entirely sincere. An emperor who reigns over the world holds the lives of millions in his hands; no one dares to defy him. The entire world is in his grasp. How can you say he's not happy?" Ruth stared intently into his eyes. "And you consider yourself a carefree hermit, living a life of leisure and ease. But is that truly the case? As far as I know, you were chased yesterday. The blood-stained clothes in your room indicate you escaped a fierce battle. Is this what you call a happy life?"
Chen Nan asked coldly, "What is your relationship with those three people from yesterday?"
"Don't doubt me. I only learned about yesterday's events through special channels. I'm telling you this so you can understand something: as long as you live in this world, you're bound to have relationships with other people. If you want to live well in this world, you can't do without power..."
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Chen Nan interrupted her.
"I want you to join a certain camp and provide you with a broad stage. If you perform well, you will surely enjoy wealth and honor in the future."
Chen Nan had already realized Ruth's purpose in coming here today: to persuade him to join a certain force.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I really don't have any special skills. You may think my kung fu is pretty good, but I don't have any other special talents. Besides, I'm used to a free and unrestrained life and don't want to be bound by any power."
Ruth said, "In fact, what we need are highly skilled cultivators, and we won't impose any restrictions on those with extraordinary abilities. There aren't many missions, and everyone is free to do as they please, enjoying special privileges. For example, you can mobilize financial, material, and human resources to your advantage, and of course, the extent of these privileges is directly proportional to your potential. I have high hopes for you; your ability to defeat the Eastern Phoenix shows that your potential is considerable. If you join our organization, you will enjoy significant privileges."
Chen Nan had already realized that Ruth was very likely serving a certain country, and that her purpose in coming to Shenfeng Academy was not for cultivation, but to recruit useful talents.
He didn't want to serve the forces behind her, but he also didn't want to offend them. He laughed and said, "I'm truly ashamed that you value me so much. But I really don't want to join any faction, and I don't care much about power or status. Hehe, you can say I'm unambitious and have no aspirations, that's just who I am."
Ruth twisted her waist, her delicate body reclining on the wicker chaise lounge. Her slender and alluring body undulated like mountains, her firm breasts, slender waist, and round, plump buttocks sculpting a perfect curve that left no room for criticism.
Ruth said languidly, "If you work for us, you will not only have unimaginable power and status, but also endless money, and beautiful women... We will try our best to satisfy your requests."
Speaking of beautiful women, she licked her red lips, her face full of charm, her large, watery eyes seemingly bewitching, constantly glancing at Chen Nan.
Such alluring temptation made Chen Nan feel a surge of heat, but he quickly regained his composure. He couldn't resist such a temptation. The power behind Ruth was definitely not simple; it was very likely similar to the Qishi Mansion of the Chu Kingdom. He couldn't afford to provoke such a force, and he didn't want to risk his life for any power.
Seeing that he remained unmoved, Ruth seemingly intentionally or unintentionally kicked off one of her shoes, revealing her smooth, jade-like little feet to Chen Nan as if they were carved from jade.
She seemed a little flustered, tucking one foot into her skirt. Through the white gauze skirt, the curves of her jade-like legs were hazy and alluring, arousing the imagination. Her fair little feet were faintly visible, stirring the heart.
The sight of such a sexy and alluring woman seducing him made Chen Nan's heart race, but he didn't show any reaction.
Ruth, seeing her lustful desires fail, nonchalantly sat up from the recliner and casually put on the shoe.
"Chen Nan, you should think this over carefully. I really hope you can work for us." Seeing that Chen Nan was about to speak, Ruth said, "Don't firmly reject my request. I'll give you time to consider. If someone else approaches you, I hope you will choose us." As she spoke, she stood up.
Chen Nan pondered for a moment and said, "I will not join any faction." He emphasized the word "any," and said, "Although I have disappointed you, we are still friends and will never become enemies."
Chen Nan did not want Ruth's backers to see him as a potential threat after this incident, so he made it clear that he would not join any other organizations to become their enemy.
"Hehe, one person's strength is limited after all. Just come to me whenever you need my help." Ruth stopped abruptly at the door, turned around and smiled, "These past few days I seem to have seen a prince from the Moon Worship Kingdom getting very close to two men and a woman."
Chen Nan nodded and said, "Thank you."
"Hehe, if you join us, you'll get more information." Ruth winked at him, her eyes sparkling, and then turned and left.
Chen Nan watched her disappear through the courtyard gate before returning to the house. He pondered Ruth's words. Based on her implication, the two men and one woman who assassinated him yesterday were undoubtedly sent by the Third Prince of Baiyue Kingdom.
He had suspected this possibility before. He and Renjian had a deep-seated feud in the western border of Chu. Not long ago, his bad reputation spread when he went in and out of Shenfeng Academy. Renjian must have found out about him. It is not surprising that Renjian sent someone to assassinate him.
"Renjian, I didn't bother you, but you came to my door and even tried to kill me. Hmph, just you wait."
After lunch, Chen Nan left the inn and, after asking around, arrived at the Mercenary Guild in the City of Sin.
Freedom City enjoys a unique geographical location, situated between the Eastern and Western continents, making it one of the most important hub cities on the continent. Those traveling between the Eastern and Western continents invariably pass through here, and the mercenary trade thrives along this route.
The City of Sin supplies half of its daily needs, while the other half is continuously transported from the Eastern and Western continents. Due to the long distances involved, escorts are essential, which is why the mercenary industry thrives.
The Mercenary Guild in the city receives a large number of missions every day, and then waits for mercenaries or mercenary groups to come and claim them.
Although it was already noon, lunchtime, the area was still bustling with people coming and going.
Looking at the crowded throng, Chen Nan didn't enter the Mercenary Guild's hall, but stopped at the entrance. He wanted to find someone to investigate the recent activities of the Third Prince Ren Jian, but it wasn't appropriate to directly entrust the Mercenary Guild with it. He wanted to see if he could wait at the entrance to see if he could wait for a mercenary to take the initiative to strike up a conversation.
As expected, a dozen mercenaries outside the hall had already noticed him, and one of them walked towards him. However, this mercenary was a bit older, probably over fifty years old, with some gray hair.
"Young man, do you need any help?" the elderly mercenary greeted Chen Nan.
The old mercenary was of medium build, about the same height as Chen Nan. Time had left its mark on his face, with wrinkles creeping across his slightly dark complexion. However, he was very energetic, with bright, piercing eyes, though a hint of cunning occasionally flickered in his gaze.
Chen Nan was delighted. This guy seemed to be a seasoned veteran. Being a mercenary inevitably involves encountering dangers. The fact that he hadn't retired at his age showed that he not only relied on his own strength but also needed cunning and shrewdness to survive countless storms.
"Sir, how many years have you been a mercenary?"
"It's been about thirty years since I was young."
"Oh, so you must be a very experienced mercenary."
"Yes, that's true. But now that I'm getting older, I no longer accept missions to leave the City of Sin; those missions are now left to my apprentices."
Chen Nan's eyes lit up, and he said, "You also have an apprentice. In that case, you must be at least a regimental commander."
The old mercenary smiled and said, "More or less. Actually, I rarely ask people for missions; I just like to come here every day. But today, seeing you, young man, seems a bit special. I've noticed that you seem to possess extraordinary cultivation. I'm very curious about what kind of mission you'd like to entrust to me."
"This..." Chen Nan hesitated for a moment, finding it difficult to bring up the matter of investigating a prince.
The old mercenary, experienced in the ways of the world, could easily see through his concerns. He chuckled and said, "Hehe, young brother, don't worry. Those of us in this line of work must keep our mouths shut and won't blurt out our clients' orders."
Chen Nan said, "I want to commission you to investigate someone, but this person's identity is unusual. Are you willing to accept this task?"
The old mercenary narrowed his eyes, then smiled and said, "No problem, as long as it's not an assassination."
Based on an instinctive intuition, Chen Nan felt that the shrewd old man before him was trustworthy and that he could entrust the investigation of Ren Jian to him. "I would like to ask you to help me investigate a student at Shenfeng Academy named Ren Jian, the third prince of Baiyue Kingdom. I want to know his recent activities, who he has been in contact with, the more details the better."
"It's nothing, I thought it was something serious," the old mercenary laughed.
Chen Nan said, "He is a cultivator, probably a student in the cultivation department."
The old mercenary chuckled, "It's just investigating one person. Whether he's a prince or a duke, it's a piece of cake for me."
"Thank you for your trouble. How many gold coins do you need?" Chen Nan was a little guilty, as he only had about a hundred gold coins on him. Investigating someone shouldn't cost much, but because of Ren Jian's different status, he was afraid the old mercenary would overcharge him.
"Hehe, investigating someone doesn't cost much. My men can find out the information you want in a day. How about this, consider it making friends, I'll investigate for you for free."
"I can't possibly accept this. Please name your price," Chen Nan declined.
"The saying 'appearance reflects the heart' is not just empty talk. I observe that you are definitely not a villain, and I sense that you possess profound martial arts skills. To have such skills at such a young age is truly remarkable. If you don't mind, let's be friends."
Chen Nan released a few faint streams of true energy to probe the old mercenary's cultivation level several times, but he was unable to reach a clear conclusion. He was somewhat surprised, as the old man in front of him seemed to have extraordinary cultivation and might be a super expert.
"Hehe, how could I refuse such a kind offer, brother? We've known each other for ages, and our friendship is as deep as old friends. The depth of our friendship is not determined by the years. I hit it off with you the moment we met. My surname is Chen, oh..." Chen Nan was about to say his name, but suddenly realized that he absolutely could not reveal his real name.
The old mercenary, worldly-wise, sensed that he seemed to have something difficult to say, so he quickly interjected, "Hehe, my surname is Li, you can call me Brother Li, and I'll call you Brother Chen."
"Brother Li, I am honored that you think so highly of me and want to befriend me, but I do have a secret I cannot reveal." Now that he knew the old man before him was a super expert and was willing to befriend him, Chen Nan frankly told the truth. "The reason I asked someone to investigate Ren Jian is because I suspect he once sent someone to assassinate me. For my own safety, I had to do this so that I could take the necessary measures."
Because of his disturbance in the Chu capital, although the news was kept under wraps by the Chu state, he still refused to reveal his name to avoid unnecessary trouble. As for his affair with Ren Jian, he wasn't worried about the news leaking out.
The old mercenary chuckled, "Everyone has some privacy. Brother Chen's candor is already a great honor for me. Come here tomorrow at noon, and I'll tell you the results of my investigation."
After thanking the old mercenary surnamed Li, Chen Nan walked towards the outside of the Mercenary Guild. As he walked out, he noticed that many mercenaries on both sides were watching him, and upon closer listening, he heard their conversations.
"Does Senior Li know that young man?"
"Older people usually don't greet others first."
...
Upon closer listening, he realized that this Brother Li, whom he had just met, seemed to be a very important figure in the mercenary industry, almost like a heavyweight.
After returning to the inn, Chen Nan stayed indoors, quietly adjusting his breathing. He decided to take necessary measures after learning about Ren Jian's recent activities. Of course, while preparing for the possible great battle, he also made sure to circulate his profound energy to strengthen the meridian network in his right middle finger during his spare time.