Wen Wen felt unaccustomed to seeing Song Ling so spirited and impassioned. "You weren't like this before, were you? I remember you looking like you carried the weight of the world on your shoulders. What's with the sudden burst of energy, like you've had a shot of adrenaline?"
Song Ling chuckled. "My original goal was to no longer be alone in this world. Now that I'm not, of course, I have to find something meaningful to do."
After a few more casual remarks, Wen Wen turned to leave and returned to the dining table, continuing to clear the remaining dishes.
Qiao Feiya looked at Wen Wen curiously. "What did you and Song Ling talk about earlier?"
"I won't tell you yet. No matter what, you'll be greatly surprised when the time comes."
Wen Wen's words only heightened Qiao Feiya's curiosity.
After the meal, Wen Wen left the side hall with Tao Qingqing, whose belly was now slightly rounded. Tao Qingqing had initially intended to eat only a little, but the food here was simply too delicious…
Seeing Wen Wen emerge, San Zai'er slithered to his side. Beneath its snake head was a round disc, resembling an eye. A cat-person waiter approached, presenting Wen Wen with a bill.
"What's this about?"
"Mr. Wen, your pet ate the plate…" the cat-person waiter replied.
Wen Wen's lips twitched, unsure of what to say. Tao Qingqing let out a laugh, nearly spitting out a mouthful of rice…
After paying for the plate, Wen Wen stroked San Zai'er's scaly skin. "I've indeed wronged you before, otherwise you wouldn't have resorted to eating plates… But since you like eating plates so much, how about your food for the next five days consists entirely of plates?"
San Zai'er flicked its tongue in confusion, then stiffly crawled onto the ground, looking like a rigid snake. Sudan Novel Network
…
At noon the next day, a massive passenger jet landed. All the prepared demon hunters boarded in an orderly fashion, led by the True Order demon hunter, Xun Qing.
This aircraft was filled with elite demon hunters from the Washington Prefecture. If it were to be shot down… well, whoever shot it down would be in for trouble, facing the affectionate 'care' of the demon hunters.
Wen Wen grinned as he sat beside Xun Qing, handing him a bottle of hair growth tonic. "This is good stuff. Just a thin layer applied to the head will result in thick, luxuriant hair."
Xun Qing carefully accepted the tonic. He didn't need it now, but he might in the future. Who could guarantee they wouldn't experience hair loss in middle age?
"Offering courtesies without reason suggests ulterior motives. You have something you want to ask me, don't you?"
Wen Wen rubbed his hands together. "Hehe, I want to get my hands on an aircraft."
"What do you need a plane for?" Xun Qing blinked in surprise.
"I often travel all over the prefectures. Driving is too troublesome. It's much more exhilarating to fly my own plane, especially since I have a pilot."
San Zai'er, coiled around Wen Wen's arm, felt a sense of foreboding.
"If you really want one, I can help you get one. Fighter jets are off-limits, but military transport planes or helicopters are possible. However, those are just ordinary models.
"If you're looking for something better, I suggest you check out this upcoming exchange event. You should find some excellent options there. The North American Prefecture always organizes their exchange events like they're selling military hardware."
"That's a possibility as well. I have money now, after all. Better transportation is a natural progression… Speaking of which, this is my first time interacting with demon hunters from other prefectures. I'm quite looking forward to it."
Xun Qing nodded. "The conditions in each prefecture are different. The Hunter Association in the North American Prefecture, while nominally under the Hunter Association, has essentially become a separate organization. You'll understand once you interact with them."
…
In the Misty City of Nîmes, a portly police officer wiped the sweat from his brow, still somewhat shaken.
The area where they were located had been cordoned off. It was a tavern. The officer had rushed to the scene after receiving a report, only to witness a horrifying sight.
Inside the tavern, time seemed to have frozen. An indescribable monster moved slowly within. Every time it approached a person, it would insert its straw-like mouthpart into their body. The person would then seemingly experience their entire life in an instant, turning into dried bones before vanishing into the wind.
The portly officer stood at the entrance, witnessing the entire terrifying process. Only after draining everyone's time did the monster glance at the officer and, in a bizarre manner, dissipate into the air.
Now, a man and a woman in black suits were conducting an investigation within the tavern, while two men in grey suits were questioning the portly officer.
The man and woman in black suits were the demon hunters from Nîmes City. Demon hunters in the Golden Eagle Prefecture typically wore such attire.
They had rushed to the scene as quickly as possible after receiving the news, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't uncover any clues. It was as if those people had evaporated into thin air.
Furthermore, they had scoured all available records for any mention of a strangely shaped monster matching the portly officer's description, but found nothing similar.
The only plausible explanation they could come up with was that a psychic with illusion-based abilities had deliberately orchestrated this spectacle. The people in the tavern had been dealt with by the psychic beforehand, but this still didn't explain the psychic's motive.
Three hundred meters outside the tavern, a man in a tan overcoat gazed at the scene from a distance, unconcealed worry in his eyes. If he couldn't find a solution soon, he would be captured by the terrifying hounds and have all his time taken, just like the others in the tavern.
But once such creatures set their sights on someone, they never let go. Moreover, these creatures were invincible. All he could do was delay the inevitable doom.
"Interesting. I didn't expect to encounter a time traveler."
A gentle voice echoed from behind the man in the overcoat, sending a shiver down his spine. He turned to see a figure clad in white robes standing behind him, looking at him with curiosity.
"Who are you?" the man asked warily.
"You can call me the Guide. Judging by your appearance, you likely didn't abide by the laws of time travel, which is why the hounds are pursuing you," the Guide said calmly.
The man's face contorted. "How do you know I'm a time traveler, and how do you know about the laws of time travel?"
The Guide smiled. "In a sense, you can consider me a god, so I know many things you do not."
"You're in trouble now. I can teach you how to evade the hounds, but in return, I require you to help me with something."
"What is it!" the man exclaimed, as if grasping at a lifeline.
The Guide's lips curved into a smile. "I want you to help me kill someone."