Lin Ming stared at the ultra-luxury sedan before him—over five meters long, nearly two meters wide, and dazzlingly ornate. His expression froze in mild shock.
*Damn. A City Lord must be rolling in gold. This thing doesn’t look cheap at all.*
"Hey! Senior, get in already!" Yuhan He called from the back seat, waving at him.
"Oh!" Lin Ming blinked, momentarily blinded by the car’s glare. He ambled over and slid in beside Rosen.
Once seated, he realized the interior matched the exterior’s extravagance. The seat beneath him? Genuine leather. Unfamiliar gadgets lined the cabin. Lin Ming couldn’t help muttering under his breath, "Whoa… How much does a beast like this even cost?"
"What’d you say, Senior? Speak up!" Yuhan leaned closer, straining to hear.
"N-nothing! Hahaha!" Lin Ming chuckled awkwardly.
*Weird. But wow—the night streets are so lively!* Yuhan murmured, her attention already captured by the bustling city outside.
Watching her press against the window, Lin Ming turned to Rosen and whispered, "Old man… seriously, what’s the price tag on this thing?"
Rosen paused thoughtfully before dropping a number that made Lin Ming’s blood run cold: "Hmm. Roughly two to three hundred thousand Gold Coins."
"Not too steep for a kid like you," Rosen added with a sly glance, his eyes plainly saying: *Save your pennies, boy. This is way out of your league.*
Hearing that figure, Lin Ming felt utterly drained.
*Even after this mission payout… I couldn’t afford half this car.*
A sudden, irrational urge to smash the vehicle surged through him. *I’d never pay for it anyway. If I ‘accidentally’ punched it while ‘slipping’… they’d forgive a Body Cultivator, right?*
Unaware of Lin Ming’s destructive fantasies, Rosen’s voice cut through his thoughts: "Kid. Your take on this situation."
"Huh?" Lin Ming snapped back, caught mid-daydream about erasing evidence. "On what?"
"The Concert incident," Rosen pressed.
Lin Ming stretched out lazily on the plush seat, hands behind his head. "Don’t care about any of that. My mission’s ironclad: get this Junior safely to the Academy. Period."
Rosen’s gaze sharpened. *So that’s his stance. He’s only here for Yuhan’s safety.*
"Still," Lin Ming added, eyes glinting with amusement, "I can’t speak for others… but that Deputy? Heh. Definitely a Vengeful Spirit."
Before Rosen could respond, Darknight emerged from the hotel entrance. The two Guards took the front seats as Darknight settled opposite Lin Ming.
"My apologies for the delay—I handled your check-out," Darknight said smoothly.
"Mr. Darknight, no worries! Just hurry!" Yuhan urged impatiently.
"Miss Yuhan, the car’s moving. No need to rush," Darknight smiled.
"O-okay," she mumbled, already distracted by the passing streets.
"Hey! You—yeah, pretty boy!" Lin Ming suddenly called out.
Darknight’s smile tightened at the nickname but remained polite. "My name is Darknight, Mr. Lin Ming. How can I—"
*Who cares what you’re called?* Lin Ming muttered, then louder: "You handled the check-out, right?"
"Y-yes. Why?" Darknight’s reply was strained—he’d heard the whisper. His temper flared anew.
Yuhan turned curiously. Rosen watched calmly.
"The deposit refund," Lin Ming drawled, half-lidded eyes fixed on Darknight. "Hand it over, pretty boy."
Darknight’s fury reignited. *The deposit? I trashed that room to vent!* He’d told the Guards the deposit covered damages—but Lin Ming was demanding it back. And that *nickname*…
"Mr. Lin Ming, please don’t be unreasonable," Darknight said through a forced smile. A flicker of killing intent flashed in his eyes. "Even as Azure Spirit Academy students, you can’t just—"
Before he finished, Lin Ming moved.
His left hand shot out, clamping over Darknight’s face and gripping his skull. The motion was lightning-fast, utterly unexpected.
"Clean up that look," Lin Ming hissed, voice icy. "I’m just asking for money. Flash that aura again, and I’ll end you."
Darknight froze. He hadn’t even seen Lin Ming’s shadow move. The crushing force in that grip promised his skull would shatter with a twitch. Panic seized him.
"Senior! Let go of Mr. Darknight!" Yuhan cried, jolted from shock.
"Lin Ming. Release him. *Enough*," Rosen commanded, his tone calm but firm. Unlike Yuhan, he understood Lin Ming’s purpose.
"Drop it? Fine." Lin Ming met Yuhan’s angry glare and loosened his grip, slumping back lazily.
"Mr. Darknight, Senior Lin Ming didn’t mean it! He just wanted the deposit—please forgive him!" Yuhan pleaded.
"Deputy Darknight! Trouble back there?" The front Guard’s voice crackled over the intercom.
"Drive. *Now*," Darknight rasped, still catching his breath.
"Understood!"
He turned to Yuhan, bowing stiffly to Lin Ming. "Miss Yuhan, I’m unharmed. And Mr. Lin Ming… if I offended you, my apologies."
"Tch." Lin Ming scoffed dismissively.
"Senior, you—!" Yuhan started angrily.
"Miss Yuhan," Rosen interrupted gently. "The City Lord’s Mansion is almost here."
"Hmph!"
Darknight sat rigidly silent, a chill creeping down his spine. *He sensed my killing intent the moment it surfaced—even the old man missed it. What kind of instincts does he have? Was that a threat… or a warning?*
Lin Ming caught Darknight’s stiff posture and smirked faintly. *Even broken like this… my battle instincts never fade. Some things just stay sharp.*
The car rolled to a stop at the City Lord’s Mansion, the heavy silence finally broken.
