At Qu Yi’s suggestion, Lai Yingxin gave up her motorcycle and squeezed in with Han Xiangxue.
Ye Thirteen’s gaze landed on the array of demonic-energy weapons mounted on the bike—and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
Just the gear on these two motorcycles had to be worth tens of millions!
Such luxury!
“Uncle, can you even ride this? If not, I’ll give you a ride!” Qu Yi’s eyes sparkled with starry anticipation.
Logically, girls their age couldn’t legally obtain heavy motorcycle licenses. But then again—they were demonhunters!
Members of the city Patrol Squad, no less!
So exceptions were made.
Ye Thirteen rolled his eyes at Qu Yi’s words and swung himself onto the bike.
Ride pillion?
Not a chance!
...
Arms wrapped around Ye Thirteen’s waist, Qu Yi pressed her cheek to his back and giggled softly.
She was slightly disappointed she couldn’t drive him herself, but this wasn’t so bad.
In fact, she almost wished the road to Sector 069 were longer—just to lean against Uncle a little while more.
But the sector wasn’t large. Soon, Ye Thirteen pulled into their small base’s underground garage. Following Qu Yi’s directions, he parked, then rode the elevator up with her.
Recharged from her dose of “Uncle time,” Qu Yi bounced with renewed energy!
She grabbed Ye Thirteen’s hand, skipped over to her two childhood friends, and chirped:
“This is Uncle Ye—the one I told you about~"
“These two are my best friends since forever, and now my squadmates too~"
Ye Thirteen extended a hand with a smile. “Hello, I’m Ye Thirteen.”
Lai Yingxin stepped forward first, shaking his hand warmly. “Hi, I’m Lai Yingxin~"
Han Xiangxue glanced between Qu Yi and Lai Yingxin, then approached with a stiff expression and a brief handshake. “Han Xiangxue.”
Names exchanged, hands shaken—the tension eased just a little.
After seating Ye Thirteen, Qu Yi dashed off and returned with four bottles of soda.
Though Ye Thirteen smoked, he avoided alcohol—preferring soda instead.
A shared quirk: Qu Yi and her friends loved carbonated drinks too.
Thanks to their demonhunter physiques, soda’s drawbacks were virtually nonexistent. Zero worries!
Sitting together wasn’t awkward—but three beauties staring intently at him left Ye Thirteen with a faint melancholy.
What now?
A tribunal of three?
Qu Yi broke the silence with a goofy grin. “Hehe, Uncle~ How’d you end up there? Were you worried about me?”
Ye Thirteen took a sip of canned cola before replying calmly:
“I was grabbing breakfast—right on the street where we ate grilled squid skewers, not far from your patrol zone. Felt demonic energy, checked it out, saw you and your team in trouble… so I lent a hand.”
Qu Yi beamed. “That was way more than ‘a hand’! You landed right on the Shadow Beast’s shoulder—and all three Tier 3 Shadow Beasts froze instantly!”
Lai Yingxin’s eyes widened. “So you’re that strong, Uncle? Controlling three Tier 3 Shadow Beasts in a flash… That’s at least Tier 5 Ace, maybe even Tier 6 Soldier Rank?”
Ye Thirteen offered a faint smile. “Nothing special. Just three Shadow Beasts. You’ll handle them easily once you grow stronger.”
(Truth was, Qu Yi’s team would’ve won anyway—just with heavier costs.)
Lai Yingxin shot a glance at Han Xiangxue, still glaring at Ye Thirteen like a child whose favorite toy got snatched. She hid a chuckle. “Xue’er, shouldn’t you thank Uncle? Without him, you or Qu Yi might’ve gotten hurt~"
“Hmph!” Han Xiangxue turned away with a sharp snort.
Clearly, Ye Thirteen’s “unnecessary help” earned zero goodwill.
His closeness with Qu Yi? That sparked real hostility.
His rumored rank—Ace or even Soldier-Class? She barely cared.
*So what?* By his age, she’d surpass him easily!
Dumphunters peaked before twenty-two; prodigies advanced a tier yearly.
With daily high-grade monster meat and blood fueling her training, Han Xiangxue knew she could reach genius tier too.
General Rank? Monarch Rank? Entirely possible.
Even if Ye Thirteen was Soldier Rank now, he might stall before General Rank in ten years.
*Just a mere Soldier-Class Demonhunter.* Nothing to admire.
Qu Yi scratched her head, puzzled. Her “ice queen” bestie was cold—but never this rude.
*Period acting up?*
She shrugged. Happened to her too. It’d pass.
So she clutched Ye Thirteen’s arm, swaying it gently. “Hehe~ Uncle’s entrance was super cool~"
Noticing Han Xiangxue’s sulking, Lai Yingxin shifted focus with a gentle smile. “Uncle, Yiyi mentioned you haven’t found work yet? Does that mean you’ve completed your eight years in the official system? Without state assignment or a squad… yeah, it’s tough out there.”
In the Dragon Realm, demonhunters must serve eight years within the state system before becoming recognized independent demonhunters.
National emergencies may trigger compensated conscription.
But those eight years? The state provides stable work and vital cultivation resources exactly when you need them most.
After leaving, most form squads, take Alliance missions, and earn their way.
Some stay—like Qu Yi’s elders, bound to Dragon Realm authorities.
Yet most crave freedom. Few who gain extraordinary power wish to be micromanaged under a grueling 996 schedule.
Many believe themselves destined for greatness—living freely, answerable to no one.
Hence, plenty of “wild” demonhunter squads thrive under the Demon Hunter Alliance.
