Chapter 62 - 62 – A Sweet Deal
"We know people that know people." Jessica chuckled lightly while shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly, "Please don’t worry as we keep all your secrets safe. We only came here after hearing from some... acquaintances that you might be interested in using our service."
There was also information given by Astrid regarding what she knew about Hao Sect. But there was no need to explain that to Nabi.
"I see." The smile on Nabi’s face was still there, but it lost some of its warmth when she heard that.
"As expected. Not only excellent at combat but also at information gathering. I sometimes wonder where a group as skilled as yours came from. I only throw some bait here and there yet you find us in under a day."
"Fufufu, we just have a set of skilled people who know what they do."
’Oh! And thanks to Leader’s intellect.’ She added secretly in her mind.
After some small talk, they discussed the main subject at hand. Nabi quickly got to the point since they didn’t have time to waste with unnecessary words and pleasantries.
"Actually, you’re correct. I... We decided to test how you reacted to the information we threw around and now I am sure. I’d like to hire the Hallowed Insect for a certain job. We already knew how you work after you helped Tang Yao some time ago. And I believe your group is...
strong and capable enough to take this job."
"Well... we appreciate such high praise coming from a true practitioner of the Hao Sect." Jessica replied with a pleased smile, "But why can’t you ask your Sect members to do it?"
Silence filled the air in the room as Nabi stared at her with serious eyes. Then she took out a long scroll from the pouch on her waist and placed it on the table with both hands.
The scroll was made out of fine paper that looked like silk cloth wrapped around a bamboo stick. The pattern on it was that of a butterfly with wings spread out. It was a beautiful painting that seemed to radiate light from the intricate design.
"This is..."
"This is a snippet of the epigraph we found 2 days ago. Or at least the drawing we are able to recover from the corpse of our spy. It belongs to one of the Supreme Evil’s strongest sects, the Venom Sect."
A pained expression appeared on Nabi’s face when she talked about her fallen member. Meanwhile, Jessica took notes of everything in her smart lenses.
She didn’t ask how they got it since it wasn’t relevant to her job.
"Hm, you are looking for us to secure it for you?"
Nabi nodded her head affirmatively, "Yes, I would like the Hallowed Insect to recover it for me."
An epigraph of a Supreme Evil. Jessica had already read the novel given by her Leader until the last saved chapters. And based on the knowledge she gained from it, this epigraph was bad news bordering on the worst.
War could happen just to get this thing.
"Let me call my Leader."
"Please, take your time." Nabi smiled softly, "I believe you are a careful person, Miss Jessica. But please make sure not to reveal anything about this to others. We can pay a large sum of money for this. Whatever you want, we can provide it."
"I understand. Please give me a minute."
While talking, Jessica already called Leo through the communication device, the mini Coco. She spoke in a low voice while Nabi sat there waiting.
’"What’s wrong?" He whispered.
"Leader, we have secured a potential job. A client asked us to secure an epigraph, but we haven’t talked about the details yet. If possible, would you visit the Butterfly Pavilion?"
There was no need for Jessica to elaborate. She knew Leo would understand.
’That’s what we’re expecting. Leader, I will handle the negotiation for now. Just come here later, okay?’
"Okay. I will be there soon."
The call ended as Leo hurried to the Butterfly Pavilion. Meanwhile, Jessica turned back to Nabi with a gentle smile on her face.
"My apologies, Miss Nabi. My Leader will be here soon. In the meantime, let’s talk about the payment. Can you show me the amount you have prepared?"
"Ah, yes. I have the amount right here."
Nabi took out another scroll and put it on the table.
This time, the scroll looked pretty worn out. It was probably older than the first one. And unlike the first one, there was a mark on it that resembled a flame. A symbol of Hao Sect.
’That’s...’
"This contains the first epigraph we, Hao Sect, found decades ago. On top of 5,000 Gold, we will offer this information. We believe what’s written in this item mentioned here contains a way for a normal person to use Qi." Your next journey awaits at NovelBin.Côm
A way to use Qi for a normal person.
Upon hearing that, Jessica narrowed her eyes slightly. Her pink-tinted sunglasses managed to hide a slight change in her expression, but she became more wary of the woman in front of her.
’This is what we need.’
Maybe she underestimated Hao Sect’s capability. The fact the offered this meant they knew what they wanted. And it also exposed the fact they couldn’t use Qi.
Finding the fact that Hallowed Insect members couldn’t use Qi was simple. But making a decision to trust that the mercenaries didn’t just hide but actually had no shred of Qi inside their body was dangerous.
Even more so exposing the fact of the other party exposing that they knew their weakness.
It was as if saying, ’Hey, I know your weakness and I am willing to help you. So, work for me.’
Unless both parties had a close relationship, it could also be thought a threat.
Jessica remained calm and composed while Nabi continued to smile as she watched her. She took out a brush and a piece of parchment from her pouch. She drew a few symbols on the paper and handed it to Jessica.
"This is the seal that you can use to access the room where the epigraphs are kept. You can come and collect it once you secure the item. The payment will be made after we verify the authenticity of the epigraph." The blue-haired woman said calmly.
"The epigraph can’t be put in a storage ring due to the seal written on it. And we can’t do anything about that, so we have to move it manually. And the reward, the first epigraph we secured, is also located in the same location. Feel free to learn the content, but we can’t let you stay for too long in that place. Only a day at maximum before the trap will be activated again."
In short, to get the reward, finish the job properly. The location also wasn’t written in the scroll. So when they transported it, a member of Hao Sect most probably will accompany them to ensure they didn’t betray them.
Still...
"There is no need to show this to us yet. We haven’t reached an agreement yet nor discussed the specific task, the price, or anything else." Jessica said while shaking her head slowly, "I don’t want to rush. Let’s wait for my Leader to arrive before discussing further."
"Fufufu, alright." Nabi giggled and pulled the scroll back. "I hope he arrives soon."
She glanced at Jessica’s eyes while hiding a cunning smile on her face.
The negotiation continued with small talks as they waited for Leo’s arrival.