The Black-Hearted Guide

"What do you mean by that — I have a friend who's gone missing out there…" Mo Fan glanced at the short man and asked.

"First time in the Ancient Capital, obviously. Do you know the rules for Hunter-mages here?" A flicker of contempt crossed the short man's eyes, along with the easy superiority of someone who had spent years in this place.

"I genuinely don't," Mo Fan said, willing to learn.

"Every Hunter-mage still breathing here has left a teammate behind at some point… The saying everyone lives by is: *don't look back — come collect the body in the morning.*"

"If someone on your team gets into trouble, shouldn't you go rescue them?" Liu Ru asked, completely baffled.

She wasn't a hunter herself, but she knew that any Hunter-mage with a conscience was bound by the team code — no betrayal, no abandonment.

"Sorry, that rule doesn't apply here." The short man chuckled.

"Then what did you mean by that body-collection squad you mentioned?" Liu Ru pressed.

"Anyone stranded out there — if night falls, they're dead. Sending a rescue party sounds noble, but the real purpose is recovering the remains before the bones turn into Undead. So don't get your hopes up about saving anyone. If you manage to find a piece or two of your friend and make it back alive, that's already an achievement." The short man smiled, stroking his aristocratically styled mustache.

"How did things get this bad?"

"I'm not trying to scare you — things were already like this before, and it's only gotten worse…" The short man narrowed his eyes as he spoke, keeping his gaze level with Liu Ru, which happened to land squarely on her chest — not large, but shapely and firm.

"The fact that you started this conversation means you have a way to help us?" Mo Fan looked at the short man and asked.

"Heh… not bad, kid." The short man laughed again, his two upturned mustache tips making him look exceptionally pleased with himself.

"Why, thank you," Mo Fan said with a grin.

"I know there are plenty of sharp people out there, and not many would trust someone like me who jumps in making big claims. Go ahead and have another look around — if you find someone willing to take you, by all means go with them. But don't say I didn't warn you: even if you throw money at people, they still might refuse." The short man's laugh was dry and gravelly, and he walked off with his hands clasped behind his back.

Mo Fan and Liu Ru genuinely hadn't believed him at first — the short man looked every bit the part of a con artist out to fleece people of their money and more.

They made the rounds. Whether they demonstrated their magical abilities, flashed their Advanced Hunter credentials, or straight-up offered to pay, the moment anyone heard the words *Yangyang Village*, their expression changed. No amount of money would make anyone go.

Mo Fan later found out that a Sha Abyss had appeared somewhere near Yangyang Village. He had no idea what a Sha Abyss actually was, but it was clear that every hunter feared them.

Left with no other option, the two went back to find the short man. He'd expected them — he was already lounging with one leg crossed over the other, smoking a cigar, eyes half-lidded as he looked Liu Ru over with undisguised appreciation.

"So?" the short man asked with mock innocence.

"Just as you said," Mo Fan replied with a wry smile.

"Then let's talk price." The short man got straight to the point.

"My friend's life comes first. Name your price — money is no concern." Mo Fan didn't waste words.

He'd expected to pay if someone agreed to guide them — that was only natural.

The short man held up one finger.

"One million. Deal," Mo Fan said without hesitation.

"You think I'm a beggar? Ten million!" The short man shot upright.

Mo Fan blinked, then glanced at Liu Ru and said without missing a beat, "Let's just go on our own."

Liu Ru was speechless. Someone had been saying just seconds ago that his friend's life came first and money was no concern.

"If we go alone, we'll get lost — and probably stumble straight into an Undead burial ground. Yes, it's expensive, but in the entire Hunters' Alliance, he seems to be the only one willing to go there… I have some money set aside. I was planning to give it to you anyway — I can't spend it all myself." Liu Ru grabbed Mo Fan's arm and hurriedly pressed a bank card into his hand.

"Liu Ru, that's no way to spend money… actually, where did you get this kind of money?" Mo Fan asked.

"Those little Blood Clan members made offerings to me. They're quite well-off, apparently," Liu Ru said softly.

"Ah. Ill-gotten gains. In that case, I'll take it."

"…"

Liu Ru watched Mo Fan pocket the card with complete solemnity and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

She'd half-expected him to put on some show of masculine pride and refuse — turns out the guy was perfectly happy pocketing someone else's money. What a rogue.

Ten million was beyond Mo Fan's means. He was flat broke — his little Flame Queen was the most expensive creature in the world, and she had drained every last coin of his savings.

The return on that investment had been extraordinary, of course. Without his little Flame Queen, there was no way he could have dropped Dongfang Lie — the man had Level Four Blazing Fist — flat with a single punch.

Liu Ru's bank card was just what he needed to get out of this jam. Mo Fan wasn't about to stand on ceremony.

Card in hand, the short man shot Mo Fan a look of quiet contempt. He'd thought Mo Fan must be something special, given how docile and agreeable the beauty at his side was. Turns out he was just a kept man.

That said — she was loaded. Ten million without so much as a blink. The veteran hunters who'd spent years grinding it out in the Ancient Capital might not earn that much in their entire careers…

"Twenty percent off!" Mo Fan bargained.

"Non-negotiable," the short man said flatly.

This knowledge was his and his brothers' alone to offer. There would always be people wanting to reach Yangyang Village — he had no reason to discount.

"Does that include protection?" Mo Fan asked.

"That's not included. My brothers and I can hold our own, but you'll need to be able to fend for yourselves. What we can guarantee is that you won't get surrounded by Undead at night — but we can't promise there won't be wandering Undead attacks."

"Self-defense isn't an issue," Liu Ru said.

"One more condition on my end — I'm not taking only your job. There'll be other people in the group."

"What the hell, now you're adding conditions too?" Mo Fan swore.

What a crook. He'd never met anyone so shameless — the most expensive guide in the world, bar none.

"Buddy, we've got a Hunter Master as our guarantor, and we're risking our lives for you. That price already assumes we can take other jobs on the side. Want an exclusive run? Twenty million," the short man said.

"Fine, go deal with your other clients," Mo Fan said, done wasting breath on him.

Before approaching the short man a second time, Mo Fan had checked his background — he was an Advanced Hunter with a clean record. The Hunter Master backing the short man's team had also come up clean.

Once a contract was established, it required signatures and official stamps. In a mid- or high-rank Hunter Hall, being scammed was practically unheard of — reputation was everything to a hunter taking on bounties. Ruin that and you ruin your livelihood. Mo Fan understood this perfectly well.

The ten-million commission would be held by the Hunters' Alliance and only released to the hunters after both parties confirmed the job was done. Hunters didn't care about glowing reviews or heartfelt thanks — all that mattered was their completion rate.