Chapter 45: Really Struck It Lucky!
Returning to the upper world, the first thing I saw was the faithfully waiting Mo Míng, his silver-gray ears perked up just as when I had left, as if afraid to miss a single sound.
At this point, feeling unmoved was impossible, though I was too proud to admit it. Plus, Mo Míng really didn’t seem to have any psychic connection with me; communicating with him was like talking to an alien. I worried that showing my appreciation might encourage him to act even more bizarrely.
But it was this slight touch of emotion for him that made me forgive his earlier blunder. After all, can you blame someone who’s always off the mark? That would be a form of discrimination. I’d try to get used to it, especially since he’s so loyal to me, even though I’m not particularly outstanding.
“Ding.” The elevator stopped, and he stood outside the gates, looking at me worriedly, “What was the task?”
“Easy,” I boasted with a proud smile, strutting out of the elevator.
But Mo Míng’s expression turned more serious: “Don’t underestimate it. Many assignments aren’t as simple as they seem on the surface.”
His earnest green eyes made me reconsider my overconfidence. After all, he was a senior and a member of the royal court with far more experience in various matters than I had, except in… interpersonal interactions.
“Okay, I’ll listen to you,” I conceded. Seeing me take his advice, Mo Míng’s usually rigid face surprisingly broke into an excited smile, and his emerald eyes sparkled, “Thank you for finally listening to me!”
His excitement made me feel awkward. I hadn’t realized that merely heeding his advice would make him so happy, but considering our history, I had always been repelling him, like the repulsion between identical poles of magnets, unable to accept him.
“Xià Xiǎo Lán student~~~” the voice from the window sounded casual, “Since you’re new, a supervisor will be assigned to accompany you~~~”
“Who?!” I asked anxiously, alarmed by the mention of a supervisor. Would this interfere with my small schemes? I had plans to covertly contact my noble and handsome father.
“It’s not decided yet~~ you’ll find out in time~~~”
The more evasive the response, the more uneasy I felt.
Mo Míng assured me, “Don’t worry, it’s usually a senior.”
“Ah, if it’s a senior, I hope it’s someone easy to get along with.”
“And~~~” the person at the window interjected again, “You cannot bring any pets to assist in the mortal realm~~~”
“Pets?” My gaze shifted cautiously to Mo Míng, whose brows were already twitching, his aura flaring with indignation: “I’m not her pet! I am her protector!”
“That’s not allowed either~~~~” the voice inside remained calm, “This assignment is to assess Xià Xiǎo Lán’s personal abilities~~~ no one is allowed to assist~~~~”
“I wouldn’t assist her!” Mo Míng declared firmly, “I can be her supervisor!”
“Sorry~~ you’ve left the royal court; now you’re part of the losers’ club, you can’t be a supervisor anymore~~~~”
“What does it take for me to go with her!” Mo Míng roared, nearly lunging at the window, prompting me to quickly hold him back: “Don’t mess with the civil servant!”
Mo Míng took a deep breath, his eyes still simmering with unreleased anger.
“You should listen to your master,” the task officer finally stood up, his pale face stern, and his normally calm eyes now bore a chilling glare. “You can leave now; we do not allow disturbances here.”
Seeing the celestial official’s changed demeanor, I quickly pulled the irate Mo Míng outside.
Since the last team battle where I didn’t summon Mo Míng, he had become… how should I put it? More “clingy” than before.
“I can’t let you out of my sight!” he declared, obviously wanting to accompany me, yet he wouldn’t actually be of help.
From my perspective, if you’re not going to help, why come along?
But from his viewpoint, he felt he must be with me, even if it meant watching me struggle and fight back from a dire situation.
We were never on the same wavelength.
To prevent him from clinging to me, I suggested, “I’ll take your alter ego with me.”
As soon as I said this, the hostility in his face receded, and he nodded immediately, “I’ll give it to you before you leave. Keep it with you at all times!” he instructed earnestly.
While nodding, I moved on, “Yeah, yeah.”
“Don’t give it to anyone else!”
“Got it, got it~”
Then my phone beeped with a new message: “Details of the assignment have been sent to your phone. The task will commence in one hour. Please prepare promptly and meet the supervisor at the heavenly staircase.”
The assignment was starting in an hour! The efficiency in the immortal realm was astonishingly high; there was never a dull moment or time to catch a breath.
I needed to hurry back and prepare!
Mo Míng escorted me back to the losers’ club, where everyone was dividing the supermarket spoils in the living room.
Upon my return, they all looked up with concern, and I waved at them, “I’ll be leaving soon, don’t miss me too much!”
I expected a tearful farewell or something dramatic, but they just glanced at me and continued divvying up their loot.
==!! So, was I the only one making a fuss about it?
Rushing back to my room, I found that everyone had already moved my purchases in. Mo Míng hurried to his room, likely to fetch his alter ego.
I looked at the newly acquired items, unsure what to bring, thinking the mission was simple and probably didn’t require much. After all, it was set in the human world, my turf! Could I not handle a simple message delivery task?
Yet, the real challenge seemed to be leaving a message for my father.
I secretly wore my human world phone, knowing I’d need local currency, so I also grabbed my wallet.
While I was organizing, my phone rang: “Xià Xiǎo Lán student, this is the immortal Realm Insurance Company.”
The insurance company! Right, they had called me before about purchasing a policy, but I had put it off due to my ‘facial paralysis.’ It seems insurance companies are the same everywhere, always in a hurry.
I answered the call, and suddenly, a beautiful woman with rabbit ears and wearing a red business suit appeared before me, her eyes as red and bright as rubies.
I apologized immediately, “I need to prepare for a mission. I’ll visit the insurance company afterward.”
The rabbit-eared lady smiled at me, “We are here precisely because you have another mission. Would you like to sign the insurance contract before this mission? Because…” she narrowed her eyes with a mischievous smile, “missions can be dangerous, and accidents happen all the time.”
I paused as she continued, “I am Agent Number Three from the immortal Realm Insurance Company, Jade Rabbit. Serving the only human in the immortal realm is my honor. Let me briefly introduce the contract. We have tailored a personal accident insurance policy for you, given your unique status as a human. If you get injured in the immortal realm or during a mission, all medical expenses will be covered by us. And if you unfortunately pass away, the remainder of your natural lifespan will be transferred to your beneficiary.”
I asked in surprise, “You mean if I die, the rest of my lifespan goes to my dad?”
Jade Rabbit nodded, “Exactly. For instance, if your natural lifespan is eighty years and you tragically die during a mission, the remaining years will be transferred to the beneficiary in the contract. However, human lifespan cannot exceed a hundred years, so any excess will reduce the waiting time for reincarnation, allowing for an earlier entry into the reincarnation queue.”
I felt a wave of relief and nodded without hesitation, “okay, how do I sign?”
She pointed at my phone, “Just leave your fingerprint, and the contract will take effect immediately. We will then deduct one hundred immortal coins each month, similar to health insurance in the human world. Since you are the only human in the immortal realm, our company has also prepared a special gift package for you. It will be sent to you upon your return. Now, I won’t delay your preparations further. I wish you a successful mission.”
With a beaming smile, Jade Rabbit vanished. Why did her smile make me feel this mission wasn’t as simple as it seemed on the surface?
“But isn’t my task just to deliver a message? How could it be dangerous?” I mused aloud.
The knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. Jiàng Yán, with a blood bag in his mouth, stood at my door. “I came to check out that ‘junk’ box you bought.”
His comment jogged my memory about the potential treasure we stumbled upon. I quickly ushered him inside, “Come in, come in.” After ensuring no one else was watching, I eagerly closed the door and turned to Jiàng Yán, “Tell me, how did we strike it lucky?”
Jiàng Yán slowly removed the blood bag, adopting a scholarly demeanor, “Xiào Lán, do you remember when we carried this box, it wasn’t heavy…” He gestured towards the junk box on the floor, “but the shopping cart couldn’t bear its weight?”
“Yes, I noticed it wasn’t very heavy when I carried it. Could it be that the shopping cart has a weight limit?” I wondered, squatting down to sift through the miscellaneous items in the box.
“No.” Jiàng Yán sat down cross-legged, his gaze fixed on the box, “This indicates there’s an item with spiritual essence inside!”
“Spiritual essence!” The possibility of discovering a hidden treasure suddenly seemed very real.
