Chapter 114 (3): Yin Shengong's Astonishment

Upon Fang Che's arrival, those with things to report immediately scrambled to come and see him.

He was away from the escort agency far too much, so it was often the case that he was nowhere to be found, even when there were urgent matters to be reported, so now that he had finally shown up, everyone was eager to capitalize.

"The head escort's here! If you have to see him for something, then hurry up and do it now!"

Inside the reception room, peculiar smiles had appeared on the faces of Yin Shengong and the three elders.

Zhou Mei'er was rather perplexed, wondering why they were displaying this type of reaction to the news of the head escort's arrival.

"It sounds like your head escort is here," Yin Shengong said. "Should we go and pay our respects to him?"

"There's no need for that," Zhou Mei'er said with an apologetic smile. "Please wait here while I go and speak to the head escort. I'm sure he'll be with you shortly."

With that, Zhou Mei'er departed, displaying impeccable etiquette the entire time.

The four old men were left in the reception room to exchange joyful smiles with one another, smiles that they had been suppressing all this time.

"My eyes have truly been opened," Mu Linyuan chuckled. "Never could I have imagined that a branch helm of our One Heart Church would be able to thrive like this in any city!"

"Indeed," Qian Sanjiang agreed. "We've had very successful branch helms and branch halls in the past, but none can even begin to compare with the Unmatched Escort Agency. They've truly set a glowing example for the world to follow!"

It was a very strange feeling to be referring to a branch helm of their church as a role model for the world, but it was certainly something that they could get used to.

***

Before long, the head escort's stern voice rang out from outside.

"All of you, calm down! Form a line and make your reports to me one by one!"

"You're coming to me for something like this? Have your brains been eaten by a dog?! If you're too stupid to do your job, then piss off back to where you came from!"

"Someone owes us money? How dare they! Go and get the money from them by any means necessary, and I want it repaid with interest!"

"A partnership proposal? How're we going to become partners with a business so far away? What the hell are you thinking?!"

"Someone got injured during training? Are they dead? If not, then hang them and whip them! That should teach them not to get injured in training again! Absolutely useless!"

"I think all of you are itching for a beating! I've been too good to you lately, is that it? Look at what a giant mess you've made out of this escort agency! I should have all of you hung up and whipped one by one!"

"I'm testing all of you on the legal code tonight!"

"How many times have I told you? Service with a smile! With a smile, do you understand? Don't cry! You're not getting any sympathy out of me!"

"You have to be good, law-abiding citizens! You have to have morals and uphold the law! We're supposed to be role models for everyone! Is this how you set a good example?"

"Where is your noble spirit? We're all heroes of the people, for heaven's sake!"

The head escort's lectures were always very unique, and Yin Shengong and the three elders were practically rolling with laughter as they eavesdropped on him from inside the reception room.

"I've never laughed so hard in my life," Mu Linyuan chortled with tears streaming down his face.

Yin Shengong was doing everything in his power to suppress his laughter in order to maintain decorum as the pope of the One Heart Church, but it was taking an almighty effort.

Meanwhile, Qian Sanjiang was chortling like a hyena as he slapped Hou Fang's leg vigorously, while the latter repeatedly slapped his hand away in annoyance, but he was laughing just as hard himself.

***

"Who's laughing?" Fang Che yelled from outside the reception room.

"Four clients have come in today, and they say that they have some extremely precious goods to entrust to us," Zhou Mei'er reported. "They're currently waiting for you in the reception room."

A look of realization quickly appeared on Fang Che's face, and he snapped, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? You've ruined my image in front of these precious clients!"

"I'm sorry, Head Escort."

"Hurry up and take me to them! Don't just stand there and apologize, you're only keeping the clients waiting longer!"

What followed immediately was the sound of urgent footsteps.

The door was opened, and Head Escort Yin Xiu entered the reception room with a warm smile, only for his smile to instantly stiffen at the sight of the four people inside.

His eyes almost bulged out of their sockets, and his legs almost gave out from under him.

Yin Shengong stood up with an amicable expression as he said, "You must be Head Escort Yin Xiu. I've heard much about you."

Yin Xiu immediately put on a warm and hospitable expression as he replied, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance! You can go now, Mei'er. I'll have a chat with these four esteemed clients."

Zhou Mei'er departed, and as soon as she closed the door behind her, Starlight immediately fell to his knees with tears streaming down his hideous face before kowtowing thrice in succession to Yin Shengong and the three elders.

Yin Shengong was also getting a little emotional, but he maintained an indifferent facade as he said, "Get up. You're supposed to be the head escort here."

Starlight immediately jumped up before throwing his arms around Yin Shengong.

"Master, I've missed you so much!"

"Get away from me!" Yin Shengong protested as he pushed him away. "This hideous face of yours disgusts me!"

Starlight turned around and threw his arms around Mu Linyuan, then embraced Qian Sanjiang and Hou Fang as well while wiping tears from his eyes.

"What're you crying for? You look like a fool!" Yin Shengong reprimanded. "Sit down and compose yourself!"

Yin Shengong was looking at Fang Che with undisguised disdain in his eyes, but he still tossed him a handkerchief.

Starlight accepted the handkerchief with gratitude, then dabbed at his eyes as he sighed, "So many things have happened. Without all of you to support me, I can't handle all of this on my own. Everything was going so well until Master Sun Yuan died. Without any of you by my side, I have no one to turn to. I just don't understand! Am I not allowed to kill people from the main church in the Parasite Ascension Project?

“Is it not against the rules for them to retaliate after the event? If they don't want their people getting killed, then don't have them participate in the first place! So many people from our One Heart Church have died during past editions of the Parasite Ascension Project, yet we've never gone after anyone in retaliation, so why do they get to do it? Every day, I have to fear for my life, and no one from our One Heart Church can come out to help me.

“There have been so many close calls lately, and each time, I think to myself, if only even just one of the four of you was by my side. Whenever I report to you, I try to only tell you good news, but the truth is that I was barely staying afloat. I'm in constant danger all the time, but I didn't want you to worry, so I could only tell you that everything was going really well and really smoothly. Now that you're finally here, you have to listen to me vent!"

The four old men heaved a collective forlorn sigh.

Indeed, everything that Fang Che said was true. He had been forced to endure far too much hardship on his own, with no one else to rely on.

It was a tremendous amount of pressure on the shoulders of someone so young, and it was a miracle that he had managed to persevere up to this point.

The other churches could send powerful warriors after him as they pleased, while the One Heart Church's hands were completely tied.

The thought of the hardships Night Demon had to have endured immediately had tears welling up in the eyes of Mu Linyuan and Qian Sanjiang.

"I know things have been hard for you," Yin Shengong sighed.

"Now that you're here, I can finally relax!" Starlight said with an elated expression.

"Please stay here for a few days and look after the branch helm for me, Master. That way, I can finally get some good rest. I've been sleeping with one eye open every night!"

"We're here to examine your work! We don't have time to stay here and look after your branch helm for you!" Yin Shengong snapped. "Are you trying to demote your master to helmsmaster?"

"Of course not!" Starlight said with a fawning smile.

Yin Shengong closed his eyes as he recoiled in disgust.

"Let's go somewhere more private so you can revert back to your normal appearance. Your current face makes me want to throw up! Why did you adopt such a hideous disguise?"

"You told me to do this, Master!" Starlight complained. "Starlight's file says that he's supposed to be a very ugly man. I did exactly as instructed!"

Mu Linyuan's trio were chuckling in amusement.

"I did say Starlight is supposed to be ugly, but not

this

ugly!" Yin Shengong sighed. "I'm getting nauseated just looking at you!"

"You're still too young!" Mu Linyuan said. "Your master often forgets things that he says right after he says them, so if you follow his instructions to a tee, you could end up on his bad side. You need to be smarter in the future and exercise more discretion when carrying out his instructions."

Yin Shengong's expression instantly darkened upon hearing this.

"What's that supposed to mean, Old Man Mu? Are you saying I've gone senile with age? That's pure slander!"

Even though Yin Shengong was speaking with a joking tone, Mu Linyuan could tell that he was a little angry.

In any case, the message had been conveyed, so his job was done.

***

The five men began drinking tea together in the reception room, but Starlight was simply too hideous, to the point that even the three elders were struggling to look at him.

In the face of the growing demand for him to revert back to his original appearance, Starlight proposed, "How about we go back to the Virtue Manor?"

The four old men immediately agreed, and they were eager to leave.

Thus, Head Escort Yin Xiu personally opened the door and escorted the four men out, maintaining a fawning smile the entire time.

"Act natural!" Yin Shengong reprimanded. "You're the head escort here, don't act like some slave!"

Yin Xiu did his best to appear calm and composed, but still looked very much like a slave.

The four old men could only shake their heads in dismay.

As Fang Che emerged from the reception room, Zhou Mei'er and the others were just about to approach him, but they were stunned into silence by his sycophantic demeanor.

He reached out to support Yin Shengong by the arm, only to be swatted away with disdain, and a sheepish look appeared on his face.

He attempted to do the same with Mu Linyuan, but was met with the same reaction.

Despite this, it seemed like he felt honored just to be in their presence, and he hurriedly ran ahead to open the door for them with a sycophantic expression.

The four old men departed without even so much as a backward glance, while Starlight jogged after them like a dog trying to suck up to its owner.

He kept up this demeanor all the way to the front gate, and before long, the five of them had disappeared out of sight.

Everyone in the escort agency was stunned beyond belief.

Was this really the same helmsmaster that they had always known? He was behaving even more submissively than them in his presence!

Zhao Wushang and Zheng Yunqi approached Zhou Mei'er as they asked, "Who were those people?"

"They told me they're merchants here to discuss some business with our head escort."

"Merchants? Surely there's no way that's true..."

Could it be...

Zhou Mei'er suddenly recalled that one of the four old men had told her that his surname was Yin...

Holy shit!

Zhou Mei'er almost fell to the ground as an alarmed look of realization appeared on her face.