Chapter 130 (3): Should I Call You Starlight or Night Demon?

Zhao Ying'er felt like she had only just sat down when she was grabbed by the arm by Jing Xiuyun and practically dragged out of the administration hall.

"If anyone is caught delaying proceedings, they'll be punished with whip lashes, so make sure to remember not to hang around after the daily missions have been assigned," Jing Xiuyun explained.

"Has this really happened before?" Zhao Ying'er asked in an astonished manner. "It's not just an empty threat, is it?"

"I advise you not to try and find out," Jing Xiuyun said, only allowing herself a sigh of relief once she had practically flown out the door with Zhao Ying'er. "Ever since Fang Che became our chief, he's been ruling with an iron fist! The two Kings from earlier receive regular beatings from him, and he doesn't stop until they're bruised and bleeding!"

"He can beat up Kings now?!" Zhao Ying'er exclaimed in astonishment.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he can beat up even Emperors in a few days," Jing Xiuyun scoffed with a roll of his eyes. "I don't know how he does it, but he's progressing so quickly that it's like he's constantly taking pills!"

Jing Xiuyun paused here momentarily, looking around to make sure there was no one else nearby, then whispered into Zhao Ying'er's ear, "Also, it seems like he's found himself a romantic partner."

"What?!"

This was dreadful news for Zhao Ying'er.

"Every morning, when he comes to work, there's a faint fragrance about him. It doesn't come from makeup, but it's definitely a woman's scent."

"No way... Surely it can't have happened this quickly!"

She felt like the entire world had changed during her leave of absence.

"Maybe I should just go back to my clan," Zhao Ying'er sighed with a defeated expression.

"Don't give up. He didn't explicitly say that he's married," Jing Xiuyun encouraged, and Zhao Ying'er felt a little better.

"It's just a shame that you're probably not going to have his first time..." Jing Xiuyun sighed, and Zhao Ying'er instantly began blushing profusely.

***

After assigning everyone's duties, Fang Che also went out on patrol himself.

However, he knew that his efforts were superfluous.

Dong Changfeng had just made a breakthrough and was still in the White Cloud Prefecture, so the entire prefecture would be safe for at least the next month.

Within this month, it would be next to impossible to earn any merit points.

With that in mind, he took a token stroll before arriving at the Unmatched Escort Agency as Yin Xiu.

By then, it was already noon, and Zhou Mei'er and some others were quietly discussing something in the auxiliary hall.

The main hall was reserved for welcoming guests and clients, so an auxiliary hall had been set up for meetings.

"What're you all doing in here?" Fang Che asked as he entered the room.

"We're still trying to figure out what's going on with the assessment teams," Zheng Yunqi replied with a frustrated sigh.

"Don't mention those words to me right now," Starlight wailed as he threw a hand to his forehead. "Just hearing the words 'assessment team' gives me a headache!"

Everyone was very amused by his reaction.

"You don't think something could've happened to them on the way here, could it?" Starlight speculated.

"Surely not," Zheng Yunqi mused, but the tone of his voice was far from convincing, and everyone else quickly grew concerned as well.

Right at this moment, an unfamiliar voice rang out.

"Your concerns are unnecessary, Head Escort Yin."

Everyone exchanged a few bewildered glances before hurriedly making their way outside to discover that there were already six people standing in the main hall, led by a white-robed young man.

The expressions of Zhou Mei'er and the others instantly changed drastically at the sight of the young man.

They clearly knew who he was, and his presence evoked within them a combination of excitement, fear, and timidity.

All of them fell to one knee in unison as they greeted, "We pay our respects to Young Master Xing."

"No need for formalities," the young man said with a nod. "Let's keep everything discreet while we're here in the White Cloud Prefecture."

Zheng Yunqi and the others immediately rose to their feet, looking like a litter of obedient puppies.

Zhou Mei'er gave Starlight a subtle look, clearly trying to tell him that the white-robed young man was an extremely important figure.

Fang Che immediately put on a warm smile as he greeted, "What an honor! I am Yin Xiu, the head escort of the Unmatched Escort Agency. May I ask your esteemed name?"

The young man turned to Fang Che with a rather peculiar look in his eyes, and he smiled as he replied, "My surname is Feng. You can call me Brother Feng, Boss Feng, or Young Master Xing like them. I'm fine with any of those."

"Welcome, Boss Feng! May I ask who these five companions of yours are?"

Zheng Yunqi and the others were silently stewing in agitation.

Feng Xing had just given him a choice of three names, and that was a test in itself.

By placing "Young Master Xing" as the final option, it was clear that this was his preferred title, but Starlight had opted for Boss Feng instead, a polite, yet rather distant option.

Furthermore, he had gone straight to asking about Feng Xing's five companions, and that was a little rude in itself.

Zheng Yunqi and the others were all very perplexed. Starlight was normally much smarter than then, so why was it that he seemed so slow on this day?

Thankfully, Feng Xing wasn't offended, and he replied, "These are five of my shopkeepers. They are the people that you've been waiting for."

Starlight and the others were all rendered speechless by this response.

We all know what you're here for, but is it really appropriate to just come out with it like that?

Feng Xing then turned to Zheng Yunqi and the others as he continued, "The assessment of the branch helm is complete, and all that's left now is your individual evaluations. Take my five shopkeepers with you. They'll be responsible for evaluating your performance. Just cooperate with them and answer any questions that they raise."

Zheng Yunqi and the others were ecstatic.

"Thank you, Young Master Xing!"

Essentially, what Feng Xing had just told them was that their branch helm had passed the assessment, and from here, it was time for them to secure their futures.

As the five of them left the room, Zhou Mei'er trailed along at the back of the group, frantically trying to communicate with Starlight with her eyes, but in the end, she still couldn't be sure if Starlight had gotten the hint.

"You seem very popular with your subordinates, Head Escort Yin," Feng Xing remarked.

There was an effortless grace and elegance about him that exuded from his entire body, even when he was standing still.

"It's all thanks to them that I was able to build all of this," Starlight said in a humble manner.

He noticed that Feng Xin's skin was very pale, almost completely devoid of color, but it wasn't a sickly pallor. Instead, it glowed like jade, adding a sense of regal mystique to his handsome looks.

"It must've taken you a lot of effort and dedication to build this escort agency from nothing," Feng Xing remarked.

𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"There was some hard work from my end, but I've been very fortunate that things have worked out the way they did," Starlight replied, once again subscribing to a policy of modesty.

Feng Xing looked up at the plaque that had been awarded to the escort agency by the Hall of Protectionists, and an amused smile appeared on his face as he mused, "I wonder how much blood was shed in exchange for this plaque."

"It's a cruel world, and bloodshed is often required to pave certain paths," Starlight replied. "A lot of blood is shed in vain, whereas at the very least, this blood was shed for a purpose."

"Well spoken!" Feng Xing praised. "Indeed, for the sake of the greater good, a bit of bloodshed here and there is hardly any cause for distress. Can you take me on a tour of your escort agency, Head Escort Yin? I'd love to see what this place has to offer."

"Gladly. Please come with me."

Fang Che led Feng Xing on a tour of the escort agency, pointing out all of the facilities, departments, and noteworthy landmarks, and for some reason, Feng Xing took a particular interest in the Eighteen Levels of Hell.

He then took a glance at the separate male and female dormitories and praised, "This is a good arrangement."

"I'm just trying to avoid trouble for myself," Starlight chuckled. "If someone ends up getting pregnant here, the seniors of their clan are not going to be very happy with me."

"Indeed," Feng Xing chuckled. "After all, many of the girls here are already in marriage arrangements. Come to think of it, Zhou Mei'er is one such example."

Clearly, this was a rather pointed remark.

The concern that Zhou Mei'er had displayed for Fang Che earlier had been very telling, and it had not slipped Feng Xing's notice.

Starlight pretended to be oblivious to Feng Xing's insinuations as he replied, "Zhou Mei'er is one of the most capable girls here. I'm sure she'll make a great wife and addition for any clan that she marries into."

Before long, they had made their way to the training grounds in the back, which were completely empty as everyone had gone to see Feng Xing's five subordinates for their evaluations.

Thus, the two of them were alone, and Feng Xing clasped his hands behind his back as he asked, "Answer me this: should I call you Starlight or Night Demon?"