The next morning, Chen Ao arrived as scheduled. Jun Ci intimately hugged his arm, and Duan Chen made a gesture to stop her. Upon seeing Chen Ao subtly shake his head, he retracted his hand.
The series of actions were executed with flawless fluidity, so much so that even Duan Chen was impressed by his own acting.
Chen Ao nodded in satisfaction.
"Esteemed guests, please," he said.
Perhaps to curry favor with Jun Ci, several expensive black sedans were parked outside the hotel. The leading one was a flashy sports car with only two seats, undoubtedly for Chen Ao and Jun Ci.
"Ah, Young Master Chen is truly a good person."
"Indeed, so much better than that Huang Xu."
The cars were not far apart. Duan Chen initiated mental communication.
"When we get to the Spirit Hunter Guild and actually meet Jun Wuchen, don't blow our cover."
"Yes, don't worry, Captain."
"Especially you two, Jun Ci and Qin Nanyuan, control your emotions and don't let them show."
"Understood."
Jun Ci and Qin Nanyuan were not so naive as to not distinguish between when to seek revenge and when to endure. They had already endured for so many years; a little longer would not matter.
"Have you all remembered your fake abilities? Don't forget them in a panic later."
"Yes."
Considering the timing, Jia Yunlian should be arriving in the capital soon.
Regarding her, Duan Chen felt a significant headache. She was Nia's mother, and Nia was an Apostle. The relationship between these two was a tangled mess, and furthermore, he was bound to have a fierce battle with the Apostles.
Duan Chen would not force Jia Yunlian to choose sides, but if she sided with Nia and harmed his friends, Duan Chen would show no mercy.
Unless Nia could, like Bai Ye, belong to the divine faction.
But even if Nia were willing, Gallot might not be. Moreover, the battle between the two factions was far too cruel for a child.
Thinking of this, Duan Chen couldn't help but frown.
"What are you thinking about?"
Xier turned her head and asked him.
"Nothing."
Duan Chen unfurled his brow and smiled at her.
The Spirit Hunter Guild headquarters in the capital was significantly larger than those in other cities. In Du Qingyi's words, Ice City was a mere speck compared to the scene before them.
It was the first time for all of them to visit the Spirit Hunter Guild headquarters, and they were quite excited. Jun Ci and Qin Nanyuan, suppressing the nausea in their hearts, also feigned surprise.
"This place is so huge!"
Duan Chen nodded. The Spirit Hunter Guild in the capital had the best facilities in every aspect, even specialized training grounds for high-level agents. Of course, gaining access here was not a simple matter.
"Let's go, I'll take you to meet a few people."
Chen Ao puffed out his chest. A few passing agents cast curious glances at Duan Chen's group, mostly men whose gazes lingered on the beautiful women.
"Brother Chen Ao, is Brother Chen having you lead the new recruits?"
"You brat, these are a few colleagues from Ice City here for exchange and learning, and I'm in charge."
"Oh—"
The man looked at Jun Ci in his arms and gave a meaningful smile.
Chen Ao cursed him playfully a few more times.
Jun Ci pretended to be shy and snuggled closer into his embrace.
"Ugh—"
Duan Chen felt Qin Nanyuan's mental pollution. That gagging sound was too realistic!
It made him wonder if Qin Nanyuan had actually thrown up in his mind.
Chen Ao knocked on an office door. Inside, two people, a man and a woman, were sitting on the sofa.
The man wore a silver-white suit and had a handsome face. Upon seeing Chen Ao enter, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
The woman was dressed in a professional OL outfit, with a pair of glasses perched on her delicately high nose, giving her an air of dignified beauty.
Duan Chen was not unfamiliar with these two.
Jun Wuchen.
Ming Yan.
"You've arrived?"
"Brother Chen."
In front of Jun Wuchen, Chen Ao shed his arrogance and smilingly introduced the names of the group, including their abilities.
This was the second time Duan Chen had seen Jun Wuchen. The last time, he was too far away to see clearly, but this time he could see him distinctly. The smile on this man's face was so fake it made him feel nauseous.
"Oh? So, you, as the elder brother, raised them all? That must have been quite difficult." Jun Wuchen exclaimed in surprise.
Duan Chen smiled slightly. "It was my duty. It's just that I wasn't very educated when I registered their household registration, and their names are my biggest regret."
"Not at all, it's already very difficult for you to have raised them all by yourself."
"In that case, Chen Ao, go find Uncle Guang and Uncle Liang and have them re-evaluate their abilities. Forget about the previous boys. Afterward, if Uncle Guang and Uncle Liang are willing, let them teach them directly."
"Uncle Guang and Uncle Liang?"
Chen Ao was surprised.
Jun Wuchen nodded. "Yes, go. Oh, Du Qingyi, has your Guild Master returned?"
Duan Chen had heard some rumors. It was said that the Guild Master of the Ice City Spirit Hunter Guild was a free-spirited and unrestrained person, rarely appearing at the guild. Many matters were handled by Du Qingyi and You Jiawei.
"Do you think that's possible?"
After all these years, Du Qingyi's position was not much different from the Guild Master's. Facing Jun Wuchen, she had the right to speak like that.
Jun Wuchen glared at her, appearing somewhat helpless.
The Ice City Spirit Hunter Guild adhered to a principle of self-preservation. This way, although their strength did not increase rapidly and they had few high-level agents, they were trouble-free. They did not get involved in any messy affairs, and they posed no threat to Jun Wuchen, so he was willing to maintain good relations with Du Qingyi.
This glare did not carry any threat.
Ming Yan's gaze remained fixed on Duan Chen.
This white... it felt somewhat familiar.
Unconsciously, his figure overlapped with someone important in Ming Yan's memory. But after thinking about it, she felt it was a far-fetched notion.
Duan Chen was currently in a secret realm. However, it had to be said that this man bore some resemblance to her, with that profound and sharp aura and his steady way of speaking.
Duan Chen sensed her thoughts and couldn't help but sigh.
He didn't want to bring any trouble to Ming Yan, so he absolutely could not reveal their relationship in the short term.
Suddenly, he noticed that Jun Ci and Qin Nanyuan's expressions were not quite right.
"Pay attention to your expressions. Did something happen?"
"No, it's just... Uncle Guang and Uncle Liang..."
"What about them?"
"You know them?"
Duan Chen frowned.
Two names appeared in his mind:
Jun Youguang, Qin Youliang.
"Before Qin Nanyuan and I were exiled, these two taught us for a period of time. We're somewhat familiar with them."
"Yes, they are good people."
When people from the Jun and Qin families could be described as "good people" by Jun Ci and Qin Nanyuan, perhaps they were indeed good people.
For the next period, he planned to focus his observation on Jun Youguang and Qin Youliang.