Chapter 37: The House That Hunts (Part Ten)

An hour had passed since the containment of the pollution spores. After confirming that no spores had leaked out, they finished clearing away all the putrid flesh and contaminated bricks.

"What about the house?" Liu Niannian asked.

"I suspect they'll report it as an accident caused by a gas leak," Zhu Ning replied. She had even prepared the excuse for Prometheus.

"What about the bodies?" Liu Niannian nodded, then asked, "Are we really supposed to take them?"

"I'll contact a professional," Zhu Ning said.

She reached out to Song Zhizhang. Since he operated a professional containment unit, he should be capable of handling corpses. Song Zhizhang was like a customer service agent waiting for orders online; it was likely that Prometheus had already assigned him the task. He listened to Zhu Ning’s brief account of what had happened and quickly provided a solution.

"If it’s convenient, bring the bodies over yourself. If you want me to handle the collection, the fee is 100,000 per corpse."

"I’ve already sent people to handle the follow-up cleanup," Song Zhizhang added over the phone. "I suggest you get out of that area as soon as possible."

Liu Niannian watched with curiosity. Her first formal participation in a mission assigned by Zhu Ning was already so bizarre—did Zhu Ning really have a mysterious organization backing her?

Zhu Ning was cold and concise when speaking to him. She said only two things: "I understand." And then, "Can I bring an outsider with me?"

Liu Niannian couldn't hear the reply, and then Zhu Ning hung up.

"Come help," Zhu Ning called to her.

Liu Niannian felt a natural sense of trust toward Zhu Ning, perhaps because Zhu Ning had once saved her life.

"Can't they help?" Liu Niannian asked.

"They can," Zhu Ning said, "but it’s expensive."

"..." Liu Niannian was speechless. *Do I look like I’m short on money?* For the first time, Liu Niannian clearly felt that she was being used as cheap labor, but since Zhu Ning was her boss, she would do whatever she was told. Besides, collecting bodies was a novel experience for her.

Zhu Ning and Liu Niannian moved the corpses together, inexplicably forging a bond over the experience of burying bodies. Liu Niannian drove a luxury car she considered "low-key"—a vehicle that looked like a stretched limousine in Zhu Ning’s world—which was now loaded with five corpses.

The two women took the five assassins' bodies onto the aerial highway. Prometheus had jammed the surveillance cameras, so no one would be checking them. Looking in the rearview mirror, they could clearly see a car tailing them.

"Don't worry about it," Liu Niannian said. "It's my family's people." She couldn't shake them off; if another incident occurred, she would be grounded for the rest of her life.

Zhu Ning was highly vigilant and hadn't even taken off her helmet inside the car. In the two times they had met, both wore helmets, meaning they had never actually seen each other's true faces. Bored with driving, Liu Niannian kept glancing at her in the rearview mirror. "Aren't you going to take off your helmet?"

She could sense that Zhu Ning seemed injured; a normal person would have removed their helmet to clean their wounds by now.

"I think it’s better if we don't see each other," Zhu Ning said.

As long as the helmet remained on, their relationship stayed simple—she was just her subordinate. In truth, Zhu Ning regretted revealing her real name during their first meeting. If she had known it would lead to such massive trouble later, she would have used a fake name. Zhu Ning glanced at the mirror, contemplating whether this heiress was truly trustworthy.

Liu Niannian guessed what Zhu Ning was thinking and quickly said, "I haven't looked you up."

She feared that Zhu Ning thought she was unreliable and would silence her. She spoke quickly, terrified that if she were too slow, she would be killed. "Besides, the internal roster of the Cleaning Center isn't easy to get. I couldn't do it alone."

As a wealthy heiress who didn't apply herself to much, it was very difficult for her to obtain information about a Cleaning Center employee. Liu Niannian only knew Zhu Ning's name and that she came from the Cleaning Center wearing a cleaner's uniform; she couldn't tell if Zhu Ning was truly a cleaner or a Demon Hunter disguised to hide her identity.

Zhu Ning gave a hum of acknowledgment, and Liu Niannian let out a sigh of relief. "Don't you want to ask about my background?"

Zhu Ning had never asked which family she belonged to.

"No need," Zhu Ning said.

As long as Liu Niannian was useful, it didn't matter to Zhu Ning which wealthy family she came from. The more she knew, the more she would be entangled, and getting involved with Liu Niannian's family might invite even more trouble.

Liu Niannian actually felt relieved. Sometimes she feared that if Zhu Ning knew her identity, her attitude toward her would change. Whether it was distance or unwanted closeness, both would make her feel uncomfortable. Zhu Ning's current reaction was just right.

"Why are you even doing this?" Zhu Ning asked.

Liu Niannian, feeling uncertain herself, replied, "Because you pay me?"

"..." What a simple and unpretentious desire.

"I’ve been interested in pollutants since I was a child, but my family wouldn't let me get near them," Liu Niannian explained.

As a wealthy heiress, she could never truly become a Demon Hunter, but her family tolerated her little "hobbies." Going on adventures with Zhu Ning perfectly aligned with Liu Niannian's interests.

Zhu Ning fell silent. She really didn't understand the ways wealthy kids sought thrills. However, it seemed Liu Niannian was quite handy and highly cooperative; perhaps they could have a long-term partnership. She was too tired to think about the future.

The brilliant lights of the aerial highway reflected in the car windows. Zhu Ning leaned against the glass, lost in thought. From this vantage point, she could look down at part of District 103. The Roman City residential complex was already far beneath her, and the people of this city were completely unaware of what had just transpired. When Zhu Ning first joined, she had asked Fang Ying if her job was essentially a corpse-collection team. For the first time, she truly felt like one.

The address Zhu Ning provided was the "Noble Queen" shop. There were containment units closer to the Roman City complex, but Zhu Ning preferred dealing with people she knew; the fewer people who knew, the safer she was.

When Liu Niannian pulled the car up to the front of the Noble Queen, she went silent, staring at the flashing pink neon sign. She was clearly shocked and took a long time to speak. "You come to places like this?"

"..." *Just listen to my explanation,* Zhu Ning thought.

Song Zhizhang had already received the message and was waiting at the door. When Liu Niannian rolled down the window, she saw a man leaning against the railing, wearing a purple high-necked thermal shirt. He waved at Zhu Ning. "You're here, babe?"

Zhu Ning still wasn't used to his joking style. She stiffly raised a hand to greet him and said bluntly, "I'm here."

Liu Niannian looked at her.

"..." Zhu Ning couldn't explain it.

Although the Noble Queen looked somewhat scandalous, the location was excellent. The area was quiet, with only three scattered shops on the entire street. Because there was little foot traffic and the area was remote, it was perfect for conducting gray-market operations. Song Zhizhang, a professional containment officer, called his colleagues to handle the bodies in the back of the car.

Liu Niannian couldn't stay away for too long. She watched curiously as Song Zhizhang and his men moved the corpses. Song Zhizhang leaned against the car window and greeted her. "Hi~"

"…Hi?" Liu Niannian replied.

Song Zhizhang smiled at her. "Are you her friend?"

Liu Niannian was silent for a moment, not quite daring to commit. "Sort of?"

"Care to come inside for a drink sometime?" Song Zhizhang asked. In his line of work, he could tell at a glance who was a genuine wealthy woman. Looking at the car she drove, she wasn't just a regular rich woman; she was a super-rich one.

Liu Niannian was stunned. Honestly, though she had never applied herself to her studies, she had never been to a male escort club. She didn't need to—if she wanted a handsome man, she could just hire a celebrity.

"Don't harass her, she's not your customer," Zhu Ning said sharply.

Song Zhizhang looked a bit disappointed. He turned to Liu Niannian and said, "This place is confidential, okay?"

Of all the things Song Zhizhang had said, this was the most serious, without a hint of a joke. Liu Niannian nodded blankly.

Zhu Ning had only brought her here because she trusted her, and it would be inappropriate to go around gossiping. Liu Niannian checked the time; she had been out too long and needed to get back before her family noticed.

"I'm heading home. I'll contact you later," Liu Niannian said.

Zhu Ning, looking exhausted, simply nodded and watched as Liu Niannian drove away.

Pei Shu was waiting at the street corner for his young mistress. He opened the passenger door and got into the car. Pei Shu had been ordered to protect Liu Niannian’s safety at all times, and he had already been away for too long.

Once Pei Shu was inside, Liu Niannian drove off, soon leaving the Noble Queen behind. They got on the aerial highway; it would take forty minutes to get back to the Lu family estate.

"I was wondering who saved you last time. Turns out there's an expert involved," Pei Shu said.

The location was too close to the hotpot restaurant where Liu Niannian had run into trouble before, making it easy to associate this with the previous accident. Liu Niannian didn't explain; she didn't feel the need to explain anything to her bodyguard.

Pei Shu paused, then added, "But I suggest you stay away from that shop."

"You know it?" Liu Niannian asked, wondering why her bodyguard would know about an escort club.

"The owner isn't a good person. The Lu family doesn't care what you do, but don't get yourself dragged into something," Pei Shu warned.

Before becoming a bodyguard for the Lu family, Pei Shu had been a Demon Hunter at the Cleaning Center. Because Liu Niannian had insisted on becoming a Demon Hunter when she was a child, her family had hired high-priced Demon Hunters as her tutors. Though Pei Shu was nominally her bodyguard, he was more like her master. Judging by his tone, he knew Song Zhizhang—it seemed the owner of that shop was quite famous, though not in a good way.

Did Zhu Ning know that?

...

Zhu Ning entered Song Zhizhang’s office. She didn't have to worry about the aftermath; Song Zhizhang would find people to handle the details. Being extremely cautious, Zhu Ning only removed her helmet once she was inside the office. Her lower face was covered in blood.

Half her face was bathed in blood, making her look like a female Asura.

Song Zhizhang frowned when he saw her, tossed her a towel, and grumbled like a mother, "Go to the bathroom and wash your face. You're covered in blood."

Zhu Ning took the towel with a look of distaste, as if she thought the item was filthy.

Seeing her reaction, Song Zhizhang said impatiently, "It’s clean! No diseases! The guys at our club are disposable; the rich women don't like using secondhand goods."

"..."

There was no need to explain it in such detail. And how could an escort be "disposable"? Zhu Ning gave a soft "Oh" and went to the bathroom to wash her face. After spending the night in that eerie house, where she could only clean her helmet, she felt surprisingly happy to be able to wash her own face.