136: Apply for Guardian

Every city has a branch of the Cultivation Association, and regardless of their size, their structures are similar.

Upon entering, one sees the reception counter; on the left is the information tree, and on the right hang various cultivation missions.

The next morning, after a swift ride on White Fang, Xie Ning arrived at the Cultivation Association.

There weren't many people inside—about a dozen or so scattered around, either checking information or browsing the rankings.

Xie Ning only took a glance and ignored them, though he kept a mental note.

According to the information he previously got from Fei Shanqiu, various factions, large and small, would always send people to linger at the Cultivation Association under various pretexts, with the goal of recruiting Breeders.

Ignoring the people around him, he went straight to the counter, took out his Breeder certificate, and said, "Hello, I'd like to apply for a guardian."

His voice wasn't loud; except for a few people nearby who heard him, others could only see his lips move.

"Certainly, please wait a moment, let me see..." The beautiful receptionist at the counter, wearing a slim-fitting sleeveless qipao, gave a sweet smile and took the certificate. Just as she opened it, her eyes widened, her mouth hung slightly open, and her face was filled with surprise.

"Don't just stand there in a daze."

Reminded by Xie Ning, the receptionist snapped back to her senses and said, "Ah, right, right. Please fill out this form first."

After saying that, the beautiful receptionist hurriedly took out a piece of paper with a white background and gold trim, with several small gemstones embedded in the header.

"Oh?"

Xie Ning scrutinized the paper and found that while it looked thin, it was exceptionally heavy. It felt substantial in his hand and emitted energy fluctuations.

Unlike Xie Ning, the others around him immediately became excited upon seeing this paper. They looked at each other, wondering how to approach.

White background with gold trim—this was the information card used only when a Breeder applied for a guardian. Except for the applicant and the staff, no one else could see what was written on it.

Finally, seeing that Xie Ning was already filling out the form, some people couldn't hold back anymore.

"Hi, friend, sorry to bother you for a minute. Are you interested in joining us? We are the Flying Dragon Hunter Group, a relatively well-known demon-hunting group in the city." The person speaking was a man in his thirties with a buzz cut and an ordinary face—the kind that would be impossible to find again once lost in a crowd.

Hearing this, the others around him showed looks of disdain, but no one stepped forward to expose him or make things awkward.

Hearing his words, Xie Ning didn't stop his hand and said slowly, "No thanks, never heard of it."

"It's alright. Why don't you consider it, brother? Joining a Hunter Group means we can help you hunt for any Materials you need in the future. Moreover, even if you do nothing every month, there are generous rewards and many unspoken benefits. You don't have to worry about safety either; we'll send members to protect you 24 hours a day."

After finishing, the man added, "This is much better than applying for a guardian. A guardian only protects your safety; whether they help you with other things is purely up to their will. You can't force them, and you even have to provide for their food, clothing, and living expenses, help them evolve for free, and there are no benefits at all."

Hearing this, Xie Ning paused his pen, turned his head, and smiled. "So those are the rules for guardians. Thanks for the explanation."

After saying that, he went back to filling out the form.

The man opened his mouth, his face looking as uncomfortable as if he were constipated. Seeing that Xie Ning was unmoved, he slunk away dejectedly. Seeing this, the others swarmed forward, surrounding Xie Ning to introduce their own situations.

Although there were many people, it didn't seem noisy; instead, they were quite orderly. They never interrupted others and only spoke up to mention their own situation when the other person finished.

This was a rule formed from years of dealings, which made Xie Ning look at them in a new light. However, he remained unmoved, listening and replying while continuing to write.

When Xie Ning finished the main text and checked that there were no problems, he was about to sign it when someone got anxious and reached out to stop him.

Bang!

Before the person's hand could touch Xie Ning's pen, a fair, long leg kicked him out, sending him through the door and crashing into a utility pole across the street.

Xie Ning looked at the long, beautiful leg stretched out in front of him and followed it with his gaze. The person who kicked him was actually the beautiful receptionist in the qipao.

Seeing this, the others were so scared they retreated several steps, eventually running under the information tree.

"Dominating!"

Xie Ning gave the qipao beauty a thumbs-up. The latter tilted her head slightly, her eyes filled with pride.

"Anyone who dares to obstruct a Breeder's official business must pay the price."

Xie Ning wrote his name on the signature line. Then, a glow flowed across the paper, eventually converging into the gemstones at the header.

The beautiful receptionist put away the paper and said solemnly yet sweetly, "Respected Breeder, we have received your requirements. We will apply for a guardian for you as soon as possible and notify you as soon as there are results."

Her sweet appearance now formed a sharp visual contrast with that violent kick from earlier.

Xie Ning nodded and chatted with the receptionist for a few more moments, asking for more details about guardians.

Seeing that he had finished the form, no matter how unwilling the others were, they could only let it go. However, they still occasionally looked at Xie Ning's position; after all, they couldn't help but pay attention to such a young Breeder.

Just then, Xie Ning heard the faint voice of a little girl.

"D-don't bully me, Ghost Big Brother is v-very powerful!"

Xie Ning turned his head and saw a little girl about 7 or 8 years old holding a stack of change not far from the entrance of the Cultivation Association, looking timidly at the people surrounding her.

The little girl wore a yellowing princess dress covered in sand and dirt. The hem was torn by something, with several strips of fabric hanging on the ground. She carried a small pink pig backpack, which also had several tears.

Surrounding her were four men in their twenties with playful expressions and casual, lazy manners.

"Little sister, then let your Ghost Big Brother come. Careful though, I'll make him cry," a guy with three studs in each ear said, leaning down and looking down at the girl, his words dripping with sarcasm.

Another guy with hair like a hedgehog suddenly squatted down, blew a breath at the girl, and said, "Little girl, do you want big brother to buy you candy? Give me half of the money in your hand, and I'll buy it for you."

After he spoke, the other two laughed. The laughter echoed in the girl's ears, making her look even more helpless.

In the association hall, the qipao beauty at the counter said, "Those are just hooligans and rascals who live nearby. They have no skills, just thick skins, and they're quite troublesome."

Xie Ning didn't reply but frowned and strode toward the little girl. After a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

It turned out someone had gotten there first—the buzz-cut man who had first approached Xie Ning to recruit him into the Flying Dragon Hunter Group.

"That's enough! Bullying a little girl, aren't you ashamed?!"

The man shouted angrily. The hooligans were startled, but after seeing who it was, they said, "Oh, it's Big Brother Qian."

Afterward, it was unclear what they said as their voices were very low. Once the buzz-cut man finished speaking, the hooligans left while grumbling.

Just as Xie Ning thought the girl had received help, he heard some whispering around him. He listened intently, occasionally glancing at the buzz-cut man. As the man was about to take the girl away, Xie Ning walked over quickly and shouted:

"Let her go!"