Goodbye, Xue Wuhen
The following morning, a young man walked out of the Star Luo Hotel and headed straight towards the streets of Star Luo City.
He strolled aimlessly through the bustling streets, occasionally glancing at the shops on either side of the road. To an ordinary passerby, he looked no different from someone casually shopping or simply exploring the city.
However, his seemingly aimless movements had a specific purpose.
He was searching for a particular place.
After walking for some time, he finally spotted a grocery store with a snow wolf's head hanging above its entrance.
His eyes immediately lit up, and he couldn't help murmuring to himself:
"So, this is the place."
Having said that, the young man walked straight into the grocery store.
The shop wasn't particularly large, occupying an area of only about ten square metres. Various soul beast bones, furs, and other materials were displayed on the walls and shelves, giving the establishment the appearance of an ordinary soul beast materials shop.
Behind the counter sat a short, stocky man with a moustache.
He looked rather listless, with an expression that suggested he had absolutely no interest in conducting business.
In fact, he didn't look like a serious shopkeeper at all.
Seeing someone enter, the moustached man lazily raised his head and glanced at the young man.
"Feel free to look around. All the prices are clearly marked, and bargaining is not accepted."
"Claw, if you continue doing business like this, you won't make any money."
The young man smiled as he spoke.
The moment he heard those words, the previously listless man immediately straightened up.
He carefully examined the young man standing before him, his eyes filled with suspicion and confusion.
After looking at him for a moment, he couldn't help asking:
"Who are you? And how do you know my name?"
That's right. The short man with the moustache was none other than Claw, a member of the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group.
After Xue Wuhen had decided to follow Huo Yuhao, he had instructed Claw to come to Star Luo City, purchase a shop, and wait for further instructions from Huo Yuhao.
Unfortunately, quite some time had passed without Huo Yuhao making contact.
As a result, Claw had gradually become bored with his daily routine and had started spending most of his time sitting behind the counter without much enthusiasm.
However, the young man who had just entered had unexpectedly called him by his real name.
Naturally, Claw immediately thought of Huo Yuhao.
After all, there were very few people in Star Luo City who knew his real name, let alone strangers who could recognize him so casually.
However, after carefully examining the young man several times, Claw couldn't find even the slightest resemblance to Huo Yuhao.
The young man smiled faintly.
Immediately afterwards, his appearance began to change.
His facial features gradually became blurred, and his entire appearance transformed before finally revealing a face that Claw was extremely familiar with.
"Boss Huo!"
That's right. The person standing before him was none other than Huo Yuhao.
The reason he had been able to disguise himself as an unfamiliar young man was naturally his second soul skill, Simulation.
With the continuous improvement of his cultivation and spiritual power, Huo Yuhao's Simulation had reached an extremely terrifying level.
At present, even a Titled Douluo would find it difficult to distinguish his real appearance from a perfectly simulated disguise simply by standing in front of him.
"Boss Huo, you're finally here!"
Claw hurriedly walked towards Huo Yuhao, his face immediately showing an expression of relief.
"Do you have any idea how bored I've been these past few days?"
Huo Yuhao smiled faintly and casually waved his hand.
"Alright, I understand. I've seen the results of your work, so there's no need to complain. Is Xue Wuhen currently in Star Luo City?"
"Yes, the boss is also in Star Luo City. Boss Huo, come with me. I'll take you to see him."
Claw immediately became enthusiastic.
After saying that, he prepared to lead Huo Yuhao outside to look for Xue Wuhen.
However, just as they were about to leave, Huo Yuhao glanced at the unattended grocery store and tilted his head slightly.
"Why don't you close the shop before leaving?"
"There's no need. The things inside aren't particularly valuable."
Claw casually waved his hand, showing no concern whatsoever about the possibility of someone stealing the items.
Seeing his careless attitude, Huo Yuhao could only shake his head helplessly.
He really didn't know what to say.
…
Under Claw's guidance, Huo Yuhao soon arrived at a villa.
Looking at the beautifully decorated and rather distinctive little villa before him, Huo Yuhao couldn't help clicking his tongue in admiration.
"Previously, I was actually worried that you fellows might not be living comfortably here. Looking at this place now, it seems I was worrying for nothing."
"Alright, Boss Huo, please don't misunderstand. This is actually where the boss lives. Normally, neither the other brothers nor I come here unless there's something important."
Claw scratched his head and hurriedly explained.
Huo Yuhao didn't pay much attention to his explanation.
Instead, he gestured for Claw to knock on the door.
Not long after the doorbell rang, the villa's door was finally opened.
A handsome young man appeared before them.
He was none other than Xue Wuhen.
However, what attracted Huo Yuhao's attention wasn't just Xue Wuhen himself.
Standing beside him were two beautiful women dressed in rather revealing clothes, both possessing extremely attractive figures.
Looking at the somewhat dishevelled appearance of Xue Wuhen, his slightly unfocused eyes, and the obvious red lipstick marks on his face, it wasn't difficult to guess what kind of relationship the three of them shared.
"Claw, didn't I already tell you not to come looking for me unless there's something important? Can't you see that I'm busy entertaining guests?"
Xue Wuhen complained impatiently.
Hearing his words, Claw's expression immediately became somewhat awkward.
He glanced behind himself before lowering his voice and saying:
"Boss, why don't you take a look at who's standing behind me?"
Since Claw had been the one to press the doorbell, Xue Wuhen hadn't initially noticed Huo Yuhao standing behind him.
However, after hearing Claw's words, he finally shifted his attention towards the young man.
The moment he saw Huo Yuhao's face clearly, his previously unfocused eyes suddenly widened.
His expression changed dramatically, and he couldn't help exclaiming:
"Boss Huo!"
Huo Yuhao stepped forward, casually glanced at the two beautiful women standing beside Xue Wuhen, and smiled.
"Captain Xue, it seems you've been living quite comfortably. Looking at your current appearance, I must say you're enjoying yourself quite a lot."
"Uh… Hehe, Boss Huo, you've misunderstood. I was simply feeling bored, so I invited these two beauties over to keep me company."
Xue Wuhen awkwardly scratched his cheek before turning towards the two women beside him and giving them a meaningful wink.
"Isn't that right?"
"Yes, yes! We were just chatting with him."
The two women were clearly not lacking in social awareness.
After all, judging from Xue Wuhen's sudden change in attitude, they could tell that the young man standing before them was someone with an extraordinary background.
Therefore, they immediately cooperated with Xue Wuhen's explanation.
Huo Yuhao merely smiled at their response.
He wasn't particularly interested in what Xue Wuhen or the other members of the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group did in their private lives.
As long as they completed the tasks he assigned to them, he couldn't be bothered to interfere with their personal affairs.
"Alright, that's enough. Send these two beauties away first. I have something important to discuss with you."
"Of course, of course!"
Xue Wuhen immediately agreed.
He leaned towards the two women and whispered something into their ears.
The two women smiled before turning around and leaving.
However, before walking away completely, they didn't forget to give Xue Wuhen a playful wink.
"Boss Huo, please come inside."
"Mm. Yes, but wipe the lipstick off your face first."
Huo Yuhao nodded and casually pointed towards the obvious lipstick marks on Xue Wuhen's cheek.
After saying that, he walked straight into the villa.
Meanwhile, Xue Wuhen hurriedly began wiping his face, trying to remove every trace of lipstick before following him inside.
…
Not long afterwards, a completely refreshed Xue Wuhen appeared before Huo Yuhao.
After personally pouring him a cup of tea, he took a seat opposite him and asked respectfully:
"Boss Huo, please tell me. What exactly do you need us to do?"
Huo Yuhao picked up the teacup, took a leisurely sip, and answered calmly:
"I came here because there is indeed something I need you to help me with. However, I should warn you beforehand that this matter might be dangerous."
"Dangerous?"
Xue Wuhen chuckled lightly.
"Back when we were in the Frozen Forest, we were facing danger almost every single moment. What kind of danger could possibly frighten us now?"
His expression showed that he didn't particularly care about the warning.
However, Huo Yuhao didn't immediately agree with his confidence.
"The danger involved in this matter is different from anything you encountered previously."
His expression gradually became serious as he continued:
"Have you ever heard of the Holy Spirit Cult?"
"The Holy Spirit Cult?"
Xue Wuhen and Claw exchanged confused glances.
Judging from their expressions, it was obvious that neither of them had heard of this mysterious organization before.
Huo Yuhao raised his hand and gestured for the two of them to move closer.
Afterwards, he began explaining the origins of the Holy Spirit Cult, its terrifying background, and the kind of people who operated within the organization.
He also explained the mission he intended to entrust to them and what he expected them to accomplish.
As Huo Yuhao continued speaking, the expressions on the faces of Xue Wuhen and Claw gradually became more serious.
By the time he finished explaining everything, even Xue Wuhen, who had experienced countless dangerous situations and narrowly escaped death on several occasions, couldn't help revealing a solemn expression.
There was a good reason for his reaction.
The task Huo Yuhao was asking them to undertake this time was genuinely dangerous.
The Holy Spirit Cult wasn't an ordinary organization that could be dealt with by a few mercenaries.
It was a mysterious and terrifying force with powerful Soul Masters hidden throughout the continent.
If they were discovered while carrying out the mission, the consequences would be unimaginable.
In fact, their eventual fate might be worse than death.
Huo Yuhao didn't rush them for an answer.
Instead, he calmly picked up his teacup and continued drinking his tea.
He had already explained everything they needed to know.
Now, he wanted to see whether Xue Wuhen, the man who had willingly chosen to follow him and had repeatedly expressed his desire to accomplish something significant, truly possessed the courage to take on such a dangerous mission.