C744 Not Accepting This Order

"Why is that? Wouldn't setting a deadline push the Myriad Connection Association to complete the task faster?"

"Because of their rules. Without a deadline, they set the price based on the task's difficulty. For something like taking out a target, there's no need for a deadline—they'll finish quickly. But for finding people or objects, a hundred-year term costs ten times the no-deadline price, a ten-year term costs a hundred times more, and a five-year term is even more expensive. Anything shorter, and they'll reassess the cost. It's incredibly steep."

"That's just outrageous!" Woo Zhengyang exclaimed.

"There's no choice; they make the rules. If people weren't desperate, they wouldn't pay such high prices to hire them. But the Myriad Connection Association does have its principles. Even without a deadline, they'll work hard to complete the task. Only when it's nearly impossible to find someone or something will they take their time. Regardless, with their influence, it's much easier than us searching blindly."

"Is their influence really that extensive? I've never heard of them."

"Yes, it's vast. They supposedly have powerful figures backing them. It's normal you haven't heard of them; their main presence is in the Central Continent. In the other thirty-six regions, they only have a couple of branches. Our branch in the Golden Scale Domain is in Golden Scale City. Even with just one branch, their influence covers most of the domain, making them the best choice for finding someone."

"Alright, let's head to the Myriad Connection Association!"

Before long, Bing Yue led Woo Zhengyang to a rather ordinary two-story building.

"This is the Myriad Connection Association?" Woo Zhengyang asked, a bit incredulous.

After hearing Bing Yue describe the Myriad Connection Association with such mystique, Woo Zhengyang had imagined something grander. But the two-story building before him was quite plain, small, and tucked away in a secluded alley. It paled in comparison to the luxurious mansions surrounding it.

"That's right, this is it. They say all the Myriad Connection Associations are like this—nestled in narrow alleys, standing alone as two-story structures."

"Interesting. Let's go in!" Woo Zhengyang said, stepping forward with Bing Yue toward the small entrance of the building.

As soon as they entered, the extraordinary nature of the Myriad Connection Association became apparent.

The entrance was completely sealed by an unknown material, leaving only a hand-sized opening.

"Do we need a key to get in?" Woo Zhengyang asked.

"You could say that!" Bing Yue replied with a smile, taking out a low-grade spirit crystal and placing it into the opening.

In the next moment, a peculiar energy emanated from the door. The previously dark, stone-like sealed entrance began to transform, eventually becoming a thin, white light curtain.

"Let's head inside!" Bing Yue pointed at the light curtain.

"It's more expensive to enter here than the city, but the design of this entrance is pretty interesting," Woo Zhengyang chuckled, stepping through the light curtain with Bing Yue.

Many places are unassuming on the outside but reveal something extraordinary within. However, the Myriad Connection Association wasn't one of them. It was plain on the outside and even plainer inside, with an empty lobby that had almost nothing. If it weren't for the unique entrance, Woo Zhengyang would never have guessed this was the headquarters of an organization with influence across the entire continent and beyond.

After looking around for a while, they finally spotted a small, dim room in a corner, with a small opening at the front.

"What do you need?"

As soon as they approached the room, a raspy male voice came from the opening.

"We're looking for someone," Woo Zhengyang replied.

"Write down all the information about the person you're looking for and give it to me," the raspy voice instructed, handing out a pen through the small window.

Following the instructions, Woo Zhengyang wrote down everything he knew about Loong Zhiwu, from her role as the head of the Heavenly Martial Academy to the last time and place she was seen.

After a moment of hesitation, Woo Zhengyang handed the paper through the window.

"Wait here," the raspy voice said as he took the paper, then fell silent.

A few minutes passed, and there was still no movement from inside. Woo Zhengyang glanced at Bing Yue with a puzzled expression.

"I'm not sure what's going on, but the Myriad Connection Association usually doesn't have any issues. Let's wait a bit longer," Bing Yue suggested.

"Alright," Zhengyang nodded, trying to quell his unease and continued to wait patiently.

Another few minutes went by, and Zhengyang could barely contain his impatience. He called out to the small window, but there was still no response.

With Bing Yue's reassurance, Zhengyang decided to wait a little longer.

Finally, after about half an hour, there was some activity inside. A piece of paper was handed out, accompanied by a raspy voice saying, "We apologize, but after a review on the second floor, we've decided not to take this order."

"What? Not taking the order?" Zhengyang was already anxious from the wait, and now, after all this time, he was met with disappointment, which made him a bit angry.

"We're truly sorry, but it's not my decision to make. Here's your entry fee back," the raspy voice said, handing over a low-grade spirit crystal.

Just as Zhengyang was about to speak, Bing Yue tugged at his sleeve and gave him a reassuring look. She then addressed the small window, "Sir, as far as I know, the Myriad Connection Association prides itself on handling all matters. Is there really a reason to refuse this order?"

"Miss, it's not that we don't want to take the order, but this task is too significant, and the cost involved is beyond what the seeker can bear. We have to consider our clients' best interests, so after careful consideration, we advise you to abandon this idea," the voice explained.

A raspy voice finished speaking, and Bing Yue looked questioningly at Woo Zhengyang. By now, Zhengyang had completely calmed down. Both he and Bing Yue had long suspected that Loong Zhiwu's identity was anything but ordinary. However, Zhengyang never imagined that Zhiwu's status would be so extraordinary.

The Myriad Connection Association, being a powerful force spread across the continent and the thirty-six domains, wouldn't typically pay such attention to just anyone. Yet now, not only do they know of Loong Zhiwu, but they also refuse to take on the task of finding him. There's only one reason for this: Zhiwu's identity is so significant that even the Myriad Connection Association is wary of getting too involved.

For Zhengyang, this was not good news...