C17 Leaving the Demon Suppressing Association

Everyone burst into laughter, while Jinfei wore a look of frustration. She glanced back at Yeying and said, "Master, why do I feel like I've been tricked this time? We've been busy all day, but for what?"

Yeying ignored her complaints, took the thermos from the manager, and said, "As long as we got the medicine, that's all that matters. We made our money, so who cares? Jiuping, it seems like we can't leave you behind this time."

Jiuping immediately perked up and said, "Of course! I have a mission to chase after Sister Jinfei ninety-nine times." He chuckled, satisfied, while Jinfei glared at him, baring her teeth.

Yeying glanced at him and said, "I disagree."

"What? Disagree?" Jiuping was taken aback, clearly not expecting that response from Yeying.

Yeying smirked and said, "Don't forget, there's a time limit on the Demon Suppressing Master's bet. You have to complete it within three years, or you'll be kicked out of the association and lose your qualifications."

Jiuping nodded blankly, and Yeying snorted, "So you think it's that easy? I have to take you along, help you complete your bet, and teach you at the same time? That's too convenient for you. So, I'm not taking you with me."

Jinfei clapped her hands and said, "I agree, Master. We can't take someone as sly as him with us. Who knows when he might trip us up? We need to be on guard."

Yeying nodded, "Exactly, Jinfei is right. We can't be too careful about this. And Jinfei, once we finish this task, where are we headed next?"

Jinfei pulled out a notebook, flipped through it, and said, "Master, there are so many places inviting us after we complete this mission. I think we're booked for the next three years. I doubt we'll be coming back here anytime soon."

"Are you kidding me?" Lei Jiuping exclaimed. "If you all don't come, then I..."

But Ji Yeying seemed not to hear him at all. She turned to Ji Jinfei and said, "Oh my, things are really hectic, but we can't ignore Lei's feelings. How about you..." She paused deliberately, and everyone caught on.

Ji Jinfei quickly waved her hands and said, "Master, I can't do that. I promised that wherever you go, I'll follow. I can't go back on my word, can I? Of course, I'm sticking with you. Please don't send me away; I'm with you for life."

Lei Jiuping was really grinding his teeth at this point. This master and apprentice duo were something else. Ji Yeying noticed Lei Jiuping's expression, turned to him with a smile, and said, "However, I thought about it, and if you have, say, ten thousand dollars, I might teach you a few things. Plus, you could achieve your goals."

Lei Jiuping was taken aback for a moment and looked at Ji Jinfei. She had already started wailing, "Master, you can't do this. Is your apprentice worth so little? Besides, I'm about to become a junior Demon Suppressing Master, right? I can earn money for you. This isn't fair."

Ji Yeying was moved by Ji Jinfei's tears and quickly said, "I'm sorry, Jinfei. I didn't think it through. How about twenty thousand dollars?" At this, Ji Jinfei cried even louder, covering her face as if deeply wronged.

Ji Yeying patted Ji Jinfei again and said, "Don't cry, don't cry. How about thirty thousand?"

"Deal... deal... it's a deal," Lei Jiuping shouted before Ji Yeying could change the number again. "Thirty thousand it is, and that's final. You can't keep changing it like this."

As soon as he finished, Ji Jinfei stopped crying, dropped her hands, and there wasn't a trace of tears. She looked at Ji Yeying and, with a smile, said, "Master, from ten thousand to thirty thousand, I want a thirty percent cut. Is that okay?"

Ji Yeying gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up, signaling everything was fine. Lei Jiuping realized he had been tricked, glancing left at Ji Yeying and right at Ji Jinfei, feeling utterly defeated. "You... you guys..."

The manager patted Lei Jiuping on the shoulder and said, "Jiuping, if you want to keep up with them, you have to go through this. You've got a lot to learn." He then turned to Ji Yeying and remarked, "Your student really complements you perfectly."

Ji Yeying chuckled and said, "Of course, that's my student. Lei, let me be clear. If you don't pay up, you can't come with us. And if we decide to leave you behind, it would be easy. You'd end up with nothing."

Lei Jiuping, feeling mentally and physically exhausted from their tricks, could only smile wryly and say, "Fine, I'll pay. I made some money hunting demons with my dad, so I can afford it. My goodness, what kind of people have I gotten myself involved with?"

Ji Jinfei seized the moment, throwing an arm around Lei Jiuping's shoulder. "Don't forget, Lei, you have to try to win me over 99 times without repeating yourself. Better start thinking!" She laughed heartily, stirring a mix of frustration and resignation in Lei Jiuping, who couldn't retaliate due to losing a bet.

After resting at the Demon Suppressing Association for the night, the three set out the next day to find Lee Jiaxiang, who hadn't joined them earlier. Once they reached the city and found him, Ji Jinfei immediately rushed forward to hug him.

"Brother, I've missed you so much!" Ji Jinfei shouted as she lunged.

Lee Jiaxiang, anticipating this move, sidestepped just in time, leaving Ji Jinfei hugging air. He patted his chest and said, "Good thing I was prepared. Oh, Master, who is this?"

Yeying smiled and said, "So, this is your junior, right? We'll be taking him with us for now. After all, we got the antidote from him, so we owe him some effort."

"Oh," Lee Jiaxiang replied, noticing Yeying's cheerful expression. He thought for a moment and then joked, "Master, did you take his money again? Judging by your face, it seems like this time it's more than what you got from me."

Yeying blushed slightly at Jiaxiang's comment and retorted, "Mind your own business. Don't forget, you joined me the same way. You should know, many people want to be my apprentice but can't. You all got a discount."

Jiaxiang laughed heartily, already having figured things out. Just then, he felt a gust of wind behind him and realized Ji Jinfei was silently sneaking up. He quickly ducked down.

Sure enough, Jinfei was attacking from behind, confident in her success and using all her strength. Unexpectedly, Jiaxiang ducked just in time. Yeying, standing in front of Jiaxiang, saw Jinfei coming and redirected her earlier annoyance at Jiaxiang towards Jinfei.

With a swift punch, she struck Jinfei on the head, making a loud "thud" as Jinfei fell heavily to the ground, tears in her eyes. "Why are you all ready for my moves now? That's not fair," she complained.

Lei Jiuping, following Yeying, watched Jinfei's predicament with a hint of schadenfreude. He teased, "Jinfei, what happened? Why are you down so fast? That's not good."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jinfei, who was lying on the ground, suddenly sprang up and tackled him to the ground, shouting, "You dare to laugh at me, kid? Let me give you a kiss to vent my anger." With that, she leaned in towards Jiuping.

"Help!" Lei Jiuping dodged Ji Jinfei's attack while trying to fend her off with his hands.

Ji Yeying had long given up on controlling them. Ji Jinfei was usually manageable, but adding Lee Jiaxiang into the mix made things lively enough. With Lei Jiuping now in the picture, it was downright chaotic. It seemed like there would be plenty of trouble ahead.

Lee Jiaxiang asked from the sidelines, "Master, does this mean we can finally go to that Demonic Seed Cave? Is my teacher going to be okay?"

Ji Yeying nodded. Ji Jinfei had been at it for a while, but her strength wasn't enough to overpower Lei Jiuping, who eventually got away. Realizing she couldn't catch him, Ji Jinfei huffed, jumped up, and said, "Junior, I got the antidote. Aren't you going to thank your senior sister?"

"No way," Lee Jiaxiang replied firmly, glancing at her. "Even if you got it, I've already paid for it. So, Master will save them regardless of whether I thank you or not."

"You..." Ji Jinfei was so frustrated by his words that she stomped her foot.

Lei Jiuping finally came over and introduced himself to Lee Jiaxiang. The two quickly became familiar with each other. When it comes to guys, it's easy to get along.

Lee Jiaxiang put an arm around Lei Jiuping's shoulder and said, "You should practice dodging your senior sister's attacks more often. She's been at it for years. Once you get some experience, we can exchange tips."

Lei Jiuping nodded eagerly, "Sure thing, I'll definitely listen to you."

"Watch out!" Lee Jiaxiang suddenly pushed Lei Jiuping aside, and they both moved quickly. As expected, Ji Jinfei lunged at them but missed. She spun in the air and landed gracefully, turning to Lee Jiaxiang with a cold look. "Junior, you're quite skilled, knowing your senior sister so well."

Lee Jiaxiang chuckled, "Gotta stay alive, you know."

Ji Jinfei gritted her teeth and lunged forward again, joining the fray with the others.