C40 Members of the Jing Family

Jiao Yuanju felt a surge of warmth. At the academy, the only person who seemed to treat him with genuine care was this seemingly goofy, chubby guy. Despite his penchant for food and a bit of laziness, his heart was in the right place. Jiao Yuanju truly valued this kind of friendship.

"Fatty, here's your money!" Jiao Yuanju said with a smile to Jing Haokuo.

Jing Haokuo was puzzled by Jiao Yuanju's remark when his phone suddenly rang. He checked it and found a deposit of forty thousand Alliance Coins.

"Boss!" Jing Haokuo gasped in astonishment.

"You've earned it," Jiao Yuanju said with a grin. "Treat yourself to a nice meal at home. We're going to make even more money in the future!"

Moved to the brink of tears, Jing Haokuo realized he had never experienced such genuine kindness in his life.

After wiping away his tears and nodding firmly, Jing Haokuo bid farewell to Jiao Yuanju and headed home.

Strolling through the streets, Jiao Yuanju quietly monitored the blood points accruing in his system. The pace of earning them seemed painfully slow.

He pondered when to take on missions from the military, hoping to venture beyond the city walls with Shadow Tiger and Eoldrai to hunt Mutant Beasts.

"Go and tie her up!"

As he passed a side street, Jiao Yuanju's attention was caught by a man's harsh shout echoing from a distant alley. He halted abruptly.

"Who's there?"

Night had fallen, leaving only the streetlights to pierce the darkness. Due to resource scarcity, many secluded alleys lay in shadow.

Jiao Yuanju wasn't one to pry into others' affairs, but as he was about to leave, a woman's pained moan reached his ears—a sound eerily familiar to him.

He ventured down the alley where the dim light revealed a group of five or six men, metal blades in hand, blocking the exit. They were clearly up to no good.

Through the gloom, Jiao Yuanju could just make out a slender woman dressed in black, encircled by the men.

Jing Pengzu, with a swift kick, sent a massive spider flying. Clutching his blade-sliced shoulder, he seethed, "So you'll only obey after I've killed your Combat Pet, is that it?"

Five or six gray wolves encircled the large spider, poised to rip it to shreds at their master's command.

The girl's voice was icy as she declared, "If Jing Hongqian dares harbor any malevolent thoughts toward me again, I won't hesitate to kill him next time, regardless of his status!"

"How dare you insult the young master like that!"

"I say we just tie her up and bring her back. Let the young master deal with her himself. He'll be thrilled tonight, haha!"

The Jing family members ogled the girl's striking figure unabashedly, their eyes alight with lust and mockery. In Krukshire, there was nothing the Jing family wouldn't dare to do.

A wolf's agonized howl pierced the air as a massive tiger, emerging from nowhere, clamped its jaws around a gray wolf's throat, silencing it instantly.

Startled by the abrupt turn of events, the men hastily backed away, exclaiming in alarm, "A tiger-type Mutant Beast!"

Before they could say more, another gray wolf met its end as a shadowy tiger tore open its belly. After a few pitiful cries, it lay dead.

Panic set in among the Jing family members. "Could there be two wolves? Scatter!"

Xie Ziyu, who had been on the brink of despair, watched the scene unfold with astonishment. Someone was rescuing her!

Despite her young age, Xie Ziyu's mind was astoundingly mature. Seizing the moment of chaos, she swiftly stowed her Combat Pet into its bag. With a burst of speed, she pressed her hand onto a Jing family member's head and, like a graceful butterfly, flitted past their defenses and out of the alley.

Outside, she encountered an unexpected ally and exclaimed, "Jiao Yuanju!"

Jiao Yuanju offered her a reassuring smile and said firmly, "Leave them to me."

Xie Ziyu quickly cautioned him, "Jiao Yuanju, please, don't act rashly. They're from martial families with formidable individual strength, on par with Mutant Beasts. Eoldrai won't be able to handle them!"

Jiao Yuanju didn't reply but strode forward with determination.

Meanwhile, the six men, grappling with the Shadow Tiger, realized the truth amidst their shock. "The Shadow Tiger! Can it really contend with all of us at once? It must have a shadow clone. Someone's helping that girl escape. Don't let her get away!"

Two individuals immediately dashed out of the alley, intent on pursuing Xie Ziyu.

Yet, they came to an abrupt halt, eyeing Jiao Yuanju with suspicion as he strolled in at a leisurely pace. They scoffed, "Kid, who do you think you are? If you value your life, you'd better beat it!"

With a devilish grin, Jiao Yuanju stretched his newly toughened frame, the result of evolving into the Asura Combat Body, and replied coolly, "Apologies, but I'm actually in the mood for a near-death experience. How about we throw down?"