C23 The First Day of Work.

Ding, ding, ding.

The sound of the doorbell echoed through the house.

Bai Jiuyan quickly turned off the stove and dashed to the living room to answer the door.

There stood Mo Fann, inhaling deeply with a look of pleasant surprise.

"Wow, that smells amazing! Looks like my wife's culinary skills are on the rise again!"

A little child with black hair and eyes mimicked Mo Fann, taking a sniff.

"Wow, C-Cousin, that smells delicious."

For a moment, Bai Jiuyan didn't recognize the child. But then, recognition dawned as she identified the little lizard demon from the previous day in his features.

"He... How did he change so much? I nearly didn't recognize him," Bai Jiuyan admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Mo Fann gave the little lizard demon's shoulder a pat and grinned.

"I had him use the finest hair dye and the top-notch contact lenses. Cost me a pretty penny, but for your cousin, it's worth every cent."

Bai Jiuyan was overwhelmed with gratitude. She embraced Mo Fann, then ushered them inside. She hurried back to the kitchen to serve the soup she had been simmering for hours.

As Bai Xiyi sipped the soup, his eyes shone brighter, a hint of green flickering within the dark pools.

Mo Fann noticed the change and felt a twinge of concern. "Honey, what kind of meat did you use?"

Bai Jiuyan looked puzzled. "Ah? Just that big chunk you had in the freezer. I only used a part of it."

Mo Fann's hand flew to his forehead. "Oh no, I hope this little sprite can handle such rich fare."

Post-dinner, Mo Fann escorted the little demon to bathe.

Rolling up his sleeves, he caught sight of the dragon scales on the child's wrist and sighed, wishing he could unsee them. "Damn... it's so hard to keep pretending I don't know."

Left with no alternative, he set up the bathwater, instructed the little demon to take a dip, and turned a blind eye.

Bai Xiyi fixed his now intensely dark eyes, accentuated by the contacts, on Mo Fann.

"Brother-in-law, why aren't you asking me?"

Mo Fann feigned ignorance, scratching his head. "Ah? Ask what?"

Bai Xiyi presented his wrist, the green dragon scales shimmering with moisture.

"This."

Mo Fann chuckled awkwardly. "Haha... This... some new fad for the alternative kids?"

Bai Xiyi kept his gaze steady. "You know, don't you? You're also aware of the Second Miss's situation, but you pretend otherwise because you don't want her to worry?"

Mo Fann slapped his forehead again, feigning realization. "Ah, I need to go help your sister with the dishes. You finish up here, and just holler if you need anything."

With that, he hastily exited and shut the bathroom door behind him with a definitive snap.

The following morning, Mo Fann was up with the sun.

It wasn't a reluctance to sleep in; rather, the little tyke had thrown off his schedule the night before. His plan to delve into the details of the upcoming Hunting Competition had been sidelined.

He was well aware that he'd get a thorough briefing at the office later, but he preferred to be well-informed on his own terms.

Since last night was a bust, he decided to use the early hours to catch up on his research.

He settled into the study and powered up his computer.

He had just typed "hunting party" into the search engine when a deluge of information cascaded across the screen. That's when Bai Xiyi materialized out of nowhere beside him. Sipping from a glass bottle of milk with his forked tongue, Xiyi joined Mo Fann in perusing the displayed content before giving Mo Fann a once-over.

"Oh..." Mo Fann jumped, instinctively shielding the screen.

"Oh, what?" Xiyi kept drinking his milk nonchalantly.

"Nothing, relax. I won't spill the beans to my sister."

Mo Fann was torn between amusement and exasperation.

"What would you tell her?"

Bai Xiyi gave a grave nod.

"Everything."

...

Dreadful. The weight of the early morning workday loomed large.

Arriving at the base of the Galaxy Club, Mo Fann heaved a deep sigh. He resolved to put the inexplicably appearing little pest from home out of his mind and concentrate on the job at hand. After changing in the restroom, he emerged with a renewed sense of purpose, exuding an air of mystery and refined aloofness as he ascended to the 13th floor.

He rapped on Loong Cangyun's office door—no response. Puzzled, Mo Fann retraced his steps. Abruptly, a gust of wind swooped down from above. Narrowing his eyes, Mo Fann reacted with a frosty countenance, thrusting his hand upward. An elephantine shadow burst forth, soaring towards the ceiling. A pained cry echoed from above, followed by a body tumbling down to land at Mo Fann's feet, squawking in distress.

"Elder Yun, save me!" The voice was grating, akin to a duck's quack.

In the next instant, a ripple of water materialized in the air, launching a volley of ice blades at Mo Fann. He scoffed. A flick of his left hand summoned indigo bolts of lightning, pulverizing the ice into shards before striking the watery ripple.

It was common knowledge—water conducts electricity superbly.

The ripple quivered erratically, then was swiftly withdrawn by a slender, jade-like hand that had been concealed behind it. The owner of the hand was a frigid beauty, her gaze icy, dressed in a martial arts uniform with hair cascading down her back, her demeanor haughty. She frowned at Mo Fann, her right hand twitching uncontrollably behind her due to the electrical discharge.

Mo Fann let out a contemptuous hum.

"Loong Cangyun, no more skulking in the shadows. Was this the welcome party you mentioned yesterday?"

The elevator doors opened to the 13th floor once more. Loong Cangyun and Xuanyuan Changhai emerged, laughing heartily and applauding.

"What's the matter? Didn't I tell you we had a new ace joining us? You doubted and insisted on a test, and now you've reaped the consequences, haven't you?"

The man with the abrasive duck-like voice, sporting a hedgehog hairstyle, approached Loong Cangyun, clutching his belly and looking pitiful.

"Elder Yun, you can't fault us for our skepticism. We spent ages earning our spots on this team. Now you drop a new member on us out of the blue, and we're not supposed to vet him?"

The ice queen simply leaned against the wall, quietly assessing Mo Fann in his black robe.

Loong Cangyun approached Mo Fann with a smile, ready for introductions.

"This chatty fellow is Wind. He's mastered the Wind Fist Technique, focusing on speed. His fighting style is, well, rather unorthodox. Try not to let him lead you astray."

"This quiet beauty, known as Bingling, specializes in the Water Element. Her combat style and techniques are ever-changing and unpredictable. She's the second-ranked gold hunter on the Galaxy Club's long-term earnings leaderboard."

Mo Fann had already surmised that these two were team members sent to size him up, so their arrival didn't catch him off guard.