Chrysanthemum Douluo, Yue Guan, finally couldn't hold it in any longer.
With a flick of his orchid fingers and a flash of movement, he rushed forward in a single stride, his expression twisted into one of pure grievance—like a wronged little wife who had been misunderstood by the world.
"Senior!" he cried, his voice trembling with emotion. "When it comes to cultivating flowers and herbs, Junior may not dare to claim I'm the absolute best on the entire Douluo Continent—but I'm definitely among the top!"
He jabbed a finger at his own nose, eyes wide and sincere, radiating an almost desperate urgency.
"I can also take care of your Immortal Herbs! I swear I'll be meticulous, attentive, and wholehearted!"
Then, as if afraid Lin Feng might still doubt his sincerity, he hurriedly added, almost blurting it out:
"And—and I don't want any compensation!"
Lin Feng remained silent.
That silence was like a blade hanging over Yue Guan's head.
Seeing no immediate response, Chrysanthemum Douluo clenched his teeth hard. His face contorted as if he had made the most painful decision of his life. He stomped his foot, took a deep breath, and declared something that instantly shattered everyone's common sense.
"No—forget compensation!" he shouted. "I… I'm even willing to pay to work!"
Boom!
The phrase "pay to work" struck the crowd like an invisible sledgehammer.
It smashed straight into the foreheads of everyone gathered at the entrance of Feng Ran Pavilion.
For a brief, surreal moment, time itself seemed to freeze.
No one spoke.
No one breathed.
Every pair of eyes stared blankly at Yue Guan, as if they were collectively questioning reality.
Qian Daoliu's usually solemn and majestic old face twitched violently. His pupils shrank, and his expression was filled with pure, unfiltered confusion.
He had lived for over a hundred years. He had seen the rise and fall of empires, the birth and death of gods, and countless bizarre events.
But this?
This was far beyond his understanding.
A Titled Douluo… paying to work?
What kind of demonic operation was this?!
Ning Fengzhi's hand trembled, and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda staff slipped from his grasp, clattering loudly against the ground. Yet he didn't even notice.
He stared at Yue Guan's tragic, resolute expression—one that screamed "As long as you give me a job, I'll do anything"—and felt his brain slowly shutting down.
Devil Bear Douluo scratched the back of his head with his massive paw, his brows knitted tightly as he leaned toward Ghost Leopard Douluo.
"Did… did I hear that right?" he muttered in disbelief.
"Elder Ju wants to give money to the Senior… so that the Senior will let him work?"
Ghost Leopard Douluo's lips twitched violently. He stared at Yue Guan for several seconds, then silently nodded, his eyes filled with complicated emotions.
Even Dugu Bo, who had just been basking in relief from surviving disaster and joy over his granddaughter's Spirit evolution, stood dumbfounded.
He looked at his longtime rival as if he were seeing him for the first time.
Among everyone present, only Ghost Douluo remained relatively calm.
He watched his partner of several decades once again say something shocking enough to overturn the heavens. All he could do was let out a long, weary sigh and raise a hand to his forehead.
He was used to it.
Truly used to it.
Ever since following this mysterious Senior, Yue Guan's thought process had long since galloped down a path completely incomprehensible to ordinary people—and there was no stopping him anymore.
As for Lin Feng, the very center of this storm…
Even he was stunned.
Moments ago, he had been quietly pleased at having "recruited" Ye Lingshuang at an extremely low cost. But now, that faint sense of satisfaction was instantly obliterated by Yue Guan's thunderous declaration.
He felt scorched on the outside and tender on the inside.
Lin Feng reclined comfortably in his lounge chair, Zhu Zhuyun's soft, ample curves supporting his head from behind. He casually chewed on the grapes Hu Liena fed him, his gaze drifting lazily toward Chrysanthemum Douluo.
That look—
It was as if he were observing a severely ill patient who had escaped from a mental asylum and proudly declared he no longer needed treatment.
Is this guy… seriously sick in the head?
Lin Feng found himself pondering a very practical question.
If he really agreed and took Yue Guan's money… what would people in Spirit City think of him?
A black-hearted capitalist?
A ruthless divine being exploiting Titled Douluo labor?
Just imagining that rumor spreading was enough to make Lin Feng feel his dignity had been gravely insulted.
Seeing that Lin Feng still hadn't responded, Yue Guan grew even more anxious. In his panic, he pushed himself further down this abyss.
"Senior!" he exclaimed fervently. "Not only can I pay to work, I can also travel across the continent to collect rare and exotic herbs for you!"
As he spoke, he puffed out his chest proudly, as if presenting an unbeatable résumé.
"I'll personally transplant them into your garden! I guarantee variety, quality, and uniqueness!"
Lin Feng: "..."
He felt a familiar pressure building behind his temples.
His blood pressure was rising.
Rapidly.
"Cough. Cough."
Lin Feng cleared his throat twice, forcibly interrupting Yue Guan's enthusiastic self-promotion before it could spiral any further out of control.
He straightened slightly, adopting a calm, inscrutable posture, and waved his hand lazily.
"I appreciate your enthusiasm."
At those words, Chrysanthemum Douluo's effeminate face instantly lit up like a blooming chrysanthemum in spring.
"As for paying to work," Lin Feng continued indifferently, "that won't be necessary."
"My restaurant isn't so destitute that employees have to pay just to be employed."
His gaze swept slowly across the crowd, carrying an invisible weight.
"Since you also have some understanding of flowers and plants, you can work together with Ye Lingshuang to take care of the Immortal Herbs."
"As long as your performance satisfies me, your rewards will naturally be plentiful."
The verdict was delivered.
The dust settled.
Goal—successfully achieved.
"Thank you, Senior! Thank you, Senior!"
Yue Guan was so overwhelmed with joy that he nearly dropped to his knees again, only to be yanked back upright by Ghost Douluo, who truly couldn't bear to watch anymore.
Thus, an absurd farce surrounding a job position finally came to an end at the entrance of Feng Ran Pavilion.
However—
While this ridiculous comedy played out among humans…
In another place, far removed from laughter.
Within a sealed and ancient subspace, an interrogation far more absurd—and far more dangerous—was quietly unfolding.
Star Dou Great Forest — Core Subspace
A massive silver dragon head lowered slowly from the void.
Its enormous purple dragon eyes shimmered with stars, galaxies, and the birth and destruction of worlds themselves.
Cold. Detached. Absolute.
The Silver Dragon King gazed emotionlessly at the kneeling figure below—a being with a pig's head and a battered, miserable appearance.
"So," her ethereal voice echoed throughout the entire space, calm yet terrifying,
"you're telling me…"
"The source of that unfamiliar yet powerful dragon aura I ordered you to investigate—"
"…belongs to a human's Spirit?"
Di Tian endured the stinging pain on his face and the deafening ringing in his head. He nodded frantically, like a chick pecking at rice.
"Yes, my Lord! Absolutely!"
The Silver Dragon King continued, her voice steady.
"And while you were pursuing that human with the dragon Spirit, you suddenly encountered six Super Douluo…"
"…and nearly twenty Titled Douluo, all gathered in one place?"
Di Tian nodded again, this time even more solemnly.
"And you," she went on, a faint, strange undertone creeping into her words,
"believed that humanity's forces had grown too powerful, posing a massive threat to the Soul Beast Clan…"
"…so you decided to strike first, intending to carry out a 'cleansing'?"
Di Tian nodded fiercely.
"Then," the Silver Dragon King said slowly,
"just as you were about to act, that mysterious Divinity appeared."
"And at that moment, you realized everything was a trap. That this entire situation was a snare deliberately laid out for you."
"Exactly!" Di Tian exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.
At last! His Lord understood!
He slapped his thigh excitedly, his battered face filled with admiration.
"That's precisely what I thought at the time! Everything was far too coincidental! It had to be a scheme by those cunning Divinities!"
The Silver Dragon King narrowed her vast, star-filled eyes.
Silence fell for a moment as she organized her thoughts.
"And then," she said softly,
"he suppressed you. Didn't kill you."
"Instead, he interrogated you repeatedly about my whereabouts."
"He even captured Zi Ji to threaten you."
"Cruelly injured her."
"And you," her voice deepened,
"even after being beaten into your current miserable state…"
"…still refused to yield."
"…vowing to protect my secret to the death."
Her gaze locked onto Di Tian.
Cold.
Piercing.
Absolute.