Don't mess with that necromancer; his summoned creatures level up on their own!

Lu Zhixing looked at the scroll in Shen Yifeng's hand, which was interwoven with wind and thunder.

His gaze lingered for a moment on the blue-purple electric light flowing across the surface of the scroll.

The material of the scroll looks like some kind of specially treated spirit beast skin.

The surface is covered with fine rune patterns.

The energies of wind and lightning intertwine and collide on the surface of the scroll.

He asked a question.

"Captain Shen, how does your guard team usually handle these things?"

Shen Yifeng burst into laughter, the sound echoing across the empty land outside the carriage.

"Hahaha. According to regulations, any extra loot obtained during field escort missions is generally disposed of by our escort team."

"If any guild or individual wants to acquire it, that's our decision."

"Anyway, you just need to register it when reporting to the system; the process isn't complicated."

Lu Zhixing breathed a sigh of relief. Since it was an unclaimed item that he could dispose of himself, everything was negotiable.

He put his hands in his pockets and relaxed his posture a bit.

"Captain Shen, name your price, I'll buy it."

Shen Yifeng shook his head, his movements swift and decisive.

He handed the scroll directly to Lu Zhixing, who held it horizontally between his fingertips.

His tone was serious and sincere.

"What are you buying? Take it! If it weren't for the help of your Dragon Order Class, not only would we lose this reel, but the lives of everyone on this bus would probably be lost here."

"Did you see the size of that beast tide just now? With our guard team's limited manpower, we can only hold off three waves at most."

"Your skill set directly pierced through the core of the beast tide, which saved the hundreds of people on the train behind you."

"You deserve the greatest credit, so it's only right that these spoils be yours."

He knew perfectly well—it wasn't just out of gratitude.

Shen Yifeng had worked in the guard team for more than ten years and had seen at least eighty to a hundred geniuses.

But for someone like Lu Zhixing, his intuition told him he had to seize the opportunity.

A three-elemental summoner can solo a beast horde at level 20.

At a critical moment, they turned the tide and rushed into the heart of the beast tide, tearing open a breach.

With this potential, he could at least become a deity-level figure in the future.

It's much more worthwhile to save face and build good relationships now than to sell this hot potato for money.

He added a sentence.

"Besides, the wind and thunder attributes on this scroll are incompatible with my greatsword. I couldn't use it even if I had it; it would just be a decoration. It's better to give it to someone like you who can use it."

Lu Zhixing did not reach out to take it.

His hands were still in his pockets, and his body leaned back slightly.

"One thing at a time. Without you guys holding the line, I wouldn't have had the environment to produce this."

"How long did your guards hold out when that wave of beasts rushed in? I saw it; everyone was risking their lives. I can't let them take it for nothing."

He is not short of money.

He couldn't even spend all the pocket money Shen Jing gave him each month, plus the prize money from previous rounds of assessments and competitions.

Even he himself found the numbers on his card a bit dazzling.

Problems that can be solved with money are not problems.

The hardest debts to repay are those of people, and today I've taken this scroll from Shen Yifeng.

If someone asks for your help another day, will you help them or not?

If you can buy it, why owe someone a favor?

Shen Yifeng tried to force it on, pushing his hand forward another half inch.

"You're being too polite! We're soldiers, protecting our country is our duty. We're lucky to have survived, why would we care about such a small thing? Take it!"

Lu Zhixing took half a step back, the heel of his boot grinding against the mud.

"Captain Shen, if you don't take the money, this thing will burn my hands."

"Our brothers have families to support too. Many of them got injured this time. I saw Xiao Liu from your team get scratched on the arm by a monster's claw, and blood was dripping down his sleeve, but he didn't even groan."

"Follow-up treatment and resettlement expenses all cost money. If I take this, are you going to let the brothers starve? Alright, stop refusing."

"If you don't agree, I don't want this scroll anymore."

Shen Yifeng looked into Lu Zhixing's firm eyes, eyes devoid of politeness or pretense, only a serious "I mean what I say" attitude.

A warm feeling welled up in his heart.

This young man is not only highly capable, but also meticulous in his work.

He sighed, his shoulders slumped slightly, as if he had finally given up on the idea of ​​forcing it on him.

"Alright, since you've said so, let's follow the old rules for random groups and have everyone bid."

"Whoever bids the highest gets the loot, and the remaining spoils are split equally among the others. This is the standard way we divide the loot when running random raids within our escort team; it's fair and reasonable."

Lu Zhixing nodded.

"Alright, I'll offer 30 million Chinese Yuan!"

Xiao Liu was drinking water when he suddenly spat it out.

"puff--"

He choked twice, frantically wiping the water off his chin, his eyes wide open.

The surrounding guards stared wide-eyed, some with their mouths agape, others subconsciously reaching for their pay cards in their uniform pockets.

They suspect they have heard it wrong.

Thirty million? Just one student? He just casually mentions thirty million?

These temple scrolls are almost never seen on the market.

These items are usually circulated privately among top guilds or wealthy families, with only one occasionally leaking out.

It was also in one of those multi-story auction halls, where people sitting in private boxes were holding up paddleboards and trying to undercut each other's prices.

For these guards who earn a fixed salary to support their families, this thing is a legend, on par with "property deeds on the moon".

Thirty million—that's the money they could save up over ten years without eating or drinking.

Shen Yifeng hurriedly tried to decline, even pulling the reel in his hand back slightly.

"That's too much... At market price, something like this would normally cost around ten or twenty million."

Lu Zhixing waved his hand, interrupting him: "Not many."

"This scroll is priceless; if you were to put it up for auction, you might not even be able to get it for thirty million. And—"

He turned and glanced at the guards' uniforms, which were still covered in dust and bloodstains.

Those people still had the fatigue of having just gone through a fierce battle and the relaxation that came after the tension had subsided.

"This is also to calm the brothers down. We all risked our lives in this battle, we can't go back empty-handed, can we?"

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over Su Youran, Su Lin, and Song Xiaohe behind him.

"According to the bidding process, has anyone raised the price?"

Su Youran crossed her arms and tilted her head slightly.

"I'm an ice-type, and you expect me to burn this wind and thunder scroll as scrap paper? I guess it might even be good for starting a fire."

Su Lin shrugged, her twin ponytails swaying slightly.

"I'm a support character, you can't use me even if you give it to me. What would a priest like me need a Wind and Thunder Scroll for? To prop up a table leg?"

Song Xiaohe shook her head.

"I'm a light-elemental knight, I don't need it, and... I can't afford it..."

Lu Zhixing then looked towards the guard team.

"Who else? Feel free to add them, don't be shy."

Everyone looked at each other.

Price increase?

Are you kidding me? You're asking for 30 million right off the bat. How are we supposed to add more?

Who can come up with so much working capital?

How much do they earn in a month?

Even if seven people pool their money, the total amount probably wouldn't even amount to a fraction of 30 million.

Someone coughed lightly, someone else looked away pretending to admire the scenery, but no one spoke.

Shen Yifeng stood there for three seconds, and after confirming that no one was willing to raise the price, he announced.

"Alright, no one's bidding higher, this scroll is for Lu."

Lu Zhixing was decisive and didn't procrastinate.

He took the scroll from Shen Yifeng's hand, and when his fingertips touched the leather surface, he could feel a slight tingling sensation coming from his palm.

The energy of wind and thunder danced on his skin and then calmed down.

He deftly and neatly put the roll into his backpack.

Then he took out his phone from his pocket, asked Shen Yifeng for a bank card number, and transferred the money on the spot.

When he looked down at his phone, his thumb tapped the screen quickly a few times, and his finger didn't hesitate when entering the amount.

"bite--"

Less than half a minute later, Shen Yifeng's phone vibrated, the screen lit up, and a bank transfer notification popped up.

He glanced down and saw that the string of zeros was so long that he had to count it twice to confirm the number of digits.

His hand trembled slightly as his fingertips rubbed the edge of the phone.

He raised his head, solemnly saluted, his palm held up to his eyebrows, his back ramrod straight.

"Then... thank you, Young Master Lu."

The team members behind him saluted in unison, seven or eight hands raised to their eyebrows at the same time, their movements so synchronized as if they had rehearsed.

Their eyes were filled with gratitude and awe as they looked at Lu Zhixing.

We are grateful that he offered a price far exceeding the market price, allowing everyone to receive a substantial subsidy;

I have awe for the strength and composure he displayed in that chaotic situation.

A student who moves like the wind through a horde of beasts and is so generous and efficient in distributing the spoils of war is destined to be extraordinary.

Lu Zhixing's cell phone suddenly rang.

The sound of the bell was exceptionally clear in the open field; it was a light and cheerful melody.

He took it out and saw that the screen displayed the word "Mom".

He swiped to answer the phone: "Hello, Mom."

On the other end of the phone came Shen Jing's anxious, almost tearful voice, speaking at an alarming pace.

"Zhixing! Son! Are you alright?! I just received news that your train was attacked by a massive beast horde! Were you injured?"

"Say something! You're driving your mother crazy! I've been calling you nonstop! You just got through!"

Lu Zhixing felt a warmth in his heart, a warmth that spread from his chest to his limbs, dispelling the slight chill that lingered after the battle.

He smiled and softened his voice.

"Mom, I'm fine, I'm perfectly alright. I can still answer the phone, can't you see? Look how strong my voice is."

Shen Jing was not comforted by his relaxed attitude and continued to urge him on impatiently.

"Turn on your camera right now! Let me see you! Your words don't count; I need to see it with my own eyes to be sure!"

Lu Zhixing opened the video call, held the phone up to his face, and waved it at himself.

Apart from a little dust on his face and his hair being a bit messier than usual, he appeared completely unharmed on the screen.

He then turned the camera around and scanned the crowd around him.

Su Lin was squatting on the ground, poking at the charred remains of a monster with her finger. When she was filmed, she looked up and waved at the camera.

Song Xiaohe stood next to him, leaned over and gave the camera a reassuring smile;

Su Youran stood a little distance away, her silver spear stuck in the ground, and she nodded slightly at the camera.

The guards were cleaning up the mess when someone gave a thumbs-up towards the phone.

Lu Zhixing turned the phone back to face himself.

"Mom, look, everyone's fine. The crisis is over. We took down that boss, and the beast tide has receded."

In the video, Shen Jing is dressed in a business suit, and the background is a high-end conference room.

You can see the outline of tall buildings and a corner of a dark wood conference table outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Her eyes were slightly red, but when she saw her son's face, her tension finally eased a little.

Su Lin leaned over and waved at the camera, her voice full of energy.

"Hello, Auntie! I'm Lu Zhixing's classmate! We're all fine! He was really amazing just now, all by himself—"

Lu Zhixing nudged her lightly with his elbow, and Su Lin cried out "Ouch!" while clutching her ribs.

Song Xiaohe also leaned over, her voice carrying her unique gentleness.

"Auntie, I'm fine too... We're all together."

Su Youran stood a little distance away and nodded slightly at the camera. The gesture was small, but polite enough.

Shen Jing breathed a sigh of relief.

"That scared me to death...it really scared me to death. Your dad, that blockhead, I was the one who got the news first; he's still in the military camp and doesn't know anything about it."

"If anything happens to you, how will your father and I live...?"

Lu Zhixing reassured him.

"Don't worry, Mom, what could possibly happen to me? I'm your own son, I'm tough as nails."

"Besides, I have a healer, a tank, and a damage dealer on my side; the teamwork is excellent."

Lu Zhixing said into the phone, "By the way, Mom, I need to tell you something."

"That boss just dropped a Wind and Thunder Temple scroll, the kind that drops combo materials."

"I discussed it with the brothers in the guard team, and we bought it for thirty million. Can you give me your opinion—is it worth the price?"

Shen Jing's eyes lit up instantly.

"A temple scroll? Worth it! Absolutely worth it! A scroll like this would fetch at least 30 million at auction, let alone 30 million!"

"High-grade materials of the Wind and Thunder element are extremely scarce on the market right now, especially those dropped by temples; they are the kind that are valuable but unavailable."

"You absolutely deserve to buy this! Buy as many of these great things as you can! Just tell Mom if you need more money!"

She paused and then added,

"However, you need to pay attention to the expiration date of the scrolls. Some temple scrolls have an expiration period, so use them as soon as you get them."

Lu Zhixing smiled, and the last trace of doubt he had about the price completely disappeared.

"Okay, that's good. I have just enough money in my card to pay, so I don't have any debts."

"Mom, please transfer some more money to me later, otherwise I won't be able to afford food at school. I heard the food in the cafeteria is quite expensive."

Shen Jing waved her hand.

"Oh, it's no big deal. I'll have the finance department transfer 80 million to your account later. If that's not enough, ask for more. Buy whatever you want, don't deprive yourself."

"As long as you're safe, money is just paper!"

She added another sentence after she finished speaking.

"Also, send me a screenshot of that scroll. I'll have someone from the association help me assess its condition so I don't get fooled."

Those around them listened to the conversation between the mother and son and looked at each other in bewilderment.

Su Lin's mouth formed an "O" shape, and the empty water bottle in Xiao Liu's hand fell to the ground with a "thud." Even Su Youran raised an eyebrow slightly.

Is this the world of the rich?

Thirty million is a bargain, eighty million is pocket money, and an eight-figure sum can be easily obtained with a casual transfer. It can be described as "asking for more if it's not enough".

Lu Zhixing hung up the phone, the screen went dark, and he put the phone back in his pocket.

As soon as I hung up, I felt the stares from those around me.

Su Lin's eyes shone like two light bulbs, while the others looked at her with a mixture of confusion ("Did I just hear that right?") and envy ("Is this really true?").

He touched his nose and coughed lightly: "Cough... What's wrong?"

Su Lin leaned closer with a fawning expression, clasping her hands together under her chin.

"Rich guy, looking for a powerful companion! I can shout '666' and give buffs, could you spare some pocket money for me?"

"I don't need much, just a few hundred thousand will do!"

Lu Zhixing rolled his eyes and flicked her forehead.

"Go away, little kid, go play somewhere else."

A tremendous roar came from the sky.

As everyone looked up, they saw cracks cut into the distant clouds, and a dark mass of armed transport planes emerged from the gaps.

The indicator lights on the wings flashed red dots in the sunlight.

Three transport planes flew in formation, with weapons bays mounted under their bellies.

The propellers churned the air, creating gusts of air that pressed down from the sky, causing everyone's hair and clothes to fly backward.

Looking up at the three transport planes getting closer and closer, Xiao Liu sighed, his voice filled with a sense of relief at surviving a disaster.

"Reinforcements...have finally arrived."

Although the crisis has been resolved, seeing the rapid and powerful support still fills me with a sense of security.

He recognized the markings on those planes; they belonged to the emergency response force of the Dachang City Defense Army's Liaison Office in Kyoto.

It will take at least forty minutes for them to fly over.

They arrived in forty minutes, which is quite fast.

Shen Yifeng straightened his uniform, patted the dust off his sleeves, and turned to Lu Zhixing.

"Lu, let's go and report the situation to headquarters."

"As a core combatant in this battle, you need to be present to give a statement and clearly explain the course of the battle."

He paused, then added.

"You don't need to worry about anything. Our guard team will vouch for you, and your achievements will be recorded in your file."