"Come in." Qin Ming covered the official documents on his desk and straightened his back.

  "Lord Qin, it’s been a while. I trust you've been well?" Mu Qianqiu walked into the room, led by a guard.

  "Mu Qianqiu? You’re not holed up at the Mercenary Guild? What brings you to my doorstep?" Qin Ming set down his pen, pressing it firmly against the documents.

  "Easy, easy. Don't reach for your weapon. I didn't come here for a fight today," Mu Qianqiu said, quickly waving his hands in a dismissive gesture.

  The City Lord’s Mansion and the Mercenary Guild were far from partners. In fact, due to past friction between their leadership, the two entities were often at odds.

  "Then why are you here?" Qin Ming stood up slowly, his voice steady and commanding.

  "To tell you something I’m certain you won't want to hear," Mu Qianqiu replied. A slight smirk played on his lips as he pointed a finger toward the world outside Cloud Mist City.

  "The Cloud Mist Forest. A Beast Tide is coming."

  "Is this the truth?" Qin Ming’s hands slammed onto the table. The desk, carved from millennium-old ironwood, groaned as two deep, clear palm prints were forced into its surface.

  "I wouldn't waste my breath lying to you. This intelligence was bought with the lives of many of our mercenaries," Mu Qianqiu snorted coldly.

  "And I suppose you’ve come to collect a 'reward' for this information?" Qin Ming suddenly sat back down.

  "As expected of Lord Qin. Sharper than I imagined." Mu Qianqiu chuckled and gave a light, mocking round of applause.

  He knew exactly what Qin Ming meant. The "reward" wasn't just a simple payment; it was a political negotiation. Qin Ming hadn't attained the rank of City Lord by being a fool. He knew Mu Qianqiu wouldn't come here out of the goodness of his heart.

  "So, what is the Guild’s proposal?" Qin Ming leaned back, his eyes narrowing slightly.

  "The Mercenary Guild will post commissions to exterminate the monsters. Your City Lord’s Mansion will provide the payouts," Mu Qianqiu stated his goal plainly.

  "How altruistic of you," Qin Ming said, his voice dripping with irony.

  "Not really. We’re just looking to earn a little processing fee for our trouble," Mu Qianqiu admitted candidly.

  "Haven't you squeezed enough gold out of the merchant chambers already?" Qin Ming arched an eyebrow.

  "Never enough. But this time, it's about stoking the fire in their bellies. Hunting monsters is a profitable business on its own; we’re just providing the incentive," Mu Qianqiu shrugged.

  He turned toward the door, adding as he walked away, "As for the reward amount... I’ll leave that to your discretion."

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  In reality, most monster-hunting quests targeted specific beasts. Even without official commissions, many mercenary squads would venture into the forest to hunt for Mana Cores and materials to sell. Missions weren't always available, after all.

  Large-scale escort missions were usually snatched up by major mercenary corps or alliances of smaller groups. Most independent squads simply checked the board for "on the way" quests before heading into the woods. Mu Qianqiu’s plan was simply to give those men an extra reason to fight.

  Qin Ming tapped his fingers on the desk, deep in thought.

  A Beast Tide was a specific natural disaster unique to the Cloud Mist Forest. Every thirty years, as the monster population matured, a massive surge of Brave-rank monsters—led by newly ascended Class-rank beasts—would charge Cloud Mist City.

  For the common folk, it was a catastrophe. But for mercenaries, it was a gold mine.

  In the early stages, the outskirts of the forest would crawl with Brave-rank monsters. To a powerful squad, those weren't monsters—they were walking Mana Cores.

  However, once the tide fully erupted, many mercenaries would flee the city. They would wait for the City Guard to repel the horde and for the city to be rebuilt before returning. If the Mercenary Guild cooperated now, the potential losses could be drastically reduced.

  Mu Qianqiu knew this perfectly well. That was why he had come to demand his cut so brazenly.

  "But if you want to take something from my hand, you’ll have to bleed a little too," Qin Ming muttered, pulling out a fresh sheet of parchment.

  "Order the City Guard to raise the alert level. Announce the news to the city immediately."

  "The Beast Tide is coming. Anyone with the strength to fight is encouraged to hunt monsters on the outskirts. The City Lord’s Mansion will purchase all Mana Cores without limit."

  "Finally, tell the Treasury to prepare. They are to coordinate with the Mercenary Guild’s operations."

  Qin Ming put pen to paper, signed the decree, and sent it out. He would rather pay the rewards himself than let the Mercenary Guild hold all the cards.

  The night passed in silence.

  When the first light of dawn touched the horizon, Kael opened his eyes and sat up.

  "What's going on? I feel like I didn't sleep at all. It must be the System's fault—I'm still recovering from that mental drain," Kael muttered, rubbing his temples as he walked out of the shop.

  He took a few deep breaths and started performing a set of calisthenics.

  "Uncle Hai? Where are you going so early in the morning?" Kael had barely started his movements when he saw his neighbor, the owner of the herbal shop, dragging several large bags out of his store.

  "Ah, Kael." Uncle Hai turned and waved.

  "That’s a lot of luggage. Are you going on a vacation?" Kael asked, eyeing the piles of bags curiously.

  "Kael, don't you know? The thirty-year Beast Tide... it’s coming," Uncle Hai sighed, his expression somber.

  "A Beast Tide? Don't we have the City Guard for that?" Kael asked nonchalantly.

  Kael had heard of the phenomenon, but Cloud Mist City had survived every tide so far. He didn't see what the big deal was.

  "The City Guard can't guarantee everyone's safety," Uncle Hai shook his head sadly.

  During every Beast Tide, while the bulk of the horde was held at the walls, many high-agility monsters would slip through the lines. They would infiltrate the city and slaughter civilians. These "leakages" were often the elites of the horde. Consequently, every Beast Tide was followed by a long period of economic depression.

  Many commoners, like Uncle Hai, chose to leave the city temporarily.

  "Are you coming back, then?" Kael asked.

  "No. Not this time. My son has established himself in Cloud Sea City. I'm going there to retire," Uncle Hai said, a rare smile finally touching his face.

  Kael’s mind immediately began to whir.

  When you’re looking for a pillow, someone hands you one.

  Last night, he had been stressing over how to acquire a new storefront. Now, an opportunity had literally moved in next door.

  "Uncle Hai, since you aren't coming back... why don't you sell the shop to me?" Kael said, keeping his voice as flat as possible.

  He wasn't afraid of Uncle Hai hiking the price; he just wanted to maintain his image as a stoic, unflappable Shop Manager.