The evening sky gradually darkened as a black sports car stopped outside the headquarters of the Hunter Association's Washington branch on Kunming Mountain.
San Zaier, with its three eyes, nudged open the car door with its head and scrambled out, shaking its head. Having driven for a full day without a break, its head felt dizzy.
If given a chance to redo things, Wen Wen was sure it would have pretended to be unable to drive when he was teaching it.
Wen Wen, on the other hand, emerged from the car feeling refreshed. In fact, he had only left the containment facility a few minutes prior.
Tao Qingqing and San Zaier followed behind Wen Wen, passing through the checks at the entrance of Kunming Mountain and entering the branch headquarters.
After being led to their accommodation by an assistant, Wen Wen said to Tao Qingqing and San Zaier, "Our departure time is tomorrow at noon. Waiting here all day is too boring. How about I treat you to some food at Jiwei Tower? The chef there is absolutely amazing, capable of making potatoes taste like lobster and lobsters taste like potatoes..."
Just by listening to Wen Wen's description, Tao Qingqing and San Zaier couldn't imagine what was so special about Jiwei Tower.
However, as they stood at the entrance of Jiwei Tower, inhaling the incredibly rich aroma emanating from within, they realized this place was truly extraordinary.
The dishes at Jiwei Tower were not cheap, but their taste was absolutely worth the price. Even a simple egg-fried rice surpassed the delicacies of external restaurants, and the tea eggs used the most expensive, top-tier tea leaves.
A cat person at the entrance bowed slightly upon seeing Wen Wen, then asked for his name and identification. To dine at Jiwei Tower, one had to use demon-hunting coins, so identity verification was necessary.
After the verification, the cat person said to Wen Wen, "Esteemed guest, Mr. Xun Qing has booked the side hall of Jiwei Tower. All demon hunters departing for the exchange meeting tomorrow may dine for free in the side hall tonight."
Wen Wen's eyes lit up, "That's great news." He was actually happy that he didn't have to pay.
But as they approached the side hall, Wen Wen was stopped. The cat person at the door politely pointed at San Zaier and said, "Esteemed demon hunter, please forgive us, but pets are not allowed in the side hall."
San Zaier, drooling just moments ago, instantly became fierce and wild. Why wouldn't it be allowed in to eat?
Wen Wen, however, was not surprised by this. "That's quite normal... Could you get it an order of egg-fried rice to eat outside? That shouldn't be a problem."
The cat person agreed, and San Zaier could only watch wistfully as Wen Wen and the other entered.
In truth, it was understandable that San Zaier was not allowed into the side hall, as it was a buffet. The dishes were limited, and even the most voracious demon hunters wouldn't eat an excessive amount. However, a demon hunter's pet might be of a peculiar species, and one pet could potentially devour all the dishes.
Wen Wen himself wasn't sure how much San Zaier, which could change its size, could eat.
Still, San Zaier didn't lose out much. The egg-fried rice here was probably the most delicious thing it had ever eaten, so it wasn't a wasted trip.
Besides, even if Xun Qing wasn't treating them, San Zaier would likely only get egg-fried rice. It was unrealistic to expect Wen Wen to splurge on expensive delicacies for San Zaier...
Upon entering the side hall, both of them began selecting dishes. Tao Qingqing didn't take much. Although she could eat human food, she didn't intend to eat too much.
Wen Wen, on the other hand, was unreserved. He stacked his plate of food about a meter high and then, with a juggling-like motion, held the bottom with one finger, maintaining his balance. However, after choosing his food, he found with embarrassment that there were no empty tables left.
Jiwei Tower was renowned among demon hunters, and everyone seized the opportunity for a free meal. It was much livelier than expected, and most demon hunters preferred not to sit with others, resulting in every table being occupied.
Just as he was about to find a less crowded table to share, Wen Wen saw a beautiful woman in a plain white dress waving at him. She was seated at the largest table in the center of the side hall.
Wen Wen walked over, muttering, "Why aren't you wearing armor? I almost didn't recognize you."
Qiao Feiya's smile froze for a moment. Didn't he, of all people, tell her to wear less armor last time? And now that she wasn't wearing it, he was complaining?
However, she didn't voice her thoughts and instead gestured for Wen Wen to sit down. Tao Qingqing sat beside Wen Wen, appearing slightly reserved. The beautiful and elegant Qiao Feiya made her feel a sense of pressure, and having been hunted by demon hunters in the past, she felt even more uneasy amidst so many powerful demon hunters.
After placing all his food down, Wen Wen said to Qiao Feiya, "Why are you occupying such a large table by yourself? It's big enough for ten people."
Qiao Feiya's smile froze again. "I just arrived early. I didn't stop anyone else from sitting next to me."
Apart from unconventional individuals like Wen Wen, everyone, regardless of gender or age, felt a sense of pressure around Qiao Feiya and would consciously keep their distance.
While shoveling food into his mouth, Wen Wen asked Qiao Feiya, "Why are there so many people here? I thought there were only ten Upper-Tier Supernaturals."
Qiao Feiya explained, "This is the Demon Hunter Exchange Meeting, not something specifically prepared for Upper-Tier Supernaturals to glimpse the true self. Every major region has to showcase their demon-hunting successes and some new technologies, so there are many demon hunters here who are very skilled in certain areas."
Wen Wen nodded, his eating pace still incredibly fast, as he scanned the demon hunters present. There were quite a few familiar faces. The circle of wanderer hunters was small, and even if Wen Wen hadn't met them, he had at least heard of them.
Besides Wen Wen and Qiao Feiya, there were five other Upper-Tier demon hunters, two of whom were Wen Wen's acquaintances.
One was Binghe, an Upper-Tier wanderer hunter who had previously given Wen Wen a letter of recommendation to participate in the wanderer hunter assessment. Back then, Binghe was someone Wen Wen looked up to, but now Wen Wen could stand on equal footing with him.
Another familiar Upper-Tier demon hunter was Yin Ci. Wen Wen had completed a mission with him once. He was a formidable assassin, and provoking him could lead to an unseen demise.
As for the remaining three, Wen Wen wasn't close to them but recognized them all as Upper-Tier demon hunters who had been gaining a lot of attention recently. Only one person particularly caught Wen Wen's attention.
It was a cool-faced man with black hair wearing a black uniform. His uniform had a long, golden dragon embroidery that seemed to swim on the clothes. This cool guy's surname was Long and his given name was Suo. He was one of the demon hunters who became wanderer hunters alongside Wen Wen and Qiao Feiya.
At the time, Long Suo had taken first place in the first assessment and third place in the third assessment, making him the demon hunter with the highest overall score across the three assessments.
After becoming a wanderer hunter, he had resolved several major incidents, gaining even more prominence than Wen Wen.