“It’s alright, as long as you can help me find Dean.” Judy didn’t mind at all, her eagerness plain to see.

“Well then... tell me in detail about this reporter... about Courtney Dean.” William Green said gently.

Chapter 7: The Invitation to Paradise

The matter wasn’t complicated.

In the past six months, a mysterious serial killer had appeared in Glorious Fort, involved in as many as six cases, all of them murders, with more than a dozen victims. Each time, the killer would disembowel the victims, leaving the scene gruesome and bloody. With such heinous crimes, the police naturally hadn’t been idle, arresting several suspects one after another, but similar cases kept happening, resurfacing every so often.

This left the residents both terrified and resentful, and the public bounty kept rising. It was at this time that Courtney Dean began tracking the murders.

But then, three days ago, he suddenly vanished without a trace. The last time Judy saw him was right here in this room.

“He said he’d found something and needed to verify it. If his guess was right, the killer was about to strike again!” Judy said anxiously. “Courtney must have discovered something, which is why the killer targeted him. If that’s the case, he might become the next victim! Please, help me find him!”

As Judy spoke, William Green was also observing her—she was the one who had granted those faint wishes to the newspapers, as evidenced by the white pillar of light rising from her. Clearly, she was willing to pay a considerable price to ensure Courtney Dean’s safety.

Judging by the size of the light pillar, her wish power was even stronger than that of the captain of the guard.

William Green guessed it was probably because this matter was more urgent.

Simply put, there was profit to be made.

And that was important—if he was penniless, he could always do odd jobs and sleep under a bridge; as long as he could move, he wouldn’t starve. But choosing the wrong wisher could be fatal for him.

“Have you asked the police for help?” William Green asked after a moment’s thought.

“Of course, but those guys don’t care about whether Courtney lives or dies. They said it’s common for a reporter to be out for days on assignment!” Judy said angrily. “In fact, they don’t really care about the murders themselves, or else the killer wouldn’t have gotten away with it for half a year!”

“But you said they’ve arrested quite a few suspects...”

“That’s just to shut the public up!” Judy said with disdain. “They call it a serial murder, but all the cases happened in the lower city. The police won’t put much effort into solving them. If it were a noble’s child who went missing...”

She pressed her lips together and didn’t continue, but even without saying it, William Green understood.

“I see.” He paused, then asked the question that concerned him most, “Why don’t you... ask the gods about his whereabouts?”

“What are you talking about?” Judy looked puzzled. “If I had the means to get a priest’s help, why would I go to all this trouble? Unless you have a way to find a divine messenger... but what’s the point of talking about that?” She shook her head in self-mockery. “Divine messengers are rarer than princes; you can’t just meet one whenever you want...”

So... she didn’t disbelieve?

This answer made William Green pause—so even making a wish had an entry threshold. Since faith and wishing could be separated, did that mean he might have a chance to poach those “great beings” in the future?

And the term “divine messenger”... it didn’t sound like a priestly position, but rather a special kind of person. Considering that asking further might arouse suspicion, he didn’t pursue the matter.

“I understand the situation.” William Green took a paper scroll from his pocket and slowly unrolled it on the coffee table. “I can help, but you’ll need to pay a price...”

“How much do you want? The newspaper will definitely raise the money for you!” Judy said without hesitation.

“It’s not just about money.” He smiled. “This is a contract. You can read it before deciding. But please note, once you sign your name, you can never go back on it, and I will definitely fulfill your request.”

William Green appeared calm on the surface, but was secretly complaining. Who knew which demon had set this rule, requiring everything to be done by contract, and not allowing any omission of either party’s obligations and responsibilities—it was practically tying his own hands. The only saving grace was that the contract only required clear notification; whether the other party understood was another matter. As long as he wasn’t lying, the contract was valid.

“Uh...” Sure enough, Judy stopped halfway through reading and pointed to the payment section. “Excuse me, what does this mean?”

“Oh, that’s the language of my hometown,” William Green replied honestly. “It’s called wish power.”

That word was written in Chinese.