"The Shield of Flowing Fire," as the city guard of Warm Fire City, stands as a solid defense of the entire territory under the Warm Fire Commerce Association.

With this shield in the city, Andrew indeed felt a long-lost sense of peace.

Previously, while on the road, even with Grand Mage Falk leading the team, the protection of the Knight Order, and Ivan by his side, Andrew would still occasionally feel that assassins or killers from the Magic Guild could jump out from the roadside bushes at any moment.

Now, having already made contact with the Warm Fire Temple, with Captain Linda, and with the medical team of the Warm Fire Commerce Association, things had gone smoother than Andrew originally planned and expected.

No matter how he looked at it, the current situation seemed excellent, invigorating, and joyful.

Yet, Andrew was not the only one with his face tense.

So was Ivan.

A gust of wind blew past.

Andrew didn't rush back to the campsite but stood there, his gaze unusually sharp as he asked Ivan through the "Soul Whisper Channel," "How many?"

"Just one," Ivan replied through the secret communication channel.

Listening to this, Andrew couldn't help but let out a cold snort.

Since entering the city until now, everything indeed seemed smooth.

Except for one thing.

He and Ivan had been followed!

Two gazes, so blatant they could be deemed "brazen," kept scanning Andrew up and down. As a Water Magic Lord, Andrew's magic power naturally carried a delicate and keen perception. It was impossible for him to be watched so openly without feeling it.

This was no longer "secret observation."

It was practically blatant "surveillance!"

About three blocks away, on the roof of a residential building, a woman dressed completely in red, so striking even in the night, sat there with a calm expression.

From time to time, a bright red butterfly would flutter back to her, landing on her shoulder, seemingly whispering and reporting something.

The woman listened attentively.

After listening, the reporting butterfly would turn into a burst of flame.

With a wave of her hand, another new flame butterfly fluttered away, continuing the task assigned by Lord Jimmy to her: to surveil Andrew.

When Lord Jimmy assigned the task to this woman, Andrew had already been pulled by Linda to the Warm Fire Temple, unaware and unsuspecting.

Yet, the whole half-day had passed, and the other party's unabashedly intrusive gaze had swept over Andrew, and even Ivan, more than once.

Once, the bright red butterfly had even brazenly hovered around Andrew for a while.

If he still couldn't detect the fact of "being surveilled," then Andrew wouldn't be a Water Magic Lord but rather a complete amateur!

"Should I deal with the impudent tracker?"

Ivan asked at this moment, his tone cold.

He was also full of suppressed anger.

Even though they hadn't reached Warm Fire City yet, they could already sense the internal split within the Warm Fire Commerce Association. One faction, towards Andrew and the Wildfire Territory, was generally friendly, or at least not unfriendly, like Captain Linda who just left.

Another faction, however, showed obvious "disrespect."

Since the other party was so disrespectful, it would be rude not to reciprocate. Ivan felt that even though they were on the territory of the Warm Fire Commerce Association, they couldn't just swallow their pride; otherwise, the opposition might really think that he and Andrew were easy targets!

After considering Ivan's proposal for a moment, Andrew shook his head and said, "No need."

The adversary was cunning, and although they used such an arrogant and disrespectful way to surveil them, they maintained a very cautious and subtle stance at the same time.

That is: they kept pushing the boundaries of danger, repeatedly almost stepping over that invisible red line, only to immediately draw back.

"So, this is not just surveillance; it's also a provocation."

Andrew sneered, "Are they trying to unsettle me, to make me err? Then I cannot play into their hands!"

Taking a deep breath, a fierce grin curled at Andrew's lips.

Since he was here, might as well let them watch as they pleased.

Plus, isn't it quite intriguing?

To use such impudent surveillance to disgust people?

Andrew thought, after facing off against the ultimate vile Rose, what means of disgusting people in this world could possibly stump him?

Yes, the next step indeed required caution, avoiding a direct confrontation with the opponent. One had to maintain composure and not rush headlong into their trap.

But it didn't mean he couldn't do something disgusting to return the favor.

Three blocks away, the red-haired woman suddenly seemed to sense or perceive something.

Her face, which had always been calm and even somewhat indifferent, noticeably froze at this moment.

Then, her face suddenly turned a bit red!

And she displayed an annoyed and angry expression.

Her eyes became somewhat cold.

Because at the same time, on Andrew's side, facing the direction where the woman was, he suddenly took off his shirt!

After acquiring the "Water Soul Constitution" back then, Andrew's temperament became "fresh and delectable," causing Aunt Sofia to feel involuntarily drawn to him several times.

Later, after becoming a Magic Lord, his enchanting aura gradually became restrained and returned to being unremarkable.

But this does not mean that the fresh and delectable aura has completely disappeared.

On the contrary, the current Andrew, when deliberately showing his charm, has a much stronger impact on women than at any other stage of his life!

Especially after experiencing the "Water and Fire United" twice, and witnessing the phenomenon the second time, Andrew vaguely understood that once his unique aura as a Water Magic Lord is unleashed, it would be even more attractive and intense to the two Warm Fire Professionals of the Warm Fire Commerce Association than to ordinary people!

Isn't it just being unruly?

Dare to look unruly.

Fine! Then I'll let you look unruly!!

He took off his shirt, revealing a torso with flowing lines comparable to that of a top dancer from before the crossing, yet without losing a sense of balanced power.

Andrew's expression was solemn, with no playful smile, but rather seriously, he danced in the direction of the observer.

Both Andrew and Ivan were still somewhat aware that the "observer was a woman."

Ivan was slightly annoyed when he heard Andrew say, "No need to respond." But seeing Andrew responding in such a manner made him pause before he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

As for the red-haired and red-clothed woman three blocks away, she simultaneously crushed a Flame Butterfly returning with a report with a "snap" and her face turned a livid color in anger!

On the other hand, despite the distance of three blocks, she could feel an unprecedented, strange power acting throughout her body, making her face almost turn blood-red, complementing her red attire, blending seamlessly into one!

And Andrew didn't dance for long.

After finishing the dance, he swiftly put on his shirt again and sneered coldly in that direction.

Then he ignored it and turned around to call Ivan back to the mansion where Barbara and others were.

Using a dance to tease the other's mindset, after all, is only a temporary fix.

"Since there are obviously some people within the Warm Fire Commerce Association who seem to hold an unfriendly attitude towards me and Wildfire Territory, I must keep my cool and not be disturbed, and then more determinedly push forward my original cooperation plan." Andrew thought to himself.

On the way, the little notebook used to record the "market demand" of the Flame Realm was finally filled to the brim during the few hours spent in the Warm Fire Temple.

And tomorrow they are going to Warm Fire City to further negotiate the business cooperation between the two sides.

Andrew thus knew: "The market research can come to an end at this point, that's enough.

Next, it's time to start developing some 'products'!"

Let those within the commerce association who are unfriendly towards me have nothing to say—

That's the real way!

As for which of the numerous recorded market demands' priorities are the highest, and which products should be made specifically to benefit those friendly towards him and to silence those unfriendly, Andrew had already thoroughly planned.

...

...

The whole Flame Realm is lacking in water, so not only in the Inner Sea Desert, but also in other places, the temperature differences between day and night are rather significant, though not as severe as in the Inner Sea Desert.

The "Shield of Flowing Fire" is quite warm at night.

This is because after midnight, a huge magic shield silently appears over the Shield of Flowing Fire. The effect of this massive magic is only one: to regulate the temperature.

Simply put, it's a magic air conditioning system of the otherworld variety that can warm up the entire city's temperature!

In the darkness, the "Shield of Flowing Fire" resembles a quietly crouching giant beast, silent yet sturdy and reliable.

However, beneath this sturdy, warm, reliable facade, the surging undercurrent has never ceased and shows signs of escalating quietly.

"...Really, connected with the 'Warm Fire Temple' so soon?" The city guard Jimmy, rugged yet honest in appearance, had just received a report from his female subordinate, pondering, "So this Andrew kid does have some skills in at least treatment?"

He thought seriously for a while, then lightly sneered and said, "Alright, I understand. Just keep watching." Jimmy temporarily cut the Heart Net connection with his female subordinate. Vaguely feeling a bit strange, he felt his competent subordinate seemed inexplicably irritable today, quite unlike her usual self.

Shaking his head, Jimmy couldn't be bothered to think much of it.

Soon, he connected through the Heart Net to someone in his family and said respectfully, "The work you ordered has been done. I'll immediately send a relevant report to you."

In the entire Warm Fire Commerce Association, the only people who could make Jimmy show such respect were, besides the association president, the president's wife who held power equivalent to the president's.

The mastermind behind ordering the watch over Andrew and the collection of information about him was indeed the president's wife of the Warm Fire Commerce Association!