Walking slowly through the dense forest, Xiao Yan let out a sigh of relief as he observed the gradually thinning trees around him. Now, he was at the outer edges of the Magic Beast Mountains. If he continued on for a bit longer, he might encounter some mercenary teams hunting magic beasts in the mountains.
Lifting his head, Xiao Yan gazed at the slightly dim sky, his brows furrowing slightly. It seemed he would have to spend another night in the mountains. Shaking his head, Xiao Yan lightly patted the Heavy Xuan Ruler, which was wrapped completely in black cloth on his back. Since this strange, massive heavy ruler had become a unique symbol, Xiao Yan had to find a way to conceal it to avoid unnecessary trouble.
After passing through another small grove, the sky finally grew completely dark. Shaking his head helplessly, Xiao Yan was just about to look for a place to rest when his gaze paused. In the distance, a bonfire was slowly rising, like a beacon in the darkness.
“Ah, there are people here?” Staring at the bonfire, Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback. After a moment of contemplation, he headed towards the fire.
As he drew closer, Xiao Yan could faintly see five figures sitting by the bonfire: three men and two women, each with their own weapons. They all wore the same emblem on their chests, indicating they were part of the same mercenary team.
Just as Xiao Yan approached, a middle-aged man by the bonfire suddenly turned his head, his eyes locking onto Xiao Yan. He coldly shouted, “Who’s there?”
Hearing his shout, the three others beside him instantly drew their weapons and aimed them at the spot where the middle-aged man was looking. One of the younger girls, after fumbling twice, finally managed to draw her sword, her cheeks flushing red with embarrassment.
“Haha, no need to be alarmed. I’m just a passerby who saw the bonfire and came over,” a young voice said from the shadow of a large tree. The boy walked out with a smile, waving his empty hands to show he meant no harm.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s youthful face, the five visibly relaxed. The middle-aged man was about to speak when a sharp, young female voice rang out. It was the girl who had struggled to draw her sword. “Do you know the rules? Sneaking into another mercenary team’s territory, did you want to eavesdrop on our conversation?”
Faced with this unjust accusation, Xiao Yan’s brows furrowed. He turned to the girl, who appeared to be a year or two younger than him. Her face, flushed by the fire, was quite pretty, but there was always a hint of arrogance in her tone, which made her less likable.
“Ling’er, don’t say such things,” the middle-aged man scolded her, then turned to Xiao Yan with a smile. “Young man, are you a mercenary too? Why are you alone in the Magic Beast Mountains?”
“Haha, I’m a physician. I ran out of medicinal herbs, so I came in alone to search for them, not expecting to take so long,” Xiao Yan replied, pulling out a few medicinal herbs from his pocket and smiling at the still somewhat wary middle-aged man.
“Oh.” Hearing Xiao Yan’s explanation and examining the herbs, the middle-aged man felt more at ease. He pointed to the fire and laughed heartily, “Young man, come sit by the fire. It’s dangerous to be alone at night when the magic beasts are active.”
Xiao Yan nodded gratefully and, under the watchful eyes of the group, walked to the fire and sat down, giving them a shy smile.
“Young man, I’m called Kargan, and I’m a Five-Star Warrior,” the middle-aged man said, pointing to the five golden stars on his chest.
“Yao Yan, I’m a physician, and my strength is only that of a Two-Star Warrior,” Xiao Yan replied, blinking with a smile.
“Daring to come into the Magic Beast Mountains at only Two-Star strength, you’re lucky you met us. Otherwise, you’d have been food for the magic beasts,” Ling’er said, her laughter tinged with disdain.
Xiao Yan simply smiled, not bothering to respond to her. He turned to the other two men and one woman. “I’m Yao Yan, a Two-Star Warrior.”
“Qingxin, a Four-Star Warrior,” the woman in green robes greeted him politely.
“Mo Shi, a Four-Star Warrior. Hey, call me Lion,” a burly man said with a warm smile.
When it was the last man’s turn, before he could speak, Ling’er interjected, “This is my big brother, Mulan. He’s a Five-Star Warrior, and even our captain says he’s exceptionally talented. Compared to you… he’s heaven, and you’re earth.”
Xiao Yan smiled and nodded. He glanced at the proud Ling’er, noticing she seemed to have a strong admiration, perhaps even a crush, on the handsome white-robed man. It was no wonder, as girls like her often liked princes charming who were both strong and good-looking.
After a brief introduction, the group began to chat. During the conversation, Kargan subtly asked Xiao Yan several questions related to medicine, to which Xiao Yan provided satisfactory answers, finally dispelling any remaining suspicions.
In the course of their conversation, Xiao Yan was surprised to learn that these were members of the Blood War Mercenary Group, one of the three major mercenary groups in Qingshan Town. It turned out that Ling’er’s father was a high-ranking member, explaining her sometimes rude behavior. With the power of the Blood War Mercenary Group, she could indeed act as she pleased.
Once they became more familiar, Xiao Yan didn’t forget his purpose and occasionally asked about the Wolf Head Mercenary Group and the current situation in Qingshan Town. Kargan, not hiding anything, shared the recent developments and movements of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group.
Relieved to hear that the three major mercenary groups had not joined forces to hunt him, Xiao Yan decided to stay for the night at Kargan’s insistence. During the night, Ling’er, still upset about her earlier embarrassment, couldn’t resist throwing barbs at Xiao Yan. But he ignored her, went into the tent, and fell asleep, leaving her frustrated and stomping her feet.
During the night watch, everything was safe. When dawn broke, Xiao Yan emerged from the tent, smiling at Kargan and the others as they packed up. He offered to help.
“Hey, you’re finally up? We worked hard to guard you all night, and you just slept until now. What a pampered young master,” Ling’er’s sarcastic voice rang out before Xiao Yan could approach.
Ignoring her, Xiao Yan helped Kargan pack up the tent. If it weren’t for the high-level magic beast droppings he had scattered around, the night wouldn’t have been so peaceful. Seeing his indifferent attitude, Ling’er’s anger rose, but she was restrained by Mulan.
After packing up, since they were heading in the same direction, Xiao Yan followed the group for a while. When he saw the wide road ahead, he couldn’t help but smile, remembering that his escape had started from here.
Shaking his head, Xiao Yan bowed to Kargan. “Kargan, we’ll part ways here. Thank you for your hospitality.”
“Yao Yan, aren’t you going to Qingshan Town? We’re heading the same way,” Kargan asked, surprised.
Xiao Yan shook his head, smiling. Despite Ling’er’s constant jibes, he decided to go his own way. “Suddenly remembered, I have something to do. I need to stay here for half a day. You go ahead.”
“Go, go, Kargan. Bringing a burden is fun, isn’t it? Two-star, hmpf, not even as good as me,” Ling’er urged.
Kargan sighed and gave Xiao Yan an apologetic smile. As he turned, he frowned. “What bad luck, it’s that annoying guy.”
Xiao Yan looked up and saw a group of riders on unicorn horses galloping down the road, causing everyone to scatter to avoid being hit.
“Who is he?” Xiao Yan asked, curious about the skinny man leading the group.
“Second-in-command of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, Gan Mu. He’s not on good terms with us and is a Nine-Star Warrior. We can’t defeat him,” Kargan explained.
“Second-in-command of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group?” Xiao Yan mused, smiling.
“Again, him? Kargan, let’s go, quickly!” Ling’er’s face paled as she urged them, her voice trembling.
Seeing her fear, Xiao Yan shook his head. Indeed, evil has its match.
As they spoke, the skinny man rode up, scanning the group. “Kargan from the Blood War Mercenary Group? What did you gain from entering the Magic Beast Mountains?”
Kargan frowned, ignoring him. Unfazed, the skinny man shifted his gaze to Ling’er, licking his lips lasciviously. “Ling’er, you’re becoming more and more beautiful. Uncle really likes little girls like you. Haha, the taste is especially great! Don’t be alone next time, hehe…”
Ling’er shuddered and hid behind Kargan, too afraid to speak.
“Heh, I have urgent matters, so I won’t play with you. Haha, next time, it won’t be so easy!” The skinny man laughed, lashing his whip and riding off.
As the skinny man prepared to leave, Kargan and the others breathed a sigh of relief. But as the horse galloped, a sudden explosion sounded, and a black figure shot out, landing on the horse.
The figure spun and delivered a powerful kick to the skinny man’s chin, sending him flying. Before he could react, a foot pressed down on his chest. “Stay here, save me the trouble of finding you.”
Everything happened in an instant. Kargan and the others were stunned, especially when they saw Gan Mu pinned beneath the foot. Their shock turned to disbelief as they recognized the foot.
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