Every time the Qingshan Town herb-collecting team carried out an escort mission, they required around a hundred mercenaries.
Manager Yao placed immense importance on this first collection trip after the snow season.
For the sake of safety, Manager Yao increased the original commission by fifty percent, intending to add fifty more elite mercenaries.
This was a significant sum of money.
The escort work for the herb-collecting team had always been a lucrative prize that many eyed greedily.
Mercenaries like Mang Ba and others had faced many challenges for these spots, and now that the team was expanding, they naturally wanted a share of the pie.
However, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group had clearly set their sights on this wealth.
They intended to take the entire commission—now fifty percent higher—with the same number of men as before, and they planned to keep it all for themselves.
This approach was naturally infuriating, especially for Manager Yao.
Paying out an extra fifty percent in gold coins already pained him; now that someone was trying to swallow the whole thing, his anger was inevitable.
But the Wolf Head Mercenary Group was formidable.
As one of the top groups in Qingshan Town, with the 1-Star Dou Shi Mu She backing them, they were practically the uncrowned kings of the town.
Few forces in Qingshan Town could stand against them.
Wolf Head’s forced interference complicated a simple matter.
Manager Yao didn’t want to agree, as it meant more money out of his pocket.
Furthermore, if Wolf Head grew more insatiable and turned this into a permanent arrangement, it would mean every future herb-collecting trip would cost him fifty percent more.
Over time, that would be no small amount.
Smaller, independent mercenary groups like Mang Ba’s were even less willing to agree, as it meant a stable source of income—their steady “salary”—would be snatched away.
But at the end of the day, in Qingshan Town and across the Dou Qi Continent, strength spoke the loudest.
If a hundred and fifty ordinary mercenaries faced off against a hundred elites from the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, the latter might truly be the stronger force.
This raised another issue: for mercenary missions, one usually chose the stronger party for the same price.
However, in truth, the original hundred mercenaries were more than enough to meet the strength requirements for the escort.
There was no real need to pursue stronger protection.
But this logic wouldn’t hold up with Wolf Head.
Without a reasonable explanation, Manager Yao would either have to agree to their demands or give them an excuse to cause trouble.
If that happened, the one who came wouldn’t be Mu Li, but the Dou Shi-level Mu She.
In the outer square of the Thousand Medicinal House, Manager Yao’s face was dark, and the other mercenaries were equally dissatisfied but didn’t dare to speak out.
Because of Wolf Head’s power, no one dared to offend them lightly.
Even with the Thousand Medicinal House’s status in Qingshan Town, Manager Yao couldn’t directly refuse them without a proper reason.
“Since no one has any objections, then…
it seems these spots should belong to us now, shouldn’t they, Manager Yao?”
Mu Li turned to Manager Yao with a smile, his eyes full of pride.
As his gaze drifted, it landed on Xiao Yixian, and his eyes suddenly lit up with a rather excessive heat.
“Heh…
Wolf Head Mercenary Group, aren’t your actions a bit too reckless?”
Yan Qingshan had naturally noticed Mu Li’s behavior.
He took a step forward, shielding Xiao Yixian, and his voice, filled with dissatisfaction toward the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, immediately drew everyone’s attention.
“Qingshan!”
Mang Ba and the other familiar mercenaries were alarmed to see him step out.
Wolf Head was a local tyrant; even Manager Yao didn’t dare offend them easily.
For a mere Physician apprentice like Yan Qingshan to stick his neck out was not a good thing.
“Who are you?
Why are you meddling in the business of my Wolf Head Mercenary Group?”
Mu Li didn’t lash out impulsively.
Instead, he asked calmly, his cold gaze sweeping over the people of the Thousand Medicinal House.
He had noticed that Yan Qingshan arrived with Manager Yao and suspected there might be some connection.
Yan Qingshan took two steps toward Mu Li, looked him over for a moment, and shook his head. The source of this chapter is g.com.
“Yan Qingshan, the Physician guarding the herb-collecting team.
In other words, when the team is in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, my word carries the most weight.”
“Physician Yan, my apologies for the disrespect!”
A flash of surprise crossed Mu Li’s eyes.
As the young leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, he wasn’t some useless playboy.
On the contrary, he was a competent successor who knew his territory well.
Because he understood the situation, he was even more surprised.
It wasn’t easy to become a Physician at the Thousand Medicinal House.
Every formal position held status comparable to a mid-to-high level Dou Zhe, and their role was often more significant.
Such a high status was naturally difficult to achieve.
Yan Qingshan was only about fifteen, four or five years younger than Mu Li.
This was the first time Mu Li had ever seen such a young Physician.
Naturally, he looked toward Manager Yao with doubt.
For reasons of his own, Manager Yao nodded and said, “That’s right.
Qingshan is my most prized disciple of recent years.
His medical skills are more than sufficient to graduate!”
Mu Li’s doubts eased slightly, and he continued, “I wonder what Physician Yan thinks of my Wolf Head Mercenary Group, and why you spoke up just now.”
“Young Leader Mu Li, we are not fools.
Let’s speak plainly.”
Yan Qingshan paced to Mu Li’s side.
“You and I both know exactly where the issue lies today.
My Thousand Medicinal House is not a pushover.
If your Wolf Head wants to cut a piece of meat from us, isn’t that thinking a bit too simply?”
“Physician Yan, I don’t quite understand.
According to mercenary rules, strength is what speaks.
My Wolf Head Mercenary Group is stronger; a hundred elites are enough to match a hundred and fifty ordinary mercenaries.
What’s the problem with us taking the commission?”
Mu Li feigned ignorance and asked back, “Or is there some trickery in this mission, and the Thousand Medicinal House isn’t sincerely recruiting?”
“Mu Li, stop playing your petty games.
This mission was issued by my Thousand Medicinal House, and we decide how the recruitment will go.”
Yan Qingshan smiled and casually rested a hand on Mu Li’s shoulder.
The latter’s expression changed instantly.
“I’m not unreasonable.
You mentioned following mercenary rules, so I’ll settle this by those rules.”
“I’ll give you a chance.
Let the strongest person you brought today have a match.
If you win, the extra fifty spots go to Wolf Head.
If you lose, Wolf Head stops causing trouble.
How about it?”
Mu Li’s face remained dark as he stayed silent for a long time.
Finally, he squeezed out a few words that left the Wolf Head members confused.
“Since Physician Yan insists, I agree.
Can you let go of me now?”
“Naturally!”
Yan Qingshan casually withdrew his hand.
Mu Li staggered and nearly fell, and only then did the Wolf Head elites belatedly rush forward to support their young leader.
“Kid, you dared to move against our young leader!
Is your Thousand Medicinal House looking to start a war with my Wolf Head Mercenary Group?”
A robust figure stepped out from the thirty mercenaries, his aura extremely powerful. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Even Mang Ba, who was close to being a high-level Dou Zhe, instinctively retreated several steps.
Yan Qingshan didn’t address the man but looked back at Mu Li.
“Is he the one Wolf Head is choosing for the match?”
Mu Li spoke to the man, “Uncle He Meng, be careful.
This kid is no simple character.”
Mang Ba hurried to Yan Qingshan’s side.
“Qingshan, this He Meng is the Third Leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, a 7-Star Peak Dou Zhe.
It’s said he’s very close to becoming an 8-Star Dou Zhe…”
“Uncle Mang Ba, it’s fine.
Leave it to me!”
Yan Qingshan placed a hand on Mang Ba’s shoulder.
Mang Ba, who was about to advise him further, felt a flash of terror in his eyes.
He swallowed his words, looked at He Meng and Yan Qingshan respectively, and retreated.
“Then Qingshan, be careful yourself.”
He Meng loosened his muscles and sneered, “Kid, I don’t know how you ambushed the young leader, but I won’t be careless with you.
I don’t know your specific cultivation, but it can’t possibly be higher than mine!”
As He Meng spoke, he cracked his neck, and a faint Dou Qi began to flicker on his skin.
He clenched his iron fists, his knuckles letting out a series of crisp pops.
His strength was clearly quite formidable.
Yan Qingshan smiled, unbuttoned his outer robe, and tossed it aside, revealing the martial arts attire beneath.
“Is that so?
I happen to have a lot of confidence in myself!”
“Kid, you talk big.
Don’t go begging for mercy later!”
A bloodthirsty smile touched He Meng’s lips as a pale yellow Dou Qi aura surged around him.
He stomped heavily on the ground and, like a giant Magical Beast, charged straight at Yan Qingshan.
Yan Qingshan looked coldly at the lunging He Meng.
He simply raised his palms, and a streak of dark green Dou Qi surfaced.
It erupted fiercely from his palms, striking He Meng’s body with a heavy blow.
Thump.
Amidst a dull muffled sound, He Meng was sent reeling backward.
His feet skidded across the ground for a long time before he finally halted his figure.
The hard soles of his leather boots were deeply worn down, leaving two long, scorched marks on the bluestone pavement.
“Kid, you really have some skill.”
A look of gravity surfaced on He Meng’s face as he slowly exhaled.
His original bronze skin gradually began to turn somewhat pale.
“But what I practice is the Rock-attribute, the strongest defense among all attributes.
You can’t possibly…”
He Meng was about to gather his strength for the next round of attacks, his pale skin glowing even more.
But just as his momentum reached its limit, a green palm print slowly appeared on his chest where Yan Qingshan had struck him.
“Ugh…
how…
Pffft…”
The sudden intrusion of alien Dou Qi crushed and disrupted He Meng’s own Dou Qi circulation, causing his internal paths to fail and backfire.
He lost all his previous dominance.
He clutched his heart meridians with both hands, his steps stumbling as he could no longer suppress his injuries, vomiting a large mouthful of blood before collapsing.
(End of Chapter)