Chapter 1197: Chapter 99 Skeleton Mercenary Group
Xuan Yue proudly pointed to himself and said, "The leader is me. You just said that you’d follow Ah Dai’s every command, didn’t you?"
Ice Skull nodded. At that moment, her heart surged with emotions. The handsome youth before her claiming to be the leader—if that was true, the power of the Evil Sky Mercenary Group was terrifying.
Xuan Yue smiled and said, "Good, Ah Dai and I are as close as brothers. He wouldn’t oppose what I say. I will give you your first and last command on his behalf. Starting now, you don’t have to listen to Ah Dai’s orders anymore. You remain you, and Ah Dai remains Ah Dai. Also, I order you to return to the Skeleton Mercenary Group and continue as the leader of your light cavalry. Any problems?" How could Xuan Yue let Ice Skull follow Ah Dai? Even if Ah Dai didn’t ask for her help, she would find a way to drive Ice Skull away. She didn’t want a girl following Ah Dai all day; it would pose a great threat to her, as love is selfish.
Ice Skull hesitated and said, "But, but does he really not want me to serve under him?" Her emotions suddenly became very complex. Ah Dai’s confident smile before defeating her kept haunting her mind, and for some reason, she now felt a desire to follow Ah Dai.
Ah Dai said, "No need for ’but’s. What Captain Xuan Yue says is what I say. This is my only command to you. It’s also getting late; I think the caravan should be setting out now."
Mulat immediately snapped out of his reverie and hurriedly said, "Yes! We need to hurry, or we’ll be behind schedule. Let’s view this as making friends through martial prowess, don’t take it too seriously, and let’s hit the road."
Ice Skull gave Ah Dai a deep look, lifted her Extreme Ice Silver Lance, and gracefully leaped onto her white horse. Raising her silver lance, she shouted, "Let’s depart." She spurred her horse and charged forward first.
Zong Yue deeply bowed to Ah Dai in gratitude and then followed. He could very well understand Ice Skull’s current feelings. Being defeated so easily as someone always proud—how could she accept that easily? Zong Yue and Blood Skull were close friends, and since Ice Skull was Blood Skull’s younger sister, it was only natural he’d look after her.
Ah Dai and Xuan Yue climbed into the carriage, with Mulat following. The carriage was very spacious; the three of them didn’t feel crowded inside at all. Soft cushions and luxurious decorations immediately gave a cozy and comfortable feeling. Ah Dai sat on the left with Xuan Yue next to him and said, "Brother, the Skeleton Mercenary Group won’t dare to be arrogant now. Your performance just now was brilliant."
Mulat, who had just boarded, immediately chimed in, "Yes! Vice-captain, your skill is truly the best I’ve seen in my life. The Skeleton Mercenary Group has always been so arrogant, and yet they suffered a loss under your hands this time."
Ah Dai sighed and turned to Xuan Yue, "Brother, you need to be careful with your words in the future. Even if they are enemies, try to leave them some dignity. If it weren’t for your proposal to defeat them in three moves, our relationship wouldn’t have become so strained. We all need to get along on this journey. It’s not good this way."
Xuan Yue snorted and said, "Who told them to be so arrogant. That Ice Skull had such a snobbish look that it irritated me. Since it has happened, isn’t it better to let them know how formidable you are? Then no one will dare to provoke us anymore." Ah Dai could hardly outtalk her and just shook his head slightly.
Mulat sighed and said, "Young brother, I’m afraid it’s not as simple as you think. The Skeleton Mercenary Group has grown to its current size entirely because of the strength of their four leaders. Ice Skull is just one of them. They also have the leader, Blood Skull, and two vice leaders, Wind Skull and Iron Skull. The abilities of these three are certainly not inferior to Ice Skull’s. And the Skeleton Mercenary Group holds grudges; your humiliation of Ice Skull today is unlikely to be easily forgiven by her brothers."
Xuan Yue snorted, a cold gleam flickering in his eyes, showing immense confidence, "Let them come. Are we afraid of them? Brother, isn’t this a perfect opportunity for us to gain experience? Let’s take on these four Skulls and see who comes out on top."
On the outskirts of Mimu City. The three leaders of the Skeleton Mercenary Group were anxiously waiting. Behind them, neatly arranged were the other three major units of the mercenary group. The Heavy Cavalry Infantry, consisting of four hundred members, all mounted on tall horses, including their horses, were all clad in thick armor. Each rider had a long spear of three and a half meters hanging from their saddle. They were the absolute main force of the Skeleton Mercenary Group, handling all challenging assaults. This iron flow-like mercenary unit was led by Iron Skull, also dressed in black heavy armor. When moving, they always marched at the forefront. If they encountered enemies on the plains, even regular troops could hardly withstand their tide-like charge. In special situations or when terrain was limiting, they could dismount and transform into heavy infantry. This unit was comprised entirely of robust men over one meter ninety tall.
Wind Skull, dressed in green attire, rode his large green horse with a longbow hanging on his back. The bow, one and a half meters long, was crafted by a master Alchemist from the Empire of Tian Jing and enhanced with Wind Magic, earning its arrows the nickname "Shadowless". Behind him, exactly four hundred men dressed in the same green attire bore long knives, carried longbows on their backs, and had four quivers hanging on either side of their saddles, each containing twenty-five steel-tipped feather arrows. Under Wind Skull’s training, these archers had developed a superb skill of shooting over great distances. With the steel-tipped feather arrows, ordinary light armor stood no chance. Among all the units of the Skeleton Mercenary Group, this archer unit was the deadliest.
