Chapter 1199: Chapter 99 Skeleton Mercenary Group_3
The three Skeletons looked at each other. They all knew that the Northern Sword Saint had faced the Sword Saint of the Tian Gang in duels three times before, and each time, after exchanging around a hundred moves, he ended in a miserable defeat. The Tian Gang Sword Sect had always been their target to surpass. Though their strength was still considerably weaker than that of the Tian Gang Sword Sect, only those disciples in their sixties had the potential to defeat them, and certainly not with just one move. Blood Skull laughed, a very happy laugh. Being the eldest disciple of the Northern Sword Saint, whether for the sake of his master’s dignity or for his sister, he could not allow himself to back down. In his heart, Ah Dai’s defeat of the Ice Skeleton in one move was an affront to the Northern Sword Saint, and this insult was something that could not go unavenged.
The impulsive Iron Skull trembled when he saw Blood Skull’s smile and swallowed back the words he was about to speak. Blood Skull’s prowess was unmatched among the four of them, and none of their enemies had ever escaped his clutches unscathed. Iron Skull knew that his elder brother was truly enraged.
The laughter of Blood Skull ceased, and a chilling glint flickered from beneath his eyes as he said in a low voice, "Spread out the team, prepare to meet the convoy according to the plan, and get ready to set off."
Wind Skeleton hastily said, "Big brother, are we really going to let that kid off so easily?"
Blood Skull smiled and replied, "Don’t you understand my temper yet? The job from the Stan Empire Alliance is crucial for our Mercenary Corps, as they are a major source of our income. Of course, I shall seek revenge for this humiliation, but not now. Do your duty well, and without my order, do not provoke the other side on your own." He gazed at the approaching carriage and thought to himself, ’Come on, no matter how strong you are, I want to meet you. Let’s have a preliminary contest in the ranking of the Sword Saints.’
The convoy was already approaching. The people from the Skeleton Mercenary Group immediately split apart; the Heavy Cavalry Infantry squad turned their horses around to face the distance, with the archery squad forming a formation behind them. The light cavalry squad guarded the flanks. The trusted guards directly commanded by Blood Skull moved to the rear of the convoy to support it. Over fourteen hundred mercenaries arranged themselves in a well-ordered manner, forming solid protection for the convoy.
Ah Dai and Xuan Yue sat comfortably inside the carriage, thoroughly enjoying themselves. This carriage was specially customized by the Stan Empire Alliance for Mulat. Made from robust hardwood, the carriage itself was quite heavy. The interior was exceedingly luxurious as well, with two rows of thick, plush seats covered in silk. A wooden tray projecting in the center held some fruit. Most uniquely, connected to the four large wooden wheels were thick springs made from rare metals. Not only were these springs exceptionally sturdy, they also had excellent flexibility. Crafted by skilled artisans, the springs, attached at one end to the axle and the other to the carriage body, provided a smooth ride even on very rough roads, making sitting inside feel like being in a moving palace.
Xuan Yue pulled back the curtain and looked outside, seeing that the convoy had already left the city. More members of the Skeleton Mercenary Group were appearing around them. She was always fearless, and now that her magic level had just advanced to that of a magus, she did not consider these mercenaries a threat.
Dropping the curtain, Xuan Yue said to Ah Dai, "Big brother, I’m beginning to regret accepting this mission."
Ah Dai, puzzled, asked, "Why? Isn’t this carriage quite comfortable? It’s much easier than walking."
Xuan Yue replied, "But the speed is just too slow. Looking at the current pace, it will take at least twenty days to enter the territory of the Yajin Tribe. How boring it is to just sit in the carriage all the time!"
Mulat smiled and said, "It won’t be boring, and when the time comes, we might have to rely greatly on both of you. You may not know, but at the border between the Empire of Tian Jing and the Yajin Tribe, there is a not-so-large mountain range we call the Tian Jing Mountains. It takes about half a day to cross from one side of the mountains to the other. The Business Association Alliance hires so many mercenaries mainly to guard against bandits there."
Mulat’s words piqued Xuan Yue’s interest, "There are bandits? Have you encountered them before?"
Mulat nodded, "Yes! We have suffered loss from them in the past. Those bandits are very arrogant; any merchant group passing through the mountains has to pay half of their goods as passage money. Otherwise, they would kill people and loot all the goods. To avoid greater losses, smaller merchant groups often concede to giving them the goods. Alas, after such a trip, one can only make very little money."
Xuan Yue, puzzled, asked, "Why must you pass through the Tian Jing Mountains? Can’t you take a detour?"
Mulat sighed and explained, "Our Stan Empire Alliance’s largest industry is spice manufacturing, including culinary spices and common spices. These spices all need to be stored in special sealed warehouses to keep them fresh, otherwise, they will lose their original flavor over time. This time, eighty percent of our goods are spices. In order to save time and retain the spice flavors, we must risk passing through the Tian Jing Mountains. This way, by the time we reach the city of Andis, the spices will still be of high quality and fetch a good price. If this wasn’t about the spices, of course, we would choose to take a detour. But now, with you two here, and along with the Skeleton Mercenary Group, I think those bandits won’t be much of a problem. Let’s just hope for a safe journey."
