Chapter 1209: Chapter 101 Absolute Defense_4
Zong Yue nodded his head and pulled a short blade from his bosom, handing it to Blood Skull, "Captains, tidy up your appearances first. As you are now, you can’t meet anyone."
Blood Skull glanced at Wind Skull next to him, touched his charcoal-like hair, and said to Zong Yue, "Old Zong, please tell Chairman Mulat to prepare a carriage for us. Our injuries have not yet healed, and it looks like we’ll have to spend time in the carriage until we reach the Tian Jing Mountains. Also, find us several sets of full armor with helmets."
Iron Skull then realized that their hair had changed appearance due to being struck by lightning. He glanced awkwardly at Ice Skull who was wearing a helmet and coughed embarrassingly.
Understanding his meaning, Ice Skull, with a cold huff, took off her helmet. "Third Brother, what are you looking at? Do you want to see me make a fool of myself?" Her blue Extreme Ice True Energy suddenly erupted, freezing her charred hair, and with a casual swing, her golden locks that had reached her waist were now barely past her shoulders. Only the top members of the Skeleton Mercenary Group had ever seen Ice Skull’s face. She was ice-cold, with light blue eyes that sparkled coldly; although her features were beautiful, the icy chill that kept people at bay discouraged anyone from approaching her. The consecutive defeats had completely shattered her self-confidence. Although she was the least physically injured, her emotional wounds were by far the deepest.
Blood Skull, who knew his sister the best, sighed and waving the short blade in his hand, instantly shaved off his burnt hair, beard, and eyebrows. He then threw the knife to Wind Skull, and in a moment, Wind Skull and Iron Skull had also become bald like him. The three exchanged helpless, bitter smiles.
The caravan set off again, but the captains of the Skeleton Mercenary Corps were not seen. The members of the Skeleton Mercenary Corps harbored an odd sentiment; although the mission had not failed, they all knew that the invincible myth of the Skeleton Mercenary Corps had been broken, shattered by just two people.
Seven days later, the merchant caravan of the Stan Empire Alliance had reached the vicinity of the Tian Jing Mountains, bordering the Yajin Tribe of the Federation. The caravan stopped and camped in a forest less than ten miles from the mountains. Mulat ordered the team to gather the cargo-laden carriages, and Zong Yue, surrounding them with the Skeleton Mercenary Corps, pitched tents. Upon reaching this location, caution was imperative. Mulat personally approached Zong Yue, "Deputy Captain, how are the captains faring now? We are approaching the most dangerous part of our journey. Can they help the caravan through this ordeal?"
The four Skeletons had completely recovered physically over these days, but the gloom of defeat, coupled with their hair loss, had kept them from appearing before the members of the mercenary corps. Zong Yue responded, "Chairman, rest assured, the captains have all recovered. The bandits of the Tian Jing Mountains, upon hearing the name of our Skeleton Mercenary Corps, should not dare to cause trouble." Two years ago, the Skeleton Mercenary Corps had dealt with these bandits, inflicting heavy losses on them and successfully escorting the caravan to its destination. That mission significantly raised the reputation of the Skeleton Mercenary Corps, propelling them into the realm of Special Class Mercenary Groups. Zong Yue was confident in handling those bandits, believing the strength of the Skeleton Mercenary Corps had grown stronger since then. Moreover, there were two individuals in the caravan who surpassed even their captains in strength; with such power, he had no worries about facing problems.
Mulat sighed, "Still, it’s better to be cautious. Could you please tell the captains to discuss tomorrow’s itinerary in their tent later?"
Zong Yue replied, "Alright. The captains have been in a poor mood these past few days, so please be mindful of how you speak later."
Mulat said, "I understand. However, we’re approaching the biggest obstacle of the journey. Both your Skeleton Mercenary Corps and the Evil Sky Mercenary Group are here at our request. I hope everyone can sit together calmly and discuss strategies to smoothly overcome the upcoming difficulties. For the overall benefit, please advise the captains not to do anything foolish anymore; it wouldn’t be good for the caravan or themselves."
Zong Yue sighed, remembering Ah Dai’s and Xuan Yue’s formidable strength, feeling a wave of despair. With things as they were, how could the four captains provoke them any further? The prominence of the Skeleton Mercenary Corp had been completely overshadowed by those two.
Half an hour later, when the camp was completely set up, Mulat invited Ah Dai and Xuan Yue outside the tent of the four Skeletons. Ah Dai and Xuan Yue did not feel any discomfort, and although facing the four Skeletons would inevitably be a bit awkward, they both believed that after the "exchange" a few days ago, the Skeletons would no longer trouble them.
Mulat coughed and said, "Are the group leaders here? I’m Mulat, coming with the two leaders of the Evil Sky Mercenary Group."
The deep voice of the Blood Skull rose, "Chairman Mu and the two group leaders, please come in." His voice was very calm, with no detectable emotional fluctuations from the surface.
Mulat lifted the tent flap and, along with Ah Dai and Xuan Yue, entered the tent. All four Skeletons were present, each sitting on a bed that had just been laid out, fully enveloped in armor, including their heads, with only their hands exposed. It was clear that their facial hair and eyebrows were not suitable for public exposure. Ah Dai distinctly felt a sharp murderous intent emanating from the Skeletons as he and Xuan Yue entered the room.
Ah Dai wasn’t bothered, as hostility from them was inevitable. Over the past seven days, he and Xuan Yue rarely left the carriage and usually meditated inside. Although the bumpy carriage wasn’t the best place for cultivating, with their exceptional spiritual power, they had fully resolved and absorbed the energy they acquired in Mimu City over the past seven days. Ah Dai’s Dantian had absorbed a small part of the energy from the second Golden Body, which had grown somewhat; his power had increased by a bit each day, gradually accumulating and moving toward an unknown realm. Xuan Yue’s progress wasn’t as noticeable as Ah Dai’s, but the Sacred Aura around her grew thicker by the day. Every movement radiated a gentle energy, keeping Ah Dai’s mood consistently calm and peaceful, which was very beneficial for his cultivation.
Feeling the awkward atmosphere in the tent, Mulat coughed again and said, "Group leaders, let’s not dwell on past misunderstandings. Since we are all on the same path, can we set aside our grievances for now and work together to overcome the difficulties at hand? Wouldn’t that be better?" Saying this, he sat down in the tent with Ah Dai and Xuan Yue.
The Iron Skull snorted coldly and said, "If your company has already hired such a strong mercenary group like Evil Sky, what use do you have for our Skeleton Mercenary Group? We might as well leave and let those two escort you to Andis City."
Mulat was momentarily stunned and then sheepishly said, "That... that wasn’t what we meant. It’s just that this cargo is extremely important to us, so we had to be cautious."
Blood Skull gave Iron Skull a glare and said indifferently, "I apologize, Chairman Mu, please don’t mind my brother’s temper." He looked at Ah Dai and Xuan Yue and continued, "You two saved us before, and I, Blood Skull, will remember this favor. However, we will not forget the insults either. Given the chance, we will definitely seek another exchange."
Xuan Yue snorted coldly and retorted, "Wasn’t the lesson you received enough? Want revenge? We’re always ready. But I fear you lack the capability."
Iron Skull was about to explode in anger but was restrained by Blood Skull. The murderous aura of the four Skeletons grew heavier, and all of them remained silent, their eyes, like eight cold lights, fixed intently on Xuan Yue.
