Chapter 1298: Chapter 121: Seeing Moon Scar Again_3
Olivia sneered, "Oh yes! Every time you see me here, you curse out loud." He could never get over the previous insults Lin Da hurled at his mother and had a very poor impression of this sycophantic scoundrel.
Lin Da muttered, unable to get his words out, while Ah Dai came to his rescue, "It’s all in the past now. Let’s put it behind us. Alright, we’ve rested enough, let’s set off. We’ll head to Varo City first to see Brother Moon Scar." The group of six embarked on their journey. Olivia, feeling slightly remorseful for teasing Kino a bit too harshly earlier, took the initiative to create a mini whirlwind to cool him down along the way, which calmed Kino’s anger.
Throughout the journey, Lin Da and Lin Er were extremely cautious, behaving with trepidation for fear of stepping out of line and prompting the displeasure of Ah Dai and the others. They were well aware that they couldn’t afford to offend these individuals, not only because they were friends of the group leader but also because their formidable strength was truly intimidating.
Two days later, led by the Lin brothers, the group finally arrived outside Varo City, where the headquarters of the Moon Scar Mercenary Group was located. From the outside, the city appeared to be of similar size to the first city Ah Dai had visited after leaving the Xi Bo Clan. Still some distance from the city gate, the Lin brothers suddenly stopped, looking around in confusion, as if searching for something.
Ah Dai approached Lin Da and asked, "Brother Lin, what’s wrong? Is there something not right? Let’s go into the city." Due to the respect the Lin brothers had shown him over the past two days, Ah Dai’s initial dislike for the duo had lessened considerably. Only Olivia remained cold and indifferent toward them.
Lin Da frowned and said, "Normally, you’d always see many of our brethren outside the city, at the very least a few standing guard. But today, there’s not a single person around, which is rather strange."
Ah Dai chuckled, "Maybe Brother Moon Scar gave the members a day off. With over three thousand people in your group, nothing bad will happen. Let’s go into the city first."
Nodding, Lin Da led the group, along with Lin Er, toward the West City Gate of Varo City. The gate was wide open, with the drawbridge laid across the moat. Perhaps because Varo is inland within the Red Charming Clan’s territory, there were only about a dozen soldiers guarding the gate. The flow of passersby was constant and no one was stopping to inspect them. Even Ah Dai found it peculiar, for since entering the Red Charming Clan’s lands, this was the first time he hadn’t seen any mercenaries at the entrance to a city. With concern, he said to Lin Da, "There really isn’t a single mercenary?"
Lin Da’s face displayed an anxious expression as he replied, "Vice-captain Ah Dai, let me go ask. This is too strange. Normally, out of every ten people entering the city, there would be at least one mercenary."
Ah Dai nodded, and Lin Da hurriedly ran towards the soldiers guarding the gate to talk to one of them in a low voice. In a short while, he returned with a pallid face and said gravely, "Something terrible has indeed happened." Ah Dai could clearly sense his rapid heartbeat and saw his body trembling slightly. Frowning, he asked, "What happened? Did something happen to Brother Moon Scar?"
Lin Da shook his head and explained, "It’s not the leader; it’s the entire Mercenary Group that’s in trouble. Someone intends to invade our territory, and this is terrifying for us."
Xuan Yue inquired, "What exactly happened? Be clear. What do you mean someone wants to invade your territory?"
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Lin Da elaborated, "That’s what happened: I asked the soldier guarding the city why no mercenaries were entering. He told me that the leader of the Moon Scar had announced that all members of the Mercenary Group were forbidden from leaving the headquarters, and other mercenaries, fearing trouble, had left the city one after another. Two days ago, a team of mercenaries came to Varo City. They openly communicated to our leader that we have to leave Varo City within three days and hand over the territory to them. Otherwise, they would settle it outside of Varo City tomorrow, in three days’ time, using the ways of the mercenaries. Whoever wins can stay here. It’s quite arrogant! As to which Mercenary Group they are, probably only the leader of Moon Scar would know."
Xuan Yue chuckled, "I thought it was some serious matter. So it’s just a challenge from another Mercenary Group! That’s easy to deal with; we just need to defeat them. Brother Ah Dai, we’ve really come at the right time! Last time in Andis City, we encountered two Mages from the Mage Guild competing, and this time it’s a fight between Mercenary Groups. Exciting. We can definitely help Brother Moon Scar."
With a wry smile, Lin Da said, "It’s not as easy as you think. In the Red Charming Clan’s Mercenary World, there’s a rule that if a Mercenary Group has more than a thousand members, it can freely choose its city for its headquarters. As long as they promise to assist in the city’s defense when needed, the Red Charming Clan’s authorities will not interfere. In other words, if your Mercenary Group is strong enough, you can monopolize a city, or even dominate a region, with privileges similar to the officials, even enjoying up to five percent of the city’s tax revenue. It’s this incentive policy that has turned the Red Charming Clan into a paradise for mercenaries. However, under certain circumstances, the Mercenary Group defending a city faces threats that could affect the entire group—that is, challenges from other Mercenary Groups. The challenging group must be ranked lower than the defenders, and they can proceed according to the rules of the Mercenary Guild. If they win, they not only take over the territory but also the rank title of the defeated Mercenary Group. The original defenders have to downgrade two ranks. Given our current situation, if we are driven out of Varo City, we will be downgraded to a second-class Mercenary Group, and we might never recover. That’s why no other mercenaries are willing to get involved, given the looming battles between Mercenary Groups. This is really bad; can we survive this ordeal?" His ashen face betrayed his utter concern.
