Chapter 467: Chapter 99 Skeleton Mercenary Group_4
Ah Dai curiously asked, "Since these thieves are causing havoc, why doesn’t the Empire of Tian Jing send troops to wipe them out? If this continues, wouldn’t it affect the trade between the Empire of Tian Jing and the Sodor Federation?"
Mulat sighed, "They’ve tried to wipe them out. The Empire of Tian Jing has deployed heavy troops to attack them seven times, but every time they’ve come back defeated. The terrain of the Tian Jing Mountains is very dangerous; besides one main road that can be crossed, the rest of the area is full of tall mountains. There, the thieves are not only numerous but also very familiar with the terrain. They have used the terrain to setup various traps that have caused heavy losses to the Empire of Tian Jing. Even when the State Preceptor himself took action and used several large-scale destructive magics, it didn’t deal any devastating blows to them. These thieves are elusive, and there are many formidable characters among them. When they feel they can’t resist, they temporarily abandon their base and flee to the Sodor Federation. Our troops from the Empire of Tian Jing can’t just chase after them, can we? It’s tough! After suffering huge losses without seeing any significant results, the Empire of Tian Jing eventually ceased sending troops to annihilate the thieves. Instead, they’ve stationed heavy troops close to the Empire’s border, limiting the damage done by the thieves. These thieves are cunning and know they can only survive in the mountains. They never leave the Tian Jing Mountains and only rob passing merchants. No one really knows their exact situation. Now, I just hope they’re intimidated by the reputation of the Skeleton Mercenary Group and won’t cause trouble. Otherwise, if a conflict arises, it becomes complicated."
After traveling the whole day, they had only covered seventy or eighty miles. Due to DeLun Province being primarily agricultural, cities are spaced quite far apart; the caravan did not reach the next city and had to set up camp in an open space. The caravan gathered the wagons together with the Skeleton Mercenary Group defending the outer perimeter. Tents were set up around the caravan on the open plains. Together with the guards and mercenaries, there were over two thousand people.
After sitting in the wagons for a day, Ah Dai and Xuan Yue both felt a bit stiff. They jumped down from the wagon, with Xuan Yue stretching herself and taking in several breaths of fresh air from the plain, immediately feeling much more comfortable.
Evening had arrived; the setting sun was gradually disappearing beyond the hills, leaving the land in increasing darkness. Xuan Yue complained, "So boring, it was just sitting in the carriage the whole day, nothing to do." Because the rocking of the wagons was not conducive to practicing, and their abilities were already at peak, they didn’t force themselves. So, for the entire day, besides chatting, they only had napped. Even Ah Dai was feeling a bit lonely, not to mention the vivacious Xuan Yue who, since meeting Ah Dai, had been gradually returning to her cheerful and active ways.
Ah Dai, looking at the orderly arrangement of tents by the members of the Skeleton Mercenary Group, smiled and said, "This Skeleton Mercenary Group indeed deserves to be a Special Class Mercenary Group, look at how neatly they’ve arrayed. Although I don’t understand much about military tactics, I do know that this should be some kind of defensive formation."
Xuan Yue pouted and said, "Considering their domineering attitude, I doubt they can achieve anything great. Big brother, how about we walk around over there? I still haven’t digested the meal I had at noon."
Ah Dai looked in the direction Xuan Yue was pointing and saw a small and quiet forest not too far away. He nodded and said, "Alright. Let’s come back when it’s time for dinner."
Mulat came up to them, glanced at the four group leaders of the Skeleton Mercenary Group gathered together not far away, and whispered, "You both must be careful, do not provoke any conflict with the Skeleton Mercenary Group."
Xuan Yue laughed and said, "Don’t worry, even if there is a conflict, we won’t be at a loss. Besides, should we be afraid of them? Let’s go, big brother." As she spoke, she took Ah Dai’s hand and headed towards the forest.
The departure of Ah Dai and Xuan Yue was all seen by the Blood Skull and others. Blood Skull turned to his sister and asked, "Are they the ones?"
Ice Skull nodded. She had been pondering all day about what happened in the morning, but no matter how much she thought about it, she could not understand how Ah Dai managed to subdue her. The taste of defeat was incredibly bitter for someone as proud as she was.
Wind Skull said, "Big brother, do you think the one who defeated Ice Ice might actually be the Sword Saint of the Tian Gang himself? I remember Master once said that the Sword Saint of the Tian Gang looks like a middle-aged man because of his profound cultivation. Perhaps he came to deliberately humiliate us?"
Blood Skull shook his head, said, "It should not be him. How could the Sword Saint of the Tian Gang, with his status, become a mercenary? He would never bother about small fries like us. Besides, our Master mentioned that the Tian Gang Sword Saint may look youthful, but his beard and hair are all white. That young man has black hair and eyes and appears quite youthful, so he is unlikely to be the Sword Saint. He could be a master personally groomed by the Tian Gang Sword Saint. Otherwise, how could someone of his age have such profound martial arts abilities? If he really won the match against Bingbing this morning through his own abilities, then his skills definitely approach the level of a Sword Saint."
Iron Skull snorted, said, "Elder Brother, they went off by themselves earlier, didn’t they? Let us confront them now to unravel their secrets. I don’t believe we, with our collective strength, can’t defeat this one guy. We haven’t used our Four Elements Formation taught by our Master for a long time. Even our master takes over a hundred moves to break our formation. We have to restore Bingbing’s dignity today, and I won’t just sit back and watch." Iron Skull and Wind Skull have always adored Ice Skull, but they are brothers in the same training so it’s not appropriate for them to compete over her. What frustrates them the most is that Ice Skull treats everyone the same, neither hot nor cold. Unable to discern her true feelings, they seized this opportunity to stand out.
Wind Skull agreed, said, "Brother, I agree with our Third Brother. We can’t disgrace our master. While we’re still a distance from the Tian Jing mountain range, let’s test their martial skills. Also, we can take the chance to avenge Bingbing’s loss."
Blood Skull frowned, turned to his sister, asked, "Bingbing, what do you think?"
Ice Skull calmly said, "I agree. I was beaten this morning without understanding exactly why. But, I indeed lost. Perhaps, our Four Elements Formation may be able to deal with him. Big Brother, are we afraid of him? We, the Skeleton Mercenary Group, can’t afford to lose face."
Always prudent in his dealings, Blood Skull was not going to spare Ah Dai and Xuan Yue even if his brother and sister didn’t speak up. He asked, "How are the skills of the handsome young man who was with the person who defeated you? Did you notice anything this morning?"
Ice Skull shook her head, said, "He did not demonstrate his abilities, but he appeared quite arrogant. According to Mulat, he seems to be a Mage and is a priest of the Church. Moreover, he is the leader of the Evil Sky Mercenary Group. By the looks of his position, he might be stronger than the person who defeated me. Yet, I did not sense any strong aura from him. That man who defeated me was very protective of this handsome young man."
Iron Skull sneered, said, "A priest? I think that old fellow Mulat made it up. A priest would only take up the profession of a mercenary if his mind is not intact. Besides, can our martial arts lose to magic? Perhaps, those two boys have that kind of relationship?"
Blood Skull frowned, said, "Third Brother, watch your mouth. Don’t speak nonsense in front of Bingbing. Since we have decided to confront them, we must not underestimate the potential danger. Although ordinary magic is unlikely to harm us severely, advanced magic can indeed threaten our lives. We all have to be careful. We can’t afford to lose again." He’s keen to learn more about the Evil Sky Mercenary Group, especially about the person who defeated his sister in a single move. Moreover, when he was following the Northern Sword Saint, he heard about how formidable the Tian Gang Sword Saint is. Encountering a disciple of Tian Gang Sword Saint, he must test the latter’s abilities or else he wouldn’t be content.
Blood, Wind, Iron, and Ice Skulls picked up their weapons. Blood Skull was barehanded. They assigned protecting the merchant convoy at the campsite to their subordinates, then set off in the direction where Ah Dai and Xuan Yue disappeared into the woods.
Watching the four Skulls chase after Ah Dai and Xuan Yue, Mulat was extremely anxious but did not dare to interrupt. He could not afford to offend such formidable adversaries. He could only hope and pray silently that neither side would get into serious trouble. Otherwise, the journey to the Yajin Tribe might become perilous for the merchant convoy.
Ah Dai was pulled by Xuan Yue into the woods. The fresh air in the woods revitalized them. Ah Dai leaped up, lightly touched a tree branch, and hovered in mid-air. He closed his eyes and felt the breath of nature. He had seen the Tian Gang Sword Saint hover in mid-air before, he wanted to try it now as well. The Golden Body in his Dantian released a strong flow of True Qi, encasing Ah Dai in a massive white orb of energy in mid-air. He hovered for a few seconds before gently descending.
