Chapter 480: Chapter 105: Parting Ways_1
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Ah Dai said, "We might first go to the headquarters of the Red Charming Mercenary Group, then wander around the mainland. As for you, Blood Skull, what are your plans?"
Blood Skull gave a bitter smile and said, "Our Mercenary Group has suffered such a great setback this time. Seeing the strength of you two brothers, it completely changed my previous arrogant thinking. Hmm..., I guess it’s time to let the Mercenary Group rest for a period. I should return to my master to improve myself. On the mainland, if one lacks strength, it’s impossible to survive. It seems that up till now, our good luck is the reason nothing has gone wrong. Once we meet a strong opponent, the losses would be this heavy. It really makes me feel ashamed. The blood of our brothers will not be shed in vain. Those bastards of the Dark Demon Clan, one day, I will get my revenge. By the way, if you return to Tian Gang Sword Sect, please give my regards to the Sword Saint of Tian Gang for my master, the Northern Sword Saint. Although they have been in conflict for so many years, my master admires the Sword Saint of Tian Gang above all others. My master once said that the only thing in his life he could not surpass was the Sword Saint of Tian Gang. Now it seems that my master’s regret is also passed down to us. I’m afraid I won’t be able to surpass you either!"
Ah Dai looked a bit embarrassed, smiled, and said, "Big brother, don’t say that. Your fire attribute fighting spirit is still very powerful. It’s just that I have been a little luckier, which led to my current achievements."
Blood Skull laughed out loud and said, "Often times, luck is also quite important. Well, enough of that talk. After we hand in the mission, I’ll take you brothers for a drink. After that, our paths will diverge."
At this point, Mulat had come out. He directed the workers of the caravan to start moving the heavy crates of goods into the building. After more than an hour of effort, the goods transported by the Stan Empire Alliance this time were finally successfully stored in the warehouse, and the Skeleton Mercenary Group and the Evil Sky Mercenary Group finally completed their mission.
Mulat walked up to them, smiled, and said, "Heads of the groups, you’ve worked hard. Come inside and sit. I also need to give you the reward you deserve."
At first glance, there was nothing special about the Stan Empire Alliance’s branch in Andis City, but once everyone went inside, they were all taken aback. Not only was the place spacious, but it was also very elegantly decorated. Ah Dai seemed to see the resemblance to the big casinos in the Empire of Sunset City. Mulat smiled and said, "Our business association often has to negotiate big deals here, so we have to decorate the place luxuriously. As to show our power and make our clients trust us more."
Mulat led the group into a large room of about thirty square meters. He made tea for the five of them himself and continued to speak seriously, "We at the Stan Empire Alliance were able to smoothly get the goods here thanks to everyone’s great help. I feel very sorry for the brothers of the Skeleton Mercenary Group who suffered casualties during the mission." He bent down to pick up something he had prepared earlier, which was two bags made of leather. He presented the smaller bag to Xuan Yue, saying, "The two group leaders have invested a lot of effort in this operation. I initially promised to pay you both a reward of a thousand gold coins. It’s really not enough, here are forty-five diamond coins, which, added to the five diamond coins paid in advance, sum to five thousand gold coins. In the future, if there is anything our business association needs, we will need to rely on both of you."
Ah Dai responded, "Chairman Mulat, how can we take so much money from you? Since we agreed on a thousand gold coins in advance, we should stick to that amount."
Mulat shook his head, "Don’t refuse, group leaders. The extra money is a bonus from the business association. There’s no need to say anything else." Without waiting for Ah Dai to speak again, Mulat immediately took the other bag and handed it to the Blood Skull, saying, "Group Leader Blood Skull, here are three hundred diamond coins. We initially agreed on a reward of twenty thousand gold coins. We have already paid your group a hundred diamond coins as a deposit. With these, it totals forty thousand diamond coins. Group Leader Blood Skull, you shouldn’t refuse either. The loss of your group this time was way beyond our expectations. This extra money is just a small token of respect from us to those who fell from your group. You must accept."
Blood Skull sighed, took the bag of money and thought to himself-- even though there’s a lot of money, it still can’t bring back the lives of my lost brothers! "Chairman Mu, thank you, then. Since the mission is complete, I won’t bother you anymore. There are many things to arrange in the group. Brothers Ah Dai, are you coming with us?"
Ah Dai and Xuan Yue quickly bid farewell to Mulat. Mulat personally escorted the five people out of the business association. At the door, he appeared reluctant to part with the five people.
After leaving the business association, Blood Skull ordered his group to gather together, he shouted to Iron Skull, "you take out fifty diamond coins to distribute among our brothers. Let’s take a day off today. Let everyone relax, and gather at the West City Gate early tomorrow morning. We will immediately return to headquarters." Upon hearing that Blood Skull was going to give them a day off, the members of the Skeleton Mercenary Group cheered immediately. For the past month, they had been living on tenterhooks, and finally, they could relax. How could they not be happy?
Looking at the slowly dispersing mercenaries, Ah Dai turned to Blood Skull and said, "Chairman Mulat is really nice. He is a person with deep emotions! He gave us so much money this time, it’s no wonder that you guys always cooperate with him."
Blood Skull snorted and said, "Brother, you’re still too naive. That old fox Mulat is a standard cunning businessman. The reason why he treats us well is because he has use for us. In order to fully utilize our efforts for him, he acts so friendly. If you can’t bring him any benefits, he will not care about you no matter what, don’t forget, he is a businessman. If I am not mistaken, the value of the goods transported by the Stan Empire Alliance this time is probably worth over ten million gold coins. The money we received is nothing compared to it. Money, to me, is just something that can give a good life to the brothers. But this time, we lost five hundred lives for forty thousand gold coins, uh huh."
Looking at the desolate eyes of Blood Skull, Ah Dai said dejectedly, "Being a mercenary is not easy either! It’s risking your life to make money."
Ice Skull walked up to Blood Skull and whispered, "Big brother, don’t be sad. Things have already happened."
Blood Skull mumbled, "Yes, things have happened. What’s the use of me being sad? Well, the third brother is back, let’s go, let’s find a place to have a good drink."
Dismissing the mercenaries, the five of them strolled slowly on the main street towards Andis City. Like Xuan Yue said, everyone in Andis City looked pretty busy, rushing from one place to another, and didn’t pay much attention to them.
"Let’s go there" Blood Skull pointed out a small tavern not far in front of them.
The five of them entered the tavern. It was still morning, there wasn’t a lot of people in the tavern. Blood Skull looked at the simple decoration around him and said to Ah Dai and Xuan Yue, "It’s not that I am stingy. I’m afraid it will be a while before our Skeleton Mercenary Group accepts any missions. Without our usual source of income, we must be frugal now. Waiter, bring us five tequilas and some snacks."
Since there were few guests, the food and drinks were served quickly. Blood Skull picked up his own glass and said, "It’s time for us to part ways. Come, my two younger brothers, let me toast to you, as a farewell gesture." Ah Dai had some drinks before, but those were merely sips. As for Xuan Yue, he was from the church and had never even touched alcohol before. As they beheld the pale green liquid in front of them and breathed in its refreshing aroma, both lifted their glasses. Blood Skull drained his glass in one gulp, a slight blush lifted on his face, and he shouted, "Delightful!"
Ah Dai tried to imitate Blood Skull and gulp down the drink, but as soon as he tasted the aromatic liquid, an exceptionally strong spicy flavor hit the back of his throat, causing him difficulty in swallowing and leading to a fit of severe coughing. Xuan Yue fared no better than Ah Dai. Even though she drank less, she was overwhelmed by it, her pretty face turned red, her waist bent over as she coughed hard, even her eyes welled up with tears. Seeing their reactions, Blood Skull was first taken aback and then burst out laughing. Iron Skull and the usually cold Ice Skull couldn’t help but join in the laughter.
Blood Skull laughed, "Although we don’t match you in martial arts, you are far behind us in drinking."
Xuan Yue finally calmed down after a while, gasping, "Ah! Blood... Skull... Older Brother... You... want to... kill... us!... What is... this... thing! It’s... so hard... to drink!" Ah Dai, still horrified, said, "Why is the taste of this wine so strong? I only had a little and my chest feels like it’s on fire. Brother, are you okay?"
Iron Skull said, "Tequila is famous for being a strong liquor, my elder brother is a master of spirits; his cultivation is Fire Nightmare Aura, so of course, he has no problem drinking it. Haven’t you drunk before?"
Xuan Yue pushed her glass in front of Blood Skull and said, "I, I don’t want to drink this anymore, it’s too difficult to drink. So, this is what alcohol tastes like!"
Iron Skull removed his own helmet, his hair and eyebrows had started to grow a little. He took a sip of his own drink, praising, "That’s because you don’t know how to enjoy it. This tequila has a pure taste. It’s good, It’s good. Brother, if you don’t want a drink, you can also give me yours."
Blood Skull glared at him and said, "What? Do you want to compete with me in drinking again? Have you forgotten the last lesson?"
Iron Skull indeed succumbed to Blood Skull in terms of drinking capacity. Embarrassed, he said, "Who the hell wants to compete with you in drinking? I almost died from drinking last time. Fourth sister, you should also take off your helmet. Ah Dai and Xuan Yue are no strangers to our group. How do you drink with your helmet on?"
Under the helmet of Ice Skull, two rays of clear light shot out, sweeping over Ah Dai and Xuan Yue. She slowly lifted her hands to remove her helmet, revealing her beauty unparalleled in appearance.
Ah Dai and Xuan Yue were stunned at the sight of Ice Skull’s face. Hers was an exceptionally fair complexion, the green eyes emanated a profound light. Even though there was no expression on her face, her exquisite features matched with her unique cold temperament, making her as captivating as an angel trapped in ice. Xuan Yue whispered to herself, "Sister, you’re so beautiful! Why do you usually wear a helmet?"
Ice Skull said lightly, "I did not want the group members to see my face. I don’t want them to obey my command because of my appearance or have any inappropriate thoughts. I became the deputy leader of the Skeleton Mercenary Group due to my strength." She paused with her clear gaze upon Ah Dai’s naive face, she continued, "Ah Dai, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask. How did you defeat me when we first met? I’ve thought for more than a month but still couldn’t figure it out."
Ah Dai stared blankly at Ice Skull’s delicate face. Her temperament was even colder than ice itself, reminiscent of Ice’s features, and he was left speechless.
Seeing Ah Dai entranced by Ice Skull’s appearance, Xuan Yue pinched his leg hard. The intense pain immediately pulled Ah Dai back to his senses, he let out a cry, "Brother, why are you pinching me?" Xuan Yue shot him an annoyed glare, saying, "Ice Skull sister is asking you a question, and you are staring at her like that? Have you never seen a beautiful woman before?"
Ah Dai scratched his head, sadly saying, "Ice Skull sister’s look is very similar to a friend I had before. I had no intention. What was the question again?"
Xuan Yue felt a pang in her heart. She clearly realized that the friend Ah Dai mentioned was the girl named Ice, represented by the statue he carried.
Seeing Ah Dai’s reaction, Ice Skull was slightly surprised, she said, "I was just asking how you managed to defeat me before. I know you were in front of me, how did you suddenly get behind me? Throughout my memory, no one has ever been able to defeat me in a single move, not even my master."
Ah Dai raised his head, looking at Ice Skull’s familiar cold temperament, murmuring, "Actually, that day, I took advantage of an artifact’s power to gain the upper hand. I honestly didn’t have the confidence to win within three moves."
Blood Skull and Iron Skull were intrigued by Ah Dai’s words, "Artifact? What kind of artifact?"
Ah Dai said, "I have an item on my body that can split into a clone with half of my power. This item also has the ability to teleport instantly three times a day. I used its two functions. I used the split body to attract the attention of Elder Sister Ice Skull in front of her, and I used the teleportation to succeed in getting behind her. Because it was so fast, no one saw it."
The three skulls were stunned, despite Ah Dai explaining his method of reigning in Ice Skull, they still couldn’t comprehend what kind of artifact could produce such effects.
A surprised look crossed Ice Skull’s icy face, she said, "Is there such things in the continent? How come I never heard of it?"
Ah Dai revealed the Goris’s Wish on his right wrist, gently stroking the divine artifact from which energy was flowing, quietly said, "This wristband is called Goris’s Wish, it was left to me by my teacher before his death."
The three skulls were shaken, all exclaimed, "What? The Sword Saint of the Tian Gang is dead?"
Ah Dai paused, reminded of the Northern Sword Saint’s admonition, and then shook his head, "No, it’s another one of my mentors. The greatest Alchemist across this continent, who crafted this wristguard with his own life. It was named after him." To Ah Dai, the Wish of Goris was as precious as Goris himself when he was alive.
The Ice Skeleton murmured, "I see. Ah Dai, I have a question for you. If you were to compete against me using all your might, how many moves do you think it would take for you to beat me?"
Ah Dai hesitated for a moment, then seeing the anticipation in the Ice Skeleton’s eyes, he said, "If I don’t rely on any weapons, probably approximately ten moves." By "weapon," he meant the highly powerful Sword of Hades, not the Wish of Goris. He was still indecisive in his assessment; with his current ability, if he were to go all-out, five moves would be more than enough.
A trace of a bitter smile emerged on the Ice Skeleton’s face. "Ten moves, just ten moves! I’ve been training for over a decade, but I can only hold out for ten moves."
The Blood Skeleton patted the Ice Skeleton’s shoulder and sighed, "Forget it, little sister, we simply cannot compare ourselves to Brother Ah Dai. By the way, Brother Ah Dai, I’ve been meaning to ask you, between you and Brother Xuan Re, who is stronger? From what I can see, you guys seem to be on the same level. So, who is stronger, the one with martial arts or the one with magic?"
Ah Dai was momentarily stunned. He turned to look at Xuan Yue, who was also looking at him. They both shook their heads. "We have never truly fought one another, so I don’t know who is stronger. One can only reveal their true strength in matters of life or death. We are best friends, so how could we fight each other like that? I think Brother Xuan Re may be the stronger one. He is one of the most formidable mages I have ever come across." Xuan Yue’s face instantly lit up with a faint smile upon hearing the words of praise from her beloved. She said, "Actually, this is a tough question to answer. Magic and martial arts are two different things. However, Big Brother Ah Dai’s offensive power is vastly formidable. If I were to fight with him, I must find an opportunity to cast a spell first. Otherwise, I would probably lose before I even managed to finish reciting the spell. Overall, Ah Dai is likely stronger considering he still has..." Upon realizing she’s shared too much, Xuan Yue quickly stopped talking. What she meant to convey was that the Sheng Xie is assisting Ah Dai.
All three Skeletons clearly understood the implication of Xuan Yue’s words, and all inhaled sharply in surprise. Ah Dai had a secret weapon he hadn’t unleashed yet! Just as they were marveling over Ah Dai’s strength, the door to the tavern swung open and in walked three mercenaries, all exceptionally proficient in martial arts. The mercenary insignia on their chests was notably conspicuous. They didn’t sit far from Ah Dai and his group.
Under his breath, the Iron Skeleton murmured, "People still come in for a drink at this hour like us, how unusual! Brother Ah Dai, since you guys can’t handle strong drinks very well, I’ll get you guys some juice instead."
Rushing to agree, Xuan Yue said, "Sure! Ah Dai and I will each have a glass of lime juice. It looks pretty similar to tequila, but moments ago I assumed they would taste the same too. Who would have thought... I’m starting to feel a bit dizzy, I think it’s probably because of the drink?"
The Blood Skeleton subtly smiled, pouring the tequila Xuan Yue passed him earlier into his own cup, took a sip and said, "How can fruit juice compare to the taste of liquor? My brother, you’re really missing out! As men, we all need to practice our alcohol tolerance."
Still reeling from the shock, Xuan Yue gave a wry smile: "I’d rather pass on such a luxury. Sweet fruit juices taste better. I don’t need any alcohol tolerance."
The Ice Skeleton took a glance at Xuan Yue, a strange light gleaming in their eyes.
The three mercenaries who entered later ordered a few beers, chatted leisurely, and drank. They were speaking so loudly that Ah Dai and the others didn’t have to try hard to hear them clearly.
"Boss, in the future, let’s not accept jobs from the Mage Guild anymore. It’s both difficult and thankless. We can’t afford to provoke either side, so why bother for some money?"
The mercenary who was referred to as ’Boss’ replied, "I know, the money from the Mage Guild isn’t easy to earn, but times are tough. Those merchants are all too shrewd. They propose such difficult tasks, it’s hard to earn money from the Yajin Tribe! If we don’t take some jobs from the Mage Guild, what will we brothers live on? I’m afraid we won’t even afford drinks."
"But, boss, these two Mage Guilds have both publicly declared that nobody is allowed to sell Ordinary Magic Stones to the other party. We’re stuck in the middle and it’s too difficult. If the Mage Guild of the Tian Jing Empire finds out that we’re secretly helping the Continental Mage Guild transport magic stones, I’m afraid they’ll not let us off. An upper-level mage would be tough for us to handle."
The previously silent mercenary interrupted, "Yes, you’re right. Boss, I think we should stop helping the Continental Mage Guild transport magic stones for a while. Recently, the conflict between these two Mage Guilds has escalated. Last time they even started fighting over a high-level mage. The spectacle was quite dazzling but it also ruined many civilian houses. If it weren’t for the intervention of the Yajin Tribe’s Clan Leader, I’m afraid half of Andis City would have been destroyed in their conflict."
The Boss said, "Alright, we’ve accumulated some savings anyway. Let’s rest for a few days and we’ll see how things go after the dust settles."
Having heard their conversation, Xuan Yue stuck out her tongue and said to Ah Dai, "Big Brother, you were right! These two Mage Guilds have indeed become irreconcilable."
Confused, the Blood Skeleton asked, "Where do these two Mage Guilds come from?" After Xuan Yue had quietly explained to him, he finally understood.
The Blood Skeleton said, "Brother Xuan Re, aren’t you a priest from the church? What does the Mage Guild have to do with you? From what I’ve seen, you’ve seemed somewhat nervous."
Xuan Yue smiled faintly and said softly, "It’s not me who’s nervous, it’s Big Brother Ah Dai. Although I am a priest, Ah Dai is an Intermediate Magician affiliated with the Continental Mage Guild. Both parties are mage organizations, so naturally he’s in a tough position. Right, Big Brother?" As she was saying this, she poked Ah Dai gently.
Ah Dai gave a bitter smile and replied, "Yes! According to the rules, I should help the Continental Mage Guild, but now, in the midst of such scarce magic user numbers, if the two sides were to erupt in conflict, casualties would be inevitable. Which would not be beneficial for the development of the mage profession, and that is something I least want to see."
Stunned, the Ice Skeleton asked, "You’re also a mage? You have such high martial arts skills, why would you divert your focus to magic as well?"
Xuan Yue giggled and answered the question for Ah Dai, "Not only is my big brother a magician, but he can also be considered as half an alchemist. He first learned magic and alchemy, and then martial arts. Of course, his martial arts skills are more advanced now. However, when he first started adventuring in the mainland, he was drawing a monthly salary from the Mage Guild. Considering that he has benefited from them, it may be inappropriate for him to stay out of this situation."
Blood Skull took a sip of Tequila and smiled, "Ah Dai, you really are full of surprises! Since you have a connection with the Mage Guild, are you going to meddle in this conflict?"
Ah Dai shook his head and said, "Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t be able to do much! Besides, I don’t want to harm anyone."
Changing the topic, Xuan Yue asked, "Blood Skull, I also have a question for you. Since you are the heirs of the Northern Sword Saint, why don’t you use a sword?"
Blood Skull laughed, "Isn’t Ah Dai also not using a sword?"
Ah Dai scratched his head and said, "I’m a bit slow, sword techniques are complicated, it’s hard for me to remember them. Besides, my master once said that when one’s skill reaches a certain level, techniques become less important. It is the profound inner strength that determines victory or defeat. Hence, he did not teach me swordsmanship."
Blood Skull nodded and said, "Yes, you’re absolutely right, none of us, four disciples, learned our master’s swordsmanship due to insufficient skill. My Fire Nightmare Aura is the authentic skill of my master. He said that when I achieve certain progress, he will teach me swordsmanship. Our master is very versatile; his casual skills alone would suffice for a lifetime of practice. After leaving here, I have decided to go back to the mountains and learn from our master and see if I can make any progress. Otherwise, the Skeleton Mercenary Group is likely to disband."
Ice Skull said, "Big brother, I will go back to the mountains with you. Ah Dai, although we are friends now, I will always remember how you defeated me with a single move. When I am confident enough to win against you, I will definitely challenge you again. I can’t believe that my Extreme Ice True Energy is not as powerful as your Life Qi."
Ah Dai said helplessly, "Ice Skull, why are you so persistent? Does victory or defeat really matter that much?"
Ice Skull lowered her head without a word. Blood Skull patted his sister’s shoulders and said, "Ice, you’re no longer a girl who can waste her time on martial arts. You should find yourself a partner, otherwise, you may end up an old maid."
Xuan Yue laughed, "Ice Skull, you’re still young! There’s no need to rush."
Blood Skull said, "She’s already 23. At her age, most girls already have children."
Ice Skull suddenly raised her head and glanced at Ah Dai. She softly said, "Big brother, when I first joined master’s sect, I made a vow that I would only marry a Sword Saint."
Ah Dai was taken aback, "But, the current Sword Saints are all quite old, isn’t it inappropriate?"
Blood Skull glanced at Ice Skull and then at the Iron Skull, who had turned pale. He sighed and said, "Becoming a Sword Saint is not easy! Among the younger generation, Ah Dai is probably the only one who can achieve this in a short time." He didn’t elaborate further due to Iron Skull’s presence, but his subtlety hinted that he highly appreciated Ah Dai. If Ah Dai could become his brother-in-law, surpassing the Red Charming Mercenary Group would be a much easier task for the Skeleton Mercenary Group. Moreover, based on his understanding of Ah Dai during these days, Blood Skull was very confident in Ah Dai’s character and he felt he might be the perfect match for his precious little sister.
Ah Dai was oblivious to the hidden meaning in Blood Skull’s words, but Xuan Yue understood. He felt wary and said, "Blood Skull, it’s getting late. Ah Dai and I want to visit the Mage Guild to see what’s happening there, let’s meet again when the time comes."
Blood Skull was surprised, "Brother, what’s the rush? The Mage Guild isn’t going anywhere."
Ah Dai didn’t understand Xuan Yue’s urgency, "Brother, are we really going to the Mage Guild?"
Xuan Yue said, "Of course we are. Don’t you remember what I told you? When faced with difficulties, you should confront them. Only then will your abilities improve. Blood Skull, I’m sorry, due to the mission to protect the Stan Empire Alliance, we’ve been delayed for a long time. We must go now. I believe we’ll have the opportunity to meet again."
Blood Skull saw that Xuan Yue was determined to leave and didn’t try to stop him. He stood up and said, "Alright then, take care on your journey. We can compare our skills again when the opportunity arises."
Iron Skull couldn’t wait for Ah Dai to leave. Even though he wasn’t particularly bright, he understood that Blood Skull was trying to matchmake Ah Dai with Ice Skull. Seeing a rival leave was certainly a good thing for him. He stood up, finished his Tequila, and said, "Brothers, we will always be friends, and we will meet again. Take care."
Since things had come to this point, Ah Dai had to leave. After exchanging pleasantries, he left the bar with Xuan Yue. Watching their retreating figures, Blood Skull said to Ice Skull, "Sister, you might have just missed a great opportunity! Why didn’t you try to keep him? Although Ah Dai isn’t particularly good-looking, he definitely is someone you can trust to spend your life with. With his skills, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to call him a Sword Saint. If you could marry him, I would have complete peace of mind."
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