Chapter Three: The Mercenary Squad

After walking for about half a day, the little wolf cub in his arms poked out its head, whining softly. Its tongue flicked twice around its mouth, and its eyes gazed up at Yun Yufeng with a pitiful look.

Yun Yufeng smacked his forehead. How could he have forgotten that this little one hadn’t eaten yet? Since it had just been born, it was best to give it some blood. Surveying his surroundings, Yun Yufeng crouched and slipped into a small patch of shrubbery. The bushes were low, so he wasn’t too worried about running into any particularly vicious magical beasts.

Soon, he caught a rabbit. To his surprise, this world was truly full of wonders—this small rabbit could actually shoot water arrows as sharp as real ones. One even pierced a clear hole through his pant leg.

If that had hit its mark, I’d be in trouble, Yun Yufeng thought, glancing at his groin and shuddering. He quickly dismissed the thought and brought the wolf cub to the rabbit’s wound to let it drink the blood.

After a while, the cub nuzzled the rabbit’s head with its own, then looked at Yun Yufeng, making a series of wooing sounds, as if trying to say something.

After some fuss, Yun Yufeng seemed to understand. He drew his longsword and split open the rabbit’s skull. The cub let out a joyful yelp, pounced forward, and pulled out a crystal roughly the thickness of a pinky finger, which it tossed back and swallowed in one gulp. It smacked its lips with satisfaction and scampered back to Yun Yufeng.

Seeing this, Yun Yufeng’s jaw dropped. Smack! He slapped himself. Two magical beasts, each dozens of meters long… their magic crystals must be enormous and worth a fortune!

Yes, magic crystals—the prized currency of the continent, found only in magical beasts.

Yun Yufeng could almost see two great piles of gold coins gleaming before his eyes.

“Too bad they’re not mine.”

Squatting down helplessly, he picked up the wolf cub. He didn’t dare go back; there were probably a bunch of magical beasts feasting there now, and he’d be a fool to run straight into their midst.

“Boss, it’s been two days and we haven’t come across a single magical beast worth our time. We’re deep into the Magic Beast Forest—something’s not right,” came a rough voice from ahead.

Yun Yufeng, who had been about to straighten up, froze. He quickly tossed the cub into his pack. After arriving in this world, he was finally encountering other living people. Excitement welled up inside him—now he could figure out where he was and which way led out, instead of wandering aimlessly and exhausting himself.

“Everyone stay alert. It’s too quiet here—something strange is going on. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” said a voice.

“Yes, Captain,” the rough voice replied. “You in the back, keep your eyes open! Gao, stop hugging that rusty sword like it’s your baby—wake up!”

“Get lost! Mind your own business!”

Laughter erupted—a rowdy group, clearly a team.

Yun Yufeng emerged from the bushes, lifting his head just in time to see the captain giving a signal to halt. Clearly, the tense quiet had made this band of mercenaries uneasy.

“Well, well, Bull, am I seeing things? A kid? Second rank? This is too much!” A wiry man doubled over with laughter. “Seriously, are we being played? We haven’t seen a magical beast worth a few silver coins, and now we stumble on a brat?”

“Ahem, for the record, I’m almost an adult!” Yun Yufeng shot the skinny man an indignant glare.

The leader walked forward and spoke slowly, “Kid, what’s a second-rank like you doing in the territory of sixth-rank magical beasts? Even if this is the border, it’s no place for a mere Martial Spirit of your level. Where are your elders?”

The captain clearly assumed Yun Yufeng had only managed to reach these lands thanks to the protection of someone powerful. He knew all too well that even his own team, all fifth-rank, and he himself nearly sixth-rank, were dancing on the edge of a blade here.

Yun Yufeng sized up the captain—a burly man with a broadsword at his waist. Though he wore a long robe, Yun Yufeng could feel the terrifying power hidden beneath, a pressure that made him uneasy.

Hoping to follow the group out of the forest, Yun Yufeng looked up and forced a smile. “Suppose I told you I was carried here by a bird, and woke up in the forest? Would you believe me?”

“A bird? Carried you in here?” The usually stern captain burst into laughter, his face flushing as he turned to his men. “Well, boys, what do you make of that one?”

The big guy called Bull thought for a moment, then nodded. “Captain, it actually makes sense. I can’t think of any other reason a second-rank kid would be here. Though, I wonder why he hasn’t been eaten yet—he looks pretty tender.”

Yun Yufeng nearly gagged at the word “tender.” Really, did they have to put it that way?

“All right, kid, let’s say you woke up here. When did you arrive? What happened here? Why is it that we’ve seen nothing but weak animals fit for a meal, and no sign of magical beasts?” The captain’s tone was tinged with interrogation as he tapped the hilt of his sword.

Yun Yufeng found his manner grating, but on second thought, it was understandable. In a world where strength was everything, he was an ant before a near-sixth-rank powerhouse—easy to crush with a flick of the wrist.

He blinked, his dark eyes clear and unclouded, and glanced back down the path he’d come. “I do know something about that, but I’d like to ask you to let me come with you. I don’t know the way out, and if I travel alone, sooner or later I’ll be eaten by a magical beast.”

The captain frowned, hesitated, then said, “You can come, but your life is your own responsibility. I have enough on my plate.”

Yun Yufeng breathed a sigh of relief. These mercenaries seemed decent enough, not the high-and-mighty, life-or-death types he’d imagined.

He pointed to the trail bearing faint traces of blood. “Early this morning, in that direction, two magical beasts fought. All the others were scared off, which is why you’ve seen nothing but weak creatures. Didn’t you notice the lack of monsters as you came?”

“That explains it,” the captain nodded thoughtfully.

“Can I call you Captain, like the others? What mission are you on this time?” Yun Yufeng lifted his young face and looked straight at the captain.

“Kid, you shouldn’t ask so many questions. Haven’t you heard it’s dangerous to pry into others’ business? Curiosity killed the cat,” the wiry man snapped, eyes narrowed.

In truth, Yun Yufeng didn’t know—mercenaries in the Magic Beast Forest were known for killing without hesitation, and some even hunted weaker teams for profit, which was easier than catching magical beasts.

“Let him be, Monkey,” the captain said without looking back. “He’s just a kid—he doesn’t know any better. We’re just here to make enough for a few months’ expenses.”

Yun Yufeng found himself liking the captain a bit more. Since they were only here out of necessity, and would leave once they’d made enough, it looked like he could tag along.

Those two massive magical beast corpses were still lying there. Even if the meat had been eaten by other beasts, the bones would remain—enough, perhaps, to cover their expenses for months. He wasn’t sure, but that was his estimate.

With a plan in mind, Yun Yufeng said, “Captain, I can take you to where the two magical beasts fought. I saw their bodies after they died. If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll get something out of it. If it’s enough, I hope you’ll help me a little. My strength isn’t much.”

“Agreed,” the captain replied decisively, waving his hand. “All right, boys, let’s go with the kid and take a look.”

“What’s your name? We’ve been talking for ages and I still don’t know what to call you,” the captain asked as they walked.

“Yun Yufeng, from Weishan Town.”

“Weishan Town? Never heard of it,” the captain frowned.

The wiry Monkey muttered from the back, “Captain, I know the place. Went there a few years ago. Tiny town, way out there—miles from the Muzha Camp outside the forest, about two cities away.”

Yun Yufeng was stunned, clutching his head. “Heavens, this is too much. Not only was I kidnapped, but I’ve been flown two cities away? Damn bird, I curse you to lose all your feathers and turn into a bald-tailed freak!”

Somewhere in the ninth-level area, a resplendent rainbow roc paused in preening its feathers, shivered as if someone were cursing it, looked around in confusion, then went back to grooming its tail.

Yun Yufeng, who had been hoping to return home soon, now wanted to stamp his feet and curse. Once an orphan, he had longed for the warmth of family; the merged memories still left him with a deep longing, and amid all his reckless thoughts, he always missed his lively little brother and gentle mother.

“Heh, kid, looks like you’re a tragic case,” Bull said with a guileless grin.

The captain chuckled. “Don’t worry—as soon as we get out of the forest, you can pay a bit and hire a merchant caravan to take you home. Now, tell us about those two magical beasts that killed each other.”

Collecting himself, Yun Yufeng figured things couldn’t get much worse; the most important thing was to get out. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he recounted the epic battle he’d witnessed at dawn. “Actually, I don’t know their names. One was a giant silver wolf, the other a tiger wreathed in flames—both dozens of meters long, their steps treading on air. Their battle parted the towering treetops, drew the moonlight into their bodies, and sent flames slashing through the sky…”

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