"Uh," the middle-aged man was taken aback when he looked at the somewhat immature boy in front of him, then laughed,
"Little brother, our condition is a two-star! A Dou Zhe!"
The middle-aged man emphasized the last four words, clearly not believing that this boy, who was only a little over ten years old, could meet this standard.
"Where did this blond brat come from? Has he even grown up yet? Strolling around like this!"
"Little brat, get out of the way, don't waste our time!"
"..."
Seeing that a boy had taken the last spot, the mercenary men on the periphery immediately started cursing.
Ignoring these noises, Xiao Lei took two steps forward and walked to a tree trunk as thick as two arms. He spread his right hand, purple Dou Qi covering his palm like a faint light screen.
Xiao Lei's expression was calm, but his palm, mixed with fierce energy, slammed hard against the tree trunk. With a loud
"Bang!"
, the rather thick tree trunk was shattered by a single palm strike, much to everyone's astonishment!
"Boom!"
The tree toppled, purple lightning crackling at the broken ends!
"Shouldn't that meet the standard?" Xiao Lei withdrew his hand, looked up at the dumbfounded middle-aged man, and smiled faintly.
"Tsk tsk, young brother, your talent is truly remarkable. At such a young age, you've already cultivated to the level of a two-star Dou Zhe! You're simply a genius!"
The middle-aged man nodded in amazement and smiled at Xiao Lei.
"Alright, the last spot is yours. The mercenary reward is five hundred gold coins for escorting our Wan Yao Zhai herb-gathering team back and forth. Half will be paid upfront, and the other half upon our return." "
Okay," Xiao Lei nodded slightly, having no objections.
Five hundred gold coins were nothing to him. The only person in the Wan Yao Zhai team who truly interested him was Little Fairy Doctor.
Seeing that Xiao Lei had taken the last spot, the surrounding mercenaries had no choice but to leave dejectedly.
As they left, they couldn't help but cast strange glances at Xiao Lei.
Xiao Lei looked only fifteen or sixteen years old, yet he had already reached the strength of a two-star Dou Zhe or higher. Such talent was truly remarkable!
They wondered which powerful organization had nurtured this genius.
If they knew that Xiao Lei wasn't a Dou Zhe at all, but a four-star Dou Shi, they would be utterly shocked!
After the middle-aged man finished speaking with Xiao Lei, he quickly walked to the center of the group, finally stopping in front of a woman in a white dress who was surrounded by a crowd of admirers.
"Little Fairy Doctor, everyone's here
. Shall we depart now?" the middle-aged man asked politely, bowing slightly to the woman in the white dress.
Xiao Lei looked in the direction of the voice and saw the woman's face clearly.
She was about sixteen or seventeen years old. While not a stunning beauty, she was certainly a rare beauty, her serene smile radiating a fresh and ethereal quality.
This unique aura instantly amplified the woman's charm.
Most striking was her slender waist, bound by a green ribbon, barely large enough to be grasped in one hand. "
Is this Little Fairy Doctor?"
Xiao Lei thought to himself, gazing in Little Fairy Doctor's direction. "
In this life, I will change her tragic fate."
As Xiao Lei's thoughts wandered, the middle-aged man, having obtained Little Fairy Doctor's consent, immediately announced the departure of the herb-gathering team.
Thus, Xiao Lei followed the mercenary group towards the Monster Mountain Range…
In the silent forest, the large group moved quietly, their wary eyes constantly scanning the shadows among the trees, their hands gripping their weapons, ready to deal with any unexpected situation.
Xiao Lei, on the other hand, mobilized his soul power, carefully sensing everything around him, able to detect potential attacks in advance.
On the surface, however, Xiao Lei appeared somewhat relaxed, even having the leisure to observe Little Fairy Doctor in the center of the group.
Because of her special constitution and lack of cultivation, Little Fairy Doctor was already showing signs of fatigue after traveling for only a short time.
At this moment, this delicate beauty, known as Little Fairy Doctor, straightened up slightly, gently wiping the sweat from her forehead. Her soft panting, combined with her beautiful face, evoked a feeling of tenderness and affection.
Not only Xiao Lei, but most people in the group frequently glanced
at Little Fairy Doctor's location. As everyone's attention focused on her, a rather handsome young man stepped out from the guards with a broad smile and spoke to the panting Little Fairy Doctor.
After exchanging a few words, Little Fairy Doctor smiled and shook her head before continuing on her way.
Rejected by Little Fairy Doctor, the young man showed no anger, only a faint smile. He waved his hand and shouted,
"Wolf Head men, be careful! We're almost into the Monster Beast Mountain Range. Don't let yourselves get caught in a ditch!"
"Yes, Young Commander!"
Hearing the young man's voice, the dozens of burly men around him responded in unison, their synchronized voices drawing everyone's attention.
Even Little Fairy Doctor, who was walking ahead, glanced at him again.
Seeing this, the young man smiled with satisfaction, quickened his pace, and walked alongside Little Fairy Doctor, protecting her with great eagerness.
"Damn it, he's just relying on his father being the leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group. Does he think he can win Little Fairy Doctor's heart like that?"
Seeing this, a mercenary beside Xiao Lei muttered under his breath, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Xiao Lei chuckled and shook his head, saying nothing.
The Wolf Head Mercenary Group... that young man must be their young leader, Mu Li. He hoped they wouldn't provoke him, otherwise, he'd have no choice but to start killing again.
With a playful attitude, Xiao Lei continued his journey with the group towards the Monster Beast Mountain Range.
Outside the mountain range, everything was peaceful.
The group had barely entered when Xiao Lei's soul power sensed a three-headed serpent-like monster approaching.
"Everyone be careful, there's a monster ahead!" Xiao Lei hesitated slightly before warning everyone.
Aside from the Wolf Head Mercenary Group members, Xiao Lei had a good impression of the other mercenaries; it was just a matter of asking for help, so lending a hand wouldn't hurt.
Hearing Xiao Lei's words, the already tense group's expressions changed immediately, some even drawing their weapons, ready to fight!
However, despite their vigilance, no monster attacked.
Everyone instinctively looked towards Xiao Lei's location, even Little Fairy Doctor.
For a moment, Xiao Lei became the focus of everyone's attention.
Mu Li, standing next to Little Fairy Doctor, frowned slightly, his expression displeased.
"Kid, what are you yelling about? We haven't even found any magical beasts, does that make you seem so capable?"
A man from the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, seeing Mu Li's expression, immediately jumped out and shouted at Xiao Lei.
Following closely behind, the other members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group also chimed in with sarcastic remarks.
"That's right, where are the magical beasts? This kid's making a fuss, isn't he just disturbing everyone's peace of mind?"
"Haha, I think this little brat is entering the Magical Beast Mountain Range for the first time, he's scared out of his wits!"
"You're not going to remind everyone that there are magical beasts in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, are you?"
"Haha..."
"Good advice is useless to a damned ghost, believe it or not," Xiao Lei shook his head slightly, seemingly ignoring the sarcastic remarks of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group.
He was always very magnanimous towards the dead!
Little Fairy Doctor frowned slightly as she observed the Wolf Head Mercenary Group's demeanor, and said softly,
"This friend means well, but everyone should still be careful."
Seeing Little Fairy Doctor speak, Mu Li waved to stop the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, and said with a faint smile, "Little Fairy Doctor is right. Everyone, be alert and on guard."
"Yes!"
The Wolf Head Mercenary Group responded loudly, but didn't really take it to heart.
They simply didn't believe Xiao Lei's warning.
"Brother, did you really sense the magical beast?" The mercenary next to Xiao Lei, the one who had scolded Mu Li, asked in a low voice.
"I've always had a keen sense for magical beasts since I was a child, I can't be wrong," Xiao Lei said calmly.
The mercenary's eyes darted around, and he said, "In that case, let the Wolf Head Mercenary Group lead the way!"
With that, he darted into the crowd.
Before they knew it, the entire Wolf Head Mercenary Group was at the front of the group.
"Ah!"
The procession continued for a while, when suddenly a piercing scream rang out from ahead.
(End of Chapter)