Chapter 5

On the way to Sasa Town, the group's pace clearly slowed down. The seven people with Moses had extremely low battle qi, ranging from level five to level eight of the second stage, which could encompass all of them. No wonder they were so scared when they encountered those three knife-wielding men; a level two of the fourth stage person could easily kill them several times over.

Gongsun Murong and Nalasha had walked over 270 miles in one night, but with Moses and the others, they only advanced 85 miles in a whole day. This was still the result of Gongsun Murong helping to clear the desert beasts along the way.

The young tiger was clearly unable to scare away the beasts of a similar class, and he did not want to continue dragging animal corpses. At noon, he just drank some water and ate some previously roasted meat. By evening, Nalasha could no longer tolerate this diet.

The group stopped, and Gongsun Murong started cooking. The staple food changed to the dry bread brought by Moses and the others, which was torn into small pieces and soaked in meat broth.

At such times, Gongsun Murong would sigh. He had no flour or rice and had not yet practiced making dishes with these two ingredients, but he had seen the recipes given by the butler. His race could create so many variations with simple rice and flour, truly showing the boundless wisdom of food lovers.

"Take a bath, go to sleep, and get up in the middle of the night to continue." After dinner, Nalasha mumbled as she started to prepare the water.

Now, Moses and the others finally knew where the water came from. They had thought the young master carried it in a mysterious place where he kept things.

Now they realized the water was provided by the young lady. They watched as she placed her hand on the sand, and when she lifted it, two large clumps of water appeared. Recalling how the young lady used ice and water to suppress the fire of the Blazing Wind Golden Tiger, they finally understood that she was a pure spellcaster.

Yes, a spellcaster, more difficult to cultivate than battle qi. The first requirement was not effort and persistence but talent. Those with talent would become increasingly powerful with effort, while those without talent would never learn no matter how hard they tried.

But shouldn't spellcasters first recite incantations before they could mobilize mysterious forces? The young lady did recite something, but what did she say?

'I want water, I want water, the water at night is more than during the day, the water underground is more than in the air, damn it, there are actually bugs hiding under this sand, I want to eat bugs, I want to eat bugs, I want to eat fried bugs, crispy and crunchy fried bugs.'

By the gods of war, no, by the gods of spells, shouldn't your believers first say, 'Under the guidance of the Spell God'? Generally, when spellcasters need water, they would recite, 'Under the guidance of the Spell God, water is everywhere in the world...' before they could use water-based spells.

"I feel like I'm living in another world. When the young master attacks, no battle qi appears, and when the young lady uses water, she doesn't need to invoke the Spell God. But the stars are still the same stars, twinkling just as they did in my childhood." Moses muttered, while the others remained numbly silent.

The seven people had a good night's sleep and looked very energetic when they got up in the middle of the night. They mounted their only sand camel and continued on their journey under the light of the twin moons.

After four days of travel, on the morning of the fifth day, the smoke from Sasa Town was visible in the distance.

Gongsun Murong put down the three corpses, and their equipment was carried by the seven people with Moses. They quickened their pace toward the town.

******

The residents of Sasa Town still rose early, preparing food to sell to adventurers planning to set out.

Moses and the others did not encounter other adventurers on the way because Nalasha had sensed them in advance and they had avoided them, saving a lot of trouble.

A group of nine people was quite noticeable, and even more so were the three dried corpses being dragged along. The three corpses were covered in wounds, making it impossible to determine which one was fatal.

The town guards were the first to take action. They would not intervene if someone killed outside the town, but bringing the corpses back was a challenge to the order of Sasa Town.

"Moses, did you rob someone and still feel unsatisfied, bringing the corpses back to prove your bravery?" the guard captain asked, half-joking and half-serious.

"Captain Sandi, listen to me, it's absolutely not like that. Just as the sun in the sky will never suddenly turn into three, look, look who I've brought. They are not three corpses, but 700 gold coins, as bright as the sun, heavy in the hand."

Moses threw Kule's corpse at his feet and took out Kule's weapons and armor, standing tall and proud like a hero.

Captain Sandi looked to be about thirty, but those who knew him knew he was forty-four. He had been a guard for twenty-five years.

He carefully examined the corpses, becoming more and more surprised. He asked uncertainly, "He, he is Kule?"

"See, Captain Sandi is still as sharp as ever, immediately recognizing the dead man as Kule. As you can see, the leader of the Sand Blood Three Knives, Kule, and his two accomplices, 700 gold coins, heavy in the hand. Would you like all the guards to have a drink tonight?"

Moses spoke proudly, showing the appropriate kindness.

"How could Kule die?" Sandi couldn't believe it.

"Oh, Sandi, you must understand, even the most cunning hyena cannot escape the hunter's capture."

"Hyenas are not cunning."

"Yes, Kule was not smart enough."

"The Sand Blood Three Knives are very powerful."

"Even the most powerful prey will eventually die at the hands of the hunter. Does the one who kills the Sand Swallower necessarily have to be more powerful than the Sand Swallower? Wisdom, Captain Sandi, it's wisdom."

"But..."

"Alright, alright, Captain, we shouldn't waste time on dead bandits. Tonight, tonight, do you and the others have time? Old Moti's tavern should be even livelier." Moses would not reveal who killed the Sand Blood Three Knives.

"You're right, Moses. We all miss Old Moti, his roasted meat, and his wine. So..."

"See you tonight."

"Oh, wait, they are..." Sandi's gaze finally fell on Gongsun Murong and Sophia Nalasha.

Returning from the desert, the group bringing two children could not go unnoticed.

"Captain Sandi, as you can see, let me introduce them formally. They are Sophia Nalasha and Gongsun Murong, who sell water near the ruins. One is four years old, look how cute, and the other is fourteen, handsome and brave. Their water has helped many adventurers."

Moses praised them as he introduced them.

Sandi looked at Gongsun Murong and Sophia, nodding. "Cute, very cute. Four-year-old Sophia Nalasha looks like a little princess, but... they... didn't die?"

"Sandi, why say that? Would you be heartless to hear of their deaths? No, that's not the thinking of a captain. Think about it, they helped so many adventurers, shouldn't they be alive? Perhaps you were hoping for them..."

"No, I never thought that. I was just curious, yes, curious. Welcome, beautiful and lovely Miss Sophia Nalasha." Sandi quickly interrupted Moses to prevent him from saying more.

"Thank you, brave and upright Captain Sandi. Adventurers who bought water say your justice is like a majestic mountain, giving people a sense of security. My brother Murong and I have always looked forward to meeting you, which means we are still alive and no longer worry about threats, at least in Sasa Town. Am I right, Uncle Sandi?"

Nalasha spoke in a way that was very likable.

Sandi's face broke into a smile. He was indeed proud of his ability to maintain peace in Sasa Town. Facing the likable Nalasha, he tried to make his tone as gentle as possible.

"So, the lovely and smart Miss Nalasha, how did you and your brother Murong come to Sasa Town?"

"Uncle Moses and the others protected us. They met us on the way, gave up their plans to explore the ruins, and brought us back to the peaceful and beautiful Sasa Town." Nalasha blinked her big eyes to prove she was not lying.

Sandi chose to believe her but still had many questions, such as how Kule died and whether Moses killed Kule before or after meeting Nalasha. However, he did not want to waste energy on matters outside Sasa Town, or he would be dealing with adventurers' issues every day.

Waving his hand, Sandi let the nine people into the town, then suddenly paused and quietly asked Gongsun Murong, "What is your sister holding in her arms?"

"A Blazing Wind Golden Tiger cub, we found it." Gongsun Murong said calmly.

"Master Murong, I'm sure your family has told you that when you show good things to others, you need the strength to protect them. Perhaps your family is very powerful, but there are always people who only think about today's pleasure and not tomorrow's death. The rules of Sasa Town have been broken before."

"Thank you very much." Gongsun Murong took out a gold coin and handed it to him.

"Master Murong, you are very generous, but sometimes generosity makes people fantasize about getting more from you, which is not a good thing."

Sandi took the gold coin and warned again, pulling out a wrinkled piece of linen from his pocket and covering the Blazing Wind Golden Tiger cub.

As for why he carried a piece of linen, who knew!

Gongsun Murong had a good impression of Captain Sandi, smiled, and nodded, signaling the seven new servants to lead the way.

Moses caught up, awkwardly admitting his mistake, "Master, what Captain Sandi did should have been done by us, but..."

"Hmm!" Gongsun Murong did not comment.

******

Sasa Town, located in the desert, was not full of sand but was instead filled with greenery. The narrow roads had low flower beds on the sides, with lush flowers and plants. Most houses were covered with climbing plants, and hanging baskets from the second floors were wet, indicating they had just been watered.

No one destroyed the fragile plants, just as adventurers said, Sasa Town looked peaceful and harmonious.

Many people were surprised to see Kule's three corpses. To avoid being questioned, Moses had to announce it as they walked.

"These are the Sand Blood Three Knives. Look, this is their leader, Kule. They are finally dead. Let's cheer, whether you were hurt by them or worried about encountering them, cheer freely."

Repeating this announcement, the group of nine people, accompanied by many others, arrived at the mercenary branch in Sasa Town, established due to the ruins.

The mercenary branch in Sasa Town was a two-story building. It didn't matter who owned it before; now it was where ordinary people and mercenaries posted and accepted tasks.

Gongsun Murong and Nalasha had heard the butler introduce it. In the place where Gongsun Murong came from, there was a similar organization, seemingly an indispensable part of all civilized races.

Therefore, they did not find it strange. Nalasha was more concerned with how to quickly get the 700 gold coins. Her obsession with money was extraordinary, evident from her hope that someone would rob her rather than trade normally when she sold water.

On the way to the town, she would repeat every two to three hours how much money she and her brother Murong had.

231 gold coins, 29 silver coins, 40 copper coins, plus a 2500 gold coin bill, plus 60 gold coins, 10 silver coins, and 11 copper coins, equaling 2791 gold coins, 39 silver coins, and 51 copper coins.

She planned to exchange the gold bill for gold coins in a big city. The gold bill made her feel very uneasy, even though Moses repeatedly assured her that the bill itself would not go wrong.

Perhaps the most significant use of the mathematics the butler taught her was in this aspect, though her greed might also be related to the butler's teachings.

The smart butler taught a wide range of things, especially to Gongsun Murong, trying to cram all the knowledge into his head before the energy ran out.

And in the final moments, the butler told Gongsun Murong that he had no right to be lazy. Without the protection of the guard fleet, if he did not work hard, he would never return home, even at the end of his life.

No one would shield him from the storms anymore. Everything depended on himself.

So, Gongsun Murong became silent.

"Master, we're here. Please come in with the young lady, it's dangerous outside." Moses was very diligent, and the other six people protected their master and young lady.

Nearby people, however, were surprised.

"Heavens, by the gods of war, did Moses and the others find a master? As adventurers, they are treating two children as their masters?"

"I heard the same, Moses called them master and young lady, it reminds me of... reminds me of..."

"The Thunderbolt Mercenary Group?"

"And the Level 1 mercenary group... Wandering."

"Yes, yes, it's hard to imagine, are they trying to emulate others and write their own legend?"

Various voices mixed as they entered the mercenary branch. Then, Gongsun Murong and Nalasha's identities were guessed and confirmed.

Mao Rong and Nalasha, who sold water in the desert, were still alive. Who knew how the two children managed to successfully reach Sasa Town.

Moses's handover went smoothly. The mercenary organization, or the mercenary guild, checked the corpses and, confirming they were the Sand Blood Three Knives, gave Moses seven 100 gold coin bills.

However, after the nine people left, a situation arose. Three people were smiling at them.

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