Chapter 86 of 100
Chapter 86
12 min read3,095 words
Prayer did not object to Sunlight's joining. For her, since she already knew this person was untrustworthy, whether he joined or not would not affect her in any way.
To her surprise, Sunlight did not hesitate much before deciding to join.
Sometimes, Xu Dong found Sunlight utterly perplexing. He seemed to care about nothing, yet was particularly determined to become an adventurer. The only explanation could be that everyone had something they had to hold onto.
However, Sunlight did raise a few points, "Brother Dongzi, although I've decided to join your team, it doesn't mean I'll blindly follow all your arrangements."
Prayer looked at this young man coldly and said calmly, "No effort, no gain. Do you think you can get the Starlight Grass just by talking? Your calculations are too clever."
With just one sentence, Sunlight was left speechless, his face turning red, and he stammered, not knowing how to respond.
Finally, Xu Dong mediated, "Alright, how about this: Sunlight can share in the spoils of any battles he participates in. For battles he doesn't participate in, he won't get a share of the spoils."
A look of dissatisfaction quickly flashed across Prayer's face. Choosing Sunlight to join the team was like carrying a time bomb for her. She looked at Xu Dong strangely, completely unable to understand why he was so protective.
Faced with Prayer's questioning, Xu Dong was calm but did not offer much explanation.
With the team issue resolved, Xu Dong began assigning tasks, "Prayer, go prepare some daily necessities, such as medicine, tents, and other tools suitable for outdoor use. Oh, and prepare some wide robes for everyone. Once you're ready, meet at the city gate."
Prayer took the fifty gold coins Xu Dong handed her and left silently.
When Xu Dong's gaze shifted to Sunlight, the latter instinctively took a half-step back, "I want to make it clear, I don't have much money. If you want me to buy any Blood Boost Pills or Strength Boost Pills, you might as well forget it."
Hearing this, Xu Dong covered his head. When they first met, this guy had given away two sets of equipment worth over a hundred gold coins to win favor, and now he was saying he had no money?! However, Xu Dong didn't expect him to be generous with his wealth. His intention was elsewhere.
"Can you calm down?" Xu Dong said irritably, "I didn't ask you to buy Blood Boost Pills or Strength Boost Pills. What I need you to do is simple. Get a map of the Ghost Forest, a detailed map of the outer and central areas. I know you have a way."
Map?! Sunlight almost jumped up, exclaiming, "Do you know how much manpower, resources, and time it takes to draw a map of the Ghost Forest? And such resources are always tightly controlled by the Adventurer's Guild. How am I supposed to get it? I'd rather get you some Blood Boost Pills and Strength Boost Pills; at least they are sold publicly."
Xu Dong looked deeply at Sunlight, "You have a way."
Faced with Xu Dong's gaze, Sunlight had no choice but to raise his hands in surrender, "Alright, alright, I'll get it for you. But, just to be clear... Prayer is preparing daily necessities, I'm getting the map of the Ghost Forest, so what are you going to do?"
Xu Dong was about to leave when he turned his head and shot a glance at Sunlight, "I'm the one leading the charge, the one putting out fires, and the one making plans. I'm such an important person, and I don't even have a suitable piece of equipment. Does that make sense?"
Sunlight sneered, "Suitable equipment? One-star and two-star inner and outer equipment, within 200 gold coins; three-star and four-star, within 1000 gold coins; as for four-star and above, sorry, Blood Helmet City doesn't sell them; you have to go to Iron Boot City to find them. Speaking of which, I have a question... do you still have money?"
Xu Dong smiled faintly, "Money is important, but it's not the end of the world if you don't have it, right? Don't worry about it."
***
In the Order Shelter, Yang Shaoxing and Yang Bufan found Liang ShanGu.
Liang ShanGu was still upset about what had happened earlier, so he was somewhat indifferent to their visit, handling his official duties without looking at them.
Yang Shaoxing was patient, sitting upright and waiting calmly.
An hour later, Liang ShanGu sighed and looked up, "Cousin, just say what you want. You made me lose face in front of everyone earlier, and I don't want it to happen again."
Yang Shaoxing, stung by Liang ShanGu's words, saw Xu Dong's calm departure under his third brother's protection, and a flash of anger crossed his eyes, "My guardian power has been taken away by the family. I need support to gain strength and kill Xu Dong and Sunlight during the outdoor trial."
Liang ShanGu did not respond immediately but tapped his fingers on the desk.
The office fell silent.
After a while, a strange light flashed in Liang ShanGu's eyes, and he asked, "Cousin, it seems you're not just here for support. We're family, so just say what you need. I won't let you down."
"Since that's the case, I'll be straightforward," Yang Shaoxing said bluntly, "What are the Yang, Liang, and Ma families planning? What secret does South Corner Village hold?"
Liang ShanGu stood up, closed the door, and returned to his seat, pondering, "I don't know the specifics. My grandfather is very worried about my brother Liang ShanTan. As a son, I feel guilty for not being able to help, so I can't delve deeper into this matter..."
Liang ShanTan, the eldest son of the Liang family, was a disgrace and a laughingstock, yet he was deeply favored by the grandfather, who never gave up on his treatment.
Liang ShanGu then changed the subject, "Of course, this matter is most likely about killing. Who they are killing and what they will gain, I think, is best left to the elders. We shouldn't meddle."
Best not to meddle? Yang Shaoxing thought, what is Liang ShanGu trying to say?
Could it be... protection?
The family's involvement in this matter would carry great risk. One misstep could lead to irreparable consequences. Could the grandfather's intention be to protect him?
Seeing the uncertainty on Yang Shaoxing's face, Liang ShanGu knew his words had taken effect. He continued, "I also heard that the Ma family has chosen to withdraw and stop all support. You have a good relationship with the second Miss Ma. You should take advantage of this and secure a way out, even in the worst-case scenario."
Yang Shaoxing bowed, "Thank you for the advice, Cousin."
After this, Liang ShanTan took a sip of water and pondered, "As for the support you need, I can provide it. However, you need to understand, these are my own subordinates. Training a warrior is no easy task. I can lend them to you, but I need some compensation."
At this point, the silent Yang Bufan finally spoke, bowing, "Of course, we can't let Lord Liang lose. The young master is willing to provide 50 Strength Boost Pills as compensation for the support of two three-star awakened warriors."
The Yang family was the sole supplier of warrior drugs in Blood Helmet City. Even so, each Strength Boost Pill was worth at least 200 gold coins. These pills could enhance the activity of the flesh armor, making it more active and thus more effective.
50 Strength Boost Pills were enough to help a new one-star awakened warrior reach three-star.
The cost was not small!
Liang ShanTan was delighted. This deal far exceeded his expectations. However, he maintained his composure, his tone hesitant, "Although 50 Strength Boost Pills are indeed a high price, those two three-star awakened warriors are the result of my considerable effort..."
Yang Bufan, a shrewd man, was inwardly cursing but showed no emotion. After a moment, he said, "I heard that Lord Liang's household is in need of a servant to warm the bed. The girl by Xu Dong's side, in terms of appearance and figure, is unmatched in Blood Helmet City. Why don't we capture her and present her to you?"
***
In the Adventurer's Guild branch.
Ma Tianhu, the elegant middle-aged man who announced the assessment content, was practicing his daily routine. His mind spread out, sensing every movement around him, especially the fluctuations of life energy.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes, a beautiful light flashing in them. He could feel a hot aura seeping through the door.
"Come in."
Soon, a figure wrapped in a thick adventurer's robe pushed the door open.
If Cheng Jianbang were here, he would immediately recognize this person as the one who appeared at the city gate that day.
Ma Tianhu did not have a good feeling about the visitor and did not bother to stand up, asking, "Fire Eye, what is it? Don't disturb my practice."
The Adventurer's Guild branch was roughly divided into officers and ministers. Officers were ranked from one to six, and ministers were divided into chief and deputy. Fire Eye was a fourth-rank officer, with considerable influence in the Blood Helmet City branch. Therefore, Ma Tianhu could not treat him rudely.
The man named Fire Eye bowed, "Deputy Minister, I did not mean to disturb you, but... there's a problem with the mission."
What?!
Ma Tianhu's eyes turned cold, "What mission? Speak clearly!"
Fire Eye did not dare to look up, "It's the mission the minister repeatedly emphasized, to safely deliver the item to the city lord's residence and into the secret realm."
Although he was prepared mentally, when Ma Tianhu confirmed the news from Fire Eye, he still felt a sense of dizziness.
The next second, Ma Tianhu regained his composure and asked coldly, "I don't care how the mission failed. What I want to know is, where did the rare beast go, and can it be recaptured?"
Fire Eye remained silent, pausing for ten seconds before slowly saying, "It killed four of our fourth-rank officers and escaped into the Ghost Forest. Recapturing it would be extremely difficult. It might be better to buy a new one..."
Ma Tianhu's expression turned cold, and he sneered, "You are responsible for this mission. Now that it has failed, you will bear all the consequences. I advise you to buy a new one immediately. Otherwise, when the city lord returns and doesn't see the rare beast... you know the consequences."
Fire Eye left, walking down the corridor until he exited the branch. He finally raised his head, revealing a chin covered with gray stubble, and smiled coldly, "My master is truly wise, having already predicted Ma Tianhu's reaction. Soon, I will replace Ma Tianhu's position!"
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