Chapter 79: Tracking the Mercenaries
Mo Yue said considerately, “Husband, let’s find a place to put these things away first.” As she spoke, she led me into a corner. Only then did I use the Jiezi Pouch to store the items one by one. I dropped down onto the ground, panting a little despite myself. I honestly felt like accompanying Mo Yue shopping was more exhausting than fighting Li Feng.
Mo Yue came close and kneaded the muscles in my shoulders, giggling. “Husband, you worked hard. You can’t blame me, okay? Girls just like these little things.”
I gave a bitter smile. “Not hard, as long as you’re happy.” Saying it wasn’t hard was just lying to myself.
Mo Yue said, “Let’s find a place to stay first. We’ll continue the journey tomorrow.”
Seeing how thoughtful she was, my fatigue quietly faded. I smiled. “Later, I’ll take you to eat something good. After you came to the Dragon God Empire, you still haven’t properly enjoyed the food here, right?”
Mo Yue’s big eyes lit up. “Okay! Okay!”
I held her hand and led her out of the alley. I casually asked a passerby for directions and found the most luxurious inn in the city to stay at. We had plenty of money. I would never let my woman suffer even the slightest grievance.
Lying on the inn’s comfortable large bed, Mo Yue rested her head on my shoulder and lightly stroked my chest muscles, making me feel very comfortable. I teased, “Yue’er, if you keep teasing me, I won’t even wait for dinner—I’ll eat you first.”
Mo Yue punched me lightly. “Hate you.”
I rolled over and pinned her beneath me, feeling her springy, delicate body. I threatened, “What—don’t believe me?”
Mo Yue shot me a provocative look and lifted her head to bite my shoulder. I yelped in pain, grabbed her face, and kissed her hard. Mo Yue reacted intensely beneath me, instantly stoking my desire. A storm of passion became unavoidable.
I looked at the lovely person in my arms, who was breathing lightly. I kissed her forehead and whispered, “Did it feel good?”
Mo Yue gave a soft “Mm,” not answering. The passion clearly left her a little tired. I said gently, “Sleep a bit first, then we’ll eat.”
Her voice was barely audible. “Okay…”
We slept until nightfall before waking.
“Don’t look. I’m getting dressed.”
I stared at her bare body, entranced. “What’s there I can’t look at? Didn’t we just—ow!” Mo Yue pinched me hard, making me cry out in pain, and I couldn’t finish.
She changed into a deep-blue dress. The waist was cinched tight, showing off her proud figure. Her whole body radiated an astonishing allure. Her long black hair flowed behind her, especially moving.
“Yue’er, can we discuss something?”
Mo Yue looked at me in surprise. “What?”
I grinned. “When we go eat later, I have a veiled bamboo hat. Put it on a bit. Otherwise, everyone around us won’t be able to eat. Your allure is too strong.”
Mo Yue’s pretty face reddened. She looked at the bamboo hat I took out of the Jiezi Pouch and said, “Hate you. I’m not wearing it. Your hat is so ugly. Are you afraid of causing trouble? Who here can beat you? Besides, I think the humans here are really nice. Those uncles and aunties are all kind and gentle. Not like our Demon Race—everyone bows and scrapes when they see me. It’s so annoying.”
I thought to myself: in the Demon Race, aside from the few at the very top, if anyone dared not bow and scrape to you, wouldn’t their whole family be executed?
I tested her a few more times, but Mo Yue refused no matter what. With no choice, I let it go.
This inn’s facilities were complete—luxurious, and every decoration was refined and tasteful. We sat in the dining hall and ordered many signature dishes, then swept through them. Mo Yue’s appetite was terrifyingly strong—she ate almost as much as I did. Maybe because our looks were too striking, the people around us kept sweeping their eyes over us, intentionally or not. Mo Yue was long used to it and didn’t care at all.
Just as we were almost finished eating, six people walked in from outside, wearing the same outfit. Each had a warrior’s tunic with simple black armor on top, and a broad sword strapped to their back. This so-called simple armor was really a special set that only protected several vital areas. From their look, they were definitely not ordinary people. A faintly ruthless aura seeped from them—something that only came after being tempered in blood and fire.
Perhaps drawn by our auras, the six of them saw us the moment they entered. When their gaze swept over Mo Yue, surprise flashed across their faces, but it only lingered for an instant. Then they found a larger table and sat down.
One of them called over a server and ordered dishes equivalent to nearly ten normal people’s portions, and they chose almost the cheapest food in the inn. They should have been short on money. If that was the case, why did they still come here?
Mo Yue didn’t seem to notice anything unusual and kept eating with her head down. I was basically done too and called, “Server, the bill.”
The server ran over. “Sir, the total is six gold coins and seven silver coins.”
I handed him seven gold coins. “Keep the change.”
The server beamed and left.
At this moment, the six warriors began speaking in low voices. When I listened a little, I heard one of them say, “Why aren’t our people here yet? I heard the person we’re escorting this time is not ordinary. The employer is willing to pay three thousand gold coins for us to escort it to Stru Fortress. What do you think it is that’s worth that price?”
Another warrior said, “Sent to the fortress—what else could it be? Probably important strategic supplies. It’s better we don’t ask too much. Let the captain negotiate with them. We just have to escort it.”
The first warrior said, “That’s true. The captain really values this job. He practically brought over all the level-one mercenaries in the group. Is that necessary? Hasn’t the Dragon God Empire always been peaceful?”
A warrior opposite him said, “You can’t say it like that. What do you mean peaceful? You know it too—half a year ago, that riot at White Smoke Mountain… who knows how many died. I heard it was the legendary Light Guardian who came forward to suppress it. The Dragon God Empire can’t really be called peaceful anymore. Driven by profit, anything can happen.”
“Yeah. I didn’t expect that Light Guardian still wasn’t dead. He’s probably close to two hundred, right? With him here, why doesn’t the Dragon God Empire wipe out the Demon Race and the Beastmen Race? If the old man is willing to act, it would be as easy as taking something out of a pouch.”
“That’s high-level business. It has nothing to do with us. Why isn’t the captain here yet? It’s already so late.”
Their food came one dish after another. What they ordered was far worse than ours. They focused on eating and didn’t say more.
By now, Mo Yue finished her last dessert. She patted her belly. “Husband, I’m full.”
Seeing her sweet, silly look, I truly wanted to swallow her in one bite. I smiled. “Then what do you want to do now? You slept all afternoon. You should move around a bit. We’ll continue our journey tomorrow.”
Mo Yue rested her elbows on the table, cupped her little face in both hands, and pondered.
I wasn’t in a hurry. I liked watching her cute, lively look.
The dining hall doors opened. A burly man walked in. He wore the same outfit as the six earlier, except his armor was silver. From the way he strode like a dragon and tiger, his skill was not weak.
Like the others, the moment he entered he saw Mo Yue and me. He praised unconsciously, “What a beautiful little girl.”
I straightened up. Two sharp beams shot from my eyes as I glared at him. The big man’s body trembled, and he quickly gathered himself and glared back. Mo Yue looked at us and burst out laughing.
Hearing her laugh, I turned my head. “What are you laughing at?”
Mo Yue whispered, “You two look so funny. It’s just like a kind of gambling game that’s popular in our Demon Race.”
I paused. “What?”
Mo Yue laughed even more, then said two words, “Cockfighting.”
She truly defeated me. I stared at her, helpless.
That late-arriving burly man didn’t come over to cause trouble like I expected. He walked straight to his companions’ table. The six who arrived first stood up at once and said respectfully, “Captain.”
The big man waved a hand. “Sit.” He sat down first, and even after sitting he glanced this way once.
Since he didn’t take the initiative to come over, I enjoyed the peace. I took a calm sip of tea and asked Mo Yue, “Yue’er, have you decided? What are we going to do?”
Mo Yue glanced at that mercenary group and sent a voice transmission to me. “Husband, I thought of something. Anyway, we have nothing urgent. Just now I heard them say they’re escorting something. Let’s listen. If it’s something fun, you’ll snatch it and give it to me, okay?”
I didn’t expect Mo Yue to have such sharp ears even while eating. That probably had a lot to do with her power improving so much. This girl really knew how to look for trouble. But for me, this kind of thing was nothing. I was also the type who lacked a sense of justice and was used to doing things according to my own likes and dislikes. I nodded gladly. “As long as Yue’er is happy, anything is fine. But aren’t you in a hurry to return to the Demon Race?”
Mo Yue pouted and sent another voice transmission. “Of course I’m in a hurry. But it’s not like it’s urgent right this second. Don’t we still have to go back to the Beastmen Kingdom with you first? Father Emperor is already worried, so we can play outside a few more days. With you with me, I’m so happy.”
I smiled faintly. “Then we’ll do everything your way.”
In my eyes, only Mo Yue mattered now. Maybe a big part of my love for her was built on desire, but I truly liked her. After what I did to her back then, guilt always weighed on me. Whatever she asked of me now, as long as it wasn’t too excessive, I would do my best to satisfy her.
I gave her a look and focused on the mercenaries’ conversation.
A mercenary pointed at the leftover dishes on the table. “Captain, sorry. We made you spend money.”
The captain said, “It’s my first time here too. I only told you to gather here because I heard this was the most conspicuous place in the city. It’s not your fault. Besides, after we finish this job, we’ll have some income.”
“Brothers, we depart early tomorrow. What we’re escorting this time is extremely important. All the key members in our group are here—four Great Elders, me, the vice-captain, ten of the highest-level mages in the group, and you thirty level-one mercenaries. The rest will arrive later. Be careful. Don’t let anything slip.”
Seeing the captain so serious, one mercenary asked, “Captain, is this job very difficult? Why did all our elite come? Three thousand gold coins still requires the Great Elders to move?”
The captain coughed and said solemnly, “Brothers, you can’t be careless. Since the employer is willing to pay this much, there’s naturally a reason. Originally I wanted to follow the rules and ask what we’re escorting, but the employer raised the pay from three thousand gold coins to ten thousand gold coins. The condition is: we are not allowed to ask what we’re escorting.”
Several mercenaries cried out, “What? Ten thousand gold coins!”
They’d never seen that much money in their lives. No wonder they were shocked.
The captain frowned. “Lower your voices. Ten thousand gold coins is a huge amount for our Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group. If this escort succeeds, the group can live comfortably for a full year. So the vice-captain and I decided to take this job.”
“After the mission, each of you will receive a reward of one hundred gold coins and three months of leave.”
The mercenaries excitedly promised they would complete the mission.
Hearing that, I smiled at Mo Yue. “Looks like what they’re escorting really has value. It’s worth me making a move once. If you like it, I’ll give it to you. If it’s military supplies, I’ll return it to them. How about it?”
Mo Yue nodded. “All right.”
A long howl sounded outside the inn. The captain stood up. “Let’s go. The others arrived. Pack the leftovers.”
A few mercenaries gathered the remaining food, then hurriedly followed the captain out.
I gave Mo Yue a look. After they all left the inn, we followed out as well.
Outside, we found around thirty people in the same armor gathered by the roadside. They were all mounted on tall horses, uniformly wearing black simple armor. There were also ten mages in robes of various colors—likely the strongest mages in the group, as the captain said.
What caught my attention the most were four people in deep-blue armor. Each wore a cloak the same color as their armor, their faces hidden. But from the faintly visible aura around them, it wasn’t hard to sense the danger within. They should be the four Great Elders. The vice-captain still hadn’t appeared.
Seeing their tall horses, I couldn’t help thinking of Black Dragon. I turned to Mo Yue. “Yue’er, is my Black Dragon still with you?”
Mo Yue nodded. “In the palace stables. He was fierce at first, but later I subdued him.”
I paused. “You subdued Black Dragon. That’s impressive.”
Mo Yue said proudly, “Of course. I’m a beauty, you know. Black Dragon naturally fell for me. In the palace, I fed him myself every day and took him out for walks. Back then, I was afraid you’d snatch him back, so I never dared bring him out. When you and I go back to our Demon Race, I’ll give him back to you.”
I nodded. “Good. Black Dragon is my closest partner. I miss him. After you took him, I felt miserable for a long time.”
Mo Yue leaned against me. “You don’t have to feel miserable now, right? I’m already yours.”
I lowered my head and kissed her forehead. “Of course. Hm—you see? They’re moving. They’re probably going to find lodging. This inn is right here. With how poor these mercenaries are, they probably can’t afford it and will choose somewhere else.”
The mercenaries moved quietly along the street. Their formation was neat. The mages and the four Great Elders were in the center. The captain led ten level-one mercenaries at the front, and the remaining twenty level-one mercenaries guarded the rear. One look told you they were well trained.
Mo Yue giggled. “Yes, they really are poor. There’s an unwritten rule among mercenaries: when escorting goods, you must know the value and the origin of the goods. Since they’re willing to break that rule, it’s definitely because they’re short on money, so they’re willing to take a risk.”
“Because anything that won’t disclose its origin probably has a questionable source.”
It was the first time I saw Mo Yue’s shrewd side. When she analyzed something, she was clear and precise, her eyes shining with intelligence. I asked in surprise, “How do you know so much about mercenaries?”
Mo Yue pulled away from me and stared into the distance. “Hurry, they’re already far. Catch up. I’ll tell you while we walk.” With that, she darted forward lightly. I kept pace easily and said, “Yue’er, it’s hard to move in a dress. Find a place to change into night clothes.”
Mo Yue nodded. “Let’s confirm their lodging first.”
Seeing her excited expression, I couldn’t help feeling a thrill as well. We kept a distance of about a hundred meters behind the mercenary group, following carefully. With our strength, they couldn’t possibly notice.
We followed this Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group for nearly an hour before they finally settled into an unremarkable inn inside the west city gate. That small inn was probably booked out by them long ago. Their numbers were basically the inn’s maximum capacity.
I kissed Mo Yue and pointed upward. Mo Yue understood and smiled. I wrapped an arm around her waist and leaped lightly, drifting onto the eaves of a nearby house beside the inn. I pulled Mo Yue down to lie flat and looked into the inn’s courtyard.
At this moment, the Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group had all entered the courtyard, and the inn shut the main gate. Three middle-aged men walked out from the inn and went to greet the Iron Shoulder captain. The one in white clothes in the middle said politely, “You must be Captain Li. I’ve heard much about you.”
The middle-aged man dressed as a mage on his left stepped forward and said to Captain Li, “Captain, this is the employer.”
So he was the vice-captain, and he was a mage.
Mo Yue sent a voice transmission to me. “Husband, I know that man in white.”
I said in surprise, “You know him?”
Mo Yue nodded. “He’s from our Demon Race, from the Fallen Angel Legion. By generation, he should be my cousin-brother. His name is Su Shun·Lucifer.”
I said, “Then that means your father sent him to carry out the mission. We shouldn’t target them.”
Mo Yue shook her head. “He’s from Uncle Su Cha’s side. He seems to be his biological nephew. He’s always been at odds with us. Why would Uncle Su Cha send him to the Dragon God Empire? I’ve never seen the person on his right, but he should also be from our Demon Race.”
Hearing Mo Yue, I felt sorry for the Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group. They were helping an outsider for profit, and from the look of it, they probably didn’t even know the other party’s identity.
At this time, Captain Li said politely, “Hello. I brought all the elite from the group. We’ll definitely complete the task you assigned.”
Su Shun said with satisfaction, “Good. Captain Li, let’s go in and talk.”
The Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group filed into the inn. I said to Mo Yue, “Yue’er, let’s go back first. Since he’s your father’s enemy, we’ll follow them tomorrow and see what they’re doing. If it harms your father, we’ll finish them. That can count as a gift I present to Father-in-law.”
Mo Yue kissed my face and smiled. “Husband, you’re so good. Then we’ll go back and prepare, then sneak back and wait for them to depart.”
So Mo Yue and I quietly returned to the inn where we were staying, packed our things, and meditated for three hours to bring ourselves to peak condition. Then we changed into night clothes, left the room fee on the table, and drifted out of the room.
When we returned to the small inn again, it was already extremely quiet. The mercenaries should all be resting.
I carried Mo Yue up to the inn’s roof and lay down. Mo Yue rested her head on my shoulder. I whispered, “We’ll wait here for them. Yue’er, are you cold?”
Mo Yue shook her head gently. “Lying here feels so comfortable.”
I looked up at the sky. The weather was great today, not a trace of cloud. The starlight and moonlight were especially clear. In that instant, I felt incredibly small. It was as if the vast starlight and moonlight contained some profound truth. I said softly, “Yue’er, the stars are so beautiful.”
Mo Yue lifted her head. “Yes. When I was little, I often sat by the window alone and counted stars. They seemed so far, so far away from us. After I could transform into a Fallen Angel, I once flew toward a bright star, but even when I flew higher and higher until I could barely breathe, it was still only that tiny point.”
I smiled. “Silly girl. Stars and the moon are distant and unattainable. How could we reach them? Close your eyes and rest a bit.”
Mo Yue answered obediently and closed her eyes, gradually falling asleep. In this peaceful atmosphere, I also fell asleep without realizing it, though a thread of my awareness remained alert.
At dawn, the messy sounds below woke me. Mo Yue was still asleep, a faint black radiance spreading over her body. I knew that was her dark magic keeping her warm. I peeked down and saw the Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group already moving, preparing their horses and loading long-distance travel necessities. Aside from those walking around and moving goods, none of them made any sound. Seeing how cautious they were, I couldn’t help finding it amusing.
There were two large wagons pulled by four horses each in the courtyard—probably for the mages to ride.
I hugged Mo Yue, kissed her lips lightly, and used my other hand to pinch her cute little nose so she couldn’t breathe. At first, she didn’t react. After a while, because of the lack of air, she wriggled, trying to shake me off. I was afraid of suffocating her, so I released her and pressed my face to hers. “Little lazybug, get up. They’re leaving.”
Mo Yue took two deep breaths and opened her hazy eyes. She wrinkled her nose, punched me lightly, and sent a voice transmission, “Hate you. Why did you pinch my nose? Trying to suffocate me?”
I chuckled. “I was afraid you wouldn’t wake up. Look—they’re leaving.”
The captain and vice-captain of the Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group, along with Su Shun, all walked out. Su Shun carefully held a brocade box in his hands. That should be what they were escorting. Captain Li said, “Mister Su, let’s take the first wagon.”
Su Shun nodded and got into the first wagon with his attendant. Captain Li exchanged a glance with his vice-captain, then nodded his chin at him. The vice-captain led two mages into the wagon as well. After Captain Li had the remaining mages board the other wagon, he mounted his horse and said in a deep voice, “Move. Out of the city.”
Leaving the inn, they maintained a complete formation and headed for the city gate. Captain Li led ten people at the very front. On each side of the wagons, one Elder led ten level-one mercenaries as guards. Two Elders guarded the rear. They advanced in orderly fashion.
I tugged Mo Yue and took out a cloak from the Jiezi Pouch, putting it over her head. Since Su Shun had seen her, Mo Yue, though unwilling, still complied. We each put on ordinary outer clothes to cover the night garments underneath, and followed loosely behind the group as we left the city.
The Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group advanced very carefully, often sending a few people ahead to scout. With two wagons, they didn’t travel fast. In a full day, they covered less than three hundred li. With no cities or villages, they camped overnight in a forest.
Mo Yue and I stood on a towering ancient tree, looking through swaying leaves at their temporary camp. The mercenaries were clearly used to sleeping out. Some pitched tents, some started fires and cooked. Several leaders of the group and Su Shun sat around a bonfire talking about something. Because we were too far and their voices were low, I couldn’t hear clearly.
Mo Yue suddenly patted me and sent a voice transmission. “There are energy fluctuations nearby.”
My heart jolted. I released a layer of dark-energy barrier around Mo Yue and me and sensed the surroundings. Just as Mo Yue said, there were several unknown creatures moving around. Their aura was strange, as if it blended into the forest. If our strength weren’t exceptional, it really would be hard to notice.
I focused my vision and scanned around. I didn’t see anything abnormal, so I could only sense their positions by feeling. They were moving toward the Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group, then stopped around them to observe.
I sent a voice transmission to Mo Yue. “Looks like the mercenaries have trouble.”
Mo Yue said, “Whoever came is very strange. Their concealment is incredible, but their strength isn’t that high. Why is that?”
I shook my head. “Let’s keep watching.”
To our surprise, those watchers didn’t act further. They stayed around the mercenaries for about an hour, then quietly left. The latter half of the night was peaceful. Nothing else happened, only the rustling footsteps of patrols circling the camp.
Nothing happened through the night. The next morning, the Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group continued their journey, keeping the same formation as yesterday as they headed toward Stru Fortress. Today they chose a small road. According to the map, it was more rugged but much shorter, and also very remote.
Near noon, Mo Yue pouted. “So boring. Why is it so quiet?”
I smiled. “It won’t be that simple. Since someone came to observe, they’ll definitely act. The direction is the same anyway—just keep watching. If nothing happens in the next two days, we’ll grab the brocade box and make your Uncle Su Cha worry.”
As we spoke, a sudden change erupted ahead. A swath of watery blue light appeared. Large numbers of water orbs, ice bullets, and ice spikes rained down from above, blasting toward the mercenaries.
Joy rose in my heart. “They’re here. Let’s go over and see.”
Mo Yue and I leaped forward and caught up to the mercenary group, hiding by the roadside nearby. From closer range, we saw the attacks were coming from the woods ahead. They were all low-level magic, yet they carried considerable power. These mercenaries had solid strength and could withstand it for now.
The mages in the second wagon had already begun to counterattack. The vice-captain climbed out of the first wagon and chanted continuously. A red defensive barrier appeared in front of the mercenaries, immediately dissolving most of the attacks. I had underestimated him. From what he showed, he was at least at the level of a low-rank Magus.
The captain also displayed extraordinary strength. An orange-yellow radiance flared from his broad sword as he stood at the very front, imposing and awe-inspiring. He bellowed, “Our Iron Shoulder Mercenary Group has not provoked your side. Why are you attacking us? Come out and speak!”
The water magic attacks stopped abruptly. A tender voice sounded, “Correct. You did not provoke us. As long as you hand over the Heart of Water, you can leave.”
Captain Li froze. “Heart of Water? What is that?”
Blue radiance flashed within the woods, and a group of entirely blue beings appeared before the mercenaries. There were about twenty of them. Their faces resembled humans, but they were shorter. They had pointed ears and wings as thin as cicada wings. Their entire bodies were shades of blue—eyes, hair, and skin included.
Captain Li cried out in alarm, “Elf Race!”