What Can You Do For Me?
Baek Taek burst into Mu Yun Qi's room.
Moments later, Mu Yun Qi bolted out like a shot toward the mountains, with Baek Taek hot on his heels.
“Baek Taek! Are you insane? I was just eating fine—why the hell are you doing this!?”
“Mu Yun Qi, I’ve got something to say, so stop for a sec. I won’t hit you!”
“Who’d believe that bullshit!?”
“……”
Meanwhile, at that very moment, the culprit behind the chaos, Yeop Hyeon, was receiving O Ru-ju.
In a secluded chamber, Yeop Hyeon and O Ru-ju sat facing each other.
Yeop Hyeon extended a storage ring toward O Ru-ju and spoke.
“Put all of these up for auction!”
O Ru-ju peered into the ring and nearly toppled backward.
“Th-this many!”
O Ru-ju stared at Yeop Hyeon, disbelief etched in his eyes.
Yeop Hyeon nodded in response.
“Don’t sell them all at once—auction them off one by one. I’d appreciate that.”
“You don’t want to draw attention?”
“That shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
“Haha, of course! This old man will head to Jungto Sinju personally. These are all top-notch items—they’ll sell in no time!”
“Perfect. Oh, and Senior—if I wanted to hire a True Law Realm expert, how much would it cost?”
“Hm… True Law Realm… You’d need to offer at least two hundred million top-grade spirit stones.”
“O-only two hundred million!?”
O Ru-ju blinked in shock at Yeop Hyeon’s words, doubting his own ears.
“Only? Two hundred million top-grade spirit stones is more than most second-rate clans can cough up.”
Yeop Hyeon thought it over again, then nodded. Without the treasures from those hundreds of storage rings, two hundred million spirit stones would have seemed astronomical.
“But… why do you need a True Law Realm powerhouse?”
Yeop Hyeon nodded.
“When you go to Jungto Sinju, could you look into it for me? Money’s no object, but they have to be strong—really strong!”
“Hm… Your current power is still far from True Law Realm. Hiring just anyone could stir up trouble and put you in a bind.”
“That’s exactly what worries me.”
“Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll head to Jungto Sinju first and handle the auction. If I find a suitable candidate, I’ll bring them to you. How’s that?”
“That’d be ideal!”
“Hahaha! No time to waste then—this old man’s off!”
O Ru-ju hurried out of the room.
Alone now, Yeop Hyeon savored his tea when Gu Jiu’s voice came from the doorway.
“Everything’s ready.”
Yeop Hyeon set his teacup down on the table with a sharp clack, as if he’d been waiting.
“Let’s go!”
Yeop Hyeon shot up from his seat and dashed out.
Half a shichen later, Yeop Hyeon led a hundred Chang Lan Dao Soldiers out of the city. They looked reborn.
Every piece of gear they wore was authentic auction-grade equipment.
From head to toe, premium gear!
Any one of them could be sent to Jungto Sinju and pass as an elite soldier.
At Yeop Hyeon’s side were Mu Yun Qi, Baek Taek, and Geom Cho-cho.
Geom Cho-cho had long since become a Sword Lord. Her skills could rival even a Myriad Laws Realm expert. Baek Taek and Mu Yun Qi, relying solely on their own power, already matched Myriad Laws Realm foes. With the top-grade gear from Yeop Hyeon, they could even aim to kill one.
And the hundred Chang Lan Dao Soldiers behind them could easily suppress a Myriad Laws Realm expert. If they all charged at once, even Yeop Hyeon couldn’t guarantee victory.
The Dao Soldiers excelled at both offense and defense. Having mastered the Killing Intent Art to perfection, unleashing their killing intent could boost their combat power by thirty to forty percent in an instant.
Five Dao Soldiers with Killing Intent Art active could take down a Myriad Laws Realm expert. A hundred could slay even a Law Realm powerhouse.
No one could deny that this achievement stemmed from the massive funds Yeop Hyeon had poured in.
Soon after Yeop Hyeon’s group left the city, a band of warriors appeared before them.
It was the three mercenary bands from Jungto Sinju, including Gwang-sa.
Gwang-sa and Wang-ja couldn’t hide their shock upon encountering the Chang Lan Dao Soldiers. The aura radiating from the soldiers behind Yeop Hyeon exceeded their wildest expectations. And their gear matched the mercenaries’—all genuine auction items.
Over a hundred of them. Acquiring that many sets of auction-grade equipment was staggering.
Seeing the Dao Soldiers’ might, Gwang-sa and the others instantly dismissed any lingering doubts about Yeop Hyeon’s status.
No one at Yeop Hyeon’s level could wield such treasures. Even top first-rate clans rarely invested this heavily in their soldiers.
There had to be a mighty force backing Yeop Hyeon.
That was Gwang-sa and Wang-ja’s conclusion.
Gwang-sa stepped forward first, cupping his fists toward Yeop Hyeon.
“Brother Yeop, we’ve decided to join you.”
Yeop Hyeon grinned broadly in welcome.
“You’re more than welcome with open arms!”
He pointed to his right.
“Listen up, you three. A few hundred li that way lies a small fortress. Intel says about a hundred Jungto Sinju warriors are holed up there, with at least fifty million top-grade spirit stones stockpiled. Any of you want to volunteer?”
Gwang-sa laughed heartily.
“Leave that to Gwang-sa Mercenary Band.”
“Good. If anything comes up, send a transmission.”
“Got it. See you later, Brother Yeop!”
Gwang-sa cupped his fists and vanished with his band in a flash.
Yeop Hyeon turned to Wang-ja and the veiled woman.
“Head straight left from here, and you’ll hit Wol Country. Thousands of Jungto Sinju warriors are rampaging there. Wipe them out, and you’ll net at least a hundred million top-grade spirit stones. Interested?”
A hundred million top-grade spirit stones?!
Wang-ja glanced at the veiled woman. When she said nothing, he turned to Yeop Hyeon.
“Leave it to us!”
Wang-ja’s dozen-or-so mercenaries kicked up dust and sped toward Wol Country.
Now only the veiled woman and her eight warriors remained.
The veiled woman pointed behind her with a finger. Her warriors nodded and withdrew.
Yeop Hyeon glanced back, and Mu Yun Qi, catching the cue, led the Dao Soldiers away.
Now just the two of them were left.
The veiled woman spoke first, as if she’d been waiting.
“If your goal is just wiping out Jungto Sinju warriors, I’ve got no reason to join you.”
“The fish are too small?”
She nodded.
“Exactly.”
“Hahaha! But in Qingzhou alone, I know of at least a hundred thousand enemies—and their numbers keep growing!”
She shook her head.
“Still too small.”
Yeop Hyeon’s eyebrow twitched.
“You’ve got a bigger appetite than you look.”
“The stronger you are, the bigger the appetite.”
“Stronger?”
Yeop Hyeon chuckled.
“How strong exactly… Care to show me?”
The moment he finished, the veiled woman spread her hand and twirled her wrist. In an instant, countless crimson threads materialized around Yeop Hyeon, enveloping him. They tightened like they’d shred his flesh to pieces.
From the impassive Yeop Hyeon’s body rose a strand of sword intent.
Evil Intent Sword Intent!
The moment it emerged, the crimson threads filling the space began to corrode, dissolving like salt in seawater until they vanished.
Seeing her form a hand seal, Yeop Hyeon swung his sword horizontally.
Boom!
Yeop Hyeon’s form was hurled back a dozen zhang. When he stopped, the ground within a hundred-zhang radius around his feet spiderwebbed with cracks.
As Yeop Hyeon lifted his head, a trickle of blood ran from his mouth. On the veiled woman’s palm gleamed a vivid sword mark.
Law Realm!
Yeop Hyeon was stunned inwardly. Contrary to his expectations, she wasn’t Myriad Laws Realm—she was Law Realm. And far stronger than any he’d faced before.
The veiled woman glanced at the sword scar on her hand, then looked at Yeop Hyeon.
“Not bad.”
Yeop Hyeon wiped the blood from his mouth with his sleeve.
“What’s your real goal?”
“When the world’s in chaos, the most important thing is money, isn’t it?”
“Hahaha! Then worry not. Once we crush Ma Jong and Gwi Jong on their way here, you’ll have enough wealth to live lavishly for half a lifetime!”
The veiled woman looked up, staring into Yeop Hyeon’s eyes.
“Ma Jong alone has over ten True Law Realm experts, and Gwi Jong’s no pushover. What makes you think you can take them down?”
Yeop Hyeon replied with a serious expression.
“The ones behind me will handle it.”
When she said nothing, he switched to a smiling face.
“Think it over. If you decide to join, come find me—no hesitation. Even if not, I won’t make you an enemy. I keep business and grudges separate!”
As she opened her mouth to reply, Yeop Hyeon shook his head, cutting her off.
“No need for more words. Stay if you want an alliance; leave if not.”
With that, Yeop Hyeon turned to go. Suddenly, the veiled woman called out behind him.
“But you’re not with Hogye Meng!”
Yeop Hyeon paused, flinching for a split second. He turned back with a smile.
“So what? You just want the money, right? And I can assure you, I’ve got solid backing. Plus… join me, and I’ll guarantee at least a hundred million top-grade spirit stones a month.”
“Three hundred million.”
She replied calmly.
Instead of answering, Yeop Hyeon countered.
“What can you do for me?”
“I’ll handle Ma Jong, Gwi Jong, and all Myriad Laws Realm experts from Jungto Sinju. The rest is on you.”
“Hm… Deal. We have an agreement. Hide out somewhere for now—I’ll contact you later.”
Yeop Hyeon snapped his fingers toward her. A storage ring flew her way.
“Use this where needed.”
The veiled woman looked inside. It held a hundred million top-grade spirit stones.
She tucked the ring away and left without another word.