Defeating Herman

Every time Qingshan Town's herb-gathering party set out on an escort mission, it generally required around a hundred mercenaries. Boss Yao attached enormous importance to this first herb-gathering expedition after the Snow Season.

For the sake of safety, Boss Yao had increased the original pay by fifty percent and intended to recruit another fifty elite mercenaries. That was no small sum.

The herb-gathering party's escort work had always been a juicy prize coveted by many. Uncle Mang Ba and the others had faced plenty of competition before, and now that the party was adding recruits, they naturally wanted a share as well.

But the Wolf Head Mercenary Group had clearly set its sights on this money. They wanted to take the increased fifty-percent pay with the same number of men as before—and intended to keep it all for themselves.

Naturally, Wolf Head's actions greatly displeased everyone, especially Boss Yao, who was footing the bill. It already pained him to spend half again as much Gold Coin, and now someone was trying to carve off a share. How could he not be angry?

However, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group was quite powerful. As one of Qingshan Town's top mercenary groups, with One-star Dou Master Mu She in command, they were practically Qingshan Town's uncrowned rulers. There were scarcely any forces in town capable of contending with them.

The Wolf Head Mercenary Group's forceful intervention had suddenly complicated what should have been a simple matter. Boss Yao naturally did not want to agree, because that would mean spending more money.

And if Wolf Head grew even greedier and treated this as a long-term business, it would mean that every time he organized a herb-gathering party in the future, his costs would increase by half. Over time, that would be no small amount.

Uncle Mang Ba and the other scattered small mercenary groups were even less willing to agree, because it meant one of their steady sources of income would be snatched away. This stable "salary" would leave them.

But no matter how one put it, in Qingshan Town and even across the entire Dou Qi Continent, strength was what mattered. If one hundred and fifty ordinary mercenaries joined forces against over a hundred elite mercenaries from the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, then honestly, the latter might well be stronger.

This brought up another issue. For mercenary jobs like this, when the price was the same, one generally chose the stronger side. But in truth, the more than one hundred mercenaries originally escorting Myriad Medicine Hall already basically met the required standard. There was no need for them to seek even stronger protection.

But that reasoning would certainly not work on Wolf Head. If they could not provide a reasonable explanation, they either had to agree to the Wolf Head Mercenary Group's demands or give Wolf Head something to use against them. And then, the one who came would not be Mu Li, but Dou Master Mu She.

In the outer courtyard plaza of Myriad Medicine Hall, Boss Yao wore a grim expression. The many other mercenaries were also deeply dissatisfied, yet they dared not speak out. Given Wolf Head's strength, no one dared offend them lightly.

Even given Myriad Medicine Hall's standing in Qingshan Town, without a suitable reason, Boss Yao could not directly refuse them.

"Since no one has any objections, then... I suppose the slots this time should belong to us, right, Boss Yao?"

Mu Li turned to Boss Yao with a beaming smile, his eyes brimming with smugness. As his gaze wandered and landed on Xiao Yi Xian, his eyes suddenly lit up, revealing an excessively heated look.

"Heh... isn't the Wolf Head Mercenary Group acting a little too recklessly?"

Yan Qingshan had naturally noticed Mu Li's behavior. He stepped forward to block Xiao Yi Xian, his words carrying clear displeasure toward the Wolf Head Mercenary Group and instantly drawing everyone's attention.

"Qingshan!"

The mercenaries familiar with Yan Qingshan, including Uncle Mang Ba, were alarmed when they saw him step forward. The Wolf Head Mercenary Group was the dominant force in Qingshan Town. Even Boss Yao of Myriad Medicine Hall did not dare offend them easily. For Yan Qingshan, a mere medical apprentice, to forcefully step out like this was no good thing.

"Who are you? Why are you interfering in the affairs of my Wolf Head Mercenary Group?"

Mu Li did not immediately lash out impulsively. Instead, he calmly questioned him, his cold gaze sweeping over the people of Myriad Medicine Hall. He had noticed earlier that Yan Qingshan had arrived with Boss Yao, so there might be some connection between them.

Yan Qingshan stepped forward twice, stopping before Mu Li and examining him for a moment before shaking his head. "Yan Qingshan, the physician assigned by Myriad Medicine Hall to the herb-gathering party. In other words, once the party enters the Magical Beast Mountain Range, my word carries the most weight."

"Physician Yan, pardon my disrespect!"

A flicker of surprise crossed Mu Li's eyes. As the Young Leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, he was no ignorant playboy. On the contrary, he was a qualified heir to a mercenary group and naturally knew Qingshan Town's affairs extremely well.

Precisely because he understood, he was even more shocked. It was not easy for a Myriad Medicine Hall physician to complete their training. Every official physician held a status no lower than that of a mid- to Advanced Dou Practitioner, and their role could be even more important. Such a lofty position naturally came with extraordinary difficulty.

Yan Qingshan was only around fifteen, four or five years younger than Mu Li. This was the first time Mu Li could recall seeing such a young physician, so he naturally looked suspiciously toward Boss Yao of Myriad Medicine Hall.

For some unknown reason, Boss Yao nodded. "That's right. Qingshan is my most outstanding disciple of recent years. His medical skills are more than enough for him to complete his training!"

The doubts in Mu Li's heart eased somewhat, and he continued, "May I know what Physician Yan thinks of my Wolf Head Mercenary Group? Why did you speak out just now...?"

"Young Leader Mu Li, neither of us is stupid. Let's speak plainly."

Yan Qingshan paced over to Mu Li's side. "You and I both know exactly where the problem lies today. Myriad Medicine Hall is not some fool to be taken advantage of. Wolf Head wants to carve meat off Myriad Medicine Hall. Aren't you making things sound a little too easy?"

"I don't quite understand what Physician Yan means. Aren't mercenary rules all about strength? The Wolf Head Mercenary Group is stronger. Over a hundred elite mercenaries are enough to match these hundred and fifty-odd ordinary mercenaries, so what is wrong with taking this payment?"

Mu Li feigned confusion and asked, "Or are you saying that Myriad Medicine Hall's mission this time is a fraud and that you are not sincerely recruiting people?"

"Mu Li, stop showing off your little cleverness. This mission was issued by Myriad Medicine Hall. How we recruit people is up to Myriad Medicine Hall."

Yan Qingshan smiled, then seemingly casually placed a hand on Mu Li's shoulder. Mu Li's expression drastically changed in that instant. "I am not an unreasonable person either. You just said we should follow mercenary rules, so I will handle this according to mercenary rules.

"I'll give you a chance. Let the strongest person your side brought today come out for a match. If you win, the extra fifty slots will belong to Wolf Head. If you lose, Wolf Head will stop causing trouble. What do you say?"

Mu Li wore a dark expression and remained silent for a long time before finally squeezing out a few words that left the Wolf Head Mercenary Group members utterly confused. "Since that is what Physician Yan means, Mu Li agrees. You can let go of me now, right?"

"Of course."

Yan Qingshan leisurely withdrew his hand. Mu Li staggered and nearly fell, and only then did the Wolf Head Mercenary Group's elites belatedly rush forward to support and shield their Young Leader.

"Brat, you dared to use underhanded means against the Young Leader of our Wolf Head Mercenary Group. Is Myriad Medicine Hall preparing to wage war against the Wolf Head Mercenary Group?"

A burly figure stepped out from among the thirty mercenaries, his aura extremely powerful. Even Uncle Mang Ba, who was close to becoming an Advanced Dou Practitioner, unconsciously retreated several steps when facing him.

Yan Qingshan did not respond to the man. Instead, he looked at Mu Li again. "He is Wolf Head's choice for this match?"

Mu Li spoke to the man. "Uncle Herman, be careful. This guy is no simple opponent."

Uncle Mang Ba hurried over to Yan Qingshan's side. "Qingshan, Herman is the third leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, a Peak Seven-star Dou Practitioner. They say he is already very close to becoming an Eight-star Dou Practitioner..."

"Uncle Mang Ba, it's fine. Leave it to me!"

Yan Qingshan placed a hand on Uncle Mang Ba's shoulder. Uncle Mang Ba, who had been about to continue persuading him, had a look of shock flash through his eyes. He swallowed his prepared words, glanced at Herman and Yan Qingshan, then retreated. "Then, Qingshan, be careful."

After loosening up his limbs, Herman sneered. "Brat, I don't know how you ambushed the Young Leader, but I won't underestimate you. I don't know your exact cultivation, but it can't be higher than mine, can it?"

As Herman spoke, he lightly twisted his neck. Faint Dou Qi began to flicker across his body, while his iron fists clenched tightly and his knuckles cracked loudly. His strength was clearly considerable.

Yan Qingshan smiled, removed his outer robe, and tossed it aside, revealing the fitted warrior's attire beneath. "Is that so? I happen to be quite confident in myself."

"Brat, your mouth is pretty tough. Don't kneel and beg for mercy later!"

A bloodthirsty smile rose on Herman's lips as a pale yellow Dou Qi glow surged around him. He stomped heavily on the ground and charged at Yan Qingshan like a massive magical beast.

"Get lost!!!"

Yan Qingshan coldly watched Herman rush at him with fierce force. He merely raised his hand slightly as a trace of dark cyan Dou Qi surfaced over both palms, then erupted violently from his palms and struck Herman's charging body with tremendous force.

Bang...

With a muffled impact, Herman was hurled backward. His feet scraped hard against the ground for a long while before he slowly stopped. Nearly half the hard soles of his leather boots had been ground away, and two long, scorched trails were left across the bluestone pavement.

"The brat really has some skill."

A trace of gravity appeared on Herman's face as he slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. His originally bronze skin gradually turned somewhat pale.

"But the Rock Attribute I cultivate has the strongest defense of all attributes. You simply cannot—"

Herman was circulating his Dou Qi again, preparing to launch another assault. His already pale skin took on an even whiter cast, but just as his momentum reached its peak, an Emerald Palm Print slowly appeared on his chest where Yan Qingshan had struck him.

"Urgh... how could this... pfft..."

The suddenly appearing foreign Dou Qi crushed through and disrupted Herman's circulation, causing an error in his Dou Qi pathways and a backlash that injured him. He no longer possessed his previous imposing presence. Clutching his vital points with both hands, he staggered a few steps before finally being unable to suppress his injuries any longer. He vomited blood and collapsed.