Commission

"Uh, well, my lord, let's talk this out. This is still the Mercenary Hall, after all. We have to be reasonable."

The bare-chested man, who had been raring to complete this easy job of handing over free money, swallowed as he stared at the marks on the floor. He immediately put on a fawning expression, rubbed his hands together, and spoke.

The rapid change in expression reminded Xuan Ye of the uncle's exaggerated expressions when he had first met the people from Dream Island. His gaze dimmed slightly, but his expression also softened as he said,

"He stole the belongings my deceased comrade had stored here."

Gude, who had been completely cowed by Xuan Ye's strength, did not have time to stop him from speaking. He had been aggressive from the start and refused to give the other side a chance precisely because he did not want this matter exposed. But now, it was clearly impossible to stop it, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead again.

How was this possible?!

How could he be a Professional Expert? His experience reading people was already quite substantial. The other party was clearly a young man! And he was even carrying a broken bow on his back!

A guy like that was a Professional Expert? It was utterly absurd!

Yet the facts were right before his eyes. Everything had been going smoothly, and everything had proceeded according to the steps he had expected. He had been about to checkmate his opponent, but the other party had violently flipped over the entire chessboard instead. What sin had he committed?!

He had clearly investigated everything thoroughly during this period! The man was just a lone Professional Expert! The people he had the best relations with were all lowly commoners in the contemptible profession of scavenging!

It should have been foolproof! So why had a Professional Expert suddenly appeared?!

Regardless of what Gude was thinking, the mercenaries in the hall were first shocked by the other party's strength. Once they had "calmed down," they heard those words, and their expressions immediately changed.

If they had initially been watching the show and making sarcastic remarks—even after a Professional Expert appeared, they had merely stood around to watch—then this had now become an event concerning their own interests!

"Hey, Gude, is what he said true?"

"Huh? Someone stole the stored items?"

"Really?"

"Damn, @#!&...#"

"What about the things I stored?"

"..."

It could be said that Xuan Ye's single sentence had overturned the entire beehive. If he had been an ordinary scavenger, with his low status and insignificant voice, it would not have caused much of a stir. But after revealing the powerful strength of a Professional Expert, saying such a thing naturally made many people choose to believe him!

Could the words of a Professional Expert be false?

Would the effect of someone saying "you're pretty good" be the same as the university class monitor saying "you're pretty good"?

Just as Gude had initially acted as though he had the other party completely under control, he had believed that he could deal with it even if it caused some trouble. It was merely the ramblings of a lowly commoner.

But now, he was instantly the one in a bind. It was true that his family was well-off, and his father was one of the Vice Presidents of the Merchant Guild, with considerable influence. He had even dared to covet the wealth of a deceased Professional Expert.

Yet facing a living Professional Expert, he truly did not even dare fart. Because of Stanrosai City's special circumstances, the Merchant Guild was one of the top ten forces in Stanrosai, as well as one of the top three guilds, and it had two Professional Experts under its banner.

Moreover, by controlling the influence of the Mercenary Guild, it could use its wealth to temporarily win the assistance of several mercenary groups with Professional Experts. But that was the overall strength of the Merchant Guild of Stanrosai! It was not his father's strength, much less his own!

He absolutely could not admit to this matter. If he admitted it, he would be doomed. He could only insist that the other party was making trouble without reason, in exchange for that sliver of hope. Yes, that was right. Given the current chaotic state of the various forces in the city, this was his only opportunity.

"You're slandering me! You clearly tried to falsely claim his belongings! You used your strength to threaten me into giving you his number. It was my dereliction of duty that I was afraid to resist, but everyone, think about it. You're all familiar with Lord Luo Luoji. Among the people he trusted enough to entrust his inheritance to, is this man one of them? Think carefully. Don't let yourselves be deceived! Is this man part of the Scavenger Squad?"

Gude still had some quick wit. If he backed down now, being beaten to death by the enraged mercenaries would be no injustice. He could only insist on his story. Better yet, he needed to make the matter bigger and drag the entire Mercenary Guild into it, forcing the Merchant Guild to step forward and deal with Xuan Ye!

The situation was already as bad as it could get. There was no harm in breaking the pot after it was cracked. At this point, he only sought to save himself.

"So they're Luo Luoji's belongings."

"Oh, they're his?"

"But Luo Luoji's Scavenger Squad really does only have one Professional Expert. If a scavenger squad had two Professional Experts, that would be utterly heaven-defying."

"Uh, that does seem to make some sense."

"..."

Although many people had chosen to believe Xuan Ye because of his strength, his unfamiliar face, combined with Gude's words muddying the waters, made the matter feel like an endless dispute.

That fellow had cleverly put the label of a minor mistake on himself first, deliberately downplaying the seriousness of the matter and dragging it into an argument. Once that happened, the truth would no longer matter. The side with more people believing it would become the truth!

"What's going on? I heard a friend was causing trouble here, so I came over to see the excitement."

Just then, a somewhat shrill, grating voice came from the hall's entrance, instantly overpowering everyone's discussion. A tall, skinny man who looked like he would be blown over by the wind, as thin as a bamboo pole, stepped into the hall.

He was as thin as a vine, yet he carried a massive hammer taller than a person on his shoulder. The contrast was bizarre.

As soon as he entered, many mercenaries voluntarily made way for him, and looks of awe appeared on their faces.

"Captain Thorn Monkey, it's him! He's the one causing trouble. Please uphold justice for me!"

When he saw the newcomer, Gude complained as though he had seen his savior.

After seeing the newcomer, Xuan Ye frowned imperceptibly, then relaxed. Hmm, he should be a Two-Star Warrior, not yet Three-Star.

But even a Two-Star could not be underestimated. After reaching the Professional Rank, every increase in star rank represented a qualitative transformation. It did not merely grant another talent enhancement—it also strengthened all of one's existing cores once more!

Although Two-Star experts and One-Star experts were both considered early-stage Professional Rank, the former held a much higher position. After all, from the confrontation between Luo Luoji and Ye Man, it was clear that under normal circumstances, if a Three-Star mid-level Professional Expert was determined to overpower a One-Star Professional Expert regardless of injury, there would not be much of a problem even if the opponent burned their core.

But if a Two-Star Professional Expert burned their core, an ordinary Three-Star Professional Expert absolutely could not handle it. Even Four-Star experts would be extremely wary. Only the far fewer Five- and Six-Star High-level Professionals could truly suppress them with certainty. Their survivability and deterrence had undoubtedly increased greatly, and their status naturally rose accordingly.

Of course, that was under ordinary circumstances. In Xuan Ye's eyes, the other party's rank was higher and his theoretical strength parameters were stronger, but Xuan Ye truly was not afraid of clashing with him head-on!

However, the appearance of a Professional Expert in such a short time also showed the level of attention and influence the Mercenary Guild possessed. A second or third might appear afterward. Unless necessary, Xuan Ye did not want to engage in pointless conflict. Would that not simply benefit the fellow fishing in troubled waters?

Just as he pondered briefly and prepared to speak again, Gude took the initiative to start stirring up trouble, naturally using his own version of events and familiar tricks to explain the matter.

This left Xuan Ye rather speechless. Sure enough, Temo had stayed indoors too long and was not very nimble with his words.

But while Thorn Monkey frowned and listened to Gude's "explanation," Xuan Ye's exceptional eyesight caught a familiar-looking emblem on his collar. He then interrupted Gude's complaints and asked,

"Are you with the 'Sand Rat' Mercenary Group?"

While listening to Gude's complaints and glancing at Xuan Ye's feet, Thorn Monkey had acknowledged the other party's Professional Rank strength and was wondering where such a young Professional Expert had appeared from. When he suddenly heard that question, he could not help but freeze for a moment before clicking his tongue and saying,

"You're not pretending, are you? Who here doesn't know that I'm the captain of the 'Sand Rat'?"

"Uh, sorry. I've never been to Stanrosai City before. I joined Luo Luoji's Scavenger Squad halfway through the journey. I met several of your group members on the road. Hmm, it seems our subsequent encounter must have already been reported to your companions."

Xuan Ye first froze, then slowly spoke. If the people from the 'Sand Rat' had not discovered the four from Dream Island, how would they have encountered that incident? Still, judging from the circumstances at the time, Luo Luoji and the 'Sand Rat' Mercenary Group had a fairly good relationship.

Sure enough, after Xuan Ye finished speaking, Thorn Monkey's expression stiffened. There was no need to lie about something like this; he could simply confront the others and verify it. This also made Gude's face turn pale.

It was over. This time, it was truly over! There was no chance of turning things around anymore. Now he could only think of how to lessen his punishment. Before Gude could continue arguing, Xuan Ye spoke again.

"I didn't want to get involved in this matter because I hate trouble, but my comrade's bones have not yet grown cold, and someone is trying to steal the relics he left behind. I cannot tolerate that. A thorough investigation should not be difficult. Just don't give him a chance to destroy the evidence or muddy the waters."

At this point, Xuan Ye paused, then turned toward a certain direction. Another Professional Rank aura was approaching. To avoid trouble, he did not plan to stay.

"According to Dean's deduction, there really is a Professional Rank Arch-Lich hiding in the shadows. You should make more preparations in the city. Someone's here. I won't say more. Just don't drag me into this."

After saying that, Xuan Ye leaped forward. Wrapped in his sandproof black robe, he shot out of the hall in an instant and vanished at the end of the street after several leaps. Thorn Monkey did not seem inclined to stop him. After everyone had left, his final words still echoed through the area:

"Uncle Luo Luoji's final wish was to distribute his relics among everyone in the Scavenger Squad. I'll leave this matter to you, Captain Thorn Monkey."

Xuan Ye believed that the captain of the Sand Rat knew what to do!

As the captain of a major mercenary group, he had no reason to ruin his reputation over the wealth of a scavenger uncle, while also offending Xuan Ye, a Professional Expert!

And if the result failed to meet his expectations, then at worst, he could secretly come looking for him alone later!

As for the fellow fishing in troubled waters, heh, Xuan Ye and Thorn Monkey would both be happy to stab him in the back if they got the chance. That was assuming he could survive the guild's internal punishment...

Seeing Xuan Ye leave as soon as he said he would, Thorn Monkey turned back and gave Gude a cold look. Then he smiled without warmth, baring his white teeth as he said,

"Young Master Gude, you've certainly planned this well. Heh heh, I'll remember this matter. I truly hope you survive the guild's punishment. We'll take our time playing."

Thorn Monkey naturally hated Gude for stirring up trouble. The man had actually tried to provoke a conflict between him and another Professional Expert!

He did not think Xuan Ye could threaten him at present, but even in their brief contact, he had easily noticed how young the other party was!

He had tried to create a powerful Professional Expert with immense potential as his enemy. Hah, such intentions deserved death!

Mercenaries were not exactly kind-hearted saints. As he had said, if Gude did not die this time, he could still "take his time playing" with him...

Thanks to Ruantang, Tongyang Unknown, Kan Shu Wuliao, Deng Shu, and all the other readers for your generous rewards.

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