"Sorry for the trouble. Just leave it here. Here's the rest of the payment."
Lin Ze said with a smile to a burly man.
The man replied warmly, "Would you like me to carry it inside for you?"
"Haha, no need. It's only a few steps. I'm not that frail."
Lin Ze handed over the coins, then added one more as a tip for the man's hard work.
The smile on the man's face grew even more sincere.
He then set down the sack he'd been carrying on his back.
It was a whole sack of Magical Beast meat, heavy enough to weigh down his shoulders!
"Well, then, I'll be off. Come by again, and I'll give you a full ten percent off!"
Lin Ze watched the man leave with a smile. Then he tightened his grip and carried the heavy sack inside.
Only after he shut the wooden door did the smile slowly fade from Lin Ze's face.
Someone was following him!
And it was someone from the Wolf Head Mercenary Group.
Earlier, he'd used the deliveryman's body to shield himself and caught sight of the Wolf Head Emblem on the follower's chest out of the corner of his eye.
Had the truth about Liu Dali's murder gotten out?
The thought had barely crossed Lin Ze's mind when he realized something was wrong.
That morning, when he'd left, he'd seen members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group several times.
The mercenaries had either paid him no attention or looked at him mockingly.
Not one had shown suspicion, wariness, or hatred.
Lin Ze stood where he was and cautiously peered outside through a crack in the door.
The wooden door of this Small Courtyard had an overhanging eave. The sunlight cast a shadow over it, leaving the area rather dim.
Unless someone got close, it would be hard to notice anyone peering out through the crack.
With him hidden and his enemy out in the open,
Lin Ze soon spotted the Wolf Head Mercenary Group mercenary who was following him.
After seeing the man's face, Lin Ze made sure not to stare at him for long.
Once he'd memorized the man's face, Lin Ze immediately picked up the Magical Beast meat and went back inside.
He carefully thought back over his memories.
Lin Ze was certain he'd never had any conflicts or grudges with that mercenary.
He thought it over again, reviewing everything that had happened that day from the beginning.
He hadn't noticed anyone following him when he left that morning. Clearly, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group hadn't suspected him of killing Liu Dali, either.
So when had the mercenary started following him?
Lin Ze couldn't be sure of the exact moment.
But there was one crucial point in time: after he'd left Wan Yao Zhai!
Wan Yao Zhai... Xiao Yi Xian!
Lin Ze quickly seized on this crucial clue.
He soon remembered seeing that mercenary beside Mu Li, the Young Leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group.
Once he'd figured out the key, Lin Ze couldn't help laughing in anger.
Damn it, what an idiot!
He'd sent Death Soldiers to kill members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, and no one had suspected or followed him.
But after exchanging a few more words with Xiao Yi Xian, he'd gotten a Wolf Head Mercenary Group mercenary on his tail.
After cursing Mu Li in his mind, Lin Ze began to consider how to deal with the situation.
He certainly couldn't just sit back and wait.
Mu Li had sent a mercenary to follow him today. There was no telling whether he'd do something even more extreme next.
Lin Ze was only at Dou Disciple Rank 9, and the Bronze Mirror needed time to develop.
For now, he'd have to lie low and avoid confrontation.
After all, he wasn't Xiao Yan, with Yao Lao there as a safety net. No matter how recklessly Xiao Yan acted in the Qingshan Town area, his life would never truly be in danger.
But Lin Ze was different. Though he had the Bronze Mirror, he still needed time to develop.
His own strength wasn't enough to take on the Wolf Head Mercenary Group.
So he'd make a strategic retreat.
Lin Ze thought it over, then absorbed most of the Magical Beast meat in the sack, leaving some for A-Er to replenish his energy.
After taking some time to pack up everything in the house,
Lin Ze first had A-Er leave through the back of the house. Only after confirming that no one was watching the back did he follow.
When Lin Ze left Qingshan Town, he didn't head into the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Instead, he followed its edge toward another town that depended on the range for its livelihood.
With his current strength, entering the Magical Beast Mountain Range would probably be even more dangerous than staying in Qingshan Town.
As he'd said, he didn't have someone like Yao Lao by his side, someone who could possess him at any time and unleash the power of a Dou Emperor to keep him safe.
He didn't dare barge straight into the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
You had to make choices that matched your strength.
The Magical Beast Mountain Range was teeming with Magical Beasts and full of dangers, but it was also brimming with opportunities. It was an immense treasure trove, constantly drawing people in to explore it.
From ordinary Dou Zhe, Dou Master, and mercenary types to Yun Yun, the sect master of the Misty Cloud Sect, people all came to "dig for treasure" in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
And this treasure trove had spawned countless human settlements along its borders.
Some were small towns like Qingshan Town; others were cities like Wutan City, one of the major cities of the Jia Ma Empire.
So, with Qingshan Town no longer an option, Lin Ze made a strategic retreat straight to Fire Wolf Town, next door, taking A-Er with him.
The area around Fire Wolf Town was rich in a kind of Magical Beast called the Fire Wolf, which gave the town its name.
Many towns around the Magical Beast Mountain Range were named in this way.
But before leaving, Lin Ze summoned the two Death Soldiers from that day in a secluded spot.
He named them A-San and A-Si as well.
Lin Ze had the two Death Soldiers go back and keep watch around his house.
He wanted to see how things would unfold.
After more than half a day of nonstop travel, he finally reached Fire Wolf Town as night was drawing near.
The relentless journey left Lin Ze aching all over, and his injuries had yet to heal.
At times, he even had A-Er carry him for a while. Otherwise, he might have felt even worse.
But Lin Ze didn't regret his decision.
He'd already offended the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, and the Young Leader, Mu Li, had clearly shown hostility toward him.
In this situation, staying at home and praying that Mu Li wouldn't do anything more extreme would have been foolish.
Lin Ze didn't want to wait until Mu Li had surrounded his house and was ready to attack before regretting his decision.
With a bundle on his back and a slight disguise, Lin Ze entered Fire Wolf Town with A-Er supporting him and found an inn to stay at.
The old mercenaries of the Iron Blood Mercenary Group had pooled some money for him, and his parents had also left some money at home.
So Lin Ze still had a modest amount of savings.
"Phew..."
Lin Ze lay down on the bed and let out a long breath.
Then, with some effort, he sat up and glanced at A-Er, who was training without pause under his orders.
Lin Ze chuckled and crossed his legs on the bed to begin cultivating as well.
Now he could summon two Death Soldiers each day.
Two Death Soldiers were keeping watch around his old home, looking out for any movement from the Wolf Head Mercenary Group.
One was hunting along the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range near Qingshan Town, gathering Flesh Essence.
The last one stayed by Lin Ze's side to protect him while working hard to improve his cultivation.
Having Death Soldiers really is convenient. With so much to do, I'd never manage it all by myself.
A thought like that crossed Lin Ze's mind, filling him with even greater anticipation for the Bronze Mirror.
I've been building up my strength for a while now. I should be close to a breakthrough—probably within the next few days. Once I break through, I should be able to get more Death Soldiers...
I can't wait!
Before you continue