Why Even Ask, Captain!

Wouldn't it seem strange for a mercenary group to have only two members?

Zhao Wuji felt nothing of the sort. Couldn't he see that the captain radiated the aura of a powerhouse? Besides, he had said he was still building the team. What was so strange about that?

The two ate and chatted, gradually becoming more familiar with each other. In the end, Wang Chuan rented a room at the inn where Zhao Wuji was staying, and they agreed to head to the Spirit Beast Forest together the next day.

The sun and moon turned, and morning soon arrived.

With the millennium Spirit Ring he had dreamed of finally within reach, Zhao Wuji was too excited to sleep until very late. Yet it was also that excitement that got him out of bed early.

Naturally, Zhao Wuji wanted to wake Wang Chuan at once and head out to hunt Spirit Beasts.

But no matter how rough he was, he knew that would be shameless. So he decided to go out first and buy breakfast for Wang Chuan, getting used to his identity as the man's underling.

But the moment he stepped outside, Zhao Wuji was stunned.

In the thin morning mist outside the inn, a burly figure held two enormous dumbbells, swinging them with such force that the air whistled. Every movement was filled with the beauty of raw power.

The steam rising from his body blended with the morning fog, making it impossible to tell whether the mist was a natural creation or something produced by the man himself.

When Zhao Wuji saw Wang Chuan's face clearly, it was as though he had been struck by lightning.

It was one thing for the other man to be stronger than him—he was even more hardworking. How was Zhao Wuji supposed to live with that?

Zhao Wuji immediately bowed slightly and greeted Wang Chuan.

At the same time, he made up his mind. He could not remain so lazy in the future. He had to keep up with the captain's pace, or how would there be any place for him in the mercenary group later on?

Wang Chuan merely gave a simple response, never expecting his routine morning workout to put Zhao Wuji under such immense psychological pressure.

He was already starting to push himself harder~

Still, Wang Chuan did not stop him after discovering it. He simply gave Zhao Wuji more professional guidance.

After all, how could one man stop another man's determination to become stronger?

Afterward, the two burly men casually wolfed down over a hundred buns to fill their stomachs before heading together to Sunset Forest.

It was nearly ten in the morning, yet visible mist—or rather, miasma—still lingered throughout Sunset Forest.

However, such a minor environmental issue had little effect on transcendent beings like Spirit Masters.

Zhao Wuji remained highly excited as he looked around, hoping to find a Spirit Beast that suited him.

But suddenly, Wang Chuan, who had been leading the way ahead of him, vanished. By the time Zhao Wuji reacted, Wang Chuan was already holding an unconscious hundred-year wolf-type Spirit Beast in his hand.

Zhao Wuji asked in surprise.

"Captain, why did you catch that Spirit Beast?"

As Wang Chuan skillfully took out rope from his storage Soul Tool and tightly bound the Spirit Beast, he explained.

"Right, I forgot to tell you yesterday.

My mercenary group is different from ordinary ones. Our primary business is not accepting Spirit Beast hunting commissions, but hunting Spirit Beasts ourselves. The valuable ones are sold to the major trading houses, while the ordinary ones are consumed by us.

It's a bit dangerous, but the returns are just as high."

As he spoke, Wang Chuan showed off his thick biceps.

"See these muscles full of power?

This physique was forged through years of eating Spirit Beast meat to supplement my nutrition.

So selling Spirit Beasts is only secondary. What I want is direct access to Spirit Beast meat, so that I can become stronger."

At that point, Wang Chuan tied the final dead knot and asked with a smile.

"How about it? It's not too late to quit now.

But don't worry. I think we're fairly fated, so I'll guarantee your millennium Spirit Ring. Consider it my way of forming a good connection with you."

After hearing Wang Chuan's explanation, Zhao Wuji opened his mouth somewhat blankly. He had never imagined that his captain's reason for forming a mercenary group would be so utterly unconventional.

What normal Spirit Master formed a mercenary group just to eat meat?!

But when Zhao Wuji heard Wang Chuan's final words about forming a good connection, he was deeply moved.

As a commoner Spirit Master, although Zhao Wuji's talent surpassed that of many ordinary nobles, he had still suffered the same sort of academy bullying as Tang San.

In the end, he had even offended a noble.

That man would not stoop to bullying a student personally, but he used the same underhanded methods as Yu Luomian and had Zhao Wuji expelled from the academy ahead of time.

Otherwise, at the age when he should have been attending an intermediate Soul Master Academy, why would he need to hunt Spirit Beasts alone?

With the assistance and benefits provided by academy teachers, he could have obtained the Spirit Ring he wanted with absolute certainty.

Because of all the hardships he had endured before, Wang Chuan's kindness seemed especially precious to Zhao Wuji, moving him deeply.

Then Zhao Wuji recalled how generously Wang Chuan had treated him to a meal yesterday.

And the bearing of a powerhouse Wang Chuan had displayed this morning—every bit of it filled Zhao Wuji with yearning.

Gradually, Zhao Wuji's lips curled into a wild grin as he said seriously,

"Why even ask, Captain!

Of course I'll work with you! Hahaha! Because I want muscles as powerful as yours too!"

Seeing Zhao Wuji's boldness, Wang Chuan's mood improved greatly.

This was precisely the final test he had set for Zhao Wuji: to see whether he truly possessed the straightforward temperament he had in the original story.

Of course, even if Zhao Wuji failed to meet his expectations, Wang Chuan would still honor his promise. But whether it would be the millennium Spirit Ring most compatible with Zhao Wuji was another matter entirely.

For the next half day, the two of them wandered around the outskirts of Sunset Forest.

During that time, Wang Chuan caught another hundred-year Spirit Beast and a millennium Spirit Beast, loading his back to the brim.

Unfortunately, they did not find a Spirit Beast suitable for Zhao Wuji.

Neither of them was anxious about it. Spirit Beast hunting was simply like that—when luck was good, one could find what they needed in a day; when luck was bad, they could search no matter what and still find nothing.

It was also their first time teaming up, so they were merely testing things out today and had no plans to venture deeper into Sunset Forest. Seeing that it was getting late, they returned directly to Soul Hunting Town.

As soon as they reached the outskirts of Soul Hunting Town, someone took an interest in the two hundred-year Spirit Beasts Wang Chuan was carrying.

Wang Chuan had carefully selected both of those hundred-year Spirit Beasts. They were each around five hundred years old, making them highly suitable as a Spirit Master's second Spirit Ring, yet they were not rare species.

Therefore, the price difference between selling them to the major trading houses and selling them on the spot would not be significant.

Someone present offered a suitable price, so Wang Chuan sold them directly. After all, he only needed this small amount of money to deal with his immediate needs.

A millennium Spirit Beast, on the other hand, was already considered a rarity. Ordinary Spirit Masters could not afford a living one.

After all, bringing a Spirit Beast out of a dangerous place like the Spirit Beast Forest required tremendous effort. Thus, its price was higher than hiring a mercenary group to hunt one, and generally only major factions could afford such an expense.