Helping an Old Friend Out of a Tight Spot

Early morning.

On the plaza on the east side of Qingshan Town, mercenary groups were coming and going. Some groups had already finished selecting their members and were preparing to depart, while others were still in the process of recruiting, with all sorts of shouting filling the air.

"Looking for a one-star Dou Zhe to hunt a first-tier magic beast, the Gale Wolf. Reward is five hundred gold coins, first come, first served."

"I... I'll do it."

A burly man with a tiger-headed broadsword tucked into his waist hurriedly raised his hand and shouted.

"Good, you're the one. I'll explain the plan to you on the way."

A manager in charge of recruitment pointed at the burly man and said.

"I need a five-star Dou Zhe here. Only those at five-star Dou Zhe or above, experienced ones, hurry up. Hunting a second-tier magic beast, the Short-tailed Leopard. Reward is one thousand gold coins."

"..."

Xiao Ling, who had arrived early to wait, stood in a corner watching the daily routine of these mercenaries. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, followed by an understanding of the descriptions of mercenaries he had read in the original story.

These bottom-tier mercenaries struggled every day for the sake of cultivation, sometimes losing everything in a moment of carelessness, which was why this group of people was particularly fond of indulging themselves.

Strong liquor and beautiful women were their favorites!

After all, strong liquor could numb the pain of losing teammates, while beautiful women could provide a dual sublimation of both spirit and body.

At this moment, Xiao Ling glanced at the mercenary plaza, which no longer had many people left, and a flash of disappointment crossed his eyes. Just as he was planning to head into the mountain alone to explore, a sharp cry from afar caught his attention.

"Hemon, as the third commander of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, are you trying to start a war with my Bloody Battle Mercenary Group?"

A cold-looking girl, about eleven or twelve years old, dressed in a tight green top and tight leather pants, was currently glaring angrily at the one-meter-nine-tall burly man in front of her.

Hearing this, Hemon looked the cold, aloof girl up and down with a lecherous expression and smirked.

"Little Qingxin, why are you so stubborn? Tell me, if you were to follow me, Hemon, wouldn't that be better than being cannon fodder in the Bloody Battle Mercenary Group?"

After a pause, a look of disdain appeared on Hemon's stubbly face.

"As for the war you mentioned, do you really think the Bloody Battle Mercenary Group would start a war with my Wolf Head Mercenary Group just for you? What is your status? What is my status? You think too highly of yourself."

"You..."

Qingxin glared at Hemon. Although she was very angry, she knew that what the other party said was correct; their statuses were simply not equal.

But she had her own persistence in her heart, along with a certain hazy figure.

Thinking this, Qingxin sighed, feeling very helpless inside.

She hadn't expected that she would just come out to help her squad check the mercenary plaza for suitable members.

Because their squad temporarily needed a member who was at least a six-star Dou Zhe to prepare for a mission in the Magic Beast Mountain Range on behalf of the group.

Who would have thought she would run into this persistent pest? It was truly bad luck.

At this moment, many mercenaries who had heard the commotion and come over to watch the spectacle began to point and whisper about Hemon, deeply disgusted by his behavior.

But there was nothing they could do; after all, this guy had the strength of an eight-star Dou Zhe.

Just as everyone was shaking their heads and sighing, a voice came from a corner not far away.

"It's just a dog, after all. Are you barking so loudly because you're afraid others won't know you're a dog?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the surroundings fell into instant silence.

Hemon's face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.

Then the crowd instantly erupted, with all sorts of discussions breaking out.

"Holy crap... who the hell is this? Is he that reckless?"

"Does he not know that Hemon is an eight-star Dou Zhe? Does he not know that the commander of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group is a one-star Da Dou Shi?"

"How does he dare?"

The burly mercenaries watching from the sidelines all looked toward the direction the voice came from, and then they froze.

Because in the direction of the voice, there was only a young man in white. The boy looked to be only ten or so years old, clearly the type of greenhorn whose teeth hadn't even fully grown in yet.

Seeing this, everyone showed expressions of pity, then looked at Hemon with the intent of watching a show; they all wanted to see just how miserable this boy would end up today.

Xiao Ling didn't pay much attention to the reactions of the surrounding mercenaries and just walked slowly toward Hemon.

He wasn't a person who liked to meddle in other people's business, but the one being harassed today was his friend—or more accurately, his friend from when he used the alias "Ling Xiao."

He had always been generous toward his friends, not to mention that he currently needed longevity, and an eight-star Dou Zhe could provide him with anywhere from three to five years of life.

This was a significant harvest. As long as he had this gain, he could exchange it for life-saving measures for himself, and by then, entering the Magic Beast Mountain Range alone would be much safer.

This reminded him of a saying from his past life: "With grain in hand, there is no panic in the heart." And that was exactly how he felt right now.

The surrounding mercenaries, seeing this boy walking toward them with such stubbornness, couldn't help but feel a bit of pity, and as he walked closer, they whispered advice to him.

"Little brother, although this girl Qingxin is very beautiful, it is not rational to stand up for a woman. I suggest you hurry up and find your elders..."

Hearing this, Xiao Ling just smiled. He neither denied nor explained, continuing to walk toward his prey.

Are you kidding? How could he possibly give up?

He had finally encountered such a massive idiot; he was determined to show off... no, wait... he was determined to secure this lifespan.

With that, Xiao Ling walked all the way up to the aloof young girl. He turned his head to look at the girl staring at him, only to see her looking at him in complete shock, her cold, clear eyes even shimmering with a few tears.

Seeing this, he couldn't help but smile slightly and say, "What? Does little sister Qingxin not recognize me anymore?"

Upon hearing this, Qingxin's cold, aloof exterior melted instantly. She threw herself into the young man's arms, pouring out all her grievances... At this moment, she seemed to have completely forgotten about Hemon standing to the side.

"Brother Ling Xiao, when did you arrive in Qingshan Town? Why... why didn't you come to see Qingxin..."

The young girl wiped away her tears, looked at the young man standing inches away, and asked with a blushing face.

"Enough!"

Hemon interrupted with a dark expression, his eyes wide with rage.

He was absolutely furious inside; the little flower bud he had been pining for was actually lying in someone else's arms, crying and complaining. This made him want to punch this pretty boy's head straight into his stomach.

He took a deep breath, looked at the young man in white, and said in a cruel tone.

"Kid, I don't care if your name is Ling Xiao or Lingtian, today your grandfather is going to beat that arrogance right out of you!"

With that, Hemon took a single step forward, arriving in front of Xiao Ling amidst Qingxin's cry of alarm. He clenched his five fingers into a fist, his knuckles cracking, and threw a punch directly at the young man's head.