Mu She's Fury

"What did you say? Gan Mu is dead?"

In Qingshan Town, at the Wolf Head Mercenary Group's headquarters, Mu She stood in the main hall, staring at the burly men kneeling before him with their hands severed. In a furious rage, he smashed the wooden table beside him to pieces with one strike and roared angrily.

The burly men trembled as they tearfully pleaded, "We were about to capture Xiao Yi Xian and bring her back, but we never expected some brat to appear out of nowhere. Not only did he seriously injure us as soon as he showed up, he even grabbed the Second Leader by the throat with one hand and killed him on the spot!"

The Wolf Head higher-ups around them frowned upon hearing the lackeys' words. However, seeing Mu She consumed by rage, none of them said anything. They did not dare provoke him at a time like this.

Mu Li, who had been standing to one side, spoke up. "You're saying that a young man seriously injured all of you with a single sword strike, then killed the Second Leader?"

The men hurriedly nodded, but Mu Li sneered. "What a joke. The Second Leader was a Nine-Star Dou Practitioner. If what you say is true, wouldn't that youth have to be a Dou Master? Do you believe that yourselves? This is the Wolf Head Mercenary Group. You can't just spout nonsense here!"

Hearing Mu Li's words, the people present gradually came to their senses. It was indeed true—the Second Leader was a Nine-Star Dou Practitioner. Within the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, only their leader, Mu She, could reliably suppress Gan Mu. It would have been somewhat believable if the leaders of the other two mercenary groups had made a move, but now it seemed these men were simply talking nonsense to find an excuse for escaping!

"No, that's not it! That youth really was incredibly strong. He seriously injured us in just one move. He was definitely a Dou Master, Leader, you have to believe us!" the men hurriedly defended themselves.

Mu Li rebuked them, "You must have run into an ambush from one of the other two mercenary groups in the Monster Beast Mountain Range. You actually dared abandon the Second Leader and flee!"

He then turned to Mu She and said, "These traitors are greedy for life and afraid of death. They failed to protect the Second Leader. In my opinion, we should simply kill them and be done with it!"

At Mu Li's words, the lackeys' faces went deathly pale. They finally understood that Mu Li was fabricating an excuse to kill them. After all, they were now crippled without hands. Not only had their strength been greatly diminished, but they would also become a burden to the mercenary group. If they were simply thrown out and left to fend for themselves, it would surely invite criticism.

But now things were different. Mu Li had pinned the label of traitor on them. He was clearly trying to send them to their deaths!

Although they had previously concealed the fact that they had abandoned the Second Leader, Gan Mu had not returned, which clearly meant he had died at that youth's hands. Now Mu Li wanted to kill them with just a few words. They truly panicked.

"Leader, we really didn't do that! P-please spare us!" They immediately fell to their knees and begged.

Mu She shouted, "Enough! Mu Li is right. The Wolf Head Mercenary Group has no need for traitors. Men, drag them out and execute them as a warning to the rest!"

With a single sentence, Mu She decided the fate of those men. Several mercenaries entered from outside and dragged them away. Curses soon rang out from beyond the hall, but after several soft splurts of spraying blood, the cursing abruptly ceased.

The other Wolf Head higher-ups in the hall were trembling with fear. One of them asked, "Leader, what should we do now?"

Mu She said with a grim expression, "If this truly was the work of a young man, as they claimed, then Gan Mu is probably indeed dead. But that youth cannot possibly be a Dou Master. At most, he is a Nine-Star Dou Practitioner. Even so, such strength is enough to make us wary!"

Mu She gradually recovered his reason from his fury. He knew this matter was likely true. The leaders of the other two major groups had no reason to cause trouble at this time. After pondering for a moment, Mu She said coldly, "They won't remain in the Monster Beast Mountain Range for long. Pass down the order: have everyone in the mercenary group withdraw from the mountain range. Keep watch on Xiao Yi Xian's movements around the outskirts at all times. Once you find her, don't act rashly. Return and report first!"

"Yes!"

"By the way, where is Hemon?" Mu She swept his gaze across the hall before asking with a frown.

"The Third Leader, Hemon, heard that Madam Lan from the Blue Flower Tavern was preparing to head into the Monster Beast Mountain Range to catch Snow Foxes, so he was planning to bring a few brothers along with her!" The subordinate froze for a moment, but he did not dare hide it and could only answer honestly.

Mu She immediately cursed in anger, "That bastard! Go stop him and tell him that Gan Mu, the Second Leader, has already died in the Monster Beast Mountain Range. If he isn't afraid of dying, then let him go!"

"Yes!" The subordinate immediately ran off to notify Third Leader Hemon.

Elsewhere, Hemon had just finished preparing to enter the mountains with his men and was about to set out when he saw a mercenary hurrying toward him. He immediately frowned.

The mercenary panted heavily as he said, "Third Leader, the Leader says you are not to enter the mountains now. The brothers have also withdrawn from the Monster Beast Mountain Range!"

Hemon frowned in dissatisfaction. "What is Big Brother trying to do?"

"Oh my, Third Leader, are we going to the Monster Beast Mountain Range or not?" A voluptuous, flirtatious noblewoman slowly approached from the distance, swaying her hips with every step. Her soft, fair body leaned against Hemon's, and a flicker of heat appeared in his eyes. "We're going. Wherever Madam wants to go, I'll go!"

At that moment, the mercenary interjected, "But the Leader said that even Second Leader Gan Mu—"

Before he could finish, Hemon slapped him across the face and cursed, "Don't mention the Second Leader to me! Get the hell out of my sight! I'm entering the mountains now. Let's see who dares stop me!"

The slapped mercenary clutched his face and panted, not daring to say another word. He could only watch helplessly as Hemon led more than a dozen Wolf Head brothers into the Monster Beast Mountain Range in a grand, swaggering procession.

When Sagan heard his subordinate's report, he immediately sneered. "Good advice cannot save a doomed man. Hemon has always been used to acting arrogantly. Now he won't even listen to the Leader. Let him go. It would be best if he stayed in the Monster Beast Mountain Range for good."

He then sighed. "If they really run into that youth, it's just a pity for those fifteen brothers." Sagan shook his head and headed toward the Leader's room.

Xiao Yu had begun cultivating in the valley. The energy here was abundant. If he could stay for ten days or half a month, perhaps he could raise his strength even further!

Xiao Yi Xian did not disturb him. However, as she watched Xiao Yu cultivate so diligently, a trace of curiosity and admiration appeared in her eyes. While he cultivated, she planned to gather some herbs in the valley and refine some poison. She had just obtained a copy of the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, so this was the perfect chance to study it properly!