Jia Ma Empire, northwestern frontier, Qingshan Town.
The clamor of voices and clinking of wine cups rang out across the entire street. Inside the mercenary tavern, mercenaries who had just completed their hunting missions sat in groups of three or five, bragging about their exploits.
A luxurious carriage rolled into town and stopped in front of Qingfeng Inn. The curtain inside the carriage was lifted, and a richly dressed young man stepped out.
"Well! Which family's young master is this, coming all the way out to this remote place for fun?"
A burly, middle-aged man, slightly tipsy from drink, looked at Xiao Chen getting out of the carriage and couldn't help teasing him.
The old man sitting beside him glanced at Xiao Chen, lifted his wine cup, and downed a gulp. Wiping his mouth, he said, "Probably a family trial. Some great clans send their young members into the Magical Beast Mountain Range to hunt magical beasts as a test when they come of age!"
Another burly man with a scar on his face curled his lip in disdain, his expression full of mockery. "Young masters from great clans like that probably haven't even seen blood. If they really came face-to-face with a magical beast, wouldn't they be scared shitless?"
"Chen Ergou, watch your tongue. You never know when a careless remark might bring disaster!"
The old man glared at the scarred brute. He knew those great clans all too well. They really would kill someone over a single remark.
At that, Chen Ergou shrank his neck and downed another gulp of wine. Clearly, he'd taken the old man's warning to heart. He was arrogant, not stupid. A few jokes among friends were one thing; going right up to someone and provoking him was just asking for trouble.
After getting out, Xiao Chen casually tossed a few gold coins to the coachman. Under the coachman's profuse thanks, he walked into Qingfeng Inn.
Anyone who could run an inn in a place like Qingshan Town had a sharp eye. The proprietor promptly waved the waiter aside and hurried forward to greet him personally. "Honored guest, your arrival truly brings glory to our humble inn! Would you like a meal or a room?"
"A room. Find me a first-class one, then don't come bother me. I like peace and quiet."
Xiao Chen casually tossed the proprietor a purse. The proprietor weighed it in his hand, and his face immediately broke into a radiant smile. "You have a discerning eye, honored guest. Our Qingfeng Inn is famous throughout Qingshan Town for its elegance and tranquility. Please, follow me!"
"Li Tianyang, arrange a first-class room for me!"
Just as the proprietor was about to lead Xiao Chen upstairs, a voice came from behind and stopped him.
At the sound, Xiao Chen instinctively turned to look. The speaker was a young man of about seventeen or eighteen, dressed in leather armor, with reddish-brown hair and golden eyes.
When Li Tianyang saw the young man, his expression shifted again and again. Stammering, he said, "Th-this... Young Leader Mu Li, I'm afraid you came at a bad time. The last first-class room has already been booked by this honored guest!"
As he spoke, Li Tianyang deliberately emphasized "Young Leader Mu Li" and "honored guest," clearly drawing attention to their respective statuses.
At that, Mu Li looked up at Xiao Chen, while Xiao Chen studied him in turn. He'd felt the young man looked somewhat familiar, and Li Tianyang's words made him suddenly realize why. This was the unlucky fool from the original story who, over a rivalry for a woman, got his whole family killed by Xiao Yan.
"Brother, this is your first time in Qingshan Town, isn't it? You look unfamiliar. May I ask where you're from?"
Mu Li raised his hand and cupped his fist toward Xiao Chen, cautiously probing his identity. He wasn't a brainless fool. From Xiao Chen's clothes, he could tell that he couldn't afford to offend him.
Hearing that, Xiao Chen took another look at Mu Li and thought, Reality really isn't a novel. There aren't nearly so many brainless villains.
But now that he'd run into this guy, it would be a waste not to make use of him. With that in mind, Xiao Chen slowly replied, "I'm from the Imperial Capital. I came here to find someone."
"I never imagined you were from the Imperial Capital, sir. Please forgive Mu Li for his earlier discourtesy. Does the person you're looking for have any distinguishing features? If you're willing to tell me, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group would be honored to lend you a hand!"
At the mention of the Imperial Capital, Mu Li's pupils contracted sharply, and even his heartbeat slowed for half a beat. He hurriedly bowed again, barely able to contain his excitement.
That was the Imperial Capital! He'd never expected to strike it lucky and meet such a distinguished person. If he could help Xiao Chen find the person he was looking for, then even if it didn't send him soaring to success, it would firmly secure his position in the Wolf Head Mercenary Group. The next leader would have to be him.
Seeing that Mu Li had taken the bait, Xiao Chen's lips curled into a smile. He slowly said, "I don't know either. My family sent me here, but the elders in the family say that person has the Woe Poison Body. It's extremely unusual!"
"The Woe Poison Body?"
Mu Li was completely baffled. His eyes filled with confusion. What was the Woe Poison Body? He'd never even heard of it. With no distinguishing features and only a body type to go by, how was he supposed to find anyone?
Xiao Chen seemed to notice his confusion and explained, "You don't need to know what the Woe Poison Body is. You only need to know that once it awakens, a seven-colored poison mark will appear on the lower abdomen!"
"When the seven-colored mark spreads to the heart, the Woe Poison Body will erupt completely. Its bearer will then become a poison being, leaving not a blade of grass alive and laying waste to all life wherever they go!"
"My family has a way to control the Woe Poison Body and prevent it from erupting. All you need to do is spread this information!"
As Xiao Chen finished speaking, he flipped his hand, and a dark-red scroll appeared in his palm. "This is a mid-level Earth-rank technique. If you help me find that person, it's yours!"
Mu Li stared at the dark-red scroll in Xiao Chen's hand and swallowed, his eyes brimming with excitement. Before he could promise anything, he heard Xiao Chen speak again.
"Remember, you may only spread the information. Don't do anything out of line, or else!"
As Xiao Chen's voice fell, a terrifying Battle Qi pressure enveloped Mu Li, forcing him to his knees. Two wings formed entirely from condensed Battle Qi unfolded behind Xiao Chen, displaying his Dou Wang realm.
Seeing this, Mu Li dared not resist. He quickly lowered his head. "Rest assured, sir. This junior will do everything in his power to spread the information, and will not do anything out of line!"
Battle Qi wings—that was the mark of a Dou Wang. Forget the tiny Wolf Head Mercenary Group; even if every mercenary in Qingshan Town swarmed him, they probably couldn't withstand a single blow from this young man.
"Go. Do this well, and I'll give you a chance to meet my great-uncle—the father of my clan's patriarch."
Something about those words struck Mu Li as odd, but he didn't think too much of it. He simply assumed it was a factional struggle within Xiao Chen's clan.
He'd heard before that great clans were full of infighting and tangled factions. Perhaps Xiao Chen's current clan patriarch had seized power and was at odds with his father. It wasn't impossible.
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