After thinking it over, Xiao Li decided to put the idea aside for now. He was only a lowly Dou Master himself. How could he spare the time to help others?
The group slowly entered the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Both the mercenaries and the people from the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion grew tense. Everyone in Qingshan Town knew that once you entered the Magical Beast Mountain Range, casualties were inevitable. No one wanted to be the one who died.
As they made their way deeper in, Xiao Li discreetly observed the other mercenaries, learning how they concealed their tracks. They were all seasoned veterans who had spent years roaming the Magical Beast Mountain Range, and he was sure their methods would come in handy when he ventured out alone to gain experience.
In the quiet forest, the large group moved forward in silence. A pair of wary eyes after another swept over the shadowy spaces among the trees. Hands gripped the weapons at their waists, ready to deal with any sudden developments.
They were all veteran mercenaries who had spent years in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. So although this was their first time working together, they still managed to maintain a basic understanding. A glance exchanged between them was enough to discern signals of danger or safety in each other's eyes.
Xiao Li carried his spear slung diagonally across his back, its tip pointing at the ground, and warily watched their surroundings. The Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion's destination was a small valley ten kilometers into the Magical Beast Mountain Range, where they planned to gather medicinal herbs. The density of magical beasts there was already quite high.
There were even traces of Tier 2 Magical Beasts roaming the area from time to time. Only places like this had escaped being picked clean by the huge number of mercenaries in Qingshan Town.
The mercenaries closest to the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion's herb-gathering team seemed to belong to the same mercenary group. They wore identical insignias on their clothes, and every badge on their chest bore the same one-eyed wolf head.
Judging by how closely these Wolf Head Mercenary Group members guarded the herb-gathering team, they had clearly been hired by the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion as escorts. Moreover, the Pavilion seemed to trust the Wolf Head Mercenary Group far more than the ragtag mercenaries up ahead. Otherwise, they wouldn't have assigned them as the team's personal guards.
From the conversations around him, Xiao Li learned that Gan Mu was leading the Wolf Head Mercenary Group on this trip.
Xiao Li looked at one of the mercenaries, who radiated a fierce aura. He was a Seven-Star Dou Zhe, fairly strong, but Xiao Li was confident he could badly injure him in five moves and finish him off in ten.
And Gan Mu was already the strongest of the mercenaries on this trip.
"Have you heard? The Wolf Head Mercenary Group's leader, Mu She, broke through and became a Dou Master. Wolf Head has been acting awfully arrogant lately," one mercenary said resentfully.
The others immediately chimed in.
"Exactly. They use their numbers to snatch things others have their eyes on."
"Right, they're so arrogant."
Outside the Magical Beast Mountain Range, everything had been relatively peaceful. But not long after the group entered the range, Xiao Li witnessed firsthand the cruelty of a small-scale magical beast attack.
Four Tier 1 Iron Feather Eagles suddenly plunged down, targeting the people with the weakest auras. Judging by their ferocious expressions, they had clearly been hungry for a long time. Otherwise, they wouldn't have attacked such a large group of humans.
The mercenaries quickly formed small squads and banded together to fight off the attackers.
After a brief exchange, the difference between them became clear. The Wolf Head Mercenary Group members worked together more seamlessly, and both Iron Feather Eagles that attacked them were cut down.
The scattered mercenaries, on the other hand, could only just barely drive their opponents away.
As an Iron Feather Eagle swooped down again, Xiao Li's spear flashed, and thunder crashed.
Lightning Flash Strike!
The spear shattered the Iron Feather Eagle's head, and a powerful surge of energy spread outward.
The aura lifted the hair on Gan Mu's forehead. His eyes narrowed slightly.
"This young man's strength is probably a cut above mine. If he has a faction backing him, it must be an impressive one. If he doesn't, perhaps I can recruit him..."
Xiao Li struck decisively. The Iron Feather Eagle, whose strength was only equivalent to that of a low-level Dou Zhe, had no chance of survival.
He tore open the Iron Feather Eagle's head and abdomen. Finding no Magic Core, he took only its few valuable, sturdy iron feathers.
"You all helped out, so I can't take everything for myself. The rest is for you to divide."
Xiao Li's words snapped the few mercenaries out of their daze.
"Little brother, you're astonishingly strong. You must be a five- or six-star Dou Zhe, right?"
"Probably even stronger. Gan Mu didn't strike nearly as cleanly or decisively as you did."
"I've wasted all these years."
The few people in Xiao Li's squad chattered among themselves, their eyes filled with astonishment.
Suddenly, they fell silent and looked warily behind Xiao Li.
Xiao Li turned around and saw Gan Mu of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group approaching, with a young man around twenty following behind him.
"Little brother, you're quite the fighter."
Gan Mu cupped his hands, smiling as he greeted Xiao Li with a compliment.
But Xiao Li had no reason to be friendly toward someone who would one day hunt down his younger brother.
"Is there something you need?" Xiao Li replied indifferently.
Gan Mu stopped Mu Li from speaking, his smile undiminished. "I wanted to invite you to join the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, little brother. I wonder if you'd be interested..."
Gan Mu's words carried a hint of a question. Behind him, Mu Li seemed unimpressed by Xiao Li, who was still young.
"Our Wolf Head is the biggest mercenary group in Qingshan Town. You wouldn't believe how many people want to join," Mu Li said proudly.
His father had just broken through, so Mu Li naturally walked as if he were floating. He looked down on anyone below the Dou Master level.
Xiao Li's expression was cool. "I'm used to being on my own, so I'll pass."
The smile faded from Gan Mu's face. "In that case, never mind."
Gan Mu said no more. Xiao Li's attitude was clear; there was no point in pushing. He took Mu Li back to their group.
Mu Li, however, was indignant. "Uncle Gan, that kid is so arrogant. Does he think he's too good for our Wolf Head?"
Gan Mu gave his nephew a helpless look and explained, "That kid is strong. Forcing him to join would go against the idea behind the invitation. Better to keep things between us as strangers."
Even so, Gan Mu was clearly wary of whether Xiao Li had a faction backing him. A high-level Dou Zhe so young, and he'd never heard of him before?
Looking at the Storage Ring on Xiao Li's hand, Gan Mu licked his dry lips, then forced himself to suppress the thought.
Only Mu She, the group leader, had a Storage Ring. Whatever else, even if they could snatch the kid's Storage Ring, it would be worth it.
Unfortunately, with more than a dozen unaffiliated mercenaries around, Gan Mu wasn't confident he could leave not a single one alive. There were also people from the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion nearby. Too many eyes were watching; it wasn't a good time to act.
In the group, Xiao Yi Xian was well protected by the mercenaries. Her big eyes rolled as she looked toward Xiao Li.
This man is so strong. How come I've never heard of him before?
Xiao Yi Xian pressed her lips together. "If I were this strong, Master Yao wouldn't have been able to control and use me. Tonight, I must go out again to find some medicinal herbs and poisons, and make something to protect myself."