A Seasoned Veteran Indeed—He Saw at a Glance That I Was the Boss! The Bloodbattle Captain Took the Lead and Ran!

Night fell like an enormous black curtain, shrouding all of Qingshan Town.

To the south of this frontier town lay a vast area almost entirely occupied by the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, serving as their private stronghold.

Usually, the place was bustling and full of arrogant swagger, but tonight, the air carried a sense of grim tension.

The Wolf Head Mercenary Group's council hall was brightly lit.

Ever since Mu Li had been crippled during the day, his limbs destroyed and his body carried back by his subordinates like a lump of mud, Commander Mu She had flown into a rage and immediately intended to gather every available man to chop that white-haired youth who did not know his place into mince meat.

However, the few mercenaries who had brought Mu Li back tremblingly reported a crucial piece of intelligence:

That white-haired youth was carrying a dark golden halberd engraved with a White Tiger's head!

At this description, the enraged Mu She seemed to have had a basin of cold water dumped over him and immediately calmed down.

A tiger-headed halberd!

Wasn't that the signature weapon of the "humanoid magic beast" that had caused such an uproar in the Magic Beast Mountain Range recently, slaughtering so many mercenaries that they fled at the mere mention of it?!

Rumor had it that the "humanoid magic beast" was extraordinarily bloodthirsty, possessed unfathomable strength, and could even kill a Dou Master-level expert alone.

And the youth who had crippled his son today had managed to seize that peerless divine weapon from such a vicious beast. His true strength was surely no weaker than that magic beast's!

If anger had clouded his judgment and he rashly led the Wolf Head Mercenary Group into a head-on clash, not only would he fail to avenge his son, but he would likely suffer a crushing loss.

But if he did not avenge his crippled son, how would the Wolf Head Mercenary Group continue to hold its head high in Qingshan Town?

Besides, that mysterious halberd was undoubtedly a priceless treasure!

After weighing the pros and cons several times, Mu She suppressed the greed and killing intent in his heart and took the initiative to secretly inform Qingshan Town's other two major mercenary groups—the Bloodbattle Mercenary Group and the Snake Nest Mercenary Group—of the halberd.

Upon receiving the news, the commanders of the other two mercenary groups indeed came to his door as agreed.

Mu She got straight to the point and told them that the target was formidable. He was not confident he could take down the fellow wielding the divine weapon alone, so he intended to set aside their usual grudges and cooperate with everyone.

As long as they killed the man together, the final ownership of the divine weapon would be decided by their own abilities!

The other two commanders were both seasoned veterans and knew perfectly well that Mu She had certainly concealed some dangerous information.

But enormous benefits stirred the heart. If Mu She secretly acquired that divine weapon alone, then the Wolf Head Mercenary Group would likely dominate Qingshan Town from then on and swallow up both of their groups.

For the sake of balancing their interests, as well as for that slim chance to seize the treasure, the two commanders finally nodded in agreement.

Thus, in this tiny Qingshan Town, the three major mercenary groups formed an unprecedented alliance for the first time.

Open and hidden sentries filled the stronghold inside and out, laying down an inescapable net as they waited for that white-haired youth who did not know the immensity of heaven and earth to walk into their trap.

As the moon climbed higher, the night deepened.

Inside the hall, the other two commanders, who had waited for a full two hours, were growing impatient.

"Brother Mu She, don't tell me that kid stood you up? He crippled your son, and now he has a valuable treasure in his hands. He's probably already slipped away under cover of night," the Snake Nest commander said mockingly.

Mu She's expression darkened as he was about to speak.

Suddenly, a mercenary on sentry duty stumbled and crawled into the hall, shouting in terror:

"Report! Commander! He's here! That man... he came straight through the main gate!"

Mu She's gaze shifted slightly. He abruptly rose to his feet, a trace of cruel killing intent flashing through his eyes. "He's got some nerve, actually daring to come here and die! How many people did he bring?"

The reporting mercenary swallowed, his voice trembling. "J-just... just himself."

As soon as those words came out, not only Mu She, but even the commanders of the other two mercenary groups were stunned. They looked at one another in disbelief.

One person?!

He dared to storm the joint stronghold of the three mercenary groups alone, where an inescapable net had been laid and three Dou Master experts were stationed?!

Was this kid insane, or did he simply think his life was too long?

"Utterly arrogant!" Mu She laughed in fury and immediately gave the order. "Seal the gates at once! Tonight, I'll let him learn what it means to have no way to escape!"

With that, Mu She and the others led a mighty force of elite mercenaries out of the hall and hurried toward the front courtyard plaza.

The moment they stepped into the front courtyard, everyone's eyes fixed on the gate.

The once sturdy, heavy wooden gate had been reduced to a field of splintered wood.

And standing silently atop the ruins of the gate was a tall figure.

He wore an incomparably domineering suit of silver tiger-patterned armor, gleaming with flowing light!

The White Tiger heads on his shoulders looked lifelike, while the white cape behind him snapped in the wind.

In his right hand, he held the pitch-black tiger-headed halberd upside down, its dark golden edge gleaming coldly. He looked like an undefeated god of slaughter who had stepped out of an ancient battlefield!

As for the mercenaries who had originally guarded the gate, all of them had been scared out of their wits. They huddled shakily to either side, even their hands holding their blades trembling. Not one dared step forward to stop him.

Mu She and the other two commanders were all well-traveled men. The instant they saw the Heaven-Slaying Battle Armor on An Yi, all three of them stared wide-eyed, their breathing quickening.

Even from dozens of meters away, they could sense the powerful energy fluctuations flowing from that armor!

This was definitely no ordinary item! It was perhaps even more valuable than that halberd!

"No wonder! Could this kid have relied on this heaven-defying armor to snatch that halberd from the humanoid magic beast?!"

At that thought, the flames of greed in Mu She and the others' eyes instantly burned to their peak.

The faint wariness that had arisen in their hearts earlier was completely swept away by the enormous profit before them.

The Snake Nest Mercenary Group's commander greedily licked his lips and lowered his voice. "Brother Mu, there are two treasures now. Once we get them, how shall we divide them?"

"No rush." Mu She stared fixedly at An Yi. "Take down the kid and get the items first. We can discuss the rest slowly afterward."

Facing over a hundred mercenaries glaring greedily at him.

An Yi showed not the slightest panic. With a casual wave of his hand, he drove the Tiger Soul Halberd, over three meters long, heavily into the ground.

Bang!

With a dull boom, the bluestone slabs beneath it instantly cracked like a spiderweb.

An Yi's voice came through the gaps in his helmet. Though not loud, it rang clearly in every person's ears:

"Before we begin, let me kindly remind everyone of something."

"Those who do not wish to die should get lost immediately. I'll pretend you were never here tonight."

An Yi's gaze swept across the men of the Snake Nest and Bloodbattle Mercenary Groups, his voice gradually turning cold:

"But if you can't bear to leave, then from this point onward... whether you attack me directly or hide in the shadows hoping to reap the benefits, I'll treat you all the same. I won't leave a single one alive!"

"Now, I'll give you ten breaths to make your choice!"

"Ha ha ha!"

Hearing such outrageous words, Mu She seemed to have heard the greatest joke in the world and burst into loud laughter.

"Kid! Aren't you being a little too arrogant?! This is Wolf Head Mercenary Group territory! And with the other two commanders here, we have three Dou Master experts! You're alone, yet you think you can turn the world upside down?!"

"Ten... nine..."

An Yi ignored Mu She's shouting completely and simply began counting down on his own.

"Brother Mu, this kid must have water in his brain. Stop wasting words on him and just—" the Snake Nest commander began to echo him.

"Since Your Excellency is so confident..."

A slightly hoarse voice suddenly interrupted them.

Fei Lei, the Bloodbattle Mercenary Group's commander, who had remained silent the entire time, suddenly took a large step backward without warning and clasped his hands in salute. "Then Fei will not keep you company. I'll be taking my leave first."

The moment he said this, Mu She and the Snake Nest commander's expressions changed drastically. They whipped their heads around and stared at him in utter disbelief.

"Fei Lei! Have you gone mad?! What do you mean by this?!" Mu She roared.

Fei Lei's face was pale, and he did not even dare look in An Yi's direction. He could only force himself to explain:

"Since he has already offered us a way out, there is no reason for me, Fei, to lead my brothers to their deaths for nothing. Besides, he only has one suit of armor and one weapon. Isn't that perfect for the two of you to take one each? Even if I stayed, I would not get a share, so I won't meddle any further."

"Farewell!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Fei Lei could not even be bothered to offer another polite word. With a wave of his hand, he ordered, "Bloodbattle members, withdraw immediately!"

With that, he truly led the Bloodbattle Mercenary Group's men away in a frantic rush. Their retreat was three times faster than when they had charged out earlier, as though ghosts were chasing them from behind.