You Can't Speak Nicely Only When You Need a Favor

Everyone instantly grew tense. Then, beneath the moonlight filtering through the trees, they dimly made out a multitude of eyes glowing green.

"They really are Forest Wolves, and there are so many of them!"

Forest Wolves were first-tier magical beasts native to the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Individually, their strength was only equivalent to that of a two- or three-star Dou Zhe at most.

But they always fought in packs, and their different packs maintained contact with one another.

Once they went to war with another species, they would keep calling for reinforcements.

A mercenary squad led by a Nine-Star Dou Zhe had once provoked a Forest Wolf pack's Wolf King.

It had summoned over a hundred Forest Wolves along the way. By the time the squad was discovered, every last member had been wiped out.

The girl named Ling'er looked a little nervous and inadvertently met Xiao Yan's eyes.

"What? Don't tell me you're going to say I drew these Forest Wolves here?"

Xiao Yan could understand being suspicious of a stranger who had joined the group. But if someone kept pinning blame on others at the slightest provocation, that could only mean there was something wrong with their character.

"You..."

Ling'er wanted to argue, but Mu Lan stopped her.

"Brother Xiao Yan, I believe you didn't draw these Forest Wolves here. In fact, you could say we're the ones who brought them."

Mu Lan's words piqued Xiao Yan's interest. He raised his eyebrows slightly and asked casually, "Oh? How so?"

Mu Lan fell silent for a moment before revealing the truth. "Actually, these Forest Wolves targeted our mercenary squad because we captured a Forest Wolf King's cub.

"Our Blood Battle Mercenary Group happened to obtain a Beast Taming Method in the Magical Beast Mountain Range some time ago. Our Second Group Leader finally mastered it after several months.

"This Forest Wolf King cub will become a tier 2 magical beast once it matures, and it will also have the ability to command Forest Wolves.

"If we control it using the Beast Taming Method, our Blood Battle Mercenary Group will undoubtedly grow much stronger in the future.

"We just didn't expect these creatures to catch up with us even after we'd gotten so far away."

Mu Lan sounded helpless. He had told Xiao Yan everything to earn his trust.

"Brother Xiao Yan, we're probably in for a fierce battle. If things take a turn for the worse, I hope you can take Ling'er and escape. We'll stay behind to cover your retreat."

In Mu Lan's eyes, Xiao Yan was an Eight-Star Dou Zhe. If anyone had the best chance of breaking through the encirclement, it could only be him.

"Brother Mu Lan, I'm not leaving! I want to fight alongside you!"

Ling'er vehemently resisted Mu Lan's words.

"Don't be ridiculous! I promised Third Uncle before we set out. If you die here, how am I supposed to answer to him?"

This was the first time Mu Lan had shouted at Ling'er. He knew that, given her temperament, she would never obediently leave unless he said this.

At his harsh words, tears welled at the corners of Ling'er's eyes. Her lips trembled slightly, but she held back from crying.

"Don't worry, everyone. Although you're the reason this happened, I'm human too. I'm not about to sympathize with magical beasts. Besides, things might not be as bad as they seem."

At a time like this, it was Xiao Yan who stepped forward to ease the tension.

Just then, the surrounding Forest Wolves tightened their encirclement.

From the outset, they had intended to surround these humans and wipe them all out.

With a resounding howl, every Forest Wolf launched its attack.

"Damn it! Let's fight them to the death!"

The mercenaries assumed their fighting stances, facing the Forest Wolves swarming toward them.

Ka Gang gathered his Dou Qi and brought his sword down heavily, killing a Forest Wolf. But two more immediately lunged at him, sinking their teeth into his thigh and arm.

An arrow shot from behind him, piercing one of the Forest Wolves' heads. Ka Gang concentrated all his strength on attacking the other and finally managed to slay it.

"Thanks, Qing Xin."

Ka Gang did not turn around. The bites had left him with several wounds, but injuries like these were as routine as daily meals for a mercenary.

Elsewhere, Mo Shi was an earth element Dou Zhe. His earthen-yellow Layered Rock Armor gave him astonishing defense, allowing him to hold his own briefly against five or six Forest Wolves attacking him at once.

However, the Layered Rock Armor greatly reduced his speed, often leaving him able only to counterattack. Once his Dou Qi ran dry, he too would face the Forest Wolves' savage assault.

More and more Forest Wolves closed in. Even though over a dozen wolf corpses already littered the perimeter, they kept surging forward, one wave after another, like moths flying into a flame.

After slaying seven Forest Wolves in succession, Mu Lan was also running low on Dou Qi and stood panting heavily.

As for Ling'er, she had not even reached the strength of a Dou Zhe. She would struggle to deal with a single Forest Wolf alone and could only hide behind Xiao Yan.

"Please, help everyone! I was wrong before. I shouldn't have said those things. As long as you help them, I'll do anything!"

Watching the mercenaries gradually lose ground, Ling'er began to break down. She could only pin her hopes on Xiao Yan and beg him to lend a hand.

"Little girl, remember this: you can't speak nicely to others only when you need a favor.

"Honestly, if it weren't for you, I'd have no problem helping outright, given how the others have treated me.

"But with you around, just a few words can make someone loathe you and decide to stand by with their arms folded.

"If they die here today, you'll bear most of the responsibility. Do you understand?"

Xiao Yan's words left Ling'er frozen in place. She also realized that he was right.

She had only vented her resentment on someone else because she had embarrassed herself at the beginning, and had kept assuming the worst of him ever since.

It was perfectly normal that he had no goodwill toward her.

Yet now she had the gall to beg him for help. It was utterly laughable.

"I understand. I'm sorry. I won't beg you anymore. I'll go help everyone myself!"

With that, she drew her sword, intending to rush forward and fight alongside the others.

But before she had taken two steps, Xiao Yan pulled her back. "With your meager skills, you'd better not make more trouble for everyone. You should count yourself lucky you ran into me. Someone with a worse temper would've dusted off their backside and left long ago."

Xiao Yan bounded forward and reached the very center of the battlefield. "Everyone, seal your ears with Dou Qi."

Xiao Yan's words instantly reached everyone's ears. Although they did not know what was happening, seeing the Dou Qi beginning to surge from his body, they all still

chose to obey.

After confirming that the mercenaries had sealed their ears, Xiao Yan unleashed his Dou Qi in full and executed his Dou Technique.

[Xuan Tier, Advanced Level-Mad Lion's Roar]!

A heaven-shaking lion's roar rang out, instantly sweeping across hundreds of meters. With just one strike, the internal organs of dozens of Forest Wolves were shattered, killing them on the spot!

And Xiao Yan had deliberately restrained his Dou Qi output. Otherwise, never mind Dou Zhe-even Dou Shi would have been shaken to death.

The wolf pack that had plunged the entire mercenary squad into a desperate battle had been annihilated by the youth before them in a single exchange.

Everyone stared at Xiao Yan with wide eyes. What Eight-Star Dou Zhe? He was clearly an eight-star Dou Shi!