To Each Their Own

"Hmm~ bandits?" He scanned the ground with his spiritual sense and noticed a group of bandits lying in ambush by the roadside ahead, and chuckled to himself.

Xuanwei Monastery does not have strong control over its territory, as evidenced by the NPC monsters that spawn between the temple and the villages.

Previously, he went to Peach Tree Village to do a mission, encountered bandits, rescued an outer disciple, and subdued the soulless Liu Jiayao.

These NPC bandits fit people's imaginations: each one is fierce-looking and strong.

Bing Shisan, Human, Level 0 Bandit, Strength 9, Agility 8, Constitution 8, Spirit 6, Intelligence 6, Charisma 3, Health 80

Skill Looting: Grants a small amount of additional loot after battle; loot increased by 4%.

Equipment: broadsword, hemp clothing. His spirit and intelligence attributes were pitifully low. Lin Xu frowned, about to cast a spell to eliminate these ignorant bandits.

"Perhaps we can make use of them?" Considering the shortage of manpower, he stopped. "Capture them."

"Yes, Master!" Upon receiving the order Alaites directed the Gloomlamp Mage Corps to cast the spell.

Dark golden magic flowed, transforming into eerie tentacles that traversed time and space, striking the thieves lurking by the roadside.

The dozen or so thieves went limp, as if all their strength had been drained.

Lin Xu glanced at the group of unconscious bandits and frowned slightly. "How do we recruit them?"

Previously, he had captured targets by transforming them Dharma Seed Spirit Kindling, but these bandits had such poor attributes that Dharma Seed was not cost-effective.

As if because he had the idea of recruiting, the bandits' interface opened automatically:

[Lord's authority granted. Captured bandit, human race, recruitable. Spend Source Fire to recruit?]

Lin Xu then opened the panel, which displayed the recruitment price for each person:

[Bandit (Shitou): Attributes----Recruitment Price: 6 Source Fire]

[Bandit (Tieniu): Attributes----Recruitment Price: 6 Source Fire]

"6 points of Source Fire for a bandit—" He hesitated slightly. This price wasn't cheap, but considering the shortage of manpower, Lin Xu still spent Source Fire to recruit him.

The battle at Azure Cloud Mountain yielded over a thousand points of Source Fire, and upgrading the cave dwelling cost a couple hundred. We still have several hundred points left, so we might as well convert them into much-needed manpower.

With a thought, Lin Xu activated his Spirit Eye Technique and immediately saw the protective Source Fire tremble.

The illusory lamps woven from Source Fire poured down on the bandits, the brilliant Source Fire falling and instantly disappearing into the bodies of the NPCs.

"Boom~"

Something seemed to have changed; the sleeping bandits trembled slightly and awoke one after another.

"Lord!" The bandits all knelt down and bowed.

Lin Xu checked the bandits' personal panels and found no changes in the data, but he sensed a kind of "life force" emanating from them, as if the puppets had come to life.

"Get up." Seeing the loyalty rating, he nodded. "Follow the convoy."

This was just a minor incident, and the group continued towards the Daoist temple.

In a residential building on the outskirts of Cloud Ridge City, Azure Prefecture Province.

"That's how it is. It's a territory in dire need of development, full of opportunities." Li Yingqiu looked at her teammates with a broad smile. "How about it? Come work for me? It'll definitely earn you more and be much safer than you're doing now."

The four young people in the room were stunned and couldn't believe their eyes.

"Sister Yingqiu, are you serious?" Dong Haochuan's voice was full of surprise, and his childlike face still showed disbelief.

Losing Bond and wandering aimlessly through the Spirit Realm Mist, only to stumble upon a newly developed Spirit Realm? This is something straight out of a novel!

Li Yingqiu smiled and picked up a bronze lamp, which immediately attracted the attention of the people present.

With a thought, a ball of flame rose up, transforming into a ring of fire in mid-air, and then changing shape. This fantastical scene stunned everyone.

"This is a fire spell I mastered after that lord unlocked my talent." She looked at the bright eyes of the crowd and smiled. "Think about it. There are still some risks involved. It's possible that after you enter the Spirit Realm, you'll find that the location you're in isn't Azure Cloud Mountain. In that case, you'll have to wait a week and try again."

Her words made the others hesitate again.

Leaving a familiar place in the Spirit Realm is almost equivalent to facing death.

"Bang!"

Yang Hui gritted his teeth and slammed his hand on the table. His burly frame suddenly exerted force, startling the people around him. "I'll do it! I live alone, I'm just a nobody, I might as well not come back!"

"Keep your voice down, Qianyue is still resting inside~" Li Yingqiu said irritably.

Yang Hui scratched his head sheepishly, then turned to look at Wang Peng: "Dapeng, what about you?"

"Count me in." Wang Peng nodded, patted his round belly, raised his left hand in a forceful gesture, revealing the taut outline of his muscles beneath his sleeve.

Yang Hui looked at the last person, a slender figure with a conflicted expression, his long, thin fingers fidgeting slightly, just like his restless emotions at that moment.

"I'm fine with it, this is great news!" Dong Haochuan saw his gaze and his tone was filled with barely suppressed excitement. "I've always wanted to be a mage, and I never thought it would actually come true."

"Awei, it's just you left!" Yang Hui patted Duan Wei on the shoulder. "We're five brothers, and we can't lose a single one!"

"Ahui!" Li Yingqiu shook her head, interrupting him, and looked at Duan Wei with a serious expression. "Awei, everyone knows about your family situation. Here's what we'll do: you still have two days, go back and think it over."

"Sister Yingqiu, I..." Duan Wei hesitated, his face turning red.

"No need to say anything, I know." Li Yingqiu patted his shoulder.

Watching Duan Wei's slender back, Yang Hui pursed his lips and grinned broadly at everyone, saying, "Let's make a bet, he'll obediently come back by tomorrow at the latest!"

Wang Peng smiled at his confident gaze but did not reply.

"I heard that Meng Xu and his gang have been trying to win over Awei recently..." Dong Haochuan said hesitantly.

"When?" Yang Hui was slightly taken aback, then flew into a rage. "He dares! No way, I'm going to bring Awei back..."

"Ahui! Awei's family is having difficulties, tell him to think it over..." Li Yingqiu grabbed him, "Everyone has their own ambitions, you can't force them. Besides, I believe in Awei."

Duan Wei walked along the narrow street with a heavy heart, then quietly stopped and scanned his surroundings warily.

"As expected of a seasoned scout, truly alert." A group of people quietly gathered around, and Meng Xu, the leader, clapped and stepped out of the crowd with a confident smile on his face. "Awei, what's your decision? Work for me, 10,000 a month as a base, plus bonuses for any jobs you get."

Duan Wei's heart sank, and his previous heavy concerns instantly vanished. He forced a smile and said, "Brother Xu, thank you for thinking so highly of me. But I've already promised Sister Qiu, so I'm really sorry."