16: Trouble is here.

In a secluded region outside the city, Han Sho stood with a smug expression as he surveyed the assembled mercenary groups. His attendant stood by, holding a stack of papers.

Han Sho asked, "Are these all the people you could find?"

The attendant nodded. "Yes, Young Master Han Sho. These are the best mercenaries available in the area."

Han Sho stepped forward, addressing the armed groups. "I am offering a bounty of 200,000 ning for killing Rai Kan and Hi Ho, and bringing back their Raging Horn Bull."

The mercenaries exchanged excited murmurs. The attendant handed out written descriptions of Rai Kan and Hi Ho's appearances to the leaders of each group.

One mercenary leader, a burly man with a scar across his face, asked, "Are there any special instructions, Young Master?"

Han Sho sneered. "Just make sure they suffer before they die. And bring the bull back unharmed."

The mercenaries grinned, eager for the hunt. As they dispersed into the surrounding area, Han Sho laughed arrogantly. "This is the price of challenging me! No one disrespects Han Sho and gets away with it."

He turned to his attendant. "Prepare the carriage. We're heading to the middle city. I want to be far ahead of those two before they even realize what's coming."

The attendant bowed. "As you wish, Young Master."

As they climbed into the ornate carriage, Han Sho couldn't help but gloat. "Rai Kan and Hi Ho will soon learn the consequences of crossing someone of my stature. By the time they reach the middle city, it will be too late for them."

The carriage started moving, heading towards the middle city. Han Sho's mind was filled with thoughts of his victory. "They'll never see it coming. And once they're dealt with, that bull will be mine."

The carriage picked up speed, leaving the secluded region behind, while the mercenary groups spread out, eager to claim the bounty on Rai Kan and Hi Ho.

As Rai Kan and Hi Ho made their journey to the middle city, they encountered several ambushes. Each one was dealt with in their own brutal and efficient manner.

The first attack came early in the morning. Fifteen mercenaries surrounded them, weapons drawn.

Hi Ho shouted, "Stay behind me, Rai Kan! I'll handle this!"

Rai Kan nodded, but his eyes gleamed with a feral light. "No, Hi Ho. Let me have some fun."

In a blur of motion, Rai Kan lunged at the nearest mercenary, claws slashing through flesh and bone. The man's screams echoed through the forest.

Hi Ho, using his martial arts, redirected a mercenary's attack, breaking the man's arm and sending him crashing into a tree. "You picked the wrong fight!"

Bi Ji, sensing the danger, charged forward, trampling several mercenaries under her massive hooves.

By the time the dust settled, the mercenaries lay in bloody heaps around them. Rai Kan stood in the center, breathing heavily, covered in blood. "They were weak."

Hi Ho wiped sweat from his brow. "That was too easy. Something's not right."

They continued their journey, but the attacks kept coming. At each location, more mercenaries tried their luck, only to meet gruesome ends.

At the third attack, Hi Ho cracked a mercenary's skull with a well-placed punch. "Why are they so persistent?"

Rai Kan ripped another mercenary's throat out with his teeth. "It's Han Sho. It has to be."

Hi Ho nodded, tossing a body aside. "You're right. He's the only one with enough power and hatred to send this many men after us."

At the tenth attack, Bi Ji barreled through a line of mercenaries, her horns goring through armor and flesh. Rai Kan watched her, a rare smile on his face. "She's a good companion."

Hi Ho, breaking another mercenary's neck, glanced at Rai Kan. "We'll need to be careful. Han Sho won't stop until we're dead."

Rai Kan's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint in them. "Let him try. I'll tear apart anyone he sends."

After the fifteenth attack, both men took a moment to rest. The bodies of their attackers lay strewn around them.

Hi Ho sighed, wiping blood from his hands. "This is getting ridiculous. We need a plan."

Rai Kan nodded, his calm demeanor returning. "Agreed. We need to find Han Sho and end this."

Hi Ho looked at the horizon, the middle city looming in the distance. "Let's finish this journey quickly. The sooner we confront him, the better."

Rai Kan nodded. "We'll make him pay for underestimating us."

As they set off again, a sense of determination settled over them. They were no longer just traveling to the middle city; they were hunting their enemy.

In a secluded hideout, the remaining five mercenary groups gathered, their leaders standing around a large table strewn with maps and plans.

Leader of the Iron Fist Mercenaries, a burly man named Garok, spoke first. "We've lost too many men to those two. If we continue separately, we'll all be wiped out."

Leader of the Shadow Blades, a wiry figure named Lian, nodded. "I agree. We need to combine our forces. Together, we can overpower them."

A rough-looking mercenary from the Blood Wolves, named Tharn, grunted. "What about the reward? Han Sho promised 200,000 ning. We can't just split it evenly."

A tall, scarred man from the Stone Crushers, named Malak, suggested, "After we complete the mission, we'll hold a tournament. The last one standing gets the reward."

A murmur of agreement swept through the room. The leader of the last group, a silent but deadly woman from the Black Arrows named Sira, finally spoke. "Agreed. We take them down together, then fight amongst ourselves for the prize."

Garok slammed his fist on the table. "It's settled then. We track them together. We bring down Rai Kan and Hi Ho, and then we settle this with a tournament."

Lian looked around at the assembled mercenaries, calculating their chances. "We need a plan. They're strong, but not invincible. We just need to find their weakness."

Tharn growled, "Their bull is a problem too. We need to deal with it first."

Malak nodded. "Agreed. We'll need a distraction, something to draw them out while we flank them."

Sira, her eyes cold and calculating, suggested, "We could use the terrain to our advantage. Ambush them in a narrow pass where they can't maneuver."

Garok grinned, his teeth bared in a feral smile. "Perfect. We'll lure them into the pass, take out the bull first, and then overwhelm Rai Kan and Hi Ho."

Lian added, "We need to be prepared for their fighting styles. Rai Kan is a berserker, and Hi Ho is a martial artist. We need to counter both."

The leaders nodded, each already considering their strategies for the upcoming fight. They dispersed to relay the plan to their groups, readying themselves for the final confrontation.

Garok, sharpening his axe, thought to himself, "This time, they won't escape. We'll crush them, and then I'll crush these fools in the tournament."

Lian, checking her daggers, smirked, "This will be interesting. Rai Kan, Hi Ho, and then these mercenaries… all will fall."

Tharn, flexing his muscles, growled, "Blood will flow, and I'll be the last one standing."

Malak, with his hammer resting on his shoulder, thought, "Strength will win the day. I'll show them all."

Sira, with her bow in hand, silently vowed, "I'll take them down one by one. None will stand against me."

As dawn approached, the combined forces of the mercenaries moved out, their eyes set on their target. The hunt was on, and they were determined to claim their reward and then each other's blood in the tournament.

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contents of Rai kan box:-

1 Dismantling tools(bought in the outer city of crow of claw(off-screen))

2 The book given to him by the gods.

3 Red ginsing(that he bought from auction.)