Chapter 9: Scheming Parties

Chapter 9: Scheming Parties

"M Mu She?!" Xiao Yi Xian's face paled slightly as she instinctively demanded, "How… how did you find this place?"

Her question was soon answered as her eyes fell on Liffey, standing beside Gan Mu, the second captain of the Wolfhead Mercenary Group.

Her assistant.

"Liffey! It was you?!" Xiao Yi Xian's beautiful face twisted in anger, her almond shaped eyes glaring fiercely.

"Xiao Yi Xian, I… I was only trying to save you…" Liffey whimpered, looking pitiful.

"Save me?! Nonsense!" Xiao Yi Xian snapped furiously. "If you were trying to save me, why did you go to those damned Wolfhead mercenaries?!"

In Qingshan Town, everyone knew about the Wolfhead Mercenary Group's greed and ambition. They wanted a share of anything valuable, no matter the cost. And to make things worse, their wretched young captain, Mu Li, had been coveting her for a long time.

Seeking their help was no different from throwing meat to a pack of wolves! If Liffey truly wanted to save her, she could have turned to any of the mercenaries Xiao Yi Xian had treated in the past. Even announcing it to the whole town would have been better than going to the Wolfhead Mercenary Group!

Tears welled up in Liffey's eyes as she shrank under Xiao Yi Xian's wrath, too afraid to speak further.

"Hahaha, calm down, Xiao Yi Xian, and this gentleman as well…" Mu She clapped his hands, laughing heartily to redirect everyone's attention.

"The Wolfhead Mercenary Group isn't unreasonable. As long as you hand over everything you found in the cave, I promise we'll let you go unharmed. No trouble at all!"

Mu She patted his chest as if to assure them of his sincerity, his long spear resting casually on his shoulder.

Xiao Yi Xian remained silent, her almond eyes narrowing in suspicion as her hand tightened around a small pouch of medicinal powder. As for Lu Bu, he stood with his hands behind his back, calmly watching Mu She's performance.

Mu She's smile gradually faded as he noticed their lack of reaction. His expression darkened. "Listen, I'm a reasonable man. I don't like violence. It's not my style to resort to fighting when we can settle this peacefully."

"Let me introduce everyone here," Mu She continued when neither Xiao Yi Xian nor Lu Bu budged.

"Boss, why don't we just take them down directly?" Gan Mu whispered from beside him.

"Shut up, you idiot!" Mu She hissed back. "That kid is a Dou Practitioner. Someone that young with that level of power must have a backing we can't afford to provoke!"

His expression softened once more as he raised his voice. "I'm Mu She, leader of the Wolfhead Mercenary Group, a Two Star Dou Practitioner. I once single handedly killed a second tier magical beast. This here is my trusted brother, Gan Mu, a Nine Star Dou Fighter who's about to step into the Dou Practitioner rank…"

Before Mu She could finish, Xiao Yi Xian's determination to fight to the death crumbled. Her face turned pale, beads of cold sweat forming on her forehead.

Her own strength was only that of a One Star Dou Fighter she wasn't even close to being a match for Mu She.

Lu Bu tilted his head in confusion. This guy thinks I'm a Dou Practitioner? Where did he get that idea? I didn't even know I was one myself.

Mu She spread his arms, gesturing to the twenty elite mercenaries holding torches behind him. "These men are the best fighters in my Wolfhead Mercenary Group. Every one of them has the strength of at least a Five Star Dou Fighter."

"Damn it…" Xiao Yi Xian's lips trembled. Behind her was a sheer cliff. In front of her stood a Dou Practitioner, a Nine Star Dou Fighter, and twenty elite fighters.

This was the definition of a hopeless situation.

"This is my final offer, Xiao Yi Xian, and you too, sir. Hand over everything you found in the cave, and I guarantee your safety. I, Mu She, am not someone who enjoys unnecessary conflict."

Hearing this, Xiao Yi Xian hesitated. They couldn't win. They couldn't escape. Giving up the treasures and hoping for mercy seemed like the only way out.

Seeing her hesitation, Mu She smirked inwardly. She was wavering. That meant there was hope for negotiation.

"Mu She, I…" Xiao Yi Xian began, but Lu Bu grabbed her arm before she could finish.

"What are you doing?" Xiao Yi Xian frowned, turning to him.

"Do you really think giving them the treasures will ensure our safety?" Lu Bu said flatly, irritation evident in his tone.

Mercenary groups like this thrived on blood and greed. Letting them walk away unscathed was never an option. All of Mu She's promises were nothing but empty words to test their resolve.

If they handed over the treasures, it would only prove their weakness and invite further exploitation.

"Then what do we do?" Xiao Yi Xian bit her lip. She was unwilling to surrender, but she couldn't see a way out of their predicament.

On the other side, seeing Lu Bu stop Xiao Yi Xian, Mu She's face darkened. He realized negotiations had failed.

"Prepare to fight!" Mu She ordered coldly.

Hearing this, Liffey's eyes lit up with excitement. A fight was finally breaking out!

"Young man, do you really think your Dou Practitioner strength is enough to defeat all of us?" Mu She sneered, gripping his long spear.

"Dou Practitioner?" Lu Bu chuckled. "And where exactly did you get the idea that I'm a Dou Practitioner?"

"Stop bluffing!" Mu She growled. "Kill him!"

At Mu She's command, Gan Mu took a step forward. A faint green Dou Qi surged from his body as his fist turned a withered wood like color, charging straight for Lu Bu.

Behind him, the twenty mercenaries unleashed their colorful Dou Qi auras. Five charged head on, ten flanked from both sides, and five remained as a reserve force, ready to adapt to the battle.

Meanwhile, Mu She leapt onto a nearby tree branch, his light blue Dou Qi shimmering around his legs. He took the role of overseeing the battlefield and issuing commands.

From their coordinated tactics, it was clear the Wolfhead Mercenary Group wasn't without skill.

But… it was useless.

Lu Bu stomped lightly on the ground. A humming sound echoed as silver arrays of light spread outward from him, covering the entire battlefield in an instant.

"Not good!" Mu She's pupils shrank as he realized the danger. Though he didn't understand what was happening, he knew it was trouble.

"Retreat! Get out of the light circle!" he shouted, Dou Qi erupting from his feet as he tried to leap away.

But escape was never that simple.

Before Mu She could react, a crushing force descended on him. He fell to his knees with a thud, his body hunched over, his back bent, and his head pressed downward.

The same happened to the rest of the mercenaries. Those with weaker strength were forced to the ground, lying flat and unable to move.

"Dou Practitioner? This guy's a Dou Practitioner?!" Mu She's face filled with terror as Liffey's earlier words echoed in his mind:

"Xiao Yi Xian found a cave… supposedly with a powerful master's inheritance… she was taken by a boy, about fifteen or sixteen…"

"I don't know his exact strength… but when he captured Xiao Yi Xian, he had the same Dou Qi barrier as you, Mu She…"

"Damn it! That woman tricked me!" Mu She cursed inwardly. That's no Dou Qi barrier! He defeated us in an instant with such ease this power is at least Dou Spirit level!

Cold sweat poured down Mu She's face as he trembled in fear, praying the young man before him would show mercy.

Meanwhile, Liffey was frozen in shock. She had hoped for a fight that would leave both sides badly injured, but instead, Mu She and his mercenaries were completely annihilated in a single move.

"Xiao Yi Xian, what should we do about your assistant?" Lu Bu asked, gesturing to the groveling Liffey.

It was obvious she had ulterior motives. As the saying went, those who seek death shall find it.

Xiao Yi Xian glanced at Liffey. By now, even she could see the betrayal written all over her assistant's face.

(End of Chapter)

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