It was only early February, and the afternoon sunlight was mildly cool, gently warming everything it touched. The late winter and early spring, with flowers yet to bloom, were brimming with the strong vitality of life; dappled sunlight filtered softly through the leaves, scattering generously, adorning the land saturated with the essence of nature.
In the forest, although the distant bustling sounds of Beijing's streets could still faintly be heard, this woodland and its scenery could always bring a sense of peace from the depths of one's heart.
“Whoosh!”
A short arrow shot through the air! The faint cold gleam on its metal tip flashed briefly before suddenly plunging into a nearby bush. A sharp “squeak” sounded as a small figure, clad entirely in green, darted away like lightning.
“Really, it got away again…” The slightly irritated voice came from behind another large tree. Lowering the short bow in hand, a figure sidestepped out from beside the tree.
It was Mu Gong Xiaoyu, the domineering young lady of the Mu Gong family. Dressed in a snug, light brown, highly flexible sports outfit, Xiaoyu's growing youthful charm wasn't hidden; rather, her lithe figure was subtly accentuated by the tight outfit. Her long black hair was tied back in a long ponytail falling down her back, and a faint sheen of fragrant sweat on her forehead added a touch of wildness.
After a moment, Qing Yan straightened up from a nearby bush, his eyes meeting Xiaoyu's gaze only to look away instantly like lightning, his cheeks turning slightly red.
A subtle, scheming smile appeared at the corner of Mu Gong Xiaoyu's mouth. Without lingering further, she moved lightly and swiftly into the deeper part of the forest.
Watching Xiaoyu's retreating figure, Qing Yan bitterly pursed his lips, slightly irritated, thinking, “Damn it! I should have guessed earlier! Otherwise, why would she have been flattering me last night, splurging at the Qing Feng Pavilion? So it was just today's hush money! Sigh, guess I have to accept it. Serves me right for being greedy… And today's outfit… really is…”
Patting his head hard, Qing Yan felt deeply ashamed of his lewd thoughts, yet couldn't completely purge them from his mind.After a long while, still with a bitter taste at the corners of his mouth, he chased after Mugong Xiaoyu, who had already walked far away, and shouted loudly:
"Xiaoyu, don't go so far. If the head of the Mugong family finds out you went to the back mountain of the family on your own, I'll definitely be scolded badly. Besides, there are countless spiritual beasts on the back mountain, and it's directly adjacent to the Shou Ri Forest. The deeper you go, the more dangerous it becomes. You'd better know your limits, my little lady… Hey, are you even listening…"
"Xiao Yanzi, quickly help me find where that emerald-striped marten from just now went. It's so cute! I absolutely have to catch it and raise it…"
"Please, can you pay a little attention to what others are saying! And when have you ever actually raised an animal? All those in the yard right now, the ones you tirelessly feed and take care of, aren't they all me…"
……
The hustle and bustle of Jingdong City never stops. Crowds and clusters of people are the sight of the entire day on the streets of Jingdong. The various noises constantly fill everyone's ears, giving an intense, heartfelt sense of liveliness.
The markets of Jingdong have all kinds of shops, with a wide variety of goods displayed on shelves for customers to choose from. Among the vendors, many simply set up stall on the spot. The continuous cries of selling form an indispensable element of the commercial streets.
Of course, the operation of a prosperous city is not supported by commerce alone. For instance, this place, standing in the center of Jingdong City, is rarely visited by people, yet can still be considered one of the city's pulses—the Mercenary Guild.
As the name suggests, the Mercenary Guild is the hiring market. Mercenaries are mainly desperate men who walk the line between life and death and some impoverished people who have certain abilities. The tasks they undertake range from hunting beast crystals to forming teams for treasure hunts, and their presence can be seen in almost every aspect of life. These people living at the bottom rung of the social pyramid are numerous, and in the Mercenary Guild, as long as you can pay the price, someone will always be willing to sell their life for you.
The rule is unchanging: the wealthy exchange money for life, and mercenaries exchange life for money. The rich spare no expense; for them, mercenaries are the most practical form of labor.For some people living at the bottom of the pyramid, being a mercenary is a good way to earn a living. Although in many cases, the danger is extremely high, and a single mistake could cost their lives. However, the monetary income, which is almost higher than all other jobs, is the reason why the number of mercenaries in this dangerous profession does not decrease but instead increases year by year.\
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The activities of mercenaries are a unique trend throughout human settlements and have become one of the most important aspects of human life activities. Therefore, the Mercenary Guild is considered one of the vital pulses of every city, and saying so is absolutely not an exaggeration.\
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The plaque with the four big characters "Mercenary Guild" hangs upright on the lintel. The hard red paint at the corners of the characters has already faded to some extent. The stone lions in front of the door appear somewhat listless under the slanting afternoon sunlight. Even though the high walls are freshly painted in pure white, it hardly conceals the worn and dusty feeling.\
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Perhaps this is the life color of mercenaries. No matter how much it is polished or painted over, it cannot cover the essence of a mercenary's life—struggling to survive while carrying the burden on their heads.\
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The inner hall of the Mercenary Guild is fairly spacious. Everywhere you look, there are some strong and sturdy mercenaries, with sword scars and knife slashes, wearing thick ash-gray mercenary uniforms, which are their basic attire. Their conversations completely lack the scheming and intrigue of officialdom; most of what they say is loud and blunt. Their generosity and determination make people feel sincerely close to them.\
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At this moment, a few mercenary men on one side were speaking loudly about something.\
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"Have you heard? Near the border of Sunsun Forest, a third-tier fierce leopard has recently appeared and injured quite a few people."\
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"Hey, Old Five, how many days has it been since you last reported? Look, at the mission board, the bounty for hunting this beast has been going on for several days."\
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"That's right. Three days ago, Old Chong and his group ran into this beast. Six or seven people went, and only Old Chong barely came back alive. He's still lying at home now."\
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"Poor guy. I hope he recovers soon. He has a family of four depending on him."\
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"If someone can kill that beast, it would be good; otherwise, more accidents will happen, and even we wouldn't dare to take on missions in Sunsun Forest anymore.""Sigh, it sounds easy to say, but the task list has such a high bounty, and it's been up for several days. Isn't it just because no one has the strength for it? Those who are strong aren't interested, so you can only rely on luck and be a little careful."
"True, Fifth Brother, you..."
Before he could finish speaking, a sudden voice interrupted the man.
"Miss, please register me, I'll take this task."
The voice came from the counter. Looking up, there was a tall person wearing a mercenary cloak. The large hood of the cloak cast a shadow over the entire face, and the body was hidden under the wide cloak, making it impossible to tell male from female. Moreover, the voice was clearly lowered in the throat, making even the age indiscernible.
But none of this mattered, because in the Mercenary Guild, all kinds of people existed; such things were long considered normal. What was important was that the task this person was taking was for hunting a Rank Three Fierce Leopard.
The registration didn't take long. After receiving a task badge, the mysterious person simply walked out the door. Watching the retreating figure, the few men were somewhat stunned before whispering to each other.
Facing the afternoon sunlight, the mysterious person smiled lightly and said in a low voice:
"Hehe, a Rank Three Fierce Leopard, huh? Interesting."
