Chapter 14 - Departure
A group awaited their arrival in a small area behind the hill.
Lin Mo noticed that, except for a cloaked figure, everyone there wore armor and carried weapons strapped to their bodies. The cloaked figure was evenly round; maybe he has weapons underneath the cloak, thought Lin Mo.
Upon spotting their group, the cloaked figure hurried toward them. "Ah, you've arrived, elder."
"I've brought them, Mayor," spoke the elder, offering a respectful cupped fist gesture with a nod.
The cloaked figure removed his hood, revealing a chubby face beneath. This round man was none other than the current mayor of Sword City.
Returning the nod, the mayor addressed the group, saying, "I'll rely on you all for this journey."
"Old Yan, are these the people who will be tagging along?" asked a tall, sturdy man, a giant sword strapped to his back as he stepped forward.
"They don't seem very reliable," another voice chimed in.
"Indeed, they appear young and inexperienced," added another.
Introducing the group, the mayor said, "This is Captain Du, the leader of our expedition. He will be responsible for the task at hand."
"Remember, the forest is a dangerous place. Even if you're disciples from a sect, inside the forest, you must follow my lead," declared the sturdy Captain Du authoritatively.
Lin Mo knew from their attire and mannerisms that this group of five were mercenaries.
In the city, one of the ways to earn a living was by doing odd jobs as a mercenary.
Unable to join sects due to their low aptitude and age, they became mercenaries and embarked on adventures. These mercenaries made up for their lack of resources with the vast experience gained through their adventures.
With little interaction or formal introduction among them, the group of twelve set out for the mainland on foot.
Friction between mercenaries and sect disciples was a common occurrence. Mercenaries operated independently, without affiliations to any sects or clans, growing and learning through their adventures.
On the contrary, Disciples thrived under their respective sects, often considering themselves superior to those without affiliation.
Lin Mo noticed that despite the mayor's roundness, he kept pace effortlessly, reminding him of the forest tyrant's agility.
Night descended, shrouding the forest in darkness and marking their first evening there. The air grew cooler as they settled down, casting off the fatigue of the day.
The nights here swarmed with danger as beasts roamed more freely under the cloak of darkness. Yet, their first night passed without immediate threats.
Wild beasts occasionally emerged, but the mercenary squad quickly dispatched most of them. Lin Mo admired their seamless teamwork.
Earlier, during the day, he had watched them fight a mid-stage spiritual-ranked beast—a large bull native to the forest's first layer.
Surrounding the bull in formation, they struck at its blind spots in turn. When the bull charged at one, the others attacked from behind. This was their strategy.
Eventually, the spiritual bull fled, badly wounded. Had it been an ordinary spiritual beast, the mercenaries would have slain it. However, that bull had one of the toughest hides in this forest layer. They had to let it escape. Besides, their mission was to escort, not hunt.
The mercenaries lit a bonfire and began preparing meals from the wild birds they had hunted earlier. Lin Mo and the group joined them around the crackling flames.
"I heard from the elder that this is your first visit to the mainland?" the mayor asked, scooting closer to Lin Mo's group.
They nodded in response to the mayor's question.
"Have you all slain a spiritual beast?" the mayor asked, his curiosity piqued.
Everyone in the group nodded except for Lin Mo.
"Have you never fought one before?" the mayor asked, turning to Lin Mo.
Shaking his head, Lin Mo replied, "I've never fought a spiritual-ranked beast alone. Every time, my apprentice brother did the killing."
"Oh, this apprentice brother of yours must be quite decisive," remarked the mayor.
Lin Mo had always ventured into the forest with Wu Di. His previous encounter had been against a king-ranked beast, not a spiritual one.
With his current strength, he felt confident he could deliver a devastating blow to a spiritual-ranked beast.
"Forget about us," interjected the senior brother. "Mayor, you seem quite agile. Are you also a cultivator?"
"Not quite," replied the mayor. "I never had the chance to join any sect. I happened to take an elixir that unlocked my Qi later in life."
The mercenaries listened to the mayor with a hint of envy.
It was common for the wealthy to buy spiritual elixirs for their descendants, even if they had low aptitude, as long as there was hope they could benefit from it.
As mayor, he had the wealth and power to acquire such elixirs and consume one himself.
"Your pockets must've taken a hit for that elixir," remarked Senior Brow.
"They surely did," replied the mayor, laughing.
The night passed without incident.
On the second day in the forest, Lin Mo and the group took numerous detours, guided by the mercenaries' knowledge of the terrain's danger zones. It became evident that the mercenaries were well-versed in avoiding certain areas. They had familiarized themselves with the forest, developing routes to navigate through it safely.
In the forest, they had formed a circle, their attention focused on the center.
"Do not let it escape," shouted a mercenary, advancing steadily with his weapon raised.
Lin Mo and the group had joined the circle, surrounding a large wild boar alongside the mercenaries. This time, the disciples also participated in the hunt. The wild boar would be their meal for the day.
"Don't mangle its flesh. Finish it with one clean shot," commanded the sturdy Captain Du.
They had encircled the large boar, blocking off any escape routes. Lin Mo positioned himself on one side, ready to intercept any attempt by the boar to break free.
Lin Mo wasn't suited for a clean shot. If Wu Di were here, he would have been perfect for it. However, with his heavy sword, Lin Mo would only end up splattering its guts on the ground.
As it sensed Lin Mo's momentary hesitation, the wild boar charged toward him.
"It had to pick me," Lin Mo cursed under his breath. "Senior Brow, be prepared."
Confused, the chubby senior didn't grasp Lin Mo's words.
With no weapon in hand, Lin Mo raised his right palm.
*SLAP!*
A sharp sound echoed through the forest as his palm connected with the boar's body.
The force of the blow sent the boar tumbling several meters to the left, where it came to a stop near Senior Brow.
The slap had left a large palm print on its side.
The boar swiftly regained its footing and charged toward the nearest person.
Reacting quickly, Senior Brow dodged to the side and tapped the boar where Lin Mo had struck it earlier. After a brief struggle, the boar stumbled and collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
"That was incredible, Senior Brother," praised a disciple.
Curious, the other disciples gathered around the large boar and noticed two small holes near its chest. They were puzzled, as they had only seen the senior brother stab the boar with his two fingers, yet the boar had holes.
The mercenaries were equally bewildered, wondering how a mere finger could pierce through the boar's hard flesh.
"Senior Brother, how did you do that?" asked one of the disciples.
With a teasing laugh and a proud demeanor, Senior Brow replied, "Oh, that's a secret."
Senior Brow's secret arts were known to only a select few in the sect, and Lin Mo was among those few who had witnessed them before.
This senior possessed a mastery of hidden weapons, concealing them all over his body, even between his fingers, which he used to create the holes in the boar. Lin Mo had been just as shocked as the disciples were now the first time he had seen this senior use a hidden weapon.
As they finished dealing with the boar, a rustle came from nearby, getting closer to the group.
"Who's there?!" yelled Captain Du.
The others raised their guard, gripping their weapons tightly. The dense bushes parted, and a shabby-looking man, appearing around thirty, stepped out, raising his arms.
"Who are you?" asked one of the mercenaries, pointing his sword straight at the man.
"That's not a very polite way to question a lost traveler," replied the man.