The Mercenary Caravan

A surprised gasp sounded from the attacker, seemingly astonished that Li Yi could so effortlessly dodge two nearly lethal moves. However, the attacker didn't reveal himself and merely grunted before disappearing as if he had never been there. Li Yi felt a chill in his heart. He was familiar with this technique - it was the skill of a professional assassin, and the person he encountered this time was entirely different from those he had faced when he first arrived in this world.

Anticipating another move, Li Yi spun around like a whirlwind. As expected, a burst of fighting energy appeared in his vision. "I knew you had another trick up your sleeve!" Li Yi chuckled, a familiar feeling stirring in his heart. In the next moment, he stepped forward with his left foot, slightly shifting his body, casually evading the deadly strike...

"Whoosh!" The attack whistled past his ear. Li Yi had only taken half a step, but it was just enough to avoid the lethal move. This was his well-practiced Phantom Killing technique.

"Bone Crushing Palm!" "Mountain Splitting Fist!" "Rock Splitting Claw!" "Lightning Whip Leg!" Li Yi called out each attack, his movements growing faster. The thin veil of fighting energy emanating from his palms kept bursting out, matching his fast, shadow-like movements, and striking the almost untraceable figure of his opponent.

"Puff!" "Hmm!" "Crack!" Various odd sounds rang out simultaneously. When Li Yi finally stepped back, he saw his opponent clearly for the first time. The person wore a colorful robe, and their face, disgustingly caked with makeup, sent several flirtatious glances his way. Clearly, Li Yi's series of attacks hadn't troubled her much.

Li Yi couldn't help but shake his head and wryly smile, "Madam Feng?"

Indeed, it was the Madam Feng he had encountered at the auction house. Li Yi never imagined that a woman capable of establishing a foundation in a place like Naga Town would have such exquisite fighting skills.

The Madam Feng covered her mouth, giggling, then softly said, "Young man, you're quite capable. I thought a wastrel who could afford such a high price would be nothing but a showpiece, but you've blocked my three deadly moves. If word gets out, you'll probably rock the entire Naga Mountain Range... that is, if you can get out alive."

As she spoke, the Madam Feng clapped her hands, and about a dozen people emerged from the shadows. They casually spread out, effectively blocking all of Li Yi's escape routes. Li Yi quickly realized that even the weakest among them was a five-crystal Fighter, and chuckled, "It seems the Madam Feng thinks she has me cornered?"

The Madam Feng casually replied, "Don't you think so? You're merely a three-crystal Fighter at best. Had you been a Warrior, you might have had a chance to escape, but now..."

Li Yi sighed, "What if I hand over that item to you?"

The Madam Feng burst into laughter, "Even if you hand it over, you're not leaving here alive. You made me lose face today. How can I let you go without proper repayment?"

"Is that so?" Li Yi touched his nose, then shouted towards someone in the distance, "Hey, you there, if I give you the Martial Deity Remnant Jade, can you guarantee my safe departure?"

A moment later, a mild laugh answered, followed by a voice, "If you hand it over now, I guarantee you can leave safely..."

As the voice ended, a middle-aged, burly man stepped out from a street corner, glancing casually at the Madam Feng and Li Yi with a faint smile. Recognizing him, the Madam Feng coldly said, "Little Lion, don't think a few dogs can intimidate me... If you know what's good for you, take your men and leave now. Otherwise, I'll turn your 'Iron' into 'Dead' tonight."

Iron Lion sneered back, "Madam Feng, others might fear you, but I certainly don't... We're evenly matched. What right do you have to threaten me?"

The Madam Feng sneered but said nothing more. Instead, Li Yi smiled lightly, "It seems you two have a lot to discuss. How about I provide you with a solution..."

"I don't need this item today!" As he spoke, Li Yi flicked his wrist, and a jade box flew towards the back, while he leaped towards the opposite direction. Iron Lion and the Madam Feng lunged at the jade box almost simultaneously. During their clash, they exchanged several blows, stirring the fighting energy in the air and shaking the street.

"Madam Feng, you're not young anymore! Find a husband and retire!" Iron Lion mocked.

"Back off, Iron Lion! There's nothing I want that I haven't gotten!" Madam Feng retorted.

"Boom!" "Puff!" A palm strike from the Madam Feng hit Iron Lion's chest, making him spit out blood. Just as she was about to seize the jade box, his face twisted with malice: "If I can't have it, neither can anyone else!"

"Iron Lion's Roar!" With a punch, Iron Lion unleashed a lion-shaped burst of fighting energy, smashing it towards the jade box...

"Iron Lion, how dare you!" Madam Feng's angry voice had barely faded when the exquisite jade box started to disintegrate into powder. This scene caused both her and Iron Lion to change their expressions drastically.

"Little bastard!" "Someone chase him! Catch that kid and tear him to pieces!" "Let's go!" Madam Feng and Iron Lion roared, their gazes briefly colliding in a split second, quickly reaching an understanding before they both dashed off in the direction Li Yi had disappeared.

Moments later, a figure emerged from the darkness—it was Li Yi. Watching the group disappearing into the distance, he chuckled lightly, "What an interesting place. I initially thought that Warriors were nothing special, but the strength of these two was beyond my expectations. I planned to kill a few as a warning, but it seems if I make a move now, I'll invite trouble."

The Serpent Venerable laughed lightly, "Of course, everyone here, even the Fighters, has been honed in a sea of blood and corpses. These mercenaries are not like the pampered guards in Wan Chao City... With your strength, facing a few Fighters is one thing, but against several Warriors, escaping unscathed is just wishful thinking."

Li Yi smiled, "No worries. Although I didn't gain any advantage tonight, at least I drew away the two most troublesome ones. With this change, it will surely lead to many others... I can use this opportunity to find a place to hide. By tomorrow, I should be able to figure out a way to blend into a mercenary group... This disguise is now pointless."

Li Yi casually pulled off his black cloak, revealing a young face underneath. He wore a simple leather armor, looking no different from a lone mercenary.

"What's your plan now?" inquired the Serpent Venerable.

"What else can I do?" Li Yi smiled, "Now I'm just a lone mercenary wandering the streets. I'll find a place to stay and then take care of business bright and early tomorrow."

The next day, as sunlight spilled onto the streets, Li Yi, who had spent the night in a small alley, woke up like most mercenaries. Naga Town was unusually quiet. The major mercenary groups' patrol teams occasionally checked the crowd, especially focusing on individuals in black cloaks.

"Hey, today the Iron Lion and Phoenix mercenary groups have people patrolling. What happened?"

"Don't you know? They teamed up last night to look for the guy who bought the Martial Deity Remnant Jade, but he got away. Now there's a city-wide search for him, with a hundred gold coins for information."

"A hundred gold coins? Pfft! The Remnant Jade is worth at least several hundred thousand gold coins. They think they can fob us off with a hundred?"

Li Yi joined the discussion with a self-deprecating laugh. Thankfully, new mercenaries arrived in Naga Town every day, so his presence didn't arouse suspicion. After chatting for a while, the mercenaries dispersed to find work, as they couldn't afford to go hungry.

Making his way through the crowd and avoiding the patrol teams, Li Yi reached the town's entrance. There, several mercenary groups were recruiting guards for caravans crossing the Naga Mountain Range, seeking medicinal herbs or magical beasts. But it was rare for merchant caravans to appear, as not many had the courage to traverse the mountains for big business.

Li Yi, observing from a corner, didn't find any group to his liking. Either the groups were too weak, or they were unwilling to cross the Naga Range. Just then, a commotion erupted at the town entrance: "Nalan's caravan is crossing the Naga Mountain Range! Needing a hundred mercenaries! Minimum requirement: Fighter level! Pay: Three hundred gold coins per person! Interested parties, hurry up!"

This announcement quieted the crowd. Three hundred gold coins wasn't a small sum, but the high pay suggested a not-so-easy task, possibly escorting something very valuable. After a moment of silence, some hesitantly stepped forward to register. As Li Yi watched, the name "Nalan" piqued his interest... Could it be the Nalan from Yunshui City? With a sneer, he decided to join, striding towards the shouting middle-aged man. "Count me in for crossing the Naga Range," Li Yi said confidently.

The man frowned slightly, but upon noticing the fighting energy subtly emanating from Li Yi's palms, he nodded in agreement, "Alright, young man, you're in."