CHAPTER 120: CHAPTER 29 MERCENARY KING

Not a ripple stirred; the entire lake was somber, like a pool of dead water.

The Fire Dragon Sail was moored silently on the lake.

Yue Jinghua stepped over the ship’s gunwale, her toes had barely touched the ground when the "Lianyun" was already gripped in her hand.

"Are you Yue Jinghua?" came a voice in a condescending tone, but the one waiting for Yue Jinghua was not Ni Qianjun.

The Fire Dragon Sail was still the Fire Dragon Sail of before, yet it was no longer the same Fire Dragon Sail.

The mercenaries on board were still the same group of mercenaries, but their expressions were tense, every one of them wearing a look of reverence, and among them, there was no sign of Ni Qianjun, nor of Feng Buhui.

Old Teluo was standing to the side; upon seeing Yue Jinghua, Old Teluo’s lips quivered slightly as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.

The one who asked was a man in his thirties, adorned with Golden Crown Qilin Fire Armor, a Reverse Fire Ring symbolizing status in his hand; standing among the mercenaries, he emanated an aura as if he could block a thousand troops singlehandedly.

"I am indeed Yue Jinghua. Captain Ni Huo, may I make bold to ask if this is how the Rebellion Mercenary Group receives its guests," not a question, but a certainty; facing the renowned leader of the Rebellion Mercenary Group, Yue Jinghua did not show any sign of surprise, and the Lianyun Great Sword in her hand did not retract in fear, her crimson sword pattern cast a reflection onto Yue Jinghua’s face.

Her face, a blend of enchanting beauty and eerie otherness, along with her disrespectful tone, elicited a hint of displeasure in the eyes of the experienced Captain Ni Huo.

She was the woman Ah Feng set his sights on. A woman with an equally tarnished family background and reputation. Even her appearance was barely satisfactory.

Most importantly, Yue Jinghua was a woman with an engagement.

Ni Huo scrutinized Yue Jinghua with a critical eye.

Seven days ago, on the last day Ni Qianjun awaited Yue Jinghua, he received the news from Old Teluo, and Ni Huo, far to the north, rushed to the Dan Demon Tomb with all haste.

The alliance with the Blue Crystal Mercenary Group had shattered, dozens of mercenaries were injured or killed, the Devil Crystal was not found, Lihua Xue was dead, Feng Buhui was injured and disabled, and the only good news was that Qian Jun had broken through to the Heavenly Dark Realm.

The flood of bad news made the normally composed Ni Huo furious beyond measure.

Ni Huo was almost forty years old, and the Rebellion Mercenary Group was built by his own hands. In recent years, the Mercenary Group’s progress had been smooth sailing; such a major loss this time far exceeded Ni Huo’s expectations.

Upon seeing his brother looking worn and filled with guilt, Ni Huo’s face turned steely. Particularly, when he asked for a clear account of the whole affair and the whereabouts of the rumored murderer of Lihua Xue, Ni Qianjun, who had never defied him, stubbornly refused to speak, Ni Huo lost his temper on the spot. He directed all blame towards Yue Jinghua, that unfamiliar woman.

He demanded that Ni Huo return to the Mercenary Guild immediately to explain the whole affair, and as for Yue Jinghua, who had confused his brother beyond recognition, he had already made up his mind to confront her.

At first, Ni Qianjun refused to agree, but when Ni Huo threatened that if he did not start his journey immediately, he would hold Yue Jinghua accountable, Ni Qianjun had no choice but to compromise. Before leaving, he handed the Flash Mink Leopard to Old Teluo; he didn’t expect that the next moment, Ni Huo would press for the whereabouts of the Flash Mink Leopard and Yue Jinghua.

Having received no news, the Fire Dragon Sail stayed in place, waiting for Yue Jinghua’s arrival.

Just when Ni Huo was growing impatient, Yue Jinghua finally appeared.

Upon seeing the battered condition of the Flash Mink Leopard, Yue Jinghua’s eyes grew cold.

In the air, there was a scent of gunpowder.

"I do not enjoy making things difficult for women. This time, the casualties and the death of Lihua Xue within the ranks of the Rebellion Blue Crystal Mercenary Group will surely be investigated by the Mercenary Guild. I merely ask you to hand over the Devil Crystal," despite Yue Jinghua’s astonishing speed and movement technique, there was little Dark Energy fluctuating around her. This reaffirmed the truthfulness of the information Ni Huo had collected, that this ugly counterfeit Pill Master was a useless being without any Dark Energy.

A waste, how could she be a match for Ah Feng, even if she was shrouded in many suspicions, whether it was the loyal Dark Beast or her mysterious movement technique.

But as an elder brother, especially someone like Ni Huo who had raised his younger brother alone and had long been cultivating Ni Qianjun like a son, in the depths of his heart, he firmly believed that since Ni Qianjun had broken through to the Heavenly Dark, he would inherit the Rebellion Mercenary Group in the future. Consequently, the woman who could stand shoulder to shoulder with Ah Feng could never be Yue Jinghua.