CHAPTER 603: CHAPTER 472: A FEW STORIES OF THE YOUNG GHOST EMPEROR

Considering the two were newcomers and had never been mercenaries before, Ye Lingyue and Lan Cai’er decided to check out the Mercenary Alliance and see if they could join a Mercenary Corps for some company on their journey.

After finding an inn and taking a brief rest, Ye Lingyue and Lan Cai’er inquired about the location of the Mercenary Alliance from the innkeeper. They left the inn with Little Zhiyo and headed towards the Wang Mercenary Alliance.

Along the way, they encountered quite a few mercenaries.

According to the innkeeper, ever since the discovery of Qiankun Purple Gold Bamboo at Purple Bamboo Ridge, the number of guests staying at the inn had greatly increased.

Some were mercenaries, and a large number were dressed like Alchemists or even Sect disciples.

As Ye Lingyue and Lan Cai’er walked down the street, in a private room on the top floor of the largest restaurant in Mercenary City, two gazes fell upon them.

The owners of those gazes were two men.

They were an odd pair sitting together.

One of them, in his twenties, had a face like the spring moon, long eyelashes like feathers, and eyes like the stars.

His attire was meticulous as well – his silky hair combed perfectly, an Imperial Jade Belt around his waist, and a fan in his hand, displaying an elegance akin to that of a Prince.

Such a person attracted attention on the streets of Mercenary City; his presence warranted a hundred percent of onlooker’s interest.

The other man, about the same age as the elegant one, was lacking in both looks and dress by a good margin.

Setting aside everything else, his face was plain, the kind commonly seen everywhere on the streets; worst of all, running from his left ear to his chin was a long, centipede-like scar.

It was this scar that lent a fierce aspect to his otherwise unremarkable appearance.

Yet, it was this man’s eyes that were astonishing.

They were amber in color, and with the man’s emotional changes, the hue would deepen or lighten, resembling two deep pools that one could not fathom at a glance.

"Having followed them all this way, if you’re that worried about the girl, you might as well show yourself. Why must you act so secretive, forcing me to leave behind the matters of Yan City to accompany you as a mercenary?" the elegant man glanced at the street where the two figures had already disappeared and sneered.

"Who exactly is the boss here, you or me?" the plain-faced man across him said, annoyed, as he glared at the elegant man.

"Of course, you are the boss. I’m saying, Wu Zhong, you couldn’t possibly fall for that immature girl, could you? Feng San’s temper is one thing, but when did your taste become so... extreme?" This elegant man was none other than Yan Jiu, the silver-faced City Lord from Yan City No.9.

Nobody would have expected that behind the mask, the true face of Yan Jiu, the third most powerful figure of the Underworld Yama Palace and second only to Ghost Emperor Wu Zhong in fame on the mainland, was that of a graceful noble.

Yan Jiu was also one of the few on the mainland who knew that Feng Xun and Wu Zhong were the same person.

And speaking of which, the first place where Yan Jiu and Wu Zhong met was this very Mercenary City below them.

No one had thought that Ghost Emperor Wu Zhong, a figure who commanded respect on the mainland, started out as a mercenary.

Back then, Wu Zhong didn’t have the title of Ghost Emperor, nor did he wear that gold mask that concealed his appearance.

When Wu Zhong went to register at the Mercenary Alliance, he encountered Yan Jiu, who had run away from home, ready to strike out on his own adventures.

The first time Yan Jiu laid eyes on the young Wu Zhong, he was astounded, thinking he was a Heavenly Person, mistaking him for an exceptionally beautiful female mercenary. This fellow was also a sucker for good looks, following Wu Zhong all day, calling him "beauty" this and "beauty" that, even having the cheek to forcibly team up with Wu Zhong.

The young Wu Zhong had no choice but to team up with Yan Jiu, who clung to him like a stubborn plaster.

Later on, when Yan Jiu found out that the young Wu Zhong was actually a man, he was struck with sorrow for a while, but as the two continued to cooperate for a long time, they developed some camaraderie and muddled through missions together.

Until that one time, due to erroneous information, Yan Jiu was ambushed during a mission. Wu Zhong suddenly appeared and risked his life to rescue Yan Jiu.

Wu Zhong did save him but also sustained serious injuries, and during those injuries, his Cold Syndrome flared up, and he reverted back to Feng Xun, exposing his secret to Yan Jiu.

Out of gratitude for Wu Zhong saving his life, Yan Jiu followed him ever since. With Wu Zhong’s martial arts skills, combined with Feng Xun’s talents in management, plus Yan Jiu’s charming personality, the Underworld Yama Palace grew to be the most powerful Dark Forces on the entire mainland within just a few short years. For this, Yan Jiu even broke ties with his family.

Later on, the names of Wu Zhong and Yan Jiu grew more and more renowned on the mainland, and the two were forced to wear ghost faces.

Nobody remembered anymore, that there were once two young men, adventuring hand in hand through Mercenary City.

Reflecting on the past, Yan Jiu sighed wistfully, only able to say, meeting Wu Zhong was truly a life-altering mistake.

"How so, you like her, you got a problem with that?" Wu Zhong glared fiercely, giving Yan Jiu the chills.

"Not at all, I, Yan Jiu, am just a nobody under you and Feng San, scraping by for food. If you say go east, I wouldn’t dare go west. But do you really have to put on this human skin mask to protect that little girl? You two are really quite the odd couple, a perfect match of weirdos."

Yan Jiu had clearly seen it, Ye Lingyue had made her pretty, jade-like little face look like an inkstone. She really had the nerve to do it.

Wu Zhong was no different; it was rare for him not to wear the golden ghost face, yet he spent a fortune to acquire a lifelike human skin mask.

Such a mask, both to the touch and in appearance, once worn, was indistinguishable from one’s real face.

Yan Jiu looked at Wu Zhong’s nauseating face, admitting that he was an absolute face-connoisseur. Back then, he was drawn to Wu Zhong solely for his captivating face. Seeing this face on Wu Zhong now, he really wasn’t used to it.

"What’s with all the nonsense, if you’re full, go report to the Mercenary Alliance." Wu Zhong said irritably, considering Yan Jiu to be a smiling tiger.

In Yan City, he could put on a front of a cool and aloof City Lord in front of all the Yan Yi Envoys, but once he left Yan City and took off the mask, Yan Jiu was just a mouthy playboy.

During the exchange between the two, Ye Lingyue and Lan Cai’er had also arrived at the Mercenary Alliance.

"So this is the Mercenary Alliance? Why does it look like a restaurant?"

Lan Cai’er gaped at the building in front of them. If it weren’t for the numerous mercenaries coming in and out, she would’ve really thought it was a restaurant.

While the two were gawking, a sharp-looking young man approached them.

"Two ladies, you must be new here, right? Just spend one hundred silver taels, and you can register to become mercenaries, taking on various mercenary tasks in the city."