Chapter 188

Within a day's travel northwest of Enfeit City, in its actual control area, there are big and small human settlements scattered about, and conditions are fairly good in all respects.

These big and small gathering points also form part of the city's defenses, able to effectively serve as beacon towers for early warning.

Continuing further northwest, one soon leaves the routine patrol range of the Public Security Army, and everything starts to go downhill.

On the vast wilderness live countless big and small tribal territories, including lands opened up by the Ghost Tribe, as well as those of goblins, hyena-people, and other alien races.

The origins of these alien races are lost to history, but it is certain that they are protected by the wilderness; even after multiple campaigns to encircle and suppress them, they always manage to rise from the ashes.

These alien tribes exist in a state half savage and half ignorant; they herd and hunt, and some even farm, but given the chance, they have no qualms about acting as bandits.

To them, raiding caravans and hunting beasts are hardly different.

Regularly clearing these alien tribes has become the routine training of Enfeit City's garrison, and usually each cleanup yields a considerable sum of wealth from these tribes.

No one knows how many unlucky souls have died in the wilderness, their belongings looted by these alien tribes, but compared to the aliens, the main threat to caravans comes from their own kind.

Mission Requirement: Ensure Kabe Xinya follows the caravan to its destination.

Mu Yi actually likes this girl quite a bit—she's open and straightforward, without any pretension—but he's already grown tired of her.

"Meaning? What meaning?" Xinya blinked her eyes, even more curious.

"Miss Xinya, you're blocking my view of the sky!"

"So, what are you going to do?"

"It's just meaningless!"

"Then why did you refuse your uncle? That should be simple for you," Xinya said, filled with incomprehension.

"My lord Mu Yi, could you please take care of these tails?" Picasso asked, looking at Mu Yi lying on the cart.

But this time, almost all of the Merchant Guild's assets were spent hiring guards, leaving the guild with no extra funds for bribes; they had to grit their teeth and press on, secretly praying that the bandits wouldn't be too numerous.

Mission: Yearning for Freedom

The caravan's guard captain was a bit nervous; in the past he might have spent some money to try to quell any trouble.

He accepted a task from Bisoer, the reward being a Wilderness Secret Treasure.

"Relax, Bisoer, this trip will be smooth sailing!" Mu Yi said, looking at Bisoer's face, offering two words of comfort.

After the caravan ventured deep into the wilderness, small tails began to appear behind it—scattered few cavalry scouts, seemingly from various factions.

"I'll go take them out now!"

"I can do it!" Mu Yi sat up, saying somewhat helplessly.

The caravan guards had tried to go and wipe them out, but as soon as they approached, the scouts scattered in all directions.

Mu Yi leapt up and, like the wind, appeared directly at the rear of the caravan from within the convoy.

Mission Reward: Wilderness Secret Treasure, Kaben Merchant Guild Reputation

Mu Yi felt somewhat helpless; he was a little afraid of this deeply curious girl before him, her relentless inquisitive spirit enough to make one break out in a sweat.

Clad in military attire, she exuded a wild beauty; she was certainly not a traditional young lady of noble birth, nor did she enjoy that sort of ladylike lifestyle.

Just as Mu Yi lay down again, leisurely watching the sky, a small face filled his field of vision.

He wasn't unable to deal with those scouts behind him, but it was too troublesome; better to wait until the opposing forces gathered, then take them all out at once.

Mission Recommended Level: Level 10 and above

Though she has a sweet and delicate face, her mouth lets people address her as a brother, and her conduct is completely imbued with wildness.

Mu Yi spoke offhandedly, but the delicate little face showed no intention of moving away, staring straight at his eyes.

He already regretted it, wondering why he had ever taken on this so‑called "simple" mission.

In just two days she asked over a hundred questions, worthy of being called a walking hundred‑thousand "whys," though Mu Yi felt this was likely her little trick to torment him.

A caravan this large cannot possibly escape their pursuit.

Beka Bisoer likewise gazed anxiously at the scouts trailing behind the caravan; though they were merely small bandit gangs thrown together, if their numbers grew too large they would become trouble.

Mu Yi wearily rose to his feet; Kabe Xinya, the young lady of the Merchant Guild and Bisoer's niece, had been brought along for the arranged marriage, and Bisoer had privately entrusted Mu Yi with her care, fearing she might flee the marriage and disappear during the journey.

She was curious why Mu Yi, if he could do it, wouldn't just go ahead and do it.

"You should know, that's meaningless!" Mu Yi glanced at Beka Bisoer and said offhandedly.

"You should be able to do it, right? Just go take out those guys behind us!" Although it was a guess, Xinya's tone was full of confidence.

Mission Difficulty: Simple

"Sorry, I'm a bit nervous!" Bisoer apologized to Mu Yi.

The caravan's pace isn't fast; even if we wipe out the bandits' scouts, they'll catch up again before long.

Boldly tailing the caravan, even a blind person could see their ill intent.

Xinya's personality is nothing like that of a sheltered young lady; she's more like a wandering adventurer, full of rugged vigor.

Her mother came from the northern Winter Tribe, her father an outstanding explorer; their union filled her bones with northern boldness and wildness, and also with a spirit of curiosity that drives her to explore all things.

Upon hearing this, Bisoer sighed; he indeed understood the point, but looking at those scouts, his heart could not find peace.

He would rather face a gang of vicious bandits than be subjected to Xinya's relentless questioning.

This bold girl took the shameless, invincible spirit to the extreme; Mu Yi even released killing intent to intimidate her, but it only made her more curious about him, resulting in the futile effort of trying to steal a chicken and losing the rice.

"What a mysterious and powerful man!" Kabe Xinya stared with blazing eyes at Mu Yi's retreating back.

She didn't want to go through with the arranged marriage, and she also wished to leave her mark on this wilderness; her fiancé was a decent person, but she didn't particularly like him.

Even if he were perfect in every way, Xinya disliked this kind of perfection; that false perfection made her feel nauseous.

However, whether one likes or dislikes marriage isn't all that important, for marriage itself is a matter of compromise and concession.

What the family has decided will not be swayed by her will.

"You can't escape! I'll definitely make you join my team!"

Kabe Xinya clenched her fists; she wanted freedom.

But having grown up listening to her parents' stories, she well knows the cruelty of the wilderness, so to gain freedom she first needs a group of like‑minded companions to help her.

And Mu Yi was one of the targets she hoped to win over.

Perhaps it was fate's arrangement, or perhaps some blazing thing hidden deep in her heart was interfering; she wanted freedom, she wanted a more splendid life.

She did not want to, in the gloomy manor, role-play like a drama with her falsely perfect fiancé.

"What a headache!"

Mu Yi pulled a bow and arrow from the void; he could hear Xin Ya's longing for freedom, and he did not want to see her wings broken, especially when he was involved in the process, so he could not face Xin Ya.

But he is a man who keeps his promises; since he promised Bi Suo Er, he must fulfill his promise.

The scouts far behind faintly saw a young man climb onto the wagon, stand atop the high pile of goods, and draw his bowstring.

"Hahaha, who does he think he is, some Rising Sun expert?" The scouts laughed at Mu Yi without restraint.

They were several hundred meters away from the convoy; even if an expert shot an arrow, they would have plenty of time to react.

After all, a straight-on attack is the easiest to dodge.

"Boom!"

Mu Yi released the taut bowstring; an explosive arrow tore through the sky, instantly striking a scout who couldn't dodge, and the explosive blast shattered him to pieces.

The unrestrained laughter stopped abruptly, and everyone stared in horror at the scout's remains blown apart by the arrow.

"A monster!"

The remaining scouts immediately scattered to flee, but how could their speed possibly exceed Mu Yi's? The arrows, like death's relentless reaper, mercilessly pierced their bodies and then exploded.

When the last scout fell, Mu Yi put away his bow and arrow; frankly, these scouts' combat ability was worse than he had imagined, probably not even as good as a city patrol squad.

But as bandits, this should already qualify as competent; if they could match regular troops, they wouldn't be petty, low‑level bandits.

After dealing with the convoy's rear, Mu Yi returned to his position, but Ka Bei·Xin Ya still hadn't left; she remained crouched where she had been, blinking her big curious eyes, giving Mu Yi a headache.

At this moment he really wished to become a cold, ruthless killing machine, so he could use indifference to keep Ka Bei·Xin Ya at bay.

She seemed to have figured he wouldn't act rashly, so she behaved with increasing disregard; even when Mu Yi displayed great strength, it was the same, and her gaze toward him grew ever more fervent.

……

"You're saying there's a super expert in the convoy?"

One of the Nine Disasters, Ke Li Po, curiously looked at his subordinate—a wizard hidden in a black robe.

"Yes, dear Ke Li Po, according to the news from over there, that's someone who just obtained the Rising Sun certification as an expert!"

"Heh heh heh, only an expert has worth to be torn apart!" Ke Li Po revealed a ferocious smile.

When someone rises, naturally someone's interests will be harmed, and conflict and opposition thus arise.

Although they are an evil force independent of the two great empires, they still maintain countless ties with those empires.

Some did not want to see the union of merchants and nobles; others did not want to see the merchants' growth, so naturally they dumped these shady dealings on them.

As for Ke Li Po, he didn't care how sordid this was; what he cared about was the convoy's huge cargo.

Spices and magical materials—these are all scarce goods, worth their effort; even if they were used as pawns, this rich bounty was enough to drive them mad.

They drove some small bandit gangs to probe the convoy's strengths and weaknesses.

They also didn't fully trust the information from those sordid fellows; they believed only what they saw themselves.

Their people infiltrated the merchant caravan purely as undercover agents; they didn't need to pass along any intelligence, for they had their own means to make use of.

Through the eyes lodged in the undercover agents, they saw Mu Yi's move.

But now it can be confirmed: there truly is an expert in the convoy.

And Mu Yi's clean, efficient move let them glimpse the danger therein.

But as one of the Nine Disasters, Ke Li Po wasn't worried; he too was a Rising Sun–level expert, and he had a record of tearing apart other Rising Sun–level experts—indeed, two of them—which was also the battle that cemented his status among the Nine Disasters.

Thinking of this, Ke Li Po stroked his chest without changing expression, where seven or eight ugly, ferocious scars crisscrossed—the price he had paid.

"Gather the brothers, prepare to set out—absolutely cannot let this fat sheep get away!" Ke Li Po waved his hand and began to summon his lackeys.

Compared with ordinary bandit gangs, the renowned Earth Disaster bandits—one of the Nine Disasters—have combat strength comparable to that of regular troops.

Their numbers also far exceed those of small bandit gangs; rather than calling them bandit gangs, one could say they are lords carving out territories in the wilderness, except they take orders from no one.

…………

…………

"Boom!" Mu Yi shot an arrow that blasted the wild beast in the sky down.

Looking at the limp wild beast on the ground, devoid of all vitality, Mu Yi slit its body with a formation blade and found a new wild treasure inside.

"The legend is actually true—there really is a wild treasure inside the wild beast's body!"

Ka Bei·Xin Ya exclaimed in surprise; although she was full of adventurous spirit, this was also her first genuine foray into the wilderness.

Breath of the Wilderness

Category: Curio

Effect: It can strengthen the physique, break mortal limits, and simultaneously grant Transcendent strength, Transcendent constitution, and Transcendent agility.

It is a necklace, but its attached effect is incredibly heaven‑defying; compared to the useless Wild Ring, this thing can directly let a person's three basic bodily attributes—strength, constitution, and agility—break mortal limits and reach Transcendent.

Mu Yi washed it and hung it around his neck; abundant power immediately swept over his whole body; this simple, brutal enhancement lets one most directly feel the effects of these things.

Mu Yi also understood why wild treasures become national‑level strategic resources, and why they motivate the huge effort to develop the wilderness.

These miraculous effects are enough to become part of the two empires' arms race; whoever has fewer wild treasures will fall behind in this competition.