Chapter 28: Mercenary Ambush

For several consecutive days, they hunted many ferocious beasts along the way, obtaining a considerable number of beast cores.

Ye Liuyun also opened another meridian.

At the Body Refinement Seventh Level, having opened four meridians, he could handle the Body Refining Ninth Layer without problem.

Finally, before leaving, Ye Liuyun and his companions jointly slew several True Origin Quadruple ferocious beasts, gathered enough beast blood, and then satisfactorily withdrew from the outskirts of Henglin Shanmai.

But when they had just reached the outskirts of the mountain range, Ye Liuyun felt that the atmosphere was off.

"It's too quiet! It seems the ferocious beasts have been cleared out! Black Python, shrink your body and go scout ahead—don't expose yourself."

Ye Liuyun's divine sense could not reach far, so he sent the Black Python to scout the path.

Not long after, the Black Python returned.

"As expected, several mercenary groups are ambushing us ahead." Ye Liuyun also told Liang Xue the information brought back by the Black Python.

"Should we take a detour?" Liang Xue was also somewhat nervous.

"No need; their strongest strength is only two True Origin Triple cultivators. Since they've delivered themselves to our doorstep for practice, how could we miss it?"

Ye Liuyun smiled slightly and then arranged: "Black Python, handle the True Origin Double and Triple; Liang Sis, you take on the True Origin Single and Body Refining Ninth Layer; the rest I'll handle."

Thus, the three of them confidently walked into the enemy's encirclement.

"Hahaha!" The two True Origin Triple mercenary leaders laughed loudly as they blocked the way ahead. The ambush mercenaries around also revealed themselves one after another.

However, seeing that Ye Liuyun and his companions showed no panic, they were also taken by surprise.

"You two brats are putting on a calm front, but unfortunately you're about to die!"

"Do you know who I am? Dare to come kill me?" Liang Xue shouted.

"Of course we know! But what does it matter? Our Qinglang Mercenary Corps also has backing!" one mercenary leader shouted arrogantly.

"So it's the Qinglang Mercenary Corps! I hear you're the dogs raised by the City Lord's Manor," Liang Xue said coldly.

"Old Three, talking more is useless—just attack!" Another person, far more steady than him, said.

"Don't worry, Second Brother, in these remote mountains no one will come to save them!" Yet he still ordered his subordinates to attack together.

Ye Liuyun directly took out his great hammer and started smashing; Liang Xue, following the prior division, struck at those at True Origin Single and Body Refining Ninth Layer.

The two True Origin Triple leaders, just about to strike, suddenly a huge Black Python swooped down from the trees, biting one with its mouth and lashing the other with its tail.

With a miserable "ah," the mercenary leader who had been shouting arrogantly was bitten in half by the Black Python, while the other was also struck by its tail, collapsing and vomiting blood.

Having succeeded with its sneak attack, the Black Python continued charging toward several True Origin Double mercenaries among the enemy.

"Chief, this woman is at True Origin Quadruple! The intel is wrong—fall back quickly!" a mercenary who had been besieging Liang Xue shouted while running toward the leader.

"Don't let a single one escape!" Ye Liuyun then instructed the Black Python and Liang Xue.

He swung his great hammer wide; those mercenaries could not approach him at all, instead being knocked aside by his blows.

On Liang Xue's side, she cut down foes one by one without mercy; the Black Python was even more ruthless, striking and devouring.

"How could this be!" the wounded mercenary leader muttered, somewhat dazed.

"How is Liang Xue at True Origin Quadruple, and where did that Black Python come from?"

Everything exceeded their plans.

"Scatter and retreat!" He knew their side was doomed, hoping only to let more people survive.

If it were only Liang Xue, her combat strength is weak, they'd still have a fighting chance; but add a Black Python, and they're surely doomed!

The strength of True Origin Quadruple cannot be compensated for by numbers.

Unexpectedly, the Black Python lunged at him first. He was no match for it, and after being severely wounded by its sneak attack, he could hardly resist before being swallowed whole by the Black Python.

Afterward, the Black Python used its massive body to coil around most of the mercenaries; the remaining gaps were also blocked by Liang Xue and Ye Liuyun.

Nearly fifty mercenaries were wiped out in the span of a quarter hour.

Ye Liuyun looted their belongings while laughing, "This isn't them coming to deliver heads to us, is it?"

Afterward, he also collected all those corpses.

Liang Xue stared agape and asked, "I won't complain about you looting their goods, but why are you also taking away the corpses?"

"To feed the Black Python! Otherwise, what will it eat later? With such a huge body, where could I find enough food for it?"

After looking at the Black Python's massive body, Liang Xue also fell silent.

This guy is indeed a great help in battle, but also a huge eater. Having just swallowed seven or eight people, his belly doesn't even bulge.

Afterward, they encountered several scattered mercenary bands, but upon seeing Liang Xue's True Origin Quadruple cultivation, none dared to scheme against them.

"How come we didn't see so many mercenaries when we entered?" Ye Liuyun asked curiously.

"These mercenaries are pretty much like bandits. When someone enters the mountains, they don't intercept; when they leave, they rob. Seeing that I am at True Origin Quadruple, they refrained from robbing us," Liang Xue said.

"Aren't mercenaries supposed to earn money by doing missions? Why do they specialize in banditry instead? What's the difference from bandits?" Ye Liuyun grew even more curious.

"Doing missions is dangerous! Here, just standing guard lets them earn money without effort. In fact, they're hardly different from bandits; they only occasionally take on missions." Liang Xue explained.

"If so, then looting them counts as ridding the populace of harm?" Ye Liuyun asked Liang Xue with a smiling, narrowed gaze.

Liang Xue thought for a moment, then also looked at Ye Liuyun with a cheerful smile. With the Black Python present, they had nothing to worry about.

Afterward, the nearby mercenary crews fell on hard times. Anyone who encountered Ye Liuyun's group and refused to hand over their valuables would receive a sound thrashing.

The news spread quickly. For a while, all the mercenary bands in the area knew that two bandits had appeared in the mountains, specializing in robbing them, so they all left to lay low, daring not to show up again.

Ye Liuyun and his companions also discovered that the nearby mercenary bands had all fled, leaving them no choice but to return from Henglin Shanmai to Fengyang City.

Along the way they continued to enjoy the scenery, and Ye Liuyun and Liang Xue even began competing in cooking skills.

How long to grill which meat, what heat to use, how long to boil which meat, how to pair ingredients for deliciousness—Ye Liuyun researched all of this especially thoroughly.

Thus, Liang Xue ended up utterly defeated.

Before returning to Fengyang City, Ye Liuyun stored the Black Python inside his Storage Ring, leaving Liang Xue gaping in astonishment.

"Does the Storage Ring have this function? Can it hold living things?"

"Of course. If you want this function, seek a Boundary Breaking Stone. I can also help you tame a ferocious beast for free."

Ye Liuyun said.

"One word settles it!" Liang Xue immediately decided.

After the two of them entered the city, they did not split up, but went straight to Wanbaoge.

Upon arriving at Wanbaoge, Ye Liuyun took out all the harvested feral beasts and gave half to Liang Xue.

He also wanted to take out the medicinal herbs to divide them, but Liang Xue refused!

She didn't expect Ye Liuyun to be so generous, wanting to split everything with her half. She basically hadn't contributed anything.

Ye Liuyun had already given her a Golden Yuan Fruit, raising her realm to True Origin Quadruple, which was already enough.

That is the transition from Primordial Origin Early Stage to mid-stage; many people cannot pass this hurdle even after one or two years.

But Ye Liuyun thought, since they went together, the spoils should of course be split evenly.

In the end, Liang Xue said: "Keep the medicinal herbs for making pills! If you give them to me, they'd just be exchanged for some Crystal Stones, which is meaningless!"

Only then did Ye Liuyun keep the medicinal herbs.