Chapter 30：Making An Acquaintance (1/2)

On Hearing Lin Mu's answer, the Leader ordered two of the mercenaries to prepare the Steel-Back wolves. While the remaining two took care of their injuries. The leader of the mercenaries asked Lin Mu to wait for a little while and offered him a wine gourd, which he politely refused.

While waiting for the mercenaries to finish their task, Lin Mu decided to ask the leader some questions and gather some information.

”What mercenary company are you from?” asked Lin Mu.

”I'm Yan Zhong from the Fierce Blood mercenary company, and brother, may I ask what your name is?” said Yan Zhong.

Lin Mu did not know if he should tell the man his real name or not. But then after a moment of thinking decided to tell him his real name. Even if he tried to somehow verify his identity as a disciple of a sect, it would not matter as his name was rather common.

”My name is Lin Mu.”

”Ah, so its brother Lin Mu. Please accept my formal greetings.” Replied Yan Zhong with cupped hands.

Lin Mu was once again surprised by the level of courtesy shown by Yan Zhong. In fact, this was the most courteous anyone has ever been to him. This reminded him of the prestige of a cultivator, that too of one that belonged to a sect, even if it was just a martial sect and not a cultivator sect.

Martial sects were considered inferior to cultivation sects and many of them were usually subordinate to cultivation sects. Martial sects trained disciples in the body tempering realm and the most talented ones would go further on to join a cultivation sect. Many martial sects also trained elite soldiers for the armies of cities. The elite city guards of Wu Lim city were also trained by some martial sects.

”What city are you people from?” asked Lin Mu.

”We are from Xiangwei city in the south. It's a large city that has many mercenary companies located in it.” Answered Yan Zhong.

Lin Mu had heard of Xiangwei city before. It was larger than Wu Lim city and also more prosperous than it. It took one 15 days to reach it by carriage. Lin Mu then thought of the many mercenary groups that had entered the town and wondered about the reason.

”Do you know why so many mercenary groups are coming to the Northern town?” asked Lin Mu with a curious expression.

”From what I know, the mayor of the Wu Lim city has commissioned multiple mercenary companies to hunt beasts for him.” Replied Yan Zhong.

”What kind of beasts?” Lin Mu asked, as he did not understand why the mayor would spend so much money on mercenary companies when he could just order the hunters to do the same,

”We were asked to hunt as many beasts as we can, the only requirement being that they should be above the 5th stage of the body tempering realm.” Answered Yan Zhong with a thoughtful expression.

That kind of answered Lin Mu's question as common hunters would barely be able to hunt a single beast of the 7th stage of the body tempering realm. If the mayor wanted a large number of beasts, only mercenary companies could hunt that many strong beasts.

”So, you have been hunting here all this while?” said Lin Mu.

”Yes, we have been hunting here for a week now, while the elite groups have been hunting in the deeper parts of the forest for more than a month now. We were divided into multiple groups depending on our strength and allotted different regions of the forest to hunt in.” Yan Zhong elaborated.

Lin Mu did not know that mercenaries have been hunting in the forest for more than a month. He wondered, why he did not see any when he was still living in the town. His mind then moved towards the steel-back wolves, how were they this far out in the forest. They lived much deeper than this.

”How did you come upon steel-back wolves here?” asked Lin Mu.

”We spotted this small pack, some distance from here. We were resting nearby when one of my companions heard their howls. We went to check and accidentally alerted them.” Replied Yan Zhong.

”But, don't they live much deeper than this?” questioned Lin Mu.

Yan Zhong also seemed a little confused and stayed silent for a minute before answering.

”We heard from the other mercenary groups that a spirit beast has been scaring many fierce beasts away from their territories.”

Lin Mu had guessed that it was some strong fierce beast that had been scaring the other beasts, but did not think that it would be a spirit beast.

”Do they know what kind of spirit beast it is?” asked Lin Mu.

”No, they have not seen it yet, they have only heard its roars till now.” Answered Yan Zhong.

Lin Mu remembered the group of crimson fang mercenaries that were attacked by a spirit beast.