Chapter 12: Azure Flame Mercenary Corps

  On the ground, the three Tianxing students who were left trapped in the swamp also froze. In that short period of time, two members of their team had died, including the strongest one, Delong, who seemed invincible to them.

  These hunters are terrifying, just like devils, with terror that has no bounds.

  But now, however, he was being cut down one after another by that black-haired guy.

  Xiao Chen finally cleaned up the broken arm of Godon.

  He threw some spoils of war into his bag and then walked towards the three struggling Tianxing Academy students.

  "Spare... spare my life."

  Three people were scared stiff.

  Now, Xiao Chen is a devil among devils, a king of demons in their eyes, far more terrifying than those hunters.

  Xiao Chen glanced around and walked towards one of them.

  Betti stared blankly as Xiao Chen approached, saw him throw down a dagger, and then floated away.

  Watching Xiao Chen's back leave.

  The three people simultaneously let out a sigh of relief.

  Especially Nasa Li, there's a feeling of escaping from death. Thinking back to not long ago, she still had to snatch the Huo Yun Ling fruit from this terrifying guy's hands, it was simply courting death, even digging one's own grave wasn't as terrifying.

  Betty had a dagger, digging the mud was relatively easy, after spending some time, she finally crawled out of the swamp, and then helped Nasha and the only remaining male student Kyle escape.

  "Terrible, too terrible, let's get out of here quickly." Kael stuttered, almost unable to stand.

  Bodies all over the ground, and a smell of blood in the air that won't dissipate.

  "This person, who is he? His age looks about the same as ours, but his strength is terrifying. I originally thought that Delong was a genius, but now compared to this person, it's simply trash, not even worthy of holding his shoes."

  Natalie thought silently.

  Even gazing at Betty, who was lost in thought with a dagger in her hand, there was a hint of jealousy.

  That man didn't even look at himself but helped that unremarkable Betty escape.

  "Bettie, what are you looking at?"

  "No... nothing." Betty stood there, dazed and holding a dagger.

  "This person... have I seen him before?"

  A faint doubt arose in her heart, Xiao Chen gave him a familiar feeling.

  But she couldn't remember how she got to know such a terrifying guy at all.

  ……

  ……

  Heixue Town

  It is a small town with only a few hundred local residents, famous for being adjacent to the Black Blood Swamp.

  This time of year is the busiest day in the small town.

  The trial squad of Tianxing Academy would take over several small inns in the town.

  This is almost traditional.

  The Black Blood Marsh trial of Tianxing Academy is held every year and has been going on for a hundred years.

  To the point where this small town has all sorts of facilities, bars, medical halls, blacksmith shops, magic material stores...

  They all make money from these trial teams.

  These students who can cultivate in Tiān Xīng Academy are definitely either wealthy or of noble birth, each and every one of them is worth a fortune.

  Moreover, the Black Swamp is extremely dangerous. These trainees need to be fully equipped before entering for trial, and after getting injured, they need treatment. After the trial, they need something entertaining to release stress. Some of the "black goods" obtained during the trial process are so hard to come by that they have to find black market merchants to sell them.

  Merchants make profits, many have developed into a one-stop service over the years.

  Night-colored bar.

  Although it was noon, there were quite a few customers. Because this place is not only a bar but also a branch of the Mercenary Guild, although it's not very formal, simple task handovers can still be done here. The Black Swamp has always been an adventurer's paradise, so many adventurers come and go in the bar, and some trial students from the Starlight Academy have come to taste the famous wine "Emerald Night" of the Night Color Bar.

  At the counter, three men and one woman sat with a cold expression on their faces.

  Among them, a woman wearing pale blue leather armor was the most eye-catching. The sea-blue leather armor had flame patterns engraved on it, emitting a faint blue glow, obviously a magical product, noble, exquisite, and accentuating the woman's proud curves. With every slight movement, the snow-white chest exposed outside the low-cut leather armor would tremble slightly, captivating people's souls.

  In stark contrast to her fiery attire, the woman's beautiful face wore an icy expression as cold as a glacier, with a blood-red lip color that, combined together, was enough to drive any man crazy.

  Such a woman appearing in a bar would normally attract countless men swarming around her.

  But whether it was adventurers or trial students who came and went, they all kept a safe distance from the counter, where there was actually a small vacuum.

  Just now, there was a blind person who did what all men want to do, flirted and casually said something flowery, as a result, at this moment, he is lying outside the door with all his teeth knocked out by the giant beside the woman.

  "That's right, even the Blue Flame Mercenary Group's witch dared to provoke her, she's really asking for death." The adventurers at the wine table whispered and ridiculed the earlier conflict.

  "Tsk, tsk, can't blame that kid entirely, if I didn't know any better, I'd want to go too... look at that figure... how did she grow up like that... I really want to squeeze... hmm." Just then, someone next to him quickly covered his mouth, and sweat broke out on his face.

  "Shut up, that witch is a 9-star top-tier swordsman. Breaking through to Sword Master is just around the corner, don't drag me down with your suicidal tendencies..."

  ……

  ……

  "Hank, you're still so impulsive. Look, since you came, my business has at least decreased by 30%."

  The boss of the Night Color Bar, a middle-aged man with a round face, rubbed his hands behind the counter, looking at the empty bar and frowning.

  "And besides, they're students from Tianxing Academy, not ordinary adventurers. You went too far."

  "Who cares about the Tianxing Academy, Fat Hak? What's with the sighs? You still have a store in Starry Sky City, this is just a small branch. Besides, you've made quite a bit of money from these rich kids recently." A giant of a man, with a wide nose and a massive sword over 1.5 meters long on his back, spoke in a deep voice, his eyes disdainfully sweeping across the Tianxing Academy students at the bar.

  These adventurers have been looking down on Tianxing Academy for a long time.

  It's just like the irreconcilable class difference between nobles and commoners, unless one has power to a certain extent, such as mages or swordsmen, who can completely ignore this gap.

  Hake smiled wryly and didn't dwell on this issue anymore.

  "Hank, this small business of mine can't compare to your Blue Flame Mercenaries. Just one trip into the swamp's inner zone and you'll earn at least 100,000 gold coins."

  "That's all paid for with lives... Hmph." Next to the giant, a young man wearing a Taoist robe had his arm still wrapped in white gauze around his neck. He snorted and said: "You don't have it easy, sitting here collecting money so effortlessly."

  Hake rubbed his hands together, suddenly lowering his voice and scanning the Heaven's Chosen disciples in the bar, saying: "It's not that simple, there are easy jobs too, you're just not willing to do them."

  The young man in the law robe thought for a moment, then knew what Hack said, Hunter, looked at the woman in light blue armor and shrugged: "I don't care, big sister, unwilling..."

  "Zeren." The woman in the pale blue armor finally spoke up, her voice not crisp and pleasant, but with a faint magnetism, coldly saying: "I formed a mercenary group, not a bandit group. If you want to be a bandit, please do so."

  "Alright, alright, big sister head, I was wrong, I'll punish myself with three cups." Zeren, the young man in the law robe, raised his hands in surrender and conveniently poured wine into his mouth repeatedly.

  "My god, Zeren, I think you just want to cheat and drink wine." Hank hurriedly went to grab the wine jar.

  It's in full swing.

  The door of the bar was pushed open.

  A gaunt figure stretched out in the dim light outside, slowly walked in, with a large package clutched in his hand.

  "Huh? Could it be that the students from Tianxing Academy have returned from their trial?"

  "Not like you, look at him, he's not wearing the uniform of Tianxing Academy, maybe he's an adventurer."

  There were some rumors in the bar.

  As he walked closer, everyone took a cold breath, and many people subconsciously gripped their weapons tightly.

  The one who came in was a black-haired young man, not very old, but with a fierce and intimidating aura all over his body, as if he had been through countless battles. The web-like scars on his body were even more terrifying.

  A dark pupil swept across.

  The bar fell silent all at once, as if the boy's aura was oppressive. However, there were also adventurers who snorted coldly, their eyes provocatively looking over and sizing him up.

  Hark yelled from behind the counter: "Adventurer, come on over and have a drink."

  Apparently, he also thought it wasn't a student of Tianxing Academy, but an adventurer who had just emerged from the swamp.

  This kind of person is easy to identify.

  Those adventurers who can emerge from the Black Swamp carry this kind of aura, and have an essential difference with the freshmen of Tianxing College. So even if the other party looks like just a young man, these merchants are also polite.

  Sake!

  There is wine!

  Xiao Chen moistened his dry throat, swallowed hard, and a gleam of light shot out from his eyes.

  This guy used to be an alcoholic.

  His master, Xiao Laoxie of the Xuanxing Sect, was a big drunkard. He often said that three cups could make one enlightened and one intoxication could dispel a thousand worries. Since he was taken from an orphanage at the age of three, he had been trained to drink only wine instead of water.

  Grew up with a wine gourd by his side and a Starlight Sword in hand.

  With sword in hand, roaming the world's end, killing one person, taking a sip, isn't it delightful?

  It's been a short time, but people have changed and entered an unknown world, with a feeling of being in a different era, as if a long time has passed.

  Three cups make a big road, one intoxication solves a thousand worries.

  Old devil, I'll never get to drink your wine again...

  Xiao Chen walked directly to the relatively empty counter, didn't even look at the mercenaries by the counter, and didn't spare a glance for that seductive woman. Feeling a faint sense of melancholy in his heart, he called out: "Bring all the good wine."

  Hake hastily poured a cup for Xiao Chen, the liquor was pale green.

  Xiao Chen grabbed it, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp. He smacked his lips, furrowed his brow: "This wine is sweet and has a low alcohol content, it's only suitable for women. Boss, give me some strong liquor, strong liquor!"

  Well said.

  The several mercenaries sitting next to him all had their eyebrows jumping, and the blue-skinned woman was even more frosty-faced, her beautiful eyes staring at Xiao Chen, the air suddenly cooling by a few degrees.

  All around, adventurers let out gloating laughter.

  "This guy's done for, actually saying this on the edge of Blue Flame Mercenaries' territory."

  "Offended the Blue Flame Mercenary Group's Tigress, this guy still has a good show to watch, let's wait and see."

  "I bet he's worse off than the guy who was just thrown out, at least two broken legs."

  Just now, Xiao Chen drank the signature wine of Ye Se Jiu Ba, "Fei Cui Ye Se". Almost everyone who comes here drinks this wine. I didn't expect to tell Xiao Chen that it's a "woman's drink".

  This is mistake one, and mistake two is even more serious. The leader of the Blue Flame Mercenary Corps just so happens to be a woman.

  A strong woman is probably least willing to hear this kind of "underestimating women" talk.