. Each escort mission for the Qingshan Town herb-harvesting team typically required around a hundred mercenaries, and Boss Yao attached great importance
to this first herb-harvesting mission after the snow season. For safety reasons, Boss Yao increased the original commission by 50%, adding 50 elite mercenaries—a significant commission.
The herb-harvesting team's escort mission had always been a prized commodity, and even people like Mangba had faced numerous setbacks. With the addition of new members, they naturally wanted a piece of the action.
However, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group had clearly set their sights on this bounty, aiming to take the 50% increase in commission with the same number of personnel as before, and they were planning to keep it all to themselves.
This move by Wolf Head was naturally quite frustrating, especially for Boss Yao, the original payer. He was already hurt by the extra half of his gold coins, and now someone was trying to take his share. How could he not be furious?
However, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group was formidable. As one of Qingshan Town's most powerful mercenary groups, led by the one-star Doushi Mu She, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group was practically the uncrowned king of Qingshan Town. Few forces in the town could rival them.
The Wolf Head Mercenary Group's insistence on interfering in this matter had complicated a simple matter. Boss Yao naturally didn't want to agree, as it meant he'd have to pay more.
Furthermore, if the Wolf Head Mercenaries were even more greedy and saw this as a long-term business, it would mean
his costs would increase by half for each future herb-collecting expedition, a significant sum in the long run. Smaller, more isolated mercenary groups like Mangba were even more reluctant, as it would mean depriving them of a stable source of income, a steady "salary" that would be lost.
But ultimately, in Qingshan Town, and indeed the entire Douqi Continent, power reigned supreme. One hundred and fifty ordinary mercenaries combined against over a hundred elite mercenaries from the Wolf Head Mercenary Group could realistically prove superior.
This raises another issue. For mercenary missions like these, the stronger party is generally chosen for the same price. But honestly, the hundreds of mercenaries originally escorting Wanyaozhai already met the strength requirements, so there was no need for them to pursue a stronger escort.
However, this argument certainly didn't hold up with Wolf Head. If they didn't offer a reasonable explanation, they would either accede to the Wolf Head mercenary group's demands or allow Wolf Head's men to seize upon them. Then, it wouldn't be Mu Li who would come after them, but the Battle Master-level Mu She.
In Wanyaozhai's outer square, Boss Yao's face was gloomy. The other mercenaries were also quite dissatisfied, but they dared not speak out. Because of Wolf Head's strength, no one dared to offend them easily.
Even with Wanyaozhai's status in Qingshan Town, Boss Yao couldn't directly refuse them without a valid reason.
"Since everyone agrees, then... I guess this time the spot should go to us, right? Boss Yao!"
Mu Li turned to Boss Yao with a grin, his eyes brimming with pride. When his gaze landed on Little Medical Fairy, it suddenly lit up with an undue intensity.
"Haha... The Wolf Head Mercenary Group, aren't they acting a little too recklessly?"
Yan Qingshan, of course, noticed Mu Li's actions. He stepped forward to block Little Medical Fairy, his words dripping with dissatisfaction with the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"Qingshan!"
Mangba and the other familiar mercenaries panicked when they saw Yan Qingshan step forward. The Wolf Head Mercenary Group was a dominant force in Qingshan Town; even Boss Yao of Wanyaozhai wouldn't dare to offend them easily. For Yan Qingshan, a mere medical apprentice, to step out like this was not a good thing.
"Who are you, and why are you meddling in the affairs of my Wolf Head Mercenary Group?"
Mu Li asked calmly, his cold gaze sweeping over the people at Wanyaozhai. He had just noticed that Yan Qingshan had come with Boss Yao, and there might be some connection. Yan
Qingshan stepped forward, inspecting Mu Li for a moment. He shook his head and said, "Wanyaozhai's garrison herb-gathering team physician, Yan Qingshan. In other words, my advice is most effective when the herb-gathering team is in the Monster Mountain Range."
"Doctor Yan, I'm sorry!"
Mu Li's eyes flashed with surprise. As the young leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, he was no idle dandy; on the contrary, he was a qualified heir to the mercenary group, and naturally knew the locals of Qingshan Town intimately.
This knowledge only served to exacerbate his astonishment. The doctors at Wanyaozhai weren't easy to become. Each official position held a position comparable to that of a mid- to high-level fighter, and their role was often even greater. Such a lofty position naturally came with its own unique challenges.
Yan Qingshan was only about fifteen, four or five years younger than Mu Li. This was the first time Mu Li had seen such a young physician. Naturally, he looked at Boss Yao of Wanyaozhai with some suspicion.
Boss Yao nodded, for some unknown reason, and said, "Indeed, Qingshan is my most proud disciple in recent years. His medical skills are more than enough to qualify as a master!"
Mu Li's doubts eased slightly, and he continued, "I wonder what Doctor Yan thinks of our Wolf Head Mercenary Group. Why did you just say that..."
"Young Captain Mu Li, we're not fools. Let's be frank."
Yan Qingshan walked over to Mu Li's side. "You and I both know what went wrong today. We at Wanyaozhai aren't going to be taken advantage of. You Wolf Heads are thinking too simply to take advantage of us."
"I don't quite understand what Doctor Yan is saying. The rules of mercenaries are based on strength. Our Wolf Head Mercenary Group is stronger. Over a hundred elite soldiers are more than enough to defeat these 150 or so ordinary mercenaries. So why should we have a problem with this reward?"
Mu Li pretended not to understand and asked, "Or is it that Wanyaozhai's mission this time is a fraud, and they are not sincere in recruiting people?"
"Mu Li, don't show off your cleverness. This mission was issued by my Wanyaozhai. I, Wanyaozhai, have the final say on how to recruit people."
Yan Qingshan smiled and put one hand on Mu Li's shoulder as if unintentionally, and the latter's face changed drastically at this moment, "I'm not an unreasonable person. You just said to follow the rules of mercenaries, and I will also act according to the rules of mercenaries.
I'll give you a chance. Let the strongest person present on your side come out and compete. If you win, the extra 50 places will go to Wolf Head. If you lose, Wolf Head should not come to make trouble again. Is that okay with you?"
Mu Li was silent for a long time with a gloomy face, and then he squeezed out a few words that made the members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group very confused, "Since Doctor Yan means so, Mu Li agrees. You can let me go!"
"Of course!"
Yan Qingshan slowly withdrew his hand. Mu Li stumbled and nearly fell. The elite members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group belatedly stepped forward to support their young leader.
"Boy, you dared to attack our Wolf Head Mercenary Group's young leader? Are you, Wanyaozhai, planning to start a war with our Wolf Head Mercenary Group?"
A powerful figure emerged from the midst of the thirty mercenaries. His aura was so powerful that even Mangba, a near-high-level fighter, took a few steps back.
Yan Qingshan didn't speak to the man, but instead looked at Mu Li. "He's the one for your Wolf Head Mercenary Group this time!"
Mu Li said to him, "Uncle He Meng, be careful. This guy is no ordinary person."
Mangba rushed to Yan Qingshan's side. "Qingshan, this He Meng is the third leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, a seven-star peak fighter, and is said to be very close to becoming an eight-star fighter..."
"Uncle Mangba, it's okay, leave it to me!"
Yan Qingshan put one hand on Mangba's shoulder. Mangba, who was originally preparing to persuade him, had a flash of horror in his eyes, and the prepared words were swallowed back into his stomach. After looking at He Meng and Yan Qingshan, he stepped back, "Then Qingshan, you be careful."
He Meng loosened his muscles and sneered, "Boy, although I don't know how you plotted against the young leader, I won't be careless with you. Although I don't know your specific cultivation level, it's not higher than mine!"
He Meng twisted his head slightly while speaking, and the faint fighting spirit on the surface of his body began to loom. A pair of iron fists were clenched tightly, and there was a crisp sound between the joints. It was obvious that his strength was quite weak.
Yan Qingshan smiled, unbuttoning his coat and flicking it, revealing his muscular warrior uniform. "Really? I'm quite confident in myself!"
"Boy, you're quite stubborn, but don't get down on your knees and beg for mercy later!"
He Meng's lips curled into a bloodthirsty grin, a pale yellow aura of fighting spirit surging from his body. He stomped his feet hard on the ground, and like a giant demon beast, he charged towards Yan Qingshan.
"Get out!!!"
Yan Qingshan glared coldly at He Meng, who was charging at him with ferocious energy. He raised his hands slightly, and a wisp of dark blue fighting spirit surged from his palms, suddenly bursting out from his palms, striking the charging He Meng hard.
"Bang..."
With a muffled sound, He Meng fell backward, his feet grinding against the ground for a long time before he slowly came to a stop. The hard soles of his leather boots were deeply worn away, leaving two long, smelly burn marks on the bluestone floor.
"That kid really has some tricks up his sleeve."
A solemn expression crossed He Meng's face, and he slowly exhaled a breath of foul air. His originally bronze skin gradually turned pale.
"But I cultivate the rock attribute, which has the strongest defense among all the attributes. You simply can't..."
He Meng was preparing to launch the next round of attack again, and his originally pale skin turned even more pale. But just when his momentum accumulated to the limit, a green palm print slowly appeared on his chest where Yan Qingshan had just hit him.
"Uh... How could it be... Puff..."
The sudden appearance of external fighting spirit disrupted He Meng's fighting spirit circulation, causing the fighting spirit circuit to malfunction and backfire, causing him to be injured. He no longer had the same power as before. He protected his heart meridian with both hands, and as he staggered, he could no longer suppress his injuries and vomited blood and collapsed.