Chapter 180: Sun Fei: I Was Just Passing By…

“It is strange. Very few people know about this lake. Why are there so many people here?” Seeing that most spots by the distant lake had already been occupied, Old Zola’s face showed a bit of embarrassment. The camping spot he recommended was taken first, and he had miscalculated. He was not doing a good job as a guide.

“No problem, let’s go take a look first!” Sun Fei looked at the distant firelight and felt a slight stir in his heart. He smiled and said, “I see there are still some places by the lake. Though a bit crowded, it is enough for us to set up camp!”

However, right at that moment—

Whoosh—!

A white-feathered arrow stained with blood suddenly shot over from the darkness in the distance. With a sharp thud, it embedded itself halfway into the ground at their feet. The tail feathers vibrated with a buzzing sound, and droplets of blood scattered around. Following the arrow’s whistle, a harsh and domineering shout came from a tree in the distance: “The Bloodblade Mercenary Corps is handling business here! If you don’t want to die, get lost now!”

The dripping blood on the white-feathered arrow indicated that taking one more step forward meant certain death.

This kind of warning method was common on the Azeroth Continent. The Shampoo Expeditionary Force had used it before within the Blackrock Kingdom’s borders. Although the other party’s words were a bit arrogant, they still followed the rules. If a mercenary corps was indeed handling private matters in the distance, it would be improper for a group like Sun Fei’s to rashly intrude, going against tradition.

But after hearing the other party announce their name, Sun Fei’s face instantly changed.

Not only Sun Fei, but Old Zola and Modric beside him also began to tremble uncontrollably.

They clenched their fists tightly, their eyes burning with raging anger.

The Bloodblade Mercenary Corps!

It was actually the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps!

For countless miners enslaved from Shampoo City, these five simple words represented a terrifying nightmare.

Because eighty to ninety percent of the Shampoo miners were captured and sold into the mines of the Scorching Sun Mountains’ Blackrock Kingdom by this mercenary corps, using all sorts of overt and covert methods. Bloodblade was a fifth-level mercenary corps, quite reputable within the Zenit Empire, with many skilled fighters and a fearsome reputation. They would take any mercenary mission for money, and capturing slaves was one of their important private means of making money. Many weak fifth- and sixth-class vassal states under the empire suffered greatly from their actions. However, because these old scoundrels acted cunningly and cautiously, had a tight organization, and received covert support from some imperial nobles, they almost never left survivors or evidence. Thus, even if complaints reached the imperial capital, the Imperial Knights’ Hall enforcement squad could do little about them.

It was worth mentioning that on the Azeroth Continent, mercenaries were a unique force.

In fact, a term from Sun Fei’s past memories could more accurately describe their nature and work—they were mercenaries. They generally did not belong to any single country but infiltrated every corner of the continent, accepting various commissions from individuals and factions, including participating in wars. They even appeared in wars between empires. In terms of strength, some powerful mercenary corps, though lacking territory and titles, possessed military might comparable to that of empires.

And the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps was one of the three top mercenary corps within the Zenit Empire.

Sun Fei jumped off the Big Black Dog’s back and rubbed its head. The beast understood Sun Fei’s intention and carried the drowsy Angela back to the middle of the group. Sun Fei looked toward a huge century-old tree in the distance, his gaze sharp as lightning. Instantly, he spotted a cold, short, and thin mercenary standing on a branch, holding a strong crossbow. The mercenary wore dark black tight-fitting clothes, with a curved dagger pattern dripping bright red blood embroidered on both the lapel and sleeve. He was grinning provocatively in their direction.

Sun Fei smiled back at him, revealing a row of white teeth.

Then he waved his hand, picked up the blood-stained white-feathered arrow from the ground, and snapped it in two with a crack.

This gesture meant—

Seeking vengeance, a fight to the death.

The short, thin mercenary’s face abruptly changed, especially after he saw the large group behind Sun Fei. Startled, he reached back for something like a horn, intending to blow it as a warning…

However—

Whoosh! A sharp arrow silently sliced through the night sky and shot right into his just-opened mouth…

Thud—!

The short, thin mercenary didn’t even have time to scream before he fell headfirst from the tree.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—!!

At the same time, a series of arrows shot out one after another like beads on a string from the bowstring of the golden-haired youth Fernando Torres. The arrows were incredibly fast but made no sound as they cut through the air. Blood splattered as if touched by the cold hands of the God of Death. In the blink of an eye, they struck and killed several other hidden scouts from the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps in other trees who were about to sound the alarm.

One arrow, one soul; each shot showed no mercy.

Sun Fei smiled and gave an appreciative look to the golden-haired youth beside him. He thought it was right to train him in the direction of the Sagittarius Golden Saint. Torres’s talent and aura in archery were indeed rare.

“Flank them!”

Sun Fei made a hand signal. Prison Warden Oleg, Torres, and Peter Cech each led ten Saints and quickly spread out to surround the area from three sides. Sun Fei, alone with Old Zola and Modric, leisurely walked straight toward the distant crowd and firelight.

…

By the lake, the night gradually deepened.

Beside the stone forest at the lakeshore, torches crackled and spat sparks. Two groups stood in a cold, tense standoff.

One group seemed to be a merchant caravan, about forty people, wearing light armor and relatively well-equipped. They were tightly surrounded in the center. Every one of these forty-plus people wore tense expressions, some even sweating cold sweat. Standing at the front was an old man in a black robe with a red nose. To his left and right stood a white-clad swordsman and an enchanting young woman in a long red dress that seemed to burn like flames in the night. All three had grim expressions. Behind them, they protected three ornately decorated magic carriages, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Surrounding them were over two hundred people, all wearing dark red tight-fitting clothes embroidered with the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps’ dripping-blood curved dagger emblem. Not only were they numerous, but their weapons gleamed brightly. There were also twenty strong crossbowmen aiming frightening crossbows at the center of the field. Those cold, sharp bolts could definitely pierce through heavy knight armor. They were like the grinning smile of the God of Death, ready to claim lives at will. At the very front stood four people who seemed to be leaders, wearing deep red light armor: a huge one-eyed man with a black leather eyepatch, a middle-aged man who looked honest and kind, a pale, thin young man with a sinister expression who kept glancing at the red-dressed young woman opposite, and a pretty girl around eighteen years old.

The atmosphere between the two sides was clearly unfriendly.

Because lying on the ground between them were over twenty corpses, most killed by strong crossbows, clearly from the disadvantaged, surrounded side.

“Bloodblade Mercenary Corps?” The red-nosed old man in the black robe held a magic staff, his face so dark it seemed about to drip water. He growled fiercely, “Your Bloodblade Mercenary Corps has gone mad! A mere fifth-level mercenary corps dares to attack my Sorros Merchant Caravan? Aren’t you afraid that when the Sorros chief hears of this, he will raze your Bloodblade Mercenary Corps to the ground?”

“Haha, you are right, respected Supervisor Redknapp. The Sorros Merchant Caravan is indeed wealthy and powerful. Under normal circumstances, even ten Bloodblade Mercenary Corps wouldn’t dare act recklessly. However, who told you to think you could deceive everyone and take that batch of goods through the shortcut in the Scorching Sun Mountains, and just happen to be found out by our brothers? Hehe, isn’t this fate? Once we kill all of you, the Sorros chief won’t know what happened. How would he attack our Bloodblade Mercenary Corps then?”

The one-eyed giant leader of the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps smiled, completely unmoved.

This guy was brawny and seemed rough and reckless, giving a first impression of someone with muscles but no brains. However, when he spoke, his reasoning was very clear, gradually crushing the survivors’ morale. Sun Fei heard this dialogue from afar and stroked his chin. He immediately realized that this guy was clearly someone rough on the outside but clever inside—definitely the type who acted stupid to catch the wise off guard.

“How did you find out about this?” The black-robed elder Redknapp gripped his staff tightly, unwilling to accept it.

“You can ask the God of Death about that yourself!” The bald giant, fearing complications, didn’t want to say more. He was about to order the crossbowmen to shoot when his expression suddenly changed, as if he heard something. He abruptly turned to look into the distance.

This action made everyone from both sides pause in surprise. Following the bald giant’s gaze, they saw that—without anyone noticing—a young man in black light armor was walking toward them as leisurely as if he were out for a stroll, looking extremely carefree. Behind the youth followed an old man and a young man. The old man had white hair, and the young one was as thin as a bamboo pole. Both looked malnourished, as if a mountain breeze could blow them away.

As he came closer, everyone saw more clearly.

The black-clad youth had long black hair flowing like a waterfall, exceptionally heroic. A faint smile played on his lips, and his eyes swept over the people of the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps without concealment, as if looking at livestock waiting to be slaughtered. The old and young behind him looked slightly nervous, but their gazes at the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps members were like four sharp knives, as if they longed to gouge out the others’ hearts right then.

“Who are you?”

When things seem abnormal, there must be something strange. The other party had unknowingly entered within a hundred meters, yet the hidden scouts posted on the periphery had given no warning at all. Clearly, they were already in grave danger. Thinking of this, the bald giant’s pupils slightly contracted, and he became alert.

“Just passing by…”

Sun Fei answered casually.

Then he almost laughed out loud, realizing the humorous connotation of his answer from his past life’s internet culture. He managed to hold back his laughter after a moment and said with a serious, stern face, “I happened to see some acquaintances, so I came to collect a debt… Hmm, let’s start with a bit of interest!”

Sun Fei showed no fluctuation of Battle Qi, nor any surge of magic elements. He seemed like a weak young man with no fighting ability at all. And Old Zola and Modric following him had light, unsteady steps and unstable stances, clearly not experts by any means.

But precisely because the three of them acted so confidently, the bald giant felt uncertain. People with a little cleverness tend to be more suspicious, and he was one of them.

Out of caution, the one-eyed bald giant did not immediately act out. Instead, he discreetly signaled his three assistants to direct the other mercenaries to tightly surround the Sorros Merchant Caravan members, preventing anyone from escaping. Only then did he ask lightly, “Oh? A debt? What debt?”

“A debt of lives!” Sun Fei stroked his chin, half-smiling.

“From whom?” The bald giant’s expression changed upon hearing this; he had already guessed something.

“The Blood—blade—Mercenary—Corps—!!!” Sun Fei answered word by word. By now, his face had turned completely cold. His gaze was like a knife scraping over the bald one-eyed giant’s face. Though his aura didn’t erupt, it instantly made this expert of the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps feel an illusion of being unable to meet his eyes.