Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

“Wow!”

The mercenaries all exclaimed in shock and hope, as if it would be the greatest honor if they could be a dog below Li Wuji’s feet.

“Right now, Marquess Yongchun’s National Protection Army has marched out of the Blue Sky Market after the reorganization was completed. I was told that they just fought a remarkable battle in the Thousand Bones Space Zone. When the two parties at war were both exhausted, they suddenly jumped to the center of the battlefield. The jump distance was so close that a catastrophic chain action would’ve been caused with one moment of carelessness, but they were still bold enough to do that. What a bunch of lunatics!”

The first mercenary elaborated in delight, “Nobody foresaw that they would enter the battlefield in such a way. As it turned out, they swept across the Thousand Bones Space Zone unstoppably. Not only have they destroyed the garrison of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors in the Thousand Bones Space Zone, but many of the unaffiliated troops on the four families’ side have been attracted to them too. They are now unbelievably strong!

“You all know that most of the forces that the four families have devoted to the peripheral battlefield of the Imperium are mediocre fleets. Their number may be large, but their morale is not high. Some of them haven’t even shot once after confronting the garrison of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors. Such a capable troop like the National Protection Army is indeed rare. It won’t be long before it becomes the core of all the mediocre fleets, attracting all the forces like a magnet.

“Now that Marquess Yongchun has such a ferocious dog under his command, do I need to remind you of his position in the four families?”

All the mercenaries were greatly delighted. Even the second mercenary had to lower his head and asked, “Then, do you have connections in His Lordship Marquess Yongchun’s place?”

Just now, the two people were calling each other “bro”, but the first mercenary was suddenly the second mercenary’s “big brother” now.

The first mercenary rubbed his nose and smiled. “Of course there are connections. I have a sworn brother who used to be a space pirate. But later, he joined an expert of the Li family in the Core Formation Stage and was admitted as a foster son. This expert in the Core Formation Stage is a foster nephew of His Lordship Marquess Yongchun!”

“Aya!”

All the mercenaries complimented at the same time, “That’s Marquess Yongchun’s trusted subordinate!”

The second mercenary batted his chest and shouted, “From today on, we will all follow our big brother’s lead and claim the fortune and accomplishments together!”

“Yes, big brother. We will all listen to your command in the future!”

The first mercenary was overjoyed and could barely close his mouth. “That’s why I said that this was the best of times. As the saying goes, ‘heroes never emerge in peace’. The heroes like us are destined to distinguish ourselves in such a great time and make a name for ourselves!”

Overhearing the conversation of the flagrant merchants, Huo Dongling was so exasperated that she was almost throwing the food boxes at the shameless passengers and cursing at them, “The people can barely live now because of the fighting of the Immortal Cultivators. What exactly is this ‘greatest time’, and what kind of ‘heroes’ are you?”

Of course, she could only think about it but not reveal any of it on her face. She had to bite her lips hard and served the “true human beings” obediently.

But while she did not want to piss off the mercenaries, the mercenaries were unwilling to let go of her. When she offered the food boxes to the mercenaries in fear, the first mercenary suddenly snatched her wrist and smiled. “What a young girl. Is this your first trip out of your home? Are you scared?”

Huo Dongling was entirely frozen as if a slippery snake had just tied her wrist, and she was unable to say anything.

“My dear master…”

Her companion hurried to move forward and apologize to the passengers. But unexpectedly, the second mercenary rose and slapped the face of Huo Dongling’s companion, blowing three of his teeth off. “Idiot. Did anyone ask you to talk? Are you even qualified to talk in front of us?”

“Ah!”

Seeing that her companion was blown away, and half of his face was immediately swollen and darkened, Huo Dongling couldn’t help but exclaim in shock.

“Little girl, don’t be scared, we are not bad guys. We’re all the… heroes of the Soul Hunting Gang.”

The first mercenary’s smile was even more greasy, and his fingers crawled to the top of Huo Dongling’s elbow like five vipers. “You are such a young and attractive girl, and yet you have barged into such a perilous, chaotic space zone. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Are the adults in your family not worried that something may happen to you?

“This space zone is not peaceful. While this is close to the Seven Seas Grand Market, the garrison of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors cannot protect every sailing route. The hunting warships of the four families may appear at any moment. Should we encounter one, such a beautiful flower would be destroyed. What a shame it would be!”

Huo Dongling was almost crying. The other few crew members were also dumbfounded, not even having the courage to breathe aloud. The other passengers were too intimidated by the ferocious-looking mercenaries to stand out too.

“However, don’t be scared, the Soul Hunting Gang is here for you!”

The five fingers of the first mercenary slithered on and on and to the internal side of the girl’s elbow, drawing circles on the girl’s most sensitive skin. “The heroes of the Soul Hunting Gang are all very famous in the area. We have brothers in both the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors and the four families. So, it doesn’t matter. Should we encounter a hunting warship, we will certainly protect you.

“Right, your body seems rather weak. Have you suffered any internal injuries because of the consecutive jumps in the past few days? Do you want me to waste some of my precious Cultivation and help you examine your body? There’s no need to be courteous. Space jumps are the most unhealthy of all. It will be terrible if such a young person like you have any sequelae. Rest assured. I’m fond of helping those in need at best. It’s free of charge…”

Her face pale in fear, Huo Dongling struggled hard, but it was impossible for her to escape from the hands of an Immortal Cultivator.

The first mercenary cackled. The five fingers with which he was holding the girl’s elbow shivered, and the girl was immediately paralyzed and almost falling into his arms.

“Wow—”

The first mercenary laughed. “The girls today are truly voluntary!”

He was about to open his arms and embrace Huo Dongling when such an enormous force hit his back so hard that his tailbone was almost broken apart. He was kicked away directly and crashed into a pile of food boxes, with the soup and juice staining all over his body.

He looked back in humiliation, only to discover that a mysterious person, who was wearing a black leather coat, a black cape, and a pair of gigantic dark sunglasses, and who had covered every inch of his skin, had kept Huo Dongling in his back.

“I’m hungry.”

The mysterious person in black said coldly, “Why is our food still not delivered?”

He seemed to be asking Huo Dongling who was behind him.

However, invisible killing intent was unleashed from his broad sunglasses, locking onto every person from the so-called “Soul Hunting Gang” before him.

“You—”

The first mercenary burst into fury. Looking at each other, the two low-level Immortal Cultivators roared at the same time and charged at the mysterious man in black, unsheathing their weapons that were the foundation of their success, then—

The man in black sniffed. Then, after two explosions, the weapons of the two mercenaries broke apart from the hilt and fell back into the sheath. What they were holding in their hands were but the two short handles.

“…”

The two mercenaries looked at each other in bewilderment. Dazed at the fracture that was as smooth as a mirror, they immediately felt that their pants were soaked in cold sweat, and their legs were shaking beyond control.

“I’m hungry.”

The man in black repeated himself. “Why is our food still not delivered?”

The last word “delivered” knocked the two mercenaries to the ground like a thousand-kilogram hammer. Every bone on their bodies was quivering, and they could not get back to their feet at all.

The few mercenaries who swore to live and die with their brothers a moment ago simply covered their heads and faltered, not daring to say anything.

The man in black did not bother to look at them but simply turned around to his own corner, sitting down next to his companion who was wearing a gray cape.

Huo Dongling’s heart was racing. However inert she was, she knew that it was the mysterious person who saved her. Looking around, she discovered that everybody was shuddering in fear, including the ferocious mercenaries a moment ago. She hurried to prepare two food boxes of clean food and sent them to the seemingly unattractive passengers who only got aboard in the last supply port.

“T-Thank you.”

While speculating who the mysterious people might be, she exclaimed in shock after accidentally glancing at them. “Ah!”

The mysterious person did not take off his cape or his sunglasses, but simply unzipped the collar and revealed the lower half of his face.

His face was covered in black, short hair, making him look like some sort of fierce and agile catamount, say, a cheetah!

Huo Dongling covered her mouth after only half an exclamation. She thought to herself that she was doomed because she must’ve insulted the seemingly cruel and bad-tempered Immortal Cultivator, and the guy would certainly burst into fury.

But out of her expectation, the Immortal Cultivator who looked like a cheetah simply sniffed and picked up the food box, “swallowing his fury”.

His companion nearby, on the other hand, took off his cape, revealing a common but warm face. He said with a smile, “Hush, don’t be scared, little girl. My brother may look hideous, but he is not a bad guy, and he will certainly not hurt you. Come here. Sit next to us so that we can talk!”

He patted the floor next to him, hinting the girl to sit down.

“Huh?”

Huo Dongling was rigidified again. Her face that had just resumed the normal color became pale again. She finally understood what “getting out of a lake of dragons only to run into a cave of tigers” meant!

“I… No, please… I am still little… I can’t talk…”

Feeling like crying, Huo Dongling said weakly.

“Huh—”

The plain-looking passenger scratched his hair that was as fluffy as a bird nest and seemed to have realized something. He couldn’t help but feel amused and extended four fingers to swear, “Don’t misunderstand me. I promise—no, I swear that it will be just a chat without any extra activities.”