TRWSB – Chapter 214 Into the Fire King’s Tomb

Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao had just finished freeloading a meal at Goya’s tent and walked outside.

“What do you think?” Qi Shaorong asked.

Zhuang Hao considered it for a moment before answering, “Dilan City has many legends about exploration. These tales attract countless young people, and I suspect this mercenary group was formed specifically to cater to them.”

Qi Shaorong frowned. “It still feels risky to take pampered young masters and ladies on an expedition.”

Zhuang Hao glanced at him. “I don’t think it’s a real expedition—more like a guided tour to places already excavated.” According to rumors, the Fire Demon King’s tomb had already been explored some time ago. By the time they got there, the place would probably be picked clean.

Qi Shaorong was speechless.

“If that’s the case, do we still go with the mercenary group?” he asked.

Zhuang Hao replied calmly, “That’s up to you.”

Qi Shaorong took a deep breath and said, “We’ve already paid. Might as well tag along for the ride.” After all, without the tomb, they had nowhere else to go.

Zhuang Hao nodded. “Fair enough.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

As Qi Shaorong walked off to the side, he overheard a conversation between the group’s captain and vice-captain.

“Captain, are we really taking Goya and Gorin to the Fire Demon King’s tomb? They’re the grandchildren of the city lord of Fanyue. If something happens to them, the mercenary group will be in serious trouble,” said the concerned vice-captain.

The blond captain waved it off. “What’s the big deal? That tomb has already been mostly dug out. We’re just taking them there to walk through some empty halls and enjoy the scenery. What danger could there possibly be?”

The vice-captain nodded. “True. I just hope those two don’t feel unsatisfied and want to visit other sites after seeing the empty tomb.”

The captain frowned in thought. “I doubt it. With their physical condition, they’ll probably be exhausted by the time we get there.”

The vice-captain chuckled. “Captain, that Goya girl seems to have taken a liking to you.”

The captain smiled faintly. “Maybe. By the way, who are those two guys Bal brought along? They look unfamiliar.”

“Bal doesn’t really know either,” the vice-captain replied. “He just ran into them on the road and brought them along. Judging from their manner, they’re probably noble brats with nothing better to do. They paid a million upfront, with a deposit of four hundred thousand.”

The captain nodded. “A million isn’t a small sum. Just keep an eye on them and make sure they don’t cause trouble.”

“Don’t worry, Captain,” the vice-captain said, patting his chest confidently.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Captain Jinke, when are we departing?” Goya asked as she lifted the hem of her dress and stepped out of her tent.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Goya. We’ll head out this afternoon,” Jinke replied.

“Alright, thank you, Captain,” Goya said, nodding politely.

She walked over to Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao. “We’re about to set off for the Fire Demon King’s tomb. Are you two excited?”

“Of course,” Qi Shaorong replied with a smile.

Looking at Jinke’s retreating back, Goya tilted her head and said to Qi Shaorong, “Captain Jinke once led the mercenary group to capture a Level-7 golden python alive. Impressive, right?”

“Very impressive,” Qi Shaorong replied dryly. Damn it, he thought. In my home country, a million gold could hire several Level-7 experts. I’ve definitely boarded the wrong boat here.

“Miss, aren’t you going to change out of that heavy dress?” he asked, eyeing her cumbersome outfit.

Goya spun in place. “Doesn’t it look good?”

“It looks great,” Qi Shaorong said, a bit begrudgingly.

Goya tilted her head with a smile. “Good. I was worried it didn’t look nice.”

Qi Shaorong: “…” Sure, it looks good—but it’s absolutely impractical.

Zhuang Hao watched her walking away. “No worries. If danger strikes, she’ll lag behind and give us some time to react.”

Qi Shaorong: “…”

“Hey, what do you think of our mercenary group?” Bal came over and greeted the two.

Qi Shaorong forced a smile. “Not bad at all. I’ve heard your captain is quite the talent.”

Bal instantly perked up. “Our captain is a well-known young hero of Dilan City! The city lord himself invited him to join the guard at the lord’s manor, but our captain turned it down to focus on growing the mercenary group.”

Qi Shaorong nodded. “I see. Sounds like he’s a man with big dreams.”

Bal beamed. “Of course! Our captain’s ambitions are sky-high.”

Qi Shaorong sat in the mercenary team’s carriage, watching the scenery pass by outside.

Opposite him sat the siblings Geya and Gelin, both peering out the window with great curiosity.

“Big sister, do you think we’ll find the Fire Source Crystal?” Gelin asked eagerly.

Geya nodded confidently. “We definitely will. Captain Jin Ge said he saw some last time. A group of fire bats was guarding them. As long as we distract the bats, we’ll get the crystals.”

“That’s great!” Gelin beamed. “If I get a Fire Source Crystal, my cousin can’t call me a fool anymore.”

Qi Shaorong rolled his eyes. So it’s not just me who thinks this guy’s a fool. He thought silently. The lord of Fanyue City sure is bold—sending these two idiots out like this.

Gelin turned to Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao. “Hey, if we run into the Fire Source Crystals later, don’t even think about trying to snatch them from me.”

“Don’t worry,” Qi Shaorong said with a smile. “We won’t.”

Gelin smiled smugly. “Good, at least you know your place.”

Suddenly, the caravan came to a stop.

“We’re here,” someone announced.

Qi Shaorong stepped off the carriage and was immediately struck by an eerie magical aura.

“A ruin? Is this where the Flame Demon King’s tomb is?” he asked.

Captain Jin Ge approached and shook his head. “No. We have to pass through this town to reach the Flame Demon King’s domain. The road here is too rough for carriages—we’ll have to go on foot.”

“The magic here feels strange,” Qi Shaorong noted.

“This used to be a prosperous town,” Jin Ge explained. “But a necromancer once lived here and carried out magical experiments that turned the town into a dead zone.”

Qi Shaorong nodded. “I see.”

Saint-level mages could live over a thousand years, but they were not immortal. In their pursuit of eternal life, many experimented with forbidden techniques.

Thus, necromancers were born—mages who refused to die and transformed themselves into half-living, half-undead beings. Whether necromancers were still considered “living” was up for debate.

Because necromancy closely resembled dark magic, many nations once persecuted dark mages, forcing some to turn to necromancy as their only option.

Thankfully, Yuan Nation was relatively enlightened on this matter.

“You okay?” Zhuang Hao asked Qi Shaorong. “Most people feel uneasy here.”

“I’m fine,” Qi Shaorong replied. “Actually, it feels kind of familiar.”

Being proficient in both light and dark magic, Qi Shaorong had no aversion to necromancy.

The path through the ruins was rough, and occasionally, beasts jumped out to attack.

Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao, staying on the sidelines under the mercenaries’ protection, simply watched the show.

Although taking down the beasts would’ve been easy for them, they figured—We paid a million gold for this mercenary team, might as well let them do their job.

Even the sibling duo pitched in. Despite being underpowered, their help was better than nothing.

Most of the buildings in the town were in ruins, with charred corpses visible here and there.

“Captain, it’s getting late. Why don’t we camp in the town for the night?” Geya suggested.

Baal quickly interjected, frowning. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?” Geya asked, puzzled.

“This town is said to be cursed. People who stay here often go missing,” Baal explained nervously.

“A curse? Baal, are you scared off by some baseless rumor?” Geya said in frustration.

Qi Shaorong glanced at Geya’s shoes and raised a brow. High heels really are universal, huh? Hers were at least ten centimeters tall. She’s been trekking in those all day—gotta give her credit.

“I don’t care,” Geya said, stomping her foot. “Even if there’s a curse, I want to see what it can do to me. We’re staying.”

Gelin nodded enthusiastically. “Exactly! It’s probably just someone trying to spook us with ghost stories.”

“If we keep walking for just half an hour, we can leave this place,” Baal pleaded.

Geya stomped again. “I’m not walking any farther.”

Jin Ge furrowed his brow, then said, “Alright, we’ll rest here.”

Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao found a place to sit in the ruins of the town.

Gelin strutted over with his hands on his hips.

Qi Shaorong looked up. “Master Gelin, what brings you here?”

“You two didn’t do anything earlier,” Gelin accused, frowning.

Qi Shaorong gave an apologetic smile. “As soon as I saw the beasts, my arms and legs just froze. Same with him.” He pointed to Zhuang Hao.

Gelin stared at them. “You two really suck.”

Qi Shaorong forced a laugh. “Maybe.”

“But hey, at least you’re a matching pair—equally useless,” Gelin scoffed.

Zhuang Hao gave him a bright smile. “Thanks for the compliment.”

Gelin shot Zhuang Hao a disdainful look before walking away.

Qi Shaorong turned to Zhuang Hao. “You’ve got something wrong with your brain. That guy just called you useless, and you thanked him?”

“I wasn’t thanking him for saying I’m useless,” Zhuang Hao said, his eyes twinkling. “I was thanking him for saying we’re a matching pair.”

He added, “If even he can see that we go well together, he must have some sense.”

Qi Shaorong: “…