TRWSB – Chapter 87 The Complete Demise Of The Mercenary Group

Tianlan Academy

“You’re saying the person might have ended up in the auction house?” Qi Shaorong asked Zhuang Hao, his expression dark.

Zhuang Hao nodded. “Yes.”

“Can’t the person be redeemed in advance?” Qi Shaorong asked.

Zhuang Hao shook his head. “I’ve already tried negotiating, but they refused.”

Qi Shaorong was surprised. “They wouldn’t even give the Zhuang family any face?”

Zhuang Hao shook his head again. “No. You might not fully understand the influence of the Tianyun Auction House. Its power is immense. While the Yuan Kingdom claims supreme imperial authority, there are many factions whose influence rivals the emperor’s. The emperor himself won’t easily offend such powers, and Tianyun Auction House is one of them.”

“The Tianyun Auction House is a commercial alliance with branches in multiple countries. The Yuan Kingdom is just one of its many locations. Its headquarters reportedly has three Saint-level experts.”

“The auction house is preparing for its annual grand auction, and the person suspected to be Mu Tingxuan has already been listed for sale. There’s nothing we can do now,” Zhuang Hao explained.

Qi Shaorong frowned. “It seems we can only wait for the auction to buy him back.”

Qi Shaorong rubbed his forehead. Mu Tingxuan possessed the Wood Spirit Body, a rare constitution highly coveted by many mages and martial artists as a valuable “cauldron.”

“Zhuang Hao, you said it was the Mohe Mercenary Group that delivered the person to the auction house?” Qi Shaorong asked.

Zhuang Hao nodded. “Yes.”

“What would happen if the Mohe Mercenary Group’s members were all killed before the auction?” Qi Shaorong tilted his head, lightly tapping the table with his fingers.

Zhuang Hao frowned and gave Qi Shaorong a sideways glance. “When the mercenaries handed over the goods to the auction house, they would have received a token. This token serves as proof.”

“The auction house only recognizes the token, not the people. If all the members of the Mohe Mercenary Group were killed, anyone holding the token could claim the auction proceeds. If no one shows up within the stipulated time, the money becomes the auction house’s property.”

Qi Shaorong smiled. “Only recognizing the token and not the people? I like that rule.”

Zhuang Hao: “…”

“What’s the strength level of the Mohe Mercenary Group’s leader?” Qi Shaorong asked lazily.

“The leader is at Level Seven, and the two deputy leaders are also Level Seven,” Zhuang Hao replied.

Qi Shaorong smiled. “Is that so? Three Level Sevens—that’s quite tricky.”

Zhuang Hao glanced at Qi Shaorong and couldn’t help but notice the strange glint in his eyes.

“What are you planning?” Zhuang Hao asked.

Qi Shaorong shook his head. “Nothing. What could I be planning?”

“Young Master Zhuang, care for a sparring session?” Qi Shaorong asked.

Zhuang Hao raised an eyebrow. “Of course!”

“My cultivation isn’t as high as yours. Could you suppress your strength to Level Six?” Qi Shaorong asked.

Qi Shaorong’s eyes gleamed. Hu Feng had mentioned that he was on the verge of breaking through from Level Six to Level Seven. However, he needed real combat to make the leap.

“Of course,” Zhuang Hao replied enthusiastically.

Zhuang Hao couldn’t help but feel a bit eager. During their encounter in the secret realm, he had faced Qi Shaorong while severely weakened, and Qi Shaorong hadn’t used his full abilities either. Zhuang Hao still hadn’t fully gauged Qi Shaorong’s true strength.

“Light and dark magic elements are completely incompatible. How did you manage to merge both within yourself?” Zhuang Hao asked.

Qi Shaorong nodded. “It wasn’t easy. I created a cycle within my body where light and dark elements balance each other. As long as the balance is maintained, there’s no issue.”

“What if they go out of balance?” Zhuang Hao asked.

Qi Shaorong shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe I’d explode.”

“Aren’t you afraid?” Zhuang Hao frowned.

Qi Shaorong turned to look at Zhuang Hao, tilting his head with a faint, breezy smile. “Young Master Zhuang, don’t you understand how cruel this world is? Without strength, you’re worse off than a dog. If you want to stand above others, taking risks is nothing.”

Zhuang Hao’s face tightened, and he remained silent, feeling a heavy weight settle in his heart.

“Headmaster, Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao are fighting!” Li Hong burst into Hu Feng’s office, brimming with excitement.

Hu Feng’s eyes widened in surprise. “Fighting? Those two are fighting? What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure, but it looks like they’re sparring. A lot of students have skipped class to watch the commotion,” Li Hong remarked. He thought to himself how audacious the students had become. In some classrooms, not a single student was left. Even some teachers had shamelessly joined in the excitement.

Hu Feng stood up abruptly. “These students are too much! Watching such excitement without inviting their headmaster! Li Hong, bring my chair—quick! Let’s go!”

Li Hong called over a few instructors, who cheerfully carried Hu Feng’s chair to the dueling arena.

The academy’s dueling arena was surrounded by a large, enthusiastic crowd.

On the platform, Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao faced off, magical elements swirling and clashing in a fierce, evenly matched battle.

“The headmaster is here! Make way!” Li Hong shouted. The crowd quickly parted, and Hu Feng secured a prime viewing spot with ease.

“They’re really going at it!” Hu Feng exclaimed.

“Radiance of the Heavens!” Qi Shaorong unleashed a spell that cloaked him in golden light, giving him the aura of a divine being descended to earth.

Li Hong couldn’t help but marvel, “I didn’t expect Qi Shaorong’s mastery of light magic to be this advanced.”

“My disciple’s talent is, of course, exceptional,” Hu Feng said proudly.

“Headmaster, Zhuang Hao has suppressed his strength to Level Six. Who do you think will win?” Li Hong asked, leaning closer to Hu Feng.

“It’s hard to say! Both of them are extraordinary!” Hu Feng replied, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “Zhuang Hao has fused seven magical elements—gold, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, and thunder—into a unified force. The resulting power far surpasses any single-element attack.”

“But Qi Shaorong’s attribute counterbalance explosions are incredibly powerful too!” Li Hong added.

Hu Feng sighed, rubbing his temples. “Exactly! Finally, I take on a disciple, and he chooses to cultivate two opposing elements: light and darkness. Most of the problems he encounters can only be solved by himself—I’m of little help.”

The battlefield erupted with dazzling bursts of multicolored magic, eliciting gasps and cheers from the crowd of students.

Hu Feng observed the two combatants intently. “Their casting speed and magical energy are both astonishing!”

“Indeed!” Li Hong agreed. “In terms of casting speed alone, Qi Shaorong, a Level Six mage, has already surpassed the academy’s Level Eight instructors.”

“Qi Shaorong is so cool!”
“Zhuang Hao is cool too!”
“No, Qi Shaorong is definitely cooler!”

Hearing the nearby debate among the female students, Hu Feng felt a pang of exasperation. Such an intense magical duel, yet these girls were only focused on appearances.

Zhuang Family Residence

“You’re back?” Zhuang Renquan greeted Zhuang Hao.

Zhuang Hao nodded. “Yes.”

“You look to be in a good mood,” Zhuang Renquan remarked.

Zhuang Hao scratched his head awkwardly. “Do I?”

“I heard you fought Qi Shaorong to a draw,” Zhuang Renquan said.

“It was just a sparring match, not a life-and-death battle. We stopped at the right moment,” Zhuang Hao explained.

Zhuang Renquan studied him. “You held back, didn’t you?”

“No, I suppressed my strength to Level Six. If I didn’t take it seriously, I’d have lost miserably,” Zhuang Hao admitted.

Zhuang Renquan nodded. “Not holding back is the right approach. Constantly getting knocked down is quite humiliating.”

Zhuang Hao: “…”

“There’s news you might find interesting—the Mohe Mercenary Group has been completely wiped out,” Zhuang Renquan said nonchalantly.

Zhuang Hao’s head shot up. “What happened?”

Zhuang Renquan shook his head. “No idea. They were camped outside the city, and now they’re all dead.”

“When did this happen?” Zhuang Hao asked.

“Today.”

“I was with Qi Shaorong all day today—he didn’t have the opportunity to act,” Zhuang Hao said.

Zhuang Renquan smirked. “You seem quite worked up.”

Zhuang Hao stiffened, quickly suppressing his reaction. “How did the mercenaries die?”

“Poison. The entire group was killed silently,” Zhuang Renquan replied.

“A poison master?” Zhuang Hao’s eyes widened.

Zhuang Renquan nodded. “Yes. Poison masters are both feared and revered. While they may not possess great combat strength, a skilled poison master can easily kill Level Eight powerhouses. Level Nine individuals have some immunity, but even they struggle against truly advanced poisons.”

“Could it be… him?” Zhuang Hao muttered.

Zhuang Renquan eyed him. “Who are you suspecting?”

Zhuang Hao shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

“Didn’t you want to know the connection between that wood mage, Mu Tingxuan, and the Mohe Mercenary Group? I looked into it. Mu Tingxuan had a partnership with a mercenary team. However, when things went awry, the mercenaries betrayed him, killed his companions, and sold him to the auction house,” Zhuang Renquan said with a shake of his head.

“Seems like they deserved their fate,” Zhuang Hao remarked.

“Perhaps, but leaving no survivors is a ruthless move,” Zhuang Renquan noted.

“Uncle, did you find anything about Qianmian as I asked?” Zhuang Hao inquired.

Zhuang Renquan nodded. “After Qianmian made a name for himself during the Hundred Schools Battle, many became curious about his identity. Our family investigated as well. Qianmian’s background appears to be fabricated. He joined the academy three years ago, stayed low-profile, and left little impression on others.”

Zhuang Hao rested his chin on his hand. “Forget it. When it’s time to know, I’ll find out. If Qi Shaorong knew I was investigating someone close to him, he wouldn’t be happy.”

Zhuang Renquan chuckled. “What, are you afraid of him?”

Zhuang Hao laughed awkwardly. “No, why would I be afraid of him?”

Zhuang Renquan patted Zhuang Hao’s shoulder without saying more.