Chapter 1258: Chapter 1258

1258: Chapter 1244: Little Abacus 1258: Chapter 1244: Little Abacus “According to the mercenary customs of this world, before we are completely wiped out or abandon the mission, a third party should not intervene….”

The Long Hand Clan mercenary named Li Yong, seeing Lu Ping’an approaching, took the initiative to come over and greet him.

“We are a professional mercenary team from the nearby Kawei City, this time drawn from the main forces of six large mercenary groups, specifically to investigate the incident here.”

When Lu Ping’an produced the Church high level’s Holy-emblem and credentials, he received a certain amount of respect, at least the mercenary, who originally had a “you’re stealing our business” expression, improved his attitude a bit.

As time progressed since the occurrence of the “major incident”, more and more contact methods were reactivated, and quite naturally, the closer cities were in contact more frequently.

If one city encounters trouble, the neighboring cities naturally take it very seriously…

not only because of commercial ties and neighborly relations but mainly because convention in this world is that if one family has trouble, it won’t be long before the neighbors suffer the same fate.

Whether it’s a natural disaster, Exotic Realm Invasion, virus spread, or even just a professional running amok, it’s generally not isolated to one family or city, and spreading foreknowledge and warnings is the most important way to survive.

The nearby city originally thought there were “murder cases” here, treating it as a case of mass sacrifices to Evil Gods/Outer Gods from the Exotic Realm.

Based on past experiences, if not dealt with promptly, it’s often not long before a bunch of dimensional gates appear, followed by packs of Exotic Realm Invaders…

Quite naturally, the nearby Kawei City took proactive steps, sending combat forces ahead of time.

Whether for prevention, firefighting, or fighting invaders post-failure, the more combat power, the better.

Kawei City not only recruited local, scattered combatants but also paid a hefty sum to hire many famous mercenary groups from other cities, as well as ‘passing dragons’ making a living nearby.

But by the time they had gathered, the fog had already spread out, and the entire city had lost all contact.

They were somewhat surprised by the fog here, yet they did not hesitate, with the first batch of leading ladies yet to return, the second group had already set off.

Now, a part of the reconnaissance and high-level combatants had already entered, and seeing Lu Ping’an, an “outsider” coming over, they naturally became cautious.

What’s the strength of your team leaders?”

“‘Purple Cage Hand’, ‘Golden Moon’…”

The mercenary burst out with a bunch of industry-renowned titles, but Lu Ping’an was completely clueless, who are all these people?

“Are there any Rule-levels?” Lu Ping’an asked directly.

“Er, Your Excellency Golden Moon is at the Peak Decree…”

“Then there’s no problem.”

What Lu Ping’an wanted to know was whether there were any combatants above Rule-level involved, but more importantly, whether they knew the incident was related to the fragments!

It now seemed that the answer was negative.

If there was no participation by profession mercenary above the Rule-level, they would hardly know the inside story…

On the other hand, facing the fragments without even Rule-level combat power, they were most likely ignorant and doomed.

Being watched by this young mercenary, with several pairs of watchful eyes around, they were naturally worried that Lu Ping’an might steal their opportunity…

After all, Lu’s credentials listed nothing more impressive than a fifth-tier Gardener, which in most cases couldn’t be considered effective combat power, and there was concern about what trouble a “Church high level” might bring.

You don’t think there’s some treasure inside, do you?”

This level of caution exceeded expectations and made Lu Ping’an wonder for a moment before asking.

Lu Ping’an’s seemingly casual inquiry received no immediate response.

“Ahaha, how could that be, we are here on a rescue mission…”

Lu understood after a moment’s thought.

Perhaps these mercenaries had already realized something wasn’t right here, but now, instead of reporting back to their city, they became even more active…

They suspected that the citizens here were probably doomed already and that the disaster had turned to reality, perhaps even the dimensional gates had opened.

But for mercenaries, this dire turn of events might be precisely what they hoped to find; the greatest treasure did not need to be provided by an otherworldly source.

I can pretend I didn’t see anything.”

“Haha, what are you talking about, I didn’t understand.”

The “treasure” Lu Ping’an alluded to was actually the “legacy” of this city.

A city inhabited by tens of thousands naturally holds vast wealth and resources.

The mercenaries coming to rescue could casually scoop up a bit and end up with more than their actual pay.

If the city truly suffered a disaster, these people would also genuinely rescue, of course, while conveniently taking away any valuables they could carry, which would give them full motivation.

Lu Ping’an sighed helplessly; such was the “mercenary” way, yet they were also the main forces of this world.

These war-chasing Hunting-dogs always prioritized their gains.

But at that moment, someone tugged at Lu Ping’an.

Lu Ping’an turned around, only to hear Mei Yuge speaking softly in his ear.

“Golden Moon is Hua senior sister’s title; she indeed works as a mercenary…

Sister Lu also said that she’s on her way to join us, and it’s completely normal for her to take on some tasks along the way.”

Having an acquaintance around was a good thing; maybe with her return, things would be much easier to discuss, and at least Lu Ping’an could get firsthand information.

Lu Ping’an didn’t trouble the young mercenary in front of him any further and found a place to camp and settle down temporarily.

Perhaps many had already entered and were looting while pretending to rescue.

If Lu, an outsider, had seen it and reported back, the reputation of some mercenaries would likely be ruined.

Even if Lu Ping’an said he wouldn’t speak of it, they wouldn’t believe him.

Perhaps, in their eyes, Lu had become an unwelcome guest standing in the way of their wealth…

“You’re kidding, right?!”

Effortlessly dodging a young mercenary’s ambush and pinning him to the ground, the surroundings were already littered with others laid out haphazardly.

This mercenary team had suddenly “taken a dislike” to Lu Ping’an and came to “spar” with him…

As a result, the fifteen-person team led by a Decree struggled for about forty seconds.

Their attempts at intimidation and probing turned into a joke, and Lu Ping’an earned even more cautious gazes.

But Lu knew that if he tried to enter again, he probably wouldn’t be stopped.

Mercenaries were that pragmatic; if your strength was sufficient, you could do as you wished.

However, Lu hoped to use these mercenaries to test the waters…

cough, he didn’t want to completely offend them before starting or decide without more information.

It was worth mentioning that the “fragments” once again came into play, and Lu Ping’an’s “Eye of Truth” was once again baffled…

He could feel the energy of the fragments right in front of him but couldn’t pinpoint the source.

He patiently awaited Hua Xueyi’s return and was quite curious about any changes in her.

But from noon until evening, she hadn’t come back…