Battle Through the Heavens: Starting from the Jia Ma Empire

Chapter 9 Employment

Under the scorching sun, everything seemed lifeless and listless. However, Green Mountain Town at the foot of the Monster Mountain Range was a completely different story, bustling with activity.

"Please be quiet. As you all know, this time we're going into the mountains to gather herbs. Each time we recruit one hundred mercenaries, with a requirement of at least a two-star Dou Zhe level. The commission is five hundred gold coins, half paid upfront and the rest settled upon completion of the mission. No one may withdraw midway." At this moment, a middle-aged man in front of the Wan Yao Zhai explained the requirements for the mercenary mission. After seeing that no one had any objections, the middle-aged man announced that the herb-gathering mercenary mission would officially begin.

With a "boom," the mercenaries present erupted in excitement as the middle-aged man finished speaking.

Everyone knows that the jobs offered by Wan Yao Zhai are the most cost-effective, as they not only provide generous rewards but are generally not too difficult. This is because Wan Yao Zhai's herb-gathering routes have been fixed for many years and have been continuously cleared, although occasionally some reckless magical beasts might wander in.

However, for mercenaries who spent years venturing into the Monster Mountain Range, risking their lives, this risk was practically free money. Therefore, many mercenaries were extremely enthusiastic.

Looking around, the numerous mercenaries stood in orderly lines, none daring to disobey the rules of Wan Yao Zhai. There had been some reckless individuals in the past, but Wan Yao Zhai had expelled them on the spot and declared they would never treat them again. This was a serious matter for mercenaries who lived on the edge of death, constantly navigating the Monster Mountain Range. Without a healer's care, they were practically on the verge of annihilation.

Realizing the situation, the mercenaries packed up their belongings and left Qingshan Town overnight. Although they did not kill him directly, it was no different from killing him. From then on, no one dared to act recklessly in front of Wan Yao Zhai.

The recruiters continued to hire mercenaries, but none of them overestimated their abilities and did not send any mercenaries who had not reached the level of a two-star Dou Zhe. After all, the testers at Wan Yao Zhai were not fools.

Suddenly, a sinister voice came from a corner. "I wonder if my strength is enough to meet the employment requirements of Wan Yao Zhai?" At this moment, a man wearing a black cloak walked out from the crowd. His voice was gloomy and hoarse, revealing a venomous aura, but the strength he exuded was clearly at the level of a nine-star Dou Zhe.

Those around suddenly felt a chill creep over them, and they all shivered. They then turned to look at each other and began to murmur amongst themselves.

Despite this, no one stepped forward to stop them. Don't let their burly appearance fool you; these mercenaries weren't fools. This cloaked man was clearly not someone to be trifled with, and since they hadn't been hired, who would dare to intervene? That's mercenaries for you—real and ruthless. Not everyone is like Scarface, blinded by lust and wanting to have sex with another man. (Scarface has only been dead for two chapters; he's not truly dead yet. We have to drag him out and whip his corpse, hehehe.)

Upon seeing this, the middle-aged man from Wan Yao Zhai, who was explaining the mission requirements, showed a hint of surprise in his eyes, but still nodded slightly, gesturing for the man to join his team. He didn't believe anyone would dare risk offending Wan Yao Zhai just to make fun of him.

Half an hour later, the recruitment of one hundred mercenaries was completed. Just as the middle-aged man finished consulting with the doctor in the team and was about to set off, a loud shout came and made him stop in his tracks.

"Wait a minute, how could Wan Yao Zhai recruit mercenaries without the participation of our Wolf Head Mercenary Group? Does Wan Yao Zhai look down on our Wolf Head Mercenary Group?" In the distance, a group of mercenaries escorted a young man and woman as they walked towards them. Beside them was the burly man who had just shouted—Hemon.

He followed Lin Feng and his companion with bowing and scraping, looking exactly like a lapdog. But when he looked up at Wan Yaozhai and the others, he was arrogant and domineering, like a petty person who had achieved his goal.

He remembered that day when he perfectly completed the task assigned by Lin Feng. Overjoyed, Lin Feng casually bestowed upon him a bottle of Grade One Qi-Recovering Pills. This delighted him, and he also learned that Lin Feng was an alchemist. From then on, he decided to devote himself wholeheartedly to the alchemist's command, obeying his every command, even if it meant being a dog, he would still be the alchemist's dog.

Even the Wan Yao Zhai, which they hadn't dared to offend before, now had Lin Feng as their backer and were shouting loudly, showing no respect whatsoever. Not to mention, after noticing Lin Feng nod, they became even more arrogant and proud.

In reality, Lin Feng didn't care about his life or death at all. It wasn't that he was heartless; He Meng was so young and hadn't even advanced to the Dou Shi level. Even if Lin Feng used a lot of pills to bombard him, he would at most become a Dou Ling in his lifetime. With no relatives or friends, he was at best a sycophantic lackey. There were plenty of people who wanted to be his lackey; he was truly worthless. Of course, considering his diligent service, he would still receive some benefits when Lin Feng left in the future.

The scene shifts to the middle-aged man's face, whose expression is visibly grim. "My lord," he says, "our Wan Yao Zhai has already reached its required number of mercenaries. If you wish to join, I must first request permission from the head of the organization."

The middle-aged man was sweating profusely, but he still braced himself and asked Lin Feng for instructions. As for Hermon, he didn't even glance at him. If it weren't for Lin Feng, who had recently killed Mu She and forcefully taken over the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, being there, he would have already retaliated against Hermon's unreasonable words.

Seeing that the middle-aged man was almost ignoring him, Hermon was furious and immediately tried to take action.

"Step back." Lin Feng, who was standing in front, waved his hand, and Hermon's face immediately changed from furious to servile. He immediately stepped back, but still glared at the middle-aged man, indicating that he would remember this grudge.

"Don't worry, Dr. Li, our Wolf Head Mercenary Group doesn't need any commission from Wan Yao Zhai. We're just following your mining route into the Monster Mountain Range. Of course, if you need our help, we'll still pay the due commission. How about it?" As soon as Lin Feng finished speaking, his eyes narrowed, and an aura of a high-level Battle Master seemed to be uncontrollably released as he spoke.

Immediately, everyone present, except for those belonging to the Wolf Head faction, involuntarily took a few steps back, their faces grim.

"This is a high-level Battle Master!" Doctor Lin opened his mouth, speechless, upon feeling the powerful aura, and could only utter these few words. The mercenaries around him, the members of the Myriad Medicines Hall, and the Wolf Head Mercenary Group were also horrified.

Although everyone knew Lin Feng's ability to instantly kill Mu She indicated considerable strength, no one could have imagined he was actually a high-level Dou Shi. Moreover, who knew if this was his full power? Considering this, and Lin Feng's age, everyone's gaze towards him unconsciously held a hint of awe. Even the cloaked man seemed to bow slightly involuntarily.

"Haha, it's an honor to have Lord Lin Feng here. Who would dare not welcome him? I was busy dealing with some matters just now and didn't come out to greet you immediately. That's my fault. From now on, whenever you patronize Wan Yao Zhai, you'll receive a 10% discount, no, a 20% discount." A well-dressed middle-aged man walked out of Wan Yao Zhai and cupped his hands in greeting to Lin Feng.

Haha, don't blame Lin Feng for looking like a villain; you can't stand firm without being ruthless, especially on this Dou Qi Continent. Of course, he wouldn't bully others for no reason. Of course, by bullying, I mean things like murdering someone's parents, stealing their opportunities, avenging someone's death, or taking someone's wife. As for the Wan Yao Zhai incident, well, that's pretty commonplace on the Dou Qi Continent, hahaha.

This section should be included in the main text; it would allow for another hundred or two words of filler.

(End of this chapter)