Chapter 1969: Snow Lotus of the Scar
Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
Nanyu was a calm person, but her eyes were obviously br.i.m.m.i.n.g with joy.
They had not met one another since the World College Tournament, yet fate had brought them all to Tianshan Mountain.
The eight of them were almost the whole team!
The rest of the team were either incompatible with them or were in opposing factions. It would not be a coincidental gathering if they were here too…
“A powerful Mage must visit Tianshan Mountain at least once!” Ai Jiangtu sounded quite obsessed with Tianshan Mountain.
Many people were obsessed with Tianshan Mountain, but they were a little hesitant at first due to how mysterious and dangerous the place was. However, they felt more confident now that everyone was here.
“When are you guys heading out?” Zhao Manyan asked.
“If only you had come here earlier! The four of us have already joined a group of mercenaries. After all, we aren’t familiar with the weather, wind, terrain, distribution of demon creatures, and how we should react during an emergency. Just collecting information isn’t enough since we all lack experience,” Jiang Yu sighed.
“It’s not a bad idea to follow a group around.”
“Why don’t you all join the same group then? They are still looking for members. We’ll ask the leader to arrange for us to be on the same team. Following an experienced group will save us a lot of trouble,” Nanyu encouraged them.
Their cultivation did not really matter if the environment was terrible. What mattered was their experience and their ability to adapt to circ.u.mstances.
“It’s a long journey through the Rift Valley. It’s necessary for us to stick with a group,” Lingling said.
If they had not stumbled into Ai Jiangtu and the others, Lingling had also been planning that they join a bigger Hunter Group. Nanyu’s choice of a more disciplined and well-trained group of mercenaries was not a bad idea either!
“At least three thousand Mages have gone into the Rift Valley, but I bet only a few made it to the end. It doesn’t matter, since they can still obtain valuable resources along the way,” Guan Yu spoke up.
Guan Yu occasionally glanced at Mu Ningxue as he spoke, but he had noticed that Mu Ningxue was sitting very close to Mo Fan. Their skin was almost touching.
Only lovers would sit so close to one another!
Guan Yu knew his chance of building a relations.h.i.+p with Mu Ningxue was slim to nothing ever since Fanxue Mountain had been established, but he still felt uncomfortable when he saw Mo Fan and Mu Ningxue acting so intimately.
—
Mercenaries were similar to Hunters, but mercenaries were usually more organized, like actual military. Their members were usually fairly fixed.
Hunters were more casual and freewheeling. They were constantly on the move, chasing after quests with handsome rewards. Ai Jiangtu was used to the military, so he preferred to join a group of mercenaries instead of a Hunter Group.
A group of mercenaries would normally be considered elites among the Hunters. The mercenary group Ai Jiangtu had chosen was ranked in the top three in Asia. It had around a hundred and ten members, split into ten teams.
Mo Fan and his crew were a.s.signed to the ninth team of the Mailong Private Military Company. It turned out that Ai Jiangtu was quite close to the Vice Leader of the mercenary group. Without that connection, it would be unusual for a mercenary group with fixed members to bring in so many strangers at once.
“The Mailong Private Military Company… even a renowned organization based in Dubai has come to Tianshan Mountain. It’s going to be bustling on the mountain!” Zhao Manyan exclaimed.
The Mailong Private Military Company was reputable throughout Asia. Its members were strong and reliable. The jobs they took were not just quests submitted by the Hunter Alliance. They were even hired to fight in some of the wars in the Middle East!
Zhao Manyan was quite at ease after joining the mercenary group.
“I heard the Mailong Private Military Group has its own city in the Middle East?” Jiang Shaoxu asked him.
“Yes, they do have their own city. They collect tax from the residents just like a normal government, but their main focus is still on mercenary jobs and exploration. They have been sponsored by the Liden Royal Family to explore the Scar of Tianshan Mountain. The Liden Royal Family wants to make a name for themselves, but they are also looking for the Snow Lotus of the Scar to treat their queen’s illness,” Ai Jiangtu told the rest of them.
“The Liden Royal Family is quite wealthy and imposing,” Zhao Manyan exclaimed.
“Your family is here too. They have hired one of the top Hunter Groups in our country,” Guan Yu mentioned to him.
Zhao Manyan twisted his lips. He did not comment on the topic.
He had no clue what Zhao Youqian was up to. The man had hired one of the most expensive Hunter Groups in the country!
It was not like they were traveling to the moon to raise their flags on it.
“What illness is the queen of the Liden Royal Family suffering from?” Mo Fan asked. He had heard something about the queen from Xinxia.
Tata did not let Xinxia use her Spell of Resurrection because she was hoping Xinxia would reserve her remaining energy for the queen, earning the Liden Royal Family’s support.
Both Xinxia and Izisha had tried to cure the queen’s illness, but it was beyond their capabilities!
“It’s not really an illness… but she has reached the end of her lifespan. Not everyone can live for a hundred years. Some people have already reached their limit in their fifties or sixties. It’s not that complicated,” Jiang Yu said.
Mo Fan only realized the truth after hearing Jiang Yu’s words. No wonder both Izisha and Xinxia were unable to do anything about it!
Even the Spell of Resurrection was not going to save someone who had reached the end of their lifespan. The Spell of Resurrection did not make a person immortal. It was not going to work for someone who was dying a natural death!
“I know a thing or two about the Liden Royal Family. The queen isn’t on friendly terms with her first grandson. She wants her youngest grandson to be her successor. She even wrote it into her will, but her youngest grandson is still in his mother’s womb. She will only give birth half a year from now. A kid who isn’t born doesn’t have the right to be her successor. If the queen can’t live until her little grandson is born, all her wealth will fall into her first grandson’s hands,” Zhao Manyan told everyone.
“The Snow Lotus of the Scar can extend a person’s lifespan. Rumors say it can make a person live at least three to five years longer, up to ten years at most, so the queen is willing to spend a fortune to hire the Mailong Private Military Company,” Jiang Shaoxu said.
“That’s fine, they can look for the Snow Lotus of the Scar while we look for our Totem Beasts,” Zhao Manyan said.
“What Totem Beasts?” Nanyu asked with glittering eyes.
Zhao Manyan put on an awkward face when he realized he had carelessly spilled the beans.
“We are here to look for a Totem Beast,” Jiang Shaoxu explained quickly. She believed there was no need to keep it a secret.
“The Sacred Tiger of Tianshan Mountain?” Nanyu asked sharply.
“You know about it?” Jiang Shaoxu was surprised.
“Did you forget? I’m very interested in our ancient heritage, and the most mysterious heritage of our country is the Totem Beasts!” Nanyu said confidently.