After such a bloody fight, everyone just wanted to breathe. But seeing this betrayal was enough to make their blood boil. They could do nothing but watch.

  ?They clenched their fists, teeth grinding, eyes turning red with pure hatred for this traitor Wang Pen. The air was thick with the smell of blood and anger.

  ?Wang Pen looked at the Iron-Fist mercenaries, then at Captain Zhao and Su Han. Finally, he looked at the two weak clients they were supposed to protect.

  ?Those two were useless in cultivation. After the wolf attack, they were already shitting themselves. Sweat was pouring down their faces as they trembled like leaves.

  ?They thought the danger was over, but then Wang Pen showed his true colors. Seeing him look at them, they nearly collapsed from fear.

  ?Wang Pen saw their terrified faces and let out a loud, nasty laugh. He looked at everyone with eyes full of cruelty.

  ?"What did you think?" he spat. "That I’d just wait for you to kill the wolves and then let you bunch of losers come after my neck?"

  ?He gave them a filthy look that made their skin crawl. "No way. I'm not giving you a chance to deal with me later. I take care of myself first."

  ?"You shameless dog! Let Chen Zu go!" one of the Iron-Fist mercenaries roared. His face was twisted in fury.

  ?"Wang Pen, you have no balls!" the man shouted again. "You're not a real man, hiding behind a hostage. If you have guts, come and fight me!"

  ?Wang Pen looked at him and gave a cold, sickening smile. "A real man, huh?"

  ?Slash!

  ?He pulled another dagger from his side and plunged it into the mercenary he was holding. The man screamed as blood sprayed out.

  ?Wang Pen’s laugh echoed through the clearing. It was the laugh of a demon.

  ?The mercenaries dug their nails into their palms. Captain Zhao’s eyes went from cold to frozen as she stepped forward.

  ?"Wang Pen, let him go," she said, her voice like ice. "I promise, no one will touch you. You can leave this place and never look back."

  ?Wang Pen looked at Captain Zhao. He licked his lips while looking her up and down in a disgusting way.

  ?"Captain Zhao... you’re damn sexy," he sneered. "It's just a shame you're so cold. Do you think I'm an idiot?"

  ?He tightened his grip on the dagger. "If I let him go, your hungry dogs will tear me apart. Just look at their eyes."

  ?Zhao looked at her team. Their eyes were full of murder. She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm even though she wanted to kill him herself.

  ?Hearing his filthy words made her skin crawl, but her team’s safety came first. She had to be a leader now.

  ?"You know I'm the Captain," she said firmly. "My word is law. No one here will go against what I say."

  ?She glanced at her team. They were vibrating with rage, but they stayed silent. They would follow her lead, no matter how much it hurt.

  ?Wang Pen laughed again. "Haha! Your people, your word... it's all talk. I’m not some kid you can just trick with sweet stories."

  ?Captain Zhao was reaching her limit. Her eyes were turning dead, like a predator about to strike. She hated being helpless, but the knife at the throat was real.

  Wang Pen saw that he had pushed them to the edge. He knew if he triggered them any more, they might just ignore the hostage and rip him apart. He took a deep breath, his cruel eyes landing on Su Han, who was staring back with a deathly chill.

  ?A nasty smirk crawled onto Wang Pen's face. "I'll let him go," he rasped. "But I have two conditions."

  ?Captain Zhao didn't blink. "Spit it out, fast!" her voice was like a frozen blade.

  ?"That brat," Wang Pen pointed his chin at Su Han. "I want you to kill him. Once he’s dead, I’ll take your friend 200 meters away. When I feel safe, I’ll let him go."

  ?The group exploded in rage. "You think we’re all like you?" one roared. "We don't stab our comrades in the back, you piece of shit!" another shouted.

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  ?"Don't be so pathetic, Wang Pen!" a third screamed. Their eyes were bloodshot, teeth grinding, looking like they wanted to peel the skin off his bones.

  ?Wang Pen just let out a filthy laugh. "Haha! That’s my deal. Take it or leave it."

  ?Captain Zhao’s gaze stayed icy. "You want us to murder a teammate to save another? We aren't bottom-feeders like you, Wang Pen."

  ?Their eyes locked. Wang Pen saw the absolute resolve in her gaze and knew that plan was a bust. He shifted his focus back to Su Han. "Fine. If you want him to live, then break your own legs."

  ?Su Han looked at him like he was looking at a pile of garbage. "You're dreaming, Wang Pen."

  ?Wang Pen’s face twisted into something demonic. Without a word, he slammed his dagger into the hostage’s arm.

  ?Squelch!

  ?The man screamed in agony. Wang Pen’s laugh rang out, sharp and mocking. Su Han’s fists tightened so hard the broken dagger in his hand groaned.

  ?Chen Zu, the hostage, felt the weight of the situation. He felt like a burden to his team. Screwing his courage, he tried to shove Wang Pen away with everything he had left.

  ?"You little rat!" Wang Pen hissed.

  ?Thwack!

  ?He stabbed the man again. Another scream. But that moment of struggle was all they needed. The others lunged forward.

  ?Su Han knew he couldn't reach them in time, and Wang Pen was about to grab the man again. He didn't think. He threw his broken dagger with every ounce of strength.

  ?Thud!

  ?The blade buried itself deep into Wang Pen’s back. A horrific shriek tore out of Wang Pen’s throat, and he dropped his weapon. Chen Zu shoved him away and scrambled back.

  ?Wang Pen reached for his knife, trying to regain control, but Captain Zhao was already there. She was a blur of steel.

  ?Slash!

  ?In one clean sweep, her sword ripped through his throat. Wang Pen’s eyes bulged. He clutched his neck, trying to hold the blood in, but it was over.

  ?Everyone exhaled in pure relief. Two mercenaries rushed to Chen Zu, shoving healing pills down his throat to stop the bleeding.

  ?Wang Pen hit the ground, his breath rattling and then stopping forever. His dead eyes stared at nothing.

  ?Su Han looked at the corpse and cursed under his breath. "Shit... I didn't get the last hit. My XP points..."

  ?He shook his head, feeling the exhaustion hit him like a truck. He looked at his own mangled body, pulled out a handful of healing pills, and shoved them into his mouth.

  ?He slumped down on the ground, gasping for air, finally letting the adrenaline fade.

  Captain Zhao swept her gaze over the aftermath. The air was heavy with the stench of iron and wet fur. She walked toward the body of one of her fallen men, her boots crunching on the dry leaves.

  ?Her fists clenched so hard the leather of her gloves groaned. The pain in her eyes was sharp, like a jagged piece of glass. This man hadn't died from a beast's claws; he was dead because of Wang Pen’s filth.

  ?"Take care of him," she said, her voice low and cracking. "Find a clean spot and bury him with respect."

  ?Thud.

  ?Two mercenaries moved forward, their faces grim, to lift their fallen brother. Zhao didn't look back as she barked out more orders.

  ?"Clean the Black Wolf Leader's carcass. Strip the prime meat and pack it for the road. Leave the rest of the trash here. We still have a mission, and that Four-Colored Snake isn't going to hunt itself."

  ?The team moved like clockwork. They knew the clock was ticking. Sniff, sniff. The scent of blood was a dinner bell for every predator in this forest. They were wounded, exhausted, and in no shape for a second round.

  ?Su Han sat on a fallen log, his breath coming in ragged hitches. Huff... huff... He was popping healing pills like candy, but his face remained pale.

  ?"Tsk, tsk... this is garbage," he muttered to himself.

  ?As his cultivation climbed, these Yellow-grade healing pills were becoming as useless as chalk. He had swallowed six already, and the deep gashes on his ribs were still stinging like hell.

  ?"I need higher-grade stuff. This low-level crap isn't cutting it anymore."

  ?He ground his teeth, cursing the system in his head.

  ?"Stupid, stingy system. Why couldn't it give me a bottle of High-grade pills? Even Middle-grade would be better than this sand."

  ?Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He remembered something.

  ?"Wait... I have 30 system points."

  ?The System Store was open. He had been so busy surviving the bloodbath that he hadn't even checked the inventory.

  ?"Su Han!"

  ?A heavy hand landed on his shoulder. Thump. Su Han flinched slightly, his hand instinctively reaching for his blade. He looked up to see Chen Qian. Beside Captain Zhao, Chen Qian was one of the heavy hitters of the Iron-Fist group, a Body Refining 7th-level warrior.

  ?Chen Qian handed him a clean bundle of cloth and smiled. It was a genuine, warm look that felt out of place in this graveyard.

  ?"Thanks, kid. Seriously. You helped save my cousin, Chen Zu. And the way you handled those wolves... damn, you’re good."

  ?Su Han took the cloth. His own clothes were shredded and soaked in gore. He had plenty of fresh gear in his System Space, but he couldn't just pull a shirt out of thin air.

  ?Tsk. If these people saw him pulling items out of a void, they’d think he had a high-level Space Ring. Those things were worth a fortune—people would kill their own mothers for one.

  ?"Next time, I'm carrying a decoy backpack," Su Han thought. "Can't have people thinking I'm a walking treasure chest."

  ?He wiped the grime off his face and forced a smile. "Don't mention it. We're in the same team for this mission. Helping each other is just how it goes."

  ?Chen Qian leaned against a tree, watching him with interest.

  ?"You’ve got real power, Su Han. Why not join the Iron-Fist Mercenary Group? This is just a small branch, but we’re one of the biggest names on the Blue Sky Continent. You’d go far with us."

  ?Su Han wiped the blood from his hands. The offer was tempting for a normal person, but he wasn't normal.

  ?"I appreciate it, Chen Qian," Su Han said, his voice calm. "But for now, I like the solo life. I need to experience the world on my own terms."

  ?Chen Qian didn't push. He wasn't the boss, and while Su Han was impressive, he wasn't a god-tier genius yet. He just nodded and patted Su Han's arm again.

  ?Suddenly, a sharp whistle cut through the air.

  ?"Move out! Now!" Captain Zhao’s voice rang out, cold and urgent.

  ?Awoooo!

  ?In the distance, the howls were changing. New shadows were moving in the treeline, lured by the massacre. The air grew colder.

  ?"The vultures are coming," Zhao hissed, her hand on the hilt of her sword. "Pack it up! We leave now!"

  ?Everyone snapped into action. Weapons were sheathed, the meat was hoisted, and the wounded were propped up. They vanished into the thick fog of the forest, leaving the dead behind.