Talismans fell off the backs of Wu Long, Feng Yi and Shen Min as the former wryly smiled as the mercenaries around them very slowly moved like the shadows of statues move as the moon crosses the sky at night. If not looking directly, one could think they were not moving at all.
In truth Wu Long did not intend to cut the charade short just yet, but as the rowdy mercenary talked more smack he could feel the seething rage of two beauties beside him becoming stronger and stronger, which would have blown their cover in a few moments anyway so he just gave up listening in and chimed into the discussion.
Most of the information they gave up was not unique or new to him anyway. And as the discussion diverged from the situation it was unlikely for them to return to that topic any time soon.
'I guess I have to be grateful I was able to at least confirm someone a bit more important is coming'
He chuckled as he saw the slow motion show around him while the three high-ranking mercenaries still were frozen in place, possibly because he was looking at them while the others felt less threatened simply because his focus was not on them.
"Ha! He's come just in time!"
The rowdy mercenary suddenly grinned as he threw the chewing tobacco in his mouth, but this time instead of just chewing it normally, infusing his Spiritual Qi into it in the process.
His pupils dilated and the whites of his eyes became red from broken blood vessels. Veins popped up on his neck and on the sides of his face, and on the hand that peeked out of the robes as he took out a heavy saber.
"Wai-..."
"Unrestrained Mountain Srike!!!"
The more even-headed second mercenary took out a similar pouch almost simultaneously but was already too late as the second one rushed forward, raising his saber high as Spiritual Qi covered it.
"I'll leave the rest to you two, though I'll help if it gets tricky"
Wu Long chuckled as he stepped forward and raised his right hand which resembled a hand of a scholar or a musician.
His thumb and middle finger pinched the blade of the heavy saber that was slashing from a high position, stopping it dead in its tracks as the Spiritual Qi covering it cracked and shattered while residual wind blew in all directions.
Metallic sounds, shouting and screams of agony instantly started ringing all around them as Shen Min's chakrams began a dance of death, while Feng Yi mostly took a defensive position.
"Wha-...?!"
In the middle of all the chaos, only Wu Long and the three high-ranking mercenaries stood still. The rowdy mercenary's eyes almost popped out of their sockets at the sight of the saber in front of him as the webbing between his fingers on the handle of the saber burst from the impact of the sudden stop.
"Hiiiek!!! I-it's over...! it-... it's all over... we're all dead..."
"Shut up! H-hold it together you idiot!"
A shriek of horror resounded from behind the mercenary as even the second mercenary's voice that followed was slightly shaky and more high-pitched than usual.
"This!... Fuckin... Fff.. mmm-move damnit!!!"
The rowdy mercenary became more and more desperate as he felt like the saber was one whole with a solid metal object going deep into the ground, unmovable in any way, not even slightly shaking as he tugged on it with his whole body.
"Hmm, a 7th-tier Heavy Saber... but poorly made, useless"
Wu Long looked at the weapon in his hands and shook his head as he found it?was more of a mass-production quality, and not even up to standard for mass-production, barely put together. He gradually put more fingers on the blade as he spoke.
Sparks of electricity flashed around his fingers holding the saber, and through the weapon, as the mercenary suddenly jolted and then stiffened up, halting any movements.
"I honestly don't care much about you talking smack, and not like you said something that wrong, but I do have ladies to keep happy so I have to be a bit cruel in how I go about this"
He casually moved the saber to the side as he stepped forward, and his left hand that was free went up to the man's throat.
"Kh!"
The two behind the mercenary did not move, their feet getting heavier by the second as they watched their colleague's body lifting into the air as the saber fell to the floor beside with a dull and heavy thud.
"Hmm, I think you said breaking neck with bare hands"
Wu Long struggled to remember the exact insults, which did not register in his mind, while the man in his arms watched with round eyes rapidly filling with various emotions, unable to even lift his hands to grip the wrist that was holding him by the neck as his whole body was numb and unresponsive.
"Kkh...k!"
*Snap*
A loud cracking noise resounded as Wu Long's hand clenched, a very vivid and disturbing popping sound that brought goosebumps to the two remaining high-rank mercenaries. The neck itself now had an unnatural form molded by the fingers that squeezed it.
*Thud*
The body was carelessly thrown to the side like a sack full of garbage as two cold, indifferent eyes were revealed to the two mercenaries. There was no amusement or joy, no thrill or satisfaction, no hatred, gloating, proof of superiority or even a spec of care in those eyes. Just indifference.
The one who still held his sword, slowly let it down as a self-
deprecating smile started appearing on his face.
"Shit..."
Was one word that came out of his mouth as the other one was already frothing at his mouth, crying and pissing himself while Wu Long casually walked toward them.
---
The two met a swift end, since the main target of Shen Min's and Feng Yi's anger was the rowdy mercenary.
Wu Long stood in the aftermath, holding a pouch in his hands and curiously examining the contents.
He was constantly monitoring the situation around, but Shen Min eliminated most of her opponents with ease even as they boosted their performance, and Feng Yi held her own against lower-ranking mercenaries.
By the end, the red-haired beauty looked around with widened eyes as she was catching her breath, and looking at her own hands seemingly in disbelief.
'Hah, Ling'er might get her student back earlier than expected'
Wu Long chuckled as he took a glance in her direction.
"Anything new?"
Shen Min walked up to him, cleaning her chakrams.
"Mm, nice job. As for anything new... well there is one thing, but it's not that unexpected. Just off-putting"
Wu Long smiled to her first, and then turned his gaze back at the contents of the pouch he held in his hands.
Talismans fell off the backs of Wu Long, Feng Yi and Shen Min as the former wryly smiled as the mercenaries around them very slowly moved like the shadows of statues move as the moon crosses the sky at night. If not looking directly, one could think they were not moving at all.
In truth Wu Long did not intend to cut the charade short just yet, but as the rowdy mercenary talked more smack he could feel the seething rage of two beauties beside him becoming stronger and stronger, which would have blown their cover in a few moments anyway so he just gave up listening in and chimed into the discussion.
Most of the information they gave up was not unique or new to him anyway. And as the discussion diverged from the situation it was unlikely for them to return to that topic any time soon.
'I guess I have to be grateful I was able to at least confirm someone a bit more important is coming'
He chuckled as he saw the slow motion show around him while the three high-ranking mercenaries still were frozen in place, possibly because he was looking at them while the others felt less threatened simply because his focus was not on them.
"Ha! He's come just in time!"
The rowdy mercenary suddenly grinned as he threw the chewing tobacco in his mouth, but this time instead of just chewing it normally, infusing his Spiritual Qi into it in the process.
His pupils dilated and the whites of his eyes became red from broken blood vessels. Veins popped up on his neck and on the sides of his face, and on the hand that peeked out of the robes as he took out a heavy saber.
"Wai-..."
"Unrestrained Mountain Srike!!!"
The more even-headed second mercenary took out a similar pouch almost simultaneously but was already too late as the second one rushed forward, raising his saber high as Spiritual Qi covered it.
"I'll leave the rest to you two, though I'll help if it gets tricky"
Wu Long chuckled as he stepped forward and raised his right hand which resembled a hand of a scholar or a musician.
His thumb and middle finger pinched the blade of the heavy saber that was slashing from a high position, stopping it dead in its tracks as the Spiritual Qi covering it cracked and shattered while residual wind blew in all directions.
Metallic sounds, shouting and screams of agony instantly started ringing all around them as Shen Min's chakrams began a dance of death, while Feng Yi mostly took a defensive position.
"Wha-...?!"
In the middle of all the chaos, only Wu Long and the three high-ranking mercenaries stood still. The rowdy mercenary's eyes almost popped out of their sockets at the sight of the saber in front of him as the webbing between his fingers on the handle of the saber burst from the impact of the sudden stop.
"Hiiiek!!! I-it's over...! it-... it's all over... we're all dead..."
"Shut up! H-hold it together you idiot!"
A shriek of horror resounded from behind the mercenary as even the second mercenary's voice that followed was slightly shaky and more high-pitched than usual.
"This!... Fuckin... Fff.. mmm-move damnit!!!"
The rowdy mercenary became more and more desperate as he felt like the saber was one whole with a solid metal object going deep into the ground, unmovable in any way, not even slightly shaking as he tugged on it with his whole body.
"Hmm, a 7th-tier Heavy Saber... but poorly made, useless"
Wu Long looked at the weapon in his hands and shook his head as he found it?was more of a mass-production quality, and not even up to standard for mass-production, barely put together. He gradually put more fingers on the blade as he spoke.
Sparks of electricity flashed around his fingers holding the saber, and through the weapon, as the mercenary suddenly jolted and then stiffened up, halting any movements.
"I honestly don't care much about you talking smack, and not like you said something that wrong, but I do have ladies to keep happy so I have to be a bit cruel in how I go about this"
He casually moved the saber to the side as he stepped forward, and his left hand that was free went up to the man's throat.
"Kh!"
The two behind the mercenary did not move, their feet getting heavier by the second as they watched their colleague's body lifting into the air as the saber fell to the floor beside with a dull and heavy thud.
"Hmm, I think you said breaking neck with bare hands"
Wu Long struggled to remember the exact insults, which did not register in his mind, while the man in his arms watched with round eyes rapidly filling with various emotions, unable to even lift his hands to grip the wrist that was holding him by the neck as his whole body was numb and unresponsive.
"Kkh...k!"
*Snap*
A loud cracking noise resounded as Wu Long's hand clenched, a very vivid and disturbing popping sound that brought goosebumps to the two remaining high-rank mercenaries. The neck itself now had an unnatural form molded by the fingers that squeezed it.
*Thud*
The body was carelessly thrown to the side like a sack full of garbage as two cold, indifferent eyes were revealed to the two mercenaries. There was no amusement or joy, no thrill or satisfaction, no hatred, gloating, proof of superiority or even a spec of care in those eyes. Just indifference.
The one who still held his sword, slowly let it down as a self-
deprecating smile started appearing on his face.
"Shit..."
Was one word that came out of his mouth as the other one was already frothing at his mouth, crying and pissing himself while Wu Long casually walked toward them.
---
The two met a swift end, since the main target of Shen Min's and Feng Yi's anger was the rowdy mercenary.
Wu Long stood in the aftermath, holding a pouch in his hands and curiously examining the contents.
He was constantly monitoring the situation around, but Shen Min eliminated most of her opponents with ease even as they boosted their performance, and Feng Yi held her own against lower-ranking mercenaries.
By the end, the red-haired beauty looked around with widened eyes as she was catching her breath, and looking at her own hands seemingly in disbelief.
'Hah, Ling'er might get her student back earlier than expected'
Wu Long chuckled as he took a glance in her direction.
"Anything new?"
Shen Min walked up to him, cleaning her chakrams.
"Mm, nice job. As for anything new... well there is one thing, but it's not that unexpected. Just off-putting"
Wu Long smiled to her first, and then turned his gaze back at the contents of the pouch he held in his hands.
