Chapter 69: The Blind Mercenary Group
Before he could even speak, the Waiter's shrewd eyes darted between the two of them, and he wore a knowing, suggestive smile.
"Customer, you see it's getting late, and the other inns in town are likely full as well."
"I see the two of you are a perfect match, and I heard this young lady calling you 'Brother' the whole time."
"Since you're siblings traveling together, staying in the same room would mean you can look out for each other, right?"
"How about... the two of you just make do for one night?"
Hearing this, Xiao Wu, who was standing behind Lin Yuan, felt her face flush red instantly.
Although the two of them lived in the same dormitory at Nuoding Academy and even had some intimate contact occasionally...
Booking a room outside, and only one at that... this feeling was completely different!
"Who... who's staying in a room with him!"
Xiao Wu muttered softly, twisting the corner of her clothes with her fingers, yet she showed no intention of turning to leave.
Lin Yuan glanced at the shy Xiao Wu, then looked at the sky outside which was gradually darkening.
"Fine, one room it is."
Lin Yuan tossed out a gold coin and said calmly, "Lead the way. Also, send up some hot water and your signature dishes."
"Right away! This way upstairs, please!"
The Waiter beamed and was just about to lead the way.
Right then, the tavern's main door was suddenly pushed open heavily. A wave of noisy clamor, accompanied by the thick stench of alcohol, surged in.
Immediately after, a group of burly men wearing black leather armor and possessing ferocious expressions walked in.
The leader was a bald, muscular man with knotted muscles and a hideous scar extending from the corner of his eye to his chin.
As soon as they entered, the originally noisy tavern hall fell significantly quieter.
Clearly, this was a mercenary group that spent their lives on the edge of a blade, and they were not to be trifled with.
The bald man's gaze swept around casually and suddenly fixed on Xiao Wu, who was about to go upstairs.
Instantly, his cloudy eyes erupted with an undisguised, lewd light.
Currently, Lin Yuan and Xiao Wu had only been practicing for about two years.
However, due to their Cultivation and spirit rings, they had developed far beyond their peers. Their figures looked like those of normal teenage youths.
Especially Xiao Wu.
Her long, beautiful legs, her face as delicate as a porcelain doll, and that Aura of youthful vitality made her look like a white swan that had fallen into a flock of sheep in this place full of rough men.
She was too eye-catching!
"Oho!"
The bald man whistled, pushed aside the Waiter who was blocking his path, and walked straight over.
His unscrupulous gaze was like it wanted to scrape a layer of flesh off Xiao Wu.
"Tsk tsk tsk, to think I'd see such a top-quality little chick in this small place?"
The burly man blocked the stairs, looking down at Xiao Wu. Drool escaped the corner of his mouth as he let out a sickening laugh:
"Little sister, you're quite delicate. Didn't the adults in your family teach you?"
"The area near the Star Dou Great Forest is very dangerous. There are man-eating Spirit Beasts... and bad uncles everywhere."
"Do you want big brother here to protect you?"
As he spoke, he even reached out with a large hand covered in black hair, intending to flick Xiao Wu's chin.
Seeing this, the surrounding diners lowered their heads one after another, not daring to mind other people's business.
This 'Black Tiger Mercenary Group' was the local bully; no one wanted to court trouble.
Looking at the dirty hand reaching toward her, the shyness in Xiao Wu's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a touch of icy coldness.
She was a hundred-thousand-year Hooligan Rabbit, not some little white rabbit to be slaughtered at will!
However, before she could act...
A slender, powerful hand suddenly reached out from the side, firmly gripping the burly man's wrist.
"Take your dirty hand away."
Lin Yuan stood in front of Xiao Wu, his pupils deep as a pool, his voice so calm that not a single ripple could be heard.
"Otherwise, I don't mind helping you chop it off."
The originally noisy hall now became pin-drop silent, the air seemingly frozen.
Everyone's gaze focused on the two figures at the base of the stairs.
The Waiter shrunk behind the counter, trembling slightly.
He never expected that these two delicate-looking youths would actually dare to go head-to-head with the locally famous 'Black Tiger Mercenary Group'.
"Kid, let go!"
The bald man's face had already turned the color of pig liver.
He originally just wanted to tease the little girl, but who would have thought that the slender hand gripping his wrist would be like a pair of iron pliers!
No matter how hard he tried to pull away, even to the point where the veins on his forehead were bulging, that hand remained completely motionless!
Stable as Mount Tai!
"Let go? Fine."
The corner of Lin Yuan's mouth curled into a cold arc as he applied a slight amount of force with his fingers.
Crack!
A crisp sound of bone grinding against bone rang out, followed by a scream from the burly man.
"Ah!"
With a casual flick from Lin Yuan, the burly man staggered back several steps, nearly falling on his backside.
"You bastard!!"
Having lost so much face in front of so many subordinates and diners, the lewdness in the man's eyes instantly turned into a burst of murderous rage.
"You refuse the easy way and choose the hard way!"
"I didn't expect you to have quite a bit of strength, kid!"
"But I'm putting it plainly today: since you dare to oppose me, Black Tiger, your path ends here!"
Boom!
Following the man's roar, a violent surge of spirit power erupted from within his body.
"Black Tiger! Possession!"
His already stalwart body expanded once more, black fur sprouted from beneath his skin, his hands transformed into sharp tiger claws, and three spirit rings slowly rose from beneath his feet.
White, Yellow, Yellow.
Although the spirit ring configuration was garbage—with the first ring even being a ten-year one—the Realm represented by those three rings was the real deal: a Spirit Elder!
A Spirit Elder over Rank 30!
In this vicinity, he indeed had the capital to be arrogant.
"Oh! Boss is getting serious!"
"Hahaha! To deal with two little brats who haven't even been weaned yet, Boss actually used his Spirit?"
"That kid is dead meat! Daring to provoke our Black Tiger Mercenary Group, we'll tear his bones apart and feed them to the dogs later!"
Seeing their boss activate his Spirit, the subordinates behind him crossed their arms and began to jeer with playful expressions.
In their eyes, this was nothing more than a one-sided slaughter.
"A Spirit Elder..."
Xiao Wu frowned slightly as she looked at the aggressive Black Tiger man.
She was currently only Rank 18. Although her Physique was powerful, when facing a Spirit Elder over Rank 30, the Rank suppression still existed.
"Brother, what do we do now?"
Xiao Wu turned to look at Lin Yuan, her eyes devoid of fear.
Lin Yuan stepped forward, shielding Xiao Wu behind him.
"Xiao Wu, leave this big guy to me. As for those noisy flies in the back..."
Lin Yuan glanced at the jeering subordinates. "I'll leave them for you to handle. No problem, right?"
Hearing this, a sweet smile instantly bloomed on Xiao Wu's originally serious face, and she squeezed her delicate little fists.
"Hehe, no problem!"
"I'll just use them to practice!"
...