Chapter 456: Chapter 22: The First Backer
When people from Five Saints Town come, they inevitably visit Helen Tavern for a few drinks, as per the words of Niu Er, Tax Officer.
Especially after Lady Qingyan’s reminder, Peng Bo and Jin Nuo were even more cautious.
That evening, they dressed in casual clothes and showed up at Helen Tavern together with Niu Er, Tax Officer.
As soon as they entered the tavern, Little Jinuo noticed that the small tavern was excessively lively.
Brawny mercenaries, bare-chested and seemingly drunk, were loudly joking with prostitutes in their arms, but upon closer inspection, each of them was equipped with shiny weapons at their waists and legs.
The still-charming lady proprietor had just noticed Niu Er, Tax Officer, and immediately came over to him.
After a few risqué jokes, Niu Er, Tax Officer was completely spellbound, his tongue even starting to tie itself in knots.
Little Jinuo was responding politely, but his mind was highly alert; he ordered some of the tavern’s recommended beers and sat in a corner, sipping his drink.
After a few sips, Little Jinuo nodded in approval, affirming the reputation of Helen Tavern’s beverages.
The drink in his hand, something he had never tasted elsewhere in the continent, was light, with a rich foam, and had a unique flavor compared to the strong liquor he drank in Imperial City.
With each sip, Little Jinuo’s expression relaxed more — this beer, only available in Five Saints Town, was delightful, especially in the heated tavern; it was an enjoyably perfect sensation.
Little Jinuo couldn’t help but envy the everyday life of the mercenaries of Five Saints Town.
Just then, a commotion broke out ahead, not far from where Little Jinuo was sitting.
A young teenage mercenary was desperately pleading with a few burly men drinking.
"Brother, let us join your Mercenary Group. We only want to experience the Ancient Hero Treasure," Little Jinuo glanced at the newcomer, noting the half-faced gold leaf mask and the handsome features underneath, marked with the Two-star Mercenary insignia.
"Go away," the flushed-cheeked, burly mercenaries dismissively waved him off, sending the handsome young man flying back, "With your team’s strength, you’d only drag us down."
"Brother, we won’t hold you back, we’re good at escaping, and we know everything about the town, we won’t cause any trouble for you," the young man still pleaded pitifully.
Little Jinuo examined him, noting that although thin and just a Two-star Mercenary, he had one advantage — he was a local mercenary of Five Saints Town.
When entering Five Saints Town, Little Jinuo had been worried; despite his strength, lacking the company of local mercenaries familiar with the town could be a significant disadvantage in the quest for the Ancient Hero Treasure.
If local mercenaries were needed, they had to be absolutely controllable; using Niu Er, Tax Officer’s words, it would be like having some extra cannon fodder.
The young mercenary in front of him was young and seemed reliable; he and his mercenary friends were probably not very strong, making them ideally suited as guides and cannon fodder.
With these thoughts, Little Jinuo stepped forward and politely invited him to join them for a drink.
After a whole cup of liquor, the young man’s face flushed pink, and his eyes sparkled with flecks of starlight.
Perhaps it was the alcohol that eliminated the barriers between people, as the originally timid and feeble young man began to talk more.
It didn’t take much effort for Little Jinuo to carefully steer the conversation towards the hottest topic of the Ancient Hero Treasure.
Speaking of the Ancient Hero Treasure, the young man muttered resentfully, glancing around, "It’s a pity, our team is too weak, no one is willing to take us into the Ancient Heroic Tomb. I don’t ask for anything else, just to go there once, so I’d have something to boast about when drinking with others in the future."
Little Jinuo stared at the young man, noticing his eyes turned red, reminiscent of a small rabbit, with a blush spreading over his wheat-colored skin, adding an indescribable charm.
Realizing his heartbeat hastened slightly, Little Jinuo coughed a few times, then said boldly, "Young brother, don’t worry, we just happen to need some local mercenaries as guides. Join us, and the Empire will reward you handsomely."
"So you are from the Military Department, no wonder you carry such an impressive aura; I felt you were extraordinary the moment you walked in. As a citizen of the Empire, it’s only right to serve the country," the young man said with admiration, then lowered his voice, "That’s great, with you guys, we can safely enter the Ancient Heroic Tomb."
With that, the young man pulled out a Mercenary Manual, indicating he was a Two-star Mercenary named Yue Jinghua, and his July Mercenary Team had been formed only a couple of months ago.
"In that case, young brother Yue, join us in entering the Ancient Heroic Tomb, it would be good to have each other’s support." Seeing that Little Jinuo had agreed, Yue Jinghua revealed a fox-like smile, successful in his ploy.
Meanwhile, Helen had spun Niu Er, the Tax Officer, into a daze, then glanced at Yue Jinghua’s location, and sighed inwardly, "Ah, another cannon fodder, it’s unclear who’s playing who."
After securing backing for the July Mercenary Team, Yue Jinghua left Helen Tavern quite satisfied, and unexpectedly encountered someone upon his return to White Moon Pavilion.
"Ziyu, why are you back?" Sitting in Yue Jinghua’s room and waiting anxiously was none other than Guo Ziyu, who was earlier secretly sent back to Fengdan County by Yue Jinghua.
Today, only Guo Ziyu came, and Yue Jinghua didn’t see Ximing.
"Jinghua, Ximing is missing," Guo Ziyu said anxiously.
With Yue Jinghua’s help, she had silently left Five Saints Town, evading pursuit from the Divine Court.
Initially thinking she and her husband could live peacefully in hiding in Fengdan County, Ximing had suddenly disappeared a few days ago.
"When I woke up, he was gone, and nobody in the county knew where he went. However, I heard that a few days ago, someone had seen the Core Judgement Officer in town," Guo Ziyu was most worried that Ximing had returned to the Divine Court.
Nowadays, Fengdan County had been tightly secured by Yue Jinghua, even the agents of the Divine Court couldn’t make a move there unnoticed.
The only possibility was that Ximing left voluntarily.
Previously, Ximing had also mentioned that Sha Yan had imprinted a Ghost Soldier Pattern on him; maybe this time the Core Judgment Officer’s arrival also brought a method to activate it.
Another possibility is that, for some reason, Ximing voluntarily returned to the Divine Court.
Regardless of which it was, for Ximing, who had once willingly betrayed the Divine Court, it was uncertain what kind of severe punishment he awaited.
To avoid upsetting the already agitated Guo Ziyu further, Yue Jinghua could only first try to soothe her.
"Don’t panic yet, the Divine Court also needs participants for the Ancient Hero Treasure expedition, and they’re short of people; they won’t rashly harm Ximing. Pack up, and in a few days, join us in entering the Ancient Heroic Tomb," Yue Jinghua persuaded.