Chapter 047: Departure

Wang Feng looked up at her in surprise, then lowered his head in disappointment, nervously twisting the patched hem of his clothes. “Shen Duo, with your strength now, you shouldn’t confine yourself to such a small city as Luo City.”

The timid, bullied girl he remembered was fading further and further from his memory. In her place stood a new Shen Duo: resilient, enduring, and intelligent. She no longer needed his meager protection or charity. When had this delicate girl straightened her back and walked ahead of him?

A sudden resolve ignited in Wang Feng’s heart. He did not want her to drift farther away from him; he wanted to strive as well, so that one day he might have the chance to stand at her side as an equal.

Shen Duo noticed the light in Wang Feng’s eyes and patted his shoulder. “Wang Feng, even if I leave Luo City, I will always remember you. You are my friend!”

From her storage ring, Shen Duo took out a pouch of gold coins and a scroll, pushing them toward Wang Feng. “Keep these—they will be of help to you.”

Wang Feng opened the pouch and the scroll, speechless with astonishment. He hurriedly tried to refuse. “Shen Duo, I can’t. You worked so hard for these as a mercenary. I can’t accept them.”

Shen Duo coughed awkwardly. Mercenary work was far from easy; in truth, these coins were earned from her shrewd dealings, not from any real hardship. Yu Sha, understanding her thoughts, shot her a sidelong glance.

In the end, Wang Feng could not resist Shen Duo’s insistence and accepted the two items. The scroll was a cultivation manual for illusionists that Shen Duo had found in Shen Qing’s storage pouch. She herself could not absorb spiritual illusion energy, so it was useless to her. Wang Feng, on the other hand, had good aptitude but had been too busy with life’s struggles to cultivate; he was now a five-star illusionist. With the guidance of this manual and his diligence, he would surely improve rapidly.

Standing in front of the small house, watching the girl’s figure recede into the distance, Wang Feng clenched his fists, his heart set on his new goal.

After parting with Wang Feng, Shen Duo made her way to the mercenary guild.

When the receptionist saw her enter, her smile grew brighter. “Miss Ninth! Are you here today to see if there are any suitable mercenary assignments?”

Though Shen Duo had been away for several days, her face was as cool and composed as ever, yet her eyes shone even brighter. She bowed slightly to the receptionist and approached the counter. “Please, could you help me see if there are any suitable tasks?”

The receptionist already had a good impression of her; seeing Shen Duo’s polite manners, her eyes crinkled into crescents with her smile. “Miss Ninth, just wait a moment, I’ll have a look for you.” She turned and began searching the tall cabinet behind her by task number.

Soon, she returned with a scroll, though she seemed hesitant. “This is an E-rank mission—to help deliver a shipment of goods to Niwei City. The deadline is three months, and the reward is fifty gold coins.”

It was a task suitable for a solo mercenary and the pay was quite generous. However, Niwei City was at the southernmost tip of the Bakra Empire, while Luo City was at the northernmost point. Crossing the Bakra Empire, though small by the standards of the Sacred Radiance Continent, was still a long journey. Even traveling by spirit eagle would take a week. It was precisely because of the distance that this simple delivery mission was graded E.

The receptionist hesitated, looking at Shen Duo. The journey was long and unpredictable, and Shen Duo would be traveling alone. She forced a smile. “Let me see if there are any others for you, Miss Ninth.”

She put away the scroll and was about to turn away when Shen Duo stopped her, smiling lightly. “It’s fine—let me take this one.”

Shen Duo’s grip was resolute. Seeing her determined lips, the receptionist felt, almost superstitiously, that this girl would surely complete the task. She smiled, recorded the assignment in the ledger, handed over the mission scroll, and instructed a young man working nearby to bring over the items to be delivered. She also told her that upon completion, Shen Duo’s mercenary rank would rise.

On the Sacred Radiance Continent, not only mercenary teams but individual mercenaries were ranked, just like the tasks themselves, from F to A. Becoming an ordinary mercenary required no qualifications, but becoming an elite mercenary demanded experience and hardship. Ordinary mercenaries accumulated points by completing tasks—the harder the task, the more points awarded. For team assignments, the total points were divided equally among the participants. Newcomers naturally started at F-rank, but as points were accumulated, the guild would upgrade their personal rank. Higher-ranked mercenaries could take on more difficult and lucrative assignments, earning many times more than those of lower rank. Furthermore, joining an elite mercenary team required a certain rank as well. Nothing in this world came easily. Only by continuously striving and improving oneself could one succeed—there was no such thing as a free lunch. The rules of this world were simple yet harsh. Since the captain of the Blazing Flame Mercenary Group, Lei Lie, had presented her with that distinguished guest badge, she was determined not to let him down.

“Miss Ninth, be careful on your journey. Once you reach Shak City, make sure not to ride your spirit eagle,” the receptionist warned kindly. Upon asking, Shen Duo learned that Shak City was the capital of the Bakra Empire. For centuries, there had been an unwritten rule: no flying mounts were allowed within the capital.

Shen Duo placed the delivery items into her spatial ring. Before leaving, she asked the receptionist about the Blazing Flame Mercenary Group. Every time a mercenary group reached a destination, they would report to the local guild. The vast network of the Sacred Radiance Continent’s mercenary system ensured that information spread quickly; asking the receptionist was the most direct way.

The receptionist quickly sifted through recent correspondence and found the information: The Blazing Flame Mercenary Group had just completed an A-rank mission in the capital of the Kast Empire, Kalbas, and were now resting outside the city. The Shen family’s main city was right next to Kalbas. She wondered how Lei Hang was doing now.

With thoughts of her friends, Shen Duo left the guild and went straight to a secluded deep pool. After a simple dinner, she plunged into the pool to cultivate. While Lina was selling her concentrated spirit illusion elixirs over the next two days, Shen Duo made the most of this excellent natural training ground. Yu Sha and Ben Yi were equally diligent, following their usual methods and meditating in earnest. The three—one girl and two beasts—seemed to be in a contest, each training harder than the last.

Two days later, Lina brought her the proceeds from the auction—a total of one hundred thousand gold coins. The sum was so vast that Lina had taken it upon herself to store the coins in a credit spirit stone, which she handed to Shen Duo. These stones functioned much like modern bank cards—anytime Shen Duo needed gold coins, she could withdraw them at any auction house in any city. Simple and convenient.

After bidding Lina farewell, Shen Duo slipped away from Shen Ao Fan’s watchful eyes one misty night and rented a spirit eagle at the post station, heading straight for Shak City.

As the night wind brushed past, Shen Duo, Yu Sha, and Ben Yi stood atop the giant spirit eagle, watching Luo City shrink into a mere dot behind them, their hearts full of emotion.

A few days later, the Shen family’s investigative party arrived in Luo City. Four Sky Illusionists walked the streets together, drawing an unprecedented crowd. Shen Ao Fan followed behind, head down and obsequious, hoping to trip up Shen Duo—only to find she had already disappeared without a trace. Shen Ao Fan was so furious he nearly ground his teeth to dust.

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At last, leaving this godforsaken Luo City! The first volume is finished—tomorrow, a brand new one begins. Please continue to support the story! If I were to say Wang Feng is the male lead, what would you all think? Hehe!