Mercenary Harem in Murim Novel

After bowing and saying her farewell, Astrid left following Chiaki. Once again, he was left alone in the Capital, with only Jessica by his side. And now, she was still taking care of another preparation in the Royal Estate, acting as his representative to teach the officials about the new tax system which was approved by the Emperor.

"I am so busy."

Scratching the back of his head, Leo entered the Capital without any disguise. He expected the Murim Alliance to make contact with him soon, and he needed to visit their headquarters once more. So, he deliberately showed his presence.

However, he was surprised that no one approached him. Not even the guards or the martial artists. It seemed like everyone tried to avoid him.

'Strange, is there something wrong?'

Leo didn't know what had happened. Usually, he would feel gazes and whispers around him, but this time there was nothing.

For some reason, the silence was unsettling. He decided to move fast, entering the alleyway, and used an optical illusion to disappear after he ensured no eyes were watching him. Then, he joined the crowd once again in his disguise as Yang Ji to collect more information.

The people were whispering and murmuring among themselves.

"Did you hear the news? Thunder God from the Mercenary Union has become the Emperor's Right-Hand Man. Some people had seen him holding the Emperor's insignia. Not only that, he also reached 9 Stars, a terrifying power."

"Ah, yes. The Qi we felt last time belonged to him. Bloody Guards have talked about him. They said he's strong but kind. The rumors surrounding him are something that the Murim Alliance spread to scare us, I think."

"Well, I have never heard the Mercenary Union doing something awful before. Rather, they took requests from citizens and helped them. Of course, they were getting paid, but isn't that normal? We also pay someone to build our house."

"You're right."

New rumors and whispers spread through the capital, and the people talked about him in a new light. His reputation seemed to have changed.

"Interesting. This is a surprise. I have never expected them to change their attitude this fast."

He had underestimated the influence he and the Emperor had. It was good news, and he didn't have to hide anymore.

However, as he was about to leave, he saw a figure approaching him.

"Finally, I found you."

The voice was low and deep, and Leo couldn't recognize who it was.

But as the person walked toward him, he could make out his appearance.

The man was tall and muscular, wearing a long, black coat that covered his whole body. His face, half-hidden by his hat and his beard, was expressionless, and his eyes were cold.

"Even if you try to disguise yourself, you won't be able to hide the scent of blood and death."

The man grabbed Leo's collar and lifted him up.

"So, you're the Thunder God, huh? I have been looking for you for a long time, and finally, I have found you. How about coming with me and answering some questions, hmm?"

A smirk formed on his lips, and his eyes glowed in malice.

Leo frowned and sighed.

'Talk about bad luck.'

After hearing how the man talked, he could tell who he was.

"I think we can talk. Just not here. Let's find a more secluded place."

Saying that, Leo undid his disguise and grabbed the man's hand, forcing him to let go of his collar. He couldn't fight here as there were too many civilians, and he didn't want to cause a scene.

"Fine."

The man snorted and walked forward.

"Follow me. And don't try to escape. I will catch you if you do."

"No, no. Don't worry. I want to talk with you too."

Smiling, Leo followed him, trying to ignore the stares and whispers around him. Many people had seen him and the man talking. Thankfully, he was grabbed in the middle of the crowd earlier and managed to use optical illusion to hide that he was Yang Ji.

All the onlookers could see was a blurry face before it changed into Leo, the Hallowed Insect leader.

He sighed in relief and followed the man.

As he expected, the man took him to a deserted alleyway, far from the crowded streets and the noisy voices. They were alone, and no one would interrupt them.

"Now, tell me." The man glared at him and crossed his arms. "What are you?"

"Before that, do answer me first." Leo replied and crossed his arms, imitating the man. He leaned against the dirty wall and smirked. "What do Xue Wang, the Murim Alliance Leader, need from me? I thought you were pretty mad when your step-daughter left you and joined my group. You probably want to take revenge, right?"

His words caused a reaction in the man. Xue Wang's expression hardened, and his eyes sharpened.

"How dare you bring that girl up? You're just a filthy insect, and you shouldn't have dared to touch her. You-"

"Calm down, Xue Wang. There's no need to get angry." Leo interrupted him and shook his head. "You probably find me for something much more important than personal grudge. You're here because you want to ask me about the Supreme Evil, right? You think I know something about them."

Xue Wang looked pretty angry, but there was a reason hidden beneath his eyes. He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"You're correct. You do know something about them... And you must've known the reason behind this problem I have had for 25 years since I became the Murim Alliance leader."

"Do you mean your anger issue and irrational decision?" Leo teased, grinning. "Yes, I heard about it. Your anger was the reason for many wars and deaths, including the one between your former allies, the Black Dragon Clan. Well, that's all in the past. But your anger did cause another war, killing thousands of innocent people."

"You were the one who-"

"I did. But whose fault was it?" Leo interrupted him with a cold tone. "You were the one who declared war on us. I was just defending myself and my group. Anyway, what do you want from me? I don't have much time to spare. I need to meet my client after this."

"..."

Xue Wang looked annoyed and didn't say anything. However, he didn't show any intention of attacking Leo.

"Well, I need information." He eventually spoke and crossed his arms. "There's someone controlling me. I can feel it every now and then since I advanced to 8 Stars. Somebody's watching me and trying to control my anger. And this has been going on for a long time."

Leo nodded. He understood the situation very well. In fact, he did everything even though he knew Xue Wang wasn't in the right state of mind.

"And?"

However, it didn't change that the Murim Alliance had declared war on him. He had no intention of forgiving or helping him. It was his own responsibility, and he should fix it himself.

"The fault lies in you. You are weak and pathetic, relying on drugs, elixirs, and end up getting brainwashed. You were blinded by greed and anger, forgetting the teachings of your own master. Don't blame others for your shortcomings."

Fact after fact was thrown at him, and Xue Wang couldn't refute it. He could only clench his fist and bite his lips.

"Don't blame others for your own shortcomings. You did this, not me. This is the reason why your step-daughter hired me to kidnap her and join my group. You only saw her as a tool, not a human being."

Xue Wang didn't respond. He stood there, his expression unreadable.

"And now, you're here. But not for your own personal revenge or to get your step-daughter back. What is this? To ask your enemy about your anger issue? Did you hope that I would feel pity and help you?"

Leo sighed and shook his head.

"This is ridiculous. You are the reason all of this happened." He scoffed and turned around. "Anyway, I'm done. Don't expect anything from me. Go and ask the others. Maybe they will give you some tips or advice. For now, I will act as if we never met at all."

As he was about to leave, Xue Wang shouted from behind.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Do you think you can leave as you please?! I will not let you! You will tell me everything you know and cooperate with me!"

His Qi quickly gathered around his palm, creating a blue lightning that crackled wildly, hitting the wall and ground. Each time the spark hit the wall, it was destroyed and left a black mark.

"You can't run away. Tell me, do you know anything about Supreme Evil? Their name appeared in the report, and they are the one behind this. They are dangerous and need to be stopped. I won't allow you to run away."

Leo raised his eyebrows and stared at the lightning.

One of the wild sparks went in his direction. This dangerous lightning could destroy a stone pavement and turn it into ashes. However, he only raised his hand without trying to defend himself.

The spark hit his palm and disappeared. Leo didn't feel any pain at all. Not even a smoke was formed. After all, electricity and lightning were his expertise. Nothing could hurt him.

"Let me tell you one thing in case you misunderstand me, Xue Yang." Leo's voice was cold and sharp. "You don't have any authority to order me around. Don't think that you can control me or force me to do anything. I am not afraid of you. And the only reason stopping me from killing you is my promise with Wandering Sword Saint, so... Consider yourself lucky."

After saying his part, Leo walked away. Xue Yang was speechless, and his Qi disappeared. He was left standing there, looking at the back of the Hallowed Insect's leader.

'How can he block my Qi attack like that? That's impossible!'

He was in disbelief. His Qi was one of the strongest, and his technique was known throughout the continent.

'Could it be the power of a 9 Stars Qi?' Has he really reached that level?

But that was impossible.

No one had ever achieved 9 Stars.

There should be no one.

"That realm shouldn't exist!"