Chapter 65: Who Dares Stand Against Us?

The mastiffmen ruthlessly dragged out the elderly rabbitfolk, executing them without hesitation. After rummaging their bodies for valuables, they nonchalantly fed the remains to the war wolves feasting nearby. Several mastiffmen searched through the trembling rabbitfolk, targeting the more attractive females and dragging them away with a brutish force.

Heart-wrenching cries echoed, but no one mustered the courage to resist or flee.

Ling quivered silently behind Wu Qingsong. The grim scene behind them was a haunting reminder of her past ordeal. Was this what she had narrowly escaped when ensnared by those slavers?

Had her path crossed with someone other than Wu Qingsong…

Holding the reins with one hand, Wu Qingsong used the other to gently clasp Ling’s, offering a silent comfort.

His body too subtly trembled with suppressed rage. However, they were severely outnumbered, two hundred fully armed mastiffmen, nearly twenty menacing war wolves, and in the distance, two commanding half-elves astride their ferocious mounts.

This was a confrontation they couldn’t afford, even if they were to awaken Liuli’s latent powers.

“Stay your hand,” Harold, sensing Wu Qingsong’s rising anger, cautioned in a hushed tone. “Provoking them here achieves nothing. Not only will you fail to save anybody but also puts us in danger. Regardless of your intentions, now is not the moment.”

Wu Qingsong responded with a silent nod of agreement.

But as they sought to hasten their departure, a scantily clad mastiffman audaciously blocked their path.

“Bold of you to spy on our military activities,” he taunted, lunging for Wu Qingsong’s reins.

“We are Riniconia’s Mercenary Group,” Harold shot back defiantly.

“A Mercenary Group? Looking like you lot?” The mastiffman burst into raucous laughter. “A cripple, a greenhorn, and two delicate lasses? Haha! I’m feeling generous today. Hand over your horses, and I might let you go.”

Anger surged within Wu Qingsong, but Harold subtly signaled him to hold back. “Soldier, watch your tongue. This is Lord Tagraedi of the Sanghel Principality. Best be cautious, lest you wish to court unwanted trouble.”

The mastiffman narrowed his eyes. Harold exuded a calm confidence, but he hardly seemed the type to be in the entourage of any significant figure. And the ‘Lord Tagraedi’ he spoke of, despite being a half-elf, appeared far too youthful and not the powerful warrior one might expect of nobility.

“Think you can bluff me?” he thundered. “Get off your horse, or I’ll end you.”

Wu Qingsong, almost instinctively, touched the ring he wore. Seeing this, Harold discreetly nodded and whispered, “Don’t say anything. Be as arrogant as you can and take him down quickly.”

Taking the hint, Wu Qingsong dismounted and approached the taunting mastiffman, who roared defiantly, “Do you really think you stand a chance against me?”

The atmosphere grew electric as the surrounding mastiffmen rallied around, fueling the tension. With a steely resolve, Wu Qingsong unsheathed his rapier.

“Take him down, Marcus!”

“Rip this pretty boy apart!”

Various shouts of encouragement erupted from the mastiffmen. However, a more seasoned one glanced back at the distant half-elf officers, advising in a hushed tone, “Rough him up, but be sure he lives.”

“I’ll wager ten renals he doesn’t last thirty seconds.”

“My money’s on twenty seconds.”

The shouts grew louder, with the mastiffmen buzzing in anticipatory glee.

The rabbit village they’d assaulted today had shown absolutely no intent to resist. This left their inherent cravings for battle and carnage unquenched. After all, a unilateral slaughter and a clash between equals elicit wholly different thrills.

Both Ling and Liuli gazed at Wu Qingsong, their eyes filled with concern. They were well aware of his ace up his sleeve, but in the current scenario, they couldn’t suppress their anxiety. The mastiffmen took note of their expressions and laughed even harder.

It was then that he observed Ling behind Wu Qingsong, adorned in garments purchased from Umber. Even though Marcus couldn’t gauge the value of her attire, it undeniably appeared more opulent than any outfit owned by the chieftain’s wife.

This momentarily made him reconsider.

“You still have a chance to plead for mercy, kid,” Marcus, the mastiffman, commented, his laughter somewhat forced.

Clearly of mixed blood, Ling in the presence of half-elves would typically be treated as a trinket or a personal attendant. If she was dressed so exquisitely, Wu Qingsong surely wasn’t penniless.

Yet Marcus had backed himself into a corner, and his sole recourse was to intimidate Wu Qingsong into retreat.

However, Wu Qingsong suddenly quickened his pace. Marcus, with his battle-hardened instincts, skillfully evaded the onslaught while simultaneously narrowing the gap between them.

Little did he realize, this was precisely Wu Qingsong’s plan.

As Marcus gripped Wu Qingsong’s sword-wielding arm, he began to taunt, “Is this the best you can–”

In a split second, Wu Qingsong’s free hand latched onto Marcus’ shoulder. An agonizing pang shot through Marcus’ chest, causing him to stiffen. As he instinctively reached for the source of the pain, Wu Qingsong capitalized on the moment, plunging his blade directly into Marcus’ heart.

The boisterous taunts of the mastiffmen abruptly came to a halt. They stared, mouths agape, as Marcus, who appeared to have the advantage, slowly collapsed to the ground. Wu Qingsong confidently placed his foot on Marcus’s chest, deliberately pulling out his sword from Marcus’s heart, and then wiping away the blood on the fallen warrior’s fur.

With a sweeping glance at the dumbstruck mastiffmen around him, Wu Qingsong tried to exude an imposing aura, though a subtle tremor betrayed his legs.

“Who dares to challenge me next?” he demanded.

“Marcus is dead?!” The soldiers cried out in a mix of shock and disbelief.

One of Marcus’s close friends, with a battle cry, charged at Wu Qingsong, blade ready to strike. Wu Qingsong narrowly sidestepped, the blade grazed him and deflected away.

In that brief moment of the mastiffman’s confusion, Wu Qingsong seized him. Following a sequence eerily similar to Marcus’s end, this warrior too was brought to his knees. Wu Qingsong firmly placed his foot on the man’s chest, extracting his sword with authority.

“Who dares challenge me now?” he declared once more.

The surrounding mastiffmen seemed paralyzed with fear. His swordplay was bewildering, clumsy one moment, suggesting a novice, but striking with deadly precision the next. 

It was as if… they were witnessing the impossible.

Fully aware of their comrades’ capabilities, they realized that not even their own squad leader could have effortlessly dispatched both Marcus and another in such a manner.

Dare they move forward?

Hesitation was evident in their eyes and tightened grips on their weapons, as they exchanged uncertain looks.

“What in the world are you doing?” A commanding voice pierced the tense air from behind, punctuated by the growls of war wolves. Soldiers quickly made way for their squad leader’s approach.

“He… Lord Briggs! This man has slain both Marcus and Duncan!”

Surrounded by the watchful eyes of countless mastiffmen, Wu Qingsong felt a measure of pressure. Their reluctance to advance, however, gave him some breathing space. He acknowledged the officer with a slight nod and methodically sheathed his sword.

“You took down Marcus and Duncan with a single strike?” Briggs, the half-elf, voiced his surprise. 

The throng had obstructed his view, so he hadn’t witnessed the entire event. Yet, the cause and outcome were undeniably evident. Dispatching two adept fighters from his unit so quickly, each with just one sword strike, was not something an average half-elf could do.

Only a master swordsman could achieve such a feat.

“I am Gabriel Briggs from the Bota City Garrison’s Second Squad. And you are?”

“Riniconia Duchy, Thirteenth Mercenary Corps. Name’s Woody Tagraedi,” Wu Qingsong responded, offering a salute as Ram had instructed him. The stress made his gesture somewhat rigid, but to Briggs, it seemed more like an expression of displeasure.

“Apologies, Tagraedi. As you might know, these uncouth mastiffmen often need a firm hand,” Briggs remarked, eyeing the attire of Wu Qingsong and his party.

While the outfits of Wu Qingsong and Harold resembled those of typical adventurers, Briggs swiftly discerned the value of the garments worn by Ling and Liuli. He might be able to afford such attire on his wage, but he wouldn’t have two beastwomen, who clearly looked like maids, don them. 

This observation led him to a conclusion akin to Marcus’s earlier deduction.

“You’re headed to Bota, I presume?”

“I’m on a recruitment drive for my Mercenary Group,” Wu Qingsong clarified. “I don’t particularly favor the mastiffkin. I’ve heard Bota has some fine houndmen, so I thought I’d see for myself.”

As Briggs tried to glean more about Wu Qingsong’s identity, Harold, from atop his horse, chimed in, “Young Master, if we delay any longer, we’ll arrive after nightfall.”

“What about this incident, Lord Briggs?” Wu Qingsong asked, building on Harold’s remark.

“I apologize. It’s evident there’s been a misunderstanding,” Briggs answered swiftly. “I hope these buffoons haven’t caused much inconvenience to you?”

“Am I free to leave now?” Wu Qingsong asked.

“Absolutely!” Briggs responded immediately. “How long do you intend to stay in Bota? It’s a quaint town, somewhat uneventful during the evenings. Should you find the time, I’d be delighted to introduce you to some friends.”

“That would be most appreciated,” Wu Qingsong nodded in agreement. “It’s been a pleasure, Lord Briggs.”

“The sentiment is mutual, Lord Tagredi,” Briggs replied, giving an elvish salute with his right hand. Wu Qingsong then got on his horse and rode past him.

“Until Bota, then,” Wu Qingsong said to the half-elf captain.

“I’ll be awaiting your words.”

The pair on horseback soon faded into the horizon. The mastiffmen seemed slightly resentful but kept their complaints to themselves.

“Strip these two imbeciles and take their gear,” Briggs commanded. “You damned beasts, steer clear of causing me any more issues in the future. Let’s secure this village, and then set up camp in the next one.”