Mercenary Harem in Murim Novel

In the middle of the chaos, Zhen was watching from afar. His eyes were filled with surprise and respect.

These mercenaries were not simple. Their combat ability was impressive and their teamwork was smooth. Even the way they divided their role was well thought out.

Their enemies weren't simple ambushers. Most of them were 4 Stars and even 5 Stars martial artists. They were probably hiding power from some sect, assassins trained to kill the strong.

However, these mercenaries didn't show any hesitation and fought with all they had.

Not only did they detect the ambush from so far away in their sleep, their reaction was fast and their action was smooth. They were truly a top-notch team.

Even Zhen himself wasn't confident in dealing with such an ambush alone. He was also late, only waking up due to Leo's voice.

It was truly a humbling experience for him.

If he could add them to his sect, then the future would be bright.

But he knew that would be impossible. They were too strong. And their leader, the man called Leo, was one big mystery.

'The woman who took care of our back is actually a puppet master. The swordsman is as strong as Wandering Sword Saint, or even stronger. And this flirtatious man wielding a strange stick can kill any enemies from afar. As for their leader... I can't imagine his strength. He's surely stronger than them.'

Zhen, real name Elder Ming Jae-in, shuddered when he remembered Leo's smile from before. Such a man who gained respect from these monster-like individuals surely couldn't be simple.

'I… We better stay on his good side. Forget the epigraph. If we manage to make ties with them, then our future will be secured.'

The fight ended with Coco strolling back to Chiaki. Blood dripped from its mouth, with the remains of people it ripped apart stuck between its teeth.

Chiaki gently cleaned Coco as she praised it for a job well done.

Shui also returned. He didn't have a single scratch on his body. Heck, even his clothes were spotless without any drop of mud or blood on him.

"Good job, everyone." Leo said, looking at his members. "I never thought they would ambush us this fast even though we're still far from the ruin. I guess that shows their desperation to get that epigraph."

"They are also strong martial artists." Shui commented, "Their movements are trained. If not for Coco breaking through their ranks and making them confused, and Jack's timely support, I would probably be a little bit overwhelmed."

"Heh, I am the best. You should just be honest and say that PhoSni is the MVP in this batt- No, I was just kidding, Chiaki. Of course Coco is the MVP."

Jack immediately stopped what he saw once he saw Chiaki raise her chin. She almost ordered Coco, still in its large form, to eat him whole.

"I was just joking, Chiaki. Don't get angry. I was just messing with you." He said, sweating bullets.

"Don't try to joke. I won't be so nice next time." The woman replied, frowning.

Jack immediately shut up, not wanting to provoke her.

Leo clapped his hands to get attention and everyone turned to him. Then, he spoke.

"Anyway, this confirms that other parties have arrived at the unopened ruin." He said, "We have to move fast. Another change of plan. We won't lay any trap. We will go all out and use brute force. I will take the frontline with Shui. Jack, support me.

And Chiaki."

He turned to her, "You and Coco will be our secret weapon. We will need you to surprise the enemy when they gather. Don't reveal yourself until the right moment."

"Understood."

"Then let's move. Follow us closely, Mr. Zhen."

Zhen nodded and followed the group. They didn't take the Humvee and chose a stealth method

As they advanced, Leo scanned the area and mapped it. Jack also looked out for hidden enemies with Chiaki.

Surprisingly, there were a lot of them, divided into many groups. It seemed like a war between factions was going on.

The atmosphere around the area was so tense that no animal noise could be heard. Small crickets that were usually active in the night didn't make a sound.

It was so quiet that it felt suffocating.

"Mr. Leo. The ominous Qi I felt from the village is so strong here. Probably..." Zhen whispered, his expression grave. "This is the work of a 7 Star demonic martial artist. The Qi is just too dense.

And... It's spread to the whole mountain in front of us."

Standing tall in front of them was a huge mountain range. Its peak could be seen from where they were standing.

Based on the map, the Venom Sect ruin was located in a ravine at the center of the mountain. It was well hidden, but the problem was that Qi Zhen felt it was blocking the only way to enter the ravine.

"That's not a good thing. Can you estimate how far it is, Mr. Zhen?"

"It's not far. If we take the shortest path, we can reach the center of this ominous Qi before sunrise."

"Then we have to move. Darkness is our friend in this kind of situation. We will estimate the numbers of the corpses this Heartless Undertaker controlled. If there are more than two thousands, then we have to be extra careful."

The group moved quickly. Leo led the front with Shui, while Jack covered their back. The atmosphere around the mountain was thick with ominous Qi, making them unable to see the sky or the moon.

Even Leo and the others who couldn't feel Qi could see the Qi's effect. The mountain was shrouded with darkness, and the air was so thick with Qi that they had a hard time breathing.

It was suffocating. Normal people wouldn't be able to stay in this place for a prolonged time.

Thankfully, they had Nanites and their bodysuit to help their circulation and increase their oxygen intake.

Something like this wouldn't harm them.