Chapter 50: Accepting the Mission, Guidance, Thoughts Within
As soon as they entered, those mercenaries—be they warriors, knights, or others—turned their heads with excited expressions.
To them, children showing up in a place like this meant only two things: either geniuses, or children with nowhere else to go.
And geniuses typically didn't bother coming here. So the second option seemed more likely.
Which made them easy targets for mockery.
As the three entered, waves of jeers and whistles followed, the scene openly unpleasant.
Cai'er's face flashed with a trace of anger. She never liked being the center of attention, especially not when it was hostile. Her fingers twitched toward the daggers within her, ready to teach these thugs a painful lesson.
But Ye Ling noticed her intention instantly, gently taking her hand and signaling her to hold back.
Cai'er said nothing. She trusted Ye Ling. If he wanted to wait and see, she would.
They reached the front desk to take on a mission, but the clerk at the counter declined their request.
At that moment, a few drunken warriors—recently kicked out by their companions—came swaggering over, laughing loudly. One shouted mockingly, "Yeah, why don't you kids run back home? At your age—"
Before the man could finish, a massive golden sword flew out from Ye Ling's side and came to a sudden halt at his throat. Its razor edge shimmered with deadly force.
Had the man taken even a single step forward, he'd have lost his head on the spot.
Sensing that overwhelming killing intent, the man immediately fell silent. Cold sweat poured from his back, and the stench of urine spread from his trousers.
The entire mercenary hall fell into a hush. Even the mission clerk stood frozen, overwhelmed by dread.
"You should be grateful I stopped in time," Ye Ling said calmly. "If you'd finished what you were about to say, your head might be somewhere else right now."
"I'll let you live—for now. As a mercenary, at least you've taken lives from the demon race. So go kill a few more, make yourself worth something."
With that, he retrieved the Angelic Holy Sword. There was no point killing the man—it would only taint the blade meant for greater enemies.
After witnessing Ye Ling's display of power, the clerk wasted no time. She understood instantly that anyone following this young man had more than enough qualifications. She quickly handed out a mission.
Seeing her reaction, Ye Ling shook his head slightly and said, "You must have it tough, living like this every day."
"It's not too bad," the clerk replied. "Compared to the mercs who risk their lives out there, I've got it easy. Still, their words do get exhausting sometimes. But for the sake of the Mercenary Guild—and the ordinary people near Moonlight City—I stay at my post."
She sighed, resignation and conviction both clear in her tone.
Ye Ling smiled when Long Haochen finished receiving the task. As he led them away, he left her with one last remark:
"Perhaps this life won't last much longer. At the pace humanity is progressing, victory might not be so far off. When that happens, maybe we'll finally see the dawn."
Then he said no more, departing with Long Haochen and Cai'er.
"Dawn, huh…" the clerk whispered, a soft smile blooming across her face. "I'd like that. I really would."
Back in the main hall, the mercenaries were only now beginning to process what had happened. Fear hung heavy in the air. They kept their mouths shut, deeply thankful they hadn't provoked that boy. Any more arrogance and they might be dead.
One knight suddenly remembered something. Staring at Ye Ling's fading figure, he said, "I remember now—that kid is Hell Rose Li Xin's little brother. His name's Ye Ling. A prodigy!"
"You mean the same Ye Ling who crushed a fourth-rank powerhouse at the Crazy Sand Warrior Sub-Hall?" a warrior recalled. The incident from over half a year ago was still vivid in his mind.
"Must be him."
A wave of murmured agreement spread. The mercenaries all realized the same thing.
They'd just messed with someone far too dangerous.
"Seeking revenge?"
"Even a hundred of them wouldn't get past Hell Rose Li Xin, let alone touch someone stronger than her—someone like Ye Ling, who can fight fourth-rank powerhouses."
"Ye Ling-gege, why didn't you punish that man further just now?" Cai'er asked as she looked at Ye Ling with curiosity after Long Haochen went off to complete the mission alone. "Why did you just scare him a little instead?"
"It's simple, Cai'er," Ye Ling said with a calm smile. "Actually, I wanted to ask you a question too. Why do we cultivate? Why do we grow stronger, join the Demon Hunt Squad, and head to the front lines against the demons?"
"Of course it's to kill demons," Cai'er replied seriously. "That's what my grandfather told me when I began the Samsara Trial."
"In the future," Ye Ling continued, "we'll be facing those powerful demon clans—maybe even Demon Gods. At that level, we won't have the capacity to deal with the low-tier demon beasts within human territory."
"Most high-level powerhouses won't bother with them either."
"For us, those lesser demon beasts might be nothing—we can slay them with a flick of the wrist. But what about ordinary people? Even a rank one or two demon beast could slaughter them. That's where these mercenaries come in."
"They may not be strong, but their existence is crucial. They protect the humans within our borders, allowing us to fight without worrying about what's behind us."
Ye Ling's tone remained steady, filled with clarity.
Cai'er was silent for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully.
Ye Ling-gege was right.
She smiled slightly and gently wrapped her arm around Ye Ling's, walking beside him.
Ye Ling chuckled softly, reached out, and patted her head before walking forward with her. Long Haochen should be finishing soon.
But deep down, Ye Ling was also clear—
If that warrior earlier had dared to speak another word of insult… he wouldn't have shown mercy.
For the sake of the citizens near Moonlight City, Ye Ling had chosen to spare him.
But that didn't mean Ye Ling would always hold back.
After all, those capable of protecting humanity weren't limited to just him.
[End of Chapter]
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