Mercenary Harem in Murim Novel

Silence ruled over the Murim Alliance headquarter. No one dared to speak or even move, as if a god was watching. Everyone was silent after listening to the urgent report sent from the patrol squad.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The food and supplies they had stored were blown up.

Their base was raided, and the food and weapons were stolen. Not only that, but their guards were also killed or captured.

It was a huge blow.

And, it was not an accident.

The person who survived the ordeal made it clear that they were attacked and sabotaged. The food and supplies were stolen and planted with a bomb.

Who did it?

Everyone knew without a doubt.

Hallowed Insect, the group of mercenaries that had been a thorn in their side since the beginning. And the organization they created, Mercenary Union.

"How is the loss?" Xue Wang, calming down after he declared a war, calmly asked.

"500 tons of food, 300 tons of weapons, 150 carriages, and 100 horses were lost. There were only 5 casualties among people, but the guards were massacred. And, we lost our main source of information. All the spies and informants were either captured or killed."

Xue Wang's expression didn't change.

"We will need to replace the food and weapons quickly. Take them from other cities."

"However, Alliance Leader."

"Just do what I told you."

One of the Elders attending the meeting wanted to speak, but Xue Wang immediately interrupted him with a glare. He didn't have time for this. And he didn't want to hear what the Elder had to say.

Everyone present knew that, although calm, their Alliance Leader wasn't in the right state of mind. They had to be careful with their words.

"Understood, Alliance Leader. I shall follow your order immediately."

The Elder nodded and stood up, leaving the meeting room.

After that, the discussion continued.

"What do we do now? Hallowed Insect's leader, Leo, is clearly targeting us. He actively attacked back, targeting our weakest point. He's really a coward!"

One of the younger Elders slammed his fist on the table, his eyes blazing with anger. In their eyes, targeting buildings in a war between two Clans, Sects, or organization was cowardly. Only those not confident in their strength and ability would do such a thing.

"We must attack back. They have done something unforgivable. Let's gather all Sects and Clans in the Alliance and destroy them. We will not let a mercenary group stand against us and live."

"Wait, I don't think that's a good idea."

Another Elder, the one who had tried to speak earlier, finally managed to speak. Exchanges started with that as a fuse, and everyone was getting rowdy. No one wanted to back down or listen to the others.

"We can't afford a war, not now. We have yet to gather enough resources and people, and our base is also damaged. The Hallowed Insect will attack us again, and we have to prepare."

An old man with a long beard and gray hair sighed.

"Also, what we just did is a mistake. We underestimated the Hallowed Insect and thought they were just a bunch of weaklings, which led to us losing a lot of resources."

"They are weak." Xue Wang's gaze sharpened, and the energy around him began to change. "We can take them down easily. There are only weaklings in their group. At most, our spy reported that Tang Jiaofu is the only strong one."

"Still, we need to be careful. We can't afford another loss like that."

"And, I am afraid that's not all."

The Elder with gray hair said, his expression turning dark. Sweat poured down his forehead, and his hands were clenched tight.

"There is a rumor spreading around. They said that a large amount of Qi was... felt from Chengdu. Our astrologer and seer also said that there is a strange energy there. This morning, they barged into my office, screaming loudly."

Everyone's attention focused on the Elder.

"With a pale face, they told me." The gray-haired Elder, Meng Xin, took a deep breath and continued. "A new power has risen in Chengdu, a power that no one has ever seen before."

"What do you mean?"

"According to them, a person in Chengdu has... S-Someone has advanced to 9 Stars."

Everyone was shocked.

It was impossible.

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9 Stars?

Who in the world could reach that level?

Even Xue Wang, who was the strongest in the room, could barely reach 8 Stars. He was only on the verge of advancing. And that was with the help of his Clan's resources and secret techniques. It was also backed up by a monstrous talent never seen before in history.

Someone managed to reach 9 Stars without any clan or sect's support?

Impossible.

No, they might have received support. The question was...

"Are you sure?" Xue Wang narrowed his eyes, his expression turning cold.

For the first time, he felt wary and fear.

If someone could reach 9 Stars and was strong enough to be a threat, they would become a target for his Alliance.

He couldn't afford to leave him alone.

"Yes... The stars in the sky have moved. All 9 stars lined up perfectly, a sign that a great power was born. Someone who was able to create 9 Stars, a new world within their body."

The old man's voice trembled, and he shook his head. He couldn't believe it, and he didn't want to.

But, the fact that the stars had lined up in the sky was an omen that a 9 Stars martial artist was born. And, if that person was strong enough to make the stars aligned, then it was a nightmare.

"Who is it?"

Xue Wang's question echoed in the room.

"I don't know. No one knows. The Qi can only be felt for a few seconds before it suddenly disappears like a candle. But, everyone who was in the city was sure that the person was real. There is no doubt about it. Everyone felt his Qi."

"We have to find them. Immediately. Whoever they are, they can't be left alone. If we can recruit him, we will have great power."

"Recruit? What if he's a member of the Mercenary Union... Worse, they might be members of the Hallowed Insect who serves directly under that man."

"That's not possible." An Elder with black hair, Rui Zhen, shook his head. "Hallowed Insect's members are all just freaks who use unknown artifacts to be strong. They aren't martial artists. Even if they start training when our information is cut off, they should be no higher than 2 Stars by now no matter how talented they are."

The Elders whispered to each other, saying that what Rui Zhen said was right.

No matter how monstrous one's talent and how much resources they spent, raising Stars was not easy. It would take years and a lot of hard work.

Unless that person was a freak or had an unknown technology.

"No matter what, we must find that person. If he refuses to cooperate, we will send him to Outcast Village."

"Yes, Alliance Leader!"

***

Meanwhile, in Chengdu, Wandering Sword Saint's eyes widened to the point they almost pop out when he met Leo once again.

"I can't believe it. How is this possible?!"

As a 8 Stars martial artist following the way of the sword, he was sensitive to power and energy. He could sense the energy of other people, and right now, he felt the power and energy from Leo was beyond anything he had ever seen.

'He's not human.'

The Wandering Sword Saint had met many martial artists and people with Qi, but they didn't give him a feeling like this.

It was something else.

Something more than a normal human being.

And, he couldn't see any Qi or energy coming from Leo, which was impossible.

"What do you think?" Leo asked honestly.

He wanted an opinion from a seasoned swordsman, so he asked the Wandering Sword Saint to come to judge his new power.

"I don't know." Xiao Ah Tian shook his head, "You're like... not a complete martial artist. Half-baked? That's what I will call your state."

Half-baked. What an accurate term.

When Leo felt the Qi, he noticed the realm called Star was actually a lump of Qi placed on the biggest Dantian all over the body. With Nanites, he imitated these lumps of Qi and made his own version of the realm.

So, his power was not natural. An artificial 9 Stars martial artist. Maybe he could be called that.

But, he was definitely stronger than a normal 9 Stars martial artist with his Nanites and equipment. He didn't need to become a 'genuine' one right away. There was still time after the war.

"I guess I have no choice but to keep improving my power then. I need to have a breakthrough, or else I will be nothing more than a joke in the world of martial arts."

Leo chuckled and shook his head.

"What do you want to be? A monster?" The Wandering Sword Saint looked at him with a worried gaze. "Without Qi, you're already capable of fighting me. Not to boast, but I am one of the strongest people in this world."

"There is nothing wrong with being excessive. It's better than lacking something." Leo smiled and turned toward the door. "Thank you for your time, Xiao Ah Tian. You're free to leave. I need to prepare for the next war."

"You're a crazy person. No one dares to use that kind of attitude in front of me." The Wandering Sword Saint couldn't believe it. "You're treating me like a commoner."

"Oh, sorry. Did you want me to show you some respect and treat you like a noble or something?"

"Nah, this is better. Hahaha, this is fresh. Yes, I like this. Keep it up. And don't forget about your promise earlier."

The Wandering Sword Saint laughed and left the room, his mood lighter than ever.

As for Leo, he was smiling wryly.

At that moment, his communication device vibrated. Someone called him. Commanding internally, he took the call and Jack's face showed up in his vision.

"Leader, Murim Alliance has made a move. They called every Sects and Clans' representatives whose base was not destroyed or under control, and gathered everyone at their main headquarters, asking them to bring supplies. According to our spy, their forces are gathering quickly."

"Finally, huh? I thought they can wait a bit longer." Leo smirked, "Good job, Jack. Send out a warning to all the mercenaries. Earnest war with a large scale attack will break out soon. Everyone has to prepare for the worst."

"Roger that, Leader. What do you want me to do next?"

"Wait there." He commanded, "I will send Shui and Wandering Sword Saint to your location. After they join you, find a way to infiltrate the capital when the army departs. I will have you attack Murim Alliance's headquarters. It's not a bad idea to use their own home as a battleground."

"Alright. I will do as you order, Leader."

With that, Jack ended the transmission.

Leo exhaled deeply, his eyes sharpening. This would be his first earnest war in this world. He was nervous, but more than that, excited.

With a grin on his face, Leo walked out of the room and returned to his base.