Lord of the Magical Beasts

Although the carriage’s warhorses were strong, and their endurance enhanced with magic spells, they were still overcome with fatigue sometimes. So, after every four or five hours of non-stop traveling, the three companions would take a break and rest.

They traveled during the day and rested in their tents at night, maintaining the horses’ strength and good form as they traveled further away from Wissen Town.

Despite the heavy snowfall, the three companions still encountered mercenaries and merchants along the road from time to time.

A few enterprising fellows had established commercial trade between the still-developing Black Water City and Wissen Town, selling little toys to the Beastmen living along the Black Water lakefront in exchange for local specialty items.

Before the trade routes and their waysides had been cleared of bandits, no merchant– nay, not even the mercenaries– dared to travel alone, fearful of losing both person and possessions to the desperate and conniving outlaws.

But things had changed. After being driven out by Argus and offered amnesty by some Fox Elders, many bandits, even those who turned down the protection of the Magical Beasts, were wary of going back to lives of crime.

At times, the three companions would come across a chatty merchants or mercenaries, but the quick-witted Orlando would brush them off with a few casual words, deflecting attention away from them. It certainly would never have occurred to these merchants and mercenaries that passing right by them in this unremarkable carriage was the infamous Yang Ling.

Whenever they stopped to rest, Orlando would leave the party to hunt, relying on his superior sense of smell, agility, and near-perfect accuracy with the javelin to catch his prey. Sometimes he would catch a few pheasants, other times snow rabbits, and once, even a ravenous porcupine.

After concluding his training, Yang Ling would pull out three tents from inside his Space ring and set them up swiftly. The three would then work together to prepare a nutritious meal, and after, they stored their leftovers in the Space ring.

Despite the relatively harsh conditions, the three companions chatted and joked with one another to keep themselves in somewhat high spirits.

One day, the sun had already begun to set over the mountains, but they had at least 100 miles to go before they would reach Black Water City.

Yang Ling decided to set up camp for an early night, instructing Orlando to halt the carriage on the mountain’s leeward side so that it was out of the wind.

As usual, Yang Ling set up the tents promptly, while Orlando went out hunting and brought back a brace of plump pheasants.

The Ladak Mountain Range was all-encompassing, covered with many plump pheasants, sitting prone in the grassy knolls like tortoises, numb from the cold. As long as their nesting spots were found, catching the pheasants was an easy task, providing Yang Ling enough succulent wild game to to eat his fill every day.

“My Lord, do you want to eat Jiao Hwa pheasant or roast pheasant?”

As he spoke, Orlando shook the snow off his cloak. After traveling with Yang Ling for some time, he had been exposed to many unusual eating practices. Amongst them, the unforgettable taste of Jiao Hwa pheasant lingered in his mind.

“One Jiao Hwa pheasant, and one roast pheasant, and I will also give you two warm pots of rum!” Yuna replied in a rush before Yang Ling had a chance to respond. After tasting Jiao Hwa chicken for the past couple of days, her mouth had started hankering for it. The first day she had tasted the golden-yellow roasted Jiao Hua chicken, she had nearly swallowed her own tongue, she had eaten it so quickly.

Shaking his head and laughing, Yang Ling retrieved various spices from his Space ring, tenderly prepared by Alice in advance. Upon learning that Yang Ling intended to visit the faraway Livenza Alliance, she had worried herself to tears, her eyes growing puffy and red as she prepared everything that Yang Ling would need.

From food spices to thick, heavy overcoats, they had everything they needed.

After plucking the feathers and washing out the entrails, Yang Ling spread the seasoning evenly all over the chicken, then wrapped it up with snow lotus leaves and tied up the bundle with string.

With a fireball, Yuna ignited the firewood that Orlando had gathered and put the two pots of rum over the fire. Grabbing a few empty wine jars, she crushed and ground them into a fine powder, added some water and blended it into a clay-like mixture, then skillfully spread it out on a dampened piece of cloth.

After that, Yang Ling’s well-seasoned pheasant was placed in the center of the dampened cloth and wrapped from all four corners into a tight chicken-shaped bundle.

When the clay had dried up, the wet cloth was removed. Another layer of snow lotus leaves was applied, and then the bundle was placed under the coals to bake.

Meanwhile, Orlando had speedily plucked and washed another pheasant and was grilling it over the fire, sprinkling some salt and spices over it from time to time.

With the Space ring, everything from fresh water to all kinds of spices was readily available.

Amidst their careful preparations, the aroma of wild game began wafting out slowly away from the campsite.

Thud…

As Yangling and his companions were about to tuck in, a sudden clip-clopping of hoofbeats reverberated in the distance as several mercenary-like folk rapidly approached.

On this wild mountainside, was this simply a group of mercenaries passing by, or an ambush?

Observing the other group galloping towards them with no signs of slowing, Yang Ling appeared completely unfazed as he continued to turn the roast pheasant gently in his hands.

Surreptitiously, he pulled out a Wizard’s Amulet from his Space Ring to summon his Magical Beast Army at a moment’s notice. Meanwhile, Yuna’s brow furrowed as she instinctively gripped her staff with her right hand.

Magical energy gathered unseen as the Magical Beast Essence Crystal on the staff head began to crackle faintly, poised to conjure a blazing wall of fire to block their path.

Reaching behind him and pulling out a sharpened javelin, Orlando stared down at the oncoming group, narrowing his eyes with deadly intent. He even considered dippimg his javelin tips in the few drops of snake venom that the Medusae had given him. One shot and there was no coming back.

The opposing party was still coming at full speed, with no signs of slowing, and was about to meet the three head-on. As Orlando took a deep breath and prepared to throw his javelin, at last the opposite party ordered their horses to come to an abrupt halt.

“Wow, that aroma! Yiblis, it smells amazing!”

Upon seeing the flasks of rum over the fire and the roast pheasant slowly cooking in Yang Ling’s hands, the very fat man who had just spoken licked his lips. His bulbous nose twitched while saliva dripped from his mouth.

“Hello! I am Lia, leader of the Dragon-Slaying Mercenary Troop.”

Shooting a glare at the pudgy man, a young woman with a fox fur cloak leapt down from her tall warhorse, and without a hint of courtesy strode over and plopped herself down by the fire. Taking their cue from the young lady, the other four dismounted one by one and joined her by the fire without so much as a word.

As he warmed himself, the fat man eyed the roast pheasant that Yang Ling was still holding, while a strongman roughly about two meters in height flung his heavy axe aside and looked straight at the steaming pots of rum. A masked young woman who looked like an archer meekly approached the fire and curled herself up in a corner. Only a young man, dressed as a knight, smiled at them apologetically.

Dragon-Slaying Mercenary Troop?

From a glance, they were clearly inexperienced, and Yang Ling smiled faintly as he recalled another bunch of rookies who had fought over a Violent Earth Bear Essence Crystal not too long ago.

Who would have guessed that they had recovered from their injuries and left Wissen town so soon? And who would have guessed that they would unexpectedly meet up on this barren mountainside? Yang Ling had heard of the Dragon-Slaying Troop Team’s fame, but it was obvious that the other group either had not spotted him or did not recognize him. Otherwise, he knew they wouldn’t be behaving so impulsively.

“My good sir, your roast pheasant smells incredible. I, Hans, have travelled far and wide for many years. I’ve had so many meals of roast pheasant that can’t even begin to count! But all my life, I have never come across such a fragrant aroma. If I could eat such a delectable dish, it would truly be Life’s greatest pleasure!” Having warmed up by the fire, the gluttonous fatso gulped back his saliva and tried to ingratiate himself with Yang Ling.

From his behaviour, it was plain to see that he could barely keep himself from snatching the roast pheasant from Yang Ling’s hands.

Traveled far and wide for many years?

Before Yang Ling had said a word, the self-proclaimed leader laughed and slapped the large-bellied man’s head. “You damned fatso, if you’re so well traveled, then what about me?”

“Lia, listen…..” The one called Hans clasped his hands together and unabashedly replied. “When you were only three years old, I held you in my arms as we snuck out on walks; while you were still sucking your thumb, I had my first experience with a woman. While I was on my travels, you were still… ”

“Still…Still what? Hans, you shameless pervert. Speak plainly!”

The fat man was inching away as he spoke, but Lia unexpectedly darted forward to pinch his ear. Clenching his teeth, the fatso’s face flushed a bright red and he squealed in pain.

Observing this troop of rookies before him, Yang Ling shook his head, indicating to Orlando and Yuna that there was nothing to worry about, and began to make conversation with them.

As it turned out, after selling the Violent Earth Bear Essence Crystal to the old housekeeper Murbaqi, the group had finally earned their first pot of gold and felt a sense of accomplishment. In happy spirits, they had decided to return to Montson. Little did they realise that in their haste to leave Wissen Town, they had forgotten to stock up on supplies, and after one day of travel, they were completely famished and agitated.

Smelling the delicious aroma from afar, they had ridden their horses over in a mad rush.

“Boss, you can call me Hans from now on!” After massaging the ear which the young woman had nearly been twisted off, the fat man gulped and continued to try to buddy up to Yang Ling.

“Are you three mercenaries, or perhaps adventurers from Wissen Town?” Watching the fat man’s eyes linger on the roast pheasant in his hand, Yang Ling chuckled, as his true intentions were obvious.

After turning over the golden roast pheasant, Yang Ling slowly and deliberately sprinkled a fine powder of mixed spices on it. A whiff of fragrant aroma issued forth from the golden-yellow roasted pheasant, prompting the big man’s belly to rumble loudly.

“My name is Yuri. No mercenary am I, nor an adventurer, but simply a humble merchant!” After a short pause, Yang Ling continued. “This is my little sister Yuna, and that is my servant Orlando!”

The best way to hide one’s tracks was by keeping a low profile, and masquerading as an unaccomplished merchant wasn’t a bad choice. Although within this short time, the disguise wasn’t fully complete, he believed that merchants without the rich experience of life would never be able to see through his little lie.

Looking at these inexperienced mercenaries with their casual demeanor and fair skin, it was clear they had never been through hardship or had even come from poor backgrounds.

Besides, these people weren’t even cautious or sly in dealing with outsiders, to the point where they’d play and laugh openly in front of strangers. Any way one looked at it, they were not well-traveled or experienced folk. They were much more likely spoiled brats from a rich family.