Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 735

“To have already mastered the Vajra Body Technique to the third level before even turning thirty, it’s no wonder Commander Jang took notice of you.”

“You flatter me, Miss Ryu-ah! However, while I have signed the blood contract, I know very little about the Cheon Dong Merchant Guild. Would you mind telling me more about it?”

Han Li asked with a smile, responding to the girl in the navy blue robe.

“Brother Han, you really aren’t from our Heavenly Origin Realm, are you? Otherwise, you wouldn’t ask such a question.”

Ryu-ah’s eyes sparkled as she covered her mouth and laughed.

“Is the Cheon Dong Merchant Guild that well-known around here?”

“Our guild is among the top three in the Heavenly Origin Realm. It has branches in hundreds of cities, large and small, and the main headquarters is even located in the Heavenly Origin Holy City.”

The girl in the navy blue robe’s lips curled up, revealing her pride. However, this explanation was completely new to Han Li, who had just arrived in the Spirit Realm.

From her boasting, it was clear that it was a famous place, but since he didn’t know anything about the Spirit Realm, he couldn’t gauge its true scale. Han Li found it strange, but outwardly, he nodded and said,

“So, the guild is quite large. But from what I’ve heard, it seems you’re heading to An Yuan City now. Where is that, and how much further do we have to go?”

“Oh my, what is this? Were you eavesdropping on our conversation?”

The youngest girl in the red robe suddenly giggled and interjected. Han Li coughed awkwardly, at a loss for words.

To make such a loud noise and expect not to be heard.

“Jeon-ah, you mustn’t be rude! Brother Han, Jeon-ah is still young and doesn’t know manners, but she means no harm, so please don’t take it to heart.”

At the words of the girl in the red robe, the girl in the navy blue robe looked apologetic towards Han Li.

Han Li was a newcomer to the Cheon Dong Merchant Guild, but she saw him as a talent who had mastered a renowned body refinement technique at such a young age and would be of great use in the future.

She hoped that not only she but also her younger sisters would get along well with Han Li. Just as Han Li was about to open his mouth with a smile, the guest room suddenly shook, and the giant tortoise came to a sudden stop.

The girl in the navy blue robe was startled and shouted towards the outside,

“Uncle Wang! What happened?”

“The Crimson Spirit Finch has discovered a swarm of Sand Worm Beasts ahead. It seems they are targeting the transport personnel.”

The old coachman replied from outside the guest room.

“If they’re just Sand Worm Beasts, they’ll move according to their instincts. Wouldn’t it be enough to send people to chase them away? Why have we stopped when our journey is already delayed?”

“It seems one of the beasts is a low-realm demonic beast with developed intelligence. If we let it pass without killing it, it could cause problems later.”

“A low-realm demonic beast? That’s a problem. Still, Commander Jang’s Tiger Overlord Technique has already reached the 5th level, so he should be able to deal with the demonic beast using the Golden Shadow Sword artifact bestowed by the Madam.”

“You are right, Miss Ryu-ah. But there are mutated Sand Worm Beasts near the low-realm demonic beast, making it a bit dangerous for Commander Jang to handle alone.”

The coachman hesitated slightly after hearing Ryu-ah’s words.

“Mutated Sand Worm Beasts? Then it’s really dangerous. There are cultivators among the group, including Taoist Nam Gi-ja, right? Ask them to step forward.”

“Commander Jang has already asked them, but they refused. They are all from Mount Guryong, so they are reluctant to step forward unless the Sand Worm Beasts attack first and cause casualties.”

“Really? That’s what I said. There are many restrictions when hiring cultivators from Mount Guryong.”

The girl in the red robe grumbled, wrinkling her nose.

“Jeon-ah, it’s not right to blame the Taoist and the others. Mount Guryong is originally famous for its insect-controlling divine powers. We’re just unlucky! Then, let’s do this. I have some items that the Madam entrusted to me before she left. I’ll use them to help Commander Jang. Please contact them and tell them I’m going right away.”

Ryu-ah was silent for a moment before making a careful decision.

“Then we can rest assured.”

The old man outside the guest room felt much relieved at the words of the girl in the navy blue robe.

“Sister, are you really going to use those? If something happens, you’ll be scolded by the Madam.”

Hyang-ah asked worriedly.

“Don’t worry. They are items that the Madam has tamed for a long time and have gained spiritual energy. They won’t be pushed back by a low-realm demonic beast, so how could a few mutated Sand Worm Beasts cause a problem?”

“Still, I won’t feel at ease unless I see it myself.”

The girl in the navy blue robe smiled and opened the guest room door, and the girl in the red robe quickly followed behind her. Then, Hyang-ah and the girl in the white robe exchanged glances and also left the guest room.

Now, only Han Li remained in the guest room, and he sat on the chair, staring at the half-open door, lost in thought.

Soon, the desperate cries of a blood-seeking demonic beast were heard. At this, Han Li slowly got up, opened the door, and stood on the giant tortoise, looking around.

Seven bright moons were in the sky, so he could clearly see the surroundings.

The transport procession stretched out for nearly a mile, and there were at least thirty demonic beasts that looked like giant tortoises in between.

On top of the giant tortoises, there was something piled up that was comparable to the size of the demonic beast, and on top of that, four or five sturdy young men wearing armor and holding weapons were riding. And on both sides, cavalrymen riding giant wolves were patrolling, so the security was tight.

However, what caught Han Li’s attention was something else.

People were gathered around one giant tortoise, and among them were Nam Gi-ja, the scarred giant, and the four girls, including Ryu-ah.

In front of the group was a two-zhang [about 6.6 meters]-high square object covered in black cloth, and from within, a faint roar of a demonic beast could be heard. The black cloth was surprisingly a low-realm magical artifact with spells sparkling on its surface.

As the demonic beast’s cries grew longer, the girl in the navy blue robe raised a spirit tablet and released a blue aura, seemingly about to perform some kind of technique.

When Han Li looked with his Bright Sight Eyes, he saw a turquoise bracelet with spirit stones embedded in it on the girl’s wrist. Han Li’s expression became strange when he saw it. It seemed that the artifact could only be used by activating it with another object, and since it had spirit stones embedded in it, it would lose its effectiveness if the spiritual energy within it was consumed.

As the black cloth absorbed the blue aura, an intricately crafted silver-white beast cage appeared from within. And inside, a dark red, tiger-like monster was lying down.

At first glance, the tiger monster looked no different from a tiger, with its skin as red as blood, but the eyes of the people around the monster showed a hint of fear.

When the monster saw the people gathered outside the cage, it suddenly jumped up and violently slammed into the cage. The silver-white cage flickered erratically due to the demonic beast.

Those watching changed their expressions and retreated, and the girl in the navy blue robe took a long breath and held up the spirit tablet in her hand, which flashed with a dark red, blood-like light.

Strangely, when the tiger monster saw the red light, its ferocious appearance disappeared, and it became docile. Jang Gyu and the others who confirmed this were relieved.

Just then, a clear cry of a bird chirping was heard in the sky, and judging by its urgent tone, it seemed to be delivering some news.

“The Sand Worm Beasts are speeding up and are already swarming this way! Everyone, prepare for battle! Gather the cargo in one place and do not move first unless attacked. Once the low-realm demonic beast is killed, the Sand Worm Beasts will scatter immediately.”

Jang Gyu shouted urgently with a tense expression. As soon as his words fell, the transport procession moved noisily.

The giant tortoises at the front and back quickly gathered in the middle, and the cavalrymen riding wolves also gathered in the middle, numbering about 50 or 60. Also, the guards took out their weapons and stood by.

Following the orders of the girl in the navy blue robe, someone opened the cage and released the tiger monster.

“Brother Han, you’re still not feeling well, so please go back to the guest room and rest! The guest room is made of sinking ironwood, and the Sand Worm Beasts are not good at jumping high, so it’s much safer inside than outside.”

The old man who controlled the giant tortoise smiled and said to Han Li.

“Thank you for your consideration. But I’ve never seen a Sand Worm Beast before, so I’d like to know what they look like. If a dangerous situation arises, I’ll return to the guest room immediately.”

Han Li replied with a smile, not making a big deal out of it.

“Then, do as you please, Brother Han.”

At Han Li’s words, the old man smiled and didn’t urge him any further. Han Li turned his gaze back to the giant tortoise, and it seemed that the one he was riding was in the center, as the other tortoises gathered around it.

Soon, thirty-some tortoise carriages formed a simple defensive line, and the cavalrymen riding giant wolves also gathered in one place, numbering 50 or 60.

They surrounded the outside of the defensive line and waited for the scarred giant’s orders. But unexpectedly, the girl in the navy blue robe was among them, and beside her was the blood-colored tiger monster lying down.

As the sound of birds chirping grew closer, three or four dark red small birds appeared, circling endlessly in the high sky, sending signals.

“Prepare for battle! All the Land-Walking Turtles, lie down and take a defensive stance!”

As Jang Gyu’s order fell, the old men who controlled the giant tortoises struck the tortoises’ heads with whips to make them lie down. Then, the giant tortoises put their heads and four legs inside their large shells and stretched out in the shape of rocks.

At that moment, a rumbling sound began to vibrate the ground from afar, and a yellow sand dust rose up and approached this way, but it was not clear what was inside.

The scarred man waved his hand with a cautious face, and the cavalrymen beside him silently picked up their spiked clubs. Han Li watched with a bit of surprise, but soon after, something dumbfounding happened.

The scarred giant suddenly put a turquoise pill into his mouth, and a yellow glow flowed all over his body. Thin yellow hairs grew on his face and arms, and the color of his eyes changed to a dark turquoise!

He kicked the belly of the beast he was riding, and the giant wolf growled lowly and shot out like an arrow. Then, the other cavalrymen also used their techniques, emitting various lights, and followed behind him.

‘What’s going on? Are all those cavalrymen demonic beings in disguise? That can’t be. To create a human form, they would have to be at least a Transformation Stage demonic beast… Moreover, since the others aren’t surprised, it seems to be a common occurrence in the Spirit Realm. I need to take some time to learn about this place. The giant’s transformation and the things they call artifacts are things I’ve never heard of in the Human Realm.’

At that moment, the group of cavalrymen led by the scarred giant finally plunged into the sand dust hundreds of zhang [about 330 meters] away, and the sounds of shouts and fighting were heard.

However, the yellow dust only paused for a moment and then rushed towards the transport procession again.

“Fire!”

As the sand dust quickly approached the procession, the giant shouted loudly, and the guards with bows and other weapons launched a long-range attack.

Arrows rained down like a storm.

Thwack!

The momentum of the yellow sand dust subsided a bit, and several black shadows rushed out from within, surprisingly yellow insects the size of a zhang [about 3.3 meters]. They had flat bodies with large mouths and antennae on their heads.

‘So, that’s what a Sand Worm Beast looks like.’

Han Li’s expression did not change even after seeing the Sand Worm Beasts. Compared to the countless demonic beasts he had killed in the Chaotic Star Sea, the Sand Worm Beasts were not even among the ferocious ones.