Chapter 119 – War Declaration
"You\'re finally back, Leader."
Jack greeted Leo as soon as he arrived at the Mercenary Union\'s main headquarters alone. Many people were running around, and it seemed like something big had happened.
"What\'s going on, Jack?"
"Have you not heard it yet, Leader?" The sniper maniac took out a parchment from his pocket and handed it to Leo. "This is spreading in Chengdu this morning."
Leo\'s eyes widened as he read the news.
"Murim Alliance is openly declaring war against the Mercenary Union. Are they crazy?"
To be honest, he had never expected this development. He thought Xue Wang and Elders in the Murim Alliance were calm-headed and could make a sound decision.
However, this time, he was proven wrong.
"The Murim Alliance is calling you a coward for hiding and using tricks to kidnap their Young Lady. They have sent their Shadow Squad to search for you in Chengdu, but we managed to kill them all. It seems they have enough."
"So, they want a full-blown war."
"Yes."
Leo looked at the first floor where the normal members of the Mercenary Union gathered. Some of them were injured and resting. Some were making a commotion about the news, while others were training.
All of them were not prepared for a full-scale war. However, the reaction was better than what he thought.
\'They are pretty calm.\'
Considering the enemy was the biggest power in the martial world, they should be more nervous and afraid. But, their reaction was not as he had expected. He even wanted to go to them and ask whether their balls were made from steel or not.
Sighing, Leo rubbed his temple. When he finally managed to create a connection with a big merchant, Murim Alliance declared war on him.
\'I know that I practically asked for it, but come on, dude. What the fuck?\'
Right now, he wanted to curse. Did they underestimate him and his group that much? Or were they blinded by rage and unable to think clearly?
Anyway, this was a bad time.
\'We haven\'t controlled the Mercenary Union\'s members. Their individuality is still high, and their loyalty is just limited to money and job. And the Murim Alliance has to declare a war at this time?\'
Leo doubted there would be a large-scale fight breaking out soon. However, he couldn\'t relax. There would be a fight sooner or later.
He wasn\'t scared, just pissed.
"Any news besides this one?" He asked Jack as he took a beer the sniper prepared for him.
His subordinates knew when he needed a cold one.
"There is also something else that happened while you and Big Sis weren\'t around."
Jack paused and stared at Leo for a moment.
"The Wandering Sword Saint is back. He\'s bringing a girl that looks like a Barbarian with all her limbs cut off. He is asking for our help."
"A barbarian girl?" Leo\'s ear perked up.
\'Wait a minute. Could it be...\'
"Does she have long brown hair and a mole near her left eye? A tall girl with a muscular body and a loud voice?"
"Yeah. I am surprised you know." Jack sipped his own beer. "I\'m sure the treatment is over now, but I am not sure whether she has regained her consciousness or not. They arrived this morning too, so we haven\'t been able to report to you."
"I see."
Answering, Leo stood up and put his hands inside his pocket.
"They are in the base, right?"
"Yes. Also, Leader. Tang Jiaofu and Miss Nabi want to meet you tonight to talk about the craziness happening in Chengdu. We have confirmed that the Murim Alliance\'s influence is starting to spread, and we don\'t know what they\'re planning."
"Alright, I\'ll have a talk with them."
Returning to the base and taking a look at the girl was a priority.
After finishing his beer, Leo exited the Mercenary Union building secretly. His face was well-known in this area. If he showed up, some people might want to talk to him and ask for his opinion about the situation.
He didn\'t have the time for that.
Hallowed Insect\'s base was located near the red light district, which was around 10 minutes walk away from Mercenary Union main headquarter.
When Leo arrived, he immediately entered and was greeted by a sight of three brown-haired girls sitting on their knees facing an angry secretary. Two of the girls were familiar, they were Astrid and Sherly. But the last one, with stitches mark on her upper arms and wearing strange clothes, was someone unfamiliar.
With his smart lenses, Leo noticed that the last girl was kept in place with invisible threads that connected to Jessica\'s fingers.
"So... Why are the three of you fighting in the infirmary?"
Jessica\'s voice was cold and threatening, but the other three didn\'t seem to care. They continued to glare at each other.
"This girl attacked me when I entered to find Chiaki." Astrid started, pointing at the wild-looking girl on her right. "She suddenly bit me, so I punched her."
"You entered my territory. I have the right to bite anyone I want in my territory." The girl on her right growled. "I am the Chief\'s daughter, not some stranger."
"Chief\'s daughter, huh? What Chief? And the infirmary isn\'t your territory but Chiaki\'s! Don\'t be delusional."
"Don\'t you dare talk to me like that! You\'re just a slut!"
"Who are you calling a slut!"
Astrid\'s fuse was lit, and she jumped at the Chief\'s daughter, ready to punch her in the face. However, before she could move, Jessica tied her body with her threads and forced her back to her previous position.
"Stop fighting! And you, why did you join their fight when you just arrived?" Jessica looked at Sherly, who sat quietly despite the commotion.