A group awaited their arrival in a small area behind the hill.

Lin Mo noticed that, except for a cloaked figure, everyone there wore armor and carried weapons strapped to their bodies.

The cloaked figure was evenly round; maybe he has weapons underneath the cloak, thought Lin Mo.

Upon spotting their group, the cloaked figure hurried toward them. “Ah, you've arrived, elder,”

“I've brought them, Mayor,” spoke the elder, offering a respectful cupped fist gesture with a nod.

The cloaked figure removed his hood, revealing a chubby face beneath.

This round man was none other than the current mayor of Sword City.

Returning the nod, the mayor addressed the group, saying, “I'll rely on you all for this journey.”

“Old Yan, are these the people who will be tagging along?” asked a tall, robust man, a giant sword strapped to his back as he stepped forward.

“They don't seem very reliable,” another voice chimed in.

“Indeed, they appear young and inexperienced,” added another.

Introducing the group, the mayor said, “This is Captain Du, the leader of our expedition. He will be responsible for the task at hand.”

“Remember, the forest is a dangerous place. Even if you're disciples from a sect, inside the forest, you must follow my lead,” declared Captain Du authoritatively.

Lin Mo knew from their attire and mannerisms that this group of five were mercenaries.

In the city, one of the ways to earn a living was by doing odd jobs as a mercenary.

Unable to join sects due to their low aptitude and age, they became mercenaries and embarked on adventures. These mercenaries made up for their lack of resources with the vast experience gained through their adventures.

With little interaction or formal introduction among them, the group of twelve set out for the mainland on foot.

Friction between mercenaries and sect disciples was a common occurrence. Mercenaries operated independently, without affiliations to any sects or clans, growing and learning through their adventures.

On the contrary, disciples were nurtured by their respective sects, often regarding themselves as superior to those not affiliated.

Lin Mo observed that despite the mayor's roundness, he managed to keep up with the pace. This reminded him of the forest tyrant’s agility.

Night fell, signaling their first evening in the forest.

Nights in the forest were notorious for heightened danger, as beasts were known to roam more freely under the cover of darkness. Yet, on their first night, they encountered no immediate threats.

Occasionally, wild beasts would pop out, but most were weak and easily dealt with by the mercenary squad.

Lin Mo saw that they had great teamwork.

Earlier, during the day, he had witnessed them fighting a mid-stage spiritual-ranked beast—a large bull native to the forest's first layer.

Each of them surrounded the bull in formation and attacked its blind spots, taking turns. If the bull charged at one target, they would all attack from behind. This was their strategy.

In the end, the spiritual bull fled, badly wounded.

If it had been a regular spiritual beast, this group of mercenaries would have surely slain it. However, that bull ranked among one of the toughest-skinned beasts in this layer of the forest. They could only let it get away. Furthermore, this time, they were here to escort, not to hunt.

The mercenaries lit up a bonfire and began preparing meals of the wild birds they had hunted earlier in the day. Lin Mo and the group joined them around the crackling flames.

"I heard from the elder that this is the first time you all are visiting the mainland?" the mayor asked, scooting closer to Lin Mo's group.

They nodded in response to the mayor's question.

"I’ve heard sect disciples are strong. Have you ever slain a spiritual beast?" the mayor asked, curious about their strength.

Everyone in the group nodded except for Lin Mo.

"Have you never fought one before?" asked the mayor to Lin Mo.

Shaking his head, Lin Mo replied, "I've never fought a spiritual ranked beast alone. Every time, it was my apprentice brother who did the kil*ing."

"Oh, this apprentice brother of yours must be quite decisive," remarked the mayor.

Lin Mo had always ventured into the forest accompanied by Wu Di. Furthermore, his previous encounter with a beast had been against king king-ranked beast, not spiritual. With his current strength, he was certain he could deliver a devastating blow to a spiritual-ranked beast.

"Forget about us," joined the senior brow. "Mayor, you seem quite agile. Are you also a cultivator?"

"Not quite," replied the mayor. "I never got the chance to join any sect. I happened to take an elixir which unlocked my Qi later in life."

The group of mercenaries listened to the mayor with slight envy.

It was common for wealthy individuals to purchase spiritual elixirs for their descendants, even if they had low aptitude, as long as there was hope they could benefit from it.

As a mayor himself, he had the wealth and power to acquire such elixirs and consume one for himself.

"Your pockets must've taken a hit for that elixir," remarked Senior Brow.

"It surely did," replied the mayor, laughing.

The night passed without incident.

On the second day in the forest, Lin Mo and the group found themselves taking numerous detours, seemingly guided by the mercenary's knowledge of the terrain's danger zones.

It became evident that the mercenary was well-versed in avoiding certain areas. These mercenaries had familiarized themselves with the forest, developing their routes to navigate through it.

In the forest, a group of people had formed a circle, their attention focused on the thing at the center.

“Do not let it escape,” shouted a mercenary, steadily moving with arms weapon raised.

Lin Mo and the group were among, similarly surrounding a large wild boar with the mercenaries. This time their group of disciples also participated in the hunt. This wild boar was their meal for today.

“Don't mangle its flesh. Finish it with one clean shot,” commanded the robust Captain Du.

They had encircled the large boar at the center, blocking off any escape routes. Lin Mo positioned himself on one side, ready to intercept any attempt by the boar to break free.

Lin Mo wasn't suited for giving a clean shot. If Wu Di were here, he would have been perfect for it. However, Lin Mo, with his heavy sword, would only end up splattering its guts on the ground.

As it sensed Lin Mo’s momentary hesitation, the wild boar charged towards him.

“It had to pick me,” Lin Mo cursed under his breath. “Senior Brow, be prepared.”

Confused, the chubby senior didn't grasp Lin Mo's words.

With no weapon in hand, Lin Mo raised his right palm.

*SLAP!*

A sharp sound echoed through the forest as Lin Mo's palm connected with the boar's body.

The force of the blow sent the boar tumbling several meters to the left, where it came to a stop near Senior Brow.

That slap had left behind a large palm print on the side.

The boar swiftly regained its footing and charged towards the nearest person.

Reacting quickly, Senior Brow dodged to the side and tapped the boar where Lin Mo had struck it earlier.

After a brief struggle, the boar stumbled and collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

“That was incredible, Senior Brother,” praised a disciple.

Curious, the other disciples gathered around the large boar and noticed two small holes on its side near its chest.

They were puzzled, as they had only witnessed the senior brother stabbing the boar with his two fingers, yet the boar had holes.

The mercenaries in the group were equally bewildered, wondering how a mere finger could pierce through the flesh of the boar.

“Senior Brother, how did you do that?” asked one of the disciples.

With a teasing laugh and a proud demeanor, the senior brow replied, “Oh, that's a secret.”

Senior Brow's secret arts were known to only a select few in the sect, and Lin Mo was among those few who had witnessed it before.

This senior had a mastery of hidden weapons, concealing them all over his body, even between his fingers, which he used to make the holes in the boar.

Lin Mo had been just as shocked as the disciples were now, the first time he had seen this senior use a hidden weapon.

They had just finished killing a beast, when a rustle came from nearby, getting closer to the group.

“Who's there?!” yelled Captain Du.

The others raised their guard, gripping their weapons tightly.

The dense bushes parted, and a shabby-looking man who appeared to be around thirty stepped out, raising his arms.

“Who are you?” asked one of the mercenaries, pointing his sword straight at the man.

“That's not a very polite way to question a lost traveler,” replied the man.