Chapter 031: Differences Between Worlds

Shen Duo furrowed her delicate brows in thought. Given her background, it seemed she would have to attend the academy to learn swordsmanship.

“Oh right, Brother Lei, do you know anything about a material called Silver Reef?” Shen Duo recalled the old man’s words and asked offhandedly.

Lei Hang shifted his posture and looked at her with curiosity. “Do you mean the mineral Silver Reef?”

Shen Duo hadn’t expected him to recognize the name, her dark eyes lighting up instantly. She quickly retrieved the drawing given to her by the old man from her storage ring and handed it to Lei Hang. “Brother Lei, it’s this one.”

Lei Hang took the drawing and studied it closely. The paper depicted a shell-shaped mineral with a faint silver glow—undoubtedly Silver Reef.

“I’ve seen this before. My mentor, Luo Hui, keeps plenty of it in his alchemy storeroom. This mineral can moderately enhance a low-grade illusionist’s ability to absorb spirit energy. There’s a lot of it by Sunset Lake near Xingdelijia, the capital of the Xingluo Empire. Every spring, the locals go diving for it. But people rarely go all the way to Xingdelijia just for this; most auction houses across the continent carry it. It’s not a particularly rare mineral, and even at auction, it doesn’t cost much. Shen Duo, if you want some, once our mercenary group sets out today, I can take you to the auction house in Luo City to have a look.”

Shen Duo’s heart raced as she listened. The old man’s words and Lei Hang’s explanation were worlds apart. In the other plane, Silver Reef was a treasure, almost priceless and rarely seen. Yet here, it was a common mineral. Did this mean that while the two planes were largely similar, many things still differed? Was Silver Reef one of those differences? She felt as if she were on the verge of grasping something, but it slipped away just as quickly.

Suppressing her excitement, Shen Duo forced herself to remain calm. After all, these were two different worlds. She couldn’t be sure that the Silver Reef Lei Hang spoke of was the very one the old man wanted her to find.

Shen Duo’s eyes curved in a gentle smile. “Thank you, Brother Lei.”

Lei Hang reached out, patting her shoulder with a grin. “No need to thank me.” Then his rugged face turned serious. “Shen Duo, what do you plan to do next? Why not travel with the mercenary group? Though our life is unsettled, you’ll get to see the many fascinating customs of the continent.”

The Blazing Flame Mercenary Group couldn’t stay in Luo City forever; soon, they would take on new assignments and move on to their next destination. If Shen Duo remained alone in Luo City, with the despicable father and son, Shen Qing and Shen Aofan, around, she would surely suffer and might even lose her life.

Seeing the concern in Lei Hang’s deep eyes, Shen Duo shook her head resolutely. “Though Shen Qing and Shen Aofan see me as a thorn in their side, I am still a direct descendant of the Shen family. If I stay with the mercenary group, it might bring trouble to you all. When you leave Luo City, I’ll be careful on my own. I am no longer the Shen Duo who let others walk all over her.”

Hearing this, Lei Hang felt a pang of bitterness. He knew she was thinking of the mercenary group’s well-being. The Shen family was one of the continent’s four great clans, and even the royal families of various nations treated their members with respect. For a mere mercenary group, keeping Shen Duo would be risky; someday, her identity could bring disaster upon them.

“Shen Duo, if you stay in Luo City alone, be sure to take care of yourself.”

Just as Lei Hang finished speaking, Zheng Wu entered to announce that Lei Lie had come to see him. Shen Duo nodded and stood to one side.

Lei Lie, broad-shouldered and imposing, swept into the tent, followed by Lei An and Lei Bai. His sharp gaze fell on Shen Duo, but he quickly strode to Lei Hang’s side to check on his injuries.

With the poison of the Ironwing Silver Wolf now cured and high-grade healing pills at hand, Lei Hang’s wounds had almost entirely healed. Seeing his son safe, Lei Lie clapped Lei Hang’s arm in relief.

Sensing that the father and son had things to discuss, Shen Duo prepared to take her leave. But as she turned, Lei Lie called out, “Shen Duo, wait.”

She turned back, neither humble nor arrogant, and asked respectfully, “Leader Lei, is there something else?”

Lei Lie observed her composed manners and nodded inwardly. From his storage ring, he took out a finely crafted badge engraved with the Blazing Flame insignia and held it out to her. “Shen Duo, this is the exclusive badge of our Blazing Flame Mercenary Group. You saved Hang’er’s life. Take this as my token of gratitude—please do not refuse.”

Shen Duo was surprised; when they first met, Lei Lie’s disdain for her had been obvious, yet now he was offering her the group’s limited-edition badge.

During her days with the group, she had heard about these badges. The Mercenary Guild of Holy Radiance Continent had a rule: every high-ranking mercenary group could issue a limited number of special badges. These allowed the holder to summon any member of the group at any guild and request their help. However, should the group ever face difficulties, the badge holder was obliged to assist them. But as one of the continent’s top ten mercenary groups, they rarely encountered such crises. To possess such a badge was to enjoy all the benefits with almost no obligations. For this reason, group leaders never bestowed them lightly; those who held them were usually the continent’s most elite experts. It was also a way to forge alliances.

Shen Duo did not refuse Lei Lie’s kindness. This badge was his recognition of her worth. She would strive to grow stronger and never waste his gift. She accepted the badge with both hands, thanked him solemnly, bowed, and, after a final glance at Lei Hang, left the tent.

Outside, the mercenaries were striking camp. The once-bustling camp at the edge of the Katla Forest was now almost deserted. The mercenaries packed their tents and provisions into their storage pouches. Though this mission had failed, their spirits were not dampened, for the Blazing Flame Mercenary Group was not the only one involved in the magical beast tide. The Windrider and Lava Mercenary Groups had also failed. The two members of the Wei family, who had plotted against Lei Hang during the beast tide, had already returned to their family’s main city, Xingdelijia, to report.

Still, the beast tide was not without gain. Many mercenaries had hunted large numbers of low-level magical beasts, earning magic crystals and valuable carcasses. These could be sold at the city’s auction house for gold or other needed items. Furthermore, many mercenaries had captured beasts; those who had advanced to Grand Illusionist had now acquired their own spirit beasts, increasing the group’s strength even further.