ALL NOVEL Chapter 89: Strike at the Vital Spot
In the headquarters of the Wolf Head Mercenary Company in Qingshan Town, a man with scars all over his face and a fierce look in his eyes sat on a tiger-skin chair. He continuously tapped his fingers on the armrest of the chair, coldly overlooking the trembling Mu Li, who knelt below.
This man was Mu She, the leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Company and Mu Li’s father.
“Are you saying that all ten of the team members you brought were killed by that guy named Xiao Yan, a Three-Star Dou Zhe (Battle Practitioner, 2nd Level) ?” After listening to Mu Li’s word, Mu She’s gaze became even colder, and a hint of red flashed in his eyes as he glared at his son.
“Do you think I would believe such a ridiculous story?”
“Father… Father! I would never dare to deceive you!” Upon hearing Mu She’s displeased words, filled with a hint of killing intent, Mu Li immediately knelt on the ground, pressing his head firmly against the floor, and recounted Xiao Yan’s actions.
“When I encountered Xiao Yan earlier today, he instantly killed two Second-Grade Magical Beasts, the Scarlet Ice Snakes! And in that cave, he killed one of our team members with each move! It was only by giving it my all that I managed to escape with my life!”
As Mu Li recounted his experiences, Mu She furrowed his brows tightly.
A Three-Star Dou Zhe (Battle Practitioner, 2nd Level) who could instantly kill two Second-Grade Magical Beasts and repeatedly defeat opponents much stronger than him. These outrageous claims were something Mu She would never have believed before, because… it was absurd.
However, Mu She also didn’t believe that anyone in the Wolf Head Mercenary Company would dare to deceive him, especially his own son.
Even if Mu Li had fabricated lies about the loss of their team members, he wouldn’t have used such an outrageous reason.
Therefore, there was only one explanation.
Mu Li was telling the truth.
If what Mu Li said was true, then Xiao Yan truly possessed strength far surpassing their own.
But this matter sounded too unbelievable…
“Report!”
Just as Mu She was frowning and contemplating, a member of the Wolf Head Mercenary Company suddenly rushed into the hall and knelt down, reporting to Mu She.
“Leader! Our intelligence just came back. Xiao Yixian and a man have entered Qingshan Town and have returned to the Myriad Medicines Hall!”
After hearing the report, a hint of fear flashed in Mu Li’s eyes, and he excitedly looked at his father.
“Father! That man must be Xiao Yan! The treasures from that secret room must be with him and Xiao Yixian! Please take action quickly!”
Looking at Mu Li’s anxious appearance, a tinge of disappointment flashed in Mu She’s eyes. He slowly closed his eyes, leaning his arm against his face, and waved his hand to signal the messenger to leave. After the messenger departed, Mu She spoke slowly.
“Calm down, my son.” Mu She’s calm and steady tone carried a hint of frustration. “Regardless of Xiao Yan, let’s focus on Xiao Yixian. Do you know how many mercenaries in Qingshan Town support her? Not to mention the backing of Boss Yao behind Xiao Yixian. If we were to take action against them now, the Wolf Head Mercenary Company would become the target of everyone’s disdain.”
“Do you want to die?”
As these words left Mu She’s mouth, a bone-chilling killing intent accompanied them, causing Mu Li to startle and hastily lower his head.
“Yes! I deserve your reprimand! I was too impatient!”
“Let’s wait for now. At the very least, we can’t resort to violence just yet.” Mu She spoke slowly, a trace of cunning glinting in his eyes. “For the next few days, arrange for someone to spread rumors in Qingshan Town. Say that your team discovered a cave in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, but the kind-hearted Xiao Yixian, who was allowed to join us free of charge, poisoned our people for the treasures. You were the only one fortunate enough to escape from Xiao Yixian’s clutches.”
“This… ” Mu Li’s expression became hesitant upon hearing Mu She’s words. Not because he doubted whether such rumors would be detrimental to Xiao Yixian, but because he doubted the effectiveness of these rumors.
“Father, Xiao Yixian has a significant reputation in Qingshan Town. If we spread such rumors, no one will believe them. It might even make people dislike us…”
Mu Li spoke anxiously. Although the mercenaries in Qingshan Town often joked about Xiao Yixian’s mischievous behavior, no one hated her because of it.
The reason was simple—Xiao Yixian had saved their lives multiple times, and the fees she charged were within their affordability. She didn’t take advantage of life-saving measures to inflate her prices.
Under Xiao Yixian’s benevolent actions, the mercenaries regarded her pranks as nothing more than jokes, and no one took it too seriously.
Apart from the mercenaries, other residents of the town also had no ill feelings towards Xiao Yixian. This was because Boss Yao often charged very little for his medical services, and Xiao Yixian occasionally followed suit. The residents had accumulated goodwill towards them.
Upon hearing Mu Li’s words, Mu She felt even more disappointed. He sighed and massaged his forehead with a hint of helplessness.
“Do you have to let others know that we fabricated the rumors when you spread them?”
Mu She’s words made Mu Li suddenly realize, but his brows furrowed once again.
“Father, why not tarnish Xiao Yan’s reputation instead? Unlike Xiao Yixian, he is an outsider. The townspeople don’t know him well, so it would be easier to convince them to doubt him than to doubt Xiao Yixian.”
“Then, if Xiao Yixian comes forward to explain for Xiao Yan, do you think the residents would believe our rumors or believe Xiao Yixian?”
“This…” Mu Li was instantly silenced by his father’s words, and his mind finally cleared.
Wasn’t this obvious? Based on unknown rumors and Xiao Yixian’s own words, the townspeople would definitely believe her!
While Xiao Yan, as an outsider, had no reputation to speak of, Xiao Yixian’s reputation in Qingshan Town was more than enough to protect him.
Once the same rumor was debunked once, it would be useless afterwards.
“If you want to strike, aim for the vital spot. To kill someone, you must hit where it hurts and not give the other party a chance to retaliate.” A cold glint flashed in Mu She’s eyes as his scarred hand partially covered his face. “You don’t need to consider whether the residents will believe the rumors or not. You don’t even need them to believe. You just need to plant a seed of doubt about Xiao Yixian in their hearts.”
“The seed will gradually grow, take root, and sprout until it becomes an unshakable giant tree.”
“When that time comes, we only need to give it a little push. Xiao Yixian will be left speechless, and the reputation she has built up will crumble in an instant!”