Chapter 5 The Cost of Kindness (4)_1

"Hello, and welcome to joining this team. Forgive my boldness, but are you really just a Red-rank Mage?"

Ye Yinzhu nodded and said, "Yes! Advanced Red-rank." Perhaps because he was lying, his face turned red immediately.

Anya did not expose him and smiled slightly. "It's always good to have a powerful Mage join us."

Ge'en said, "Praise Falan, Miss Anya, we are almost ready and will certainly leave on time early tomorrow morning."

Anya smiled and nodded. "Then I am reassured. You all have things to do, so I'll see you at the city gate tomorrow morning." With that, she turned and left gracefully.

"Praise Falan, she's finally gone," Ge'en muttered, unconsciously wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Curiously, Ye Yinzhu asked, "Uncle Ge'en, are you really afraid of Sister Anya?"

"It's not fear, it's just that I don't know why but in front of her, I always feel as though I cannot hold my head up. She is the most beautiful and noble lady I have ever met. Frankly, I can't even entertain any disrespectful thoughts toward her."

"Disrespectful thoughts? What does that mean?"

"That... you'll understand later."

Ye Yinzhu still looked toward the door and said, "Uncle Ge'en, Sister Anya is also a Mage."

"Ah?" Ge'en was startled and looked at Ye Yinzhu in surprise. "That can't be. She seemed to be just a merchant."

Ye Yinzhu replied earnestly, "She is definitely a Mage, she probed me with her spiritual power just now, I am certain."

A glimmer of contemplation shone in Ge'en's eyes. His thoughts were obviously not as simple as his rugged appearance suggested. "No wonder she came all the way to Roel just to buy tea alone. So she is actually a highborn Mage. Ye Yinzhu, can you tell what rank she is? Is she more powerful than you?"

Yin Zhu shook his head and said, "I can't tell what rank she is, but she's definitely more formidable than me."

"So, she might be an Orange-rank Mage," Ge'en sighed internally, relieved that he had not harbored any ill intentions towards the female boss. Offending a mage was not wise. However, he didn't know that Yin Zhu's magical ability was already at the standard of an Advanced Yellow-rank, and Anya was clearly not as simple as an Orange-rank.

Out of respect for the mage, Ge'en arranged a separate room for Yin Zhu to rest in. Sitting on the bed, Yin Zhu pondered anxiously. He had already tried several times to contact his Space Ring using his spiritual power, but all attempts had failed. Moreover, he had a faint feeling that the Space Ring was getting farther and farther away from him.

"Why? Why did you steal my ring when I had already given you Gold Coins? Without my zither..." Yin Zhu discovered that he was suddenly missing his zither intensely. He had been with his zither almost every day for sixteen years; it had long become his best companion. Now that he had lost all his zithers, the sense of loss made him very sad.

Cross-legged, in an attempt to calm his mind, he started to cultivate his Zhu Douqi. A yellow glow quietly emerged from within him, forming a soft barrier around his body, enveloping Yin Zhu. The Douqi flowed endlessly through his meridians, its refreshing and gentle sensation gradually dispelling the unease and worry in his heart, bringing him into a meditative state.

Zhu Douqi is divided into three stages: Green Bamboo, Yellow Bamboo, and Zi Bamboo. Like the Zither Magic that Ye Yinzhu cultivates, the colors revealed at different levels do not correspond to the Seven Colors of the Rainbow Grade common on the continent. Each stage consists of nine ranks. The pale yellow light emanating from him signified he was at the level of First Rank Yellow Bamboo. In terms of rank, his Douqi was even slightly higher than his Zither Magic. According to the continent's Rainbow-grade, it was at the level of Beginner Green rank, equivalent to that of an Earth Warrior. His Douqi, however, was mainly used to aid his Zither Magic.

At dawn, when the first ray of sunlight bathed the earth, the northern gate of Roel City was already bustling with activity. The Iron Thorn Mercenary Group, with sixty-eight members, was fully equipped and ready to leave. In three carriages, the front and rear ones carried goods, while the middle one transported the employer, Anya. Twenty of the strongest Heavy Sword Warriors in the Mercenary Group surrounded the three carriages, Archers followed close beside them, with Twenty-seven Spearmen on the periphery. Ten Light Cavalry led the way. The new twenty Unicorns, besides those pulling the carriages, carried the party's baggage. Everything was arranged in an orderly fashion.

As a mage, Ye Yinzhu was placed next to the middle carriage. It was his first time riding a Unicorn, a mixture of excitement and panic. Although the Unicorn's gait was a bit bumpy, this gentle First Rank Magical Beast was easy to tame, and soon he got used to the feeling of riding. After all, his physical condition was far from frail as it appeared on the surface.

At this moment, Yin Zhu's gaze was constantly fixed on Ge'en, the Commander of the Iron Thorn Mercenary Group, at the very front of the troupe, filled with envy and surprise. Ge'en was not just an Earth Warrior, but an Earth Knight. His mount was actually a Dragon Tamer. The Fourth Rank Green-spined Earth Dragon, five meters long and over two meters tall, relied completely on its stout hind legs for support with comparatively small forelimbs. Its entire body was a dark green color. Besides its ramming power, this Fourth Rank Dragon Tamer also had strong defense ability and could spit corrosive acid. Although it was one of the lower ranks among Dragon Tamers, it was much stronger than low-rank Magical Beasts. With Ge'en's power at Beginner Green rank, he was strong enough to contend with an Intermediate Green-rank Earth Warrior. This Dragon Tamer was the Iron Thorn Mercenary Group's treasure, acquired by Ge'en with great effort.

The mercenaries, dressed in leather armor, moved at a good pace. By noon, they had left Roel City far behind and were moving deeper into the Bo Pang Kingdom. Traveling efficiently was their primary goal, and Ge'en would order a short rest after every time interval of travel. When the sun was high in the sky, they had a quick meal of dry rations before hitting the road again.

"Yin Zhu," the curtain of the carriage lifted, revealing Anya's charming face.

"Sister Anya, is something the matter?" Ye Yinzhu greeted the elegant and beautiful lady boss politely.

Anya smiled and said, "You are a mage; why suffer on horseback? Better to come sit in the carriage with me. You look like it's your first time riding a Unicorn, and I fear you might not withstand it for long. We will be on this journey for about a month before we reach Milan."

"Okay!" Yin Zhu agreed cheerfully, jumping straight down from the Unicorn and into the carriage.