?Su Han stepped into his room and kicked the door shut behind him. The silence of the room was a heavy contrast to the chaos of the mountains.

  Click.

  ?He sat on the edge of the bed, resting his chin on his palm. His mind was a whirlwind of calculations. What was the move?

  Should he rush back to check on Chu Yao, or dive back into the Black Wolf Mountain Range to harden his cultivation?

  ?He glanced out the window. The orange hues of sunset were bleeding into a bruised purple. Night was coming.

  Only twenty-five days remained until the Su Clan’s monthly meeting. Time was a luxury he didn't have.

  ?He stood up and headed for the washroom. The touch of cold water against his skin felt like a reset button for his soul.

  Splash... Sshhh...

  ?After washing away the grime of battle, he pulled a fresh set of robes from the System Storage. They felt crisp and clean against his skin.

  "I’m going back for Chu Yao first," he muttered, his reflection mirroring the shadow of concern in his eyes. "I can't focus on training while her safety is a question mark."

  ?His heart tightened at the thought of her. In this cruel world, she was his only anchor.

  He began mapping out his journey, but a sharp knock interrupted his thoughts.

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  ?He opened the door to find a warrior from the Iron-Fist Mercenary Group standing there, looking respectful.

  "Brother Han, Captain Zhao Lucy is asking for you," the man said.

  ?Su Han raised an eyebrow. "Is the reward ready?"

  The man nodded with a grin. "It’s ready, and the food is served. Everyone’s waiting."

  ?Su Han locked his door and followed the man down to the inn's restaurant. The atmosphere was thick with the smell of roasted meat and the loud chatter of survivors.

  He took a seat as Lucy looked up, her gaze lingering on him for a second longer than usual.

  ?"Eat up," Lucy commanded, her voice steady. "After this, everyone comes to my room. We settle the books tonight."

  A collective sigh of relief swept through the table. For these men, silver wasn't just currency—it was the price of their blood and the future of their families.

  ?The mission’s total haul was 80,000 silver coins.

  After the mandatory 10% cut for the Iron-Fist headquarters, the remaining 90% was for the team to split.

  ?Most captains were greedy, skimming off the top before the men even saw a coin. But Zhao Lucy? She was built different.

  She kept 10,000 for herself, while the Level 6 and Level 7 fighters were slated for 5,000 and 7,500 respectively.

  ?The group had been short-handed, which is why Su Han and two others had been brought in as 'temps.'

  The other two hadn't made it out. They were just names on a casualty list now, victims of the wolf pack’s fury.

  ?Clink. Clatter.

  The sound of cutlery against plates filled the room, but the real music was the thought of the heavy purses waiting for them.

  ?Every man at the table knew Su Han had carried more than his fair share of the weight.

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  Some even whispered that his raw power eclipsed the Captain's. There was no jealousy—only a deep, unspoken respect for the boy who fought like a demon.

  ?Once the meal was finished, they marched to Lucy’s room. She didn't waste time, tossing heavy leather pouches onto the table.

  Chink! Jingle!

  ?The sound of hundreds of silver coins hitting each other was the sweetest melody a mercenary could hear.

  Lucy handed out the shares, then picked up a particularly heavy bag and turned her eyes toward Su Han.

  ?"I’m awarding Su Han 10,000 silver coins," she stated, her tone leaving no room for argument.

  The room went silent.

  ?"He didn't just survive; he saved us. And that traitor Wang Pan? Su Han dealt with him. I’m giving him the traitor’s share as well. Anyone got a problem with that?"

  The warriors looked at each other and then at Su Han. They nodded in unison.

  ?No one grumbled. No one narrowed their eyes. In the world of warriors, strength and loyalty were the only currencies that mattered more than silver.

  Su Han watched the coins, his mind already calculating how many pills this would buy.

  ?A rare, soft smile touched Zhao Lucy’s lips. It was like a sudden burst of sunlight hitting a frozen lake, momentarily stunning everyone in the room.

  She knew her team. She knew none of them would begrudge Su Han his share, but it was her fairness that made them willing to die for her.

  ?Su Han, however, felt a wave of awkwardness. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking slightly embarrassed.

  "Wait, Captain... this is too much. Just give me the five thousand we agreed on when I joined."

  ?Lucy didn't say a word. She just narrowed her eyes, her cold gaze pinning him to the spot.

  She shoved a heavy leather bag into his chest.

  Thud.

  ?Su Han’s mouth snapped shut. One look at those icy eyes told him that arguing was a one-way ticket to trouble.

  ’Damn, this girl...’ he thought, crying inwardly. ’One minute she’s freezing cold, the next she’s caring, and now she’s bossing me around. Girls are a riddle I’ll never solve.’

  ?He let out a small sigh and accepted the bag. The weight of the silver felt substantial in his hand.

  Lucy turned back to the group, her expression turning professional again.

  ?"After settling the shares and the group’s cut, we have twenty-two thousand silver coins left," she stated.

  She glanced at the pile of Four-Colored Snake skins and bones in the corner. Her brow furrowed in thought.

  ?"I’m thinking of using the remaining silver and these materials to forge new armor and weapons for the team. We need more sting."

  The men’s eyes lit up. There was no hesitation; their lives depended on the quality of their gear.

  ?"If we can turn these scraps into power, count us in!" one of them shouted, and the room erupted in grins.

  Lucy nodded, a faint trace of satisfaction on her face.

  ?"Good. Tomorrow we rest. The day after, we head out on a new mission. I’ll see if anyone else from the Iron-Fist Group wants to join to fill our ranks to ten."

  She paused, scanning their tired faces. "If anyone’s too beat to move by then, let me know by tomorrow night."

  ?Most of them just nodded, though their bodies screamed for a week of sleep. They were battered and bruised.

  But Lucy was a machine. She believed that power only grew in the heat of battle. Even with her own injuries, she only took one day to breathe.

  ?Then, her eyes flickered toward Su Han. For a brief second, there was a flash of something—disappointment? Longing?

  She quickly looked away, but the message was clear. She wanted him to stay.

  ?Su Han felt a sting of guilt. He had already turned down the offer to join the Iron-Fist Group permanently.

  He didn't belong here. Not yet. He could only offer a wry smile and a respectful cupped-fist salute.

  ?"Friends, it’s been an honor fighting alongside you. I’ve learned a lot," Su Han said, his voice sincere.

  "But I have business to attend to. I’ll be leaving tomorrow morning."

  ?Chen Jian stepped forward, clapping a heavy hand on Su Han’s shoulder.

  "Safe travels, Brother Han. But listen..." He leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

  ?"The offer is still on the table. I don't think the Captain would say no if you changed your mind right now. You’ve already got her attention."

  Su Han chuckled, patting Chen Jian’s arm. "Not this time, Brother Jian. Maybe next time."

  ?He took one last look at the group and headed back to his room.

  The camaraderie was warm, but the path of a Dragon was a lonely one.

  ?Meanwhile, on the other side of the Mercenary Market, in a lavishly decorated suite.

  Three middle-aged men sat in silence, the air thick with the scent of expensive incense.

  ?The heavy atmosphere was shattered as a thin, scrawny youth burst through the doors, gasping for air.

  "Elder Li! It’s bad... it’s very bad!"

  ?One of the men, an elder with small, predatory eyes, glared at the intruder.

  "Watch your tongue. Can't you see we are discussing matters of importance?" His voice was like a blade scraping on stone.

  ?"B-but Elder... Viper! He’s gone! We haven't had word from him or the three brothers for three days!"

  The Elder’s brow snapped together. The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.

  ?"How is that possible? Did you search the perimeter?"

  "We did! We think... we think something happened to them in the mountains."

  ?Elder Li’s face went bone-white with rage. A murderous aura exploded from him, rattling the tea sets on the table.

  "Investigate. Use every resource of the Shadow Blade Sect."

  ?His eyes turned into bloody slits, glowing with a lethal chill.

  "If a beast killed them, so be it. But if a man dared to touch a member of the Shadow Blade Sect..."

  ?The scrawny youth began to tremble, sweat pouring down his face as the killing intent filled the room.

  Su Han had no idea. The blood he had spilled was starting to leave a trail.

  ?The Viper was dead, but the snakes were waking up.