Chapter Twenty-Seven: Departure

"Tieguanyin!"
"Pu'er tea, with a hint of jasmine!"
"I'll have some Dahongpao, thank you."
Chen Gu, Zhang Ke, and Luo Yuan spoke in turn.

"Uh, Senior Luo Yuan, isn't this your first time here as well? You seem so familiar with everything," Luo Feng looked at Luo Yuan in surprise.

"It's a small matter, just needs some getting used to. We're about to head out on a mission; it's best not to drink anything else, tea is the best for keeping us alert," Luo Yuan replied casually, his movements calm and composed.

"Hahaha, I wouldn't have guessed, Luo Yuan, you're quite adaptable. Someone who didn't know better would think you're a seasoned martial artist," Chen Gu laughed from the side.

"Alright, I'll have a cup of Pu'er as well," Luo Feng said with a smile.

Soft, tranquil music lingered in the hall, the melody played on a flute. Luo Yuan, with his limited taste, couldn't recognize the tune, yet he feigned an expression of enjoyment. The flute's sound, sometimes gentle and flowing, sometimes swift and light, brought a refreshing clarity to the mind.

"The first floor of the Underground Alliance Mall is for guests to relax. From the second floor up, it's where goods are sold. Prices here are generally lower than those in the 'House of Limits' online mall, though they're higher than what we get at half price. The greatest benefit of the Underground Alliance Mall is that we can sell some materials from the monsters we hunt for high prices. If we sell these materials to the martial arts halls, the prices are lower, but we get contribution points. Selling to the Underground Alliance Mall fetches a higher price, but no contribution points. It's up to each person to decide which is better," Chen Gu explained.

"Oh, then it's more worthwhile to sell to the House of Limits, since contribution points are quite useful," Luo Yuan remarked, sipping his tea.

"Excuse me, everyone—I see someone I know and need to say hello," Luo Feng suddenly announced.

Luo Yuan looked up, following Luo Feng's gaze, and saw a young woman behind the bar wearing a white shirt and black suit pants. He nodded, admitting that Luo Feng had good taste, though Luo Yuan himself preferred more mature women.

After a while, Luo Feng returned, accompanied by Gao Feng, the leader of the Fire Hammer Squad, and a pair of twin martial artists. Both twins carried shields and curved blades, while Gao Feng bore two large black hammers tinged with silver.

"Luo Yuan, Luo Feng, these two are the famous 'Twin Crescent Blades,' the Wei brothers: Wei Tie and Wei Qing," Chen Gu said with a smile.

Luo Yuan and Luo Feng greeted them with smiles.

"And this is the leader of our Fire Hammer Squad, 'Twin Wind Hammers,' Gao Feng," Chen Gu continued.

"No need for introductions, I've met Brother Luo Yuan before, though it's my first time meeting Luo Feng—both are talented young men," Gao Feng said as he sat down, a hint of admiration in his voice.

"Ah, the captain knows Luo Yuan?" Chen Gu was surprised.

"We met earlier in the Warrior training hall," Gao Feng replied, sipping his tea.

"Warrior level?" The group was startled, except for Gao Feng and Zhang Ke.

"You might not know yet, but Luo Yuan is already a junior warrior," Gao Feng said, smiling with a hint of envy.

"Junior warrior? Luo Yuan, you really kept this hidden!" Chen Gu lightly tapped Luo Yuan's shoulder.

"Haha, my abilities are nothing compared to true geniuses, best not to mention it," Luo Yuan replied modestly.

"This is great—with Luo Yuan joining, our squad's strength has increased considerably," Gao Feng said happily, then glanced at the Blood Shadow Blade on Luo Feng's back.

"Luo Feng, you're a blade user as well. When we enter the wilderness, learn from Wei Tie and Wei Qing—they have plenty of experience. Your talent is good, I'm sure you'll soon become part of the team. Luo Yuan can guide you too; his blade techniques are excellent."

"Alright," Luo Feng nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed as he glanced at Luo Yuan. They were the same age and classmates, yet the gap between them was growing. But he quickly regained his confidence; with his rare psychic abilities, catching up to Luo Yuan was only a matter of time.

The group drank tea and, as they became acquainted, the atmosphere grew lively with conversation and laughter. Twenty minutes later, Gao Feng and the others finished their tea and stood up. "Let's go, time to head to the wilderness," he said, and everyone followed.

The seven members of the Fire Hammer Squad boarded the HR Alliance vehicle directly to the train station, then took the train out of the base city toward the wilderness.

Several hundred miles north of Jiangnan Base City lay a military district.

With a deep rumbling, the train slowed to a stop at the military station.

Fully armed martial artists disembarked one after another, more than twenty in total, naturally forming four squads.

"When we martial artists go out to hunt monsters, we always stop at the military district for supplies. Look there," Chen Gu pointed ahead to Luo Yuan and Luo Feng, indicating a towering iron structure at least sixty meters tall. "See that tower? In Hua Xia, and even across the world, every military district has a special area set aside as a martial artist supply base, where we can rest. These bases always build a lighthouse like this, symbolizing the light guiding martial artists home."

Luo Yuan looked up at the beacon atop the lighthouse, its light visible for miles around, and nodded. This was a symbol of hope for those who fought and bled in the wilderness.

The martial artist supply base was inside the military district, surrounded by tranquil small buildings and excellent scenery.

The Fire Hammer Squad rested in a three-story building, E6. Luo Yuan spent time in his room cultivating, absorbing cosmic energy.

Time slipped by, and as evening fell, Gao Feng hurriedly called everyone to set out.

"Heading out at night?" Luo Yuan asked in surprise as he came downstairs.

"Luo Yuan, look at the weather—it's late August, the hottest time of the year. Carrying hundreds of kilograms of gear in the heat? No matter how much water you bring, it's never enough; you'd end up drinking from the river. Traveling at night is cooler, more comfortable, and saves water," Chen Gu said, casting Luo Yuan an amused glance.

Luo Yuan smiled awkwardly, and Luo Feng nodded; he'd been about to ask the same question.

"Mm?" Suddenly, Luo Feng's gaze caught a figure through the window of the supply base. "Chen, look—isn't that Zhang Zehu?" Zhang Zehu was wrapped in bandages, with faint traces of blood, clearly injured and recovering at the supply base.

Chen Gu turned to look. "Yes, that's Zhang Zehu!"

"Hey!" Chen Gu strode to the door and shouted triumphantly, "Tiger of the Mountains, what happened? You were fine last time, how did you end up like this so quickly?"

Outside, Zhang Zehu, chatting with his companions, turned and spotted Chen Gu, Luo Yuan, Luo Feng, and the others at the door. His teeth clenched in frustration, but he forced himself to suppress his anger and instead called out, "Blast Cannon Chen, your Fire Hammer Squad is supposed to be a team of elites—how come you've brought two rookies? Haha, aren't you afraid they'll drag the whole team down and get you all killed?"