Then, without another word, he walked toward the other party, closing the distance until he was right beside her. Mo Han could even detect the faint, fresh scent emanating from the female mage, a fragrance that was instantly refreshing.

Yet, Mo Han dared not let a single expression cross his face. Adopting a look of utmost seriousness, he leaned in as if to whisper something in her ear. Seeing his approach, the female mage started, her face flushing slightly as she snapped, "What are you doing?" Simultaneously, she raised the magic staff held in her hand.

Witnessing their leader's reaction, the members of the Sky Shadow Mercenary Group—unaware of what had transpired—drew their own weapons and surrounded Mo Han, drawing a curious crowd of onlookers.

Mo Han, observing this, remained completely unconcerned. He spoke with casual ease, "Miss Mage, aren't you overreacting? Didn't I tell you this was a secret that could threaten my life? Originally, I had no intention of saying it, but since you insist, I suppose I must tell you. You wouldn't expect me to just shout it out, would you? Would that even count as a secret then?" Hearing Mo Han’s explanation, the female mage realized she had perhaps overreacted, and she responded with a hint of apology, "I misunderstood you, my apologies. Very well, come closer and tell me."

With that, she lowered her staff, and seeing her action, the members of the Sky Shadow Mercenary Group also sheathed their weapons.

Mo Han nodded, though internally he was struggling to keep from laughing out loud.

Still maintaining his serious demeanor, he approached the female mage again, leaning in close to her ear to speak. Whether intentionally or not, his lips were nearly brushing against her ear, causing the female mage's face to turn bright red. However, having already conceded the point, she felt too embarrassed to object now.

She had no choice but to force herself to patiently listen to Mo Han finish speaking.

By the time Mo Han had finally finished everything he needed to say, the female mage's face was as red as an apple, a truly striking sight.

Anyone unfamiliar with the situation might have assumed the two were engaged in flirtatious banter.

After hearing Mo Han’s explanation, the female mage considered the matter and finally nodded, saying, "Given the circumstances, we accept the mission. However, you must pay half the commission upfront. The remainder will be paid upon our arrival in Dragon Heaven City."

Upon hearing this, Mo Han readily agreed to her terms.

He accompanied them to the Mercenary Guild in Aini City to finalize the mission handover procedures. The paperwork was completed quickly, and afterward, Mo Han led the Sky Shadow Mercenary Group to the inn where Daili and the others were staying.

Daili and Murong Feixue were surprised to see Mo Han leave alone and return with a group of mercenaries. However, they held no reservations about any of Mo Han’s decisions.

As for Bai Ling, she rarely concerned herself with such matters and naturally paid no mind to whom Mo Han chose to travel with.

The Sky Shadow Mercenary Group members were utterly stunned when they met Daili and the others for the first time, never expecting such beautiful women to be by Mo Han's side.

And there were three of them at once! The male members of the mercenary group couldn't help but feel envious of Mo Han's way with women. Although the female mage and the female archer offered no outward comment, their expressions clearly betrayed their shock at the stunning beauty of Daili and Bai Ling.

Wassak and Han Bai immediately began fawning over Daili and Murong Feixue. They had no idea that Daili and Murong Feixue’s hearts already belonged to Mo Han, a situation that brought a secret amusement to Mo Han and left Daili and Murong Feixue somewhat awkward.

It was Bai Ling, with her naturally icy demeanor, who was spared much of this fuss. Though the others didn't know Bai Ling’s true strength, the inherent aura of a powerhouse that she unconsciously exuded kept them instinctively at a distance, unwilling to provoke her.

Soon, everyone was prepared. Since it was already late afternoon, Mo Han decided they would depart the following day. As mercenaries hired by Mo Han, Wassak and his team naturally accepted his schedule without objection.

The next morning, Mo Han, Daili, and Bai Ling left Aini City early, joining the Sky Shadow Mercenary Group as they headed toward the direction of the Dragon Heaven Empire. The journey was smooth, with no trouble encountered along the way. Mo Han, Daili, and Murong Feixue appeared relaxed, only Bai Ling remained perpetually cold, speaking only occasionally to Mo Han and Daili, and ignoring everyone else completely.

Conversely, the warriors like Wassak and Han Bai seemed entirely at ease, chatting and laughing convivially with Daili and the others. Only the Sky Shadow Mercenary Group's female mage, Loria, remained tautly strung, perpetually looking as if a powerful enemy was about to attack—a sight that left Mo Han feeling both exasperated and amused.

With Mo Han’s current level of power, there was little to worry about, especially with Bai Ling accompanying them; perhaps no mercenary group on the continent could truly match the two of them. But Loria and her comrades were oblivious to Mo Han and Bai Ling’s true strength, hence their lack of ease.

Mo Han briefly considered advising her to relax, worrying that if she remained so tense, the female mage might turn into a nervous wreck before they even reached Dragon Heaven City. However, her response was that the calmer things seemed, the more certain the coming storm. This made Mo Han genuinely want to kick her, but he naturally refrained. Since she insisted on being so high-strung, he let her be and turned back to chat with Daili and the others.

They traveled peacefully for several days, reaching a point where everyone, including Loria, had unconsciously let down their guard and begun chatting easily with Daili and the others. This day, they arrived near the Duchy of Rossi, one of the small nations situated between the Dragon Heaven Empire and the Azure Water Empire.

The Duchy of Rossi was something of an anomaly; its entire territory comprised only two cities. It was arguably more fitting to call it an affiliated state of the Dragon Heaven Empire than an independent nation, needing only the formal act of annexation. The hereditary rulers of Rossi had always regarded the Empire with deference, acting as vassals and never daring to overstep their bounds. Furthermore, its role as a buffer zone between larger powers had allowed it to endure on the border of the Dragon Heaven Empire for so long. Had it not been for these factors, the Duchy of Rossi would surely have been absorbed by the Empire long ago.

After entering Rossi City, the capital of the Duchy of Rossi, Mo Han and his party replenished some supplies before continuing toward the Dragon Heaven Empire.

They were not too far from Mig City, the northernmost border city of the Dragon Heaven Empire. Everyone planned to reach Mig City and rest there. Mig City fell within the jurisdiction managed by the Nangong family. Mo Han intended to enter Mig City, then use the Nangong family's resources to quickly dispatch a messenger to Dragon Heaven City to report Daili and the others’ safe arrival.

Not long after leaving Rossi City, Mo Han and his group encountered a deep canyon. At that moment, Mo Han suddenly sensed a faint, almost imperceptible killing intent emanating from within the gorge ahead.

He couldn't help but sneer inwardly. It seemed those people had not given up, and their skill levels were quite high, allowing them to conceal their murderous intent so thoroughly that the members of the Sky Shadow Mercenary Group hadn't noticed anything amiss.

However, no matter how powerful these individuals were, they could not escape Mo Han's sensory abilities. Still, Mo Han was somewhat impressed by their patience; they had managed to hold back for so long without making a move.

Furthermore, to avoid arousing suspicion, these ambushers hadn't even sent out scouts along the road, choosing instead to wait entirely in place, hoping to trap their prey.

This left Mo Han's group completely unable to detect anything unusual. They correctly calculated that Mo Han’s party would be highly alert initially, but after several days, their vigilance would inevitably drop, making a sudden, surprise attack the optimal moment. Indeed, the ambushers’ prediction was accurate.

The members of the Sky Shadow Mercenary Group were mostly young, and after several days of uneventful travel, their guard had indeed dropped considerably, leaving them oblivious to the impending danger. At that moment, Bai Ling, who had been riding slightly ahead, suddenly halted. She looked toward Mo Han at her side, a slight smile curving her lips, baffling the Sky Shadow members. Bai Ling was always so cold; they hadn't expected her smile to be so beautiful.

However, it was the female mage Loria who possessed the most experience and reacted first when something felt wrong. Although Loria herself sensed nothing overtly strange, she instinctively felt that Bai Ling’s abilities were far from simple. In contrast, Mo Han was always so cavalier, spending his time either joking with Daili and the others or mingling with Wassak’s group—the very picture of an undisciplined, pleasure-seeking young nobleman—which caused Loria to secretly look down on him.

She couldn't understand why women as lovely as Daili, Murong Feixue, and Bai Ling favored Mo Han, given his supposed lack of skill. Seeing how extravagantly Mo Han spent money only confirmed Loria’s belief that he was merely a playboy noble sent out from some aristocratic family in the Dragon Heaven Empire, and that Daili and Bai Ling were only with him for his power and wealth. This only deepened Loria's disdain for Mo Han, as he represented precisely the type of person she detested most: aristocratic brats who acted recklessly by relying on their family's influence. Had she known Mo Han was like this earlier, she likely wouldn't have accepted his mission. But now that she had accepted, she felt obligated to see the task through and deliver Mo Han and his companions safely to Dragon Heaven City.

She had responded coldly to all of Mo Han’s attempts to engage her along the way. If Mo Han hadn't had Daili and the other beautiful women around him, Loria might have suspected Mo Han was interested in her. However, this very fact also caused Loria to look down on Daili and Bai Ling somewhat.

Yet, regarding Bai Ling, Loria constantly felt that her power was exceptional. Seeing Bai Ling display such a peculiar expression now naturally meant something was amiss.

Loria spoke in a low voice, "Everyone, be cautious. Wassak and Han Bai, scout ahead to check the situation and see if anything is amiss. The rest of you, stay put and maintain vigilance. We proceed only after confirming everything is clear."

Hearing their leader’s orders, Wassak and Han Bai instantly dropped their smiles. They were highly attentive to their leader's words, so they immediately drew the weapons they carried and moved forward cautiously.

"Wait."

Mo Han suddenly spoke, halting Wassak and Han Bai's movement, which baffled everyone. Wassak and Han Bai stared at Mo Han with confusion, wondering what he intended. Loria glared coldly at Mo Han, unable to comprehend why he was stopping their men.

Mo Han certainly knew that under normal circumstances, Loria's arrangement would be the best choice to minimize losses. However, the enemies currently lying in ambush were clearly highly skilled. Allowing Wassak and Han Bai to proceed alone would likely plunge them into grave danger, weakening their overall strength prematurely. Moreover, after several days of travel, Mo Han had developed a good impression of Wassak and Han Bai and could not bear to see them endangered, which prompted him to intervene.

Seeing everyone stare at him, Mo Han realized he couldn't state his true reasons, as doing so would expose his own conduct. Thinking quickly, he managed a slightly awkward laugh, "Sending just them out like that—if there truly is an ambush, Wassak and the others might fall into danger, weakening our side. It would be safer if we all moved together."

Loria scoffed at Mo Han's explanation before speaking coldly, "Mr. Mo Han, do not forget that our role is only to protect you; we are not obligated to follow your instructions. Therefore, regarding this kind of adventuring common sense you clearly don't understand, it is best if you refrain from making definitive judgments."

Hearing Loria’s words, Mo Han couldn't help but feel a mixture of amusement and exasperation. He was genuinely trying to help, yet she was mistaking it for meddling. But he couldn't explain the real reason.

Leaping...