Abel couldn't quite suppress his curiosity, which prompted the question. After surveying the group for a long time, he hadn't recognized anyone in the "Misty Mercenary Group" as a "Z-War Personnel," leading him to wonder if John had been mistaken.

His doubt wasn't entirely unfounded; how could someone as formidable as a "Z-War Personnel" bother with such a small mission for them? There must be some misunderstanding somewhere!

Of course, he felt extremely tense when he asked, after all, these people were mercenaries, and no one knew their true nature. What if this question touched upon their privacy boundaries?

As he waited nervously for an answer, Charlotte and the others, as if by prior arrangement, all turned to look at Rachel. "That would be me!" Rachel replied calmly. She hadn't planned to hide this from the start, and it wasn't some earth-shattering secret anyway!

Hearing Rachel's confirmation, Abel visibly stiffened, utterly surprised that a "Z-War Personnel" was actually present. Good heavens, how could something like this happen right beside him?

Even though he had mentally prepared himself beforehand, the definite confirmation still sent a jolt of shock through him! John, standing nearby and intending to stop Abel’s rash question, was left staring blankly at the scene when he heard Rachel's reply.

The rest of the proceedings became considerably simpler; John and Abel treated Zhong Shenxiu and his group with even greater deference. This felt less like hiring a mercenary group and more like catering to a coterie of revered ancestors!

Putting aside the minor details, two days quickly passed. The journey so far had been smooth, with no incidents like robberies occurring. Perhaps John’s earlier thought was correct: a small trade caravan like theirs wasn't worth the attention of those bandits! It was now high moon, with only a few wisps of cloud drifting occasionally across the JL sky.

As fate would have it, about thirty li ahead of them, another caravan was moving slowly forward. However, this was a massive trading convoy, boasting nearly five hundred cargo wagons alone.

Along both sides of the wagons were guards, numbering no fewer than a dozen men per side. These were a mix of the caravan’s internal security and mercenaries they had hired. And this mercenary group was quite renowned—the "Tiger Leap Mercenary Group," ranked third globally!

Originally, the "Tiger Leap Mercenary Group" had been fourth, but since the second-ranked "Dragon Slaying Mercenary Group" had been wiped out, they naturally ascended to third place!

The ranking of mercenary groups was based on their established tier. At their current level, the "Tiger Leap Mercenary Group" qualified as an 'A-Class' mercenary group. However, this didn't mean their actual strength was third best among all mercenary organizations; it only meant their accumulated mission points placed them third! Even so, this was enough to attest to the power of the "Tiger Leap Mercenary Group"!

The fact that this caravan could afford to hire the "Tiger Leap Mercenary Group" indicated that the cargo in the wagons was exceedingly valuable, and also demonstrated the caravan’s substantial capital!

Naturally, these mercenaries accompanying the caravan constituted only a small fraction of the "Tiger Leap Mercenary Group." In terms of numbers here, they totaled just over five hundred, whereas the true membership of the "Tiger Leap Mercenary Group" swelled to over ten thousand!

At the very front of the caravan, three mercenaries riding white tigers cleared the path. Two of them appeared to be around forty years old—they were the captain, Zakharov, and the deputy captain, Yehut, of this particular detachment. The third was a young man barely in his early twenties named Wennar, the third son of the "Tiger Leap Mercenary Group's" formidable leader, having recently graduated from the academy!

"Third Young Master, how do you feel? Are you looking at your father's 'Tiger Leap Mercenary Group' with renewed respect?" Deputy Captain Yehut asked with a slight smile.

Wennar merely pursed his lips, seeming rather unimpressed. "I still don't want to join Father's mercenary group. I want to join one that I recognize!" "Third Young Master, you don't recognize the 'Tiger Leap Mercenary Group'?" Zakharov interjected.

"I have no desire to be constrained by Father like my two older brothers. I absolutely will not join the 'Tiger Leap Mercenary Group.' If I join, it will be a group that is both powerful and entirely unrelated to Father!" Wennar declared, looking wistful.

This thought had been with him for a long time. He didn't want to grow up constantly shielded by his father's wings; that was too dull. A man’s ambition lies in venturing forth; if he were to join, it would be a strange mercenary group, adventuring across the world, content even if it cost him his life!

"Third Young Master, where would you even find such a mercenary group? The top-ranked groups all have some connection to your father. Which one do you plan to join?" Yehut teased. After a brief pause, he added, "Unless you mean that mysterious 'Tornado Mercenary Group'—they might fit your criteria. But that group is far too dangerous. I hear all their members are bloodthirsty and possess extremely strange temperaments!" Upon hearing the name "Tornado Mercenary Group," Wennar’s eyes lit up instantly, and he couldn't help but ask, "Uncle Yehut, is the 'Tornado Mercenary Group' truly as formidable as the rumors suggest?"

A hint of seriousness crossed Yehut’s expression. After pondering for a moment, he stated, "This 'Tornado Mercenary Group' swept through the entire mercenary world in an instant, just like its name implies. You must have heard that the former world number two, the 'Dragon Slaying Mercenary Group,' was destroyed by them!" "I have heard, yes, but I don't know if the rumors are true!" Wennar quickly responded.

"Although no one witnessed the scene where the 'Dragon Slaying Mercenary Group' was annihilated, the existence of such a rumor proves that their demise is inevitably linked to the 'Tornado Mercenary Group'," Yehut mused.

In truth, he didn't know much himself, only that the "Tornado Mercenary Group" was an extremely perilous entity. Regardless of their reasons, annihilating a mercenary group numbering over one hundred thousand members was enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine! "Uncle Yehut, does the 'Tornado Mercenary Group' truly have many 'Z-War Personnel'?" Wennar seemed to have endless questions. "I'm not entirely sure about that either!" Yehut smiled somewhat awkwardly. "Then, Uncle Yehut, just how strong are the 'Z-War Personnel'?" Wennar changed the subject.

"The strength of different 'Z-War Personnel' varies, but one thing is certain: anyone who returns alive from the 'Other Dimension' is no ordinary person! If you absolutely must know their level of power, let's use the Demon Worms as a comparison: they are the only ones capable of single-handedly matching a Demon Worm one-on-one!" Yehut explained based on his understanding.

"Third Young Master, you aren't seriously considering joining the 'Tornado Mercenary Group,' are you? I advise you to drop that thought immediately!" Zakharov interjected again. "Never mind the danger of the 'Tornado Mercenary Group'; the mere fact that they are impossible to locate—never showing their hand—is enough to deter most people!"

"Uncle Zakharov, rest assured, I am only curious; I have no intention of joining this 'Tornado Mercenary Group'!" Wennar said with a smile. "Actually, after hearing about their deeds, I find their actions quite repugnant. If possible, I want to join a mercenary group even more badass than them!"

Seeing Wennar’s earnest expression, Zakharov and Yehut couldn't help but burst into laughter.

The "Tornado Mercenary Group" was already acknowledged by industry insiders as the most formidable mercenary organization in existence. To find one stronger felt like searching for a needle in a haystack—or perhaps even a delusion!

Wennar certainly understood why they were laughing, and he countered with slight indignation, "Since a 'Tornado Mercenary Group' could appear out of thin air, it’s entirely possible for an even stronger one to exist!"

Zakharov and Yehut didn't argue; they just laughed harder! (If such a mercenary group really existed, they’d willingly eat their steamed buns the wrong way!)

As the three were talking and laughing, an old man rode up on horseback, kindly offering a warning: in another ten li, they would reach the perilous 'Yin Wind Gorge.' The sides were jagged with strange rocks and overgrown with lush vegetation, making it extremely easy to set an ambush. If any bandit group planned to target the caravan, that was the place they would choose!

"Understood, we'll be careful!" Zakharov nodded to the old man, then signaled the formation behind him. Immediately, the mercenaries tensed up, warily observing every movement in their surroundings!) ) $ $ $ $

As is often the way in tales, large numbers of bandits were indeed lying in wait on both sides of the 'Yin Wind Gorge,' their target being this very caravan! "Ten li remaining!" At that moment, a scout rushed back, and after delivering that message, he vanished into the strange rocks nearby.

Excitement flashed across everyone’s faces. They had planned this moment for half a month, eagerly anticipating a good long rest after finishing this score! "Hey, I heard the caravan is guarded by the 'Tiger Leap Mercenary Group.' Think we can pull this off?" one bandit whispered to his companion. "Don't worry. They only have a few hundred men, and we have over a thousand. We have the advantage in numbers. Besides, do you know who the scar-faced man leading the operation is this time?" "Who? I was just wondering why our boss listens to him so closely," the other bandit quickly asked. "I overheard this by accident, so you must keep it secret for me." Before revealing the information, the first bandit made sure to emphasize secrecy, then lowered his voice even further, "I heard the scar-faced man is a 'Z-War Personnel,' and he used to be a bandit himself!"

As the two were conversing, a strange beast cry echoed. This was an agreed-upon signal among them, meaning: Everyone, silence! The target is here!!! F