The shame that first flushed Aibijia’s face when she extinguished the rocket gradually turned to rage; she glared fiercely at Duanfeng Bu'er, who was rolling with laughter on the carriage. Meanwhile, the other mercenaries could no longer suppress their anger and burst into laughter, filling the caravan with an uproar of merriment.

Qian Jin's lips curved into a faint smile. Mages and warriors were meant to be partners. Aibijia, relying on her status as a mage, mocked the warriors. Even if Duanfeng Bu'er hadn't mocked her, Qian Jin would have given her a lesson anyway—otherwise, listening to such a proud parrot squawk incessantly before reaching the Demon Territory would be a vexing ordeal.

“You!” Enraged and humiliated, Aibijia abruptly raised her arm, and a surge of fire elemental energy billowed from her wide mage sleeves—a fire magic scroll!

Qian Jin hadn't expected it, nor had the mercenaries. Their own comrade, the mage Aibijia, was actually aiming magic at her allies! Even though Duanfeng Bu'er’s words were somewhat vicious, they were merely a verbal retaliation after Aibijia had insulted the mercenaries, who were warriors.

Magic scrolls were almost always instantaneous spells! However, this particular magic scroll required several seconds of intense mental focus to fully unleash. The scroll Aibijia was using was clearly not a low-tier one that a mere third-rank mage could casually activate.

In the stunned moment everyone froze, a murderous glint suddenly flashed in Duanfeng Bu'er’s eyes. Deploying magic against one's own side was already a provocation to a warrior.

A civil conflict? Qian Jin raised an eyebrow, and with a flick of his toe, he sent a clump of mud—still damp from a recent rain—soaring upward. The black-and-yellow sludge shot out with a swoosh, striking Aibijia squarely in the face with a smack, splattering countless dark specks across her elaborate mage robes. “Aargh!”

Suddenly assaulted by mud, the woman’s innate desire for beauty immediately flared up, compounded by the panic of being struck by an unknown substance. Her fingers involuntarily shot upward toward the sky, releasing five searing fireballs the size of her fists simultaneously skyward.

Aibijia frantically rubbed the mud from her face, screaming repeatedly, “What… what is this? Who did that! Mud… mud… Who is it? Step forward! Do you know who I am? Do you know who my parents are? Ugh! My clothes…”

Mixed with shrieks of terror and fury, Aibijia barely managed to open her eyes, searching frantically for the “culprit.” The fighting spirit that had ignited in Duanfeng Bu'er’s eyes instantly vanished, replaced by a gleeful, mischievous grin. “Amusing, truly amusing! Using mud, I’ll give you that—that’s a hundred times more vicious than me beating her! Women would rather lose their lives than their beauty; your move was truly ruthless.”

The other mercenaries suppressed their laughter, showing expressions of strong approval for Duanfeng Bu'er’s assessment. They each looked in different directions, pretending not to hear Aibijia’s tirade.

The driver of the third large carriage tipped his cap slightly, a faint hint of surprise crossing his face. The speed and accuracy of that kick, coupled with the impact force of the mud moving at high velocity—which couldn’t be much less than a stone—had somehow avoided splitting Aibijia’s face or causing a nosebleed. For someone her age, that level of control was astonishing.

Qian Jin felt the driver’s strange gaze, so he, like the other mercenaries, casually looked around, completely ignoring Aibijia. As for who she was or who her parents were—it held less than half a copper coin’s worth of relevance to him.

“You! All of you…” Aibijia’s furious apricot eyes finally fixed on the middle-aged man driving the third carriage. “Zeng Chuandong! My mother and father sent you to protect me! Why are you just watching me get bullied? This time, it was your Torrent Fortress begging my parents to send someone to guard me!”

The guard was her parents' subordinate? Qian Jin discreetly paid more attention. If the guard insisted on defending the girl's honor by taking action, then Qian Jin would have to oblige. At worst, he’d abandon the mission to the Demon Territory, but he would absolutely not yield to such an arrogant brat.

Many mercenaries’ gazes shifted curiously toward Zeng Chuandong, the driver of the third carriage. This usually quiet driver could actually protect a third-rank mage? What was his actual combat prowess?

Zeng Chuandong pulled his cap down even lower, the horsewhip in his hand trembling slightly a few times. He muttered inwardly, If Aibijia were my daughter, I would have whipped her to death long ago! The two Vice-Presidents of the Crystal Magic Tower, Aibijia’s parents, warned her repeatedly to remain inconspicuous in her protection duties. How dare she expose this so early! Doesn’t she know that warriors above the Demon-Slayer level are easily ambushed by demons once they enter the Demon Territory? Is she trying to get me killed?

“Aibijia, just drop it, drop it,” Boss Liang hurried over, his short, thick legs carrying him along, hands waving apologetically in front of him. “What happened here, both sides were at fault…”

“Fault? What was I at fault for?” Aibijia finally managed to wipe most of the grime from her face with a silk handkerchief, stomping her foot hard on the carriage board as she glared at Boss Liang. “Listen here, Fatty Liang! My father has helped you quite a bit. This time, I begged my parents many times before I agreed to guard your caravan for Torrent Fortress… You must understand that our Crystal Magic Tower is not some place that can be bullied around like Torrent Fortress!”

“And you people!” Aibijia’s sharp eyes swept over the mercenaries, letting out another cold, disdainful laugh. “What are you laughing at? You bunch of low-class, insignificant warriors, you aren't even fit to carry my parents’ shoes, let alone qualify to guard the doors of our Crystal Magic Tower! My father could crush all of you with a single thumb!”

Zeng Chuandong felt the darkening expressions of the surrounding mercenaries. He took a deep breath and said softly, “Aibijia, you must—”

“Is that a way you can address me?” Aibijia’s tone suddenly sharpened. She stared hatefully at Zeng Chuandong, feeling even more indignant. This guard sent by Torrent Fortress dared to disobey her orders! “Your petty Torrent Fortress—do you really think you’ve been one of the eight great powers of the Eternal Flow Province since ancient times? Others might not know, but our Crystal Magic Tower knows exactly how miserable you people have become! Forget you; even your Guild Master wouldn't dare show me the slightest disrespect in my presence! Who do you think you are? You’re just a dog sent by Torrent Fortress to protect me! What right do you have to call my name?”

Zeng Chuandong stood frozen, his chest heaving violently, his arms trembling uncontrollably. Everyone could sense the flame-like surge of anger building inside him.

After a long moment, he slowly exhaled. He seemed completely drained, the burning rage receding as he turned and walked back toward his carriage to resume his duty as a driver, his retreating back radiating an indescribable sense of indignation and desolation.

The Crystal Magic Tower? Torrent Fortress? Qian Jin finally understood that this Aibijia hailed from the Magic Guild of the Eternal Flow Province.

Within the territory of the True Serenity Imperial Dynasty, every Magic Guild had its own iconic structure—a Magic Tower—and the towers of each region differed. For instance, the General Guild in the Divine Capital was called the Golden Magic Tower, while others might be named the Jadeite Magic Tower or the Mithril Magic Tower… These tower names were always unique.

The Magic Tower of the Eternal Flow Province Magic Guild was the Crystal Magic Tower! And Torrent Fortress was the name of the Warrior Guild in the same province. Like the Magic Guilds, every regional Warrior Guild had a distinctive fortress structure, also bearing different names; the Warrior Guild of the Eternal Flow Province was known as Torrent Fortress.

Reaching the Magic Guild at such a young age? Qian Jin nodded lightly. A third-rank mage certainly had the skill to enter the most basic tier of the Guild, but judging by her tone, her parents must possess considerable power. Were they perhaps also part of the Magic Guild?

“Yes, yes… Miss Aibijia speaks truly. I am deeply honored that you have deigned to become the temporary guardian of our merchant convoy…”

Boss Liang nodded repeatedly, inwardly cursing. If it weren’t for your parents being Vice-Presidents of the Crystal Magic Tower, would I pay any attention to you? Your father begged you to protect my convoy? I heard that back home, you were throwing plates and smashing bowls, even threatening to hang yourself, just to fight for this temporary guardianship role!

“Hmph! It’s good that you know it~~” Aibijia dragged out her proud tone, lifting her haughty head to look down at Boss Liang. “Then, Fatty Liang, tell me, who threw mud at me just now? I want to hit him with dozens of fireballs to show him that a noble mage is not to be trifled with.”

This time, every mercenary looked toward the sky in unison. Boss Liang’s face grew awkward. Aibijia had managed to offend all the mercenaries, and they had all sided with Qian Jin. If he pointed out Qian Jin now, he would effectively be making an enemy of the very mercenaries protecting the caravan.

Qian Jin was fully prepared. If Boss Liang could talk his way out of it, that would be best. But if he were exposed, the moment Aibijia dared to unleash a fireball on Qian Jin, he would immediately retaliate! Who cared who her parents were? Teaching a child to behave like that deserved more than just a beating! If she wanted to kill, she must be prepared to be killed herself! On the battlefield, there is only life and death, not gender.

A man’s chivalry toward a woman is predicated on the woman being ladylike and courteous. For a woman as excessively proud as this, one who constantly mocks others and even resorts to aggressive actions, any man showing chivalry is a fool. “Have you caused enough trouble?!”

The deep, simmering Fen Tu Kuang Ge suddenly roared, his Battle Aura, honed from the rank of Demon-Slayer Warrior Three, exploding outward. Gripping his battle blade, a fierce aura emanated from him, forcefully suppressing Aibijia’s arrogant momentum. “You…” Aibijia’s delicate body trembled, her eyes betraying undeniable panic, surprise, and a hint of timidity.

Demon-Slayer Warriors were not ordinary fighters; even mages could not afford to underestimate them. Even Great Mages would maintain due courtesy toward a Demon-Slayer Warrior. These warriors, who possessed the strength to quickly burst forward and condense their martial energy into Battle Aura, naturally held a sufficient measure of pride.