Mercenary Harem in Murim Novel

"This is where... the item you're searching for is." Gong Jin spoke politely, wheezing through his words due to the pain. "Please, don't kill me. I have followed your order."

He lost too much blood, and his leg was barely able to support him. He couldn't even walk properly, making it look like he was dragging his body forward.

'Shit, shit, shit.'

He knew he wouldn't survive if he didn't take care of his wound soon. And to do that, he had to satisfy the harmless-looking but crazy merchant in front of him.

Pushing the door open, he invited Leo and Jessica to enter.

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"I... have never bothered to hide it. The item is there, on the table. Take it and leave me alone. Please, don't hurt me anymore."

"Hmm, so, this is the item, huh?"

Leo approached the table and picked up a small box. He opened it and found a ring inside.

At first glance, it looked like a normal silver ring. However, when one looked closer, they would notice that the ring was embedded with a strange crystal that looked like an opal.

"It's the Crystal Ring." Gong Jin said, his voice weak and desperate. "It's an artifact from ancient times. Its effect is to allow one to have a calm and collected mind when they wear it. However, they get tired easily. A rather useless artifact, if you ask me."

Maybe for Gong Jin, it was a bad artifact. But for Leo, he could see how this could be used in his favor.

'Four Wind Merchant's CEO? Or rather, the owner uses this ring to help him stay calm and collected. It's a good artifact for someone in his position. Well, time to secure a connection with a real rich merchant.'

He put the box inside his storage ring and looked back. He exchanged gaze with Jessica and she nodded.

Then, she took out a syringe from her pocket and stabbed Gong Jin's neck.

"AHH! What the-? W-What did you just do to me?!"

"Just some poison." She smiled.

"You bitch! Y-You promised not to kill me! Why did you do that?!"

"Hmm, no. We didn't promise anything." Leo chuckled. "You will work for us forever now if you don't want to die. Here, drink this everyday. You should have had enough for a month of antidote here."

He threw a small bag on the floor.

"What are you planning to do with me?" Gong Jin asked, his body trembling and his breathing was erratic. "Are you going to sell me or something?"

"As I said, I will work you to the bone. Merchants need someone shady to do their dirty work. Someone like you."

"So, you're not going to kill me?"

"Don't worry, you will live. I can't use dead people."

"Hehe, thank goodness."

With that, Gong Jin slumped onto the ground, his body was still shivering. While he was still under a threat, at least he got to keep his life. He was ready to throw away everything and attack him.

However, Leo actually poisoned him and gave him poison, forcing him to work for him. That was better than being dead.

'What a twisted person.'

"Dear husband, are we done here? We should hurry and prepare for the banquet."

"You're right, my love. We shouldn't waste time." Leo replied and caressed Jessica's check. Once again, he put up the persona of a loving husband. "Let's go back. We have a lot to do."

"Yes, dear."

The two walked out of the shed, leaving Gong Jin on the floor. As Leo closed the door behind him, he gave a warning toward the thug.

"Be sure to behave until I send someone to you, got it?"

"Y-Yes, I will."

"Good. See you."

With that, he left.

***

Leo's next destination was Deng Yue's beaten body. Corpses littered around the area, and the smell of blood was unbearable.

But he didn't care. He was here to take what was left from the 20 Gold he gave the man.

"Wow, he spent 10 Gold in a night? Crazy guy. And he has nothing worth taking." Leo mumbled as he went through the guard's items. "Let's leave before the Bloody Guards show up. We don't want to deal with them."

He grabbed Deng Yue's collar and cracked his neck, killing him for good. Following that, he did the same to the two men lying next to him, making it like as if they were fighting and killed each other.

With that, Leo and Jessica disappeared into the crowd.

The day was still young, and the banquet was at night. There was no time to waste.

After leaving the slum, they went to Wu Jian's store immediately. The fat man was his only contact that could provide him with information and artifacts.

Surprisingly, the fat man immediately greeted him upon seeing his figure near his store.

"Young Lord Yang Ji, I heard what happened to you. How awful! You should be careful." Wu Jian spoke, his tone worried and sincere.

They were sitting in a guest room, facing each other.

"I am fine, Master Wu. Those fools couldn't even touch me. Hahaha, my guards protected me with their lives. I wanted to thank their family if they have any, but it seems they are orphans. So, I will donate to orphanages to show my thanks."

"My goodness, you are truly kind." Wu Jian sighed, his expression solemn. "If there is anything I can help, please let me know. As a fellow merchant, I will do anything to help you."

"Actually, I do need a bit of help." Leo said, his tone serious. "I wanted to participate in the banquet tonight. I have a gift for the host, but I didn't know how to give it to them. And, I don't know which gift will fit the auction and the one that I should give to the host. Honestly it's troubling me."

"Oh? Do you mean the Four Wind banquet tonight, Young Lord? It's a very important event. Many people will be there. I'm not surprised you're so troubled. You can't just give anyone anything."

"Right, exactly. That's why I need your help. As someone affiliated with Four Wind Merchant, you surely know what kind of gift will please the Master, right? Hahaha, I am a bit shameless asking this from you, Master Wu. But, it can't be helped. I want to make an impression."

"Haha, of course, I can help you. But I need to know the item first. As you know, the banquet will be attended by many famous merchants. The items put in the auction, which will be your ticket, need to qualify. They must be rare and unique."

"Hmm, then, maybe you should take a look at this."

Leo took out the box and showed it to Wu Jian. Inside, a scroll that clearly had signs of ages and dust could be seen.

"What is this?" Wu Jian asked, his eyes glinting with curiosity.

"It's a secret technique from a famous martial artist that existed some decades ago." Leo smiled. "Have you heard of Raging Tiger?"

"Raging Tiger?!" Wu Jian's expression changed drastically. "Don't tell me, the one inside this scroll is the Raging Tiger Manual?!"