C24 Robbery

The air was tinged with a faint scent of blood. Several bodies lay scattered on the forest floor.

The gruesome sight was enough to make the girls of the Rainbow Pact feel nauseous.

They were all young, around seventeen or eighteen years old. Despite being raised on the principle of survival of the fittest since they began their training, this was their first encounter with actual corpses.

Lan Ling'er gave a slight bow to Chu Lin and said, "Thank you for saving our lives and protecting us from harm. Your kindness won't be forgotten by any member of the Rainbow Pact."

"It was nothing." Chu Lin replied with a faint smile. He had been looking to pick a fight with the Heaven's Edge Alliance anyway. It was just Liu Pan and his group's bad luck to cross paths with him first.

Besides, if Liu Pan and his companions hadn't been so lustful, Chu Lin might not have resorted to killing them.

"These guys were loaded. They actually had five beast cores and three panaceas!" Yang Hu rummaged through the belongings of the fallen Heaven's Edge members, holding the beast cores and panaceas in his hands with a satisfied grin.

"They're all yours," Chu Lin said generously, then started walking deeper into the forest.

Yang Hu secured the panaceas and beast cores and quickly followed Chu Lin's steps.

The women of the Rainbow Pact were fraught with anxiety. Some of the panaceas and beast cores in Yang Hu's possession had been taken from them by Liu Pan and his group.

However, they soon let out a quiet sigh of relief. They were fortunate that these two men had saved their lives, and it felt inappropriate to ask for the items back.

"I haven't asked for your name yet!" Lan Ling'er suddenly remembered, hurrying after him and calling out with a hint of urgency.

"Beauty, when you're asking for someone's name, it's polite to introduce yourself first," the figure ahead responded without breaking stride, his voice carrying back to her.

"I'm Lan Ling'er!"

She blurted out her name instinctively, then waited for Chu Lin to reply.

"Nice name. Well, Ling'er, I'm sure we'll meet again," Chu Lin said with a chuckle. Then, the two figures slowly vanished into the thicket.

Lan Ling'er paused, a mix of shock and anger flashing across her face as she processed the encounter.

She had been duped by that sly kid.

Instead of inquiring about the other person's name, she inadvertently revealed her own first.

Lan Ling'er was particularly incensed when she heard the person call her "Ling'er."

Sister? The individual was obviously younger than her, yet he dared to address her in such a manner.

Three days flew by in the blink of an eye.

During this time, Raven's Pass was anything but tranquil.

The Martial Academy's outer court disciples conducted their hunt here, engaging in combat not only with feral monsters but also facing off against various factions and leagues.

The conflict between the Rainbow Pact and Heaven's Edge was especially fierce, sparked by an incident where Nalan Wan'er, the leader of the Rainbow Pact, was nearly assaulted by members of Heaven's Edge.

The rivalry between the two premier leagues of the outer court escalated. Among the onlookers, the faint-hearted hid away to avoid getting caught in the crossfire, while the audacious sought to profit from the chaos.

In an undisclosed location, a massive cave stood with a grand banner waving in the wind, adorned with the emblem of a short sword.

A burly hand struck the stone wall with such force that it left a shallow indentation.

"You're all useless!" bellowed the man beside the stone wall, his roar sending shivers through the others in the cave.

"The League Master expects us to secure the top prize and bring it back. Heaven's Edge deployed five hundred of our members, including Seventh Brother and Eighth Brother, for this task! And now you're telling me that every operation team we've dispatched over the last three days has been ambushed."

His face darkened with fury as he cast an angry look at those gathered.

In previous hunts, Heaven's Edge would orchestrate raids on others, but no one had ever dared to target them on such a grand scale.

Moreover, the prize for first place this time was a coveted second-level martial skill!

Heaven's Edge was resolute in securing that martial skill. Yu Xiu, the league's leader, had made it clear that obtaining this skill was imperative.

Heaven's Edge had sent five hundred members to partake in the hunt, with captains Yu Ming, Yu Kun, and Yu Qing personally leading the charge. In times past, their presence alone would have been enough to dominate the entire event.

In just a few short days since the hunt began, every member of Heaven's Edge had been plundered!

This infuriated the mission's leader, Yu Ming.

"Brother Liu, based on the information from our men, there are three forces that were particularly active in this raid!" Yu Kun was visibly upset, yet he managed to maintain a degree of composure. With a dark look on his face, he said, "The first of these is the Rainbow Pact, led by Nalan Wan'er."

"Nalan Wan'er, that woman is causing us trouble again!"

Yu Ming clenched his jaw. He was aware of the recent fierce clashes between Heaven's Edge and the Rainbow Pact, but he had disregarded them, simply instructing his subordinates to stir up trouble. His apparent indifference wasn't due to generosity; it was because Nalan Wan'er had Ye Qingxue's backing. Even the league's leader, Yu Xiu, wouldn't dare cross her, much less Yu Ming.

"One day, I'll make sure she gets what she deserves." A sly gleam of desire flickered in Yu Ming's eyes. He snorted and turned to Yu Kun, signaling him to go on.

"The other two forces are pairs. One duo consists of a fat man and a skinny man, both formidable. It's likely they are Yi Feng and Yi Shan." Yu Kun paused, a hint of frustration crossing his face. He knew that whether it was Nalan Wan'er or the Fat and Thin Duo, Heaven's Edge stood no chance against them during the hunt.

As Yu Kun spoke of the final pair, his anger was palpable. "I can't figure out who the last duo is. All I know is that one is strong and the other weak, both dressed as servant disciples. They're detestable! They attack our weaker members with the weaker one, and when facing our stronger members, the stronger one attacks. They're using our members as their practice targets!"

No sooner had he finished than Yu Qing, who had remained quiet, tensed up, a realization dawning on him. He exclaimed, "Could it be them?"