Mercenary Harem in Murim Novel

Chapter 92: Chapter 92 – Recruiting [3]

'Maybe I should ask Chiaki to make some stomach medicine. Might as well add some poison to increase Astrid's tolerance.'

Silently, he concocted a plan to raise Astrid to become a true member of Hallowed Insect.

But, there was another reason why they were here.

Leo was excited.

He hoped he could find some hidden gem among the old martial artists. He knew that some old coot had a lot of secrets, and the village was a treasure trove for them. Maybe they would refuse his invitation or even show hostility to them.

But that was the reason why he brought Astrid.

'As a former daughter from Peng Clan, she knew a lot about martial artists, hidden or not, and good etiquette. I will leave greeting those old people. After all, who would get angry when a cute girl greets them? Maybe they even got reminded of their granddaughter and began to spoil her instead.'

The other girls in Hallowed Insects were too dirty. Not dirty literally, but their bodies had been covered in blood and battlefield. They no longer had the grace and charm to attract the attention of old men.

Astrid was different. Her attitude and personality were what he was looking for. She was a pure girl, a spoiled princess who could turn into a beast once she needed to.

"I'm done."

Astrid appeared behind him, wiping her mouth. She was a bit pale, so Leo gave him a pill.

"Drink this. There are Nanites for recovery inside. You will feel better once you drink that."

"Okay."

She didn't argue and obediently took the pill.

"Now, let's go. Remember, be friendly. Don't offend them. You're representing our faction."

"Ugh, I know. Please don't treat me like a kid, Leader." She groaned.

"Of course not. You're an important member of our mercenary band. I just remembered someone swung her sword when she met me just because she didn't like me. I wonder how things turned out since then."

"Don't remind me of that time! I really regretted it. Ugh... I was so frustrated and depressed back then. Please understand that, Leader."

"I do, don't worry." He laughed and patted her head. "Now, come on. Let's meet those old geezers."

"Yes, yes. I'm coming."

With that, the two of them entered the forest.

Inside, nature ruled. Insects sound could be heard alongside a small stream. The forest was green and beautiful.

As they continued, the sounds of human activities could be heard.

And then, the village appeared in front of them.

From the look of it, the village appeared to be small but cozy. Some wooden houses could be seen, and the entrance was marked with a sign written as 'Outcast Village'.

Inside the village, Leo noticed a few people walking around. He thought they were all would be old men or at least middle-aged men, but he noticed some youngsters as well.

They were all dressed in simple clothes and looked ordinary.

"Outcast village?" Astrid muttered. "The name is..."

"Pitiful?" Leo finished her sentence for her, and she nodded slightly. "Don't worry, people who have never seen the real world would say that. But for me, I'd like to say this village fits its name perfectly. Outcast here can also mean that the villagers don't fit the current society and decided to live a peaceful life. Not all of them are pitiful."

Astrid nodded, and Leo entered the chief's house with Wang Zhou.

The wooden building was spacious and neat. There were a few decorations on the walls and a lot of bookshelves.

As he stepped inside, Leo saw an old man sitting on the couch. He looked weak and thin, but Leo knew better. This person was similar to the Old Man Bao he had met before.

After getting used to living in this Murim novel, Leo was able to roughly guess a person's strength with his keen observation.

In a glance, he guessed the man with white hair sitting on the couch was over 100 years old and was a powerful martial artist.

When he entered, the man looked at him and smiled.

"Welcome, guest. Feel free to sit on the couch."

"Thank you."

With that, Leo sat on the couch and introduced himself.

"My name is Leo, the leader of a mercenary band Hallowed Insect as well as the Master of Mercenary Union. I have come here today to discuss a good business opportunity with the villagers. If you're interested, I have a proposal that will benefit both of us."

"You're so polite to this old man, so I will act the same." The old man chuckled, "I am Xing Yu, the village chief. Please, speak. I will hear you out and decide accordingly. However, all I can do is to relay it to the villagers. We have a system where we decide something with the highest vote here."

"That's fine."

Leo nodded.

'I like his style. He's direct and doesn't try to hide anything. It's refreshing.'

With that, Leo began to talk about the mercenary business and his intention to invite the villagers to join the Mercenary Union. Not only that, he also explained the pros and cons of joining without hiding anything.

"The biggest disadvantage is that the Murim Alliance will try to antagonize us. I believe you understand that they don't want a new power to rise and threaten their authority."

"We know."

"That's good."

Leo smiled.

"The pros, however, are limitless. As a mercenary, we are given a chance to live our own lives. Freedom and good pay from a job is certain. Unlike the Murim Alliance, we don't care about honor or family ties. We are free to make our own choices and build our own team. Of course, there is a hierarchy, but everyone has their own roles and responsibilities."

Xing Yu remained silent as he listened to Leo's proposal.

"One thing that I promise to all Mercenary Union member is their own decision. If the mission is against their moral code or they find it dangerous, they have the right to refuse. No one is forced to do anything."

"I see." Xing Yu nodded. "You seem like a good person, but I don't think we can trust you fully yet." He said.

"Of course. You can't. Not yet."

"But, I believe there is a benefit for both sides in this." The village chief smiled softly, "And I think most villagers here will like your offer. But, we need to talk about it and take a vote."

"Take your time."

"Then, please meet me again." Xing Yu said, "I will notify everyone and gather the village for a vote. In the meantime, you can stay in one of the log houses here. We have plenty of empty ones. Wang Zhou will show you where it is."

"Please follow me."

"Thank you for your hospitality."

Both of them stood up with that. Leo nodded at the village chief and left the room with Wang Zhou.