Stepping into Anning Town early in the morning among many others were a group of six people.
Four of which were the same age, 16, and were the most lively of the group with seemingly exhaustless energy and vitality.
One was only slightly smiling as he walked, the long chain hanging off of his monocle made up of tiny silver circle links brushing past his left ear, flying, and encouraged by the rhythmic wind created as he moved forward.
The last one person in the group was wearing a purple cloak, blocking out his face and covering his hair.
It was Xing Liyun and his crew heading to the Mercenary Guilds subbranch office in town.
Xing Liyun was wearing a cloak to conceal his appearance so that the townspeople would not recognize him from the rumors.
While walking with the other five, Xing Liyun looked around his surroundings and checked it out for potential dangers. Even if it seemed too extreme, he was always on guard, especially here where crime rates are pretty high.
As always, the town was bustling and lively with people and business.
As they walked past a shadowed alleyway Xing Liyun caught a glimpse of something.
The group passed the alley.
Ying led them to the Mercenary Guild's office. He walked confidently on the streets, almost swaggering. He knew his way around town and, sometimes, it seemed almost as if he knew this town and everything about it far better than its actual real native inhabitants.
Ying never once had to ask for directions to go to places they want to go.
This was a point Xing Liyun took note of but didn't think too much about, after all, he didn't know Ying that well or at all in reality to be able to know if it was normal or not. Or the fact that it's actually not possible for someone like Ying who's never lived in this town, much less stepped foot into this town, to know so much about this large town. For all Xing Liyun knows, Ying could be a native born and bred here---though not a likely possibility since Xing Liyun has not seen any of the townspeople recognizing Ying and greeting him---or someone who had come to this town often. So much so that he knew where everything is located.
It was a possibility. And Xing Liyun had no way to know the truth. It wasn't important anyway, so he let it be for now.
No use letting it bother him when the other had clearly never shown any intention to harm him or scheme against him.
"We're here," Ying announced loudly to get the group's attention, not knowing what was on Xing Liyun's mind just seconds ago.
Five pairs of eyes shifted to the front to see a large opened double-door and a tall building.
The building was magnificent and stood out among the rest of the town, easily distinguishing itself with its natural height advantage. Although it was only a subbranch office of the main guild organization it was constructed with superior materials and, frankly, easily spotted even without a guide. Especially with the overbearing signboard above the large double-door reading [Mercenary Guild] in black and gold.
It could even be considered a landmark within the large Anning Town.
The door had been left open to welcome any and all guests and visitors. As was mentioned previously, the Mercenary Guild accepts any and everyone who wants to join regardless of their background and past---on the premise that they don't cause trouble for the guild or break their rules.
"You four will stay outside and wait for us," Xing Liyun instructed as he turned to face the four teens who obviously seem to tense up and straighten their spines unconsciously when Xing Liyun addressed them.
He took a little more time to add, "You can roam nearby if you get bored, but stay where you can see the entrance of the Mercenary Guild." He sternly ordered, to which they hurriedly nodded with not a hit of disobedience or reluctance in sight.
Actually, Xing Liyun was a bit caught off guard by their recent behaviors. Lately he noticed that ever since they found out that he was an assassin---Erebus, here---their attitude towards him did a 180 degrees turn! Before, they were wary and cautious of him because of their many not-so-glorious defeats by his hands. Now, it's like they drank an attitude-change potion, they immediately changed from wary-of-human-beings stray cats to obedient little followers, doing whatever Xing Liyun tells them to do without a single word of complaint.
All Xing Liyun can say is that he misjudged them. It was, in reality, way easier to get their trust and loyalty than he had thought. Though of course he knows that all these only came from the fact that he was an Erebus and not that they admire and follow him because he was Xing Liyun. They're only loyal to his identity, while Xing Liyun wants them to follow him willingly and whole-heartedly.
Right now, Xing Liyun has gained four devout fans.
He wants to turn them into four loyal and faithful followers. He was bound to change their minds.
On the other hand, he was starting to get quite curious about Ying. His attitude towards him from start to end did not change at all from when they first met to now, not even when he was revealed to be an Erebus. In fact, he hardly seemed shocked. He hardly cared, to be more precise.
This might be contributed to when Xing Liyun had assassinated that arrogant youth wearing a fancy uniform on the streets with Ying watching. But he knows that's not it.
Come to think of it, the purple fox Xing Liyun had bought---to be precise, Ying was the one who had bought it for 50 silver coins---was still resting and recovering from its serious wounds at Du Jinan's house. Its wounds and injuries were pretty serious, but they were still healing well. External wounds that is. Although on the outside, Xiao Zi looked like he was getting better, internally, he wasn't doing so well. Along with external injuries, he was also diagnosed with severe internal injuries.
Some of the medicine needed to treat it were too expensive for Xing Liyun to afford as of currently. And, worst, they weren't even available in Anning Town.
Internal injuries were far harder to treat than external ones.
Leaving behind the four teens, Xing Liyun and Ying entered the building.
Inside was a huge hall, the reception area, where people come to join and where mercenaries accept missions. Plastered all along the walls were wooden boards within pinned sheets of missions on them and mercenaries could be seen walking along them to pick their newest mission.
Although the reception area was large, there was not a lot of people present. It might be due to the fact that Anning Town, although large and prosperous, it is after all still a town. Plus the existence of the Forest of No Return that not even the toughest and strongest mercenary would dare to venture. And the reality that there's just not a lot of missions that include the areas around the Forest of No Return and Anning Town.
Add in all of that, it's no wonder why there's so few mercenaries present in the Mercenary Guild in Anning Town.
Xing Liyun and Ying after stepping inside headed directly to the front desk where four people were currently working.
The front desk faced the entrance so it could see all the coming and going people and as it was in the middle of the hall, shaped like an oval, the staff were also able to see the opposite sides of the hall, allowing them to attend to others from all sides of the hall.
Walking up to one of the staff that seems to be free at the moment, Ying spoke, "Good morning, we would like to join the Mercenary Guild."
The staff Ying greeted was a lady in her thirties' still looking quite young with few wrinkles on her skin. She was professional and very experienced as she asked both Ying and Xing Liyun questions to fill in details for their membership form.
For the last question she asked, "What would you like to be known by?"
This was a crucial question. Although it was fine for mercenaries to be known by their birth name to the outside world, most would prefer to keep their names a secret if they're ever mentioned to avoid trouble and people finding out their real identities. Even the Mercenary Guild itself does not ask for the joining member's name. What they call themselves from now on will be what everyone will know them as. Mercenaries have always been very sensitive about their personal information, what with being hired to do things powerful and rich people can't do themselves, they too need to protect themselves.
Ying, "Just 'Ying' is fine."
Xing Liyun, "Cereus."
Once all the necessary questions were asked and the form, which was done on a mysterious flat blue stone shaped like a tablet, was approved, the lady handed over two black diamond-shaped badges with the words [Mercenary Guild] imprinted in gold in the center, above that was the respective name they chose in silver, and below that was their ranking as a mercenary [Rank F] in silver as well.
As she handed over the badges, she informed them, "Mercenaries are separated into ranks. The ranks are S, A, B, C, D, E, and F from highest to lowest. These ranks are further divided into -, neutral, and +. These badges keep track of your missions record so don't lose them. They also prove that you are part of the Mercenary Guild." Then she gasped and apologized, "Oh! I am sorry, I forgot to mention something. Once your rank goes up, your badge will automatically correct the ranking shown on it."
Xing Liyun took the one that had his alias while Ying received the one that was embedded with his name.
Looking at it in detail, other than there being a few small decorative designs on the front of the badge that made it look regal and fierce, he couldn't see how the badge could possibly tweak what was already on it without manual help.
'This place is becoming more and more like a fantasy world the more I find out,' Xing Liyun mused to himself.
Flipping it to the back, there was the symbol of the Mercenary Guild engraved upon it in the center. The symbol was of a large, fancy-written [M] letter that exuded a domineering and majestic aura with two fierce-looking crossed swords with the blades up covering the bottom part of the [M] and lower-half of the diamond-shaped badge.
'Not bad looking.' Xing Liyun commented to himself as he examined the cold and somewhat heavy badge in hands.
At this moment, the stuff lady spoke up again.
"There are not many rules and regulations in our guild. One of the most important rule to follow is that you must not make or cause trouble for the Mercenary Guild, especially make the guild lose face and tarnish our reputation, or else you'll be directly booted out. The other rules are..." Then she quickly yet systematically briefed them of the other rules. When she finally finished, she began addressing the topic of missions.