"Young brother, please stay!" Iron Axe blocked Ye Sangeng, wearing a smile on his face.
"The girl is going through adolescence, you understand. Don't mind her. Let's talk about the goblin camp instead," Ye Sangeng shook his head, gesturing towards the forest behind him. "There's not much to say. There are many goblin camps in the woods. You can find one by wandering around."
Iron Axe twitched his mouth.
Nonsense!
Of course, he knew they could find goblins by entering the woods. However, they were here to hunt goblins, not to commit suicide. With their small team, they could handle ten or twenty goblins at most. Beyond that, they would be asking for trouble. Without knowledge of the forest, they would waste a lot of time searching for a suitable goblin camp for hunting.
But time was equivalent to money now, and they didn't have the luxury to waste it.
However, this young man, being a forest patrolman, must be familiar with the goblin camps on the outskirts of the forest. With him as a guide, they could not only avoid encountering large goblin groups but also save a considerable amount of search time.
This person had to come along!
At this moment, Iron Axe noticed the finely crafted longsword in Ye Sangeng's hand. Although it wasn't as practical as his own axe, it was undoubtedly a decent weapon.
But why would a forest patrolman carry such a good weapon?
Is he showing off? But for whom?
Unless this guy is filled with passion and fantasies about battle and adventure.
Right!
In his hometown, the village was full of young boys who dreamed of becoming heroes, shouting nonsense about slaying dragons and marrying princesses. This young man was probably no different!
Thinking of this, Iron Axe puffed up his chest, proudly swinging his broad axe.
"I see, young brother, you have a dignified appearance and extraordinary demeanor. You seem to handle a sword quite well. Would you be interested in joining us to hunt goblins? We can eradicate the menace to the people and earn some bounty along the way."
Seeing Ye Sangeng's ears twitch, Iron Axe quickly added fuel to the fire.
"Of course, if you perform well, I, Iron Axe, as the captain of the Iron Armor Mercenary Team, guarantee that our team will offer you a position. Being an adventurer is much more interesting than being a forest patrolman. Are you interested, young brother?"
"Captain, didn't you say our mercenary team would always have five members?" The pimple-faced girl complained.
"Humph! Can't I expand the team?" Iron Axe scolded the girl and turned to Ye Sangeng.
"Young brother..."
Ye Sangeng touched his chin. "It's possible, but..."
"But what?"
Ye Sangeng extended his hand towards Iron Axe. "But the guide fee must be paid in advance, and the bounty is separate."
"Why, you..."
"Alright! Deal!" Iron Axe interrupted the pimple-faced girl, nodding.
After a fierce bargaining session, Ye Sangeng patted his pocket contentedly. After some delay, arranging East Dust, West Old, and the four goblin skeletons, he waved for Lao Gu to prepare for departure.
"We're going to kill monsters this time. Bringing an old man isn't suitable, is it?" The dual-knife man sneered.
Even Iron Axe felt a bit awkward this time. Having Ye Sangeng bring two disabled people or even a goblin would be better than having this old man who needed assistance.
"Then I won't go." Ye Sangeng turned to leave.
"Don't, don't go! It's fine, we can handle it!" Iron Axe hurriedly said.
Suddenly, he felt like he had hired a big brother, but a big brother with a child's temperament. One moment he was stern, the next moment he was throwing a tantrum. However, the money was already given, and it didn't seem easy to get it back. Besides, time was running out, and there was little meaning in setting off early.
"Let's go, Iron Armor Mercenary Team, move out!" Iron Axe waved his hand, rallying the team.
"This way, there's no path over there..." Ye Sangeng said casually.
Iron Axe: ...
In the evening, the sun hung high in the sky, resembling the buttocks of an adolescent monkey. However, as they entered the forest, the gentle warmth turned into a cold darkness. Despite a day of scorching sun, the heat couldn't penetrate the dense tree leaves. The only sensation was the cold wind passing through.
The dual-knife man wanted to light a torch, but Ye Sangeng gave him a stern look, forcing the group to cling to each other's clothing and follow behind Ye Sangeng like kindergarten children.
"Boss, this guy is really eerie. How can he see in such darkness?" The black-clad man complained.
Since entering the forest, his pitch-black attire had indeed proven effective. If he didn't have his eyes open, even his companions couldn't find him.
"Probably used to walking in the dark," Iron Axe shook his head.
"We're here," Ye Sangeng suddenly stopped, raised his finger in a shushing gesture, then pointed forward. "About a hundred meters ahead is a small goblin camp."
"How many warriors?" Iron Axe asked, pulling out his axe.
"Uncertain. There should be ten to twenty," Ye Sangeng replied.
"So many? Including those laborer goblins, isn't it..." the black-clad man muttered.
Iron Axe thought for a moment, tightened his grip on the axe.
"No worries, as long as we kill several goblin warriors in the first wave, their morale will be shattered. The laborer goblins aren't a concern."
"Poison Blade, you stick to your usual style. Find an opportunity to eliminate the threatening goblin warriors. Wind Demon, be fast and deal with their ranged attackers. Bun, try to set the tents on fire. And Pine Tower, you can knock one out when the time comes. Remember, our target is the goblin warriors. Their bounty is twice that of the laborer goblins. Understand?!"
Poison Blade was the black-clad man, a professional thief. Wind Demon was the dual-knife man, a dual-wielding warrior. Bun was the pimple-faced girl who could manipulate fire, likely an elemental mage. Pine Tower was the bald man carrying a tower shield, a shield warrior.
And Iron Axe was a true berserker.
"The usual rules, understood!"
The members of the Iron Armor Mercenary Team nodded, then simultaneously looked at Ye Sangeng and the old man next to him.
This ruthless man didn't even bother to help the old man.
"What about him?"
"I'll stay behind," Ye Sangeng raised his hand.
Iron Axe didn't expect Ye Sangeng to be of much use, so he ignored him, nodded, and led the way into the looming darkness.
To avoid being detected by goblins, they crawled forward on the ground. Only Ye Sangeng strolled leisurely behind them.
This made Wind Demon instantly feel uneasy. "Hey, what are you doing standing there? Aren't you afraid of being discovered by the enemy?"
Ye Sangeng nodded. "Compared to this, I'm more concerned about stepping on goblin droppings..."
Just as he finished speaking, Wind Demon
felt something sticky in his hand. Subconsciously, he brought it to his nose.
"Damn!"