Mercenary Harem in Murim Novel

Leo's plan went pretty smoothly. He acted as Yang Rong, Yang Ji's wife's escort and returned to Chengdu.

Since he was finished with Capital, he told Kim Min-Gu to return to Wudang Sect. The boy apologized because he couldn't be of use more than detecting dark energy, but he was honestly helping a lot.

So, Leo didn't hold any grudge against him. He just hoped the boy would find the answers he was searching for.

And putting that aside, he had done a great deal of damage to Supreme Evil's followers. In the middle of his journey, he also heard that Sherly and Lee Hae-In managed to kill Torso, who was hiding in the underground arena as expected.

The arena was destroyed and closed, but it wouldn't be for too long.

Leo had ordered Jack to take care of it and opened another fighting place, this time a legal one, in that place. Anyone could use it to fight, but the rules were changed to accommodate more fighters who didn't want to fight for death.

Of course there was a hidden underground where deathmatch was held, but this was a secretive one that didn't use the Mercenary Union name on the front. All spectators were given a mask to hide their identity.

Two days after the news about Torso's defeat, Leo finally arrived at Chengdu.

"I will pretend that I entered an inn and return to the base soon, Leader."

"You do that. I will return to the base first and introduce Yue Yue. Take care, Jessica."

"Yes, Leader. See you soon."

They parted ways, and Leo returned to his base with a group of mercenaries and martial artists. He had already informed them about his arrival, and they were ready to welcome him in the base.

As soon as he entered, the gazes of everyone were focused on him, their eyes filled with respect and admiration.

"Welcome back, Leader."

"Glad to have you back, Leader."

"Thank you for your hard work, Leader."

"Leader! Welcome back!"

Astrid, Shui, Chiaki, and Anya greeted him. The Wandering Sword Saint only nodded before returning to drink with Lee Hae-In who completely ignored his presence. Jack and Sherly weren't present, probably still in the underground arena to supervise the construction.

A smile formed on his face. He was happy that everyone was working hard and making progress.

"Good to be back, everyone. Let's have a meeting in the morning. There are a lot of things we need to discuss." He said, turning to the gray-haired girl who hid behind him and holding his sleeve. "And I have to introduce a new member."

He smiled and patted her head. The girl nodded, her face expressionless and her eyes focused.

"She's a good girl, so I hope everyone will treat her well."

"Sure, Leader." Astrid answered energetically, approaching the girl with a smile. "Hello! I am Astrid, the newest member of Hallowed Insect. Nice to meet you."

The girl nodded, her voice low and her expression calm.

"U-Umm... Y-Yue Yue."

She was nervous, and she moved further behind Leo. She was shy at meeting new people.

And...he

"So cute!"

"Hya!"

Anya suddenly appeared behind Yue Yue and hugged her, making the girl squeal as she was forcibly peeled from Leo's hand.

"Ah, you're so small and adorable. Are you the youngest here? You look like you're still a kid. How old are you, Yue Yue?"

"T-Twenty. Ah..." Yue Yue looked at Leo with teary eyes, silently asking him to save her.

"Leader, can I borrow her sometimes?"

However, Anya beat her from asking for help and was grinning ear to ear. She looked like a cat who had found a new toy.

"Rather than sometimes, I hope you can teach her about the stuff you did. She's your first official junior that will work with you, Anya." Leo smiled, shaking his head.

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"Okay, then!" Anya didn't have a problem with that and nodded excitedly. "I will teach her everything, Leader! You can leave it to me."

"E-Eh?" Yue Yue was confused and unsure.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. You're going to be Anya's partner. She's doing espionage and assassination work, but I will only have you to learn the former. Do your best, okay?" Leo explained, and the girl was shocked.

"Ah, is that so?" She nodded, still nervous. "B-But I know nothing about that, and I... I am also a little bit shy, so..."

She didn't want to disappoint anyone, especially Leo, so she was trying her best to make it work.

"Don't worry! I will teach you anything. You see Peng Peng here? I was the one who taught her how to do everything."

"Don't call me Peng Peng!" Astrid shouted, her face red and embarrassed.

"I'm sorry. I'm still not used to your real name. So, I'll just keep calling you Peng Peng until I get used to it." Anya stuck her tongue out and giggled.

"Ughh, you're so annoying!" Astrid turned away and stomped her feet.

At the strangely funny and friendly interaction, Yue Yue also giggled. She couldn't help but smile.

"See, she's fun to be with. You will be fine, Yue Yue." Anya grinned, and her eyes were shining.

"Ah, okay. Then, I'll do my best." Yue Yue nodded, feeling more comfortable with her senior.

"Okay, then. Let's give you a tour to our new base! Peng Peng, you join us too. It's time to introduce the newbies."

"Yes, yes." Astrid sighed, her hands on her hips.

And, just like that, Anya dragged Astrid and Yue Yue away, leaving Leo and the others behind. He looked at them with a warm gaze, glad that everyone was getting along.

"Now for the others, let's gather up. We will start the meeting after Jessica arrives. Also, I would like to hear from you about your progress and what happened during my absence."

There was no meeting room, and the said meeting was only held in this room where the bar was located.

Because the base had been upgraded to Level 5, everything had changed. The interior became bigger and more luxurious, with more seats and tables for people to sit at.

Not only that, but the bar had more variety of drinks and foods. Even the equipment was changed and updated, making it easier for the staff to do their job.

All of them now looked similar to the one Leo had back in the game. He nodded in satisfaction, glad that the construction was fast and efficient.

"Let's start the meeting, shall we?"

Leo stood up and clapped his hand, drawing everyone's attention.

"I hope you also listened, Xiao Ah Tian. This will concern you too." He said, looking at everyone. "So, what happened while I was gone? First of all, Chiaki. Tell me the information that you gathered from Head's clone. What do we need to know about Supreme Evil and his followers?"

"Well, Leader. About that..."

Chiaki started explaining, and everyone listened to her seriously.

"First of all, that clone is created from a normal human, genetically modified with drugs and a strange Qi to make it possible. It can think and act on its own, and its strength and power aren't limited by its body, making it able to use explosive strength and even regenerate beyond human capabilities."

"I see. So, the clone itself can be a danger, especially if it is enhanced by the original."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Yes, Leader. But, there are also more pressing issues. The brain... or rather the core that controls the clone is something else. It can control the clone's emotion and thought, making it possible for the real Head to control it even from a distance. And, the way it can absorb and control the surrounding Qi makes it dangerous."

"Like a robot, huh?" Shui interrupted, and his expression was serious. "So, it's not the clone, but the real Head that we need to deal with."

"Yes. Head is an AI, a computer program, so to speak. And the clones are her real bodies. I won't be surprised if Heart or this Eyes have similar abilities. Compared to the two Leaders killed, Feet and Hands whose ability was physical enhancement and absorption, these three are something else. They are not martial artists. Or even a human."

Chiaki explained in a way that everyone could understand, except for Wandering Sword Saint and Crazy Bitch. They were clearly confused and couldn't follow.

"Then, what about the information from the Alliance Leader? You promised me that I would be able to fight him!" Xiao Ah Tian bellowed, his voice rising and his eyes sharp.

"Patience, Xiao Ah Tian. It will be done. I had contact with the man but didn't do anything. Our next target will be Murim Alliance. That's already set in stone." Leo explained, and his tone was firm and steady. "We have a job to take care of first. And, that's the job given by the Emperor. "

"Emperor? You mean, the old geezer? Hmph! What use is he for me?" Xiao Ah Tian harrumphed, his expression sour and unhappy.

"He's our employer. The job is to destroy the Murim Alliance."

Upon hearing Leo's words, the Wandering Sword Saint couldn't help but be surprised. His eyes were wide, and his mouth was open.

"Wait, what did you say, Leo?"

"It's just as you've heard. Our job is to destroy Murim Alliance. Now we have a reason to attack them instead of playing guerilla war. This is our chance to strike."

The old man nodded, understanding what Leo was implying.

"You don't mean..."

"Yes. You can fight Xue Wang. Stop asking questions, we have a lot of things to discuss."

"Hahahaha! Very well. As long as you keep your promise, I will fight him. My honor is on the line!"

"Good."

Xiao Ah Tian laughed, his eyes shining with excitement. The meeting moved on. Shui and Chiaki filled what was missing when Leo was in the Capital. Jessica also joined midway and she shared what happened in the Capital and their plan moving forward.

In the middle of that, Lee Hae-In suddenly interrupted.

"What about those bastards from... What's it called? The disgusting group that destroyed my clan."

"Supreme Evil followers?" Jessica suggested, and the barbarian girl nodded.

"Yeah, them. What happened after Torso's death?"

"Hmm, they are still active, unfortunately." Sherly, who just arrived, answered. She stood near the entrance and leaned against the wall.

"Leader, the thing you feared has come true. Just as we killed Torso, I noticed his energy was being siphoned underground. And when we dismantled the underground arena, we found this."

Sherly showed a strange device that looked like a heart with veins and a beating sound. It was pulsing, and a faint light could be seen inside.

"This is..." Leo frowned, his gaze sharp.

"It's the heart or something. You know better than me."

Leo nodded. He did recognize this as one of the key item from the novel. At one point, the protagonist was forced to collect it to become a complete 'body' for Supreme Evil when he was controlled.

This was the same item that became the core strength and source of power for Supreme Evil in his awakening. However...

"It's empty."

No massive energy like the one described in the novel could be felt from it. In fact, it was just a normal organ. A normal organ that was beating outside of a body.

"Yes. It's just a heart."

Which meant the power was somehow extracted already. The awakening of Supreme Evil was near.

'They shouldn't have gathered enough energy yet. However, in the novel, the Supreme Evil is revived with all of the Supreme Evil followers still alive. Maybe... I make his revival quicker by killing the top brass?'

The top brass energies weren't something to scoff at. They were equal to peak 8 Stars martial artists, and they were the most important pieces of Supreme Evil's followers.

If he could kill them, the awakening would be quicker. But he didn't expect this development.

"Let's start with the plan to destroy the Murim Alliance. We can worry about this after that." Leo decided, his mind clear and focused. "Now, what do we need to take down the Alliance Leader?"

Everyone nodded, understanding his thoughts.