Page 341

As the two continued to examine the map materials, other changes were taking place in the bar below.

In a corner far from the bar counter, several figures were arguing.

"What exactly do you mean? We brothers have been busy for a whole year, and now you say you're letting go just like that, treating us like fools?" a tall and burly man said in a suppressed, angry voice.

"Though it may be rude, that's precisely what I mean," a red-haired youth replied coldly.

"What did you say?"

"My meaning is, you are indeed fools."

"You..." The speaking man trembled with anger, yet seemed to hold back, not resorting to violence as most adventurers might.

"Isn't it so? Who was it that swore they were the expert among experts, claiming they could crack the palace's mechanisms in just a month? Yet a year has passed, the funds have tripled, and the progress hasn't even reached halfway. Hmph, don't forget, the mechanisms become more complex the deeper you go into the palace. How much longer do you two fools plan to make us wait? Two years? Or three?" The red-haired youth's eyes gleamed coldly, his tone imposing, causing the two burly men opposite him to shiver with fear.

However, for adventurers who live on the edge of life and death, even the dragon's might cannot deter their resolve for wealth. Thus, the other man gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, since you're unilaterally terminating the contract, then according to the rules, please pay us double the compensation."

"Ha, contract?" A black-haired youth beside him sneered, leaning slightly forward. "Since when do black-market mercenaries have contracts? Didn't you say back then, we provide the funds and intelligence, you handle the pathfinding, it's a cooperative relationship, all profits split equally. How come it's changed now?"

"Don't go too far, do you think our brothers' hard work over a year isn't worth this much?" The original man said through clenched teeth. "It was you who said there were treasures left by the Twelve Sages there, that's why we went to excavate. Now that we've achieved nothing, you think you can just dismiss us like this?"

The red-haired youth said indifferently, "Exactly."

"You scoundrel, don't think just because you're a Sword Master you can act arrogantly. If we really turn against each other, our brothers won't let you off easy either," the man said, his face twisted in rage.

"Oh? How won't you let us off easy, with 'Dragon Bone Herb'?" the black-haired youth suddenly interjected.

"What? How do you know about that..." The two men, having their secret exposed, broke into a cold sweat, trembling as they asked, forgetting that this admission was tantamount to acknowledging their scheme.

"Dragon Bone Herb" is a specialty of the Isle of the Dead, growing inside the skulls of bone dragons. Named as a herb, it's actually a mushroom-like fungus. Absorbing the resentment and spiritual energy of dragons, it possesses various peculiar abilities, the most notable being its ability to be refined into a hallucinogenic spice with nearly indiscriminate hypnotic powers, rendering most energy and magical defenses ineffective, directly causing a state of mental confusion and inability to fight, even capable of knocking out a Sword Empress. Once a legendary potion that shone brightly in the wars of the undead, such a thing is clearly contraband. However, with the Radiant Temple's defeat in the west, the Mainland's resistance to the undead faction has significantly decreased, allowing these men to acquire such a potent potion.

The black-haired youth sneered twice more, "You two think you're so clever? Still plotting to kill us and take the treasure for yourselves after obtaining it. Since we're cooperating with black-market mercenaries like you, how could we not take precautions? We were aware of your schemes long before you acted on them, so you should be grateful, because stopping now has already saved your lives."

"...What do you want to do? Kill us? Don't forget, even if it's only half, only we brothers can lead you through that palace. Without us, all your previous efforts will be in vain."

"It doesn't matter; we've already abandoned that plan in pursuit of a more important goal."

Hearing this, the two men realized that for the past year, they had been treating the two youths as novices, only to find out they were the ones being played. From their tone, it was clear the youths had planned to use them and then, after their side made a move, justifiably eliminate them.

However, the two brothers were also ruthless bandits, and even at this point, they did not yield. One of them retorted, "So... so what? Don't think that besides 'Dragon Bone Herb' we brothers have no other means. If you want to leave without paying anything, don't blame us for spreading the news that the palace in the Xibona Valley is a relic of the Twelve Sages..."

"You're courting death————"

Just as the two men were about to use the secret they held to threaten the other party, they saw the red-haired youth's expression change, a red light flickering subtly in his hand, and then everything went black, and they lost consciousness. They weren't just knocked out; the flickering red light was a product of condensed powerful energy, instantly penetrating their bodies, destroying their internal organs from within. Now, they appeared as if drunk, but life had completely left them.

"Indeed, bad allies only bring more trouble," the red-haired youth said, reflecting on himself. Although they had abandoned the previous excavation plan, if they allowed the other party to spread the news, it would inevitably leak that they had mastered the location of the Twelve Sages' relics through secret channels. Given the Mainland's fervor for such relics, it would certainly cause great trouble for their future actions, so he chose to silence them without hesitation.

"Don't say that, Morova," the black-haired youth consoled. "It's just a minor inconvenience. We only borrowed their strength to gain greater power. Compared to that, there are many more things we need to worry about, otherwise abandoning the previous plan would become a meaningless sacrifice."