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Nabi’s face darkened as she looked at the door. She was in an important negotiation right now and there was a commotion? Lately her guards were getting weaker and stupider, and now this?

"Sir Leo, Miss Jessica, please excuse me for a moment."

"Please, take your time." Leo answered with a nod.

She bowed her head slightly toward the guest before standing up and leaving the room. Her footsteps rang out clearly.

Outside, a beggar was being chased by her guards. The beggar was a bit shorter than the average, with a dirty, patched coat and a tattered scarf covering his mouth. Upon seeing him, she narrowed her eyes and moved her hand.

Suddenly, blue Qi could be seen around her body. Following that, vines began to appear around her hand, growing quickly and shooting out toward the beggar like a snake.

The beggar was shocked. His eyes widened as he screamed in fear.

"H-Help! Help me!"

He was caught off guard and unable to dodge the vines. It wrapped around his body and squeezed him tightly.

"Ugh..."

The vines constricted his body, making it hard for him to breathe. Blood began to drip from his mouth as he struggled weakly. He became like a caterpillar stuck in a spider web.

Nabi approached the beggar slowly with a cold gaze. She raised her hand, and the vines lifted him up into the air.

"You’re bold, aren’t you? For a Beggar Sect member to enter my pavilion. You think you’re worthy of my attention? Tch."

She didn’t seem bothered by the intruder but the fact that the beggar sect was here. If he was bold enough to infiltrate her base, he must have a lot of guts and confidence. And there was only one goal why this beggar was willing to risk his life.

To talk with her guest. Most probably, they had the same goal as her.

’If he doesn’t talk, I’ll kill him and feed his corpse to the pigs.’ Her cold eyes reflected her determination.

"Wait, no! Please! Please, Lady Nabi, have mercy! I didn’t mean to interrupt your important meeting. I was just... passing by." The beggar tried to speak through his constricted throat and immediately shook his head once he noticed her gaze, "Please, spare me!

I was just a messenger!"

In the end, he confessed that he was sent here by his boss. For a beggar, their life was not worth much, but a message was different. It was important, as he had to return to report what he found to their boss.

"I-I’m just a messenger! I was ordered to watch Sir Leo and the lady with him, that’s all. They have just returned from our base. I swear I am not lying!"

Upon hearing his confession, Nabi’s face darkened even more. She was aware that they were trying to get the epigraph, but she never thought they would reach out to Hallowed Insects faster than her.

Now the story was different.

Initially, she thought her group was the first one to reach out to them. That was why she was confident with her offer. From what she knew, they would work for the highest bidder, no matter who they were.

But now, there was a new player which would risk her negotiation from the verge of failure.

’That’s why they ask for 10,000 Golds. The Beggar Sect surely gives a better condition than me.’

"Or so she would think."

Inside the room, Leo explained to Jack and Chiaki what had happened. The other party that negotiated with them was a smart and cunning person. She would think of every possible outcome and prepare for it.

With the appearance of the person that tailed Leo from the slum, Nabi would think that he had negotiated with the Beggar Sect and received a better condition. Leo had no doubt she would have a misunderstanding of her own accord. Because he was also sure the beggar would say everything in the face of danger.

’She will come back to me, and she will offer better conditions. That’s the perfect scenario. We will be able to get a bigger reward. If we are lucky, maybe she will give us the epigraph and more money. Guessing a smart person’s mind is easier than guessing an idiot.’

The Hao Sect needed Hallowed Insects. There was a reason why they couldn’t move by themselves.

Unlike big Sects, Murim Alliance, and 5 Great Murim Clans, the Hao Sect was secretive. They lived in the shadows to protect themselves from harm. They didn’t have any direct influence or power in the political world, unlike other groups.

Because of this, they had to rely on a few trusted people. That or people who were really neutral and wouldn’t sell them out.

But, Hallowed Insects were different.

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They were not part of the Murim world. They didn’t follow any sect’s rules or had a connection with any of the big groups. All their activities were based on money and they were fearless.

Not to mention, their strange technology that was far more advanced than anything the world had ever seen.

For the first time, the Hao Sect had found someone they could trust. A group that was capable, reliable, and had the technology to do the impossible. And more importantly, not tied to anyone’s influence.

If Hallowed Insects were on board, they could get the epigraph safely and not risk their members’ lives.

’The problem is, their greed is a bit too high. With this, we can cut the source of their confidence and instill fear of losing our cooperation in them. And then, we can have a better deal.’

As expected, after a few minutes, Nabi returned to the room with a changed expression. She sat down across from the two, her eyes staring at them.

"Please excuse me. There is a little bit of a problem."

"A problem?"

Leo asked as he raised an eyebrow, pretending to be oblivious. This time, he took over the negotiation himself and Jessica knew that so she stayed silent.

"Before we continue, allow me to apologize for the commotion. There is an intruder in my pavilion, and we caught him. But please don’t worry. He was just a messenger. So, there’s no harm done."

Nabi gave an apologetic smile and waved her hand as if it was nothing. She sat down across from them again and took a deep breath. She took out a brush and a parchment, and drew a few words on it. Afterward, she put the parchment on the table facing Leo and Jessica.

"I am willing to pay this amount. However, I want you to bring me the epigraph and return it in one piece. No matter what happens, the epigraph is the priority. The content is more valuable than anything else. How long did you need to prepare?"

"As soon as you call us." Leo answered confidently, "The epigraph will not be able to be accessed until two weeks, no?"

When he said that, Nabi’s expression changed slightly but returned to normal once again. She knew that she shouldn’t be surprised about their capability anymore.

"Correct. Do you know the location?"

"Unfortunately, my knowledge doesn’t reach that far yet." He shrugged his shoulders and chuckled.

Leo didn’t lie. The novel did mention this particular war happening off screen, but the novel’s description had its limit. The location was said vaguely like the North area of Guangzhou or between this valley and that valley.

What he needed was the real location, not the one mentioned in the passing in the story.

"It’s okay. I will provide you with the information. However, the location is a bit... remote. It’s around two weeks away with a carriage, so I’d appreciate it if you can finish the preparation tomorrow."

’Two weeks away, huh? Considering the carriage moves only around 10-25 KM/H and has to rest, it should take them 12-17 hours per day, not counting the breaks. So, we should expect around 2500 KM distance. That’s quite far, but not impossible.’

With his vehicle that could reach 200 KM/H, he could cover that distance easily in less than two weeks. He was 10 times faster, after all.

’Given we ride 6 hours a day and the road conditions, a week should be enough to reach our destination.’

"Is there someone from your side who will tag along with us in this mission?"

"Yes, a member of my group will accompany you. We can’t afford to lose the epigraph." Nabi nodded.

Understandable. They would need someone to oversee the entire operation, of course.

’In that case, we need another vehicle. It’s time to make a Humvee, huh? We will need steels and other stuff... plenty of stuff.’ He calculated in his mind.

"Alright, let’s continue the negotiation."

Leo was ready to take on the job and secure the epigraph.

’We will be the ones who will have the last laugh.’

The negotiation continued without any problem. They agreed to the price Jessica suggested. And because the payment was high, Nabi would pay half now and half when they return.

’Perfect. We will have enough Golds to upgrade our base and one of our rooms soon.’

The materials needed to upgrade the base to Level 2 wasn’t much but the price was thrice as the first one.

And some of the materials required him to use the Armory room to create.

After the negotiation was finished, Leo took out the contract paper he prepared, changed a few things, and signed it. Nabi reviewed it and signed her name.

"Then, the job is yours, sir. Let’s work together, shall we?"

"Of course. Let’s work well."

Leo nodded his head. His face was serious, but he was smiling in his mind. There was no handshake because the culture here was different. Cupping hands and bowing their heads was the norm.

The four mercenaries left the building after that, returning to their base.