Chapter 115: A Brewing Storm
For mercenary teams, competition was inevitable.
Only Wei Qingzhu's and Zhou Hu's teams knew about the extraordinary Origin Mall. This knowledge gave them an edge, as the fewer people who knew, the greater their advantage.
Wei Qingzhu smiled faintly, recalling how the shopkeeper had deliberately spread news of the store. Still, only Zhou Hu and his group had believed her, while others dismissed her words as nonsense.
"I take it you've just returned to Nine Stars City?" Zhou Hu asked with a grin.
Wei Qingzhu nodded. "We tracked a Shadow Leopard. That beast was cunning, with an incredible talent for escape. It took us several days to finally bring it down."
The Shadow Leopard, a rare magical beast found in the Nine Stars Mountain Range, typically possessed strength at the Fatebound Ascension stage when fully grown. However, its value rivaled even some weaker Origin Mastery realm beasts due to its unique abilities.
Shadow Leopards could transform into shadows, making them incredibly difficult to detect. Their fur, which retained part of this ability, was highly coveted. Clothes made from Shadow Leopard pelts could significantly conceal the wearer's presence.
"A Shadow Leopard? Now that's lucky," Zhou Hu said, visibly impressed. "Its value is no less than thousands of spirit crystals."
Wei Qingzhu chuckled modestly. "Captain Zhou, I heard you recently took on a mission. How did it go?"
"Don't even get me started," Zhou Hu groaned, waving his hand in frustration. "The magical beasts in the Nine Stars Mountains have gone wild recently, surging toward the outskirts.
"Our team was escorting a caravan into the mountains when we were ambushed by a pack of Amethyst Demon Wolves. If it weren't for the cola and spicy bars from the shop, we wouldn't have made it back alive."
The other members of Zhou Hu's team nodded grimly, the memory still fresh and harrowing.