Stone blinked, looking completely innocent: "What did you say? You don't want to live anymore?"
"Hmph, words are useless!" The lewd man drew a sword from behind his back. "I've been watching you since the Mercenary Association. Hmph, you think you're so great just because you bought a knight's sword? If I hadn't thought you didn't have much money left, I would have made my move already."
Stone didn't speak, only glancing at the knight's sword he'd recently bought. "Hey, this is purely for decoration, okay?"
"I never expected this, I really never expected it. A little girl actually has spatial equipment! Hmph, I'm the fifth brother's lucky one today, little girl. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being too flashy."
The man who called himself Lao Wu raised his sword; judging from his stance, he must be a trained fighter.
Stone raised an eyebrow: "Can I ask you a question?"
"Hehe, don't worry, I'll kill you with one sword, and I only want your money, not your body. Little girl, your figure isn't that great, but don't worry, I won't touch you."
Stone was speechless. She's only 12 years old this year! Her figure certainly isn't great. In her past life, when she was 28, she definitely had the figure of a mature woman!
"I just want to ask you, how do you want to die?" Stone sighed softly, "Never mind, I'll leave you with a whole corpse."
Summoning the spiked club given to her by her teacher Dior, Stone charged forward, wielding it. To be honest, her fighting skills weren't anything special, but Stone's unstoppable momentum, combined with the arm strength honed from childhood training, allowed her to smash the man down, sword and all.
"Bang!"
The spiked club shattered the sword the man was using to block it, then smashed it down onto his skull, and then...
His face was covered in blood.
Stone finally understood: there really are people in this world who look at you with a face full of blood!
"Shouldn't this be considered a complete corpse?" Stone looked at the man with a conflicted expression. "You are a complete corpse, aren't you?"
"Hiss..." Actually, Stone had great arm strength, but the man didn't die immediately. Instead, he stared at Stone with wide eyes and a look of unrepentant disbelief, hissing as he did so.
"Not dead?" Stone was even more conflicted. "What do we do now? Was this considered legitimate self-defense, or excessive self-defense?"
Given the current situation, since the other party has lost the ability to harm her, it means that if she were to attack again, it would truly be considered excessive self-defense.
“If you’re going to kill someone, you should kill them outright. You can’t leave someone half-dead like this.”
Just as Shi Tou hesitated, Luo Pi Pi's voice suddenly came from not far away.
Shi Tou jumped up in fright, staring in disbelief at Luo Pi Pi who had appeared out of nowhere: "You..."
"Don't get me wrong, I definitely didn't follow you." Luo Pipi waved her hand and explained, "I just saw you on the road and was going to say hello, but I didn't expect to see someone following you."
Stone's lips twitched: "So you're planning to play the hero and save the damsel in distress?"
Luo Pipi slowly walked to the man's side and kicked him with her foot: "I'm not a hero, and you... can't be considered a beauty either."
Shi Tou was sweating profusely: "Then why are you following me?"
“I just don’t want the heir of the Beth family to die again.” Luo Pipi spread his hands innocently: “I just received news that your cousin Jess Beth was killed half a month ago.”
Cousin? Murdered?
Stone's eyes started to gleam with mosquito coils; could anyone tell her, who is this guy?
"You don't recognize him?" Luo Pipi said with a forced smile. "Actually, I should have thought of it a long time ago."
“I know him, how could I not?” Shi Tou said nervously, “But I’m really not familiar with him.”
Luo Pipi gave Shi Tou a deep look: "It doesn't matter if you don't know him, but you must know Kate Beth."
What is that thing?
Shi Tou was truly bewildered. When she was studying at the Imperial Academy, she wasn't actually very familiar with her classmates. Remembering Dorbeth's name was already quite an achievement for her. Regarding Dorbeth's family background, she only knew that her mother had Eastern family blood; beyond that, she really knew nothing.
"Actually, I don't get along very well with my cousins." Shi Tou tried to put on a sincere expression: "I'm only close to my sister."
"oh?"
"Really, I'm closer to my sister. In the family, she's the only one who's truly good to me."
Luo Pipi lowered her head and glanced at the man lying dead: "Is he dead?" She ground the man's hand with her toe, successfully making the man let out a painful sound again.
Stone got goosebumps listening to this. Having been in this other world for so long, she had never actually killed anyone. Of course, she often beat people so badly they were bedridden, but she had never actually killed anyone.
"What's your sister's name? Huo Xiaoxiao?" Luo Pipi suddenly asked.
"Hmm. Ah? No, her name is..." Stone responded subconsciously, then exclaimed in alarm.
"What's her name?" Luo Pipi wasn't in a hurry at all; she just quietly looked at the stone.
Shi Tou stared at her for a while, then finally gave in: "Yes, my sister's name is Huo Xiaoxiao. How... how did you know that?"
Luo Pipi finally smiled, it was unclear whether she was laughing at Shi Tou's unwitting confession or feeling that Shi Tou had finally told her the truth.
"I think you must not have looked at the Mercenary Association's legendary missions properly," Luo Pipi said with great certainty, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.
Stone frowned and thought it over: "I saw it, but I can't do legendary missions."
"So you just skimmed through it and didn't really pay attention to it, right?"
Stone was dumbfounded. She racked her brains to recall the missions on the Mercenary Guild's mission wall, but indeed, she couldn't remember a single one.
“A month ago, all the mercenary guilds received several legendary missions. One of them was issued by the First Steward of Ironforge in the capital city, requiring him to deliver his master, Huo Yi, to Ironforge unharmed, with a reward of 100,000 purple gold coins.”
"Hiss! This spendthrift child!" Stone gasped, unable to help but curse.
"Another one is a task issued by Huo Xiaoxiao, the eldest daughter of the Huo family, which requires her to deliver Huo Yi, the second daughter of the Huo family, safely to the Huo family. The reward is 100,000 purple gold coins."
Stone was stunned and speechless for a long time.
"The last task was issued by Yi Siyue, the fourth prince of the Luo Ming Empire, and his request is a bit interesting. Duo'er, do you want to hear it?"
Luo Pipi looked at the stone with a playful expression and great anticipation.
Shi Tou's eyes widened. Okay, she could understand Hua Wushuang asking to see her, after all, she had a very unequal master-servant contract with Hua Wushuang. As for Huo Xiaoxiao, she guessed she really misunderstood her. Maybe there really was no danger in the capital, and Huo Xiaoxiao probably thought that since she had received a message that she was safe, she must have encountered danger.
But what tricks is the Fourth Prince, Isamu, up to this time?!
"I'm not familiar with the Fourth Prince."
Luo Pipi squinted and nodded: "I'm not familiar with it either."
o(╯□╰)o
"I really don't know why he contacted me." Stone radiated an aura of innocence from his very being...
"Actually, you should be able to guess. Didn't we hear about wanted orders for you along the way?" Luo Pipi felt she was being too kind and offered this helpful suggestion.
wanted?
Shi Tou was shocked: "I didn't offend Yi Siyue, did I? Why would he issue a warrant for my arrest? Right, it must be Yi Siyu! That bastard Fifth Princess Yi Siyu, she must have had her brother issue a warrant for my arrest."
Luo Pipi changed her expression, looking at Shi Tou with a sorrowful face: "By the way, there's another unfortunate piece of news to tell you. Lin An, the young master of the Lin family and the fiancé of the second young lady of the Huo family, has broken off the engagement with the Huo family, and then half a month ago, Lin An married a young lady from the Han family."
The word "horrified" is no longer enough to describe Shi Tou's current feelings. Has Han Shiyi gone mad? How could she marry Lin An?
Before Stone could even finish his horrified scare, Luo Pipi dropped an even more bizarre bombshell: "Besides this unfortunate news, I have some good news to tell you."
"The fourth prince, Isazuki, announces that you will be his future queen."
Stone was utterly horrified. Was this really good news? This news was even more frightening than bad news!
Ugh, this damn Ishizuki!
-----
Today is Laba Festival. Have you all had Laba porridge?
...
Chapter 199 Get out here, you bastard!
Stone stared at Luo Pipi with a bloodshot face, his body stiff as he spoke, his voice trembling: "You...you're lying to me, aren't you?"
Luo Pipi looked at her with amusement: "Which aspect are you referring to? The payment?"
"Isazuki..." This name was absolutely squeezed out from between the teeth of a stone, just like someone who is constipated and has to squeeze out a stool.
"Alas, I regret to inform you that I do not have the courage to forge the identity of the fourth prince of the royal family." Luo Pipi actually sighed, and then looked at Shi Tou with an extremely sympathetic gaze.
Stone was bewildered. "What the hell are you trying to do, you bastard Yi Siyue?! I don't even know you!!!"
Seeing that Shi Tou had entered a deep daze, Luo Pipi waved to her subordinates to deal with the unfortunate fellow still lying on the ground. Then she simply pulled Shi Tou away, saying, "Poor child, he's had a terrible shock."
Stone followed Luo Pipi blankly until they were almost at the inn, at which point she finally realized what was happening: "Ah!"
Before Luo Pipi could speak, Shi Tou screamed and charged towards the town center: "It's over, it's over, my mercenary mission is ruined!"
Luo Pipi was dumbfounded, staring blankly as the bristling stone disappeared before her eyes. She began to ponder a very serious question: Just how slow-witted could this child be to start with the mercenary's entry-level missions while clutching a handful of money?
When Stone returned after completing his quest, Luo Pipi finally asked the question she had been asking. But all she got in return was a blank look from Stone: "Aren't mercenary quests supposed to be done slowly?"
Luo Pipi finally gave up: "Are you planning to do tasks from the very bottom, just like those commoners?"
"Otherwise what?" Stone was bewildered again. Could it be that the old man at the Mercenary Association entrance was playing a trick on him?
"Poor child, don't you know you can advance quickly?" Luo Pipi's gaze towards Shi Tou was no longer just simple sympathy; it was as if she were looking at a simpleton.
Stone blinked, taking a while to realize what had happened. He'd really been tricked by the old man: "Damn it! That old man said there was no quick way to advance!"
"Actually, there are two methods, and you can do both." Luo Pipi reached out and patted Shi Tou's head. She felt great sympathy for Shi Tou's predicament today: "First, you are a three-star Qi Master. According to the rules of the Qi Master Association and the Mage Association, the level certificates issued by these two associations are valid for mercenary associations in any country."
Stone stared wide-eyed. Her three-star battle qi master certificate was definitely certified by the association, no doubt about it!
"The second method is even simpler. The Mercenary Guild's rules only state that you can't accept missions until you reach a certain level, but that doesn't mean you can't participate in missions. In fact, you just need to post a mission and wait for others to do it, while you simply become a participant. For example, post a legendary mission and participate along with others. Once it's completed, you can directly upgrade to a level 5 mercenary."
Stone's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets: "Blatant cheating?!"
Luo Pipi's face was full of sympathy: "How can this be considered blatant cheating? The Mercenary Association has made it clear that it is just a commercial organization. You pay, they make money. Since you want to level up quickly, what's wrong with taking advantage of a loophole as long as you pay enough?"
"But the Qi Masters Association and the Magicians Association won't allow it!"
"Because neither of these associations are commercial organizations, they are not on the same side. The certifications of the Aura Master Association and the Mage Association are applicable to any country and any organization. But the Mercenary Association is different. Even a level 5 mercenary is not necessarily respected."
Five-star martial arts masters and five-star mages both represent a certain level of strength, that's undeniable. However, it's different for level five mercenaries. Given time, they can take their time completing missions, and over time, their level will naturally increase. Therefore, a level five mercenary may not necessarily possess the corresponding strength.
After Luo Pipi's explanation, Shi Tou seemed to understand. Indeed, their natures were different. Like the Mercenary Association, whose primary goal was profit, it included all sorts of people. The Aura Master Association and the Mage Association, strictly speaking, were professional associations. The Mage Association, in particular, not only didn't charge its members, but also offered extremely high benefits to higher-level mages.
“I understand.” Stone nodded dejectedly. “I’ll go to the Mercenary Association tomorrow and use my three-star battle qi master certificate to exchange for a level three mercenary to play with.”