Chapter 271: Recruiting Five Golden Core Experts.
Inside an underground chamber deep beneath the Blood Lotus Tavern, Mo Jian sat across from an old man whose face bore a deep, jagged scar that stretched from his temple to his chin.
The scar alone was enough to send a clear message to anyone who met him.
"Kid, what do you want?" the scarred man asked, his rough, echoing through the chamber.
"I need five Intermediate Golden Core Experts," Mo Jian replied, his tone calm and composed.
Despite the man’s intimidating presence, Mo Jian remained unshaken.
To him, this scarred man was no different from any ordinary man he might meet on the streets.
The scarred man’s eyes narrowed slightly as he studied Mo Jian.
"Do you even know how much that’s going to cost you?" he asked after a pause.
"I know," Mo Jian said, giving a slight nod.
"Good. When do you need them?" the man asked, leaning forward with a glint of interest in his eyes.
Business had been slow for weeks, and he could already smell a lot of wealth from this deal.
"I need them immediately," Mo Jian said firmly. "And I want them to work for two years."
"Two years?" The scarred man blinked, stunned.
His eyes widened as if he’d misheard.
Most employers hired experts for a few days, maybe a week at most.
But two years?
That was unheard of.
He could already imagine the mountain of spirit stones this deal would bring.
"This is... quite the request," he muttered under his breath, but the greedy smile tugging at his lips betrayed his excitement.
For a moment, he wondered where this young man came from. Someone who could afford such an extravagant deal surely wasn’t ordinary.
But immediately, the thought vanished from his mind. One of their core principles was privacy.
They never asked questions.
As long as the payment was made, they didn’t care who the client was or what the job entailed.
Regaining his composure, the scarred man adjusted his seat and said seriously, "That can be arranged immediately, as long as you can pay the price."
"No problem."
Without hesitation, Mo Jian made the payment.
With the payment received, the scarred man’s expression changed, softened with a bright smile.
"Young Master, please give me a moment to send the message," he said politely, his tone now respectful.
Mo Jian nodded, indifferent to the man’s sudden change in attitude.
The scarred man disappeared through a hidden door, leaving Mo Jian and Supreme Elder Zhao alone in the chamber.
For a long moment, neither spoke. Then, Elder Zhao finally broke the silence. "Young Master, can you tell me what is really going on?"
Mo Jian didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he reached into his robes and brought out his Spirit Link.
A faint glow pulsed across the device as he sent a file to Supreme Elder Zhao.
"Elder Zhao," he said quietly. "Check what I just sent you."
Although puzzled, Supreme Elder Zhao activated his own Spirit Link and opened the message.
The moment he saw the image, his heart skipped a beat.
His breath caught in his throat.
Mere looking at the colossal serpent sent dreads down his spine.
"One of our Adventurer Parties discovered it inside the Never Ending Forest," Mo Jian said, his voice calm.
Elder Zhao inhaled sharply.
"Hiss!" A cold gasp escaped his lips.
Just looking at the image sent chills down his spine.
The oppressive aura the beast exuded even through the image was enough to make his knees weak.
Now, he finally understood everything, why Zhao Tian had been so panicked earlier, and why Mo Jian had rushed out of the hotel after such a long, exhausting day.
It all made sense.
The five Golden Core Experts weren’t for the chamber or their safety in the capital but to prepare for the worst at their border.
Apart from the massive serpent itself, the swarm of serpents in front of it was enough to make even a powerhouse cautious.
"Elder Zhao," Mo Jian said after a brief silence, "this stays between us."
Elder Zhao nodded firmly. "Don’t worry, Young Master. No one will know."
He was right.
Even a whisper of such a creature’s existence could shake the western region’s foundation to its core.
Keeping it secret while making proper preparations was the only logical action.
Ten minutes later, the hidden door opened again. The scarred man returned, followed by five others.
"Young Master," the scarred man said proudly, "Here they are. I can vouch for every one of them. You won’t have to worry about loyalty or strength."
Mo Jian’s gaze swept over the five experts.
Four men and one woman, all emanating the steady, controlled aura of Golden Core experts.
They looked at him with mild surprise.
None of them had expected their contractor would be this young.
But they didn’t question it. They had been paid and what was left was to complete the job.
"I believe everyone understands the nature of your mission," Mo Jian began. "However, I’ll still need each of you to sign a contract."
From his storage pouch, he produced five blood and soul contracts.
He had prepared them inside his carriage.
The scarred man raised a brow but said nothing.
It was expected.
Only a fool would spend such an enormous sum without preparing a soul contract..
Each of the five took a scroll and skimmed its contents.
The terms were simple.
They were not to harm no one, not to reveal anything they saw during or after the mission, and they were to obey Mo Jian’s commands for the duration of their service.
"Any problems?" Mo Jian asked.
"No." One of them said, shaking his head before pressing his thumb to the parchment and infusing it with a drop of blood and a wisp of spiritual energy.
The others followed suit without hesitation.
Once the contracts were sealed, the scarred man chuckled.
"Young Master, if you ever need more experts, our Blood Lotus will always provide the best. You can count on us."
"I’ll remember that," Mo Jian replied coolly before turning toward the exit.
Outside the Blood Lotus Tavern, under the dim glow of the moon, the five Golden Core Experts stood silently.
"Leave for the western region immediately," Mo Jian instructed. "Your mission is to protect the border of the Never Ending Forest. Nothing more, nothing less."
The five Golden Core Experts were stunned inwardly. They never expected their mission would be in the barren western region.
Although stunned, they recovered and nodded.
Without speaking, they turned and vanished into the night.
Watching them leave, Mo Jian let out a long, weary sigh. His shoulders relaxed slightly.
"Let’s return," he said, turning toward his carriage.
Today was a lot more stressful than usual. He could only hope the following day, things would be a lot simpler.
Unbeknownst to him, the peacetime was over.