Chapter 445: The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps is Bringing About Their Own Destruction

The gold level fighter Lin was the powerful reinforcement specially invited by the Axe Gang leader for revenge.

The Axe Gang leader expressed confidence in this battle, while Lin remained impassive: “Long Fu managed to kill Teng Dong Lang with the final strike. I suspect there's something fishy about it.”

"I've also reviewed the magic footage from the Cold Wind Valley ambush. His performance showed clear improvement compared to the Snow Bird Harbor arena, but if that's all he's capable of, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps truly is doomed."

Like the Axe Gang leader, Lin was also a veteran of military service, having experienced numerous battles and possessing extensive combat expertise.

His assessment was grounded in solid experience.

As for the magic footage of the Cold Wind Valley ambush, it was naturally provided by the Axe Gang leader.

This was a sound practice of the regular army, documenting battle scenes at all times to facilitate post-battle analysis, learning lessons, and gathering intelligence. Even if one fell in battle, precious intelligence could still reach comrades, aiding future engagements.

“1000%”

The Axe Gang leader couldn't help but recall the battle in Cold Wind Valley, sighing, “That Long Fu was truly extraordinary. He was clearly only silver, yet his actual combat prowess rivaled that of a gold level fighter. What a pity. If Jia Bing had accepted my invitation too, with his ice gargoyles supporting us, our victory rate would have been 1000%!”

Lin looked over in surprise, “You invited that guy too?”

The Axe Gang leader replied, "Unfortunately, he refused after hearing I'd already invited you. He said he had crucial alchemy experiments to conduct and couldn't leave the workshop for more than six hours."

Lin smiled faintly: “That's just his nature.”

“But you, buddy, haven't changed a bit, still obsessively chasing unrealistically high win rates!”

The Axe Gang leader instantly wore a look of displeasure: “How is that a bad thing?”

"War is inherently dangerous; any battle carries risks. Unexpected events can occur in any fight."

“So many factors influence battle outcomes. A single drastic shift can alter the entire result.”

"Pursuing victory odds is taking responsibility for oneself, ensuring success—it's never excessive. Doesn't every outstanding commander strive to maximize their forces' chances of victory with every ounce of ability?"

Lin shook his head slightly, offering a different perspective: "That sounds reasonable, but it's actually incorrect. Resources are always finite, which is why merchants discuss cost-effectiveness. As commanders, the combat resources we can deploy are also limited. Therefore, taking risks is worthwhile. Because often, with only limited combat resources, we have no choice but to take risks. Excessive pursuit of victory rates is usually predicated on already possessing a significant advantage. Like now! But in most real combat scenarios, such circumstances are rare."

Pausing briefly, Lin continued, “Our opponents aren't formidable. The highest level among them are merely two silver level individuals. Though one is somewhat unique, he still falls short of gold level.”

“With two gold level members on our side, we already hold an immense advantage. There's no need to invite a third.”

“We remain undetected and retain the element of surprise.”

"Long Fu might pose trouble for any one of us, but that silver level fire magician, Yao Ma, is mediocre in combat. Whether it's me or you, if we fight at full strength, she won't last three minutes."

“Once she's dead, the two of us can surround and attack Long Fu. Failure is impossible.”

Lin's analysis was logical and well-reasoned, delivered in a calm tone with a composed expression that radiated strong confidence.

The Axe Gang leader shook his head slightly, disagreeing with Lin's military strategy. Yet he nodded in acknowledgment, refraining from challenging Lin's subsequent reasoning—for it aligned perfectly with his own battle projections.

Just then, Fu Zhao burst in urgently.

"Bad news! Father, Lord Lin! The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps suddenly departed Blood Kin City via the teleportation formation!" 

Fu Zhao delivered the devastating report.

"What?!" Lin's brow instantly furrowed.

The Axe Gang leader sprang to his feet, fixing his son with a stern glare. "How could this happen? Didn't I order you to station men at the teleportation formation to prevent precisely this?"

Fu Zhao bowed his head: "Yes, that's the situation. I've already planted our people inside. But the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps is extremely cunning. They secretly recruited people to queue up and, within a short time, bribed a few others with large sums to cut in line collectively. Our people found it difficult to prevent this from happening."

Teleportation formations existed in all major towns of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.

The cost of teleportation was exorbitant, and the service was extremely busy. Without solid connections, one had to queue to wait for transport.

In Snow Bird Harbor, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps enjoyed excellent relations with the city lord, allowing them to cut in line and teleport directly at any time. But in Blood Kin City, they didn't receive such preferential treatment.

The Axe Gang leader schemed in secret, determined to wipe out Zong Ge and Zi Di's group. He spared no expense, earnestly inviting Lin and Jia Bing to assist him. Though only one accepted, the Axe Gang leader patiently awaited Lin's secret rendezvous.

But just as the operation was about to commence, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps slipped away through the teleportation formation!

The Axe Gang leader frowned deeply. This was precisely the scenario he feared, and yet it had unfolded.

Lin sighed, "Seems there's a capable person among them after all. To secretly hire people to queue up first, then suddenly bribe the remaining few with heavy sums to complete the group teleportation, it looks simple but executing it requires formidable discipline. The slightest mishap could leak the secret and cause failure."

“This is getting troublesome.”

Lin's expression also grew grave.

As the leader of Ice Spear City's gang, his meeting with the Axe Gang leader had been arranged in secret.

The secrecy served two purposes: first, to maintain the element of surprise and prevent enemy detection through information leaks. The other reason was his status as a gold level individual.

At this level, a transcendent's personal strength could rival that of a small army, easily threatening the security of an entire town.  Consequently, such individuals were subject to constant surveillance and investigation from all sides.

Any rash action by a gold level individual would trigger heightened vigilance and scrutiny from all sides.

It was like a sharp dagger, normally kept safely sheathed in its place. Suddenly drawn from its sheath, no matter where it was placed, it would draw intense attention.

Thus, Lin had to carefully consider the potential repercussions of every move.

Especially since he also managed a gang faction. As its leader and strongest combatant, his sudden departure would have significant negative repercussions for his organization.

Under these circumstances, concealing his identity and masking his movements was the most effective way to minimize such negative impacts.

This also implied another crucial point - Lin could not openly use the town's teleportation formation.

The reason was straightforward: such large-scale teleportation formations were subject to the strictest oversight. Teleportation fees increased proportionally with the user's power level.

Thus, even if Lin concealed his aura and disguised himself as a low level transcendent, the sheer cost incurred by the formation during teleportation would instantly reveal his true power level.

Subsequent investigations would then easily uncover his identity. After all, he had long since reached the gold level.

The same principle applied to the Axe Gang leader.

It was precisely for this reason that the Axe Gang leader had plotted for so long, waiting for Lin's secret rendezvous - in fact, Lin had come on foot.

Zong Ge and Zi Di could teleport away, but Lin and the Axe Gang leader couldn't use that method.

This wasn't because they were confined to one location.

Rather, it would cause a massive commotion and attract widespread attention.

If, after their teleportation, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps fell victim to an ambush and perished, then everyone would know they were responsible!

If the Axe Gang leader were willing to risk exposure to eliminate Zong Ge and Zi Di, he would have done so long ago. Why endure the agony of waiting patiently for Lin's arrival?

“So, Long Fu has already discovered us? Was his earlier cooperation agreement with the Axe Gang merely a delaying tactic?” Fu Zhao's expression darkened.

The Axe Gang leader shook his head slowly. "Probably not. Our first collaboration succeeded yesterday. We successfully escorted the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps' first caravan into Blood Kin City."

“They genuinely intend to cooperate with us.”

“It's just that the battle in Cold Wind Valley made them wary. Unable to verify our true identities, they resorted to this minor trick.”

“If they suspected I was the real culprit, they wouldn't simply leave. They'd use their connections to target us.”

"You must understand, the acting Blood Kin City Lord has deep-seated conflicts with our gang. Even without working with our enemies, Long Fu has deep ties with the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord and the Li Jian Clan. He would certainly use them to strike against us."

"But now, they've just teleported away suddenly. They probably just wanted to act swiftly to shake off any potential lurking enemies."

Lin agreed with the Axe Gang leader's analysis.

“In that case,” he said, "we'll just have to wait for another opportunity. We need to know their next destination to set up a new ambush."

The Axe Gang leader gritted his teeth. Though reluctant, he nodded. "We already have men stationed at the teleportation formation. Haven't we uncovered their target location yet?"

Fu Zhao hurriedly replied, "Father, the moment we received this intelligence, I ordered an investigation. It should be here soon..."

He paused abruptly mid-sentence.

An underling had arrived to report fresh intelligence.

Upon receiving the new information, Fu Zhao's face lit up with evident delight: "Good news! After leaving two men behind at the shop, the entire group teleported to Snow Rabbit City."

“Our men succeeded in causing a teleportation error! Long Fu is now outside Snow Rabbit City, a considerable distance from the town!”

The Axe Gang leader froze for a moment, then clapped his hands sharply and roared with laughter: "Jia Bing is right there! All three of us gold level experts will work together, our win rate is 1000%. The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps has walked straight into their own doom this time!"