Chapter 086: Three Million

This also meant that for Tang Mubai, breaking through from Professional First Rank to Professional Second Rank would only take two days!

Even so, Tang Mubai did not immediately proceed with the exchange.

Firstly, he had exhausted his vitality earlier while using the Explosive Arrow Technique and had yet to recover. In this state, if he consumed lifespan to exchange for vitality, some of it would be wasted for nothing. It was better to wait until his vitality was replenished before increasing it further.

Secondly, Tang Mubai intended to save the increase for the palm technique Hu Zonghan had just used. As long as he could crack the phone’s password, a powerful martial art would be his for the taking.

Lastly, he had been out for a while now. Lin Huafeng and the others were probably getting anxious from waiting. Weighing all these factors, Tang Mubai decided not to immediately enhance his vitality or anything else. He put away his battle bow, found his bearings, performed his lightness skill, and swept away through the woods.

…

In the buffer zone between the mountains and the wilderness, five bloodstained cars stood in the wasteland. Led by Lin Huafeng, the members of the “Madman” Mercenary Corps, as well as Yang Kai—over twenty people in all—sat or stood, all gazing expectantly toward the entrance of the forest.

No one spoke. They just kept smoking, the atmosphere heavy and stifling.

Lin Huafeng, who usually stood tall, was now hunched over. Though his expression barely changed, his bloodshot eyes flickered with anxiety, regret, fear, and remorse, one emotion chasing another. In front of him, a pile of cigarette butts, burnt almost to the filter, had gathered on the ground. Wisps of blue smoke swirled around him.

“Chief, maybe I should go back and look for him,” a voice suddenly broke the silence. It was Gao Ren, his face full of worry and urgency. “My lightness skill is pretty good, I can run back in no time. If…”

“There are no ‘ifs’!” Lin Huafeng growled, his voice low and forceful. “Xiao Bai will come back! Give it another ten minutes. If he’s still not back, I’ll go myself…”

“Um, Uncle Lin, who are you looking for?”

Shhh!

Lin Huafeng suddenly shot to his feet and looked around, finally fixing his gaze on the forest to his right.

The others were stunned for a moment, but in the next instant, they all turned to look in the same direction.

“Hello, is everyone alright?” Tang Mubai slid lightly down from a tree, waving at the group with a smile.

For a moment, everyone was dumbstruck. Then, as they realized who it was, a cheer erupted as they raced over to him.

“I knew it, I knew Chief Xiao Bai would be fine!”

“Of course! Chief Xiao Bai’s lightness skill is just as extraordinary as his archery!”

“I’ve never admired anyone before, but from today on, Chief Xiao Bai is my idol!”

“Well, Chief Xiao Bai’s unlucky now—having a fan with a face full of scars. I wonder if he’ll wake up in the middle of the night in fright.”

“Get lost!”

“Hahaha…”

The crowd gathered around Tang Mubai, laughing and cheering. Their faces radiated gratitude and admiration.

To escape successfully from a horde of hundreds, even thousands, of raptors—few grandmasters could manage such a feat!

Of all those present, Lin Huafeng was the most emotional. If Tang Mubai hadn’t made it back, he would have been wracked with guilt for the rest of his life.

“Xiao Bai, you’re not allowed to take risks like that again,” Lin Huafeng said, placing a large hand on Tang Mubai’s shoulder, half admonishing, half relieved. “Remember, you’re not alone out there. Not to mention anything else, Zhenzhen needs you to look after her!”

“I understand, Uncle Lin. Don’t worry, I’ll be more careful from now on.” Tang Mubai smiled.

Lin Huafeng meant well.

But if another opportunity like this arose, Tang Mubai would still seize it without hesitation. Gaining so much lifespan in a single day—such fortune was impossible within the city walls. Lin Huafeng was an elder; a few words of admonition were fine, but that was all.

After Lin Huafeng finished, the group returned to their cars amid cheers and headed home.

As soon as Tang Mubai got in the car, he handed his phone to Yang Kai, asking him to crack the timed password.

With tools and a laptop in the car, Yang Kai didn’t bother asking where the phone had come from. He accepted it and immediately set to work.

Tang Mubai drove, following the convoy, racing back at top speed.

By the time they returned to the city walls, Yang Kai had already finished cracking it.

Tang Mubai took the phone, set it aside for the moment, and he and Yang Kai got out, joining Lin Huafeng and the others for the entry inspection.

Once back in the car, Yang Kai took the wheel while Tang Mubai turned on the phone and checked its contents.

Soon, he found what he wanted—the location where Hu Zonghan had hidden his secret manuals!

Memorizing the details, Tang Mubai removed the phone’s back cover, took out the internal card, and tossed it out the window.

This latest model smartphone was still pretty good, so Tang Mubai decided to keep it.

After putting away the phone, Tang Mubai finally opened his system panel, consuming a thousand years of lifespan to exchange for fifty units of vitality.

Then, spending another five hundred years, he raised his “Willpower” to ten.

The impact of these changes left Tang Mubai dazed for a long while. By the time the car returned to Maple Leaf City, Lin Huafeng had already sold off the centipede medicine bugs and copper-skinned boar, settled the mission at the Martial Association headquarters, and collected the reward. With the sales proceeds, they now had over fifteen million federal credits, and only then did Tang Mubai regain his senses.

Fifteen million federal credits earned in a single day—everyone was thrilled.

Because not a single cent of this money would be taxed!

Martial artists running companies or stores in the city paid only half the taxes that ordinary people did. But the spoils from mercenary hunts beyond the city walls were completely tax-exempt.

This tax exemption was the main reason why most martial artists formed or joined mercenary groups.

According to their prearranged distribution, the “Miracle” Mercenary Corps received seven and a half million.

Tang Mubai refused any extra share from the surplus, no matter how much was offered.

Lin Huafeng insisted for a while, but seeing Tang Mubai unmoved, he eventually accepted the arrangement.

Of the seven and a half million, ten percent was set aside for group expenses like vehicles and weapons. Another ten percent went to the chief for leading the team. The remaining eighty percent was divided equally among all members.

Since the chief was also a member, this left six million, of which Tang Mubai and Yang Kai each received three million.

Tang Mubai immediately returned one million to Lin Huafeng.

Yang Kai, holding the bank card with three million credits, was utterly stunned.

Just yesterday, he’d had only a few hundred credits to his name.

Today, he was suddenly a millionaire.

All he’d done was leave Maple Leaf City and drive a car beyond the city walls.

There had been thrills and moments of danger, but with three million credits in his hand, it still felt like a dream.

The change was so abrupt, it took him a long time to process.

Tang Mubai noticed, smiled, and said nothing, simply telling him to go home for now.

Then, he headed straight for Hu Zonghan’s secret treasure stash.

In a room in an old residential complex, upon arrival, Tang Mubai found there wasn’t even a surveillance camera in the corridor. He simply forced the door open, and following the notes on the phone, moved a brick in the corner by the entrance. From beneath it, he retrieved an iron box.

Opening the box, three secret manuals were revealed.

The topmost manual bore three bold words—

Cloud Rolling Palm!