My Will Rules Another World

Chapter 8: G‑Rank Mercenary

Ling Feng walked leisurely along the road outside the Demon Beast Forest.

From Long Tian’s memories, he knew this road led straight to the nearest town. However, at his casual walking speed, it would still take him three days to reach his destination.

Ling Feng’s mood was surprisingly relaxed, all because of the tiny cat resting quietly on his shoulder. He truly did not want to part with this little companion that had stayed with him for an entire year.

He still remembered the moment they separated deep within the Demon Beast Forest. Back then, he had thought he would never see the kitten again, and a faint sadness had filled his heart.

Yet shortly after he walked out of the forest, a cluster of blazing fire elements swiftly rushed toward him. At first, Ling Feng tensed up, thinking someone was launching a sneak attack. But in the next second, he caught the familiar warm aura belonging only to the little cat.

It was indeed her.

The moment the kitten caught up, she jumped and lay lazily on Ling Feng’s shoulder. She failed to restrain her innate flame power, burning a large hole straight through Ling Feng’s clothes.

Even so, Ling Feng felt no anger at all. He gently held the little cat up and spun her around lightly in the air. After all, this kitten was his oldest and most trusted friend in this unfamiliar world.

In truth, the kitten could not adapt to the Demon Beast Forest without Ling Feng by her side. She was used to lying on his shoulder, breathing his unique aura, and eating the food he prepared for her. After wandering alone for a short distance, she could no longer bear the loneliness and chased after Ling Feng by following his lingering scent.

Ling Feng had already walked on foot for two whole days. His physical strength was more than enough to sustain the journey, but the endless walking was extremely boring.

He could not help but miss the convenient cars from his past life.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, a vehicle slowly appeared behind him.

It was not a modern car, but an old-fashioned horse carriage.

Ling Feng stopped in place and quietly waited for the carriage to approach.

The people inside the carriage stared curiously at Ling Feng.

Who was this young man?

He did not look like a bandit in the slightest. He traveled alone, and there were no bandit camps anywhere near the Demon Beast Forest. Bandits only dared to move within the range of their own strongholds.

It was not that bandits refused to settle near the forest, but that there was simply no suitable terrain. Any camp built inside the woods would be constantly attacked by ferocious demon beasts. Outside the forest stretched endless flat grassland with no place to hide. Without a proper stronghold, bandits could never operate effectively.

Soon, the carriage stopped right in front of Ling Feng.

Several guards immediately stepped forward and blocked his path. The captain of the guard walked out with a stern expression.

“Who are you? Why do you stand in our way?”

Seeing their tense formation, Ling Feng knew they suspected him of ill intent, even taking him for a roadside robber.

He quickly explained.

“My name is Ling Feng. I am a swordsman who just came out from the outer region of the Demon Beast Forest. I am heading back to Kayue Town. I simply wish to travel together with your party.”

The guard captain carefully observed Ling Feng. His gaze fell on the strange sword at Ling Feng’s waist.

Weapons like this did not exist in this world. The closest items were thieves’ daggers, yet all daggers were far shorter. The captain could only assume it was some kind of oversized long dagger.

On Ling Feng’s shoulder rested a small cat.

Cats did exist in this world and were occasionally kept as pets. However, the original Long Tian had never raised one, so Ling Feng had no idea that cats, though uncommon, were still recognized creatures in this realm.

Combined with Ling Feng’s claim of being a swordsman while carrying what looked like a dagger, the guard captain grew extremely skeptical. He doubted Ling Feng’s words and questioned his true purpose. He turned around, ready to ask for instructions from the person inside the carriage.

At that moment, a gentle and beautiful female voice sounded from within.

“Let him come with us.”

Ling Feng instantly guessed the passenger was a woman. He could not understand why she would allow a stranger like him to join the group.

Even the woman herself could not fully explain her decision.

But the moment she laid eyes on Ling Feng, she felt an extraordinary temperament surrounding him — completely different from that of an ordinary low‑rank swordsman. Though she had initially been cautious, her intuition told her that Ling Feng held no malicious intentions. His calm aura proved it.

Ling Feng had no idea how complicated and mysterious he appeared to others.

For him, joining the guards’ procession was simply a way to pass the boring journey.

Over the past year, his entire temperament had undergone a drastic transformation.

Part of it came from cultivating the Proud Dragon Art. The other part came from the unique soul aura he carried as a transmigrator.

The original Long Tian had once been a handsome young man, before he ruined his body with excessive indulgence. After more than a year of tempering and discipline under Ling Feng’s will, his appearance and bearing had completely changed.

No old acquaintance would recognize him now. Even Long Jue would doubt whether this was still the same Long Tian he once knew.

Under the carriage’s escort, Ling Feng continued forward until they finally arrived at Kayue Town.

Kayue Town had been built entirely because of the endless stream of adventurers entering and exiting the Demon Beast Forest.

It had started as a single small inn, gradually grown into a village, and finally developed into the bustling town standing today.

Where there were adventurers, there were opportunities.

Where there were opportunities, merchants gathered.

Once the settlement grew large enough, tax collectors, administrators, and people of all trades naturally appeared.

The entire vitality of Kayue Town came from the Demon Beast Forest — and most of all, from demon beast magic cores.

Countless magic core buyers and merchants filled every street of the town, waiting to purchase treasures hunted by returning adventurers.

Ling Feng bid farewell to the carriage party and headed straight for a clothing shop. New garments were exactly what he needed. The clothes on his back were the only set he had left that was still intact.

As soon as Ling Feng stepped inside, the shop assistant hurried over to greet him.

“Sir Swords‑…” The assistant’s words trailed off. He had taken Ling Feng for a swordsman at first glance, but upon seeing the strange sword at Ling Feng’s waist, he swallowed the title back.

Ling Feng paid no mind to the unfinished address. He pointed toward a set of swordsman robes.

“Give me five sets of these, black. Actually, make it ten sets.”

It suddenly occurred to him that the kitten might burn holes through his clothes again. Ten sets would be safer.

The assistant quickly took Ling Feng’s measurements and brought out ten sets of black swordsman robes. This town was a haven for adventurers. Countless swordsmen ventured into the Demon Beast Forest, and their outfits rarely came back undamaged. Hence the shop kept a large stock of such garments.

“Five silver coins, please.”

Ling Feng pulled a gold coin out of his spatial pouch and handed it over. The assistant promptly gave him five silver coins as change.

Currency was standardized across this world. One gold coin equaled ten silver coins, one thousand copper coins, or ten thousand small copper pieces. A single silver coin could support an ordinary family of four for an entire month, with some money left over. Special locations commanded special prices. Ling Feng knew the robes were well‑made, yet they would not cost nearly this much elsewhere.

Leaving the clothing store, Ling Feng found a general goods shop to buy maps. Though small, the store was well‑stocked with all sorts of supplies.

He walked in and asked, “Shopkeeper, do you sell maps?”

“What kind of maps are you looking for?” the shopkeeper replied.

“Give me every map you have, no duplicates.”

“What?” The shopkeeper stared in surprise. “You want every non‑repeating map I own?”

“That is right. I will take all unique maps, no matter what region they cover,” Ling Feng repeated.

The shopkeeper laid out every map he stocked. Ling Feng paid for them all and stored them inside his storage ring. Before heading out, he asked which inn in town was the best. The shopkeeper recommended Kayue Inn, the finest lodging in the whole town.

Ling Feng rented a room at Kayue Inn and ordered hot bathwater delivered. After cleaning himself thoroughly, he put on his brand‑new swordsman robes, slung his Snow s***h sword at his waist, and left his room. He intended to visit the Mercenary Guild. When he had first passed it in town, he had made up his mind to register as a mercenary and hunt for a quest heading toward Tianxiang Imperial City.

Stepping out into the inn courtyard, Ling Feng spotted the guards from the earlier carriage party arranging their posts. They were staying here as well. He decided to go over and greet their captain.

“Captain Hu, you are staying at this inn too?”

“Yes.” Captain Hu looked Ling Feng over. “You look like a different man altogether. Quite handsome in those new robes.”

“Don’t tease me. I am hardly handsome,” Ling Feng answered out of habit. Polite flattery came naturally to him from his past life on Earth. “You are the one who cuts an imposing figure, truly admirable.”

Captain Hu let out a hearty laugh. “So you are lodging here as well?”

“I am. I look forward to your guidance.”

After exchanging pleasantries, Ling Feng left the inn for the Mercenary Guild. He did not know that Captain Hu and the lady inside the carriage were already talking about him.

The lady inside the carriage spoke softly. “My intuition was correct. When we parted, I had a feeling we would cross paths again. And here we are, barely more than an hour later.”

Captain Hu frowned with suspicion. “Could he be tracking us?”

“He cannot be. He arrived in town before we did. He was already here when we went to post our guild mission.”

“That makes sense,” Captain Hu conceded.

The lady thought silently to herself: Perhaps our paths will cross once more in the future.

At the service counter of the Mercenary Guild, Ling Feng applied for his mercenary licence.

“Miss, I want to register as a mercenary.”

The guild clerk replied in a flat, mechanical tone. “One gold coin registration fee.”

Ling Feng handed over a gold coin, inwardly grumbling at how outrageously expensive the guild’s charge was.

Only then did the clerk lift her gaze toward him. “Name. You may use an alias if you wish.”

“Ling Feng.”

“Age?”

“Nineteen.”

“Gender?”

“Male.”

“Occupation?”

“Swordsman.”

“Rank?”

“High‑rank Swordsman.”

“High‑rank Swordsman?!” the clerk exclaimed in shock.

“That is correct.” Ling Feng recalled that the original Long Tian had held the official rank of High‑rank Swordsman. Even though his real strength could overwhelm an Intermediate Sword Saint, he had no official certification for that level, and he saw no reason to draw unwanted attention.

Ling Feng was officially registered. His rank: G‑Rank Mercenary.

He spotted a quest with no rank or participant limits: escort a caravan to the Imperial City. Pay scaled according to mercenary rank. As a G‑Rank, Ling Feng would earn one gold coin. It was a B‑grade mission, scheduled to depart at the town gate early the next morning.

Not bad. At the very least, he had already covered his recent expenses.