Chapter 422: Chapter 288: Legendary Elder (Part 2)

Su Mo: "Master Wen, was it you who called off those mercenaries?"

Master Wen: "Yes, it was me. This situation has turned into such a farce that everyone’s laughing at us. We need to sit down and talk properly."

"You don’t need to worry about anything happening at Edge Mansion while you’re away. My face still has some clout. When I say no one moves, no mercenary dares to act."

With Master Wen’s status, this was not just empty talk; Su Mo believed it was true.

The timing couldn’t have been better, as everyone at Edge needed a breather.

Moreover, with someone like Master Wen stepping in personally, there might be a turning point, so Su Mo replied, "Understood, I’ll be there on time."

Master Wen grunted in acknowledgment and hung up the phone.

Su Mo turned to Chu Nanyi behind him and said, "Xiaochu, I have some matters to attend to tonight. There shouldn’t be any attacks before I get back, so everyone can take a break."

"But to be safe, you should stay on the medical floor in case of any emergencies. Thank you for your hard work."

Chu Nanyi nodded: "Don’t worry about it. Go ahead."

Just as Su Mo was about to leave, Dongdong came up and grabbed his sleeve, saying worriedly, "Boss, it’s so chaotic outside, it’s a bit dangerous for you to go alone. Let me go with you."

From what Su Mo knew of Master Wen, he was a respectable person and unlikely to set up a trap.

But there would probably be others at this meal, and it might not be pleasant, perhaps even with some verbal confrontations.

Su Mo admitted he wasn’t skilled at arguing, so having Dongdong as backup might not be a bad idea; thus, he decided to bring Dongdong along.

Master Wen was very considerate of Su Mo’s feelings in setting up this meal.

The White Diamond Hotel is in the Lakefront Business District, less than 10 kilometers from Edge Mansion. If anything happened, Su Mo could quickly return to handle it, which gave him a slight favorable impression of Master Wen even before meeting him.

The black ark arrived at the White Diamond Hotel and landed in the open-air parking lot. A man in black came over to help open the door and nodded a greeting to Su Mo.

Looking around, each entrance to the White Diamond Hotel was guarded by similar men in black, who were presumably security arranged by Master Wen himself.

Entering the hotel and reaching the top-floor private room, it was already full of people.

There were more than twenty attendees, including the most famous Mercenary Corps leaders and intermediaries in New Moon City and a few unfamiliar faces, likely Great Mercenaries from out of town.

Sitting in the main seat was an old man in a fiery red Tang suit, with skin the color of dark brown bark, looking nearly a hundred years old—this was the legendary, rarely seen Master Wen.

Though it was already the appointed time, two people who should have been present were absent.

One was a major intermediary, Audiana.

Another was Captain Mo Xue, Shangguan Li of Yao Guang Star.

Master Wen gently tapped his cane on the ground and said to Su Mo in a senior’s tone, "Take a seat. Audiana said she wasn’t feeling well today and couldn’t come."

"Director Su, she used to look after you a lot. Remember to pay her a visit when you have the time; this kind of courtesy is necessary."

Su Mo asked Dongdong to stand behind him, nodded slightly upon sitting down, and said, "I appreciate the lesson, sir."

Lucifer, resting his hands behind his head, teased, "Why didn’t Shangguan Li come? As a Prosthetic Implanter, she can’t be sick, right?"

Chiyoda Shinnai laughed playfully, "Can’t you see? Little Sister Shangguan is in a dilemma now."

"On one hand, she doesn’t want to hunt Nuobai, risking a fallout with Edge."

"On the other hand, she doesn’t want to offend us and wants to continue in this mercenary trade."

"She doesn’t want to upset either side, so she pretends to be sick. Smart move, isn’t it?"

At this point, Dongdong suddenly snapped back, "Shut up, you bastards. What does it matter to you whether Captain Shangguan comes or not? Who gave you the right to bark?"

Lucifer and Chiyoda Shinnai, caught off guard by the insults, were dumbfounded.

Lucifer gradually regained his composure and glared at Dongdong, "What the hell did you say?!"

Dongdong: "I said, you’re not supposed to yap like that. Master Wen hasn’t even spoken, and you’re barking away—what, is this your dinner party today?"

Lucifer, enraged, picked up a teacup to throw it.

Xuan Hui, sitting nearby, extended a hand to stop him, reminding him solemnly, "Master Wen is here, don’t be reckless."

Lucifer subconsciously glanced at the indifferent-faced Master Wen.

Though his father was an executive at the Hegemony Company, holding a position far above ordinary mercenaries,

he still couldn’t afford to be too disrespectful to this living legend.

He could only suppress his anger, put down the teacup, and pointed his finger warningly at Dongdong.

Dongdong simply flipped him the bird, causing Lucifer’s face to twitch.

Master Wen looked at Dongdong, with a profound tone, "So young and unknown, yet bold enough to challenge the leader of the Seven Stars. They say young calves are not afraid of tigers, and today I’ve witnessed it."

Su Mo replied neither arrogantly nor humbly, "My Dongzai has this temper; I hope you’ll excuse him, sir."

Master Wen smiled faintly, "Someone with a fierce temperament can’t be tamed unless treated with genuine intention."

"It seems Director Su is indeed someone who sincerely treats friends, otherwise you wouldn’t protect Nuobai so earnestly."

Unknowingly, the topic was steered to the main issue.

With a serious expression, Master Wen continued, "This meal was initially supposed to be hosted by Captain Zhou Hanyan, but he’s been tied up with some matters recently and asked me to step in. Given the festive season, I had to pull myself out of my warm bed."

"You young ones are really overdoing it sometimes. Being a mercenary is supposed to be a career that operates in the shadows, but what about you all? Displaying your battles for the whole world to see. You’ve made such a spectacle!"

Lucifer, unable to hold back, commented, "Master Wen, it was a public bounty, and everyone is clamoring for it. If we don’t fight for it, others will. We can’t be blamed for that, can we?"

Master Wen frowned, speaking sternly, "I didn’t say you couldn’t fight for it. Use some methods, won’t you?"

"You’ve been bombing Edge Mansion in broad daylight. The media headlines are all over it; do the authorities not need face anymore?"

Lucifer irritably scratched his head and, too lazy to argue further, simply turned his head aside.

Su Mo asked, "Master Wen, should I understand that you support Edge in sheltering and protecting Nuobai?"

This was a key question, directly affecting the subsequent developments.

Master Wen, a person of his stature, had connections not only in the mercenary realm but even in the authorities and organizations like the Hegemony Company, Iron Blood Alliance, and Black Domain Group. He had influence.

If he supported Edge, all the forces would have to give him some face.

Then, the mercenaries wouldn’t be able to act rashly,

because you couldn’t openly defy Master Wen’s authority, or else you’d be finished in New Moon City.

And the five-billion public bounty would essentially be nullified.

Everyone silently watched Master Wen, waiting for his answer.

Master Wen took a sip of tea from the table, and said slowly, "Director Su, from a personal standpoint, I absolutely support you."

"When I was a young mercenary, I was hunted down on more than one occasion. It was only with the help of friends that I survived to this age."

"Sheltering friends is human nature. If anyone here can’t understand this, they shouldn’t be a mercenary. They need to learn how to be a human being first."

Lucifer and others frowned upon hearing this, their expressions turning somber.

Was he leaning towards protecting Edge?

However, the next two words Master Wen said shifted the situation drastically.

"However," Master Wen looked at Su Mo with profound eyes and his tone suddenly turned cold, "Director Su, she can’t escape this disaster."

"I’ve heard of this mercenary Silent Death God before—efficient, neat, and tidy in her work."

"Her reputation is quite good, except for the last mission where she bailed, which greatly displeased Iron Blood."

"But displeasure isn’t irreconcilable. If she had come forward to pay some damages, apologize, I could’ve maybe stepped in once, and this matter could have been resolved."

"But her mistake was not cleaning up her mess, leaving a lot of trouble behind and retiring abruptly."

"She didn’t inform anyone, just left the community, and now when something has happened, she comes back seeking protection from us—is that how things are done?!"