Chapter 193: Forty Copper Coins


    Han Ming and his group were jostled by the crowd as they made their way through, finally managing to pick out their tasks.


    When they emerged, everyone was drenched in sweat.


    "Where''s Quik?"


    Han Ming looked around but didn''t see Quik.


    "Look over there! Isn''t that him? He''s still looking for a task. I guess this kid won''t accept any task that doesn''t involve fighting."


    Han Ming shook his head helplessly.


    "Forget it, let''s not worry about him. Let''s go and complete our own tasks first."


    After a brief exchange, they split up to accept tasks.


    Han Ming went to the task handover point, submitted the numbers of the tasks he was going to take on, and presented his emblem.


    The two tasks he had chosen this time were not particularly easy. It wasn''t so much about the difficulty of completion, but rather the time they would consume.


    One of the tasks was to help a family renowned for weapon production to drive away a group of troublemakers who were bullying the locals and monopolizing the market.


    Usually, such tasks were relatively simple, mostly D-level. But seeing this task listed as a C-level one piqued Han Ming''s curiosity, especially since it had a big "Failed" marked behind it.


    This immediately intrigued Han Ming. What kind of utterly despicable people were so difficult to deal with?


    The combined bounty for these two tasks was one hundred and fifty gold coins. After paying a fifty-gold-coin deposit, Han Ming was about to leave.


    At this moment, a short man quietly sidled up to Han Ming.


    "Friend, you''re doing great with your tasks. A five-person mercenary team, reaching C-level in just three days. Business is booming, huh? The Demon Hunt Mercenary Group... quite a name. You must be the team leader, Han Er?"


    The man looked at Han Ming with a smile that didn''t reach his eyes, a hint of malice flickering in his gaze.


    Han Ming''s heart stirred, but he smiled and said, "Not really. You''re too kind. If there''s nothing else, please move aside."


    The man raised one eyebrow high and said in a deep voice, "Previously, one of your team''s big guys injured one of our men. Considering you''re a newly established mercenary group and might not know the ropes, we''ll let that incident slide."


    Han Ming knew there was more to come and crossed his arms, waiting for the rest.


    "However..." The man indeed changed his tone, "Maybe you don''t know the rules. Let me spell it out for you. From now on, you''ll be considered a subsidiary branch of our Hungry Wolf Mercenary Group. All the tasks you take on will require you to hand over 50% of the profits to us. Of course, we also have some relatively easy tasks that you can take from us. After completion, the task''s experience points will count towards our group, but for the profits, you only need to give us 20%."


    Han Ming chuckled, "50% for you? That''s outright robbery. I can''t afford to part with that much money. As for taking tasks from you, indeed, the fees would be much less, and it sounds quite appealing. Unfortunately, what we lack right now is experience. So, we''re not interested in either of your suggestions."


    Seeing Han Ming''s firm refusal, the man''s face darkened, and he said coldly, "Don''t spurn a favor and end up having to pay a penalty! Young people don''t know their place; they always have to pay for their arrogance. Let me tell you, if you don''t agree to my terms now, then we''ll settle the score for the incident where your big guy injured our man!"


    Han Ming had no desire to waste more words with this man. With a shoulder, he bumped the man, sending him tumbling to the ground.


    "Nonsense!"


    After leaving that remark, Han Ming strutted out of the Mercenary Guild.


    Han Ming chuckled to himself, not overthinking it.


    What''s meant to happen will happen.


    Having chosen the path of a mercenary, one can''t be afraid of trouble. It might as well come early.


    When pushed to the brink, he would show the strength of his Demon Hunt Mercenary Group, letting those who coveted his group see clearly that they had picked the wrong target.


    After all, it was quite rare for a group that had been established on the same day to advance to C-level in just three days. It was hard not to attract attention.


    Moreover, this was just the beginning. With the strength of these five individuals, they were bound to go further and achieve even more astonishing results.


    The first task was completed by Han Ming with ease.


    It wasn''t that the task was too simple, but rather that Han Ming was too strong.


    The first task only took Han Ming three days. Another day passed, and Han Ming arrived at a city near the location of his second task.


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    This was where he was to execute his second task, helping a weapon-producing family drive away evil forces.


    On the way to the weapon family, Han Ming passed through a bustling area where a commotion was taking place.


    There was a dilapidated pharmacy at the center of the noise, where an apprentice was beating a little girl who was crying and clutching her head on the ground.


    The little girl was dressed in tattered clothes, barefoot, with short messy hair covered in dirt.


    People around were pointing and commenting, but no one stepped forward to intervene.


    Han Ming curiously asked a passerby and learned that the little girl had just stolen some herbs and was caught red-handed.


    Stealing wasn''t a major crime, and the apprentice was just an ordinary person, not a villain. After scolding and beating the girl a bit, he saw how pitiful she was and didn''t have the heart to continue. He muttered angrily and returned to the pharmacy.


    Han Ming thought the incident was over until he saw the little girl crawl up, wait for the crowd to disperse, and sneak back into the pharmacy.


    After a while, the pharmacy erupted in shouts again.


    The little girl ran out clutching a small bundle of herbs, with the apprentice chasing fiercely behind.


    Han Ming shook his head slightly and grabbed the girl''s arm to stop her from escaping.


    "Let me go! Let me go! You bastard! Let me go! Woo..." The little girl cried and kicked Han Ming, then bit his arm.


    Seeing the girl was too young, Han Ming didn''t want to struggle, fearing he might pull out her teeth if he used too much force.


    "Thank you for helping," said the pharmacy apprentice, nodding gratefully as he reached for the herb bundle in the girl''s hands.


    The girl refused to let go, clutching the bundle tightly. After a brief struggle, the bundle broke open, scattering herbs all over the ground.


    The apprentice sat down in distress, muttering, "It''s over, I''m going to get fired this time." Then, glaring at the girl, "It''s all your fault," he raised his hand to hit her.


    The girl screamed and dodged.


    "Hey, don''t rush to hit her!" Han Ming grabbed the apprentice''s hand and asked the girl, "Don''t you know that stealing is wrong? This is a small business, not easy to run. You stole from them, look how anxious this apprentice is. He might lose his job over this. Do you know what his family situation is like? Maybe he has an elder at home waiting for him to earn money for treatment, or his family is struggling, and his siblings are waiting for food. Stealing a bundle of herbs might not seem like a big deal to you, but it could cost someone their job and push a family into desperation."


    Han Ming sized up the apprentice, noticing his rough skin and tattered clothes, before speaking those words.


    The little girl was clearly moved by Han Ming''s incisive guess, tears rolling in her big eyes as she burst into tears.


    "Forget it, she''s just a child and doesn''t understand. How much are these herbs? I''ll buy them. Also, seeing that this little one doesn''t steal food or toys, she must be in dire need at home. Get me ten more bundles, I''ll take them all."


    Han Ming said to the apprentice.


    Hearing this, the apprentice was overjoyed and quickly ran off to pack ten more bundles of herbs for Han Ming.


    "How much?" Han Ming asked.


    The apprentice smiled and replied, "Forty copper coins."


    "Hmm, forty copper coins..." Han Ming nodded, took out a silver coin from his pocket, and handed it to the apprentice, who happily ran off to get change.


    Han Ming handed the herbs to the little girl, but his heart felt a bit sour.


    Forty copper coins were enough for a seven or eight-year-old girl to endure two beatings just to steal. Forty copper coins could cause a hardworking person to lose their livelihood. And forty copper coins were also half a month''s income for an ordinary person, yet in Han Ming''s eyes, it was insignificant.


    "Here!" Han Ming smiled and ruffled the little girl''s hair, stuffing the herbs into her arms.


    The little girl stopped crying upon seeing the herbs and reached out to take them.


    "Wait!" Han Ming suddenly froze, grabbed the girl''s hands, and carefully examined them. Her hands, which should have been soft and tender, were covered in numerous wounds, clearly from excessive work and washing clothes.


    Han Ming felt a pang of sympathy and said, "I can give you the herbs, but you have to tell me why you stole."


    The little girl nodded repeatedly and said, "I''m from the village next door. My grandfather is sick, and we don''t have money for treatment. I know I was wrong. But... the Sodole family has taken over our land to build a factory, and we haven''t been able to grow food or have money for almost a year..."


    Han Ming was taken aback.


    The Sodole family? Wasn''t that the issuer of his second task?