80: Chapter 80 Foreigners?

After processing the snake skin.

The sky had turned dark, and a thin mist was rising in the dense forest; in the distance, the roars of unknown exotic beasts could be heard.

Teacher An Nuolan looked at the sky and said, "There is a cave one kilometer ahead, which is very suitable for camping."

"Alright, let's go there!"

The six of them, carrying heavy packs, followed Teacher An Nuolan toward the cave.

Just as they reached the cave entrance, Lin Mo suddenly stopped and frowned slightly: "Wait, there are people inside."

"Don't worry," Teacher An Nuolan said in a relaxed tone, "Small squads or mercenaries often camp in this area overnight; it's normal to find people here."

But Lin Mo still didn't move.

In his spiritual perception, there were no fewer than a dozen auras inside the cave, a number higher than that of an ordinary camping team.

Perhaps having heard the commotion outside, a series of footsteps came from within the cave, and immediately after, two figures appeared at the entrance.

"Who is it?" a slightly wary voice rang out.

"Hello, I am the lead teacher from Eastern Academy, and I would like to bring my students here to stay for the night." Teacher An Nuolan explained her intentions calmly.

Hearing that it was an academy team, the two relaxed their guard slightly and walked out slowly.

By the dim light at the entrance, their silhouettes could be vaguely made out.

The man was about forty, and the woman appeared to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight. The material of their combat suits was high-quality, certainly not something ordinary mercenaries could afford.

Their gazes swept over Lin Mo and the others. Seeing that, apart from Teacher An Nuolan, the rest were just green youths, their expressions softened a bit more.

The man was the first to show a friendly smile: "Hehe, so it's the teachers and students from Eastern Academy. Please, come in."

Teacher An Nuolan didn't stand on ceremony and followed the two into the cave.

Lin Mo and his teammates exchanged glances, saw a hint of caution in each other's eyes, and followed silently.

After walking about a dozen steps inside, the cave suddenly opened up, surprisingly as large as a basketball court.

A few glow sticks were stuck into the cave walls, illuminating the interior, and one could see quite a few packs piled up in the corner.

There were also a dozen or so people wearing the same combat suits, sitting or lying down, looking at them vigilantly.

The air was filled with a faint scent of a campfire and the aroma of food.

Yet, it was mixed with a faint, almost imperceptible metallic, bloody scent, which made Lin Mo frown even tighter.

"Young Master Li, it's a squad from an academy." The middle-aged man reported to a youth by the tent.

The youth and the dozen or so people's expressions softened slightly.

However, their gazes kept lingering on Teacher An Nuolan and the other female students.

Teacher An Nuolan nodded at the youth referred to as Young Master Li, then led Lin Mo and the others to a corner of the cave.

"Everyone, set up the tents first. I'm going to get some water."

Teacher An Nuolan put down her backpack and swept her gaze over everyone in the cave without changing her expression.

Although these people wore uniform combat suits, they had a bandit-like air about them. They were clearly professional mercenaries at a glance.

And that Young Master Li, wearing a diamond-encrusted soul guide ring on his finger, clearly had an extraordinary background.

Just as Teacher An Nuolan took out her water bottle, she saw Young Master Li walking over with two subordinates.

His gaze lingered on the female students, and a friendly smile hung on the corners of his mouth: "Young lady, I have plenty of meat here. Would you like some for you all?"

This Young Master Li spoke with a bit of broken Dragon Country language.

Lin Mo and the others were stunned for a moment. A foreigner?

Teacher An Nuolan's confusion flashed and vanished, and she replied with a smile, "Thank you, but no need. We brought our own food."

The smile on Young Master Li's face stiffened for a moment, then he put on an even warmer expression: "Miss, there's no need to be formal. Looking out for one another when out and about is only right."

He turned to signal his subordinates behind him, "Bring over that roasted Black Wind goat leg and let this teacher and the students have a taste."

A sexy female subordinate immediately walked over holding the glistening, roasted meat, and the aroma instantly filled the air.

Lu Mengmeng swallowed her saliva and was about to get up, but was stopped by a rap on the head from Lin Mo.

Lu Mengmeng immediately pouted, looking aggrieved.

"We really don't need it." Teacher An Nuolan's smile faded a bit.

Knowing that the other party was not from the Dragon Country, she became somewhat impatient.

"Hehe, alright. I am Li An, the second young master of the South Korean Universe First Group. May I ask the lady's name?"

Teacher An Nuolan's expression was calm: "I am the lead instructor of Eastern Academy, Teacher An Nuolan. Young Master Li, if there is nothing else, I am going to fetch water."

"No need to bother, I have purified water here."

Lu Mengmeng, who was on the side, couldn't help it and muttered unhappily: "Is this guy sick? If we wanted purified water, we have our own. Coming out into the wild, isn't it for a sip of mountain spring water?"

"Uh..." The atmosphere in the cave instantly became awkward.

"Ahem, alright. You guys go ahead and get busy. If you need anything, feel free to come find me."

Young Master Li coughed lightly, left a sentence, and immediately fled in a panic.

"Tch... what a lame pickup attempt..." Lu Mengmeng pursed her lips.

"Can't you just be quiet for once?" Lin Mo glared at her impatiently.

After sending Young Master Li away, Teacher An Nuolan took the water bottle and headed toward the back of the cave.

Lin Mo and the others set up their tents while carefully observing the other group.

Before long, Teacher An Nuolan returned carrying several water bottles.

Just as she sat down, Lin Mo leaned in close and asked: "Teacher An, what do you think this South Korean young master is doing in our Dragon Country territory?"

"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?" Teacher An Nuolan rolled her eyes.

"Why worry about so much? Hurry up and get something to eat so we can go back to cultivating."

"Oh, oh..."

Meanwhile, on the other side, Young Master Li's gaze remained fixed on Teacher An Nuolan, Mu Liuli, and the other female students.

"Young Master Li, have you taken a liking to those girls?" The middle-aged man from before leaned in toward Young Master Li and chuckled.

"No, I prefer that female teacher." Young Master Li's mouth curled up slightly.

"Haha, Young Master Li's taste is truly unique..."

"Of course, she's just a teacher. With Young Master Li's strength, isn't it just a matter of beckoning your finger?"

"Oh, judging by your tone, it seems you have a way?"

"Hey, what's difficult about that? First, spend some money to invite her to go with us to Moonlight Lake. As for what happens later, if she's sensible, great; if she's not, she won't have a choice."

"After all, for a small squad, going missing in the wild is a very normal occurrence."

After saying this, the middle-aged man revealed a 'you know' expression on his face.

"Hmm, not bad, not bad. We do indeed need people for the task we need to do." Young Master Li's eyes lit up.

"Good, go talk to her later. Just say I'm paying to hire her squad to help with a task, and she can name her price."

"Young Master Li, rest assured, leave this to me." The middle-aged man patted his chest in assurance.

Young Master Li looked at Teacher An Nuolan's tall and curvaceous back, his mouth curling up slightly.

Meanwhile, Lin Mo and the others finished their dinner and sat together chatting.

That was when the middle-aged man suddenly walked over.

"Hello, Teacher An. I am Captain Shi Hu of the Iron Wolf Mercenary Group." The middle-aged man introduced himself with a smile.

"Hello. May I ask what is the matter, Captain Shi Hu?"

"Ahem, it's like this. Young Master Li is interested in hiring your squad to help with a task. I wonder if Teacher An is interested?"

"Oh, hiring my squad to do a task?"

"That's right. This task isn't exactly difficult, but we are short on people. As for the price for the task, you can name it yourself."

However, Teacher An Nuolan instantly became vigilant in her heart. Hiring her squad for no reason—it would be strange if there wasn't something fishy going on.

"I'm sorry, we don't have the time..."