CHAPTER 373: CHAPTER 18: THE COWHERD MERCENARY

After accepting the task from Mazaro Mountain Farm, Yue Jinghua and Shalman quickly briefed the others, then took Helen’s recommendation letter and rushed towards Mazaro Mountain, ten miles away, in preparation.

Mazaro Mountain is a high mountain on the Xuan Beast Ridge. In front of the towering Five Saints Mountain, which reaches tens of thousands of feet, it can only be considered a dwarf. However, in a flat terrain, its height of more than four thousand meters is already considered enormous.

Unlike the typical conical structure of most mountains, Mazaro Mountain has no peak. From a distance, it looks as if it has been chopped off by an axe.

The disappearance of Mazaro Mountain’s peak is rumored to have been caused by a meteor shower thousands of years ago, when a meteor from outer space landed on the peak one night.

The meteor caused a forest fire. Back then, there were no inhabitants on Mazaro Mountain. By the time the nearest troops from the Dragon Battle Empire arrived to extinguish the flames, Mazaro Mountain had been burning for nearly ten days and vegetation above three-thousand meters elevation had completely vanished.

The peak also vanished without a trace, leaving behind a crater with a diameter of ten miles.

Curiously, the culprit meteor has never been found, but since then, no tall trees have grown on Mazaro Mountain, only grass and fungal lichens.

Whether it is due to the meteor or not, after consuming the small vegetation in this area, the growth cycle of cattle and sheep becomes exceptionally short.

Over time, this place has become the most suitable area in the Xuan Beast Ridge for raising cattle, sheep, and other low-level Dark Beasts.

Before Yue Jinghua left Helen Tavern, Helen "kindly" reminded her to not offend the owner of the farm, Old Kuru, who was reportedly a retired senior officer from the Imperial Army, with strong connections to the Imperial Military Department.

Yue Jinghua thought it made sense; if it weren’t for strong connections, how could one snatch the Mazaro Grassland resource from other Xuan Beast farm owners.

With Yue Jinghua’s speed, what would normally take an average person a whole day to climb Mazaro Mountain, took her only two hours. After traversing the last five hundred meters, a farm enclosed by beech fences appeared before her.

Dozens of Snowflake Cattle were lazily scattered around the farm.

No sooner had she approached the farm than she heard a sharp whistle-like cry, as a gray-feathered albatross swooped down from the sky.

Perhaps startled by a stranger, the albatross’s golden-brown eyes gleamed fiercely, and without a word, it pecked viciously towards Yue Jinghua’s eyes.

"Old fellow, come back, don’t scare our guest," just as Yue Jinghua was contemplating whether to give this ignorant bird a harsh lesson, a hearty laughter came from the farm.

A stout old man with a red face and broad shoulders ran out, mumbling something, and the albatross landed on his hand.

Yue Jinghua hurriedly took out Helen’s letter of introduction, which the old man glanced at briefly before sizing her up.

Although he had retired from the Imperial Army years ago, Old Kuru still bore the distinct mark of a soldier. He loved drinking, speaking loudly, and his eyes were always vigilant.

Upon clearly seeing Yue Jinghua, he mumbled, "That saucy old broad Helen, what’s going on? I wanted a real tough man capable of training, how come she sent a milk baby whose fur hasn’t even grown in yet?"

Yue Jinghua indeed looked like a pretty boy in the Imperial Army, no wonder Old Kuru was unsatisfied.

"You are a two-star mercenary, how much do you know about cattle?" Old Kuru pondered, as the Imperial Army and mercenaries are all becoming more effeminate, anyone seems to be able to become a mercenary these days.

He originally intended to send Yue Jinghua back, but on second thought, the Snowflake Cattle on the farm hadn’t exercised in three or four days. If this continued, this year’s production of Snowflake beef would definitely be affected.

"I’ve had beef a few times, does that count as knowing a bit?" Yue Jinghua was staying at the White Moon Pavilion, which served Snowflake beef hotpot. Once, when Yun Luo was in a particularly good mood, she treated everyone to a meal.

Yue Jinghua roughly scanned the number of violent Snowflake Cattle in the breeding farm, there were about seventy to eighty. Considering Old Kuru and his wife, her task of cattle herding shouldn’t be too heavy.

"Hah, you talk big. Beef may be tasty, but the cattle are not easy to manage. You, try for a day. If you out-run my darling cattle, then I will consider keeping you," Old Kuru said as he tossed a few items to Yue Jinghua.

A pair of seemingly incredibly heavy binoculars, two pairs of knee and wrist guards made from Cow Bone Demon, heavy boots, and an extremely ugly crimson vest with a big "cattle" character written on it.

These were all the belongings of a cattle watcher at Mazaro Mountain.

After seeing what was in her hands, Yue Jinghua didn’t understand, especially that vest that seemed designed to attract hatred.

"Wearing this to herd cattle, isn’t it like sprinting naked in a crowd of perverts, throwing off hooligans," Yue Jinghua was depressed.

"Hey, you dare not obey the command? I hire people to herd cattle just to have someone run with them. If you don’t wear something eye-catching, how will my cattle see you," before Yue Jinghua could finish, she got a strong knock on her head.

What, running with cattle?

Yue Jinghua almost passed out from shock.

Helen clearly told her that she just had to lie on Mazaro Mountain, facing the blue sky, enjoying the view of the wind blowing the grass and seeing Snowflake Cattle, how did it turn into wearing bizarre clothing, and running for her life with the cattle?

The explanation from Old Kuru instantly made Yue Jinghua think about going on strike.

The task of herding cattle at Mazaro Farm, gloriously named as cattle herding, was in fact just exercising with cattle. Sufficient exercise and lush pastures are the secret to the superb quality of Snowflake beef.

"I quit," Yue Jinghua was indignant, racing a human with two legs against cattle with four, the deception isn’t even subtle.

"Quit? That’s a violation of mercenary professional ethics, according to the rules, you have to pay back tenfold, 50 points," Old Kuru magically pulled out a pipe, puffing out several rings of smoke.

"50 points?" Yue Jinghua quickly turned her face back, her face full of smiles, "Sir, do you want me to accompany them during morning exercises or evening drills? Just command me."

Years later, a new mercenary at a celebration banquet, asked the drunken leader of the Mercenary Group, "Respected Lord Qi Yue, what was the most difficult mercenary task you have ever experienced in your life?"

When everyone thought that their respected Mercenary Group Leader would cite some of the most fierce battles he had faced.

The famously renowned Mercenary Group Leader Qi Yue shivered, his eyes shimmered with something like tears, and he blurted out a few words, "Those damn tricky cattle."