"Xiao Lao'er, you're injured?"
Xiao Bai looked at Xiao Li's bandaged left arm with surprise.
He and Hai Bo Dong had just returned to the Iron Desert Mercenary Group. Queen Medusa hadn't accompanied them—she was waiting outside the city.
Her appearance was too conspicuous, and entering a human city might provoke the Jia Ma Empire into thinking the snake-people were planning an invasion.
Especially now, when Xiao Bai had promised her the Heavenly Flame for her evolution, she wanted to avoid any conflicts. Her breakthrough was her top priority.
"Tch. Just a scratch!" Xiao Li snorted dismissively. Despite the injury, his spirits seemed high.
Xiao Bai turned to Xiao Ding, who quickly explained what had happened during their return.
The Sand Mercenary Group... Luo Bu?
"I see." Xiao Bai's eyes glinted coldly, but his voice remained calm.
"Where's Qing Lin?" He glanced around but didn't see the little girl.
"Young Master! Young Master!"
Before Xiao Ding could answer, a soft, eager voice rang out. A small figure in green rushed from the backyard, her steps hurried.
"Why the rush? You might trip!" Xiao Bai lightly tapped her head as she panted before him.
"Hehe~ Qing Lin just wanted to see you sooner!" The girl grinned up at him, her dimples showing.
Xiao Bai couldn't help but ruffle her hair affectionately.
"I'll be leaving soon." He turned to Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, then took out 100,000 gold coins from his spatial ring.
"What's this for?" Xiao Ding frowned, and Xiao Li's expression darkened. "Are we outsiders to you? Digging a tunnel was nothing!"
Xiao Bai shook his head. "This isn't for you. It's for the families of the fallen mercenaries. Double the usual compensation."
Then, he pulled out three porcelain bottles—healing pills he'd refined himself. Though only first-tier, they contained Qi of Yi Wood, making them exceptionally effective for recovery.
"These are for you. Take them."
Seeing his firm stance, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li reluctantly accepted.
"Got everything packed?" Xiao Bai asked Qing Lin.
"Mhm! It's all in the ring you gave me!" She waved the spatial ring on her finger cheerfully.
Xiao Bai had bought three rings in Wutan City—one for Xiao Yi Xian, one for Qing Lin, and the last to store the Heavenly Flame.
"Take care." With a nod to the brothers, Xiao Bai scooped Qing Lin into his arms. Purple Cloud Wings unfurled behind him as he shot into the sky, Hai Bo Dong following closely.
"Tch. How the hell did he get so strong?" Xiao Li stared enviously at the retreating figures.
When Xiao Ding had told him about the underground events—especially Xiao Bai's Dou King-level strength—he'd been stunned speechless.
He'd fought Xiao Bai before. Though he couldn't gauge his exact level, he'd assumed it was just a few stars higher.
Turns out the guy was holding back the whole time!
"Take it slow." Xiao Ding patted his brother's shoulder wryly.
As they watched Xiao Bai vanish into the distance, a thunderclap suddenly split the sky. A crimson lightning bolt streaked down, striking a specific location in the city.
The brothers froze. They'd been watching Xiao Bai—that lightning had clearly come from him.
"Big Brother... that direction...?" Xiao Li's voice was disbelieving.
"Yep. That's the Sand Mercenary Corps' headquarters." Xiao Ding confirmed grimly.
---
Sand Mercenary Corps training grounds...
Silence.
Hundreds of mercenaries stood frozen, having just witnessed a blood-red bolt of lightning descend from the heavens—
—and obliterate their leader, Luo Bu, on the spot.
Leader Luo Bu, who had been rallying his mercenaries to guard against the Iron Sand Mercenary Corps, was instantly reduced to a charred husk. Even Mo Xing, standing beside him, was caught in the blast, collapsing in a bloody heap.
"Run! The corps is finished!"
"Right! The boss must've pissed off some powerhouse—I saw someone flying past just now!"
"Flying? That's at least a Dou King! Screw this, I'm quitting! I'm not part of the Sand Mercenary Corps anymore!"
"Same here! Let's join the Iron Desert Corps instead—heard they treat their people well!"
"Good idea! Let's go—together!"
---
Outside the city, atop a sand dune, Xiao Bai's trio landed. The incident barely registered in his mind—just a flick of lightning, nothing more.
His gaze drifted to the elegant figure standing ahead, hands clasped behind her back as she surveyed the horizon. His pulse stuttered.
Clad in a crimson-and-gold robe, her curves were lush and ripe as a peach, her raven hair—freed from the crown—cascading down to her slender waist.
Bathed in the sunset's glow, her striking profile seemed both alluring and divine, a blend of majesty and temptation that was utterly intoxicating.
"A calamitous enchantress..." Xiao Bai's breath hitched. *And this is before her evolution. If she grows legs...*
Then he recalled her temper and shook his head.
If one could conquer this woman, there was nothing more to say—Medusa was a woman who would remain loyal to a single person for life. Beautiful, powerful, and fiercely devoted, she was practically the ideal wife.
"Finished?" Medusa turned, her voice cool.
Her poise was innate, unshaken by circumstance. She needed no one's shelter—she was the storm.
"And this... a child of snake-person and human descent?" Her eyes flicked to Qing Lin, surprise flashing in their depths.
Such unions were nearly impossible, and even when they occurred, the offspring rarely survived past infancy. Yet this girl looked well into her teens.
"Her name's Qing Lin. My maid." Xiao Bai smiled.
"Heh. 'Maid.'" Medusa's lips curled derisively, clearly recalling his earlier 'maid' proposal.
"Regret not taking the job?" Xiao Bai teased, ignoring her scorn.
"Men. Trash, every last one." She exhaled responded coldly, glancing at him with an indifferent expression as a soft remark slipped from her red lips.
Then, she turned her gaze toward Qing Lin and beckoned to her. "Come here, little one."
Qing Lin glanced at Xiao Bai. At his nod, she approached timidly. "Qing Lin greets the pretty lady."
Medusa's gaze softened. Gesturing to her own serpentine tail, she asked, "Aren't you afraid of me?"
Qing Lin shook her head. "No. Qing Lin has these too!" She rolled up her sleeve, revealing jade-green scales.
Medusa stared, her expression unreadable. After a long pause, she murmured, "...I see."
"You don't despise her?" Xiao Bai studied her reaction.
"Why would I? She's just an innocent child. And with snake-blood in her veins, she's my subject. Since when does a Queen scorn her own people?"
Medusa shot him a frosty look, her tone cutting.