Pretty Boy, You Can't Get Away!

The Tagor Desert was surrounded by four countries: the Jia Ma Empire, the Cloud Empire, the Luoyan Empire, and the Mulan Empire. The Cloud Empire was very close to the Tagor Desert, but it did not share a border with it.

As for the other two... In the original story, they were the two countries that invaded the Jia Ma Empire under Xiao Yi Xian's leadership. Within their empires, the Golden Goose Sect and Mulan Valley were the strongest forces, causing Xiao Yan and Medusa quite a bit of trouble at the time.

The Snake People Tribe was not only enemies with the Jia Ma Empire; they were also enemies with the Luoyan Empire and the Mulan Empire. Instead, they had a fairly good relationship with the Cloud Empire, which did not share a border with them. This might have been because both sides were skilled in using poison. Of course, it was also possible that the Snake People Tribe followed a strategy of making distant allies while attacking nearby enemies.

In short, the geopolitics of this region were extraordinarily complicated. Among the four countries and five factions, each contained the others, and the others contained it. They were mutually hostile while also keeping one another in check.

What Lu Bu was seeing now was the Snake People Tribe besieging people from the Luoyan Empire who had intruded into their territory. Generally speaking, the Snake People Tribe did not pay much attention to the outer reaches of the desert. The Snake People and humans there fought and slaughtered each other, but the higher-ups did not care, because their core interests were not involved.

But this place was already within the core territory of the Snake People Tribe's Charm Snake Tribe. They would show absolutely no mercy to intruders. Those people from the Luoyan Empire were doomed.

Almost all of the Charm Snake Tribe's fighting force had been deployed. On one hand, they were eliminating the invaders; on the other, they were looking for some entertainment. It was their first time encountering humans who were so weak yet still dared to enter their territory.

Lu Bu smacked his lips. The Charm Snake Tribe's territory blocked the shortest route to the Snake People Holy City. Under normal circumstances, its defenses were not particularly strong, and Lu Bu could sneak through. But now, that was impossible. More importantly, Lu Bu did not want to take a detour.

As for flying... he had better forget it. It was too conspicuous.

In the original story, Xiao Yan had flown over at one point, only to be shot down by the Snake People. Lu Bu was naturally not afraid of these Snake People, but such actions would attract far too much attention.

"Let's wait and see..." Lu Bu murmured. He should be able to pass once they withdrew. The people from the Luoyan Empire who had been surrounded had been reduced to a pitiful few and were no longer a threat.

With that thought, the soul power covering Lu Bu's body gradually thickened, completely concealing his aura.

But just then, with a swish, a small snake three fingers wide poked out of the sand and raised its body to stare at Lu Bu.

Lu Bu: (—`—)

Little Snake: (Φ_Φ)

"Hiss, hiss, hiss!" ×2

On the battlefield, all the people from the Luoyan Empire had been killed. It was not because they had backbone and refused to surrender unto death, but because they knew all too well that falling into the hands of the Snake People Tribe meant a fate worse than death. Thus, no one dared surrender.

"Clean up the battlefield. Take the corpses back to feed the snakes." On top of a sand dune, Yue Mei, the leader of the Charm Snake Tribe, waved her hand and ordered lazily.

Supporting herself with one hand on her slender waist, Yue Mei swayed slightly and considered taking a good bath later to relax.

In truth, the strongest among these people from the Luoyan Empire was only a Da Dou Shi. They did not need her to come out at all, but... who could blame her for being unable to sit still?

"Yes, Leader!" The Snake People answered and carried the corpses back, but Yue Mei did not hurry. Instead, her snake tail moved slightly, and one energy snake after another burrowed into the sand from its tip, spreading in all directions.

Sensing the feedback from the energy snakes, the look on Yue Mei's face relaxed slightly. The enemy had already been completely... huh? No, there was still one!

A faint smile appeared on Yue Mei's charming face. She abruptly thrust out a palm with her pale jade hand, and Dou Qi surged forth. A huge azure serpent roared out.

The giant serpent opened its mouth, and its enormous fangs bit toward the shadowy area of a sand dune.

Boom!

Lu Bu flipped through the air and leaped high, avoiding the giant serpent's attack.

"There's another enemy!?"

"Heh heh... He was hiding pretty well!"

"Huh? This little man is quite handsome!"

"..."

When Yue Mei saw Lu Bu leap into the air, her pale green eyes immediately lit up.

"Oh? What a handsome little pretty boy!"

Lu Bu's mouth twitched. He was having terrible luck. His attention had been entirely focused on concealing his aura, and he had accidentally forgotten that the Snake People could use snakes to sense their surroundings.

"Judging by your clothes, you're not with the people from the Luoyan Empire?" Yue Mei sized Lu Bu up from head to toe. Her azure snake tail swayed as she parted her red lips, her voice soft and seductive.

Lu Bu's eyes shifted. He did not answer. An idea had surfaced in his mind. Perhaps he could reach the Snake People Holy City sooner this way.

Immediately, purple Dou Qi rose from his body, and a Dou Qi Gauze Robe burning with purple flames slowly took shape.

"He's actually a Dou Shi?"

"Hahaha, what kind of day is it today? So many humans are wandering in here without knowing their place!"

"Heh heh... It looks like we'll have quite a haul today!"

"..."

Seeing this symbol of strength on Lu Bu, the surrounding Snake People burst into laughter. The weakest among them was at the Da Dou Shi level, while their leader Yue Mei possessed the terrifying strength of a Dou Wang.

"You all withdraw. Leave this little pretty boy to me. I'm going to take a little slave." Yue Mei waved her hand at her subordinates, her sensual voice drifting out slowly.

Seeing this, the other Snake People could only silently retreat. When their leader gave an order, they could only obey.

"Let's go. This little slave looks pretty good. I hope we'll get a turn after the leader is done playing with him."

"Forget it. He's only around ten years old, yet he's already a Dou Shi. His cultivation talent is extraordinary. The leader probably has another use for him."

"Tch, he's just a slave. What use is good talent?"

"..."

Boom!

The sea of sand beneath Lu Bu's feet exploded. His body transformed into a streak of purple light and shot sideways into the distance, moving far faster than an ordinary Dou Shi.

"Oh... interesting!" Yue Mei's eyes lit up when she saw the speed Lu Bu suddenly unleashed, and her interest in him grew even stronger.

She immediately lashed out with her azure snake tail and sped after Lu Bu like lightning.

"Little pretty boy, you can't get away. Stay obediently and become my slave!"

Lu Bu turned his head slightly. Yue Mei's face behind him was filled with amusement, as though capturing him would be effortless.

"Hmph..." The corners of Lu Bu's mouth curled up. He tapped the ground with his foot, increasing his speed once more.

Yue Mei was slightly stunned by this. Then, intrigued, she hung behind Lu Bu at an unhurried pace, like a cat playing with a mouse.

As one fled and the other pursued, Yue Mei had completely left her main force behind. The oasis where the Charm Snake Tribe was stationed had become a tiny green speck in the vast desert.

"Little pretty boy, you've already lost your way in your panic. That place is somewhere even the Snake People Tribe doesn't want to set foot in~" Yue Mei's soft laughter came from behind.

Lu Bu raised an eyebrow. He pivoted on his foot, lightly tapped the ground with his toe, and stopped where he was.

"Huh? You're not running anymore?" After a few leaps, Yue Mei arrived in front of Lu Bu, the teasing smile on her face growing more pronounced.

"Tsk, tsk... How boring." Yue Mei propped a hand against her slender waist, looking troubled. "I thought you'd struggle a little harder... huh?"

As she spoke, Yue Mei realized something was wrong. After fleeing for so long, this human was not even flushed or out of breath.

"Leader Yue Mei, how do you do?" Lu Bu flicked his sleeve and said with a light laugh.

Yue Mei's expression shifted slightly. Only then did she realize that she had already traveled far away from her tribe.

This brat is strange! Yue Mei's heart jolted. She decided to assess the situation first. If things went badly, she would retreat for now and deal with him later.

With a swish, Dou Qi Wings sprouted from her back. She shifted her body and darted into the sky.

But just as she left the ground and took flight, a fair palm suddenly appeared in front of her.

Boom!

A sonic boom erupted, and terrifying force roared into Yue Mei's body.

With a crash, Yue Mei was slammed back into the ground, her seductive face flushed crimson.

"Little snake girl, you can't get away. Stay obediently and become my slave!"

The Purple Cloud Wings behind Lu Bu trembled slightly. His tone was teasing, just as Yue Mei's had been before.

And Yue Mei... found herself with no one to answer her cries to heaven or earth!

"Damn it..." Yue Mei's face immediately turned ashen.