Xiao Family Members

At the order of Xiao Yan Gege's elder brother, Xiao Ding, the mercenaries who had been keeping watch against Mo Wang and me lowered their weapons, allowing us to enter the formation.

I hurried into the crowd. Facing these three people I had not seen in over a year, my heart surged with excitement as I waved and greeted them one by one.

"Hello, Meier. Hello, Xun Er. Hello, Xiao Yan Gege."

"Hmph, what's so good about it? Can't you see those people over there?!"

Xiao Meier gave a cold snort, staring intently at the other group of mercenaries some distance away. Her body was slightly tense as she said, "If you hadn't written to tell us to come to Stone Desert City, how would we have gotten into something like this?"

Faced with this complaint from my fiancée, I did not know what to say. After letting out an awkward chuckle, I turned and glanced at the mercenaries, my eyes full of disdain.

Because I already knew where the two unfamiliar Dou Emperor auras Yun Yun had sensed came from.

I glanced at the huge black slab of iron on Xiao Yan's back. This should be... the Mystic Heavy Ruler? Sure enough, one Dou Emperor aura came from the old grandpa in Xiao Yan's ring—Yao Lao!

As for the other one, I smiled as I looked at Xun Er, who showed not the slightest hint of tension within the formation. Even with the heat waves and sand blowing straight at her, she remained elegant and composed.

The other Dou Emperor aura must have been emitted by her Ancient Clan guard—Ling Ying.

From the looks of it, Xiao Yan and Xun Er must have encountered danger, prompting Yao Lao and Ling Ying to prepare to act. Yun Yun had happened to pass by and inadvertently sensed their auras.

For various reasons, those two Old Guys could not easily show themselves, so they had no choice but to hide again. That was why Yun Yun could no longer sense them afterward.

"Meier!"

With Yao Lao's help, Xiao Yan had become a genius once more. Over the past year or so, he had shone brilliantly in Wutan City, and his status had been restored as well.

He turned and lightly reprimanded Xiao Meier. She pouted, but said nothing more. He then turned toward me. Perhaps because time had passed and he had matured considerably, the look in his eyes was no longer as complicated as it had been over a year ago. Instead, it was calm and open.

After a brief pause, he raised a hand and pointed at a young man in white robes. This young man's eyes were brighter than most, carrying a trace of intelligence. He was studying me with a faint smile on his lips.

"Nalan Ye, this is my eldest brother, Xiao Ding."

I laughed heartily and cupped my hands. "So you are Elder Brother Xiao Ding. I have long heard that Elder Brother Xiao Ding and Second Brother Xiao Li traveled abroad to train, and that the Stone Desert Mercenary Group you founded commands great prestige in the region. I have admired you for a long time!"

But before my words had even finished, a voice drifted over from the side.

"Our mercenary group is called the Desert Iron Mercenary Group..."

The smile on my face froze, and I cursed inwardly. Turning my head, I saw that the speaker was a young man with a broad smile on his face, though his eyes held a trace of sinister ferocity.

He was looking at me from the side with a half-smile, his lips carrying a hint of ill intent.

I gave an awkward laugh and said sheepishly, "This must be Second Brother Xiao Li. Desert Iron Mercenary Group... what a fine name! Its meaning is profound! Only someone as wise and talented as Second Brother could come up with such a good name, haha."

Seeing that the exchange between Xiao Li and me had become somewhat unpleasant, Xiao Ding coughed dryly. Xiao Li immediately reined in his emotions, his face turning stern as he looked away and ignored me.

I turned to Xiao Yan and gave two awkward laughs. Xiao Yan looked at me and gave two awkward laughs as well. The atmosphere became exceedingly embarrassing.

I also knew that it all stemmed from the broken engagement. Although I had mediated between them and the relationship between the Nalan Family and the Xiao Family had not collapsed, Xiao Yan's branch still had little goodwill toward the Nalan Family.

Fortunately, there was intelligent, beautiful, and considerate Xun Er. She smiled sweetly, tugged lightly on Xiao Yan's hand, and softly said, "Brother Xiao Yan, there's still one person you haven't introduced."

"Oh, right."

Xiao Yan stopped his awkward laughter and hurriedly responded. He turned toward a woman dressed in blue and white robes, just about to introduce her.

Yet the woman smiled generously, resting a hand on the sword at her waist as she curiously examined me. "My name is Xiao Yu. I'm this little fellow's cousin, and I'm also a student at Canaan Academy."

As she spoke, she circled around me. Then her body suddenly leaned forward, her head nearly bumping into mine. Startled, I hurriedly took a step back, and she immediately planted her hands on her hips and burst into tinkling laughter.

"You're Meier's fiancé?"

I lowered my gaze and glanced at her pair of distinctive long legs. They really were long, and her figure was tall and alluring too... as expected of a top student from Canaan Academy!

I gave an awkward laugh. "Sister Xiao Yu, I'm Nalan Ye. Hello... Um, why have you come to Stone Desert City too?"

Xiao Yu was just about to say something when Xiao Ding spoke in a deep voice. "Quiet. They're coming over again!"

At once, the roughly forty Desert Iron Mercenary Group members around us tensed and raised their weapons again. They stood in what appeared to be a loose formation, but were actually arranged in small groups of four or five, each small formation supporting the others.

When I looked up again, I discovered that there were nearly a hundred people on the other side, twice our number. Their force looked vast and imposing, with swords and spears standing like a forest.

I asked in a low voice, "What is going on?"

Xiao Yu had already drawn her sword and stood with it in hand, looking rather valiant. Hearing this, she pointed at a middle-aged man across from us and said with a playful smile, "Little Yezi, see that? That guy is Luo Bu, leader of the Sand Mercenary Group. He's a Four Star Great Dou Shi. He... wants an old ox to eat tender grass. He wants to snatch Meier away and make her his wife!"

"What?!"

I cried out in shock and raised my hand to grab my sword, only to grasp empty air. Then I remembered that I had been so delighted to see the Xiao Family members earlier that I had actually tossed my sword aside...

"Y-you, what nonsense are you talking about?!"

At that moment, Xiao Meier turned back and glared furiously at Xiao Yu. Her eyes swept over Xiao Yu's curvaceous, alluring figure, and after pausing briefly, she said, "I think Luo Bu has taken a liking to you and wants to snatch you away as his wife!"

Xiao Yu giggled and did not argue with Xiao Meier. Her shifting gaze landed on Xiao Xun'er as she said, "Then he must have taken a liking to little Xun Er and wants to snatch her away as his wife."

I silently accepted the sword Mo Wang handed me, not knowing what to say. Seeing Xiao Yan's face darken with black lines and Xiao Ding's helpless expression, I watched as he turned and glared fiercely at Xiao Yu, shouting, "Xiao Yu, shut up!"

Xiao Yu shrugged and casually answered him, looking utterly unconcerned. Xiao Ding was so angered that he did not know what to say.

Though Xiao Yu had teased her, Xun Er's face remained calm and elegant. She did not shout angrily like Xiao Meier, nor did she even pay Xiao Yu any attention.

She merely turned to look at me. The dark strands of hair before her forehead floated unsteadily in the desert heat, yet not a single bead of sweat appeared on her face. Her complexion remained rosy, and her bright black eyes gave me a deeply meaningful look.

My heart trembled under her gaze, and I instinctively took a step back. My heartbeat and breathing suddenly fell into disarray—not from attraction, but from immense terror!

I opened my mouth, wanting to explain something. Then, all of a sudden, Xun Er smiled brilliantly, like a green lotus blooming for the first time. The immense terror in my heart vanished instantly, as though it had never existed.

As if I had survived a disaster, I gasped for breath and wiped away the cold sweat streaming down my forehead. With an awkward laugh, I carefully looked at Xun Er and said sheepishly, "Sister Xun Er, you..."

"Ye Gege."

Xiao Xun'er spoke softly. "For some reason, the Mo Family—a major clan in the northwest of the empire—has recently begun making major moves in Stone Desert City. They have gathered large numbers of... guards and mercenaries, stationing them throughout Stone Desert City."

"The Sand Mercenary Group and ours are both among the top three local mercenary groups in Stone Desert City, but because of the Mo Family's actions, our standing has suffered a huge blow."

"So, in order to protect its own position and interests, the Sand Mercenary Group has begun swallowing up the smaller local mercenary groups in Stone Desert City, strengthening itself this way. But..."

Xiao Xun'er shook her head. Looking at the mercenary group glaring at us like tigers watching prey, her expression remained calm as she slowly continued.

"Even so, they are still not strong enough to face those large mercenary groups from outside. So today, they have set their sights on us."