Qing Lin Secured, Leaving Shimo City

Medusa watched from the side as Gu Shenge coaxed Qing Lin, her beautiful eyes revealing a faint impatience as she muttered to herself.

Why waste so many words? Wouldn't it be easier to just grab the little girl and leave? Once back in the Snake-Person City, she would have plenty of ways to train this little girl to be obedient and well-behaved.

Qing Lin stared into Gu Shenge's eyes, which were the same emerald green as her own. Hearing him claim they were of the same kind, she subconsciously assumed Gu Shenge was also a half-human, half-snake hybrid, and her little face clouded with hesitation.

Although the people in this city were unkind to her and despised her, the First Commander and Second Commander had taken good care of her, and some of the older sisters in the mercenary group treated her well too.

Now that one of her "kin" had come to find her and wanted to take her away, Qing Lin felt a sense of reluctance, yet she knew deep down that she did not truly belong here.

After a moment of contemplation, Qing Lin nodded slowly, accepting Gu Shenge's invitation and agreeing to leave with him.

Gu Shenge revealed a satisfied smile.

"Big Brother, I can leave with you, but could you go back with me to see the commanders? I want to say goodbye to them."

Having said this, Qing Lin looked at Gu Shenge with anticipation, her expression laced with a hint of pleading. He nodded; since the Mo Tie Mercenary Group had looked after Qing Lin for so long, it was only right to meet their commanders and bid them farewell.

Seeing that Gu Shenge's deception had succeeded, Medusa couldn't help but take another look at Qing Lin, her expression turning slightly strange. Is this little girl really that easy to fool?

Gu Shenge patted Qing Lin's head, his smile as gentle as sunlight, and spoke softly: "Lead the way, little girl. Take us to meet your commanders."

Feeling the warmth of his palm, Qing Lin quite enjoyed Gu Shenge's touch. She nodded obediently and led the couple toward the Mo Tie Mercenary Group.

After turning through several streets, they arrived outside a fairly large courtyard. Above the entrance, a flag emblazoned with "Mo Tie Mercenary Group" fluttered in the wind, faintly exuding an air of iron-blooded toughness.

Several burly, fierce-looking men stood at the gate holding weapons. Their faces were rugged and ruthless, some bearing scars, and they radiated a faint scent of blood. They stood like javelins, their sharp gazes scanning passersby with great vigilance.

When they saw Qing Lin approaching, a trace of imperceptible disgust appeared in their eyes.

"Halt! Who are you people?"

A Mo Tie mercenary blocked Qing Lin, pointing at Gu Shenge and demanding to know their origins. Just as Qing Lin was about to explain, a powerful pressure suddenly surged forth like a torrential river, overwhelming and all-encompassing. In an instant, it enveloped the entire Mo Tie Mercenary Group. Everyone within the courtyard felt this terrifying aura, their souls trembling and their hearts filled with shock, as if a giant boulder were pressing down on their chests, making it difficult to breathe.

Then, Gu Shenge's voice echoed in their ears.

"Commanders of Mo Tie, come out and see me."

Xiao Ding, who had been discussing matters with Xiao Li, heard this and the two brothers exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and gravity in each other's eyes. A powerhouse had delivered a warning before even stepping through the door; this was not a good sign.

Xiao Li: "Brother, it seems the visitor is not here with good intentions."

Xiao Ding: "We can't hide from this. Let's go out and see."

They couldn't hide even if they wanted to, as the Mo Tie Mercenary Group was still here; unless they were willing to heartlessly abandon the others in the group.

The two brothers walked quickly toward the gate, followed by many members of the mercenary group who came along to stand with their commanders.

Gu Shenge watched the group emerge from the courtyard, his gaze landing on the white-robed youth at the front. He must be the First Commander of the Mo Tie Mercenary Group, Xiao Yan's elder brother, Xiao Ding. As for the youth beside him with the sharper, more ruthless gaze, that must be Xiao Yan's second brother, Xiao Li.

Both of them were Dou Shi.

Seeing that Qing Lin was also there, they thought to themselves that things looked bad. Could it be that this little girl had offended that powerhouse?

Xiao Ding looked at Gu Shenge and Medusa, unsure which of the seniors had just released the pressure. Furthermore, Gu Shenge appeared even younger than himself, but one cannot judge a book by its cover; perhaps the other party was an old monster with a technique for maintaining his youth.

He immediately bowed to Gu Shenge, lowering his posture, his voice filled with respect.

"Greetings, Senior. This junior is Xiao Ding, the commander of the Mo Tie Mercenary Group. May I ask what business you have with us?"

"Little girl, you tell your commanders."

Gu Shenge did not answer Xiao Ding's question, instead letting Qing Lin explain.

Xiao Ding and the others looked at Qing Lin, their expressions filled with confusion.

"Commander, this Big Brother wants to take me away from Shimo City..."

Qing Lin told Xiao Ding and the others everything that had happened, which left them all looking surprised and somewhat bewildered as they stared at Gu Shenge.

Qing Lin's kin? Wouldn't that also make him a half-human, half-snake hybrid?

Xiao Li scrutinized Gu Shenge carefully, but aside from his eye color matching Qing Lin's, there were no signs of snake scales or anything of the sort. Could he be a fraud? Yet, the pressure from earlier had already demonstrated the other party's formidable strength. If he were a fraud, he should have just kidnapped Qing Lin instead of coming to find them.

This left everyone in Mo Tie feeling deeply puzzled.

Seeing this, Gu Shenge spoke up to explain, his form of address shifting from "I" to "this seat."

"No need to guess. This seat is not a half-human, half-snake hybrid, but like this little girl, I possess the Green Snake Three-Flower Pupils. Rather than letting this little girl remain here and have her talent buried, it is better for her to leave with me."

"Green Snake Three-Flower Pupils?"

When Xiao Ding and the others heard this term, although they didn't understand what it was, they assumed it was some kind of innate talent. The other party was clearly interested in Qing Lin because she possessed the same talent as him, hence his desire to take her away.

Facing a powerful existence with unfathomable cultivation—likely a Dou Wang—they dared not utter a single word of refusal.

However, Xiao Ding still braced himself and asked one question.

"Since you have taken an interest in Qing Lin, Senior, this junior dares to ask: what will become of her if she follows you?"

Gu Shenge looked at Xiao Ding, who was still thinking of Qing Lin's well-being, and said calmly: "I know your concerns. Rest assured, Qing Lin has extraordinary talent. Reaching the level of Dou Zun or even Dou Sheng in the future will not be a problem. I will naturally cultivate her properly and will not mistreat her."

Hearing that Qing Lin could reach the level of Dou Zun in the future, everyone in Mo Tie was shocked, though some remained skeptical.

However, since the other party had promised not to mistreat Qing Lin, Xiao Ding felt relieved. At the very least, he had found a good home for Qing Lin, where she would no longer have to endure disgust and cold glares.

"In that case, I entrust Qing Lin to you, Senior."

Xiao Ding bowed once more, looking at Qing Lin with reluctance, and instructed her: "Qing Lin, take good care of yourself in the future. If you ever have the chance, remember to come back and visit Mo Tie. We will miss you."

Qing Lin's eyes reddened at these words, shimmering with tears, and she nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Mm, I understand, Grand Commander."

Seeing this, Gu Shenge reached out to pat Qing Lin's head, comforting her in a gentle voice.

"Don't be sad. Whenever you have time in the future, you can always come back to visit the Desert Iron Mercenaries."

As he spoke, a jade bottle appeared in his hand containing two medicinal pills, which Gu Shenge tossed to Xiao Ding.

"Inside are two Three-Pattern Green Spirit Pills. Consuming them can help a Dou Shi break through by two to three stars of cultivation. Thank you for taking care of Qing Lin all these years."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ding looked at the pills in his hand with joy and hurriedly thanked Gu Shenge, "Many thanks for the reward, Senior!"

"No need for formalities. Let's go."

Gu Shenge waved his hand and then spoke to Qing Lin. Qing Lin took one last reluctant look at the members of the Desert Iron Mercenaries, and after bidding them farewell, she followed Gu Shenge and Medusa as they departed.

~

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