Medusa watched Gu Shenge coax Qing Lin from the side, a faint trace of impatience in her beautiful eyes as she silently grumbled to herself.
Why waste so much time talking? They could just grab the little girl and leave. Once they returned to Snake-Person City, Medusa had plenty of ways to train her into an obedient, well-behaved girl.
Qing Lin stared at Gu Shenge's jade-green eyes, the same color as her own. Hearing him say they were of the same kind, she instinctively assumed he was also a hybrid of snake-person and human. A trace of uncertainty crossed her little face.
Although the people in this city treated her poorly and despised her, the First and Second Regiment Commanders had looked after her, and some of the older sisters in the mercenary group had been kind to her too.
Now that her "kin" had come for her and wanted to take her away, Qing Lin felt reluctant to leave. But in the end, this place wasn't where she belonged.
After thinking for a moment, Qing Lin slowly nodded. She accepted Gu Shenge's invitation and agreed to leave with him.
Gu Shenge gave a satisfied smile.
"Big Brother, I can leave with you, but could you come back with me to see the regiment commanders? I want to say goodbye to them."
Qing Lin looked at Gu Shenge hopefully, with a trace of pleading in her eyes. He nodded. The Mo Tie Mercenary Group had looked after her for so long; he ought to meet their commanders and let her say goodbye.
Seeing that Gu Shenge had successfully coaxed Qing Lin, Medusa gave the girl another look, her expression tinged with bemusement. Was this little girl really so easy to fool?
Gu Shenge patted Qing Lin's head, his smile as gentle as sunlight. "Lead the way, little one. Take us to meet your regiment commander."
Feeling the warmth of his hand, Qing Lin rather enjoyed Gu Shenge's gentle touch. She obediently nodded and led the couple toward the Mo Tie Mercenary Group.
After turning down several streets, they reached the entrance to a large compound. Above it, a flag bearing the words "Mo Tie Mercenary Group" fluttered in the wind, seeming to radiate a fierce, iron-blooded spirit.
Several burly, muscular men stood by the gate, weapons in hand. Their rugged faces were fierce, and some bore scars. A faint smell of blood clung to them as they stood ramrod straight, sharp eyes scanning passersby with great vigilance.
When they saw Qing Lin approaching, they all showed a barely perceptible look of distaste.
"Stop. Who are these people?"
A Mo Tie mercenary stopped Qing Lin and pointed at Gu Shenge, demanding to know who they were. Qing Lin was just about to explain when a powerful pressure suddenly surged forth, like a mighty river sweeping across the world. In an instant, it enveloped the entire Mo Tie Mercenary Group. Everyone in the compound felt the dreadful force. Their souls trembled, their hearts lurched, and it felt as if a boulder were pressing down on their chests, leaving them struggling to breathe.
Then Gu Shenge's voice rang in their ears.
"Have the commander of Mo Tie come out and meet me."
Xiao Ding, who had been discussing something with Xiao Li, exchanged a look with his brother. They could see shock and apprehension in each other's eyes. A powerful expert had warned them before even showing up at their door. This was bad.
"Brother, it looks like they didn't come in peace," Xiao Li said.
"There's no avoiding this. Let's go meet them," Xiao Ding replied.
They couldn't hide, not with the Mo Tie Mercenary Group still here. They would have to harden their hearts and abandon everyone else in the group to do so.
The brothers hurried toward the gate, followed by a number of mercenary group members. Together, they went out to stand with their commanders.
Gu Shenge watched as a group emerged from the compound. His gaze settled on the young man at the front, dressed in a white robe. He was probably the First Regiment Commander of the Mo Tie Mercenary Group, Xiao Yan's elder brother, Xiao Ding. The young man beside him, whose eyes were somewhat sharp and severe, was presumably Xiao Yan's second brother, Xiao Li.
Both were Dou Shi.
When they saw that Qing Lin was there too, they thought, This is bad. Could the little girl have offended that powerful expert?
Seeing Gu Shenge and Medusa, Xiao Ding couldn't tell which of them had released the pressure. Gu Shenge looked even younger than he did, but appearances could be deceiving. Perhaps he was an old monster who had mastered the art of preserving his youth.
Xiao Ding immediately bowed to Gu Shenge, adopting a deferential posture and speaking respectfully.
"Greetings, Senior. I am Xiao Ding, the humble commander of the Mo Tie Mercenary Group. May I ask what brings you here?"
"Little one, tell your regiment commander."
Gu Shenge didn't answer Xiao Ding. Instead, he asked Qing Lin to explain.
Xiao Ding and the others all looked at Qing Lin, their eyes filled with confusion.
"Commander, this Big Brother wants to take me away from Shimo City..."
Qing Lin told Xiao Ding and the others what had happened. They were all astonished and stared at Gu Shenge in surprise.
One of Qing Lin's kind? Wouldn't that make him a hybrid of snake-person and human too?
Xiao Li examined Gu Shenge closely. Apart from his eye color matching Qing Lin's, he couldn't see a single snake scale on him. Could he be a fraud? But that pressure just now had already proven how powerful he was. If he were a fraud, he would have simply abducted Qing Lin instead of coming to speak with them.
The members of the Mo Tie Mercenary Group were left puzzled.
Seeing their confusion, Gu Shenge explained. His manner of address shifted from "I" to "this seat."
"There's no need to guess. This seat isn't a hybrid of snake-person and human. I simply have the same Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils as this little girl. Rather than let her talent go to waste here, she would be better off leaving with me."
"Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils?"
Xiao Ding and the others didn't understand what the term meant, but they guessed it was some sort of talent. The man had noticed that Qing Lin shared his talent and wanted to take her away.
Faced with a being of unfathomable cultivation, who was possibly a Dou Wang, they didn't dare say a word against him.
Still, Xiao Ding mustered the courage to ask one thing.
"Since Senior has taken a liking to Qing Lin, this junior dares to ask: if she follows you, what will become of her?"
Gu Shenge looked at Xiao Ding, who was still thinking of Qing Lin's welfare, and replied evenly, "I understand your concerns. Rest assured. Qing Lin is exceptionally talented. There's no problem with her reaching Dou Zun in the future, or even Dou Sheng. I'll naturally train her well and won't mistreat her."
Hearing that Qing Lin could one day reach Dou Zun, the members of the Mo Tie Mercenary Group were astounded, though some remained skeptical.
Still, Gu Shenge had promised not to mistreat Qing Lin, and Xiao Ding felt reassured. At least she had found a good home, where she wouldn't have to endure people's disdain and cold stares.
"In that case, I entrust Qing Lin to you, Senior."
Xiao Ding bowed again, gazing at Qing Lin with reluctance. "Qing Lin, take care of yourself from now on. If you get the chance, remember to come back and visit Mo Tie. We'll miss you."
Qing Lin's eyes reddened at his words, filling with glistening tears. She nodded hard and answered.
"Mm, I understand, First Commander."
Seeing this, Gu Shenge reached out and patted Qing Lin's head again, gently comforting her.
"Don't be sad. You can come back to Mo Tie and visit whenever you have time."
As he spoke, a jade bottle appeared in his hand. It contained two pills, and Gu Shenge tossed it to Xiao Ding.
"There are two Three-Pattern Green Spirit Pills inside. Taking them can help a Dou Shi advance by two or three stars. Thank you for taking care of Qing Lin all these years."
Xiao Ding heard this and looked at the pills in his hand with delight. He hurriedly thanked Gu Shenge. "Thank you for this generous gift, Senior!"
"Think nothing of it. Let's go."
Gu Shenge waved his hand, then spoke to Qing Lin. Qing Lin gave the members of Mo Tie one last, reluctant look. After saying goodbye, she left with Gu Shenge and Medusa.
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