Third Commander of the Desert Iron Mercenary Corps

Night had fallen.

The entire Desert Iron Mercenary Corps was brightly lit, filled with song and dance.

The clamor and laughter echoed through the night sky, making for an exceptionally lively scene.

This was the Desert Iron Mercenary Corps' welcoming banquet for Lei Luo, their guest.

At this moment, the Xiao Ding brothers and Lei Luo sat at a table by themselves, chatting as they watched the mercenary corps members drink and celebrate with great enthusiasm.

Seeing that Lei Luo's bowl was empty, Qinglin obediently refilled it for him.

Noticing Qinglin repeatedly glancing at the delicacies on the table from the corner of her eye, Lei Luo pulled the girl over and made her sit beside him.

"Eat with us. What are you staring at it for?"

Then he looked at Xiao Ding and the other man. "Big Brother Xiao, you two don't mind, do you?"

"Come on, do you really think your two brothers are that cold-hearted?"

By now, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li were already a little tipsy.

Their faces were flushed red, and they occasionally let out drunken belches.

"Hehe, my mistake. Come, I'll punish myself with a bowl!"

With that, Lei Luo boldly raised his wine bowl and drained it in one gulp.

"Good! Brother Lei Luo can really hold his liquor!"

The two men followed suit, refusing to be outdone as they downed their bowls of wine and cried out in delight.

At this point, Lei Luo seemed to be hesitating over something, and Xiao Ding caught every bit of it.

"Lei Luo, do you have something to say?"

"Hehe, Big Brother Xiao truly has sharp eyes. Nothing can be hidden from you."

Waving his hand, Xiao Ding said with a smile, "Just say whatever it is. We may be rough men, but we like people who speak plainly."

Hearing that, Lei Luo stopped being polite.

After carefully choosing his words, he said to the two brothers, "Big Brother Xiao, Second Brother Xiao, I was wondering whether I could temporarily join our Desert Iron Mercenary Corps.

"I came to this desert in the first place to gain experience, but the desert is truly dangerous. Even with my Dou Master cultivation, there are still risks, so..."

Once Lei Luo finished speaking, the two men revealed looks of understanding.

Having spent many years struggling through the Tagor Desert, they naturally understood its dangers.

Even they could suffer a disastrous setback if they were careless, let alone Lei Luo.

Seeing an opening, Lei Luo added, "Don't let my age fool you, brothers. Not only am I a Dou Master, I'm also a Second-Rank Alchemist!"

Lei Luo's words completely stunned the Xiao Ding brothers.

This information was far more shocking than his status as a Dou Master.

"Good heavens, a Second-Rank Alchemist! Even the Xiao Household, with several Great Battle Masters stationed there, did not have a single First-Rank Alchemist.

"Not to mention the Desert Iron Mercenary Corps, which did not even have a Great Battle Master."

At this moment, the two men stared at him as though they were looking at a naked beauty, their gazes burning with impatience.

"You... are you telling the truth?"

"Absolutely true!" Lei Luo said, patting his chest.

"Brother Lei Luo, tell us honestly. Your clan or family must be quite extraordinary, right?"

Hearing Xiao Ding's doubt, Lei Luo gave a half-true, half-false answer.

"I'm actually from a minor branch of the Miter Family. Later, I was sent to Wutan City for training, where my master took me in. That was how I gained my current abilities."

Only then did Xiao Ding and Xiao Li dispel the doubts in their hearts, and their expressions began to brighten uncontrollably.

"Forget joining us. Lei Luo, from now on, you're the third commander of our Desert Iron Mercenary Corps!"

Xiao Li slapped the table and made the decision first.

Naturally, Xiao Ding agreed with that decision as well.

Then Xiao Ding lifted his wine bowl and stood up.

"Brothers, everyone, quiet down for a moment. I have something to announce!"

As his magnetic voice rang out, everyone stopped what they were doing.

"The man beside me is a brother I've just met, and also my cousin's husband. At the same time, he is a powerful Dou Master!"

After he said that, everyone wore the exact same expressions Xiao Ding and Xiao Li had earlier.

After a brief moment of shock, cries of astonishment broke out again.

But that was not the end. Immediately afterward, Xiao Ding announced another piece of news that left everyone unable to sit still.

Lei Luo was to become their third commander directly!

It was impossible to say that this news was not explosive. Even though Xiao Ding had already stated that Lei Luo was a powerful Dou Master, it was still difficult to convince these proud mercenaries.

Just as Lei Luo was preparing to settle the matter in the most primitive way possible, Xiao Li's voice rang out again.

"Your third commander is also a Second-Rank Alchemist!"

When the usually stern second commander spoke, the atmosphere throughout the venue was completely ignited.

"How is that possible? He looks so young!"

"If the two commanders said it, how could it be false?"

"A Second-Rank Alchemist! With this new third commander, wouldn't our mercenary corps..."

"We accept this commander!"

Cheers and applause erupted everywhere.

The mercenaries all stood, raised their wine bowls, and drained them in one gulp!

"We welcome the Third Commander!"

As the saying went, all the bustle under heaven was for profit, and all the striving under heaven was for gain. That was the principle.

When Lei Luo's presence could bring them enormous benefits, they naturally had no reason to object any longer.

And if Lei Luo wanted to, it would not be difficult for him to make the Desert Iron Mercenary Corps change hands in the future.

Of course, Lei Luo was not that bored, nor did he have that much free time.

Everything he did was merely paving the way for his future plans.

That included revealing his identity as an alchemist.

After gaining everyone's recognition, the three began chatting again.

"Hehe, if Little Yan hadn't suffered that incident, he should have been just as outstanding as Lei Luo, right?"

At those words, the two strong men actually became somewhat melancholy.

Lei Luo could not help feeling a little envious as he watched them.

After thinking for a moment, Lei Luo said to them, "Big Brothers, there's no need to be so upset.

"Brother Xiao Yan's talent had already recovered more than a year ago!"

"What!" the two shouted in unison.

Even the Dou Qi in their bodies nearly went out of control, as terrifying gusts of wind shot in every direction. Lei Luo hurriedly shielded Qinglin, preventing any accidental injury.

Qinglin's little eyes, gleaming with spiritual light, blinked rapidly as though she were thinking about something.

"Brother Lei Luo, this isn't something to joke about. Little Yan, he really..."

Looking at the two men, who seemed unable to continue, Lei Luo took a light sip of strong liquor and nodded.

"Xiao Yan and I were freshmen in the same class at Canaan Academy. Back then, he already possessed the strength of a Four-Star Dou Practitioner."

"Like me, he also took a long leave to travel and train. If we get the chance, we might even run into him."

By the time Lei Luo finished, the two men's eyes had grown moist.

"Good, good..."

After a while, they returned to normal and smiled awkwardly. "Brother Lei Luo, we've made a spectacle of ourselves. We were simply too excited."

Lei Luo nodded to show that he understood, then drank heartily with them.

The drinking party lasted deep into the night. Jar after jar of strong liquor was carried into the courtyard, and everyone drank to their hearts' content.

When the banquet finally ended, Qinglin supported Lei Luo's drunken body back to his room.

In his dazed state, he seemed to feel a pair of cool little hands undoing his clothes, then wiping down his body, which reeked of alcohol...