Desert Iron Mercenary Group

"It's not impossible," Qing Mo said after a moment of silence.

"You agreed!"

"Good, good, good. You definitely won't lose out." Xue Lan was delighted as she pulled Qing Mo over to a stall.

"Dan Zai, stop manning the stall. We're leaving!"

The person running the stall was a young man about Qing Mo's age, around fifteen or sixteen.

He had been sitting behind the stall in boredom. Upon hearing Xue Lan's words, he looked utterly surprised.

"Big Sister Xue Lan, we haven't sold everything yet~"

Dan Zai looked at the goods before the stall. If he packed up now, he would not even earn back the money spent renting the stall. Wouldn't that mean losing money?

"When I tell you to leave, you leave. Why are you talking so much nonsense?"

Xue Lan's willow brows drew together as she shot Dan Zai a glare. Seeing that expression, Dan Zai knew she was not joking. He did not dare say anything else and could only resign himself to packing up the stall.

"If you have nothing to do, you can wait by the main gate. We still need to go register," Xue Lan said to Qing Mo.

"Alright." Qing Mo nodded. He could have gone to the Desert Iron Mercenary Group's headquarters himself, but Xue Lan was too enthusiastic. Besides, she was helping out of kindness, so naturally he had to show her some respect.

"What's so urgent?" Dan Zai asked helplessly.

"A newcomer wants to join us," Xue Lan said, a hint of excitement in her voice.

"Huh? Really?"

"Big Sister Xue Lan, you wouldn't be so enthusiastic because you want those two from earlier to join our squad, would you?" Dan Zai asked as they walked.

"That's only one reason." Xue Lan gave a mysterious smile. "More importantly, that kid is exactly my type. Do you know what I just saw? That Qing Mo actually slapped Luo Yi right in the street. It felt so satisfying."

"Oh? He's that bold?" Dan Zai was startled. Naturally, he was no stranger to Luo Yi. Luo Yi had caused trouble for Big Sister Xue Lan before, but she had taught him a lesson.

Still, not everyone was unafraid of Luo Yi's retaliation. Who would have thought that Qing Mo, a boy who looked so mild-mannered, possessed such courage?

Xue Lan patted his shoulder and said with great satisfaction, "Haha, that's how it should be. He's trash, so what if he got slapped? Besides, our Desert Iron Mercenary Group has never gotten along with the Poison Dragon Mercenary Group."

Their Desert Iron Mercenary Group had always been at odds with the Poison Dragon Mercenary Group. One more Qing Mo would not make any difference.

"But Big Sister Xue Lan, how do you know he'll definitely join our squad?" Seeing Xue Lan's confident expression, Dan Zai could not help pouring cold water on her hopes.

"What are you saying? What's wrong with my squad?" Xue Lan said unhappily. "There are only the two of us for now, but things will get better in the future."

"Yes, yes, Big Sister Xue Lan." Seeing that Xue Lan was a little angry, Dan Zai stopped talking. He did not want to get glared at again.

After packing up, the two headed toward the registration office.

Meanwhile, Qing Mo held Qing Lin's small hand as they walked toward the main gate. What had happened earlier did not affect him much, but Qing Lin's mood, which had only just improved, had now worsened again.

"Brother Mo, I'm sorry. It's all my fault..."

Qing Lin spoke dejectedly. She felt that she was useless and had caused trouble for Brother Mo again.

Qing Mo stopped walking, his brows knitting slightly. He turned around and looked at the little girl before him, whose face was full of guilt. Qing Lin lowered her head, not daring to look at him.

Qing Mo reached out and gently lifted her chin.

"This isn't your fault, Qing Lin. They came looking for trouble on their own. You did nothing wrong, so you don't need to apologize to me. And don't think that you caused any trouble."

"Scum like that will be dealt with sooner or later."

"Remember this: you're my family. Other than me, no one is allowed to bully you. Understand?"

"Mhm..." Qing Lin nodded vigorously, raising her little face to look at Qing Mo. Her eyes were filled with trust and dependence.

"It's good that you understand." Qing Mo could not help smiling at her adorably dazed expression. Then he suddenly realized that what he had just said sounded a little like some overbearing CEO. He gave a light cough and suppressed that strange feeling.

Ah! I really can't stand myself! he silently mocked himself.

The two waited by the main gate for a while.

Xue Lan approached with Dan Zai, who was carrying several large bags.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's go now," Xue Lan said apologetically.

"It's fine." Qing Mo nodded, and the group headed toward the Desert Iron Mercenary Group's headquarters.

The Desert Iron Mercenary Group's headquarters was located in a spacious area north of Stone Desert City, occupying a considerable amount of land.

The compound was surrounded by tall earthen walls, giving it a primitive yet sturdy feel. The main gate was made of heavy ironwood, with a bold character for "Desert" carved into it.

"Xue Lan? Didn't you go to the market? You sold everything so quickly?"

As they approached the gate, a burly man standing guard looked at Xue Lan in confusion.

"There was something urgent," Xue Lan said with a smile.

"Is the commander here?" she asked.

"Yeah, they're all inside." The big man nodded, his gaze sweeping over Qing Mo beside her with a hint of curiosity.

"No wonder you came back so quickly. Turns out you went out to lure someone back." The big man seemed to realize something and burst into laughter.

Naturally, they knew that Xue Lan wanted to form a squad. However, many members already had their own squads, and Xue Lan was too young, so very few people joined her. She could only find teammates herself.

"What nonsense are you talking about? How can you call it luring?" Xue Lan glared at the big man and said coquettishly.

"I'm ignoring you. Let's go!"

Xue Lan led the group deeper into the compound. Along the way, they encountered quite a few members of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group. Some were sparring in the training grounds, some were cleaning magical beast hides, and others were repairing weapons.

Everyone warmly greeted Xue Lan. It was clear that she was quite popular within the Desert Iron Mercenary Group.

"Not bad, right? Our Desert Iron Mercenary Group," Xue Lan said proudly.

"It really is decent." Qing Mo looked around. To build such a capable group in only half a year, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li truly were impressive.

Following Xue Lan past another path, they arrived before a rather imposing hall.

The hall's doors were made of some kind of hard wood, carved with exquisite beast patterns.

Xue Lan knocked on the door. After receiving permission, she pushed it open and entered.

A huge round table stood in the center of the hall, surrounded by several heavy wooden chairs. At that moment, two figures inside were discussing something.

When the door opened, both turned to look over. Upon seeing Qing Mo, surprise appeared in their eyes, as though they had not expected to see him here.

"Brother Qing Mo, it's you!" Xiao Ding was the first to react, a smile appearing on his face.

"Long time no see," Qing Mo said with a smile.