A Young Girl's Swaying Killing Intent

Within the Sandland Poplar Forest, sunlight filtered through the sparse branches and leaves, casting mottled shadows across the sand.

A light breeze drifted past, bringing a rare hint of coolness.

Bang!

Datou strode over and casually tossed Luo Yi, whom he had been carrying on his shoulder, onto the ground as if he were throwing away trash.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said ingratiatingly to Qing Mo,

"B-Boss, I didn't let you down! I-I brought Luo Yi to you!"

"Mm, you did well."

Qing Mo nodded, his expression calm.

Having received Qing Mo's approval, Datou finally felt half the weight in his heart lift.

He rubbed his hands together, his face piled with smiles as he cautiously said, "Hehe, Boss, it was my duty. Look, it's just... just that, um... what you said before..."

He did not dare spell it out too clearly, merely looking at Qing Mo with anxious eyes.

He had completed the task he had been assigned. Shouldn't the promise be fulfilled as well?

Heizi, standing nearby, was also so nervous that his palms were sweating. He barely dared breathe as he looked at Qing Mo expectantly.

"Of course."

Qing Mo answered cleanly and without the slightest hesitation.

"This was our agreement. I never go back on my word." A faint smile curled Qing Mo's lips. "From now on, you are members of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group."

He turned and called to Qing Lin beside him. "Little Qing Lin, give them the antidote."

"Okay, Brother Mo."

Qing Lin nodded obediently, took an embroidered pouch from her robes, and pulled out a small jade-green porcelain bottle.

She removed the stopper and poured two emerald-green pills into her palm.

Qing Mo took the pills and casually tossed one each to Datou and Heizi.

"Take them."

"Thank you, Boss! Thank you, Boss!"

Heizi held the tiny pill in both hands as though he had caught an invaluable treasure, his face filled with overwhelming delight.

Just as he was about to put the pill into his mouth, Datou suddenly grabbed his wrist.

"Wait!"

"Um... Boss..."

Datou looked into Qing Mo's calm, unreadable eyes and felt his scalp go numb. Still, he gathered his courage, forced a smile, and cautiously said, "It's not... not that I don't trust you. It's just... I'm afraid that, with all your affairs, perhaps you remembered wrong. The poisons you gave us brothers before seemed... seemed not to be the same kind..."

At his words, Heizi immediately came to his senses, and the joy on his face froze.

That was right!

To ensure that they could not cure one another, Qing Mo had given them two different poisons! If the poisons were different, how could the antidote possibly be the same?

Could this be... fake? Or perhaps another, even more potent poison?

At that thought, Heizi swallowed hard, and the hand holding the pill began to tremble slightly.

"Oh? You mean that?" Qing Mo's face showed no ripple as he said indifferently, "Don't worry, I didn't forget. This antidote pill can cure both of your poisons at once."

"What, are you afraid I tampered with the antidote and intend to break my word?"

"No, no, no! Absolutely not! I spoke out of turn!"

Datou's heart pounded under Qing Mo's gaze, and he hurriedly bowed and apologized.

Inside, he cursed himself for being so meddlesome. If he really angered this lord, forget the antidote—he might have to leave his life here as well!

"Enough. I'm not so low as to tamper with something like this for the sake of you two. If I truly wanted to deal with you, I would not have waited until now."

Qing Mo could not be bothered to waste more words on them and impatiently waved his hand.

"Take the antidote and hurry back to Stone Desert City. You are too weak. Staying here will only get in the way."

Though the words were not polite, to Datou and Heizi, they sounded like heavenly music!

"Yes, yes, yes! This little brother obeys! We'll leave immediately and absolutely won't disturb your important business, Boss!"

Hearing that they would be allowed to leave, Datou finally let out a huge breath.

He had judged a gentleman's heart with a petty mind, needlessly angered Boss and left a bad impression.

But no matter what, they were finally free!

After thanking Qing Mo profusely once more, the two did not dare delay and hurried out of the Poplar Forest.

"Brother Datou, should we... really take this medicine?" Once they were far from Qing Mo's sight, Heizi still asked uneasily.

"Take it! Why wouldn't we?" Datou gritted his teeth and swallowed the emerald-green pill in one gulp. "If it's a blessing, it's not a curse; if it's a curse, we can't avoid it! We already handed over Luo Yi. We're tied to the same rope now, so Boss Qing Mo has no reason to harm us anymore!"

Seeing this, Heizi no longer hesitated and swallowed his antidote as well.

Before long, the cold, sinister energy that had been entrenched within their bodies began to rapidly melt away and dissipate.

The exhaustion of recent days was swept away entirely! Their bodies felt lighter than ever before.

"It... it really is the antidote! Boss Qing Mo really didn't deceive us!" Feeling the changes in his body, Heizi became so emotional that tears welled in his eyes.

"Nonsense! What kind of person is Boss Qing Mo? Why would he go back on his word with small fry like us?" Datou was finally completely at ease.

"Then... then what about us joining the Desert Iron Mercenary Group?" Heizi asked excitedly.

"That... of course it's real! Boss said it himself!" Datou's face flushed with excitement as well. "Once Boss Qing Mo finishes dealing with matters here and returns, we'll officially report to the Desert Iron Mercenary Group! Then we'll be people of standing too!"

The two talked over each other, growing more excited with every word, completely unaware that danger had already arrived.

Deep beneath the seemingly tranquil yellow sand under their feet, a pair of cold vertical pupils had silently fixed upon them.

Just as they were beside themselves with excitement.

Suddenly, the yellow sand beneath their feet began to churn violently. Then a massive shadow burst from the sand, throwing a storm of sand into the air!

"Ah—!"

The smiles on their faces froze instantly, replaced by boundless terror and horror!

They did not even have a chance to resist before they were swallowed whole by a snake's maw more than two meters wide!

Crunch! Crunch!

After two brief, miserable screams, everything returned to silence.

Back in the Poplar Forest, Qing Mo listened to their screams and looked at the quiet, well-behaved girl beside him with a hint of approval.

"I thought you wouldn't make a move, Little Qing Lin."

That was right. This had naturally been Qing Lin's handiwork. The Tier-Two Magical Beast Sand Sea Giant Python lurking beneath the sand was one of their gains over the past few days.

As for why they had done this?

Those two had come because of Qing Lin, so they should naturally be left for Qing Lin to deal with.

He had thought Qing Lin was soft-hearted and kind and would not act. It seemed he had worried unnecessarily. Little Qing Lin was growing far faster than he had imagined.

"Brother Mo wanted Qing Lin to do this, didn't you?"

Qing Lin raised her head with a sweet smile. In her eyes, those two insignificant people could die if they wished, but if their deaths could make Brother Mo happy, then they had died for a worthy cause.

"Uh..."

Looking at Qing Lin's innocent smile, Qing Mo did not know what to say for a moment. Had he somehow raised her wrong?

He reached out and gently patted Qing Lin's little head.

"Alright, the appetizer is finished. It's time to handle the main course."

Qing Mo turned and looked at Luo Yi, who lay on the ground like a dead pig.

"That old bastard Luo Tai will still need some time to get the news from the Mercenary Association and rush over. During that time, we'll collect some interest first." Qing Mo said gently to Qing Lin, "Little Qing Lin, I'll leave this person to you. Just don't let him die."

"Okay, Brother Mo."

Qing Lin answered sweetly once more, but when she turned to look at Luo Yi on the ground, all sweetness and innocence vanished from her face, replaced by bone-deep hatred!

She slowly raised her little hand, and the three tiny emerald lights deep within her pupils began to slowly revolve.

"Hiss... hiss..."

Amid a scalp-numbing sound, dozens of venomous snakes slithered out from the Poplar Forest.