A Sudden Turn of Events

As Lin Xiao left, the tension in the air not only failed to dissipate in the slightest, but grew even thicker.

"Hmph! Refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! Xiao Ding, don't think that just because Senior Lin Xiao spoke up for you, you can push your luck!"

Seeing Xiao Ding's arrogant attitude, Lin Qi flew into a rage from humiliation and slammed his hand on the table as he rose to his feet.

"Hehe, if there's nothing else, you should head back early."

Xiao Ding did not even spare him a glance, merely casting Luo Tai a meaningful smile.

"Second Brother, let's go."

Xiao Ding stood and called to Xiao Li, who was beside him and barely able to suppress his killing intent, before heading for the door.

"Stop right there!"

Lin Qi was deeply unwilling to let it go and wanted to say more, but an aged hand pressed heavily upon his shoulder, choking back all his words.

"That's enough! Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough already?"

Luo Tai barked sharply. The hypocritical smile on his face had long vanished, replaced by a gloomy expression.

Only after the figures of the Xiao brothers disappeared beyond the doorway did he slowly withdraw his gaze, a cold glint flashing through his cloudy old eyes.

"You handled this matter poorly!" He looked coldly at his adopted son and said in deep disappointment, "If you do something, do it thoroughly! If you cut the grass, pull up the roots! Look at things now—you've left behind such a huge loose end. There will be endless trouble in the future!"

"Godfather, this... this can't all be blamed on me!"

Lin Qi's face alternated between green and white under the reprimand as he said aggrievedly, "Who could have expected that, under those circumstances, they would actually make it back alive?"

He could not understand it. The Snake-People had clearly outnumbered them two to one, and that Snake-People Battle Master had even controlled a second-tier Scarlet-Scaled Sand Python. It had been a certain death trap, yet Xiao Ding's battered remnants had somehow escaped alive. Their luck was simply outrageous!

He did not know that Qing Mo had arrived in time and saved the Desert Iron Mercenary Group.

He still believed that Xiao Ding and the others had simply been lucky enough to carve out a bloody path.

"If I'd known they could escape, I should have ambushed them again on their retreat route!" Lin Qi said bitterly.

"What use is there in saying that now?" Luo Tai snorted coldly. "Those two Xiao brothers have quite the hard bones. I'm afraid they won't let this go."

Luo Tai brooded darkly. Xiao Ding and Xiao Li were both still young, and their future potential was limitless. Yet he himself was already old. Over the years, he had accumulated many hidden injuries, and his strength had long since fallen from its peak.

That was also one of the reasons he had chosen to yield before Lin Xiao today.

But now, it seemed the other side would not accept that at all. It had already become a fight to the death.

Since there was no chance of reconciliation, then they could only... strike first!

Otherwise, once those two brothers truly grew strong, the Poison Dragon Mercenary Group would be in a dire situation.

"Then... Godfather, what should we do?" Lin Qi lowered his voice and asked cautiously.

"What else can we do?" Luo Tai narrowed his eyes, a cold gleam flashing through them. "We'll discuss it after we return!"

One incense stick later, at the Poison Dragon Mercenary Group headquarters.

Looking at the mess on the ground and the sighing guards, both Luo Tai and Lin Qi frowned.

"What happened? Why is everyone making such a racket? Have you no discipline at all?"

Lin Qi had already been holding back a bellyful of rage. Seeing this, he became even more furious and strode forward to berate a guard.

"The commander and vice commander have returned!"

When the guards saw that the commander and vice commander had returned, they hurriedly straightened up.

"What happened?" Luo Tai walked over and asked.

"It was the Desert Iron Mercenary Group. They came early this morning to cause trouble outside our gates, and we couldn't drive them away. If the City Guard hadn't stopped them, they might have charged inside."

The guards recounted how the Desert Iron Mercenary Group had come to make trouble.

"Outrageous! You Desert Iron Mercenary Group, do you really think the Poison Dragon Mercenary Group is made of clay?"

Lin Qi's face turned red with fury after hearing this, and he immediately wanted to lead men over and restore their honor.

"Making trouble?"

Unlike Lin Qi, Luo Tai did not fly into a rage. His cloudy old eyes narrowed slightly as he sensed something unusual.

Why had they chosen to cause trouble precisely when the Mercenary Association had summoned them away? Was it really just because they could not swallow their anger?

"Tell me everything that happened exactly as it occurred, without missing a single word!"

Luo Tai's expression turned exceptionally grave. The powerful pressure of a Five-Star Battle Master spread out, and the guard did not dare conceal anything. He hurriedly repeated the entire matter in meticulous detail.

"...They also said they wanted both commanders to personally come out and apologize, or they would never leave. In the end, Commander Wang stepped in and finally persuaded them to go."

The more Luo Tai listened, the heavier the doubts in his heart became. His brows were tightly furrowed, and his face was so dark it seemed ready to drip water.

Something's wrong! Very wrong!

Xiao Ding had clearly gone to the Mercenary Association with them. There was no reason for them not to know that he and Lin Qi were absent from the headquarters.

Yet they had specifically sent people to make a scene outside the gates at this time, demanding by name that he come out and apologize. Wasn't that knowingly doing the impossible?

Had they done this merely to disgust him and ruin the Poison Dragon Mercenary Group's reputation?

No! It can't be that simple!

Although Xiao Ding was young, he was meticulous. He would never do something so meaningless! There had to be a deeper scheme behind this!

Feigning to attack in the east while striking in the west!

A thought flashed through Luo Tai's mind like lightning!

He recalled Xiao Ding's words: mercenary groups had their own ways of settling things.

And how Xiao Ding had told them to hurry back before leaving.

This is bad!

Luo Tai's expression abruptly turned ugly.

"Where is Luo Yi? Where is Yi'er?"

He grabbed the guard by the collar and asked urgently.

"The... young commander?" Startled by Luo Tai's sudden action, the guard stammered, "The young commander... hasn't he been staying in his own courtyard? Someone... someone saw him this morning..."

Hearing this, Luo Tai relaxed slightly, but the ominous feeling in his heart still clung to him like a parasite in the bone.

"Bring him out here!"

Luo Tai had just been about to order the guard to summon Luo Yi, but then he immediately felt that would be inappropriate. It would be better to see him in person.

"No need! I'll find him myself!"

He shoved aside the guard in front of him, disregarding the dignity of his position as commander as he hurried toward the rear courtyard.

"Godfather! Godfather! What's wrong?"

Seeing Luo Tai's drastically changed expression, Lin Qi also sensed that something was amiss and hurried after him.

"I hope... I hope I'm overthinking this!"

Luo Tai muttered to himself as he channeled battle qi into his feet and pushed his speed to the limit, rushing toward the most luxurious courtyard in the rear compound.