Xiao Li clutched his wrist, which still throbbed faintly and had only just managed to release the whip, and walked over to his solemn-faced elder brother, Xiao Ding. His voice was still somewhat hoarse.
"Big Brother, that kid... are we really going to trust him? He's too strange, and..."
Xiao Ding slowly exhaled a stale breath, gazing with mixed emotions in the direction Xiao Yi had vanished. His mind was still racing, trying to make sense of this sudden turn of events. He gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
"Trust him? Easier said than done. He acts perversely, and his methods are bizarre. He's certainly no saint. But we don't seem to have a better choice right now."
Xiao Ding held up three fingers and began analyzing what they knew.
"There are a few things we can be sure of. First, he really does possess strange abilities beyond our understanding. He can even absorb other people's Dou Qi for his own use. We've both experienced that firsthand. Second, he explicitly said he intended to attack the Black Sand Alliance, and judging by his approach, he seems to need to absorb vast amounts of Dou Qi to strengthen himself. Third, he exposed our role as the 'advance scouts,' which means he knows something about our circumstances."
Xiao Ding paused, his tone growing heavier.
"Our Desert Iron Mercenary Group has been treading on thin ice ever since joining the Black Sand Alliance. The alliance is powerful, and Wutan City's destruction... is only a matter of time. Now that a wild card like him has suddenly appeared, perhaps... he really does offer a thread of hope. Helping him keep the news under wraps so the Black Sand Alliance doesn't discover his existence beforehand isn't difficult for us as their 'advance scouts.'