The Desert North Duo

"Aunt Dongfang, let me introduce them. These five on your right-hand nails are Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini. These five on your left-hand nails are Xiyangyang, Grey Wolf, Pikachu..."

After finishing his handiwork, Tian Hao pointed to his creations and introduced them to Dongfang Bai one by one.

Indeed, all his designs came from his previous life. This sort of cute art style was also the easiest to draw.

"They look quite cute, but..."

Looking at the designs on all ten nails, Dongfang Bai admitted they were cute, but somehow felt they did not quite suit her style.

Still, the idea was certainly novel. Later, she could scrape off these designs and replace them with something else-perhaps a panorama of the realm and its lands.

Now that would suit her image as leader of the Sun-Moon Divine Cult!

"I heard the Sun-Moon Divine... Demon Cult seems to be planning a secret attack on your Mount Hua. The Mount Hua Sect is no longer a safe place. If things become untenable, leave Mount Hua."

Suddenly remembering her real business, Dongfang Bai gave him a concerned warning, her lovely eyes watching the changes in Tian Hao's expression as though hoping to discern something.

"Thank you for your concern, Auntie, but our Mount Hua Sect is no pushover. Even if Dongfang Bubai really breaks through to the Innate Realm, we can make sure she comes here and never returns."

Tian Hao answered confidently, while roughly guessing Dongfang Bai's intentions. Sure enough, she had come for that man.

"It's getting late, so I won't stay any longer. I wouldn't want to damage your reputation, Auntie."

Having also finished the download, Tian Hao rose to take his leave. He needed to retreat while this old auntie was still in a good mood, lest a long night breed more nightmares.

"You could actually call me big sister."

Hearing the word "Auntie" again, Dongfang Bai could not help clenching her pale little hands. The urge to hack someone apart rose in her heart once more.

"Auntie, you need to face reality and stop deceiving yourself. Buy your freedom from this place as soon as possible, then find a good man to marry and have a child.

"Oh, right. I heard giving birth at an advanced age carries considerable risks. Be careful when the time comes, Auntie. Don't end up with the tragedy of two lives lost in one body."

After packing up his things, Tian Hao offered this well-meant reminder, opened the door, and strode out.

Crack!

"That mouth of yours will get you killed sooner or later!"

Inside her boudoir, Dongfang Bai could not stop herself from crushing the wine cup in her hand. Even her flawless, jade-like face took on a savage edge.

The boy was quite interesting, but something was wrong with the way his mind worked. She was already wondering whether she should recruit him as a lackey after unifying the Jianghu.

His talent was certainly impressive, but his brain and his mouth made her liver ache.

"Even someone in the Innate Realm would come and never return? Could that man really still be alive? And hiding somewhere in Mount Hua Territory?"

Her thoughts shifted as Dongfang Bai considered Tian Hao's words.

The boy had been brimming with confidence. Clearly, the Mount Hua Sect did not fear Innate Realm experts, which meant an Innate Realm expert was hidden within the sect.

Among all the renowned experts of the Mount Hua Sect's previous generation, only that Mount Hua Sword Saint had any hope of breaking through to the Innate Realm. After all, he had already reached the half-step Innate Realm over twenty years ago.

"Cult Leader, your subordinate has finished investigating. Western Depot Governor Yu Huatian is only responsible for Imperial Tutor Ru Zhigang's safety and never leaves his side. The Western Depot's main forces are also concentrated at Mount Hua Academy and generally stay put."

Just then, a middle-aged man appeared in the room and reported respectfully.

"Notify Tong Baixiong and the others to come here. They will accompany me to Mount Hua to meet that Mount Hua Sword Saint."

As she issued her command, Dongfang Bai's imposing presence fully emerged. She became the leader of the Demon Cult, the foremost martial artist in the Southern Ming Kingdom.

"Yes. Your subordinate will send a message by eagle at once."

The middle-aged man bowed and accepted the order.

"Wait. Do I look very old?"

Suddenly, Dongfang Bai called him back and asked while touching her fair, jade-like cheek.

After being called "Auntie" so many times, she could not shake the knot in her heart.

"..."

The middle-aged man looked utterly bewildered. This was a question that could get him killed!

"Forget it. You may go!"

Realizing she had asked a foolish question, Dongfang Bai waved him away, her enthusiasm gone.

"Your subordinate takes his leave!"

As though granted a pardon, the middle-aged man hurried out of the room and closed the door behind him.

Dongfang Bai rose and went to the window, gazing at the distant mountains by moonlight.

"Feng Qingyang, you defeated my master with your sword back then. I wonder whether you can defeat me!"

The desire for battle surged in her heart. Dongfang Bai eagerly anticipated fighting that Mount Hua Sword Saint.

She had personally come to Mount Hua Territory to determine whether Feng Qingyang was still alive. This matter bore directly on her grand ambitions of conquest.

After breaking through to the Innate Realm, she had gained a profound understanding of how powerful its experts were. Only another Innate Realm expert could stop her.

Leaving the imperial court aside for now, there were no publicly known Innate Realm experts among the Southern Ming Kingdom's martial artists.

She had already tested Shaolin Temple and the Wudang Sect. They only had a few old fellows at the half-step Innate Realm, not enough to concern her.

Only the previous generation's foremost martial artist, Mount Hua Sword Saint Feng Qingyang, remained an uncertainty. Now it seemed that he, too, had reached the Innate Realm. He had become a stumbling block on her road to conquest and had to be removed.

Leaving Dongfang Bai's arrangements aside, Tian Hao went downstairs and spotted Lao Denuo sitting below, drinking tea.

"Junior Brother Hao, you certainly have luck with women!"

Seeing Tian Hao come down, Lao Denuo gave him a lecherous wink.

That courtesan was truly breathtaking, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Even their master's wife and little junior sister fell short of her. Tian Hao's chance to enjoy her charms filled him with envy, jealousy, and resentment.

"Don't get any funny ideas. There's nothing improper between Aunt Dongfang and me."

His imposing brows furrowed. Tian Hao greatly disliked having his innocence slandered, especially when Dongfang Bai was an old auntie.

"I understand, I understand!"

Lao Denuo gave him a knowing look. As a fellow man, he naturally understood.

You understand jack shit!

Tian Hao rolled his eyes irritably, then his expression changed as he asked gravely, "Did you find out who those two men are?"

As one of the Five Mountains Sword Sects, the Mount Hua Sect had considerable resources. Besides, it had once enjoyed great prosperity and was the undisputed martial overlord of Guanzhong. With its comprehensive intelligence network here, investigating someone was not difficult.

He disliked leaving trouble behind. As the saying went, when cutting grass, pull out the roots. Since they had already become enemies, he had to wipe them out and eliminate all future trouble.

"We have some leads, but nothing certain. Judging from that man's accent and skin, he probably came from the north. Our people saw him with another burly man whose arms were just as thick.

"I suspect they might be the Desert North Duo. Both follow the unorthodox path, and rumors say they enjoy eating human flesh. Even among unorthodox practitioners, few dare associate with them."

Turning to serious business, Lao Denuo's expression grew grave. The intelligence he had gathered was far from reassuring.

"The Desert North Duo? Linghu Chong really is such a wonderful senior brother to us!"

Hearing that familiar name, Tian Hao let out a long sigh toward the heavens, inwardly lamenting that Linghu Chong truly was a walking disaster.

In the original story, that fellow calling Tian Boguang his brother had already been disastrous enough. Now he was actually calling monsters like the Desert North Duo his brothers and drinking merrily with them.

If word of this spread, the Mount Hua Sect would surely become the common enemy of the orthodox martial world.

Just imagine: the Mount Hua Sect's head disciple, its future sect leader, was actually befriending unorthodox practitioners who enjoyed eating human flesh. What were other orthodox martial artists supposed to think? How were they supposed to view that?

Moreover, in the original story, Linghu Chong had also befriended the Desert North Duo, along with countless similar unorthodox practitioners, and had even enjoyed it. His worldview was so twisted it made one's liver ache. It was truly a miracle that Old Yue had not died of anger in the original story.

"Come. We're going to see Martial Uncle Zhao Bulu."

Speaking coldly, Tian Hao strode outside.

Since he knew the Desert North Duo had come to Mount Hua Territory, he naturally could not let them leave unchecked, much less allow them to kill and eat people.

Besides, quite a few people had seen Linghu Chong drinking merrily with White Bear earlier, and then saving him and letting him escape. If someone with ulterior motives spread the story, it would deal a heavy blow to the Mount Hua Sect's reputation.

The matter of Mount Hua Academy had already thrust the Mount Hua Sect into the teeth of the storm. At a time like this, they were truly treading on thin ice. They had to proceed with utmost caution and could not expose even the slightest opening.

Most importantly, he was very interested in the martial art that let the Desert North Duo develop such massive arms. If he could train his own arms to be that thick and powerful, his explosive strength would surely double.

He could even apply that method to his entire body. Just imagining it was delightful!