"S-sorry!" the girl apologized in panic.
Xiao Ce looked at the girl. Her plain clothes could not hide her lovely appearance, especially those eyes, alluring and charming, charming and soft. They could stir the desire deep in a man's heart, just like Queen Medusa's.
Besides that, the girl's arms bore green snake scales, forming a stark contrast with her normal skin.
From this, Xiao Ce could already confirm that the girl before him was one of his targets on this trip: Qing Lin, the possessor of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils.
Seeing the young man looking at the snake scales on her arms, Qing Lin grew even more flustered. She lowered her head and apologized, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you."
Xiao Ce deliberately teased her. "What good are a couple of spoken apologies? Do you have any actual compensation to offer?"
Qing Lin froze, her body shrinking back. "I... I don't have anything to compensate you with."
Xiao Ce advanced step by step... pressing closer with every step, looking Qing Lin up and down. "You look rather pretty to me. Be my maid from now on."
Qing Lin's eyes widened slightly, as though she could hardly believe it.
How could anyone take the initiative to ask for a loathsome mixed-blood snake girl like her?
A barely perceptible trace of joy arose in Qing Lin's heart.
But she immediately shook her head and said timidly, "S-sorry, I... I'm a maid of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group. I can't serve you."
Xiao Ce's tone was forceful. "That's not for you to decide.
You won't agree, is that it? Then I'll go to the Desert Iron Mercenary Group right now. Let's see who dares stop me!"
Qing Lin said in a panic, "Y-you'll get hurt."
Xiao Ce merely found teasing the little girl rather entertaining. He took Qing Lin by the hand and headed straight for the Desert Iron Mercenary Group.
Xiao Yi Xian followed behind, inexplicably feeling a little uncomfortable. Not wanting to watch Xiao Ce's contact with Qing Lin, she murmured, "Senior seems to have a bit of a nasty personality."
They made their way to the Desert Iron Mercenary Group's entrance. Qing Lin resisted, unwilling to go over, but she could not prevail against Xiao Ce at all. She was so anxious that tears spilled out, her lovely face filled with grievance.
"N-no... Qing Lin doesn't want to cause trouble."
Outside the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, several mercenaries in light clothing saw Xiao Ce pulling Qing Lin along and immediately came forward to question him.
Although they also disliked Qing Lin, a mixed-blood, she was still one of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group's people. Since this was happening right at their doorstep, they had to intervene no matter what.
Xiao Ce had no intention of concealing his identity, provoking hostility, and inexplicably throwing the mercenary group into chaos.
Only a fucking idiot would do something like that.
"Xiao Ce, the Xiao Clan's third son and your leaders' third brother," Xiao Ce introduced himself.
The mercenaries looked at Xiao Ce's face. Though more handsome, it did indeed bear some resemblance to their two leaders, so they immediately went to report his arrival.
"The leaders' third brother?" Qing Lin sniffled, the tip of her nose pink, and blinked her alluring green eyes blankly.
"Mhm." Xiao Ce stroked Qing Lin's head. "So start preparing yourself now to be my maid from now on."
Qing Lin sniffled, not knowing what to say.
Without the Desert Iron Mercenary Group standing in the way, becoming Xiao Ce's maid seemed rather nice... at least she had not seen any disgust in his eyes.
Soon.
Xiao Ding's and Xiao Li's excited voices rang out from within the Desert Iron Mercenary Group. "Third Brother!"
Seeing his two family members, Xiao Ce also revealed a sincere smile. "Eldest Brother, Second Brother."
The three brothers met.
Xiao Li came forward and pulled Xiao Ce straight into a bear hug. "Hahaha, it really is you, Third Brother.
I've missed you to death!"
Their eldest brother, Xiao Ding, also nodded with a smile. "Third Brother, your second brother and I have talked about you and Fourth Brother so often. Seeing you this time has eased some of that longing."
Xiao Ce nodded and said, "Eldest Brother, Second Brother, I've been traveling for ages. Aren't you going to let me inside to rest?"
"Of course we are. This mercenary group was prepared for you in the first place.
We were afraid your talent would be too poor and you'd have nowhere to go, so your second brother and I established the Desert Iron Mercenary Group. Then, no matter how much gossip there was in the Xiao Clan, we could still let you live in wealth and splendor here.
Who would've thought you'd become so formidable now? Father's letter even said you'd become an Alchemist. Is that true?"
Xiao Ce waved a hand and smiled. "I'll show you what I can do when the time comes and refine some pills for you. Whether you take them yourselves or reward your mercenaries with them, either is fine."
Xiao Ding's eyes lit up. "You said it yourself, Third Brother. We'll have to squeeze you dry when the time comes."
Xiao Li said, "Enough talk. Hurry inside, and let's have a proper drink together!"
"All right!" Xiao Ce was also rather tempted.
Soon, under Xiao Ding's and Xiao Li's arrangements, Xiao Ce and Xiao Yi Xian moved into the same courtyard, staying in the main room and a side room respectively.
At night, the three brothers drank together while Qing Lin served them wine and dishes.
Xiao Ce took the opportunity to propose making Qing Lin his personal maid.
Xiao Ding and Xiao Li did not refuse, merely offering a few meaningful words of advice.
"Third Brother, Qing Lin is still young. Mind yourself."
"Third Brother, take care of your body."
Xiao Ce smiled and continued drinking.
Qing Lin, who waited to one side, had turned as red as could be, like a fully ripened cherry. Even the snake scales on her skin were frighteningly hot.
After drinking from the afternoon until late at night, Xiao Ce announced that he would enter seclusion to make a breakthrough and asked them not to disturb him for the next couple of days.
Xiao Ding and Xiao Li nodded repeatedly and voiced their congratulations.
Back in the little courtyard where he was staying, Xiao Ce's mind was clear. His powerful physique had long since metabolized all the alcohol in his body.
He took the Green Lotus Platform out of his Storage Ring and plopped down on it.
His cultivation had already risen to Eight-Star Dou Shi, bringing him very close to Da Dou Shi.
Now that he had reached a safe place like the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, he might as well ride the momentum and break through to Da Dou Shi to obtain his next deployment opportunity.
With this thought, Xiao Ce took out two earth fire lotus seeds, swallowed both in one go, and began digesting them.
Vast energy swiftly exploded within his body.
The emperor flame transformed into the shapeless, colorless nihility devouring flame and began helping him digest the energy of the earth fire lotus seeds, while the Spirit Refining Art also began operating at full power.
His Dou Qi began rising little by little...
Night turned to day, then day turned to night.
After a full day and night had passed, the energy of the earth fire lotus seeds inside Xiao Ce's body had been completely digested.
With the energy of the two lotus seeds, Xiao Ce's cultivation swiftly broke through!
Nine-Star Dou Shi!
Then, the bottleneck to Da Dou Shi offered no obstruction whatsoever and was smoothly broken through.
One-Star Da Dou Shi!
Xiao Ce opened his eyes. Dou Qi slowly surged out of his body and covered its surface, initially forming a gauze robe of Dou Qi before gradually solidifying and growing stronger, transforming into sturdier Dou Qi Armor.
"With this Dou Qi Armor, no one below Da Dou Shi can possibly be my match." Xiao Ce smiled, delight appearing in his eyes.
Compared with the improvement in his actual combat ability, what delighted him most was still the increase in his deployment count!
[Deployment count: 1 (Broke through to Da Dou Shi, deployment count +1)]
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