When the two guards at the door saw the miserable state of Lei Le and his group, they immediately opened the door, and another guard went inside the Desert Iron Mercenary Group to report the situation.
They quickly welcomed Lei Le and his party inside.
However, when their eyes fell on the girl in the green dress, a hint of disgust flashed in their eyes.
"What are you doing!"
Lei Le glared at the guard and said, "Get me the healer right now."
Lei Le said this simply to prevent the girl in green from being embarrassed in public, especially in front of Xiao Yan and Xiao Huohuo.
It's hardly maintenance.
The guard lowered his head, but the disdain in his eyes was not completely hidden.
The girl lowered her head even further, her small body trembling slightly.
Xiao Yan and Xiao Huohuo exchanged a glance, a hint of doubt in their eyes.
Even when they were attacked by scorpions before, these people didn't show this much malice towards the girl.
They even protected her within the central government; why such a drastic change in attitude?
The two had just entered the compound when two young men approached them.
Xiao Yan's gaze swept over the two of them, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
The man on the left was about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with a refined face but a tired look in his eyes, wearing a faded blue robe.
The man on the right is younger, with a rugged face and sharp, eagle-like eyes.
Xiao Yan's gaze shifted from the two men to Xiao Huohuo, and he suddenly realized that these must be the two older brothers that the other party had mentioned before.
" Lei Le, mission accomplished..."
The more refined-looking young man on the left stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.
His gaze fell on Xiao Huohuo and Xiao Yan's faces, and he froze on the spot.
The rougher-looking young man on the other side was also stunned, a look of excitement flashing in his eyes.
"Big... Big brother? Second brother?"
Xiao Huohuo's voice was choked with emotion.
Having not seen each other for several years, coupled with the changes that had occurred within his clan, his emotions were in turmoil in front of his two relatives.
"Third brother?!"
Xiao Ding rushed forward, grabbed Xiao Huohuo's shoulders with both hands, and said with slightly red eyes:
"We heard from the clan that you had gone out to train on your own, and your older brother and I were quite worried. We never expected you to end up here."
Xiao Ding reached out and pinched Xiao Huohuo's body, his face full of excitement.
Xiao Li rushed over, and the three of them hugged each other tightly.
The mercenaries around them, seeing this, finally realized what was happening, their faces showing expressions of sudden understanding.
A smile spread across Lei Le's face, and he laughed heartily:
"No wonder I thought you two looked familiar; it turns out you're the brothers of the two regimental commanders!"
Lei Le slapped his forehead. His surname was Xiao, and he even bore a resemblance to the two regimental commanders. He should have realized it sooner.
After a long while, the three of them finally separated.
Xiao Ding's eyes were a little moist. At this moment, his gaze was drawn to Xiao Yan beside him, and he showed a hint of curiosity, asking:
"Who is this...?"
He looked at Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan stood there quietly, dressed in black with black hair, his temperament calm and serene, completely out of place with the surrounding noise.
What shocked Xiao Ding and Xiao Li the most was Xiao Yan's appearance, which was exactly the same as Xiao Huohuo's.
Xiao Ding and Xiao Li exchanged a glance. Could this be their father's illegitimate son?
Neither of them had heard of it.
The main reason is that Xiao Yan's face is exactly the same as Xiao Huohuo's, making it hard not to have some suspicions.
"Uh..." Xiao Huohuo had clearly noticed the anomaly as well, and could only say to the two of them:
"This is my friend, Xiao Yan," Xiao Huohuo introduced to the two, "We've been very fortunate to have his help along the way."
"Also surnamed Xiao?" Xiao Li raised an eyebrow.
"A coincidence." Xiao Huohuo patted Xiao Ding and Xiao Li's shoulders, not wanting to say too much about Xiao Yan's background.
Sensing Xiao Huohuo's actions, the two gave Xiao Yan a deep look but said nothing more.
As leaders of a mercenary group, the two men had excellent judgment.
Although the young man in black was young, he possessed a profound aura. The sharp look in his eyes as he scanned the surroundings when he entered the room was enough to make even a Four-Star Dou Shi feel uneasy.
"Let's go inside and talk."
Xiao Ding suppressed his doubts and led everyone toward the main house.
Qing Lin silently followed at the back of the group, head down, trying to minimize her presence.
The main house was simply furnished, with only a few wooden chairs and a rough table.
After everyone was seated, Xiao Huohuo recounted his chance encounter with Lei Le and his group, and how he had helped them.
After listening to Xiao Huohuo's story, Xiao Ding remained silent for a long time.
His fingers tapped the table unconsciously, making a soft, rhythmic sound.
Xiao Li stood up abruptly and paced back and forth in the cramped space, his face contorted with barely suppressed rage.
"Regarding the Xiao Clan matter, you wrote to us telling us not to go back..." Xiao Ding murmured, his eyes sharpening.
"After my father disappeared, Xiao Li and I also investigated in secret."
It's a pity that those men in black acted so mysteriously, leaving no clues whatsoever.
Xiao Ding's tone revealed an undisguised sense of disappointment.
Xiao Huohuo clenched his fist and said to the two of them:
"Eldest brother, second brother, I have a lead on Father's matter, but unfortunately I can't tell you now. Don't worry, I will definitely bring Father back!"
Xiao Li stopped and looked at his younger brother with a puzzled expression.
A complex emotion flashed in Xiao Ding's eyes. He gave Xiao Li a look, then sighed and said to Xiao Huohuo:
"Third brother, what's your strength now?"
Peak Nine-Star Dou Shi.
"Oh?"
Xiao Ding nodded and said:
" Peak Nine-Star Dou Shi, that means he'll be breaking through to Dou Shi soon..."
"What!!?"
Xiao Ding suddenly exclaimed in surprise, and Xiao Li, who was standing to the side, also looked at Xiao Huohuo in disbelief.
It wasn't until Xiao Huohuo released his aura—a genuine Peak Nine-Star Dou Shi —that Xiao Ding and Xiao Li were stunned into silence.
After witnessing Xiao Huohuo's strength, the two immediately realized that Xiao Huohuo probably had his own extraordinary encounter.
"Good!"
Xiao Ding nodded, patted Xiao Huohuo on the shoulder, and said:
"You've grown up now, so your second brother and I are counting on you. But remember, no matter what happens, your older brother and I will always be there to support you!"
Xiao Huohuo's eyes reddened slightly as he suppressed the turmoil in his heart. Xun'er must know what happened to the Xiao Clan, and he would definitely ask her about it next time they met.
"Commander... the medicine is ready."
A timid voice rang out.
Everyone turned their heads and saw Qing Lin standing outside the door holding a wooden tray with several bowls of steaming medicinal soup on it.
Her head was lowered, revealing only the top of her pale green hair.
"Come in," Xiao Ding said gently.
Qing Lin Xiao Xin walked in and placed the medicinal soup on the table one by one.
When she walked up to Xiao Yan, her hand trembled slightly, causing ripples in the medicinal soup in the bowl, and several fine green scales were revealed under her sleeve.
Qing Lin recoiled as if startled, nearly knocking over the bowl.
Xiao Yan twisted his wrist, steadily supporting the medicine bowl without spilling a drop.
"I'm sorry..." Qing Lin's voice was barely audible, as if she were about to cry.
Xiao Yan shook his head and placed the medicine bowl on the table.
His gaze swept over Qing Lin's wrist; he had briefly glimpsed a few pale blue, scale-like patterns on her cuff.
"Alright, Qing Lin, you can go now."
Xiao Ding waved his hand, Qing Lin, like a startled rabbit, bowed and quickly retreated.
Noticing the somewhat puzzled looks from Xiao Yan and Xiao Huohuo, Xiao Li explained:
"Third brother, you may not know this, but Qing Lin... is somewhat special."
"Special?" Xiao Huohuo asked curiously.
Xiao Ding sighed, "She has Snake-People blood."
The room fell silent instantly.
In the Jia Ma Empire, the hatred between humans and the Snake-People Tribe has lasted for hundreds of years.
Countless people die in conflict along the border every year, and the blood debt between the two sides is immense.
Hybrids with Snake-People blood are ostracized by both humans and Snake-People Tribe.
"Two years ago, when we found her on the edge of the desert, she was being pelted with stones by a group of children."
Xiao Ding's voice was somewhat muffled:
"Her mother was human, but she was violated by invading Snake-People and gave birth to her. From a young age, she was considered an outsider. Later, her mother could not bear the humiliation and died. After that, she was driven out of the village and wandered in the desert for half a month."
A flicker of pity crossed Xiao Huohuo's eyes. "This isn't Qing Lin's fault, why did those people...?"
"Fear."
Xiao Yan suddenly spoke up, his voice calm. "People are always afraid of those who are different from themselves."
He picked up the bowl of medicine and took a small sip.
The bitter medicinal soup slid down my throat, carrying a faint coolness.
"That's right."
Xiao Ding glanced at Xiao Yan in surprise and said:
" Qing Lin's background is pitiful; her half-human, half- Snake-People blood makes her unpopular with humans and regarded as a heretic by Snake-People."
"The other mercenaries saw her as a harbinger of disaster, and their hatred for the Snake-People Tribe inevitably transferred to her, mixed with disgust and fear..."
"Although Qing Lin has a special background, she works very hard in the group."
Xiao Ding clapped his hands, changed the subject, and continued:
"Let's not talk about that anymore. Third brother, what are your plans for the future?"
When it came to serious matters, Xiao Huohuo's expression became more serious:
" Xiao Yan and I are searching for Heavenly Flames in the Tagor Desert. According to the information I've received, there might be signs of Heavenly Flames existing nearby."
" Heavenly Flames?" Xiao Ding asked in surprise. He had heard of such a treasure as Heavenly Flames.
"Exactly." Xiao Huohuo nodded, took out the map from his pocket, and pointed to a location Stone Desert City.
"This place..."
Xiao Li stroked his chin, then turned to Xiao Ding beside him and said:
"The distance to Ghost Howl Valley, which is under the control of the Sand Mercenary Group, isn't too far. If we go there in a large-scale attack, we might just clash with them again..."
A fierce glint flashed in Xiao Ding's eyes, and he coldly snorted:
"Hmph! The Sand Mercenary Group must have been behind this whole mess with Lei Le's group. Perfect, let them know that my Desert Iron Mercenary Group isn't made of clay!"
"Besides, this place is quite a distance from Ghost Howl Valley. Even if Luo Bu wanted to make a move, he wouldn't have the right to do so."
"When are we leaving?" Xiao Li asked Xiao Huohuo, who was standing beside him.
"Tomorrow then," Xiao Huohuo said after a slight hesitation. "Time is of the essence; it's better to check as soon as possible."
"OK."
Xiao Ding nodded. "I'll have Lei Le take a team with you; they're more familiar with that area."
"Thank you for your trouble, brother." Xiao Yan smiled.
"Hey kid, why are you being so polite with your older brothers?"
Xiao Ding rolled his eyes at Xiao Huohuo and continued:
"You all go and rest first. I'll have them get ready to leave early tomorrow morning."
As night deepened, Stone Desert City fell into slumber. In a guest room at the Desert Iron Mercenary Group's base, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on the bed, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing.
The Bone Spirit Cold Flame flowed slowly within his body, gradually transforming into Dou Qi.
Since consuming the Fire Spirit Fruit, he discovered that his Soul Power cultivation speed was much faster than before, and it seemed to have a special nourishing effect on his soul.