Chapter 24: That Glance

After a brief meeting with the Little Fairy Doctor, Chen Xiao continued his journey.

Stepping out of Qingshan Town, he took a quick glance at his map and immediately decided to pick up the pace.

*Whoosh!*

With a mere thought, the Purple Cloud Wings unfurled from his back, and he soared away toward the horizon.

Behind him, at the corner of a small cabin, a dozen mercenaries who had been eager to make a move stood dumbfounded. They looked at one another, speechless.

"Go back!"

Wang San, the leader of the mercenaries, remained silent for a long moment before waving his hand, leading the group back toward Qingshan Town.

After walking quickly for a while, one of the mercenaries noticed something amiss.

"Wang San, you're heading the wrong way. That’s the direction of the Fierce Lion Mercenary Group."

"That’s right. I intend to defect to the Fierce Lion Mercenary Group. The Wolf Head Mercenary Group dared to scheme against a Dou Wang powerhouse—they have paved their own path to destruction. Any of you who want to go back, feel free. And another thing: don't call me Wang San. Wang San died today. From now on, I’m changing my surname to Tang."

The mercenaries hesitated for a moment before gritting their teeth and following him. As the man said, if the Wolf Head Mercenary Group dared to target a Dou Wang today, they would surely scheme against a Dou Huang tomorrow. If they kept hanging around, they would eventually end up as corpses with no remains left.

Run! They had to run!

What the dozen men did not know was that Mu She and his son, who had issued them the mission, had been tailing them from the shadows the entire time, witnessing everything.

"Father, was that kid really a Dou Wang? What should we do?"

"I don't believe such a monster exists. However, what harm is there in letting him go?"

Mu She shook his head with a grave expression, though he dared not persist on this path to the end. The stakes were simply too high to gamble.

"But Father, didn't you say earlier that not avenging a grudge isn't the style of our Wolf Head Mercenary Group?"

Mu She glared at his useless son. "You forget countless things every day; why not forget this one, too?"

Sensing the cold look from his father, Mu Li hurriedly nodded in agreement.

"Father, I have forgotten it now."

"Good, a child who can be taught. Let's go back. While we may let that brat go, these traitors must be purged!"

***

High above in the sky, a streak of light, like a shooting star chasing the moon, flashed across the horizon in an instant, darting toward the earthen city standing amidst the golden desert.

As he drew closer to the city, a wave of scorching heat rushed toward him.

Stabilizing his form in mid-air, Chen Xiao looked out at the seemingly boundless sea of sand, deeply struck by the sight. This was his first time seeing a desert in two lifetimes. Just like a mainlander seeing the vast ocean for the first time, he couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder.

"A day and a night of travel, and I’ve finally arrived. Though, this region doesn't seem very friendly to me..."

Descending from the high altitude to the ground, Chen Xiao’s body trembled slightly. The Purple Cloud Wings on his back emitted a faint purple glow before slowly retracting, eventually transforming into a tattoo on his back.

He then circulated his cultivation technique and quickly sensed the anomaly of this region. Perhaps due to the unique terrain, nearly eighty percent of the energy in the air here was of the fire and earth attributes, a severe imbalance in the five elements. In such a region, those with fire or earth affinities would surely be like fish in water, their cultivation speed significantly increased. Conversely, those with other attributes would find the opposite to be true.

"No wonder Hai Bodong hid here for so many years without being discovered by Queen Medusa or the Miter family. A normal person would never think to look here."

With a soft chuckle, Chen Xiao changed into a set of cooler white robes that were less prone to absorbing heat. He then began to walk slowly toward the earthen city not far ahead.

As he neared the city, the number of passersby increased. Most of the men were shirtless, revealing dark, healthy skin. The women he passed were not wrapped up tightly like those on the other side of the Magical Beast Mountain Range; they wore uniform, tight-fitting leather outfits, exposing as much as possible beyond what was strictly necessary.

On their sexy, bronze-toned skin, one could occasionally see distinct tan lines. As they walked, their snake-like waists swayed, possessing a unique and charming allure.

It would be impolite not to look, but it would also be impolite to look too much. Chen Xiao stopped himself and cast his gaze toward the two large, pale-red characters above the city gate.

"Mo City..."

The two characters were carved into the city wall, and from a distance, they gave off a sense of being steeped in blood. In reality, that was not far from the truth. As far as Chen Xiao knew, these cities on the edge of the Tagor Desert suffered from frequent raids by snake-people and were not as peaceful as the cities in the interior.

Likewise, the mercenaries active here often ventured into the desert, sometimes even kidnapping female snake-people to sell at auctions in major cities—a pastime many wealthy nobles were particularly fond of. This back-and-forth had intensified the conflict between humans and snake-people; once they met, it was almost always a fight to the death.

"That has little to do with me."

***

Shaking his head slightly, Chen Xiao continued forward.

At the city gate, a dozen heavily armed soldiers, enduring the scorching sun, stood in armor with spears in hand, shouting at passersby to pay the entry tax—a major source of income for many cities.

However, the entry tax did not apply to everyone. Alchemists, with their esteemed status, were entitled to preferential treatment. Even the most basic first-tier alchemist could come and go freely in any city. Even in the Imperial Capital! That was the weight carried by the title of "Alchemist."

Chen Xiao was not an alchemist, so he was naturally not among those granted privileges. He took five scattered gold coins from his storage ring, handed them to the soldiers, and successfully entered the city.

Walking through the streets of the city, Chen Xiao ignored the curious gazes cast his way, his eyes sweeping over the buildings on either side, which were quite characteristic of the desert. After walking for a few minutes, he finally spotted a map shop named "Gu Tu" at the corner of the street.

Found you!

Chen Xiao gave a relaxed smile. He quickly reviewed the relevant information in his mind. Although his memories suggested that as long as he didn't do anything stupid, the danger would be minimal, he still had to be prepared for the worst.

"He should only be able to exert the power of a Dou Ling right now. With my strength as a seven-star Da Dou Shi, even if a fight broke out, I could run if I couldn't win. He doesn't know I have the Purple Cloud Wings, so the odds of success are eighty-eight percent!"

After a brief calculation, Chen Xiao hesitated no longer and pushed open the slightly ajar door of the map shop, which exuded an air of antiquity.

Stepping inside, he found that the interior was not very spacious. Two moonstones embedded in the ceiling emitted a faint glow, illuminating the shop quite brightly. There were not many customers—only three men who looked like mercenaries were picking out maps.

Apart from them, there was only an old man behind the counter, head bowed, meticulously crafting a map. He looked quite old, with a head of slightly messy white hair tied back loosely and wrinkles clearly visible on his face. However, the withered hand holding the drawing pen was exceptionally steady and powerful, looking nothing like the hand of a man at the twilight of his life.

Seeming to sense Chen Xiao’s scrutiny, the old man drawing the map slowly raised his head.

With just one glance, he could no longer look away!