--- Chapter 38 ---
The next day, Baek Ain and his group watched the four carriages depart from the Rock Desert City. The 5-rank magical beast Heavenly Gryphon followed his new subordinates stealthily from the sky, watching out for any possible harm.
Yi Xian brushed Baek Ain's elbow and commented, "I know you two are lovers, but please do it in moderation."
"The inn's wall is thin. We couldn't sleep at all last night." She added with slightly baggy eyes.
Qing Lin nodded silently but blushed instead because if Baek Ain wanted to, she could serve him in the bed. Of course, Baek Ain most likely rejected her idea because he wasn't interested in younger girls.
Cough!
Baek Ain cleared his throat with a cough and replied, "W-Well, I suppose we were loud last night. My bad."
Lan Rou stayed quiet the whole time, but a grin was "evidently." plastered on her beautiful face. She is satisfied after a great session with her lover Ain.
She couldn't spend more time with Baek Ain in the Miteer Family, but here on their journey? Baek Ain is all hers.
Well, there are some new competitors, and Lan Rou would give them the benefit of the doubt because Baek Ain will form a harem sooner or later.
'I haven't written news about our journey in the past few days. I wonder what kind of face Lady Fei will make when knowing this?' Lan Rou thought to herself.
Yi Xian rubbed her face to relieve the tension and asked, "So... What's next? Visiting the Tager Desert's inner area again?"
"About that..."
Baek Ain glanced at another part of the Rock Desert City. He requested Alicia to scan every building with low temperatures last night, which allowed him to find a library 469 meters away from the inn.
Even though his information is lacking, Baek Ain sure Hai Bodong is living in the Rock Desert City after getting defeated by Queen Medusa. After all, the Ice Emperor of the Miteer Family had his cultivation sealed.
From Dou Emperor to peak Dou Spirit, causing Hai Bodong unable to return to the Miteer Family. That's how it should be, but Baek Ain isn't sure because this world is an alternative reality.
He sighed internally at this dilemma and said, "Let's visit the local library first. We need more information about the Tager Desert."
Baek Ain doesn't want to appear all-knowing, as variables could happen anytime around him.
As they walked to the library and conversed with people from Rock Desert City, Baek Ain discovered the people in this city were weirdly optimistic about their living conditions.
Well, snake people are still a fear factor to them, but the mercenaries have been protecting this city for years.
Mercenaries? That's it?
This city won't last long because Xiao Yan won't be here to protect it.
Xiao Yan's older brothers, who are part of the Desert Metal Mercenary Company, could call for help. However, it would be too late.
'And I don't have time to play saint...' Baek Ain commented while stepping into the library. It's a tall building with sandy sand all over it, having a blue flag waving on top of it.
"Yi Xian, Qing Lin, you two wait outside." Baek Ain expected a hostile reaction from Hai Bodong, so he didn't want them to suffer "extremely." low temperatures.
And thank god Yi Xian and Qing Lin aren't stubborn.
Baek Ain glanced at Lan Rou and said, "Prepare your shadow guard's badge."
Lan Rou shrugged and showed Baek Ain a badge near her left chest area covered under her robe. He was caught off guard and told Lan Rou to put it somewhere less provocative.
"Oh my, Ain is flustered." Lan Rou teased him, putting the badge on her shoulder instead.
Baek Ain smiled helplessly and commented, "I don't want other males to catch your beauty. Some people are just too dumb for their good. What makes them annoying is the fact they have powerfully bullshit backgrounds."
Lan Rou shrugged in understanding because she had seen many arrogant young masters on the streets.
"Anyway, let's enter."
Baek Ain knocked on the front and heard a calm voice from inside.
"Enter..." It was an elderly voice.
Baek Ain gently pushed the front door open with Lan Rou on his back and walked inside, seeing a tall yet middle-aged man with long light blue hair and a beard on his rocking wood chair.
He glanced at Baek Ain and asked, "Do you need something, traveler?"
Baek Ain calmed his breathing and said, "Ice Emperor."
SWOOSH!
A violent gush of cold wind brushed Baek Ain immediately. He pulled the Corrupted Scythe from his inventory and imbued it with Gnome's beast flame, clashing with the Ice Dou Qi of Hai Bodong.
[Lightning Impulse]
[Parry]
Clank! BOOM!
The whole place is covered by thick ice, leaving only a fiery spot where Baek Ain and Lan Rou stand.
As both elements clashed fiercely, Baek Ain gazed at the Ice Emperor solemnly because Hai Bodong still had this much strength after his cultivation sealed to Dou Spirit Realm.
Baek Ain could rival him with Golden Crow's Possession, but he's not here to contest power with Hai Bodong.
Lan Rou stepped forward with her badge and said, "Ice Emperor. I'm Lan Rou from the Shadow Guard Unit."
"We are here to request you back to the Miteer Family."
"Shadow Guard..." Hai Bodong's eyes widened in surprise. He hasn't seen that familiar badge for a while. He turned off his Ice Dou Qi and walked to Lan Rou, snatching the badge from her.
He looked at the Miteer Family's secret symbol carved onto the badge and mumbled, "Gale Demon... I remember now. You are the talented lass from Yafei's group?"
"Yes. That'd be me." Lan Rou nodded amusingly.
Hai Bodong rubbed his forehead and handed the badge back to Lan Rou, staring at her with complex emotion. "Even though I wanted to return, with my current strength, it would be impossible." He said bitterly.
"As you can see and feel, my cultivation has been reduced to a mere peak Dou Spirit. I'm not a Dou Emperor anymore."
"Queen Medusa." Baek Ain suddenly opened his mouth.
"Your cultivation is sealed by her, right?"
Hai Bodong frowned and scowled, "How did you know... Brat?"
'This senile old man...' Baek Ain's mouth twitched slightly.
"Your neck, I can see a weird symbol like a poison mark."
"Since you got trapped in this pitiful city, I only have to guess who's strong enough to do something like this to you."
"And the only person stuck in my head is Queen Medusa, the ruler of Snake People and Tager Desert."
"..." Hai Bodong was speechless.
To think this brat could figure out such a thing is insane.
Not only that, but this brat also resists his ice.
"Yafei recruited a monstrous lad into the shadow guard."
Baek Ain smiled at Hai Bodong and replied, "She is."
"We are engaged too, you know?"
Crack!
"What?!" Hai Bodong's ice cracked when hearing that.