"By the way, Second Brother, what is this lady's name?" Xiao Yan looked toward a graceful figure leaning on a weapon and panting.
This young lady appeared to be around twenty years old. Her pretty face was quite exquisite, but her slightly arched eyebrows faintly carried an untamed feeling, like a young female leopard in the desert. Looking at her disposition, one could imagine that although this desert flower was beautiful, she was also covered in thorns.
She dressed boldly and provocatively, her short clothes barely covering her chest and some skin underneath, leaving her bronze-colored, sexy, narrow waist exposed. Below her short leather skirt, a section of long, alluring legs was revealed.
Xiao Li chuckled, "Oh ho, Xiao-Yan-Zi, you've taken a liking to her already? Her name is Xue Lan, and she's the flower of our mercenary company."
Xue Lan's cheeks immediately turned red when she heard Xiao Yan's words. The other mercenaries looked heartbroken but didn't dare to say anything.
Xiao Yan gave Xiao Li an exasperated look and said, "Second Brother, what nonsense are you spouting? Her strength is not bad, her foundation is very good, and she has enough ferocity. Just now, she was the only one who counterattacked."
He then looked at Xue Lan and took out a pill bottle from his storage ring. There was only one medicinal pill inside. He said, "Your name is Xue Lan, right? I can tell you're already a 9-star Dou Practitioner. This is a high-grade 2nd-tier medicinal pill called 'Minor Spirit Pill'. It can increase the success rate of breaking through to the Dou Master realm by 50%. With your foundation and level of Dou Qi, having this pill should guarantee your breakthrough to the Dou Master realm."
Xiao Yan casually tossed the pill bottle toward Xue Lan. Seeing such a precious medicinal pill being thrown over like this, not to mention Xue Lan, even the mercenaries beside her scrambled to catch it, turning the entire compound into a chaotic mess once again.
Xue Lan caught the medicinal pill and looked at the light blue pill inside with disbelief. He's just giving it away?! A high-grade 2nd-tier medicinal pill! And an extremely rare one that helps with breakthroughs!
In the entire Rock Desert City, not to mention purchasing it, they had never even heard of such a pill!
"I... I..."
Xiao Yan waved his hand and said, "I don't like taking back things I've given away. Just work hard for the mercenary company in the future."
"Thank you, Third Company Leader! I, Xue Lan, will never forget Third Company Leader's kindness!" Xue Lan kneeled on one knee and spoke resoundingly.
Xiao Ding shook his head, walked up behind Xiao Yan, and patted him on the head. "All right, Xiao-Yan-Zi, we know you're an alchemist now. Come, let's go inside and talk."
He looked at the young man who was nearly as tall as himself, and a trace of doting and gentleness flashed through his eyes. Unknowingly, Xiao Yan had already grown so tall.
When Xiao Li saw that Xiao Ding was dragging Xiao Yan into the compound, he quickly handed the pills to a trusted member of the company and instructed him to distribute one pill to each person as a life-saving measure. Then he hurriedly followed them inside.
Looking at the three brothers walking away with their arms around each other's shoulders, laughing and talking, the mercenaries in the compound clicked their tongues and said, "So that's the genius younger brother the two Company Leaders often mention."
"Isn't he too strong? He beat all of us single-handedly. He must be at least an advanced Dou Master. And I heard he's only eighteen this year!"
All the mercenaries couldn't help but swallow in disbelief. Is he really human?
"My goodness, he's an alchemist and his strength is so terrifying."
"I feel like Rock Desert City is about to change."
…
On the night of his arrival in Rock Desert City, Xiao Yan, who hadn't touched a drop of alcohol, made an exception and drank to his heart's content with Xiao Ding and Xiao Li.
"You brat's strength has probably surpassed mine and Big Brother's now, hasn't it?" Xiao Li said, his face flushed and reeking of alcohol.
Xiao Yan took a sip of his drink and replied, "I just got lucky. After leaving Jia Nan Academy, I came across some opportunities and managed to improve my strength a bit. Otherwise, I wouldn't be a match for Second Brother."
"Good boy, while everyone else dreams of getting into Jia Nan Academy, you actually left on your own," Xiao Li said with a laugh.
Xiao Ding asked in a solemn voice, "By the way, Father mentioned the annulled engagement in a letter over two years ago. What happened with that?"
Both Xiao Ding and Xiao Li looked at Xiao Yan. When Nalan Yanran came to annul the engagement, they had already left to establish the Desert Metal Mercenary Company and had not witnessed it firsthand.
Xiao Yan shrugged, picked up a piece of meat, put it in his mouth, and said indifferently, "What else could happen? If she wants to annul it, I'll let her be."
"Don't you two have some sort of three-year agreement?"
"Sigh, those rich young misses are all the same. I didn't expect her to be so weak. One blow and she was down. I had already prepared a way out for her, but she couldn't withstand a single punch. Alas, if I'd known, I would have suggested a game of rock-paper-scissors. If she had won, we could have broken off the engagement without all this trouble. Now it's such a hassle. I still have to go to the Imperial Capital in half a year." Xiao Yan sighed helplessly.
Xiao Li saw this Xiao Yan brat acting all innocent despite taking advantage, and couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Hahaha, you little brat are really something. Suggesting a game of rock-paper-scissors, hahaha, you're killing me here. To think your Big Brother was so worried about the engagement matter that he lost sleep and appetite, afraid that you'd brood over it and develop some psychological issues."
Xiao Li put his arm around Xiao Yan's shoulder, lowered his voice, and pointed to the girl pouring wine beside them. "Her name is Qing Lin. She's a half-blood, part Snake-People Race and part human. Her mother was tragically killed in the desert when she was twelve. Big Brother and I found her. At that time, your Big Brother thought that after the annulment with Nalan Yanran, you might need someone to cheer you up, so he planned to raise her and give her to you as a maid when she grew up."
Apparently, someone had told Xiao Ding and Xiao Li that some people, after experiencing emotional trauma, might suffer from certain... functions that might falter and lead to self-doubt.
TL: Someone must have read too much Mushoku Tensei.
And the Snake-People Race's women had unparalleled abilities in arousing men's desires; the two brothers only feared that Xiao Yan might not be able to perform...
Xiao Yan naturally noticed the girl named Qing Lin. Although she was only thirteen or fourteen years old, perhaps due to her mixed Snake-People bloodline, her delicate and exquisite figure was curvy where it should be and flat where it should be. These were all fatal temptations for those with certain peculiar tastes.
Originally, Xiao Yan thought she was just an ordinary servant. Who would have thought!
Xiao Ding naturally overheard the conversation but didn't deny it. He even glanced at Xiao Yan as if to ask: Is everything still working fine? Need some stimulation tonight?
Qing Lin's face turned red all the way to her ears. She stood to the side holding the wine pot, occasionally stealing glances at Xiao Yan. Xiao Ding had told her about this matter long ago, hoping that she could stay by Xiao Yan's side and serve him once she came of age.
Xiao Yan directly rolled his eyes at his two brothers. "You two are truly my brothers."
His words were filled with both helplessness and warmth toward these older brothers of his.
"My dear brothers, you didn't write home six months ago and ask me to come all the way to Rock Desert City just to tell me this, did you?"
More than six months ago, before Jia Nan Academy's recruitment team had arrived, Xiao Ding had written a letter home asking him to come to Rock Desert City. He had replied that he would find time to visit.
He never expected it to be for something like this!!
Xiao Ding and Xiao Li's expressions changed immediately upon hearing Xiao Yan's words. Xiao Li said in a heavy voice, "Qing Lin, you stay. Everyone else, leave."
"Understood, Second Leader!"
The mercenaries standing guard outside closed the door, and everyone consciously left the vicinity of the compound.
Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed when he saw the serious atmosphere. It seemed he had misunderstood.
Xiao Ding lowered his voice and said in a very serious manner, "Xiao-Yan-Zi, we have discovered traces of a Heavenly Flame."