"Don't go! I don't need much, just a token amount!"
Watching the rapidly disappearing figure in the sky, Chen Mo sighed.
"Sigh, so stingy."
As he descended from the sky, the time on his [Battle Ancestor Experience Card] had just expired.
The remaining members of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, who hadn't been bought out by Ling Ying, were all rounded up by Shaluo and his men.
"Old man, don't touch me!" a voluptuous woman snapped angrily, trying to break free from Shaluo's grip.
"Your leader doesn't even want you anymore, so why struggle? Why not come with me?" Shaluo's hand caressed Xuelan's face, pinching her smooth, pale skin as he leered, "You're in your forties, yet your skin is still as soft as a young girl's."
"Did you forget how Moxing died? You have no sense at all."
Chen Mo and Nalan Yanran walked over.
Shaluo's body trembled, and he immediately let go of Xuelan. "Pavilion Master."
"Pavilion Master," the members of Lingyan Pavilion called out in unison.
Xuelan, now free, looked at the young man before her with fearful eyes. He couldn't be more than twenty, yet he wielded power comparable to that of a Battle Emperor.
In his eyes, she and the others were nothing but ants.
How would he deal with her? Xuelan, realizing that her life was no longer in her control, was filled with despair.
The other members of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group lowered their heads in fear as Chen Mo approached, not daring to resist in the slightest.
Chen Mo paid no attention to Xuelan.
His only reason for coming over was to approach a small, pitiful girl in the crowd, dressed in a simple green outfit.
As Chen Mo walked toward her, the girl's fear was evident on her face.
"You don't need to be afraid; I won't hurt you," he said, lifting the sleeve of the girl's left arm.
The girl: (°ー°〃)
Nalan Yanran: (д)
Everyone: Shocked
Shaluo thought to himself, "Does the Pavilion Master have this kind of taste?"
However, the next moment, they were all stunned.
On the girl's snow-white wrist, there were faint scales.
"A serpent person?" Shaluo exclaimed in surprise.
Nalan Yanran was equally shocked and involuntarily glanced at the girl's legs.
Seeing everyone looking at her as if she were a monster, the girl, whose face had already paled because of Xiao Yan, grew even paler. She quickly pulled down her sleeve and cautiously took two steps back, trembling.
"What's your name?" Chen Mo squatted down and asked gently.
The girl, instinctively frightened by the man who had driven away Xiao Yan, responded with a trembling voice, "Qing Qinglin."
"So, it is Qinglin," Chen Mo thought to himself. He stood up, patted Qinglin's head, and smiled, "Don't be afraid. From today onwards, you are a member of Lingyan Pavilion."
Taking it upon himself to induct Qinglin into Lingyan Pavilion, Chen Mo then turned to the remaining members of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group. "Your leader abandoned you, but Lingyan Pavilion operates under the principle of mutual assistance. We are willing to take you in."
"From now on, those who wish to join Lingyan Pavilion, go to Pavilion Master Sha on the left to sign up. Anyone who joins Lingyan Pavilion will be rewarded with a second-tier pill. As for those who do not wish to join, you may leave now."
Given that they had just fought against his side, Chen Mo couldn't immediately reward them with third-tier pills.
"What are you waiting for? Lingyan Pavilion is full of experts, with Battle Kings in abundance, and the Pavilion Master himself is a Battle Emperor. The fact that he's willing to take you in is an honor, so hurry up and sign up," Shaluo shouted.
Chen Mo glanced at him, surprised that he had this kind of talent.
Of the sixteen surviving members of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, thirteen chose to join Lingyan Pavilion, including Xuelan, while the remaining three chose to leave.
Chen Mo and the others did not stop them.
Seeing that the visible issues had been resolved, Nalan Yanran's beautiful eyes sparkled as she looked at Chen Mo, seemingly wanting an explanation for everything that had just happened.
But how was Chen Mo supposed to explain?
Should he tell her, "I, Chen Mo, am a transmigrator, and I'm basically cheating"?
So, instead of explaining, Chen Mo gave her the task of leading Lingyan Pavilion to absorb all the mercenary groups in Mo City.
Start with a soft approach, then go hard if necessary.
As for Chen Mo, he wasted no time and rode the Green-Beak Eagle toward the Serpentfolk Tribe.
...
Somewhere in a dense forest in the eastern part of the empire.
"His spine is broken. Even with careful treatment, it will take a long time to heal. During this period, he can't fight anymore," Ling Ying said as he applied medicine to Xiao Ding's injuries. He then looked at Xiao Yan, who had almost lost his will to fight, and snorted, "I really don't know what the young lady sees in you."
Xiao Yan lay half-prone on the grass, his hands gripping the earth, filled with deep self-blame, tearing up large chunks of the turf.
"It's all my fault. If I hadn't underestimated him, thinking he was just a Battle Master, this wouldn't have happened, and Big Brother wouldn't have gotten hurt."
Xiao Li, unsure of what to say, asked Ling Ying, "Elder, may I know your name?"
"No need. I'm just following orders." Ling Ying, deeply disappointed in Xiao Yan, didn't bother telling Xiao Li his name.
Seeing that there was no immediate danger, Ling Ying once again vanished into the void.
At that moment, Yao Lao spoke up.
"This defeat isn't entirely bad for you. At least it made you realize that there are always stronger people out there and that you can't be so reckless in the future," Yao Lao sighed. "There are some forces that even I can't provoke."
Xiao Yan, still unwilling to accept the situation, asked, "So what now? Are we just going to leave?"
"Sigh, head to the Black-Corner Region. It might serve as a new training ground for you," Yao Lao suggested.
As Xiao Yan and his group prepared to leave, a voice echoed from the void, "If you're smart, you won't provoke that young man again. You're not his match yet."
...
Nightfall.
Within the Serpentfolk Tribe, negotiations had failed, and battle erupted.
Mebas stood on the city walls, weapon in hand, shouting angrily, "Kill these humans!"
Still some distance from the desert's central city, in an oasis, Chen Mo tied up the Green-Beak Eagle.
Hearing the commotion not far away, Chen Mo frowned.
Wasn't this supposed to happen during the day?
Why did it start at night?
Using Concealment Technique, Chen Mo swiftly moved toward the central city, treading lightly as a dragon.
Upon reaching the central city, Chen Mo took advantage of the chaos on the city walls to slip inside. He pulled out a black robe from his storage ring and put it on, covering himself completely.
As soon as he snuck inside, the system's familiar [Ding Ding Ding] sound rang out, notifying Chen Mo of the opportunities for plundering.
Chen Mo ignored these notifications and, based on the novel's description, headed toward the eastern part of the city.
Sneaking into a large temple, Chen Mo made his way through dark corridors, avoiding patrolling guards, until he finally reached a small lake.
In the center of the lake, a small island caught his eye.
"Medusa, here I come."
He shoved a dozen anti-serpent venom pills into his mouth, wrapped himself in lightning and fire, and dove into the lake.
Note: Does anyone know this Mebas character "墨巴斯" (Mòbāsī) ???