Chapter 90: Come on! Hurt Each Other!
Deep in the Tagor Desert, the snake people's holy city.
This city, forged from massive stones, stood rugged and wild, with some colossal boulders scattered around, clearly sourced locally. Unlike the opulent architecture of the Jia Ma Empire, the structures here exuded a raw, untamed essence.
At the city's heart, a towering temple loomed, the tallest edifice in the holy city.
On the roof of a side hall, Xiao Bai stood under the moonlight, gazing at the exotic city below.
Three days had passed since their arrival. Medusa had arranged for him to stay here while she prepared her tribe's affairs before her breakthrough. Xiao Bai had agreed without hesitation.
He understood her resolve. Medusa was shouldering the fate of the snake people, preparing for an evolution fraught with uncertainty. Her determined expression betrayed her doubts—she was not confident in her survival. Success could lead the snake people out of the Tagor Desert to a new homeland. Failure might doom them to obscurity, a fading memory in the annals of the Dou Qi Continent.
Xiao Bai had never borne such a burden, but he recognized its weight.
"You're here," he said without turning, sensing the presence behind him.
"Mmm," Medusa replied softly, gliding to his side. She handed him a jade vial. "The Ice Spirit Cold Spring you requested."
Xiao Bai accepted it, storing it in his ring. He didn't need it himself but had asked for it on Yao Lao's behalf, a small token to ease the old man's mood. For Medusa, it was no loss—she had a pool of the stuff, possibly fed by a hidden spring. As for secrecy, Xiao Bai wasn't concerned; subduing Heavenly Flames with such items was common knowledge.
Medusa's cold face showed traces of exhaustion. She hadn't rested since returning, consumed by her duties. A rare hesitation flickered in her eyes. "It may take three months to settle the tribe's affairs. Will you…?"
Seeing Xiao Bai's silence, she bit her lip, a bitter smile forming. She sighed inwardly. "Forget it. I'll hasten things, finish as swiftly as possible."
The timing was abrupt. Arranging the snake people's future, even accounting for her possible death, demanded time. Three months was already her utmost limit, leaving no room for personal preparations for her evolution.
"Alright," Xiao Bai said.
"What?" Medusa blinked, caught off guard.
"I said, alright," he repeated calmly. Three months left enough time before the Xiao family's coming-of-age ceremony, posing no conflict.
Medusa turned, staring at him. A faint, almost inaudible "Thank you" escaped her lips.
"No need. It's not free," Xiao Bai said, a sly grin in his eyes.
"Not free?" Medusa frowned.
"Yep. I want medicinal herbs and magic cores, fourth tier and below, as many as you can spare," Xiao Bai said, smiling at the queen, her allure heightened by the moonlight.
"Agreed. I'll have them sorted and delivered tomorrow," Medusa replied without pause. Such resources were trivial to her. As long as she, the queen, stood strong, the snake people would endure. Asking for this favor was a rare lowering of her pride, driven by duty to her tribe. Xiao Bai's transactional approach eased her discomfort.
"Think of yourself too. Only by breaking through can you better protect what matters to you," Xiao Bai said gently, noting her weary expression and the humility she'd shown for her people.
Medusa stood with hands clasped behind her, gazing at the city's myriad lights below, silent. The rooftop fell quiet, each lost in thought.
After a moment, Medusa vanished, her cold voice lingering in the breeze. "Thank you."
Xiao Bai shook his head, lips curling slightly. What a proud woman.
"Tsk tsk, Xiao Bai, another one?" Yao Lao's voice carried a mix of amusement and exasperation. "It's been no time at all, and you're already charming two. Planning to collect one everywhere you go?"
Xiao Bai grinned. "You sound sentimental, Yao Lao. Got a story from your past to share?"
"Ahem! I'm devoted to cultivation, no time for romantic nonsense!" Yao Lao coughed, his tone flustered.
"Pure cultivation, huh? Why so nervous?" Xiao Bai teased, noting Yao Lao's odd expression. Is that rumor true?
"Nervous? I'm just…" Yao Lao faltered.
"Reminiscing?" Xiao Bai prompted.
"Yes—wait, no! Trying to trick me, kid?" Yao Lao huffed.
"Don't be shy, senior. Share your tales, pass on some wisdom," Xiao Bai laughed.
"Ha! Worry about your own mess when you return to the Xiao family. That girlfriend of yours isn't simple," Yao Lao shot back, smirking. He knew the Golden Emperor Burning Sky Flame was that clan's inherited fire. If that girl was truly from that lineage, her status would be lofty, and Xiao Bai's dreams of juggling multiple romances were doomed.
"Come on, let's hurt each other!" Yao Lao thought smugly, reveling in his centuries of experience.
Xiao Bai sighed, his thoughts drifting to that girl, a pang of melancholy hitting him. Ling Ying must have informed her by now. She'd know everything and likely be furious. He'd avoided this headache, but Yao Lao's jab brought it crashing back.
"Yao Lao, how'd you handle this back then?" Xiao Bai asked, a touch of worry in his voice
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(End of this chapter)