“What are you, to dare speak to me in such a manner?” Hearing this, Morox was initially stunned, and then, upon seeing Xiao Yan’s youthful face, he became furious. The two, Xiao Lie, were the leaders of the Mo Tie Mercenary Company; it wasn’t strange for them to speak rudely to him. But this young lad, who looked like a mere boy, dared to insult him so brazenly. How could Morox not be enraged? As soon as Morox’s scolding left his mouth, Xiao Lie’s expression turned cold. A flash of electricity leapt across the tungsten-steel spear in his hand. He stepped forward, and with a sharp force, the spear shot viciously towards Morox’s throat.
Xiao Lie’s sudden attack made Morox’s face pale drastically. He hadn’t expected the other party to be so daring. However, Xiao Lie’s strength was superior, so he had no choice but to retreat in a very humiliating manner. In the process, his foot twisted, and he ended up sitting on the ground in front of everyone.
“Xiao Lie, if you dare kill me, our leader will not let you off!” Morox’s face was filled with fear as he watched the silver spear tip rapidly approaching. He screamed in a shrill voice.
*Hiss.*
The spear stopped abruptly just half an inch from Morox’s throat. The sharp force contained within actually penetrated the air and left a small, bloody scratch on Morox’s throat, causing blood to flow out instantly.
“What are you, to dare speak to my brother in such a way?” Xiao Lie sneered contemptuously at Morox, who was bleeding profusely and unable to move under the close proximity of the spear.
Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Morox’s forehead was covered with cold sweat. He carefully used his palm to support himself and backed away a few steps, then hastily retreated into the group. He spoke bitterly, “Xiao Lie, you’re brave! I’ll report this to our leader. The Mo Tie Mercenary Company, get ready for your doom!”
After saying this, Morox feared another attack from the ghost-like spear. With a shout, he led his men to turn and flee.
Seeing the Sand Mercenary Company leave in a miserable state, the surrounding crowd couldn’t help but whistle in unison.
“Trash…” Disdainfully, Xiao Lie spat in the direction of Morox and his retreating comrades. Turning back to Xiao Yan, he shrugged and said, “Now that we’ve humiliated that guy in front of so many people, I think we’ve really made an enemy of the Sand Mercenary Company. After Morox returns and embellishes the report to Sharo, I’m afraid the Sand Mercenary Company will mobilize their forces and come to seize this territory tomorrow.”
Xiao Yan smiled and nodded. Glancing around, he said softly, “Brothers, just guard this area. As for the Sand Mercenary Company, I will handle it.”
“You… can you really do it? If it’s really impossible…” Xiao Ding frowned, somewhat worried.
“Hehe, just a Great Fighter…” Xiao Yan smiled and nodded. Waving to the two, he hopped onto a camel and grinned, “Trust me. I’ll make the Sand Mercenary Company cower in Shi Mo City like turtles.”
With that, Xiao Yan kicked the camel lightly, and it galloped towards Shi Mo City, leaving a trail of dust behind.
As they watched Xiao Yan gradually disappear, Xiao Ding and Xiao Lie exchanged a look, both shaking their heads with a bitter smile. After a while, they sighed, “Oh well, let’s hope this little guy has some unknown trump card. If not, with the strength of our Mo Tie Mercenary Company, Sharo wouldn’t dare to be too reckless. After all, if it comes to a fight, their Sand Mercenary Company would suffer heavy losses. That kind of loss, he cannot afford.”
Beside them, Xiao Lie shrugged and said with a smile, “I’m curious if Little Flame can really make that Robb guy stay put in Shi Mo City.”
“We’ll see. I believe in him,” Xiao Ding smiled faintly and said.
The moon in the desert hung high in the sky like a giant silver platter, casting a pale glow over the darkened Shi Mo City.
In the western part of Shi Mo City, a large courtyard was brightly lit, with laughter and shouts continuously coming from inside. In the middle of the courtyard, a wooden pole held a flag bearing the words “Sand Mercenary Company.”
In the night, a light breeze twisted the flag’s direction. In a room in the center of the courtyard, a faint light dispelled the darkness. Inside, there were two people: one was Morox, who had clashed with Xiao Yan and his companions in the afternoon, and the other, a middle-aged man, was naturally the leader of the Sand Mercenary Company, Robb.
“Leader, Xiao Ding and the others are becoming more and more arrogant. We are the old power in Shi Mo City. Those two young punks have only been here for a few years, yet they dare to ignore us. If we let them continue to develop, there will be endless troubles in the future,” Morox licked his lips and said in a chilling tone.
The middle-aged man raised his eyes and glanced at Morox below, then asked indifferently, “Have you found out what they are doing?”
“Uh… no, before we even got close, we were chased out by Xiao Lie and the others.” Morox’s face turned slightly red, and he answered awkwardly.
Hearing this, the middle-aged man frowned and snorted, clearly dissatisfied with Morox’s capabilities.
Morox’s forehead was drenched with sweat as he quickly said, “Leader, although we don’t know their exact purpose, whatever makes Xiao Ding, that sly fox, mobilize the entire company must be extraordinary. And the place they are in is not far from Shi Mo City. Therefore, we have plenty of excuses to step into that area.”
Robb nodded slightly, but still hesitated. Without knowing exactly what they were after, he didn’t want to provoke the Mo Tie Mercenary Company. Although he was a Great Fighter, the strongest in his team, apart from Morox, were all below the Fighter level. On the other hand, the Mo Tie Mercenary Company not only had Xiao Ding and Xiao Lie as Fighters, but also two two-star Fighters. This overall strength was much stronger than the Sand Mercenary Company, so Robb was quite wary of them.
“Leader, this opportunity should not be missed. There are too many secrets in the desert. If Xiao Ding and the others unearth some advanced techniques or battle skills left by predecessors, then the Mo Tie Mercenary Company will truly surpass us in the future!” Seeing Robb’s hesitation, Morox secretly cursed, then began to stir the flames.
“Alright…”
Under Morox’s urging, Robb wavered. After a moment of contemplation, he finally nodded. “Tomorrow, we will gather the troops and forcibly take over the territory of the Mo Tie Mercenary Company!”
Seeing Robb finally agree, Morox’s face showed a trace of a smile, and his narrowed eyes flickered with venom.
“Ah… Leader Robb, your decision is really disappointing.”
A faint voice suddenly echoed in the room, without any warning.
The sudden sound made the two men in the room turn pale, and they quickly turned around, horrified to find a black-robed youth sitting in the corner, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.
“Who are you!?” Robb shouted, his voice tinged with fear and anger, as he realized the youth had entered undetected.
“Leader, he’s Xiao Ding and Xiao Lie’s brother!” Morox recognized Xiao Yan and stepped back, shouting.
Hearing this, Robb’s eyes narrowed, and he stared intently at Xiao Yan, saying, “Friend, what brings you to the Sand Mercenary Company late at night?”
Having witnessed Xiao Yan’s ghostly speed, Robb wouldn’t foolishly mistake him for an ignorant youth.
“Hehe, nothing much… I just want to ask Leader Robb to keep the members of the Sand Mercenary Company under control for the next few days. Please don’t let them disturb my brothers’ business,” Xiao Yan tapped the table lightly and said with a smile.
“Brat, you are too presumptuous. What are you to command us!” Morox shouted angrily.
“Silence.”
Xiao Yan’s eyes narrowed, and a cold glint flashed in his dark pupils. His body rose slightly, and then, in an instant, he transformed into a shadow, darting through the obstacles in the room. In a blink, his hand was gently placed on Morox’s back, his body leaning slightly forward, he whispered, “Your schemes, Dog Head Advisor, are quite vicious…”
His words were barely out when the palm erupted with a white flame, which quickly entered Morox’s body. With a muffled sound, the previously human-shaped Morox turned into a pile of black ashes.
After killing Morox, Xiao Yan lightly clapped his hands and walked over to the stiff-bodied Robb, smiling at his sweaty face.
Seeing the smile on the young man’s face, Robb’s throat twitched. The eerie speed he had displayed earlier was truly frightening. To exhibit such terrifying speed and strength, one needed to be at least a Fighting King level…
“Fighting King…” Robb gazed at the young man’s clear face and inwardly groaned. A Fighting King under twenty?
“Um… about what I mentioned earlier…”
Xiao Yan played with the white flame in his palm, smiling and asking.
*Gulp.* Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Robb wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, forcing a smile. “Of course, as you say, the Sand Mercenary Company will never set foot in that area again!”
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