Sensing someone chasing from behind, Xiao Se raised a brow and muttered under his breath, "So you still came after me in the end?"
He immediately halted midair, turned around, and held Die in his arms as he hovered high above the desert.
When Hai Bodong finally caught up, Xiao Se spoke in a slightly hoarse, deliberately lowered voice, "You must be Hai Bodong of the Mittel Clan from the Jia Ma Empire. What? Do you intend to make an enemy of me?"
"Little brother, why does your voice sound different?" Die tilted her cute little head and asked curiously after hearing the change in his tone.
"Uh…"
Beneath the black robe, Xiao Se's lips twitched. He chose not to answer and continued staring at Hai Bodong.
"Little brother?"
Hearing Die's words, Hai Bodong frowned slightly. From her tone, he could tell Xiao Se was young.
Young.
That single word carried tremendous weight.
A young Dou Huang meant extraordinary talent. The significance of such a person far exceeded that of those old peak Dou Huang powerhouses who had already exhausted their potential.
And this young man clearly knew his identity.
Even if he himself wasn't afraid, he had to consider the Mittel Clan.
After weighing the situation again and again, Hai Bodong made a decision that he would both regret and feel grateful for later in life.
"You misunderstand, sir. I merely wished to remind you that the snake girl in your arms is being hunted by the Snake-People Tribe. Please be cautious."
Hearing that, even someone as composed as Xiao Se had to admire Hai Bodong's sharp judgment as a businessman.
He gave a slight nod. With a flap of his wings, his figure turned into a streak of light and vanished into the horizon.
"Ahhh—!"
Just after Xiao Se left, a sudden scream rang out behind Hai Bodong.
It came fast—and ended even faster.
Hai Bodong instinctively turned his head. The group of human traffickers who had been there moments ago were gone.
All that remained was a pile of stark white ashes.
"What was that golden flame just now? Could it be a Heavenly Flame? What a terrifying fellow…"
Muttering to himself, Hai Bodong looked once more toward the direction Xiao Se had disappeared. He was just about to return to his water cart when his brow suddenly twitched.
In the distant sky, another uninvited guest was approaching.
A figure clad in a black robe, wearing a white mask, iron claw gloves on her hands—
Medusa Queen had arrived.
That night.
Inside a cave near the edge of the Tagor Desert.
"Wow! The barbecue you made is so delicious!"
By the campfire, Die held several skewers in her hands and devoured them in big, enthusiastic bites.
"If it's good, eat more. Judging from what you've been through lately, you must've suffered quite a bit. But be careful not to choke," Xiao Se said with a smile as he handed her a bottle of fruit juice.
"What's this? The bottle looks so strange."
Die took the juice and examined the container curiously like a fascinated child.
"Fruit juice. A drink made from fresh fruit. Give it a try. Just twist the cap to the right."
When it came to food, Xiao Se had never been willing to treat himself poorly. Back when he was in the Douluo Continent, he had stocked up on many snacks and beverages that didn't exist in the Dou Qi Continent.
From junk food to drinks, he had it all stored away.
Speaking of which, life in the Douluo Continent had always felt strangely inconsistent. If you said it leaned toward modern times, people still traveled mainly by horse carriage. But if you said it was ancient, the decorations and eating habits felt surprisingly modern. It was honestly confusing.
Die nodded and followed his instructions, twisting open the bottle cap. She took a small sip.
Her eyes immediately lit up.
"Wow! It's sweet and sour—and cold! So tasty!"
She took another sip, then returned to her skewers, eating with complete focus.
Watching her gobble up food with such unrestrained joy, Xiao Se couldn't help but smile like a proud father.
This girl really was innocent and pure.
"Xiao Se, come outside. I need to speak with you."
Suddenly, Medusa's voice echoed in his mind.
Xiao Se nodded slightly. He used his Heavenly Flame to finish grilling the remaining skewers, then turned to Die with a smile.
"Take your time eating. I need to step out for a bit. Stay here and don't run around."
"Go, go! Just come back early!" Die replied with her mouth full, grabbing another skewer and biting into it.
The moment Xiao Se stepped out of the cave, Medusa Queen shot out from the pouch at his waist.
"Is there a way to bring my sister back with us?" she asked immediately.
Xiao Se nodded. "Yes. When the time comes, I can place her in the pouch along with you. But I don't recommend that you reveal your identity to her right now."
"Why?" Medusa frowned slightly.
"You've noticed she's lost her memory, haven't you? Most likely temporary amnesia caused by forcibly using a spatial teleportation secret technique."
"If she sees you, she'll probably recover her memories quickly. And since she escaped, her first instinct will definitely be to flee again."
He continued calmly, "Even though I no longer take ordinary Dou Huang seriously, a high-level Dou Huang isn't someone I can subdue easily without hurting her. And if we alert the Snake-People Tribe, your past self may very well show up. Then things will become troublesome."
Medusa's brows knitted together. "Then what do you suggest?"
"Wait two more days," Xiao Se replied. "In two days, I can use that teleportation technique again and return to our original timeline. By then, your strength should have mostly recovered. You can sit down and talk to your sister properly."
Medusa considered it, then nodded seriously. "Fine. But you must promise me one thing."
"What is it?" Xiao Se asked, slightly puzzled.
A crafty glint flashed through her beautiful eyes.
"You're not allowed to set your sights on my sister."
"Pff—!"
Xiao Se nearly choked on his own blood.
"What are you talking about? How could I possibly target a girl I've known for less than a day? And she's a snake girl at that!"
"Spare me." Medusa gave him a dangerous smile. "I know exactly what kind of person you are. Aside from your childhood sweetheart cousin, you don't bother with ordinary pretty women. But whenever you meet someone truly outstanding, you take the initiative without hesitation. Before they even realize it, they've fallen into your trap."
"Longkui and your relationship is special—I won't comment on that. But what about Xiao Yixian? Bibi Dong? Ya Fei? Xiao Yu? Dongfang Huaizhu? And that girl named Xiao Xun'er also seems quite interested in you. Should I keep going?"
"Cough…"
A drop of cold sweat slid down Xiao Se's forehead.
In truth, the list didn't even end there.
He hurriedly waved his hands. "N-No need. That's enough."
Then, as if struck by sudden inspiration, his eyes gleamed mischievously.
"Why didn't you include yourself just now? After all… we've already, well… you know."
"You shameless scoundrel!"
Medusa's face instantly flushed red. With a soft shout, she raised her jade hand and struck at him.
But this time was different from before.
She didn't use even a trace of Dou Qi.
Naturally, Xiao Se caught her slender wrist with ease and pulled her into his arms in one smooth motion.
"Let go of me!"
Her face pressed against his chest, Medusa felt both embarrassed and furious. She struggled "fiercely," but no matter how she moved, she couldn't break free from his embrace.
Her strength was far from fully recovered. And perhaps—
Perhaps she wasn't truly trying that hard to escape.
(End of Chapter)
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