Chapter 138: Life and Death Uncertain
"Second sister, long time no see~"
Xiao Yan smiled and greeted Xiao Ding, and she immediately pounced on him, hugging him tightly.
"Long time no see~ It's been half a year isn't it? you have grown taller! You also look darker, have you been through a lot outside?"
Xiao Ding examined Xiao Yan from top to bottom, her words filled with love for her younger brother. Although Xiao Yan felt a bit awkward, he also felt incredibly warm.
The only people who cared about him so genuinely were Xiao Zhan, Xiao Li, and Xiao Ding.
At this moment, Xiao Ding noticed the presence of Xiao Yixian beside Xiao Yan and was slightly surprised. She looked at Xiao Yan and asked.
"Xiao Yan, who is this girl?"
"This is my friend, Xiao Yixian. We are currently traveling together," Xiao Yan introduced Xiao Yixian to Xiao Ding and then introduced Xiao Ding to Xiao Yixian. "Xiao Yixian, this is my second sister, Xiao Ding."
"Hello, nice to meet you. Please take care of me."
Xiao Yixian behaved extremely politely, lowered her head slightly, and deliberately softened her voice, causing Xiao Yan to furrow his brow slightly.
It feels like... Xiao Yixian suddenly became more gentle?
"Oh? Ah– Hello."
Xiao Ding looked at Xiao Yixian in astonishment and then whispered to Xiao Yan in a low voice in the corner.
"Xiao Yan! What's your relationship with this girl?"
"She's really a friend!"
Xiao Yan explained quickly and then briefly recounted what happened in Qingshan Town. After listening, Xiao Ding fell silent for a long time and sighed deeply.
"She's also a pitiable child..."
The Woeful Poison Body didn't require much cultivation; it only needed to ingest poisonous substances to enhance its strength. It might sound good on paper, but considering Xiao Yixian's experience, it wasn't so.
If it were Xiao Ding who had that kind of body, she might have taken her own life a long time ago because of her own constitution causing harm to her loved ones.
"By the way, second sister, is eldest sister still in the Mercenary Camp?"
Xiao Yan asked Xiao Ding, and when she heard his question, the joy that had just arisen on her face disappeared instantly.
After a while, Xiao Ding patted Xiao Yan's shoulder and said seriously.
"Xiao Yan, sit down and listen to what your second sister has to say."
Xiao Ding arranged for Xiao Yan and the others to sit down, and when she saw a blue haired little kid suddenly, she was taken aback.
"Oh? You're here too?"
"... Well, I guess you didn't see me just now."
The little kid pouted and crossed his arms, causing Xiao Ding to apologize repeatedly.
"Sorry, sorry, I was just too happy to see my brother. Please have a seat."
"Hmph!"
The little kid snorted lightly, tiptoed to pick up an apple from the coffee table, leaped onto the sofa, and swung his two little legs on the edge of the sofa. He took small bites of the apple, looking incredibly cute, leaving Xiao Yan and Xiao Yixian speechless.
Is this person really in their sixties or seventies?
At this point, Xiao Ding turned to Qing Lin and said.
"Qing Lin, could you please go and pour tea for everyone and prepare some refreshments?"
"Yes."
Qing Lin nodded in response and left the commander's room. Xiao Ding then sat down and looked at Xiao Yan across from her, speaking slowly.
"Xiao Yan, please don't get impatient after hearing what I'm going to say next. You must listen calmly."
"Okay."
Xiao Yan felt a slight sense of unease in Xiao Ding's words, but he still nodded gently and listened carefully to what she had to say.
"First, Xiao Yan, do you have a rough understanding of the current situation in the Tager Desert and the Desert Metal Mercenary Company?"
"More or less. This young man next to me explained it to me during the ride."
Xiao Yan nodded towards the young boy beside him, who was still completely engrossed in eating his apple, seemingly indifferent to their conversation.
Xiao Ding nodded and continued, "Let me tell you that if we continue to operate according to Big Sister's policy, there won't be any major problems. Although we often face assassination attempts, we've already overcome the most difficult challenges, and all that's left is to wait patiently. Once the time is right, resolving the conflicts between humans and the Snake-People Tribe will also become feasible."
"However, recently, we've encountered some troubles."
Xiao Ding clasped her hands, her face turning grim.
"Previously, although the slave traders from the black markets suffered heavy losses due to our actions, we never expected to eliminate them all at once. Our main focus has always been to prevent the Snake-People from being sold, and our efforts have been fruitful. In the past six months, no Snake-People have disappeared for no reason."
"But just a few days ago, various small tribes of the Snake-People were suddenly attacked by several unknown human forces. The targeted Snake-People tribes were those without tribal leaders, leading to heavy casualties among the Snake-People. Big Sister immediately issued a warning to all Snake-People tribes to be vigilant, and we have been diligently investigating the origin of these human forces."
"However, in the end, we gained nothing. We couldn't even trace where these attackers came from."
After hearing Xiao Ding's words, Xiao Yan furrowed his brow tightly and raised a hand to ask.
"Could it be the slave traders?"
To Xiao Yan's question, Xiao Ding shook her head lightly.
"Regardless of their methods, we've already more or less identified the locations of all slave traders within the Tager Desert. During the time those tribes were attacked, there was no activity at the slave traders' locations. Besides, for those slave traders, the Snake-People are essential commodities. It's highly unlikely they would harm the Snake-People."
The ultimate goal of the slave traders is money, and for each Snake-Person they lose, they'd have to pay a significant amount, ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands in gold coins. Therefore, it's improbable that they would willingly attack Snake-People tribes, and even if they did, it wouldn't result in significant casualties.
"I see, that's why we can't find any Snake-People in the Rock Desert City."
The young boy who had been quietly eating an apple suddenly spoke up, and Xiao Ding nodded in agreement.
"Yes, after the incident, Big Sister notified the Snake-People who were coming to Rock Desert City for trade to refrain from visiting for a while. They were told to wait until the situation was resolved."
"And just a short while ago, a messenger arrived from the Snake-People, requesting Big Sister to go alone."
Upon hearing Xiao Ding's words, Xiao Yan abruptly stood up.
"She... she went there alone?!"
Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Ding in shock, and Xiao Ding responded gravely.
"Yes, I originally wanted Big Sister to bring a few people along, just in case something happened, but she refused outright."
"She said she believes that the Snake-People have been watching what we've done in the past six months, and they won't harm her. But then she added that if she doesn't return within five days, it means the situation has deteriorated to the worst possible point, and she instructed me to immediately disband the mercenary group and leave with Qing Lin."
"Today is already the third day since she went to the Snake-People tribe..."
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