Chapter 0630: Desert Marauders

"Desert Marauders? That's a pack of damned bandits—perverts, the lot of them. They deserve to be cut into a thousand pieces."

At the mention of the Desert Marauders, the female general named Xiao Que immediately turned grim. Her face twisted in hatred, her silver teeth clenched so tight they nearly shattered. It was clear she loathed them with every fiber of her being, and her words brimmed with unrestrained killing intent.

"I've heard of the Desert Marauders too," said Wushuang Ghost, stepping in. "In the Golden Sand Desert, they're notorious. Countless people despise them. Murder, kidnapping, extortion, seizing women, rape, pillage—they stop at nothing. It's a den of depraved scoundrels and lowlifes. They're human trash."

Wushuang Ghost's expression showed clear revulsion, as if even speaking of them was beneath him.

"You're right. Those bastards are like parasitic worms," Xiao Que nodded. Hearing Wushuang Ghost's agreement, her tone softened slightly. "Their leader is a top-tier pervert, a notorious woman-snatcher known as Flower King. Basically, he's a glorified sex offender who can't go a day without a woman. Countless girls have suffered at his hands."

"Flower King? A pervert king?"

Yi Tianxing's eyes flickered with surprise.

He hadn't expected a gang of sexual predators in the Golden Sand Desert to rise to such prominence—one even shameless enough to call himself a king. But with titles come burdens. To wear the crown, one must bear its weight. If you don't have the power to back it up, such a name will only bring destruction. In today's world, destiny and karma are real forces—messing around blindly is just asking for death.

Calling yourself "King" without the strength to match? That's suicide.

"What's even more disgusting is that this degenerate, the so-called Flower King, had the nerve to try and court our General Hua. He actually sent her a letter saying that because both their names contain the word 'Hua' (Flower), they must be fated. So, he proposed to make General Hua his Flower Queen! Can you believe the arrogance? That pervert thinks he's worthy of her? He's a damn toad dreaming of eating swan meat!"

Xiao Que's voice trembled with fury.

To her, these degenerates were delusional beyond reason.

"This pervert is the boldest I've ever seen," Wushuang Ghost remarked, his tone weirdly amused. "I've seen many lowlifes, but none this brazen. A lecher daring to propose marriage to General Hua Mulan? He must've eaten leopard guts and dragon hearts."

Everyone knew that Hua Mulan was one of the Four Generals of the General's Valley—Spring, Wind, Flower, and Snow. No matter the internal relationships, anyone who dared trespass into the General's Valley would be met with fierce retaliation from the other three. The Desert Marauders, with their strength, had no chance of facing the General's Valley head-on. It was either pure lunacy or a death wish.

"With the General's Valley behind her, the marauders shouldn't be a threat to General Hua," Yi Tianxing remarked. But clearly, they weren't in the valley now. Their presence here suggested the marauders had found a way to force them out, which sparked his curiosity.

"Hmph, those bastards know they can't touch us in the Valley, so they turned to vile schemes," Xiao Que spat. "They've been abducting young women across the desert, spreading word that it's because of General Hua. If she refuses to marry the Flower King, these women will be raped and enslaved. If she agrees, they'll be released."

Her voice trembled with anger, her hatred boiling over.

"That's ruthless," Yi Tianxing said, his eyes narrowing.

These marauders were no fools. Whoever orchestrated this clearly understood how to manipulate public sentiment and morality. By framing the abductions as a result of Hua Mulan's refusal, they shifted the blame onto her, morally binding her to the victims. Even if society wouldn't accuse her, her own conscience would.

This wasn't just psychological warfare—it was a calculated move to forge an inner demon within Hua Mulan.

If she ignored the victims and they suffered, it would scar her deeply, perhaps even affect her future cultivation.

And Hua Mulan, being who she was, couldn't turn a blind eye.

So, she had made her decision.

She left the safety of the General's Valley and led her Floral Legion across the desert to hunt down the marauders and rescue the captured women.

Once she left, Flower King brazenly announced that he would abduct her from her army and make her his queen.

That's why Xiao Que had reacted so nervously earlier when she saw Yi Tianxing and Wushuang Ghost approach. The army was now on high alert, ready to strike at the slightest disturbance.

"To snatch a general from the midst of tens of thousands of soldiers… do they really think they can pull that off?" Yi Tianxing asked.

"Their methods are bizarre," Hua Mulan said solemnly. "They're called Marauders because they can make people vanish even under broad daylight. No one knows how they do it. It's like magic. That's why they're called Desert Marauders."

Yi Tianxing narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "In the past, such things would've been impossible. But now, with people awakening their Life Apertures and gaining divine abilities, strange powers like these are not uncommon. Their so-called vanishing act is likely some kind of divine technique."

"Even so, knowing it's a divine power doesn't mean we can counter it," Hua Mulan replied. "But if they think taking me will be easy, they're dead wrong."

"You plan to use yourself as bait," Yi Tianxing stated. "Either to trap them in the camp or let them capture you and infiltrate their lair to save the hostages."

He had caught a subtle shift in her gaze—a willingness to sacrifice herself.

"You saw through me, Yi Daoist," Hua Mulan said quietly.

"General, please reconsider," Xiao Que pleaded. "It's far too dangerous."

"We can stay and lend a hand," Wushuang Ghost suddenly offered. "These perverts are the scum of our race. I've always wanted to confront them, but they hide like rats. Now we've got a shot."

"You don't want to head to Devil's oasis anymore?" Yi Tianxing asked curiously.

"With our speed, we'll still make it there in time. But this—this is urgent. These perverts crossed our path. We won't let it go."

His muscular body radiated a fierce aura.

"Devil's oasis?" Even Hua Mulan looked surprised. That was a forbidden zone of death—most feared to even approach it. And these two were actually heading there?

"Indeed. It's just a hundred or two hundred li from here. We'll still reach it. But since fate brought us here, and this happened—why not stay and help?" Yi Tianxing smiled.

"If you're both willing to help, I'm grateful," Hua Mulan said, visibly relieved. She could sense their strength—both were at the Life Aperture Realm.

"According to Flower King's message," she continued, "they'll make their move today. But whether in daylight or at night… that remains unknown. We must be ready at every moment."