"Master, may I come in?"
Early one morning, a girl who looked about seven or eight years old—though she was actually eleven—carrying a basin of water and a towel, gently pushed open the door to a guest room in the City Lord's Mansion and stepped inside.
Chen Guan, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed practicing cultivation, opened his eyes and accepted the girl's service as usual, closing them again with a comfortable squint as her delicate hands gently massaged his head.
He had to admit, he'd been thoroughly spoiled by these old customs.
The feeling was truly enjoyable.
"All right, girl, take a rest. I told you not to come here every day. Have you eaten breakfast?"
"I want to wait for the young master and eat together."
The girl carefully combed his hair, her voice full of anticipation. She felt many times closer to him than when they first met just a few days ago.
Chen Guan did not refuse. Although his need for food had diminished as his strength grew, and he could easily survive without eating for ten days or even half a month thanks to the pills replenishing his energy, every meal shared with the girl brought happiness to both of them.
Together, they went to the cafeteria. Breakfast was simple—coarse grains and miscellaneous dishes—not rich, but the girl ate heartily, her eyes shining with satisfaction.
These days were the happiest of her life since childhood.
She had been given beautiful new clothes she never dared to dream of before. She no longer suffered bullying or hunger, nor did she have to endure cold nights waking her from sleep. The young master was gentle and treated her like a sister.
A girl who had suffered so much was easily content. She cherished these moments most—eating breakfast while listening to the boy talk about the outside world. It didn't matter what he said; this was her happiest time.
Her previous dreams had come true, and now she had bigger ones.
She wanted to cultivate well so she could help the young master with more tasks in the future. She also hoped to one day experience the taste of fire fox meat, which he had described as delicious in countless ways—fried, roasted, stir-fried, and braised.
"Master, are we still going to dig holes in the desert today?"
Chen Guan smiled and corrected her, "We're not digging holes. We're searching for the location of the Green Lotus Earth Core Flame."
He already knew the flame was buried somewhere underground nearby, so he hadn't asked Hai Bodong for the latest news about the strange fire that day.
His identity brought many conveniences. He led a group every day, and with his ability to sense fire-attributed Dou Qi, after more than ten days of searching, Chen Guan had roughly locked down a direction. It was expected they would find the Green Lotus Earth Core Flame in the next few days.
Qing Lin had only just felt the presence of Dou Qi a few days ago and hadn't even reached the first stage yet. Chen Guan had originally not wanted her to follow him into the desert and endure hardship.
However, the girl was more resilient than he had imagined, with great physical strength. She ran alongside him every day without complaint, even enjoying the challenge.
After breakfast, the two men arrived at the front hall where General Huang and the Wang brothers—Wang Yan and Wang Dalang—were already waiting.
They were the main force searching for the strange fire.
Especially General Huang, whose earth-attributed Dou Qi was as strong as his fire attribute when searching the desert. He could even sense underground conditions better than others.
At first, Chen Guan worried this might delay the general's work and give the Snake-People a chance to strike.
But the general assured him that as long as they weren't gone more than ten days, there would be no problem. Even if the Snake-People attacked, their leaders would be at most Dou Ling level.
Similarly, when humans enter the desert to hunt, the situation is much the same.
A tacit understanding had formed between the two sides.
Once a powerhouse above Dou Wang level intervened, the consequences would be severe. Neither side wanted that.
"Let's go."
Exiting the City Lord's Mansion, those waiting outside were mostly mercenaries from the city, along with a few soldiers. They had been hired recently, and their eating, drinking, and resting all took place within the mansion to prevent any information leaks.
Among them, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li stood out prominently.
Chen Guan had noticed them on the first day and kept their faces in mind, thinking he might have some contact with them in the future.
But now, Chen Guan had no special dealings with them and treated them just like the others.
More than ten mercenary groups, large and small, were helping with the search. Chen Guan spent about 100,000 gold coins daily on commissions—something he couldn't afford without his ability to count money.
Such a large-scale operation inevitably attracted attention. Many mercenaries accepted the mission with dreams of striking it rich, hoping for a lucky break to quietly seize the opportunity.
Occasionally, unlucky Snake-People would attempt sneak attacks from their side, but none escaped. Not only because of the hatred between the two tribes, but also to prevent news from leaking.
Chen Guan's goal was the Green Lotus Earth Core Flame. The only thing he feared was Queen Medusa, Hai Bodong's nemesis in the desert.
He knew she was also searching for traces of the strange fire.
If he hadn't appeared, the Green Lotus Earth Core Flame would have fallen into Queen Medusa's hands within these two years.
A large group headed into the desert, continuing the search from the previous day's location.
Well, another day wasted. Chen Guan sighed. But at least the target area is smaller.
The next day, another hundred thousand gold coins were spent.
If this continued, Yao Ye's 'Supplementary Gold Card,' which had just had its credit limit increased, would soon be maxed out.
Fortunately, it didn't come to that. On the third day, when Chen Guan and Qing Lin were playing with snakes in the back, a mercenary shouted excitedly.
"Found it! I found it!"
Chen Guan's heart leapt. To motivate the mercenaries, he had promised a Resurrection Pill to whoever found it first.
The Resurrection Pill was a third-grade elixir.
It not only had powerful hemostatic and healing effects but could also quickly restore Dou Qi.
For mercenaries living on the edge for years, a Resurrection Pill was like an extra life.
Even Chen Guan had fewer than twenty of them.
"Go see for yourself."
Chen Guan's excitement was palpable. He had been preparing for this Green Lotus Earth Core Flame for a long time.
From acquiring Coptis Essence and Ice Spirit Cold Spring to Soul Acceptance, it had taken great effort, even deploying a Dou Wang-level puppet. Finally, everything was ready.
Now, the Green Lotus Earth Core Flame was within reach.
***
(End of Chapter)
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