Green Mang burst into laughter, her eyes fixed intently on the girl before her. She couldn't help but reach out and lightly trace her fingers across the girl's pale cheeks, gently stroking the sides of her eyes.
In the original assumptions of the Tian She Clan, if the Three-Colored Pupils of the Jade Serpent were ever to appear, they would have to be destroyed immediately. These eyes posed a fatal threat to serpent-type magical beasts and even to those who cultivated serpent-type techniques. The Tian She Clan was born naturally vulnerable to such power!
But who would have thought that the one who possessed the Jade Serpent Three-Flower Pupils wasn't a powerful expert—but a young girl barely exposed to the world, one who hadn't even begun to cultivate!
That changed everything. It meant their options were wide open…
Her gaze swept up and down the girl's body before finally focusing on those captivating eyes—eyes that were unusually enchanting.
What eyes these were.
Moist, pure, crystalline—those jade-green irises shimmered like the finest emeralds on a royal crown.
And faintly around the iris, three minuscule jade-green dots seemed to orbit like stars around a moon, adding an indescribable charm.
As Green Mang stared into the slightly bewitching green pupils, her thoughts seemed to blur for a moment. But she quickly recovered, unable to conceal the joy that bloomed across her face.
"Jade Serpent Three-Flower Pupils! They're real! These are the real thing!"
"The heavens bless the Tian She Clan—this is truly heaven's will!"
She was a Duo Huang expert—more precisely, a Seven-Star Duo Huang, someone who had remained in that realm for years!
And the girl? She was nothing but a servant—one who hadn't even begun cultivating Dou Qi. The disparity between the two was like the sky and the earth, yet despite that, she had nearly lost herself in the girl's gaze.
The world's greatest mystical eyes… the rumors did not lie.
The strange glint in Green Mang's gaze made the girl nervous. She tried to struggle, but she found her body completely immobilized.
"Y-Your name. What is it?" Green Mang asked.
"Ah?" The girl blinked in confusion. Though the question sounded simple, she could feel an unseen weight—an eerie, repressed force—hidden behind it.
"I… I'm…"
"Put her down!" came a sudden, furious roar.
Xiao Li stormed onto the scene, his face twisted in rage. He'd just received a letter from Xiao Yan earlier that day and was in excellent spirits. He had planned to reward Qing Lin and send her back with a letter in return.
He never expected to find this scene the moment he stepped outside!
"Who are you? Why are you trying to abduct a member of my Mo Tie Mercenary Company?!"
His glare locked on Green Mang. Although he couldn't sense her aura, her youthful appearance caused a hint of relief to rise in his chest. He began gathering Dou Qi in his palm, silver arcs of lightning crackling in preparation to strike.
"Mo Tie Mercenary Company?" Green Mang sneered. "As far as I know, this little girl is nothing more than a servant. She's not officially on your registry, is she?"
"If I'm not mistaken, she's also a registered slave under the Jia Ma Empire, correct?"
Her words struck deep. Xiao Li faltered slightly, and Qing Lin's delicate face paled as her expression dimmed.
Indeed, she wasn't a citizen of the Jia Ma Empire. As a half-blood between a serpent race and a human, she had been born a slave—considered the lowest of the low. And here, on the edge of the Tagor Desert, every citizen of Shi Mo City held some kind of grudge against the serpent race.
Even within the Mo Tie Mercenary Company, she couldn't completely escape such judgment.
Seeing her disappointment, Xiao Li roared, "Shut your mouth! So what if she's of serpent blood? Qing Lin is still one of us!"
"Please," Green Mang scoffed. "You expect me to believe that? Judging by the stench of blood on you, I'd say you've killed hundreds of serpent-folk or half-bloods."
"The contempt in your eyes is plain to see. Taking in this half-blood girl is just your way of soothing your filthy conscience."
Qing Lin's pupils shrank. She stared at Xiao Li in disbelief.
"Enough chatter!" Xiao Li growled. His fury exploded outward, thunderous Dou Qi erupting from his body as a silver long spear appeared in his hand. With lightning dancing across the tip, he lunged like a striking viper.
"A reckless move. Do you plan to kill this girl along with me?" Green Mang sneered.
She made no move to dodge. Instead, just as the spear was about to reach her, a massive force of overwhelming pressure erupted from her body.
In an instant, Xiao Li was sent flying—spear and all—crashing violently back into the building behind him.
"Second Brother!"
A startled voice echoed from inside as Xiao Ding rushed out. His eyes widened at the sight of Xiao Li embedded in the wall, blood trickling from his lips.
Xiao Ding quickly helped him up, pouring Dou Qi into him—his wood-element Dou Qi carried healing properties.
"What happened, Second Brother?! What's going on?!"
"Big Brother… be careful…" Xiao Li coughed, trying to stand despite his injuries. His gaze remained locked on the figure entering the courtyard.
The woman in the green robe walked in slowly, looking at them both with calm, almost bored eyes.
"You can still stand? Not bad," she said softly. "You two seem quite capable for a remote city like this. But surely, you know better than to provoke someone beyond your reach."
She took another step, and her figure blinked—appearing before them in the blink of an eye. Her hand shot out and seized Xiao Li by the throat.
"When faced with an unknown opponent, caution is wisdom. What, did you think I'd be easy to bully just because I'm a woman?"
"Please, Lady—please, spare him!" Xiao Ding begged. "Our Mo Tie Mercenary Company has always abided by the law. My brother never meant any harm—this must be a misunderstanding!"
"Oh?" Green Mang raised a brow, seemingly amused. "You have a bit more sense than your brother."
"But it's a pity. You're associated with this girl. That alone is reason enough for you both to disappear."
Her voice was cold as frost. A terrifying pressure erupted around her, cracking the ground beneath her feet like a spiderweb of shattered stone. Xiao Ding and Xiao Li looked on in horror.
"You… you're a Duo Huang?!"
(End of Chapter)