Battle Through the Heavens: Purple Heaven Thunder Emperor

Chapter 68 The Little Girl

Stone Desert City.

It is a city located in the desert, and compared with the cities inside the empire, it has a more simple and profound feel.

The earthen-yellow city walls, eroded by wind and sand year after year, look mottled and desolate, full of traces of time.

At this moment, two people, an old man and a young man, were standing at the city gate.

The old man was dressed in simple blue clothes, his aged face was plain and expressionless, and a large scar on his face made him look somewhat ferocious. The young man was dressed in black robes, his face was handsome, his eyebrows were dignified, and his expression was indifferent.

"Xiao Bai, what's our next step?"

Hai Bodong looked at Xiao Bai with his cloudy eyes. Although he had drawn the map, he had only marked a general location.

The Tagor Desert is too vast. Without knowing the exact location and without special means, it's impossible for the two of them to find it in a short time.

"Let's find an inn to stay at first, and then we'll go check out the direction you indicated tomorrow!"

Xiao Bai pondered for a moment, then said, "This thing can't be rushed. If strange fire were so easy to find, it wouldn't have been his turn to get it all these years."

As for Xiao Ding and Xiao Li of the Mo Tie Mercenary Group in the city, he did not intend to go looking for them.

Although the original story doesn't reveal why the two of them ventured out, in this timeline, Xiao Bai knows all too well why they came out—it was entirely his doing.

Ever since Xiao Yan was beaten up by him, the two of them came to Xiao Bai in a rage, seeking revenge for their younger brother.

The two complement each other in personality; one is impulsive and ruthless, the other is cunning and treacherous.

One of them ostensibly challenged Xiao Bai with a righteous air, but in reality, he just wanted to beat him up.

One was even more ruthless, secretly sabotaging him, saying he was arrogant and domineering, and disrespectful to everyone in the family.

However, he was still too young, and his methods were too naive in Xiao Bai's eyes.

He didn't suffer any real loss, just playing along out of boredom. However, these two were stubborn; if one attempt failed, they would immediately try again, which annoyed Xiao Bai.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he staged a scene in front of everyone in the Xiao family, where the son of the Xiao family patriarch couldn't tolerate someone without Xiao family blood. This almost caused the Xiao family to become alienated from the worshippers and guards, and severely damaged their vitality.

Finally, with no other choice, Xiao Zhan and the family elders had to send the two out of the family, firstly to avoid the limelight, and secondly to quell public anger.

They agreed to go back after a few months, but the two of them haven't returned since they left. It's been almost three years now!

Recalling the past, Xiao Bai remembered Xiao Li finding him before his departure, his eyes bloodshot as he uttered some harsh words. He couldn't help but shake his head, stroking his chin, and thought to himself with amusement:

"Tsk tsk. I wonder if these two have improved at all after all these years!"

Walking on the streets of Stone Desert City, the original bluestone pavement can only occasionally be seen with a hint of blue color, covered with a thick layer of yellow sand.

The passersby exuded a fierce aura, with a faint smell of blood. These mercenaries had all been through thick and thin, and they seemed much tougher than the mercenaries in Qingshan Town.

"Ah!" A faint cry reached Xiao Bai's ears.

Then a burst of angry curses rang out:

"Get out of my way, you bastard! You filthy bloodline, you blind little bastard, how dare you block my path!"

Xiao Bai looked in the direction of the sound and saw a burly man, shirtless, covered in scars, and with a face full of fat, lifting a terrified little girl like a chick with his large, fan-like hand and casually throwing her to the side of the road.

Just as the little girl's head was about to hit a stone step not far from her feet, Xiao Bai took two steps to the side, caught her, and gently put her down.

The little girl's eyes were still filled with fear. Seeing that she hadn't fallen heavily to the ground this time, but rather felt someone catching her, she felt a mix of panic and curiosity. She couldn't help but glance at the man in black robes beside her out of the corner of her eye, and whispered almost imperceptibly:

"Thanks!"

After saying that, seeing the disgusted looks around her and the burly man who kept cursing, she couldn't help but squat down, hug her knees, bury her head between her legs, and wait for the beating as usual.

Looking around at the disgusted and fearful gazes of the people around him, and then at the little girl squatting beside him, her thin body trembling constantly, Xiao Bai vaguely guessed her identity.

"Heh heh~, it's that filthy little thing again, a cursed sinner, how dare he still live in this world!"

"That's right! I heard that her mother was killed by her curse half a year ago, and she still dares to come out. Wouldn't it be better to find a secluded place and end it all? She's really harming herself and others!"

"I'm really curious how she survived the past six months. Nobody in Stone Desert City should want to hire her!"

"I heard that Xue Lan from the Desert Iron Mercenary Group took pity on her and let her do sewing and laundry, giving her a few copper coins each time. Tsk tsk, isn't Xue Lan afraid of getting dirty? Or afraid of being killed by her?"

"What a pity! Xue Lan is so sexy and hot. It would be such a waste if she were killed like that! If only I had her...hehehe!"

The burly, cursing man seemed still not satisfied and was about to come up and continue beating the little girl.

Hearing the surrounding chatter, Xiao Bai looked down at the little girl who was crouching down, hugging her knees, and trembling. Xiao Bai sighed with a touch of pity.

He had just noticed that the little girl's actions were practiced with such skill and were almost subconscious reactions, indicating that this was definitely not the first time this had happened.

"Get out!" A shout imbued with spiritual power echoed through the street.

The crowd, who were watching and discussing, felt a little dizzy and fearful upon hearing this voice, and looked towards the white-haired, black-robed youth who had spoken.

"Anyone remaining here within three breaths shall die!"

Upon hearing that murderous voice, everyone's breath caught in their throats, and their eyes widened in fear. What level of cultivation was this? They were already struggling to withstand just one shout.

These mercenaries, who constantly walk on the edge of death, have an unparalleled sense of danger. Knowing they can't afford to mess with them, they scatter like birds and beasts in an instant, wishing they had more legs.

"Heh~ Looks like there really are some fearless souls still here. Since you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish!"

Xiao Bai sneered, looking at the burly man who was originally walking towards the little girl.

The burly man stood there motionless, his once fierce and muscular face now deathly pale. He felt like crying but had no tears left to shed. It wasn't that he didn't want to leave, but that he couldn't move!

Just now, when the young man in black in front of him was given three breaths to leave, he wanted to turn around and leave, but suddenly it was as if some kind of pressure was pressing down on him, and he could not move his feet even an inch.

Xiao Bai ignored him for the time being and looked down at the little girl. She saw that she was secretly raising her head and cautiously looking around, like a frightened little deer.

He bent down and whispered, "Get up! With me here, no one can hit you!"

Upon hearing this, the little girl glanced at him timidly. Seeing that although his expression was somewhat cold and stern, his eyes were smiling and his voice was gentle, she immediately relaxed a little and stood up.

Only then did Xiao Bai notice that she was tightly clutching a paper bag in her arms, with some yellow sand at the opening, as if she were holding something precious.

(End of this chapter)