Chapter 61

(PS: Please continue to update more chapters. Before the official release, try to let friends read as many free public chapters as possible. Thank you for your support. I'm still asking for more recommendations. Can you give this book more recommendations? Thank you all.)

"Thank you... By the way, won't Miss Su be jealous if you look at me like this?"

The girl washed the growth off her face with water. As she said, it wasn't actually a growth but a type of oyster from the sea. Even out of water, it could survive, though it would enter a dried state. In this dried state, the oyster's color and texture resembled human flesh, making it look like a growth when attached to the face.

The girl introduced herself as Lan Ling'er, a lone merchant. She had heard about the discovery of ruins in the western part of the Blue Sea and thought it was a business opportunity, so she decided to come and try her luck. Unfortunately, she encountered a sandstorm and lost her way. She had no choice but to find a desert tribe and survive there for a while, waiting for a new opportunity to arise.

"Any outsider who arrives at a desert tribe can only start as a slave unless they are a powerful warrior. To conceal her appearance, she used the growth oyster as a disguise. When she saw the group from the Su family, she decided to leave the desert tribe immediately."

After Lan Ling'er washed off the growth oyster, she revealed a face of beauty that rivaled Su Shixian's. Her eyes were even more beautiful than Su Shixian's, with an indescribable misty quality, like water and dreams, almost as if they didn't belong to a real human. Such eyes were more often seen in the animations and comics that Hao Qi had read, a gaze that could captivate anyone.

Hao Qi's gaze on Lan Ling'er was not lecherous; he was simply captivated by her eyes, lost in admiration. How could human eyes be so beautiful? They were almost otherworldly. So when Lan Ling'er asked him, he was startled back to his senses and instinctively looked at Su Shixian beside him.

Su Shixian glanced at Hao Qi as if nothing had happened and explained, "He has no lecherous thoughts; he's just captivated by your beautiful eyes. Please don't blame him."

"How could I blame you? I was just teasing." Lan Ling'er stuck out her tongue and stood up, bowing respectfully. "Thank you all for rescuing me. If not for you, I would have had to wait much longer to find a chance to leave, or perhaps even die in the desert. Thank you all."

Hao Qi, Zhang Heng, and Su Shixian all returned the bow. Then Zhang Heng asked, "Speaking of which, why were you staying in our camp? Wouldn't it be better to stay with the Su family? After all, Miss Su Shixian is a woman, and it would be more convenient for you to stay with her."

Lan Ling'er immediately smiled with a hint of pride. She chuckled and wagged her finger. "I'm a merchant, and while I may not excel in other areas, I must be good at reading people. If I had stayed in the Su family's camp, I would have been like a lamb among wolves. Just like I had to use the growth oyster to survive as a slave in the desert tribe, the looks the Su family gave me were quite terrifying. Even with Sister Su's protection, it would have been unnecessary to cause her trouble with family relations and make enemies. I wouldn't do that lightly."

Hao Qi and Su Shixian exchanged glances, their eyes filled with interest. Hao Qi sat down and asked, "Then why did you stay with us? Zhang Heng and I are both men."

"Because I'm good at reading people," Lan Ling'er said with a sly smile. "You and Zhang Heng are good people. I'm not afraid of you. If you were to do anything to me, Sister Su wouldn't let you off."

After this conversation, Hao Qi, Zhang Heng, and Su Shixian all took a liking to Lan Ling'er. Of course, it wasn't romantic; it was more like the affection one might have for a younger sister. Lan Ling'er looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a beautiful face, especially her eyes, which were uniquely beautiful. She was also witty and sensible, making her a likable girl.

At this point, Su Shixian asked, "Do you really know about the newly discovered ruins? If not, and you just wanted us to rescue you, you might as well tell me now so I can help you deal with the Su family's questions."

"No, Sister Su, I really do know," Lan Ling'er shook her head and said seriously to Su Shixian. "I have special sources of information. I know the location of the ruins, which is deeper in the Death Desert. There is a large oasis there, spanning hundreds of miles, where the Sutuka tribe is located. It is one of the strongest tribes in the Death Desert. The ruins are the resting place of their ancestors, guarded by the tribe. A few years ago, for unknown reasons, a merchant caravan mistakenly entered the ruins and almost all of them died. This incident also caused heavy casualties for the Sutuka tribe. Only the leader of the caravan, an Inner Qi Realm practitioner, managed to escape. This news was spread by the Inner Qi Realm practitioner."

Hao Qi, Su Shixian, and Zhang Heng exchanged glances. Su Shixian asked first, "What about the Inner Qi Realm practitioner? Our information didn't mention any Inner Qi Realm practitioner."

"He died."

Lan Ling'er smoothed her long, black hair with a deep blue sheen and continued, "He died from a deadly poison. The doctor who treated him didn't know what kind of poison it was. There are no records of it, and it was potent enough to kill an Inner Qi Realm practitioner."

Zhang Heng might not have realized the gravity, but Hao Qi and Su Shixian saw the horror in each other's eyes. As Inner Qi Realm practitioners, they understood the significance of a poison that could kill one of their kind.

After saying this, Lan Ling'er said to Su Shixian, "Sister Su, although I'm an outsider, I still want to say this... If you're just seeking wealth, or looking for rare treasures, or ancient martial arts secrets... give it up. The secrets of these ruins are too deep for you to meddle with. It's said that the Sutuka tribe holds the secret of 'death.' Perhaps the ruins are related to this. Give it up."

Su Shixian remained silent, and Hao Qi said, "We have six Inner Qi Realm practitioners. Do you still think we don't stand a chance?"

Lan Ling'er opened her mouth as if to say something but ultimately said nothing. She only said, "I'm just saying. If you really want to go, I'll take you to the Sutuka tribe."

Everyone was speechless, and the mood was dampened. As Su Shixian was about to return to the Su family's camp, she suddenly asked, "The Sutuka tribe is one of the strongest tribes in the desert... How many Inner Qi Realm practitioners do they have?"

Lan Ling'er tilted her head, recalling, "One, two... I don't remember exactly, but I do know one thing, Sister Su. Ten years ago, the leader of the Sutuka tribe, their king or emperor or chief, was still alive. He was..."

"An Inner Qi Realm practitioner!"

The page turned, and the ad began.

The page turned, and the ad ended.