Chapter 40: Hai Bodong: No One Understands Maps Better Than Me!
Inside the small building, Lu Bu listened quietly to Hai Bodong's report, his brows furrowing. After a whole day of searching, they had found nothing. It seems my luck isn't particularly good, he thought.
Lu Bu knew there was no Heavenly Flame beneath the sand, but he was targeting the eleven Earth Fire Lotus Seeds. The pure energy contained within them would allow him to refine the Minor Nirvana Golden Body. Without the Minor Nirvana Golden Body, even if he arrived at Jia Nan Academy, he wouldn't be able to cultivate the Azure Dragon Transformation Technique. This was a hurdle he had to overcome.
"Girl, do you know anything?" Lu Bu asked Qing Lin with a soft smile, turning his gaze to her.
Hai Bodong rolled his eyes. What could a maid possibly know? You just brought her along to avoid dealing with this old man.
Qing Lin froze for a moment at Lu Bu's question, her face flushing red. After hesitating briefly, she replied, "Young Master, there's… something unusual in the southeast part of the city. A few months ago, I… I sensed a very powerful presence appear there. It was… it was my bloodline reacting to it."
Under the intense gaze of both Lu Bu and Hai Bodong, Qing Lin stammered as she finished her sentence.
Bloodline… Hai Bodong's eyes flashed, but he refrained from asking further questions.
"If that's the case, then let's head to the southeast part of the city," Lu Bu said as he stood up. With Qing Lin's help, he began dressing.
Hai Bodong left ahead of them, heading directly to the area. Lu Bu, meanwhile, took his time, with Qing Lin dutifully assisting him.
"Young Master…" Qing Lin asked softly as she helped him into his robe, "Aren't you curious about my bloodline?"
Looking at the timid maid standing before him, only reaching up to his chest and not daring to raise her head, Lu Bu chuckled. "If you want to tell me, I'll listen. If you don't, I won't ask. It's not something that matters to me."
Qing Lin looked up, her green eyes lighting up with a sparkle. "Young Master…"
Lu Bu blinked. In her emerald green pupils, he clearly saw three rotating spots.
Triple Jade Green Flower Pupils… Lu Bu's eyes flickered, but he quickly composed himself. Without a word, he wrapped his arm around Qing Lin's slender waist and, with a flap of his Purple Cloud Wings, took off into the air.
…
In the southeast part of the city, the blazing sunlight had started to fade, and the desert's sweltering heat began to cool rapidly as night approached.
"Master, we've been working all day. Should we rest? The desert gets bone chillingly cold at night…" Rob asked cautiously.
Hai Bodong was silent for a moment before shaking his head and saying in a deep voice, "Keep digging!"
"Master…" Rob's expression shifted, and he was about to speak again when he noticed Hai Bodong looking up at the sky.
Curious, Rob instinctively followed his gaze. As soon as he looked up, his eyes widened in shock, and he cried out sharply, "D Dou Qi Wings!?"
In the darkening sky, a figure with wings on their back was flying toward them at high speed. The dim light of dusk obscured the person's face.
Hai Bodong's expression darkened. Could it be someone from the City Lord's mansion? If so, this could get tricky.
Before he could dwell on the thought, the figure rapidly approached and became more familiar with each passing moment. Within seconds, the person landed in front of him.
"Lu Bu?" Hai Bodong asked in surprise, his gaze landing on the wings behind him. Wasn't this guy just at the Dou Practitioner level? Could it be a flying Dou Technique?
After a brief moment of shock, Hai Bodong came to a conclusion. However, his apprehension toward Lu Bu grew even more. This kid is getting harder and harder to read. Even a flying Dou Technique? Is he some young master from a major power out on a training mission?
With a light sound, Lu Bu landed gracefully in front of Hai Bodong, holding Qing Lin in his arms. The timid girl trembled slightly, but her face glowed with excitement. Like any other young person, she couldn't help but be thrilled by the experience of flying.
"This is Rob, the overseer of the Sand Mercenary Group," Hai Bodong said, gesturing toward the man.
"Greetings, my lord!" Rob bowed deeply. Lacking Hai Bodong's sharp perception, he assumed the wings were actual Dou Qi Wings. This, combined with Hai Bodong's attitude, cemented his belief that Lu Bu was a Dou King after all, it made sense for a Dou Spirit to assist a Dou King.
"Have your men take a break for now," Lu Bu said, then turned to Qing Lin.
The young girl seemed dazed, still relishing the thrill of flight. When she noticed Lu Bu looking at her, she blushed deeply and nodded quickly.
"Please wait a moment, Young Master…" Qing Lin said softly, closing her eyes as she began to focus.
After a while, she pointed in a direction. "Young Master, it should be that way."
Hai Bodong hesitated but remained silent.
Under Qing Lin's guidance, Lu Bu arrived at the base of a sand dune. The young girl drew a rough circle in the sand and said, "Young Master, it should be within this area."
Hai Bodong's eye twitched slightly this spot was outside the range he had designated earlier.
Hearing her words, Lu Bu nodded. A surge of soul power erupted from his forehead, sweeping over the area Qing Lin had pointed to like a tidal wave.
Rob, who was following behind, nearly dropped to his knees under the immense pressure. The oppressive force seemed to crush his very soul.
But as quickly as it came, the soul force receded.
Within moments, Lu Bu shook his head and retracted his soul power. He couldn't sense anything his soul force couldn't penetrate deeply enough through the sand.
"Start digging," Lu Bu commanded, calling over the Sand Mercenary Group's men.
The mercenaries breathed a sigh of relief. The area Qing Lin had marked was much smaller than Hai Bodong's earlier range, making their task far easier.
"Do you think this will work?" Hai Bodong asked as he walked over, casting a skeptical glance at Qing Lin. As someone who prided himself on his cartographic skills, he considered himself an expert.
"My senses never lie!" Qing Lin retorted with a slight frown, her delicate eyebrows knitting together.
Hai Bodong clicked his tongue in annoyance. I'm the one who drew the map. No one understands it better than me!
"Master, we found it!" one of the mercenaries shouted in delight.
Finally, they had found something. The mercenaries cheered inwardly they could stop digging and finally get some rest.
Hai Bodong froze in place, his expression turning awkward.
"Let's go, Mr. Map Expert," Lu Bu said with a chuckle, holding Qing Lin's hand as they headed toward the excavation site.
Hai Bodong's mouth twitched. Annoying brat. No respect for elders.
At the site, a half meter wide hole had been uncovered beneath the sand. The mercenaries stood back, not daring to approach. The sight of Lu Bu descending from the sky with wings was still fresh in their minds, and they didn't dare meddle with anything he was searching for.
"Young Master, this is the place," Qing Lin said softly. "The aura here is still very strong."
As Hai Bodong approached, his expression changed drastically. He staggered back and cried out in shock, "Q Queen Medusa!?"
"Damn it! That's her aura in the cave!"
With a roar, Hai Bodong's Dou Qi erupted, sending a chilling wind howling through the desert night.
Hearing his exclamation, the nearby mercenaries scrambled away in panic, tripping over each other as they fled from the hole.
Queen Medusa was a ruthless killer. The number of lives she had taken was enough to fill an entire city.
"What are you panicking for?" Lu Bu said irritably. "If she were really here, do you think you'd have the chance to sense her aura?"
His words brought the area to a standstill. The mercenaries exchanged glances, realizing he was right. They were practically digging at Queen Medusa's doorstep if she were truly present, they wouldn't even have corpses left to bury.
"Old Hai, why are you standing there? Come on!" Lu Bu said, gesturing for him to follow.
"Rob, you guard the entrance. Don't let anyone come in!"
"Yes, my lord!" Rob shouted, standing at attention.
Hai Bodong, however, hesitated as he stared at the dark cave. The psychological shadow Queen Medusa had left on him was too great. Even at his peak as a five star Dou Emperor, he had been utterly crushed by her, with no chance to fight back.
"Well? Are you coming or not?"
"Sigh… I'm coming, I'm coming," Hai Bodong muttered reluctantly. He knew Queen Medusa wasn't there, but the thought alone was still terrifying.
"Lead the way!" Lu Bu said, pointing to the cave.
Hai Bodong's face twitched but had no choice but to comply. He couldn't defeat Lu Bu and needed his help.
"Damn alchemists, they've got it way too good," Hai Bodong grumbled to himself.
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