BTTH: DISCIPLE CASHBACK SYSTEM

Chapter 113: The Xiao Brothers

Next, Gu He, along with Xuelan and her team, slowly headed in the direction of Stone Desert City.

Along the way, Xuelan made multiple attempts to probe Gu He's background, but her subtle inquiries were brushed off by Gu He with a polite smile.

However, one thing became clear to Xuelan: the gentleman before her, Gu Master, was indeed an alchemist. Moreover, judging by his tone, his alchemist rank was not low; it seemed he had reached the level of a third-grade alchemist.

A third-grade alchemist!

Learning that Gu He was a third-grade alchemist, Xuelan was completely astonished. She hadn't expected a remote town like Stone Desert City to have a third-grade alchemist.

With the revelation of Gu He's identity, Xuelan's attitude toward him became increasingly respectful.

An hour later, a vast city situated on the outskirts of the eastern part of the Tagor Desert began to appear on the horizon.

Looking at Stone Desert City not far away, the faces of Xuelan and the Desert Iron Mercenary Group members couldn't help but show excitement.

As mercenaries, they lived on the edge every day, their lives hanging by a thread. Their previous mission had almost ended in their deaths at the hands of the snake people, leaving them with lingering fear.

Although Gu He had saved them at the last moment, they felt mentally exhausted from the experience.

Now, they were finally arriving at a place to rest, which naturally filled them with excitement.

Gu He couldn't help but show a smile as well. After spending so many days camping out in the wilderness, he also intended to get some good rest tonight.

Amid the cheers of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group members, Gu He and the others slowly approached the city gates. They entered Stone Desert City by following the flow of people.

Compared to cities within the empire, desert cities like this one had a certain simplicity and heaviness. Perhaps because of their proximity to the Tagor Desert, the city's defenses were much stricter than those within the empire. Soldiers in full armor were patrolling everywhere in the city.

After entering the city, Gu He followed Xuelan's group towards the south of the city. After passing several streets, a spacious courtyard came into view.

Above the courtyard, a flag bearing the name "Desert Iron Mercenary Group" fluttered in the wind, exuding an air of unwavering determination.

Outside the courtyard, a few sturdy men stood with weapons in hand, their sharp eyes constantly scanning the passersby outside. The faint smell of blood emanating from them indicated that they were true veterans who had fought on the edge of a blade, not the kind of mercenaries who merely carried weapons at their waists and thought themselves equals.

"In Stone Desert City, our Desert Iron Mercenary Group ranks among the top three in strength. Only the Sandstorm Mercenary Group can surpass us because their leader is a Great Dou Master. Thus, the position of the Sandstorm Mercenary Group is unshakable. Apart from the Sandstorm Mercenary Group, the entire Stone Desert City is not a match for us," Xuelan explained to Gu He with a proud smile as they approached the courtyard.

Hearing this, Gu He nodded slightly, maintaining his usual graceful smile on his face.

He had no interest in the struggles of mercenaries at this level in Stone Desert City.

If it weren't for establishing his image in front of Qing Lin, Gu He would have directly charged into the Desert Iron Mercenary Group and taken Qing Lin with him.

However, doing so might disturb Qing Lin and frighten her, making it less likely for her to become his disciple. Even if she agreed to be his disciple, it wouldn't be a willing choice, and Gu He couldn't be sure if the system would approve of such a coerced "master-disciple relationship."

Originally, Gu He had been hesitant, but when he encountered the Desert Iron Mercenary Group in a crisis, it suddenly provided him with a legitimate way to enter the group.

Now, he could follow the original story and enter the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, win Qing Lin's trust, and then propose to take her as his disciple.

Everything had fallen into place perfectly, and it was indeed a case of "everything falling into place."

"Xuelan, you're back? Is everything okay? I heard you encountered the Snake People Clan this time?" As they entered the courtyard, a man walked out and greeted Xuelan with a smile.

Xuelan nodded and asked, "Where are the captain and the others?"

The man explained, "The captain and the others have just returned from their mission. I've already informed them."

Then, he turned his gaze to Gu He and said, "This is Mr. Gu, right? It was thanks to Mr. Gu's help that our Desert Iron Mercenary Group's brothers were saved from death."

Gu He, upon hearing this, smiled faintly and had no further words.

He appeared amiable and gentle, but at the same time, he kept people at a distance.

Seeing this, the big man was slightly puzzled at first, but then he felt a bit disgruntled.

At that moment, Xuelan leaned close to his ear and whispered something, causing his expression to change dramatically. When he looked at Gu He, there was no longer any hint of discontent; instead, his eyes were filled with respect.

Gu He naturally noticed Xuelan's subtle actions, but he didn't feel any displeasure. The reason he had revealed his identity as an alchemist was to avoid unnecessary trouble. Otherwise, he would be bothered by all sorts of people challenging him.

Just as Gu He and the others lingered at the entrance for a moment, several figures approached slowly.

The leaders of this group were two young men dressed in black and white robes, and they looked somewhat alike. Walking together, it was easy to guess that they were brothers.

"Is this Mr. Gu?"

Soon, the group arrived at the entrance, and the young man in the white robe greeted Gu He, displaying a friendly and warm attitude.

"I am Xiao Ding, the captain of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group."

"This is my younger brother, Xiao Li."

Xiao Ding introduced himself to Gu He.

"Alright," Gu He nodded slightly at the two, and he didn't say more.

Xiao Ding was slightly taken aback by Gu He's attitude. What did that "Alright" mean? At the very least, he expected some polite words like "I've heard of your reputation."

He had originally wanted to inquire about Mr. Gu's background, but now he wasn't sure how to approach the conversation.

Despite some dissatisfaction, Xiao Ding clearly couldn't make an issue out of such a trivial matter. He quickly changed the subject, saying, "Mr. Gu, thank you for your assistance. The Desert Iron Mercenary Group has prepared a banquet for you. Later, I want my brothers to express their gratitude for saving their lives."

Xiao Ding had already made up his mind that each of them would come and get Mr. Gu drunk. That way, they would naturally find out his background.

But to his surprise, Gu He replied casually, "You can skip the banquet. I would appreciate it if you could prepare a room for me. I'd like to take a bath and rest for the night."

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