A Bosom Friend

Under the trial of strong winds and yellow sand, Xiao Feng's skin has become much tougher. Although it has not reached the level of being invulnerable to swords and spears, its defense is comparable to that of a first-tier magical beast.

After entering Shimo City, Xiao Feng and his companion casually asked a passerby and quickly learned the exact location of the Desert Metal Mercenary Company. The two immediately set off towards it.

The Desert Metal Mercenary Company is located in the southern part of Shimo City. Its headquarters is situated in a courtyard similar to the Xiao family mansion in Wutan City.

At the entrance of the courtyard, a large blood-red flag stands tall, with the words "Desert Metal Mercenary Company" written on it.

Several burly men in short sleeves, holding weapons, stand at the entrance, their tiger-like eyes scanning the passersby, exuding an aura of iron and blood.

"Are you here to post a mercenary task, or do you have some other business?"

Seeing Xiao Feng and Xiao Yixian approaching, the middle-aged mercenary leading the group quickly stepped forward to greet them.

"My name is Xiao Feng, from the Xiao family of Wutan City," Xiao Feng said with a smile, cupping his hands. "May I ask if the two leaders of your group are here?"

"Wutan City Xiao family? Xiao Feng?" The middle-aged mercenary muttered subconsciously upon hearing this, then his expression changed dramatically. He revealed an extremely enthusiastic smile and said, "So it's the third young master of the Xiao family! Please come in!"

Under the guidance of the middle-aged mercenary, Xiao Feng and his companion walked into the courtyard. After passing through several small paths, they arrived at a side courtyard.

Before they even entered, Xiao Feng heard two familiar voices from inside.

The middle-aged mercenary leading the way loudly called out, "Leaders, the third young master of the Xiao family is here!"

"Creaaak~"

The sounds inside the courtyard came to an abrupt halt, followed by the sound of a door opening. Two tall and slender figures emerged.

The young man in the lead wore a white robe, looking to be in his early twenties. His appearance bore a five-point resemblance to Xiao Feng, with a gentle demeanor and a hint of wisdom in his eyes, as well as an almost imperceptible slyness.

The other young man wore a mercenary outfit, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a seven-point resemblance to Xiao Feng. His face showed a mix of laziness and fierceness.

"Big brother, second brother, long time no see!" Looking at his two brothers, who seemed a bit more weathered than he remembered, Xiao Feng couldn't help but feel a sour sensation in his nose, and his eyes reddened slightly.

The more lively Xiao Li stepped forward first, giving Xiao Feng a big hug, then asked curiously, "Little madman, why did you suddenly come? How are father and little Yan at home?"

"I'm here to train in the Tager Desert. Since your mercenary group is also here, I thought I'd come to see you," Xiao Feng said with a smile. "Father and little Yan are doing well. Oh, and little Yan's cultivation talent has been restored, and he's been accepted as a nominal disciple by an alchemist."

"Really?" Xiao Li's face lit up with excitement. "That's great! It looks like our Xiao family will have an alchemist soon."

Xiao Ding also showed a satisfied smile upon hearing this, then turned his gaze to Xiao Yixian with a playful look. "Little madman, aren't you going to introduce this beautiful lady to us?"

"Ah, my memory!" Xiao Feng slapped his forehead and took Xiao Yixian's delicate hand. "Big brother, second brother, this is Xiao Yixian, a good friend I met not long ago."

"A good friend?" Seeing their intimate actions, Xiao Li couldn't help but tease, "She seems more like a bosom friend to me~"

"You're not wrong!" Xiao Feng admitted calmly with a nod, unfazed by Xiao Li's teasing.

Although Xiao Feng and Xiao Yixian hadn't known each other for long, they had spent more than half a month alone in the desert, sharing life-and-death experiences. Their relationship had long surpassed that of ordinary friends.

If it weren't for the fear of someone tattling and causing Xiao Xun'er to get jealous, Xiao Feng and Xiao Yixian's relationship might have progressed even further.

"Xiao Yixian, let me introduce you. This is my big brother Xiao Ding, and the one next to him is my second brother Xiao Li."

"Hello," Xiao Yixian greeted shyly, her cheeks slightly red.

For some reason, she felt a bit nervous, as if she were meeting her boyfriend's family.

"Since you're a good friend of the little madman, you can call us big brother and second brother too," Xiao Ding said, nodding in satisfaction after a quick assessment of Xiao Yixian. "If the little madman ever bullies you, we'll make sure to teach him a lesson."

Due to Xiao Yixian's exceptional looks and temperament, Xiao Ding had a very good first impression of her.

Originally, Xiao Ding had been worried that Xiao Feng might be affected by the annulment of his engagement with Nalan Yanran. Now he felt relieved.

"Alright, we can talk about other things later," Xiao Feng said, waving his hand. "Please prepare some bath water and a room for us. Xiao Yixian and I have been in the desert for more than half a month, and we just want to have a nice bath and then get a good sleep."

"Sure, I'll have it arranged immediately," Xiao Ding replied.

At his command, the servants in the mansion quickly got busy, preparing bath water and guest rooms at the fastest speed.

Xiao Li had initially planned to hold a welcome party that night to celebrate Xiao Feng and his companion's arrival, but Xiao Ding stopped him.

After all, Xiao Feng and his companion had just come out of the desert. They needed rest more than they needed a party.

Therefore, Xiao Ding postponed the welcome party to the following night. It would also be a good opportunity to introduce the core members of the Desert Metal Mercenary Company to them.

...

The scorching sunlight streamed through the window, spilling onto the dry stone floor.

Finally relaxed, Xiao Feng had a rare lazy morning, still sleeping soundly while hugging his quilt.

"Creaaak~"

A faint sound of the door opening broke the silence. A petite figure in a light green dress tiptoed into the room from outside.

Just as the intruder was about to quietly place the washbasin on the wooden table in the room, they noticed that Xiao Feng had already opened his eyes and was curiously watching them.

If Xiao Feng was correct, the green-dressed girl before him, looking around ten years old and as delicate as a porcelain doll, should be Qing Lin.

Seeing that Xiao Feng was awake, Qing Lin quickly put down the washbasin and timidly bowed. "I'm sorry, young master Xiao Feng, I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's alright," Xiao Feng said with a gentle smile. "I usually wake up early anyway. Today, I slept in."

Noticing that Xiao Feng wasn't angry, Qing Lin secretly breathed a sigh of relief and nervously asked, "Young master Xiao Feng, would you like me to help you wash up?"