Battle Through the Heavens: It turns out I'm actually the patriarch of the Xiao family!

Chapter 51 Meeting Hai Bodong, Feeling Wary

The scorching sun blazed down from the sky, baking the earth beneath their feet and causing it to radiate a stifling heat.

The heat rose slowly, causing a slight distortion and blurring of vision.

As Xiao Chen and his companion approached the city, the number of passersby around them increased.

Most of these passersby were men with bare arms, their skin dark and wiry, giving them a rather bold and forthright appearance.

The women who occasionally passed by, though their skin was also slightly dark, had a sexy bronze hue. They wore tight leather clothes that barely covered their chests and a little bit below, while their slender waists were boldly exposed.

Her long, slender thighs were only covered by short skirts or shorts, and as she walked, her serpentine waist swayed, creating a unique and charming allure.

Along the way, Leng Chenxuan had a feast for the eyes.

Xiao Chen, on the other hand, felt somewhat bored.

Having seen more of the world, he naturally didn't find anything new or surprising.

Xiao Chen looked up and saw a city with an earthen yellow color scheme clearly visible.

On the city gate tower, two large, light red characters are engraved high on the city wall, and from a distance, they faintly exude an aura of solemnity and bloodshed.

"Mocheng—" he murmured the name, a slight smile playing on his lips, and continued walking unhurriedly toward the city gate.

At the city gate, a dozen armored soldiers were shouting at passersby to pay the city entrance tax.

Looking at the soldiers fully armed despite the heat, Leng Chenxuan was slightly taken aback.

Perhaps due to the hot weather, the soldiers guarding the city gate were also irritated by the oppressive weather, and their unpleasant shouts and curses kept urging the passersby at the city gate to hurry up.

As he walked toward the city gate, listening to the curses and shouts coming from the soldiers, Leng Chenxuan frowned slightly.

Xiao Chen, on the other hand, felt it was perfectly normal.

He walked straight in.

Seeing Xiao Chen and Leng Chenxuan walking straight into the city as if no one else was there, a soldier's eyes widened. He was about to shout a curse when his gaze fell on the extremely exquisite alchemist robes worn by the two. His angry expression instantly transformed into a fawning smile: "My lords, are you going into the city?"

"Um."

Without stopping, Xiao Chen slowly walked towards the soldier.

"Honorable alchemists, you are exempt from the city entrance tax. Please come in."

"My lords, the snake people in the Tagor Desert have been quite restless lately. If you intend to leave the city, you must be careful."

With a slight slowing of his pace, Xiao Chen nodded and led Leng Chenxuan straight in, their figures slowly disappearing into the darkness of the city wall passage.

"Damn it, we almost died." Watching Xiao Chen and Leng Chenxuan's disappearing figures, the soldier finally breathed a sigh of relief and wiped away a cold sweat.

I almost yelled at two esteemed alchemists! I deserve to die!

As I slowly walked out of the somewhat dimly lit city wall passage, my vision brightened slightly, and a unique city complex with desert-style architecture came into view.

The strangely shaped buildings broadened Leng Chenxuan's horizons.

Xiao Chen wasn't surprised at all. He simply grabbed a passerby and asked about shops selling desert maps.

The passerby who was stopped by Xiao Chen initially looked slightly impatient, but when he saw the alchemist badge on Xiao Chen's chest, his impatience quickly disappeared, and he pointed out the shop's location to Xiao Chen in a very polite manner.

As Xiao Chen thanked him and took his leave, the man earnestly explained the approximate price of the map.

After thanking the passerby, Xiao Chen waved to Leng Chenxuan, then slowly turned the street corner and faced...

We went to the best map shop in Mocheng that the passerby had mentioned.

A sense of anticipation rose in Xiao Chen's heart.

After walking at a leisurely pace for a while, the map shop called "Gu Tu" came into Xiao Chen and Leng Chenxuan's sight.

Leng Chenxuan glanced around the shop and was slightly surprised.

Unlike other shops that are luxurious and ostentatious, this shop actually exudes a subtle, rustic charm.

Xiao Chen's eyes were filled with complex emotions as he slowly walked into the shop.

Leng Chenxuan quickly followed.

The shop interior wasn't very spacious, but the faint glow of the two moonstones illuminated it quite brightly.

Leng Chenxuan's gaze swept across the shop; there weren't many people buying maps inside.

It was deserted and quiet.

Xiao Chen's gaze fell directly on an old man behind the counter who was carefully making a map with his head down.

Although his hair was completely white, his withered hands, which held the drawing pen, were still steady and strong.

-

Without making a sound to disturb Hai Bodong, Xiao Chen's gaze swept over the large number of maps on the counter, and he picked one up and examined it with great interest.

After looking at the map for a while, Xiao Chen slowly strolled to a rustic wooden shelf in the corner of the shop.

The wooden frame was clearly very old, riddled with holes from decayed wood, and on top of it were some yellowed maps piled up haphazardly.

Judging from the damaged marks on the surface of these maps, they appear to be failed attempts at mapmaking.

Xiao Chen knew that the fragment of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame Diagram was currently inside.

However, he did not intend to directly rob it.

He wanted Hai Bodong to personally deliver the incomplete map to him, and he wanted to be extremely grateful.

Just as Xiao Chen was pondering, Hai Bodong finally finished his work, but he still didn't look up. His aged voice echoed calmly in the room.

"You want to buy a map of the Tagor Desert, right?"

Hearing Hai Bodong's question, Xiao Chen turned around and slowly walked to the counter.

He smiled and nodded, saying politely, "Sir, could you please provide me with the most accurate and detailed map of the desert?"

"The items are on the counter; please choose one yourself."

Hai Bodong didn't make a point of getting up to introduce them; instead, he simply said indifferently.

Leng Chenxuan frowned.

He certainly doesn't look like a businessman.

Seeing Hai Bodong's attitude, Xiao Chen had already expected it, so he didn't say anything more. He casually picked out a rather detailed-looking map from the counter and then asked about the price.

Looking at the raised, aged face, Leng Chenxuan couldn't help but be slightly taken aback.

There was a horrifying scar on the left cheek, down to the corner of the eye.

Although the old man's eyes were quite peaceful, the scar still added a hint of menacingness to his appearance.

"Thank you, sir."

Xiao Chen paid the money directly.

After saying that, he turned and left without any hesitation.

Hai Bodong narrowed his eyes as he watched Xiao Chen and Leng Chenxuan gradually disappear from sight after opening the door.

After a moment of silence, he continued drawing the map with his head down.

For some reason, he sensed a dangerous aura emanating from this young man.

That aura made him wary.

But perhaps it's just my imagination?