Chapter 6: Midalin’s Ambition

Watching Midalin’s anxious expression, Li Mingxing knew there was definitely a story behind all this. Still, he wasn’t about to believe that he could just randomly find a female merchant in a hotel who would turn out to be the inheritor of the Elemental Belt, and that simply completing some task could win him the belt from her. Such things belonged in games, not real life. If it truly were so easy, his first reaction would have been to kill Midalin, never allowing her to live another day.

Fortunately, the words Midalin finally spoke did not provoke murderous intent in Li Mingxing. It turned out that the Elemental Belt was in a nearby city, and everyone knew about its existence. The so-called Elemental Belt was actually the belt worn by the lord of the Sky City.

Such things were like the oil lamp by Maula’s side or the curved blade in a warrior’s hand—tools essential to survival for their masters. Unless one killed a city lord, it was impossible to obtain the Elemental Belt.

Li Mingxing hadn’t seen Maula in action before, but the ease with which Maula had absorbed a sandworm paralyzed by Li Mingxing into the oil lamp placed Maula on a level Li Mingxing could not even imagine, let alone those city lords stronger than Maula.

So, Li Mingxing had only two paths to obtain the Elemental Belt. One was to become a city lord himself and produce an Elemental Belt—a path no less difficult than slaying a city lord. The other was to wait for a war between two cities, hoping for a chance to steal the defeated lord’s belt.

Yet even this was a slim hope. All the city lords understood that absorbing a rival’s Elemental Belt would increase their power, and when vanquishing an enemy, they would never allow Li Mingxing to pick up the spoils.

Thus, the odds of success were negligible. This trip, in pursuit of an Elemental Belt, was proving to be ever more arduous.

Considering this, Li Mingxing felt some uncertainty. Yet beside him, Yin Haitao said, “Perhaps we’ll find another way.”

“That’s impossible, unless…”

“Unless what?” Li Mingxing fixed his gaze on Midalin.

“I’ve heard that wherever the whirlwind stops each day, a passage appears. That is the city lords’ burial ground. If you can enter there, perhaps you’ll find the Elemental Belt of a former lord.”

Hearing this, Li Mingxing sighed deeply. “Earlier, the curved blade Seven Yada claimed female merchants always lie—I didn’t quite believe it then, but now I’m starting to see his point. I suppose you want to use this opportunity to travel with us across the desert.”

“You could say that. I’m already your merchant; if I don’t do my best, I’d betray your trust. Besides, I refuse to believe every legend is true, that just because there’s a woman in a caravan, the whirlwind will attack.” Midalin spoke with defiance.

Seeing her attitude, Li Mingxing hesitated for a long moment before finally asking, “Is the City Lord’s Tomb real?”

“If the rumor about the whirlwind attacking caravans with women is true, then the tomb is real as well. After every city lord dies a natural death, his wives bring his body to the desert, awaiting the whirlwind’s burial.”

After hearing this, Li Mingxing stared intently at Midalin for a long time before speaking calmly, “My troops need weapons and equipment. Especially those three Bloody Knights—they require mounts. I’ll give you a thousand gold coins. Find a way to secure mounts for them, and use the rest to procure goods.”

Midalin, hearing this, quickly ran off, leaving only Li Mingxing and Yin Haitao behind.

Once Midalin had gone, Yin Haitao asked, “Sir, is this woman truly trustworthy?”

“I can’t say for certain, but I know merchants value profit, and female merchants value ambition. Her ambition can only be realized with my support, so she’ll dedicate herself to serving me.” Li Mingxing spoke with conviction. Although his contact with Midalin had been brief, he had already seen through her character.

With Li Mingxing’s decision made, Yin Haitao said no more. Currently, Li Mingxing was in the form of a scorpion-lion and unable to make preparations himself, so Yin Haitao took responsibility for the necessary arrangements.

When Yin Haitao had everything in order, Midalin returned, and the three Bloody Knights followed, each astride their new mounts.

To Li Mingxing’s surprise, the Bloody Knights’ new mounts were not their usual animals, but something akin to mechanical puppets.

These puppets resembled the spiders the Bloody Knights usually rode, but were entirely silver, with only a hint of black at the joints.

Atop each spider’s head were two openings, seemingly for shooting webs or silk, though the knights appeared somewhat unused to sitting on them.

Reaching Li Mingxing, they dismounted, and one Bloody Knight said, “This machine will suffice, allowing us to wield seventy percent of our strength, but eventually we’ll need mounts that truly suit us.”

Before Li Mingxing could respond, Midalin interjected, “This is the best we can buy. Anything better cannot be purchased with money.”

Li Mingxing understood. He waved off the matter. “How about the rest of the supplies?”

“All ready. I checked on the elephants as well and bought cargo loaded on them as you instructed. Half is edible, as you requested.” Midalin replied promptly.

Li Mingxing was about to praise her, but then asked, “If these goods are shipped to the nearby cities, how much could we sell them for?”

Midalin, clearly unprepared for the question, lowered her head and calculated. Soon, she concluded they could earn about thirty percent profit.

Li Mingxing nodded lightly, not in recognition of her hard work, but her business acumen.

Thus, Midalin established her role in Li Mingxing’s ranks—not as a member of his harem as she originally claimed, but as the most vital merchant.

At the same time, all Li Mingxing’s wealth was handed over to Midalin, including the spoils he’d seized from the minotaurs previously.

With Midalin’s help, Li Mingxing’s subordinates received new equipment, most notably the new elephant handler—the Great Warrior from the nomad tribe. Now, he carried the desert army’s favored curved blade and wore their standard leather armor.

This choice was entirely practical. Though he was a Great Warrior among his people, in the underworld he had wielded the heaviest weapons and armor to inspire confidence among his kin. But here, using a battle-axe and chainmail added nothing to his fighting strength, so learning the curved blade was wiser.

Moreover, legend held that only those wielding curved blades could coordinate with elephants in battle. To keep his position, the Great Warrior worked diligently.

Midalin also purchased a four-person flying carpet and selected suitable aerial equipment for Li Mingxing’s two flying carpet squads. Such items would never have occurred to first-time carpet riders without someone knowledgeable.

Had Midalin not thought of these, the group might have suffered some minor mishaps.

Of course, Midalin’s contributions didn’t end there. Within a single day, she found an armory to produce a hundred special elastic projectiles for the harpy warriors, greatly boosting the army’s offensive strength.

These efforts earned Midalin the respect of Li Mingxing’s troops.

After three days of preparation, Li Mingxing, accompanied by his newly returned zombies, made his way to the portal leading into the desert.

Midalin had disguised herself as a man and blended perfectly into the ranks, her transformation so convincing that even the gargoyle at the portal failed to notice her.

Once inside the desert, out of range of the portal, Midalin broke free from the group, dropped to the ground, and kissed the sand repeatedly, exclaiming, “This is the taste of sand, the scent of the desert.”

Li Mingxing said nothing, simply watching with the others.

Midalin soon regained composure, climbed atop an elephant, and said to Li Mingxing, “Today’s whirlwind has already ceased. If we hurry, perhaps we can reach a nearby oasis before the next one arrives.”