"Pah!"
Spitting out a mouthful of sand, Zhou Changqing took out his water flask and drank a mouthful of sweet, clear water.
He glanced at the scorching sun overhead, felt the hot, dry air, and couldn't help but click his tongue in dismay.
This desert is no place for humans. It's hard to imagine how the Snake-People Tribe managed to survive here.
His gaze fell upon the graceful figure slithering ahead, her waist swaying as she moved. The thought that he might have to spend a very long time living in this desert made his stomach churn.
It was a feeling bordering on despair.
Even now, he couldn't understand why he had run into this woman of all people.
If it weren't for this whole mess, he would still be outside Reservoir City, enjoying a quiet and peaceful life.
His luck was just the worst.
Looking back at Zhou Changqing's pathetic state, clearly his first time in a desert, a smirk played on Ling Sha's lips. She was enjoying his misfortune.
Throughout their entire journey, he hadn't shown her a single pleasant expression.
He was nothing like the obedient boy he'd been when she first caught him.
Seeing him suffer now was a welcome sight for Ling Sha.
"How much longer until we arrive?"
Zhou Changqing saw her smile and asked, his tone sour.
Ling Sha wasn't angered, simply smiling faintly. "We're almost there. Just hang in there a little longer, little brother."
Hearing this, Zhou Changqing fell silent and continued to trudge forward.
It had been nearly half a month since his capture.
They had traveled from Reservoir City deep into the Tagor Desert.
Along the way, Zhou Changqing had maintained an air of cold indifference, even annoyance.
While it was partly a way to vent his frustrations, his main goal was to probe the woman's bottom line.
In the face of his tests, she had always responded with a smile, as if she could tolerate anything except letting him go.
This gave Zhou Changqing a small sense of relief.
It seemed his importance to this woman was quite high; otherwise, she would never have been so patient.
It was also indirect proof that her words back then weren't empty promises.
His treatment after arriving at the Snake-People Tribe probably wouldn't be too bad.
The only pity was that this was a desert, a place where it might not rain even once a year.
His plan to temper his body with lightning was likely a pipe dream here.
Without the ability to temper his body with lightning, the speed of his power progression would be drastically reduced.
"Forget it. What's the use in overthinking? I am the fish, they are the knife. If an opportunity to leave arises in the future, I'll figure it out then."
Shaking his head slightly, Zhou Changqing cleared his mind of useless thoughts.
The two traveled for several more miles through the desert.
Soon, a black smear appeared on the distant horizon.
Seeing this, Zhou Changqing knew they had arrived.
He watched as the writhing of Ling Sha's lower serpentine body quickened.
Though he felt a sense of resistance, Zhou Changqing sped up to follow her.
He knew he couldn't escape, so it was better to accept reality. If he showed any intention of fleeing, the woman would only become more guarded, perhaps even taking special measures against him. He would be the only one to suffer in the end.
Gradually, the black smear grew larger and clearer in their vision.
An hour later.
The full view of the black structure came into sight.
It was a massive city.
The black city walls stood dozens of meters high, patrolled by numerous Snake-People armed with long spears. There were even densely packed arrow towers built along the ramparts.
After entering through the city gates.
His eyes were met with the sight of countless upright, round tents, connected in a vast network that resembled a honeycomb built upon the endless sand.
These round tents were quite similar to the yurts Zhou Changqing had seen in his past life, though they were much larger.
Among them, countless Snake-People with human torsos and serpentine tails moved about. There were both men and women, all dressed in simple, revealing clothing, each busy with their own tasks.
Clearly, this was the tribe to which Ling Sha belonged.
Leading Zhou Changqing into the settlement, Ling Sha made her way toward the center.
Every Snake-Person who saw Ling Sha along the way bowed respectfully.
Though they might not have recognized her personally, they could tell from her aura and commanding presence that she was a major figure within the tribe.
But when their gazes fell upon Zhou Changqing, their expressions held nothing but confusion and a deep-seated loathing.
Fortunately, Zhou Changqing was following behind Ling Sha. Cowed by her authority, they didn't dare make a move. Otherwise, the consequences would have been dire.
Zhou Changqing had no doubt that these Snake-People would have swarmed him and torn him to pieces.
Facing these hostile beings, Zhou Changqing didn't bother with a pleasant face. He swept a cold gaze over them before ignoring them completely.
It had to be said.
Although the architecture of this Snake-People settlement was simple, its sheer size was immense.
The two of them walked for nearly a full day before finally reaching the central area of the tribe.
Under Ling Sha's lead, they proceeded unimpeded until they stood before a massive, round tent at the very center of the tribe, a structure as large as a villa.
Looking at this exaggerated tent, Zhou Changqing knew that the person living inside must be the supreme leader of this Snake-People tribe.
"Come inside with me, little brother."
Ling Sha turned and smiled at Zhou Changqing, then added a warning. "Be careful when you meet the leader. Don't walk in there with that sour face of yours, or even I won't be able to save you."
"I know."
Zhou Changqing nodded to show he understood.
Although he wasn't here willingly, they had spent the better part of a month together.
Even though his attitude toward her remained cold, the initial tension between them had eased.
Seeing this, Ling Sha finally felt at ease and led Zhou Changqing toward the tent.
Two female Snake-People guards stood at the entrance of the round tent.
Upon seeing Ling Sha, the two guards immediately saluted.
"Greetings, Commander Ling Sha!"
"Yes. I need to see the leader."
"Please, Commander, go in."
Though the two were puzzled as to why Commander Ling Sha had brought a human with her, they didn't ask questions and simply made way.
With that, Ling Sha led Zhou Changqing into the tent.
Stepping inside, they found themselves in a vast, hall-like space.
The furnishings here were spartan, with almost no furniture to speak of, save for several ornate lamps made of moonstones hanging from the ceiling for nighttime illumination.
Other than that, there was only a long chair and a massive wooden table near the far wall of the tent.
Zhou Changqing's gaze swept the room, finally settling on the figure half-reclining on the long chair, seemingly taking a nap.
"Ling Sha, you've returned? Why have you brought a human with you?"
At that moment, the person on the chair opened her eyes and looked toward them.
Instantly, a shiver ran down Zhou Changqing's spine as he felt an intense chill.
This person was strong!
Zhou Changqing's scalp tingled.
Just a hint of the aura she revealed was enough to make the hairs on his body stand on end. It was a clear sign of this person's immense power—she was at least a Dou Wang!
In the next second, the figure on the long chair vanished.
Then, in less than an instant, she reappeared three meters in front of them.
Ling Sha hurriedly bowed. "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
"Explain yourself. Why are you only returning now? And what's the deal with this human?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. This person..."
With the leader's command, Ling Sha didn't dare delay, immediately recounting the events from half a month ago.
During her explanation, Zhou Changqing got a clear look at the leader's appearance.
This leader was also a female Snake-Person.
Like ordinary Snake-People, her attire was extremely revealing, though the material of her clothes was far superior to that of the common folk.
She wore only a black and purple halter-top dress that left her navel exposed, barely concealing the most sensitive areas.
Vast expanses of snow-white skin were on display, accentuating her bewitching curves, creating an incredibly sexy and fiery image.
The green serpentine tail below her waist added a unique, demonic charm.
Furthermore, the woman's face was a work of art. A cascade of long, purple hair fell over her shoulders. Her eyes exuded a thick, seductive charm at all times, and the movement of her red lips was an unspoken invitation.
If one were to speak of bewitching allure, among all the women Zhou Changqing had ever met, only Ya Fei could compare.
It was said that the Snake-People Race was divided into numerous tribes of varying sizes, much like how human kingdoms were divided into cities.
These tribes varied in strength, but the eight great tribes were the most powerful.
The leaders of these eight tribes were all Dou Wang experts and held extremely high status within the Snake-People Race.
And the one before him, if Zhou Changqing was not mistaken, was one of those eight great leaders.
Among the eight, only one was female.
Yue Mei