The donkey carriage stopped. Xiang Shaoyun had mostly healed up. Old Urchin's medicine was quite powerful, capable of healing him up in such a short time, so Xiang Shaoyun could finally get off the old donkey.

  Inwardly, he sighed, I need a nice shower to rid my body of this donkey's smell.

  The old donkey seemed to have read his mind and said, "Kid, you have been lying on this lord's body for almost half a day, yet you have such an expression on your face? What, do you think this lord is dirty?"

  Xiang Shaoyun replied with an awkward expression, "Lord donkey, you must be kidding. How would I think that way? I was just feeling uncomfortable from my injuries."

  "That better be the case. You won't be able to get on me that easily anymore," said the old donkey loftily.

  A look of shame covered Xiang Shaoyun's face as he thought, Who wants to get on you? I'm not into bestiality! Moreover, you're an old male donkey! I'm not a freak!

  Old Urchin pulled the flap of the carriage open, allowing the woman inside to step out. Xiang Shaoyun glanced over, and his eyes instantly locked onto her. He couldn't move them away.

  She was dressed in a light yellow outfit. As she bowed slightly to step out, her long hair cascaded down and covered half her flawless face. Her eyes were as clear as limpid autumn waters. Her nose was delicate, and her lips were akin to a blooming cherry blossom. When one moved one's gaze farther down, one would be greeted with a snow-white neck and a bountiful chest with a deep valley.

  She got off the carriage, and it became apparent that she was tall with a flawless hourglass figure. She was a woman of no imperfection. Xiang Shaoyun had not seen a lot of women like this. Only Ye Chaomu and Yu Caidie were comparable to her.

  "Watch where you're looking. Do you want me to dig those eyes out?" berated Old Urchin with a glare, jolting Xiang Shaoyun awake.

  Xiang Shaoyun blushed and said, "Sorry. I was unable to restrain myself."

  He wasn't wrong. No man could remain calm in the face of a woman so perfect.

  "Haha, well said. What an interesting kid," said Old Urchin with a hearty laugh. "Kid, my young lady is as beautiful as a fairy. Do you want to see her every day?"

  The woman berated solemnly, "Grandpa Urchin, you're fooling around again!"

  "Ahhh, grandpa is doing this for your own good! You don't want to return because you are unwilling to accept the Hall's marriage arrangement between you and that Holy Son, right? You might as well find yourself a partner to deal with those geezers," said Old Urchin with a sigh. He pointed at Xiang Shaoyun and continued, "Look, this kid is not bad."

  "What nonsense are you talking about?" the woman complained unhappily.

  She looked to be someone in her early twenties, her entire person exuding grace. Comparatively, the donkey carriage looked incredibly shabby beside her. In fact, she looked like a princess who had escaped home.

  "I, Xiang Shaoyun, thank the young lady for saving my life," said Xiang Shaoyun.

  \r\r\r

  "Your surname is Xiang as well?" asked the woman, an odd look on her face.

  "Um. I'm surnamed Xiang as well," answered Xiang Shaoyun in confusion.

  "Kid, what is your relationship with the Xiang Clan?" questioned Old Urchin.

  "I am a disciple of the Dragon Phoenix Academy, here to cultivate. I got myself swallowed by the super sandstorm by accident. I wonder which Xiang Clan you are referring to?" Xiang Shaoyun asked in a manner that was neither servile nor overbearing.

  He was aware of the hidden influential clan in the Western Desert, the Xiang Clan. It was a clan comparable to the Yu Province's Yu Clan, and he indeed originated from that clan. However, he had never been there and had only heard of it from his father. Thus, he did not know if it was the same Xiang Clan that these two obviously knew of.

  "A Dragon Phoenix Academy disciple? Well, this is definitely a misunderstanding," muttered the woman.

  "That might not be the case," said Old Urchin. "Where are you from? Which organization do you belong to? Who is your master? Also, list out 18 generations of your ancestors, or I won't mind doing something to make you talk."

  Xiang Shaoyun could sense that Old Urchin was a powerful person, and was thus forced to give a rough introduction of his background.

  Old Urchin laughed, "So you're from the Western Desert as well, also surnamed Xiang. Interesting, really interesting. Young lady, why don't we bring this kid back and fool those geezers first. That way, they won't force you that much anymore."

  "No. He's too weak. Anyone smart will be able to see through this," said the woman.

  "True, only a third-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator. If he was a third-stage Soul Foundation Realm, it would be much better. Too bad, too bad," said Old Urchin after shooting Xiang Shaoyun a glance.

  Xiang Shaoyun was depressed, feeling like he was losing his freedom.

  "Alright. I will deal with that myself. Let him go," said the woman understandingly, seemingly having read Xiang Shaoyun's mind.

  Xiang Shaoyun quickly said, "Thank you, young lady."

  He then turned and left. But at that moment, a group of people suddenly appeared ahead of him, forcing him to stop. They were all mounted on powerful beasts and clad in shining armor. They were all heading in Xiang Shaoyun's direction. A torrential aura crashed forth from them while clouds of sand were left in their wake.

  Old Urchin suddenly shouted, "Ahh, why are these fellows here so fast? Looks like they have been waiting for your return, young lady."

  "Um. They are too kind," answered the woman indifferently.

  There were about 100 newcomers who were arriving quickly. When they saw the woman, they hopped off their mounts, knelt down on one knee, and greeted, "We welcome the young lady's return to the Holy Hall."

  The woman waved her hand. "Rise."

  At her command, they all stood up.

  Next, a tall and sturdy man stepped forth and said, "Young lady, Captain Ning Pengcheng of the squads greets you. Please get on the carriage and allow us to escort you back."

  As he said that, a luxurious carriage pulled by four sturdy desert horses appeared. There were even four maids standing in wait around the carriage, making the scene look even more impressive.

  Chapter 781: An Attendant Doesn't Need to Learn Donkey Driving, Right

  Xiang Shaoyun had a decent background. As someone born in a tier-7 sect, he once lived a glorious life.

  However, with one glance, he could see how extraordinary the horses were. They were at least Demon Emperors, and they could move at high speed. They also looked extremely majestic. Due to their extraordinary bloodline, their breed was the favorite mount of many royalties and nobilities.

  With the sheer number of people in this group and the luxurious carriage, it was obvious how high the woman's status was.

  Old Urchin mocked, "The carriage sure looks bright and neat, but it's far inferior to my donkey carriage."

  The old donkey joined in, "I can send these cute little horses flying with one kick. Young lady, you should just keep using my carriage."

  The mocking of the geezer and the donkey caused the captain's face to turn unsightly, but he did not dare to flare up. He knew about this pair. They had always been unbridled, and he was still not qualified to show off in front of them.

  "Let it be, Grandpa Urchin. You two are tired as well. I'll just use their carriage," the woman alleviated the guards' awkwardness.

  She then boarded the newly arrived carriage. Meanwhile, Xiang Shaoyun was trying to leave stealthily. However, a guard suddenly blocked his path.

  "Brother, I am merely passing by. This has nothing to do with me. Please move aside," said Xiang Shaoyun with a polite smile.

  "Captain, there is someone here. How do we deal with him?" asked the guard without even giving Xiang Shaoyun as much as a glance.

  Before Ning Pengcheng could say anything, the woman said, "Release him. He is merely passing by."

  "Let him go," said Ning Pengcheng with a wave of his hand.

  The guard stepped aside, allowing Xiang Shaoyun to leave.

  At this time, Old Urchin shouted, "Kid, remember that you owe my young lady for the favor she had shown you. Don't forget this!"

  When Xiang Shaoyun heard him, his face turned ghastly as he cursed inwardly, This old fellow is trying to frame me!

  That woman had already said that he was a passerby, but now, the old geezer was claiming that he owed the woman for her favor. Wasn't that the same as telling these guards he had a special relationship with the woman?

  Xiang Shaoyun could see that they were no pushovers, and he could also see how much they treasured the young woman. Perhaps the old geezer's words might implicate him.

  Since obtaining the Light of Wisdom, the depth of Xiang Shaoyun's thinking had increased greatly. He had not imagined that Old Urchin would actually set him up just as he was about to leave. He was forced to quicken his pace, afraid that the guards would turn on him.

  With Xiang Shaoyun's speed, when he tried to leave, he moved at the speed of a regular Sovereign. No Emperor could match his pace. And sure enough, after he left, several people chased after him. They were all Emperors, with one peak Emperor among them. To chase someone with Xiang Shaoyun's cultivation level, this was quite an overkill. However, it wasn't long before they completely lost sight of Xiang Shaoyun.

  "Head, he seems to have vanished," someone reported to the peak Emperor.

  "Continue looking for him. With his strength, he won't be able to flee quickly. He is most definitely hiding underneath the sand," said the peak Emperor.

  They started carpet-searching the area for Xiang Shaoyun. Alas, he was already far away from them. No matter how they searched, they would not be able to find him. These people are indeed harboring bad intentions, thought Xiang Shaoyun after he sensed them with his Nether Soul Domain.

  \r\r\r

  He did not dare to stay behind and continued leaving at top speed. He was afraid that Old Urchin would also come looking for him, or the group would send some other experts after him. At that time, fleeing would be much harder.

  After fleeing for a long distance and confirming that nobody was behind him, Xiang Shaoyun finally stopped.

  "This is still the Desert of Despair. Apart from bandits, why is there such a group of people? Is the Desert of Despair much more complicated than I'd thought?" Xiang Shaoyun muttered to himself.

  "Kid, you're a frog in a well," an ethereal voice suddenly drifted into Xiang Shaoyun's ears.

  He jumped from fright and scanned his surroundings to find no one. However, he knew who the newcomer was.

  "Senior Urchin, please don't scare a timid person like me," said Xiang Shaoyun with a sullen face.

  Right after saying that, a person mounted on a donkey appeared right in front of him. He even wondered if there was a problem with his vision. Just earlier, he was sure there was no one in front of him. Thus, his reaction was understandable when someone suddenly appeared. He also concluded that Old Urchin was probably far stronger than he had thought.

  "Senior Urchin, do you still need anything?" Xiang Shaoyun asked cautiously.

  "Nothing. I simply couldn't bear to part with you, kid," said Old Urchin as he studied Xiang Shaoyun mockingly.

  "Oh. How can this insignificant kid worry you, senior?" said Xiang Shaoyun, who was starting to have a bad feeling.

  He was sure nothing good would come out of this.

  "Ok. I won't bother beating around the bush. From now on, you're my attendant. Come with me," Old Urchin finally made his intention clear.

  "That's not proper, right?" Xiang Shaoyun replied, his face ghastly.

  "What? You're unwilling?" Old Urchin glared at him.

  "I'm a disciple of Dragon Phoenix Academy—" Xiang Shaoyun tried to explain, but Old Urchin waved his hand and interrupted him. Old Urchin said, "Don't bother using the Dragon Phoenix Academy's name. I'm not scared of them. Even if you're unwilling, you will be my attendant. Old donkey, move out."

  At that command, a crude carriage suddenly appeared behind the old donkey.

  Old Urchin dragged Xiang Shaoyun onto the carriage and pushed him down before saying, "Here, take my bamboo pole. First, familiarize yourself with the Great Donkey Driving Technique."

  Xiang Shaoyun asked sullenly, "Senior Urchin, an attendant doesn't need to learn donkey driving, right?

  "How can that be? Do you want me to drive you around? I have been driving this old donkey my whole life. It's about time I start enjoying life," said Old Urchin as he went inside the carriage.

  The old donkey was enraged. "What is the meaning of this, Old Urchin? If you dislike me, just let me go! Do you think I like being with an old bastard like you?"

  "Wow, you're angry just because of that? Sure, go, go if you want," said Old Urchin indifferently as he lounged in the carriage.

  "Old Urchin, if you don't make yourself clear, I won't leave!" the old donkey was stubborn.

  "Kid, what are you waiting for? Whip his rear. He will definitely start moving," said Old Urchin as he gave Xiang Shaoyun a kick.

  "You dare?" shouted the old donkey.

  Xiang Shaoyun raised the bamboo pole sullenly, not knowing what to do. He did not dare to provoke either of these two geezers.