South Wasteland, endless wind and sand. In a certain oasis, over a thousand strong men stood guard. Their attire resembled that of the frontier barbarians, each with fierce, unfriendly eyes. Around the camp, more than twenty sand skiffs of various sizes circled protectively. Inside, tents were everywhere, and at the very center stood a massive tent—luxurious and spacious, like a Khan's royal yurt, easily the size of a courtyard house.
The interior of this tent was arranged with three layers of entry and exit, complete with curtains and screens. For those inside, it was hardly any different from a lavish mansion.
Deep inside the tent, a burly man sat in the main seat. He was tall, his skin dark and rough—like he'd been tossed into a barrel of sandpaper and rolled around for half an hour. His body was covered in pits and lumps, but there were so many scars it almost looked natural, as if he was born that way. His face was the same, crisscrossed with fine scars, nearly unbearable to look at.
This sandpaper-skinned man was Sandlord, a legend said to have returned from hell itself.
Today, someone came to visit.
"Who the hell are you?" Sandlord, ugly as sin but with a surprisingly decent voice, barked, "You barge into my turf without permission—aren't you afraid I'll slice you up right here?"
"I am from the Flower Kingdom, a palace matron on duty at the Royal Longevity Hall." Not far away stood Lady Qian and Lady Wan. They looked at Sandlord's face—especially the half-missing nose, ground down to the bone—which made them shiver, but Lady Qian steadied herself and said, "We came uninvited and owe you an apology. But I am here on behalf of His Majesty to discuss a major deal with you—one that brings you nothing but benefits. Surely, after hearing it, you won't mind sparing our lives."
"Oh, a big deal?" Sandlord grabbed a chicken leg off the table, totally ignoring any guest etiquette, chomping away as he said, "Flower Kingdom royalty wants to do business with me? Let's hear it!"
Sandlord's reckless attitude made the two women exchange a slightly displeased glance, but Lady Wan still spoke: "I represent the Flower Kingdom and wish to form an alliance with you. You've roamed free in the South Wasteland, but when it comes to pleasures and riches, our Central Plains are unmatched. Of all the nations, only the Flower Kingdom borders the South Wasteland. If you join with us, the royal family can grant you a privateering license. All the gold and silver you plunder can be exchanged for goods with us. And the more you raid, the higher your rank—become a lord or marquis, enjoy luxury and honor, and leave the desert's hardships behind."
Lady Wan went on and on, while Sandlord just listened and ate, showing no special reaction. She listed all sorts of perks, but he wasn't moved—he didn't even look up. After a glance between the two matrons, Lady Qian added, "We've heard you favor beautiful women. Desert girls are fiery, sure, but if it's beauty you want, our Flower Kingdom is famous. If you become a lord, won't all the beauties of the kingdom be yours for the picking?"
"Heh, now that's interesting." Sandlord finally looked up, fixing his gaze on the two palace attendants. He drawled, "You’ve said all this, but what you really want is for me to help you snatch the Saint Mountain’s treasure, isn’t it?"
Lady Wan's expression flickered, but she replied, "Not at all. If we’re to work together, of course the Saint Mountain’s treasure would belong to the Kingdom. But we came here in good faith—there’s a lot more to the South Wasteland than just that one hoard. We’re hoping for a long-term alliance, where we look out for each other."
Sandlord sneered, "What a joke! A whole kingdom comes to bargain with a bandit like me?" His lips curled up—maybe it was a smile, maybe not, his scarred face made it hard to tell. The look he gave them was pure wild beast, baring his teeth in mock anger. "Sure, I like beautiful women, but I’m picky about my goods. I’ve heard your Flower Kingdom’s Princess Embroidered Jade and Princess Flower Shifter are the finest of the bunch—I want them both!"
"Sir, Princess Embroidered Jade and Princess Flower Shifter are our nation's guardian princesses—they can’t just be married off on a whim. However..." Lady Wan’s eyes darted slyly, a subtle smirk flickering at the corner of her mouth. She lowered her head and continued, "Princess or commoner, a woman’s fate is to marry eventually. If you’re truly interested, when the time comes, you can make a formal proposal to the princesses. Our court will see to it that you get your fair chance at love!"
"A fair chance at love? Ha ha ha! A fair chance at love!" Sandlord suddenly burst out laughing, pounding the table so hard the tent shook. His laughter was thunderous, echoing from front to back. With a thud, he slammed the chicken leg back onto the plate, his voice thick with sarcasm: "You’ve got guts! Dare to swindle me? Even the guardian princesses are up for sale? If you’re willing to destroy your own city for this, you can’t be real Flower Kingdom folk! So tell me—who sent you here?"
As he spoke, Sandlord’s massive hand dropped to the hilt of his saber, and a wild, dangerous aura filled the air. It wasn’t the usual cold-blooded menace—it was like a sandstorm gone mad, gritty and raw, scraping at your nerves and leaving you with a phantom ache.
"Please, sir, don’t be angry!" The two palace attendants’ faces changed dramatically, but they held their ground in the swirling menace, beads of cold sweat trickling down. Lady Qian pleaded, "We—we’re truly here on orders from Her Majesty the Queen and the Crown Prince! It’s all real, we swear!" Lady Wan forced herself to speak up: "You could kill us in a heartbeat, but today is a rare opportunity for you—don’t throw it away!"
"Hmph." Sandlord withdrew his killing aura, and the burning, wild pain vanished in an instant.
The two attendants exchanged a glance, letting out a shaky breath as they wiped the cold sweat from their brows. They hurried to add, "We may not be here by imperial decree, but the Queen is getting on in years, and the Crown Prince will soon take the throne. His promises carry just as much weight!" "Exactly, sir, think about it—out here in the wild desert, bandits like you are a dime a dozen... but beyond Wind Cry Pass, only the Flower Kingdom stands alone. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, you can’t afford to miss it!"