Qing Lin

City Lord Kano snorted coldly. If not for Senior Lin Che, he would have slapped this man who had disrupted the city's order to death long ago.

"Why aren't you getting lost?!"

The vendor did not dare say another word. He picked up the Gold Coins that had fallen to the ground, turned, and ran without looking back, terrified that the City Lord might change his mind and slap him to death.

Lin Che looked at the girl squatting on the ground and crying. Just as he was about to reach out, City Lord Kano beside him stopped him.

City Lord Kano said with some disgust, "Senior, this girl is called Qing Lin. She is the descendant of a Snake People Clan member and a human."

Near the Tagor Desert, human women were occasionally violated by Snake People.

On extremely rare occasions, women who had relations with Snake People would become pregnant and give birth.

However, babies with both human and Snake People bloodlines generally found it difficult to live past the age of two. Qing Lin was an exception—she had lived to thirteen or fourteen.

Unfortunately, people like Qing Lin were regarded as curses by both humans and Snake People. Having lived for so many years had brought her nothing but more scorn and ridicule.

Even Kano, the City Lord of Stone Desert City, deeply loathed Qing Lin. Someone with the filthy bloodline of the Snake People did not deserve to live in this world at all.

If not for the Iron Mercenary Group, Kano would have driven Qing Lin out of Stone Desert City long ago.

Lin Che, however, felt nothing of the sort. He had long heard of Qing Lin. She was someone who possessed the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils.

The Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils were the number one extraordinary eyes in the world and almost appeared only among the descendants of humans and Snake People.

These pupils were the bane of all serpent-type magical beasts. Aside from an extremely small number of serpent-type magical beasts possessing pure ancient bloodlines, they could forcibly control them all.

They could not control humans or other magical beasts, but they could draw out their souls and seize control of their bodies.

Once the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils matured, a space could form within the eyes, where controlled beings could be stored. As one's strength increased, the limits of that space would increase as well.

City Lord Kano pointed at Qing Lin and said, "This is Senior Lin Che, the Drunken Sword Immortal. Why aren't you thanking Senior Lin Che for helping you out?!"

With tears in her eyes, Qing Lin raised her head to look at Lin Che and choked out, "Thank you, Senior..."

Lin Che crouched down and helped Qing Lin pick up the food scattered on the ground. At the same time, he noticed the jade-green scales on her wrist.

"I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you." Qing Lin apologized repeatedly. Pain flickered in her gem-like eyes as tears continuously slid from the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry... I truly didn't mean to scare you."

Lin Che rubbed Qing Lin's head, placed the food he had gathered back into her arms, and said softly, "It's fine. Go home early. If you want to find me in the future, you can go to the Monster Mountain Range."

After saying this, Lin Che turned and left.

Kano gave Qing Lin a meaningful look before running after Senior Lin Che.

Qing Lin sniffled, her gaze fixed tightly on Lin Che's departing back, then lowered her head in disappointment.

So this was how she would spend the rest of her life.

Lin Che, who was still searching for medicinal herbs, paid no attention to the looks others cast his way. Perhaps in their hearts, anyone who walked with this girl of Snake People descent could not be a good person.

But with the City Lord present, they did not dare say anything.

After simply purchasing a few things, Lin Che returned to the City Lord's Mansion. Now, he only needed to wait quietly for news.

Over the following days, the three major mercenary groups dispatched nearly everyone, digging through every inch of sand within ten miles of Stone Desert City.

One night, City Lord Kano hurriedly knocked on Lin Che's door. "Senior Lin Che, we found the entrance you mentioned."

Hearing this, Lin Che slowly closed his eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air before saying, "I understand. You don't need to come with me."

Kano outside the room froze for a moment. Just as he was about to speak, he heard the sound of wind. Senior Drunken Sword Immortal had likely already left.

Kano paced in place for several minutes. After some thought, he decided to wait here for the senior's good news.

Since the senior did not wish for him to know what was inside, how could he continue asking? Wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?

At this moment, the Tagor Desert was already blanketed by stars. The weather, which had originally been scorching hot during the day, had turned bitterly cold. Without Dou Qi protection, one would need to light a bonfire for warmth.

Otherwise, before long, the desert's temperature would freeze them to death.

The firelight in the distance caught Lin Che's attention. In less than half a minute, he arrived there.

At the head of the group stood a young man who appeared to be in his twenties. He wore a white robe, and his eyes, brighter than those of ordinary people, carried traces of wisdom and a subtle, hard-to-detect cunning.

Beside him stood an uninhibited young man with a muscular build, holding a long spear in his hand.

The two were Xiao Ding, leader of the Iron Mercenary Group, and Xiao Li, its deputy leader.

When Xiao Ding saw Lin Che, he clasped his hands in greeting. "You must be the Senior Drunken Sword Immortal the City Lord spoke of."

"Yes. Has the entrance been found?"

Since he did not know who the employer was, Xiao Ding's expression first stiffened. Then, as if possessed, he nodded and pointed with his right hand toward a spot not far away. "We've found it. This exit was originally blocked by yellow sand. If we hadn't noticed something strange here, we might not have found the entrance."

Lin Che's gaze shifted to a bottomless cave entrance. The cave was filled with terrifying heat waves, and anyone who approached it could not help but retreat.

This must be where the Green Lotus Core Flame was located.

"I say, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, aren't you two being a little unreasonable? You clearly know this is the territory of our Sand Mercenary Group, yet you still dared send people here to search. Could it be that you don't hold our leader in any regard?"

At the front stood a burly middle-aged man with two one-meter-long machetes strapped to his back. He stared coldly at every member of the Iron Mercenary Group.

Xiao Ding knew the strength of the Sand Mercenary Group well. Unless absolutely necessary, he did not want to make enemies of them, so he stepped forward and said, "Everyone, the Iron Mercenary Group is carrying out a mission. I hope you can make this convenient for us."

The Sand Mercenary Group's strategist immediately sneered, "Leader Xiao Ding, I haven't heard of the Mercenary Guild issuing such a mission. Besides, this is the territory controlled by our Sand Mercenary Group. There is nothing improper about us coming here, is there?"

"If you know what's good for you, leave immediately. Otherwise, none of you will leave this place alive today."

"Moxing, you clearly know the City Lord has allowed us to search freely. Now that we have found the entrance, why should we give it to you?" Xiao Li gritted his teeth in fury and shouted.