Protecting Qing Lin

In the afternoon at Stone Spring Oasis, the blazing sun hung in the clear sky like a red-hot branding iron, with not a single cloud daring to come close. The sand had been baked scorching hot; stepping on it, one could clearly feel heat drilling up through the soles of one's shoes, as though it would burn straight through the bottoms of one's feet. Most of the mercenaries had hidden inside their tents, using heavy beast-hide curtains to block out the heat waves. Only a scattered few chatted beneath the poplar trees at the edge of the camp, fanning themselves with fans woven from Sand Reed Grass. Even the breeze they stirred carried a searing warmth that made their skin burn.

Qing Lin carried the bamboo medicine basket Xiao Yan had woven for her himself. Colorful pebbles she had picked up at the edge of the oasis a few days ago still dangled from its rim—red, yellow, and white stones threaded together with thin hemp cord as a secret little decoration. She had wanted to surprise Xiao Yan. She was going to gather several drought-resistant Sea Buckthorn Grass plants. Xiao Yan had mentioned that morning, while treating wounded mercenaries from the patrol, that the juice of this herb could quickly reduce swelling and redness. She had thought of gathering more, drying them, and storing them as medicinal powder. That way, she could help Xiao Yan shoulder some of his burden and prove that she was not someone who only caused trouble.

She walked as lightly as she could, like a wary little beast, keeping to the narrow patches of shadow cast by the tents. Her skirt swept across the burning sand, leaving only Faint Trace that the heat waves soon smoothed away. Afraid that someone would see the Snake Scale on her wrist, she deliberately tugged her loose sleeve down, tightly covering that pale blue mark. Her fingers clutched the cuff so hard that her fingertips turned white. But just as she reached the shrubs at the corner of the camp, two figures suddenly darted out from behind the dense Sea Buckthorn Thicket. Like two small hills, they blocked her path and cut off the last remaining shade.

They were two young mercenaries wearing the leather armor of the Ink Iron Mercenary Group. The paint on their armor had barely been worn away, and its edges even retained a fresh sheen; they were clearly newcomers who had joined only recently. Both were powerfully built, with solid muscles bulging from their arms. Their faces held the smugness of those who used their backing to bully others, their curled lips and contemptuous eyes revealing how they usually liked picking on the weak in camp to feel important. They especially enjoyed bringing up Qing Lin's origins.

"Well, well, isn't this the little half-human, half-snake monster?" The tall mercenary grinned, exposing two rows of yellowed teeth. The mockery in his tone was like countless fine needles stabbing into Qing Lin's heart. He stretched out a rough hand, sand still Stained with beneath his fingernails, and reached for the medicine basket in Qing Lin's arms. "Carrying around a basket of worthless weeds—who are you trying to treat? Don't go touching medicinal herbs with those scaly claws of yours and end up killing someone! By then, even Brother Xiao Yan might not be able to protect you!"

The shorter mercenary joined in, his eyes like hooks as he Staring at Qing Lin's wrist beneath her sleeve. He reached out to yank her sleeve down, wanting to forcibly expose the Snake Scale for everyone nearby to see. "Let us take a look at your 'treasure' hand! I hear Snake People scales can be used as medicine and fetch a good price too. Why not peel it off and trade it for two jars of Jujube Wine for us? Then at least you'd be of some use in the mercenary group instead of eating our food for nothing!"

Qing Lin shuddered all over and recoiled as though scalded by burning sand. She hugged the medicine basket tightly against her chest, her arms Trembled slightly from the force, her knuckles turning bluish white. Her eyes instantly reddened, Crystal Tears swirling within them like two fragile pearls. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, carrying an obvious crying tone, though she tried hard to sound brave. "Don't... don't touch me... Brother Xiao Yan will be angry... He's very strong. He'll come help me..." Yet to the two mercenaries, those words sounded like powerless struggling. Not only were they not intimidating, they drew even louder laughter.

The tall mercenary gave a disdainful snort and suddenly exerted force, snatching away the medicine basket and casually dumping it onto the ground. The Sea Buckthorn Grass spilled everywhere. Their emerald leaves were Stained with yellow sand, instantly losing their vitality as they lay limp upon the scorching ground. He even ground them viciously beneath his foot. Their juices splashed everywhere, leaving green streaks across the sand that were quickly baked dry by the heat, becoming dark stains. "Brother Xiao Yan? He's probably discussing missions with the captain right now. He's busy—how could he have time for some unwanted monster like you? You're nothing but dead weight. Keeping you in the mercenary group is a waste of food and an eyesore!"

Qing Lin watched the herbs being crushed, and at last, her tears fell uncontrollably. They slid down her pale cheeks and dripped onto the burning sand. With a sizzle, they were instantly evaporated without a trace. She bit her trembling lip and wanted to pick up the herbs that had not yet been crushed, even if it was only one or two leaves. But the moment she bent down, the short mercenary viciously kicked her knee. With a dull thud, Qing Lin staggered and fell onto the sand. A piercing pain shot through her knee, as though her bone were about to split apart, and she could not help letting out a muffled groan. Her tears fell even harder. The sleeve around her wrist also slipped down her arm, exposing the pale blue Snake Scale beneath the glaring sunlight. Like an abrupt, ugly mark, it made her wish she could hide herself away at once.

She hurriedly used her other hand to cover it, pressing her fingertips tightly against the scale. But the two mercenaries would not let up. One on each side, they pinned down her arms with grips as strong as iron pincers, leaving her unable to move. Her wrists ached from their grasp. The tall mercenary even kicked the back of her hand, his voice vicious and cutting. "What are you hiding for? Such ugly scales, and only you treat them like treasure! If I were you, I'd have crawled into a crack in the ground long ago and never come out to disgrace myself again!"

"Let her go!"

A cold shout suddenly rang out from behind them, like a blade tempered in ice, carrying Undeniable majesty. The surrounding air seemed to turn colder in an instant, and even the scorching heat waves appeared to freeze in place. The two mercenaries instinctively turned around and saw Xiao Yan striding over from the corner of the tents. The Black Heavy Ruler was still securely strapped to his back, but the Aura radiating from him was like an invisible mountain that no one dared approach. His brows were tightly furrowed into a deep crease, and his eyes brimmed with bone-chilling coldness, like the frozen surface of a lake. The sight made the two mercenaries' scalps tingle, their legs unable to stop trembling. Qing Lin had been gone for nearly an hour, and he had worried that she might have been bitten by desert venomous insects or encountered some other danger. He had deliberately paused his conversation with Xiao Ding to come look for her, only to witness this rage-inducing scene the moment he rounded the tents.

When the two mercenaries recognized Xiao Yan, they immediately panicked. Their faces turned deathly pale, as though all blood had been drained from them. They had long heard that this young-looking youth possessed unfathomable strength. Even Xiao Li, the second brother and strongest man in the group, whose Lightning Attribute Dou Qi techniques were extraordinarily refined, had been defeated by him. He was someone even the captain, Xiao Ding, regarded highly. How could they dare act out any further? They hurriedly released Qing Lin's arms and backed away two steps like children caught doing wrong. Their heads were lowered so far that they did not dare meet Xiao Yan's eyes, and they stammered in trembling voices, "Brother... Brother Xiao, we were only fooling around with her. We... we didn't really bully her... We just wanted to make a joke..."

Xiao Yan ignored their excuses and continued straight to Qing Lin. He crouched down and carefully lifted her from the burning sand. His movements were extremely gentle, afraid of hurting her injured knee. His arms steadily supported the crook of her legs and her back, the warmth of his palms passing through her thin clothes into Qing Lin's body. Qing Lin was small and frail, like a frightened kitten in his arms. Her whole body was still Trembled slightly, and her tears fell like pearls from a broken string, soaking Xiao Yan's shoulder. She buried her little head tightly into the hollow of his neck and choked out, "Brother Xiao Yan... the herbs... the herbs I worked so hard to gather... They ruined them all... I'm sorry. I couldn't protect them... Am I really so useless..."

"It's fine. We can gather more herbs. It's nothing worth crying over." Xiao Yan gently patted her back, as tenderly as if comforting an injured little animal. His tone softened at once, carrying a strength that could Dispelled all unease. "Are you hurt anywhere? Besides your knee, where else does it hurt? Tell me, don't hide it from me." As he spoke, he lowered his gaze to Qing Lin's reddened knee. A glaring bruise had already Appeared there, and several spots had been scraped raw, tiny beads of blood seeping out. The sight was shocking. His eyes then swept toward the two mercenaries, whose faces had gone pale with fear. His expression turned cold again, and his voice carried an order that could not be defied, like the icy wind of winter. "You two, clean up the herbs on the ground. Pick up every piece that can still be saved. Then report to the Disciplinary Office and take twenty military strokes. Let it teach you a lesson—what should and Should not have be done in the Ink Iron Mercenary Group, and who you must never touch!"

How could the two mercenaries dare object? They nodded and bowed frantically, repeating, "Yes, yes, yes," like pecking chickens as they crouched down to gather the scattered herbs. Their fingers turned red from the scorching sand, yet they did not dare delay even for a moment. They scarcely dared breathe, afraid that one moment of slowness would bring harsher punishment—or even get them expelled from the mercenary group.

Xiao Yan turned and carried Qing Lin back, walking steadily and carefully to avoid jostling her and causing discomfort. Every step he took was firm and solid. Qing Lin leaned against his shoulder, feeling the warmth and steady presence coming from him as though she had found a harbor from the wind. Gradually, she stopped crying, though her shoulders still twitched faintly from the grievance she had suffered. Her little hand tightly gripped Xiao Yan's lapel, her fingers Curled Up slightly from the force, wrinkling the fabric. After a long while, she finally gathered the courage to raise her head. Looking at Xiao Yan's sharply defined profile, she asked softly, her voice full of uncertainty and deep inferiority, like a little animal afraid of being abandoned. "Brother Xiao Yan, am I really so troublesome... They all say I'm a monster, that I Should not have stayed in the mercenary group... Am I causing you trouble? Is it... is it only you who doesn't find me disgusting...?"

Xiao Yan lowered his head and looked into her eyes, which were filled with grievance and unease. Tears had yet to dry there, like a thin layer of Water vapor veiling them. His own reflection lay within them, fragile and pitiful. He stopped walking and gently wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks with his fingertips, as tenderly as if touching a fragile treasure. His voice was serious and resolute, every word carrying strength. "Of course not. Qing Lin is very well-behaved. You help me organize the herbs, bring water and wipe sweat for wounded mercenaries, and remember everyone's tastes so you can prepare different rations for them. How could you be trouble? The people who say those things about you are the immature ones. They can't see how good you are—that's their loss. You don't need to take it to heart."

He paused, then added in a voice full of gentleness, like warm spring sunlight that could melt all ice and snow, "From now on, no matter who bullies you, don't be afraid, and don't swallow your grievances in silence. Tell me at once. Brother Xiao Yan will protect you and never let you suffer even the slightest injustice again. In this mercenary group, you are not a monster, nor are you dead weight. You are our family. You are someone I, Xiao Yan, will protect. Do you understand?"

Qing Lin looked into Xiao Yan's serious eyes and felt the warmth and steady power of his palm. The unease and inferiority in her heart gradually faded, like mist driven away by sunlight. She nodded hard, and a small smile of peace of mind appeared on her little face, like a small flower quietly blooming in the desert after enduring wind and sand—fragile, yet full of resilience. She buried her head against Xiao Yan's shoulder again, her little hand relaxing instead of remaining tense as before. It only lightly held onto his lapel as she savored this hard-won warmth and sense of safety.

Sunlight filtered through the dense branches of the poplar trees, casting mottled patches of light and shadow over the two of them, as though coating them in a warm, brilliant golden glow. Xiao Yan carried her toward the tents step by step, his pace steady and resolute, as if guarding an incomparably precious treasure. In that scorching desert afternoon, he used his arms to build Qing Lin a warm little world that belonged only to her, shutting out all malice and harm. He let her know that she was no longer alone—that someone would always stand behind her and shelter her from the wind and rain. Warmth Within the Tent: Comfort in Each Other's Arms

When Xiao Yan carried Qing Lin into the main tent of the Ink Iron Mercenary Group, the charcoal fire within was burning brightly. Orange-red flames licked at the firewood, sending sparks flying, while warm air rose from the coals and drove away the scorching desert heat of the afternoon, wrapping the entire tent in gentle warmth. Xiao Ding and Xiao Li had just finished discussing recent patrol missions concerning the Snake People Tribe around a poplarwood table. Seeing the two enter, they hurriedly set down their map and rose to greet them. When their eyes fell upon Qing Lin's reddened eye sockets, sand-stained skirt, and the faintly visible bruising on her knee, the brothers immediately understood much of what had happened. Their expressions grew grave and distressed.

"What happened? Who bullied Qing Lin?" Xiao Li was the most hot-tempered. He immediately frowned, his rough palm unconsciously clenching as he reached to inspect Qing Lin's knee and see how badly she was injured. But Xiao Yan lightly stopped him with a look, signaling him to wait. Xiao Yan was afraid that his brother's haste would hurt the little girl in his arms, who was still trembling faintly. The careful way he held her was as though he were protecting a fragile treasure.

Xiao Yan walked with extreme care and gently set Qing Lin down on a low couch covered in thick, dense Sand Fox Hide. The hide had been softened by the sun and still retained its residual warmth. The instant Qing Lin sat upon it, her tense body unconsciously relaxed somewhat. Xiao Yan crouched down and Knelt on One Knee, gently lifting her trouser leg. Sand clung to the edge of the fabric, and a small portion had been rubbed through, revealing the alarming purple-blue bruise beneath. It was still Stained with bits of sand, and several small abrasions could even be seen, seeping faint traces of blood. From his Storage Ring, he took out a small bottle of glistening white healing ointment. It was Clear Mark Ointment, which he had specially refined and which was particularly effective for bruises and sprains. When he pulled out the stopper, a fresh herbal fragrance immediately spread through the tent, carrying the coolness of mint and the sweet scent of licorice. Xiao Yan dabbed some ointment onto his fingertips and applied it bit by bit to Qing Lin's injuries, his movements as gentle as caressing flower petals. As he applied it, he softly massaged in circles with the pads of his fingers to help the ointment absorb, asking in a low voice, "Does it hurt badly here? Aside from your knee, is there anywhere else that feels uncomfortable? Your arms, perhaps—did they hurt when they pulled you earlier?"

The ointment carried a refreshing chill. When it was first applied, Qing Lin could not help softly drawing in a breath. The coolness seeped through her skin, easing her pain but also bringing a faint sting. She quickly shook her head, her eyes still marked by tears yet fixed unblinkingly upon Xiao Yan. From the fear and helplessness when the mercenaries bullied her, to the peace of mind and reliance she felt upon seeing Xiao Yan appear, and now to being cared for so meticulously by him, all the grievance and vulnerability she had accumulated in her heart surged forth like a tide. Unable to endure it any longer, she shifted forward slightly, stretched out her slender little hands, and tightly hugged Xiao Yan's arm, pressing her tear-streaked cheek against his shoulder. Like a kitten that had finally found a warm nest, she spoke in a soft, sweet voice that still carried a trace of sobbing. "Brother Xiao Yan, I'm fine now, I really am. With you here, it doesn't hurt anymore. It doesn't hurt at all."

Xiao Ding had already turned and walked to the clay jar at the corner of the tent. He poured a cup of clear spring water, then added a small spoonful of preserves—Jujube Honey that he had specially saved for Qing Lin, knowing that the little girl was afraid of bitterness and also of cold spring water. He handed the cup to Qing Lin, its walls pleasantly warm to the touch, and said in a voice as gentle as the spring breeze, "Don't be afraid. In our Ink Iron Mercenary Group, no one can bully you. Those two foolish boys have already gone to receive punishment according to the rules. After twenty military strokes, they definitely won't dare disrespect you again. If anyone dares treat you disrespectfully in the future, you won't even need to say a word. Big Brother will be the first to stand up for you."

Xiao Li also nodded heavily at the side, flashing a hearty grin. He deliberately softened his voice, though it still carried a warrior's boldness. "That's right! If anyone bullies you again, just call for Second Brother! My spear isn't for show. I'll beat them until they're crawling around looking for their teeth and make them understand that no one can bully people from our Ink Iron Mercenary Group!" As he spoke, he deliberately waved his fist and put on a vicious expression. Yet it made Qing Lin's lips curl up despite herself, and the Water vapor in her eyes faded somewhat.

Qing Lin pressed her pale lips together and said nothing. She only hugged Xiao Yan's arm tighter, rubbing her little head lightly against his shoulder as if confirming whether this warmth was real. The faint scent of Xiao Yan's Dou Qi and medicinal herbs Wreathed around her nose. It was a scent that gave her incomparable peace of mind. After applying the ointment, Xiao Yan carefully lowered her trouser leg and gently wrapped her knee with a clean strip of cloth to keep it from rubbing against the wound when she moved. When he finished, he raised a hand and stroked Qing Lin's head. The warmth of his palm passed through her hair to her scalp, and Qing Lin instantly relaxed like a kitten being petted. The tension in her body completely dissolved, and even her breathing became much steadier.

Xiao Yan looked up and smiled at Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, his voice carrying reassurance. "I made Big Brother and Second Brother worry. They were just two newcomers who didn't understand the rules. They relied on having a bit of strength to bully others. I've already sent them to the Disciplinary Office for punishment and told them to retrieve all the Sea Buckthorn Grass they trampled and compensate Qing Lin properly. From now on, I'll make things clear to everyone below. No one is allowed to make an issue of Qing Lin's origins again."

As he spoke, he turned to Qing Lin beside him. Her eyes were still somewhat red, like a little rabbit that had suffered a grievance, but she gazed at him with moist eyes full of reliance. The trust and closeness in that gaze softened Xiao Yan's heart. He extended an arm and gently drew Qing Lin into his embrace, tenderly patting her back as though soothing a child. His voice was quiet and soft. "You don't need to be afraid anymore. No matter when it is, no matter where you are, as long as you call for Brother Xiao Yan, I will appear immediately. As long as I'm here, no one can make you suffer again."

Qing Lin leaned into Xiao Yan's warm embrace and felt his steady, powerful heartbeat. It was like the beat of a solid drum, driving away all her unease. The faint scent of herbs and sunlight Wreathed around her nose, a fragrance that belonged solely to Xiao Yan and gave her incomparable peace of mind. The grievance and fear from being bullied gradually faded away in that moment, leaving only a fullness of stability and warmth. She closed her eyes slightly. Crystal Tears still clung to her long lashes, yet a faint smile slowly appeared on her little face, like a small flower quietly blooming after winter—fragile, yet full of resilience. Like a small boat that had finally found a harbor from the wind, she quietly nestled in Xiao Yan's arms. Her little hand tightly gripped his lapel. She no longer trembled, nor was she uneasy; her entire body carried the softness of someone who had finally lowered all her defenses.

The wind and sand still howled outside the tent, whipping grains of sand against the beast-hide walls with crackling sounds, as though the desert Murmured softly. Yet inside, the charcoal fire made the atmosphere especially warm. The map remained spread across the poplarwood table, with half a jar of unfinished Jujube Wine beside it. The air was mixed with the warmth of the coals, the clean fragrance of medicinal herbs, and a faint scent of wine. Xiao Ding and Xiao Li watched the two embracing and exchanged smiles, their eyes full of comfort. Xiao Ding gently tugged Xiao Li's sleeve, signaling him not to disturb them. The brothers quietly withdrew to a corner of the tent. One picked up a whetstone and slowly sharpened his curved blade, while the other organized the herbs piled nearby. They deliberately softened their movements, leaving the two a quiet, private space. They knew that what Qing Lin needed most at that moment was not unnecessary consolation, but Xiao Yan's steady protection and warmth.