Taking Qing Lin Away

Xuan Jin's words were like a basin of cold water, extinguishing half of Yun Yun's enthusiasm.

Using a Heavenly Flame to burn through her meridians?

Just thinking about it made her scalp tingle.

But when she thought of having to live with that seal, like a cripple, she could not accept it.

She gritted her teeth and nodded solemnly. "I can endure it!"

"Good."

Xuan Jin did not waste any words. He pressed his palm against her back.

"Focus your mind. Do not resist my Dou Qi."

With a low shout, a cluster of deep blue flames rose from his palm.

Sea Heart Flame!

Even from some distance away, Yun Yun could feel the terrifying heat contained within those flames.

This was the legendary Heavenly Flame!

Her heart trembled once more, and she no longer had the slightest doubt about Xuan Jin's identity.

Xuan Jin looked fully focused as he carefully separated a wisp of blue fire thinner than a strand of hair. Guided by his Dou Qi, it slowly entered Yun Yun's body.

The instant the fire thread entered her meridians, Yun Yun's body jolted violently.

It was an excruciating pain beyond description, as though someone were scraping back and forth inside her meridians with a red-hot branding iron.

She bit down hard on her lips to keep herself from crying out, while fine beads of cold sweat instantly covered her forehead.

Xuan Jin controlled the fire thread, slowly bringing it closer to the mass of purple sealing energy.

Sizzle!

The moment the blue flame came into contact with the purple energy, a faint sound echoed within Yun Yun's body.

Then, pain ten times more intense than before erupted with a bang!

"Urgh—ah!"

Yun Yun finally could not hold back any longer. She let out a muffled cry of pain, her body trembling violently.

Xuan Jin's brows knitted tightly together.

"No. Her body cannot withstand the Heavenly Flame. If this continues, her meridians will be destroyed by the violent energy first."

Xuan Jin could feel that Yun Yun's Dou Qi had begun to run wild, clashing against the power of his Heavenly Flame.

"Damn it."

Xuan Jin cursed under his breath and decisively withdrew the Heavenly Flame.

The agony receded like the tide. Yun Yun went limp against him, gasping for air as sweat soaked her entire body, leaving her in a thoroughly disheveled state.

Looking at her delicate appearance, Xuan Jin felt a headache coming on.

"I only tore open a gap in your seal. As for the rest, let your own Dou Qi slowly wear it down. You should fully recover in about three days."

Yun Yun raised her head. Her face, usually noble and composed, now looked pitiful and fragile.

She looked at Xuan Jin, wanting to thank him, but she was too weak to say even a single word.

Xuan Jin looked at her and sighed helplessly.

He had originally intended to leave after breaking the seal. Now, it seemed he could not leave.

"Forget it. Consider it a good deed for the day."

Xuan Jin comforted himself inwardly, took out another pill, and fed it to Yun Yun before sitting down nearby.

He would have to stay for these three days.

The next three days were an unprecedentedly strange experience for Yun Yun.

For Xuan Jin, however, there was not much difference. The only difference was that Xiao Yi Xian had been beside him before, while now it was Yun Yun.

Most of the time, Xuan Jin sat cross-legged in a corner of the cave, cultivating his Dou Techniques.

The Emperor Seal Art was profound and complex, making this a perfect opportunity to study it properly.

Occasionally, he would go out to hunt some game, roast it with his flames, and toss half to Yun Yun.

The two of them spoke from time to time, though not often.

Yun Yun had always been cold by nature. Although Xuan Jin had saved her, she would not put herself on display like other women.

The atmosphere inside the cave was sometimes so quiet that it became awkward.

Over the past few days, however, Yun Yun had put aside her identity as sect leader and lived like an ordinary person.

After all, with her Dou Qi sealed, she could not cultivate.

Still, Yun Yun grew increasingly curious about Xuan Jin's identity and background.

Although Yun Yun would not take the initiative, she secretly observed Xuan Jin.

Whether it was his focus while cultivating or his casual manner while roasting meat, every movement of his carried a steadiness and calmness that did not match his age.

During those three days, whenever Xuan Jin finished cultivating, he would casually chat with Yun Yun.

For most of the three days, Xuan Jin sat quietly cultivating. The paths along which his Dou Qi circulated around him were unlike anything Yun Yun had ever seen in the Jia Ma Empire.

Occasionally, he would go out hunting, and when he returned, the blue Heavenly Flame rising from his fingertips could effortlessly roast game until its fragrance filled the air.

That Heavenly Flame, regarded as a supreme treasure in the Jia Ma Empire, was as casually used in his hands as an ordinary candle flame.

While chatting, Xuan Jin would occasionally ask about the distribution of power within the Jia Ma Empire or the recent situation of the Snake People Clan in the Tager Desert. Yun Yun answered each question.

Listening to Xuan Jin speak so lightly of alchemy and Dou Qi, while watching his ever-calm expression, Yun Yun's curiosity about him grew ever stronger.

On the morning of the third day, when the first ray of sunlight shone into the cave, Yun Yun's body suddenly shuddered.

A powerful force, once lost and now regained, awakened within her.

Her Dou Qi had fully recovered!

She rose to her feet and felt the ceaselessly surging Dou Qi inside her. The feeling of having everything under her control returned to her.

Yet Yun Yun inexplicably felt a trace of loss. After today, she would once again be the sect leader of the Misty Cloud Sect.

Being a good sect leader was truly exhausting.

Just then, Xuan Jin, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, opened them as well.

Xuan Jin stood up and patted the dust from his clothes.

"Looks like you've recovered well. Since that's the case, I should be leaving too."

Xuan Jin's tone was calm, as though he were bidding farewell to a passerby he had met by chance.

Yun Yun looked at him, and the reluctance in her heart deepened.

She gathered her thoughts, resumed the bearing of a sect leader, and solemnly bowed to Xuan Jin.

"Young Master Xuan Jin, I will never forget your life-saving grace.

"I, Yun Yun, will remember this kindness forever. If you ever have any need of me in the future, I will not hesitate to die for you!"

"If fate wills it, we will meet again." Xuan Jin's response remained calm.

Then Xuan Jin took out a crystalline stone gleaming with purple light from his Storage Ring and tossed it to Yun Yun.

"This is for you. You came here for this too, didn't you?"

Yun Yun caught it instinctively. It was an Amethyst Spirit Crystal.

"This..."

"Consider it a parting gift."

With that, Xuan Jin turned and walked toward the cave entrance without looking back.

"Wait!" Yun Yun hurriedly called out. "Where are you going, Young Master?"

"The Tagor Desert."

Xuan Jin's voice drifted in from outside. In the next instant, his presence disappeared completely.

Only Yun Yun remained in the cave, standing there in a daze.

She lowered her head to look at the Amethyst Spirit Crystal in her hand, then raised her gaze toward the empty cave entrance, overwhelmed by a swirl of emotions.

"The Tagor Desert... Is he going to the Snake People Clan? What could be there that is worth his visit?"

Yun Yun muttered to herself. She grew ever more curious about that man of mystery.

And ever more grateful as well.

In the next moment, Yun Yun's expression changed, and she immediately regained the cool aloofness of a sect leader.

She was now the sect leader of the Misty Cloud Sect.

But she did not want to be.

Yun Yun knew her own nature. Becoming a qualified sect leader was truly too difficult for her.

Elsewhere, after leaving the Magical Beast Mountain Range, Xuan Jin headed west at full speed toward the Tagor Desert.

His target was clear:

Stone Desert City, Qing Lin.

"Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, the world's foremost extraordinary pupils, capable of controlling every serpent in the world. If she does not die young, she is destined to become a Dou Saint! A small investment with enormous returns."

Xuan Jin calculated inwardly.

Three days later, a massive city built upon yellow sands appeared at the end of the horizon.

Stone Desert City had arrived.

Dry, scorching air rushed toward him, carrying the scent of sand and dust.

Xuan Jin did not conceal his presence. Only overwhelming Dou Qi could effectively keep some flies away.

The moment he entered the city, clamorous noise poured into his ears.

All kinds of shops and street stalls lined both sides of the road. Most of the passersby were dark-skinned mercenaries with fierce auras.

Xuan Jin did not linger. His immense Soul Power silently swept out, covering all of Stone Desert City.

He was searching.

Searching for a faint yet distinctive special aura.

Very quickly, he found his target in a secluded alley.

A group of people had gathered there, noisily arguing as though they were bullying someone.

Xuan Jin frowned and strode over.

"Get out! You half-breed snake freak!"

"Don't touch me! You're filthy!"

"How can there be such a monster in the city? Drive her out!"

Their filthy insults were unbearable to hear.

Xuan Jin pushed through the crowd and saw the small figure surrounded in the middle.

A little girl who appeared to be only eight or nine years old wore a pale green dress washed nearly white. She was curled up on the ground, clutching her head tightly with both hands as her frail body trembled without stop.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."

The girl's crying was quiet, filled with fear and helplessness.

Xuan Jin's face instantly turned cold.

He had found her. Qing Lin.

He did not waste words. He merely spoke one word flatly.

"Get lost."

He infused that word with a trace of Dou Qi.

The sound was not loud, but its intimidation was immense.

The mercenaries and women who had been shouting insults felt their chests tighten, as though breathing itself had become difficult. Their legs went weak, and they nearly dropped to their knees.

They stared in terror at the black-robed young man who had suddenly appeared.

One particularly burly mercenary, relying on his modest strength, put on a fierce front despite his fear and shouted:

"Who the hell are you? How dare you meddle in the Sand Mercenary Group's busi—"

Before he could finish, the man exploded into a cloud of blood mist, leaving not even a corpse behind.

"Ah!!!"

The others nearby screamed at the sight.

They fled in panic, crawling and stumbling over one another, afraid that if they ran too slowly, they would lose their lives.

The noisy alley instantly fell silent.

Only Xuan Jin and the little girl, still lying on the ground and trembling, remained.

The alley was so quiet that only the girl's suppressed sobs could be heard.

"I'm sorry... Please... don't hit me..."

Qing Lin thought she was about to be beaten and buried her head even deeper.

Xuan Jin walked up to her and slowly crouched down.

His figure blocked the blinding sunlight, casting a shadow across the ground that enveloped Qing Lin's small body.

Qing Lin should have been around eleven years old by now, yet she looked only eight or nine. It was clear that life had not been easy for her.

Sensing the light dim, Qing Lin secretly peeked through the gaps between her fingers.

A pair of black boots had stopped before her.

She shuddered in fright, shut her eyes, and waited for the beating she expected.

However, after waiting for a long while, no pain came.

A gentle voice sounded above her head.

"They've all left. Get up."

Qing Lin froze for a moment before cautiously lowering the arms shielding her head.

She looked up and saw a young, handsome face.

This big brother was not looking at her with the disgust and contempt everyone else did.

His face was calm, and there was even a trace of gentleness she could not understand.

The girl before him was petite, with a delicate oval face made somewhat pale by years of malnutrition. Tear stains and dust still marked it, making her resemble an abandoned porcelain doll.

Her jade-green eyes looked at him timidly, filled with fear and unease.

"You... are you going to hit me too?" Qing Lin asked in a voice as faint as a mosquito's.

Xuan Jin's heart stirred.

These were the legendary Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils.

Yet now, those eyes that could make all the snakes in the world submit held only humility and timidity.

This world had truly been far too cruel to Qing Lin.

Xuan Jin reached out his hand.

Qing Lin's body suddenly recoiled. She shut her eyes again, tears still clinging to her long lashes.

Xuan Jin's hand did not fall upon her. Instead, he gently placed it atop her fluffy head and rubbed it soothingly.

"I won't hit you."

The warmth from his palm was something Qing Lin had never felt before.

It was not shoving, not pulling, and certainly not a slap.

It was a gentle touch, filled with warmth.

She blankly opened her eyes, and Xuan Jin's reflection appeared in her jade-green pupils.

"What is your name?" Xuan Jin asked.

"Qing... Qing Lin."

"Qing Lin. That's a lovely name."

Xuan Jin smiled.

"My name is Xuan Jin. From today onward, come with me. I promise that no one will ever dare bully you again."

Qing Lin was completely dumbfounded.

Ever since she was little, all she had heard were words like "monster," "bastard," and "get lost."

For the first time, someone had said her name sounded nice.

For the first time, someone had said they wanted her to follow them.

For the first time, someone had said they would protect her.

She could hardly believe her own ears.

"But... I... I'm a monster..." She pointed at the tiny green scales on her wrist, her voice trembling with tears.

"You are not a monster."

Xuan Jin's tone was exceedingly serious.

"You are special. This is not a curse, but a gift bestowed upon you by heaven. I will teach you how to use this power."

Xuan Jin stood and extended his hand toward Qing Lin, who was still sitting on the ground.

"Are you willing to come with me?"

Qing Lin looked at that clean, slender hand, then raised her head to look at Xuan Jin's sincere face.

Under the sunlight, this big brother's smile was warmer than anything she had ever seen.

She hesitated for a moment, then finally gathered her courage and placed her skinny, dirty little hand into his palm.

Xuan Jin took her little hand and pulled her up from the ground.

"Let's go."

Holding the little girl's hand, he led her out of that dark alley and toward the sunlight outside.

Xuan Jin held Qing Lin's hand as they walked along the broad streets of Stone Desert City.

The mercenaries on the road all cast curious looks at the strange pair.

A black-robed young man with an extraordinary bearing, holding the hand of a grimy little child—the sight looked out of place no matter how one viewed it.

Yet no one dared step forward to speak to them. The faint aura of a powerful expert around Xuan Jin made everyone with ill intentions keep their distance.

Qing Lin's little head remained lowered as Xuan Jin's large hand held hers. She did not dare look at the people around her.

She asked softly, "Big brother... where, where are we going?"

"To tell your commander."

Xuan Jin's answer was simple.

"You work for the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, right?"

Qing Lin nodded. "Mm... the commander treats me very well. Everyone bullies me... only... only the commander doesn't."

Xuan Jin nodded. Xiao Yan's eldest brother, Xiao Ding, and second brother, Xiao Li, were indeed decent people and had treated little Qing Lin well. Otherwise, she might not have lived until now.

Before long, the two arrived at the Desert Iron Mercenary Group's headquarters.

The mercenaries guarding the entrance showed disdain when they saw Qing Lin. But upon seeing Xuan Jin beside her, they did not dare act recklessly and could only stop them.

"Stop! Who are you?"

Xuan Jin ignored the gate guards' shout and merely spoke calmly.

"I am looking for your commanders, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li."

When the gate guard heard him directly call his commanders by name, the flesh on his face twitched. He was about to fly into a rage when his companion grabbed him.

The other mercenary, who was somewhat older, had far sharper judgment.

He could tell that the black-robed young man before him possessed a temperament utterly incompatible with Stone Desert City, where yellow sands filled the sky.

That composure was not something an ordinary person could possess.

What was more, he was holding the hand of the little monster everyone in the group avoided.

"Please wait a moment. I'll report this immediately."

The older mercenary did not dare delay and hurried into the headquarters.

Not long afterward, two figures hurried out from within.

The one in front was an elegant-looking young man, the commander of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, Xiao Ding.

Beside him stood a more powerfully built man with a hint of fierceness in his features—Xiao Li.

At a glance, the two saw Xuan Jin standing at the entrance, as well as Qing Lin hiding behind him and only daring to peek out with half her head.

Xiao Ding's heart tightened.

The visitor's bearing was far too steady—so steady that even he, a Da Dou Shi, felt an inexplicable pressure.

He stepped forward and cupped his fists at Xuan Jin.

"This friend, I am Xiao Ding, commander of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group. May I ask why you have brought Qing Lin here?"

"Xuan Jin."

Xuan Jin gave his name, then got straight to the point.

"I think this child has potential, so I intend to take her with me. She told me that you have taken good care of her, so I came specifically to inform you and offer my thanks."

Xiao Ding and Xiao Li exchanged a glance, both somewhat stunned.

Take Qing Lin away?

They had taken Qing Lin in only because they had pitied her lonely and helpless state. They had given her a menial job so she could at least earn enough to eat.

How had that drawn the attention of such a person?

"You are too courteous," Xiao Ding quickly said, waving his hand. "It was merely a small gesture. Qing Lin is indeed a pitiful child."

Xiao Li was more straightforward. In a deep, rumbling voice, he said, "My brother and I just couldn't stand watching those bastards bully her to death. It hardly counts as taking care of her."

Xuan Jin looked toward Qing Lin behind him.

Qing Lin shrank back when Xuan Jin looked at her, but at his prompting, she still gathered her courage and softly said something to Xiao Ding and Xiao Li.

"Thank you... Thank you, Commander and Second Commander, for taking Qing Lin in. Qing Lin will never forget the kindness of the Commander and Second Commander."