Taking Care of Qing Lin, the Ice Emperor?

Qing Lin shrank her neck under Xuan Jin's gaze, but at his prompting, she still gathered her courage and softly said something to Xiao Ding and Xiao Li.

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

Xuan Jin added,

"To you, it may have been a casual act, but to Qing Lin, it was life-saving grace."

Then, Xuan Jin took two exquisite jade bottles from his Storage Ring and handed them over.

"A small token of thanks."

Xiao Ding hesitated and did not take them.

Xiao Li, being more impatient, reached out and took them. As soon as he pulled out the stopper, a rich medicinal fragrance instantly spread through the air.

Just one breath of it made the Dou Qi within his body become noticeably more active.

"This is... a pill?" Xiao Li's eyes widened.

"Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pills," Xuan Jin said calmly. "They are somewhat useful to cultivators at the Da Dou Shi level and below."

"Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pills!"

Xiao Ding cried out in shock. His refined face could no longer remain composed, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

Peak Fourth-Grade pills!

Pills capable of allowing a Da Dou Shi to break through one star with absolute certainty!

They were even more precious treasures for Dou Masters like them!

Such treasures were worth a fortune throughout the Jia Ma Empire, let alone in the remote Stone Desert City!

Yet the man before them had casually produced two of them, merely to thank them for "taking care" of Qing Lin?

Xiao Ding's mind went blank.

He finally understood what kind of person he had encountered.

"No, no, no! These are far too precious! We absolutely cannot accept them!" Xiao Ding came back to his senses and repeatedly tried to refuse.

"Things I give away are never taken back."

Xuan Jin gave them no chance to refuse. Taking Qing Lin's little hand, he turned and left.

"I'm taking her with me."

Xiao Ding and Xiao Li stood frozen in place, still holding the two bottles of pills that could change their fates. They stared at Xuan Jin and Qing Lin's retreating figures, unable to speak for a long time.

"Big Brother... this..." Xiao Li's voice had gone dry.

"Accept them."

Xiao Ding let out a long breath, his face full of complicated emotions.

"This Young Master Xuan Jin is likely an alchemist, or the disciple of one."

After leaving the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, Xuan Jin led Qing Lin through the bustling streets.

He took her into the finest tailor shop in the city.

When the shopkeeper saw Qing Lin's ragged clothes, a look of disgust appeared on his face, and he was about to throw them out. Then Xuan Jin casually tossed a bag of Gold Coins onto the counter, dazzling his eyes.

The shopkeeper's attitude immediately took a complete turn, his face filling with a fawning smile.

"Young Master, would you like to have some clothes made for this... little girl?"

Xuan Jin ignored him. He merely crouched down and gently spoke to the still-timid Qing Lin.

"Go on. Tell your brother which one you like."

Qing Lin had never seen such a scene before. Her small hands clutched tightly at the hem of her clothes, and she was too nervous to speak.

All her life, she had worn old clothes that others had thrown away.

"N-No need... I..."

Seeing her like this, Xuan Jin did not force her.

He stood up and swept his gaze through the shop, finally settling on a pale green long dress.

"That one."

Before long, Qing Lin, now wearing new clothes, emerged from the inner room under the guidance of a female attendant.

The dirt on her body had been roughly cleaned away. Though her little face was still sallow, the clean, fitted green dress made her look completely different.

She was no longer the dirty child cowering in a corner, but an obedient little girl.

Qing Lin stared at the unfamiliar reflection in the mirror and froze.

The next moment, tears as large as beans rolled uncontrollably from her jade-green pupils.

She covered her mouth to stop herself from crying aloud, but her thin shoulders shook violently.

Xuan Jin stepped forward and gently drew her into his arms, stroking the back of her head again and again.

"Alright, don't cry."

"With your brother here from now on, no one will dare make you suffer again."

The little girl in his arms cried even harder.

But this time, it was no longer from fear and sorrow, but from a warmth and joy she had never known before.

Only after a long while did Qing Lin finally calm down.

Qing Lin broke free from Xuan Jin's embrace, stepped back, then fell straight to her knees before him.

"Qing Lin... Qing Lin is Young Master's maid. I'm not worthy... not worthy of being Brother's little sister."

She lowered her head, her voice steeped in inescapable humility.

Xuan Jin frowned.

He knew that this inferiority etched into her bones since childhood could not be changed overnight.

Xuan Jin reached out and helped Qing Lin to her feet.

"You are not allowed to kneel again from now on, or Brother won't want you anymore."

Upon hearing this, Qing Lin shrank her neck and nodded lightly. Her reddened eyes made her look pitiful.

"Let's find a place to stay first, then I'll take you to eat something delicious."

Xuan Jin took her small hand and walked out of the tailor shop.

Qing Lin kept her head lowered, her little hand tightly gripping Xuan Jin's larger one, as if everything before her would turn into a fragile dream the moment she let go.

Meanwhile, at the Misty Cloud Sect, tens of thousands of miles away.

A streak of azure light tore across the sky and descended before the sect's main hall.

Yun Yun wore a plain dress and had regained her usual grace and nobility, but a trace of lingering complicated emotion remained hidden between her brows.

When the disciples guarding the mountain saw their sect leader return, they hurriedly bowed respectfully.

Yun Yun nodded slightly without stopping, then headed directly toward the Pill Hall deep within the sect.

Inside the Pill Hall, medicinal fragrance lingered in the air.

A middle-aged man dressed in an alchemist's robe stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the dancing flames within a pill furnace.

His features were refined and his manner gentle. He was none other than the Jia Ma Empire's Pill King, Gu He.

Hearing footsteps, Gu He turned around. When he saw that the visitor was Yun Yun, undisguised delight and possessiveness surfaced on his gentle face.

"Sect Leader Yun, you have returned."

"Elder Gu He."

Yun Yun nodded to him in greeting, then took the Amethyst Spirit Crystal from her Storage Ring.

"This is the Amethyst Spirit Crystal. I'll have to trouble you to refine a Purple Spirit Pill for Yanran."

Gu He accepted the Amethyst Spirit Crystal, but did not inspect it closely. His attention was entirely on Yun Yun.

After only a few days apart, she seemed to have grown a little thinner. Amid her cold and aloof temperament, there was now a trace of fragility that stirred one's heart.

"You are too courteous, Sect Leader. Gu He is also a member of the sect."

Gu He stepped forward and lowered his voice.

"May I ask whether the Sect Leader would be willing to protect me and accompany me to the Tagor Desert?"

Yun Yun's willow brows furrowed. "To the Tagor Desert?"

Wasn't that the place Xuan Jin had said he was going?

Seeing her confusion, Gu He explained,

"I have received reliable information that Queen Medusa of the Snake People Clan has obtained a Heavenly Flame.

"Heavenly Flames are not only useless to Snake People with cold-blooded lineages, but harmful to them as well.

"I have prepared several pills and wish to exchange them with her. If the Sect Leader accompanies me, our chances will be much greater."

A Heavenly Flame!

At those words, Yun Yun's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

She immediately thought of the young man in the cave who could casually summon Blue Flame.

Xuan Jin.

"Could he be going to the Tagor Desert for the Heavenly Flame as well?"

Yun Yun's heart immediately fell into chaos.

She looked at the expectant Gu He before her. For some reason, a trace of resistance arose within her, yet mixed into that resistance was something like anticipation.

"Let me consider this for a few days."

After leaving those words behind, she turned and left the Pill Hall, leaving behind a stunned Gu He.

Gu He watched Yun Yun's departing figure, his brows slowly drawing together.

He could sense that Yun Yun was somewhat different after returning this time.

"Could it be... that something happened to her in the Magical Beast Mountain Range?"

Still, Gu He believed that Yun Yun would definitely agree.

"If I can obtain a Heavenly Flame on this trip, my alchemy will advance even further! Yun'er, will you still reject me then?"

At the most luxurious inn in Stone Desert City.

Xuan Jin booked an upper room for Qing Lin and had her bathe first.

Hot water had long been prepared, and the bath barrel was scattered with fragrant flower petals.

Qing Lin carefully took off her newly bought dress, neatly folded it, and set it aside before stepping into the bath barrel.

The warm water wrapped around her small body, making her so comfortable that she almost wanted to moan.

She submerged her entire body, leaving only her head above the water. Her large black eyes blinked repeatedly, looking adorable.

Everything that had happened today felt like a dream.

That big brother called Xuan Jin was like a ray of light shining into her dark life.

Thinking of Xuan Jin's gentle smile and the warmth of his palm when he stroked her head, Qing Lin's cheeks uncontrollably flushed red.

She suddenly plunged her head beneath the water, blowing bubbles with a gurgle.

"Pwah!"

Only after quite some time did she emerge from the water, gulping down fresh air.

After washing up, Qing Lin changed into clean clothes and timidly made her way downstairs.

Xuan Jin had already ordered a whole table of dishes and was sitting there waiting for her.

They were all first- and second-tier magical beast meats that replenished blood and vitality, things she had never even dared dream of eating before.

She walked to the table, intending to stand nearby and wait on him as she had in the past.

But Xuan Jin caught her little hand and pressed her into the chair beside him.

"When it's time to eat, just eat properly."

Xuan Jin spoke in a tone that allowed no refusal.

"Otherwise, you won't grow taller."

Qing Lin lowered her head and looked at her thin little body, then looked at Xuan Jin. At last, she nodded, picked up her chopsticks, and began taking small bites.

It was the most delicious and reassuring meal Qing Lin had ever eaten in her life.

After the meal, Xuan Jin took Qing Lin back to their room.

First, he had Qing Lin take a First-Grade Pill to replenish her depleted blood and vitality. As the gentle medicinal power spread through her body, a trace of color returned to Qing Lin's pale little face.

Only after doing this did Xuan Jin begin formally teaching her how to absorb the energy of heaven and earth and guide her Dou Qi.

"Close your eyes and feel carefully..."

Qing Lin sat cross-legged on the bed, imitating Xuan Jin as she tried hard to sense the elusive energy of heaven and earth.

Outside the window, the night deepened, and a crescent moon hung at the edge of the sky.

Inside the room, beneath a lone lamp, one large and one small figure sat quietly.

A brand-new picture was slowly unfolding in this frontier town surrounded by endless yellow sand.

Life in Stone Desert City was peaceful and orderly.

For Qing Lin, the next half month was like living in a dream.

She no longer had to go hungry or freeze, nor did she have to endure the cold looks and bullying of others.

Every day, Xuan Jin took her to eat the most delicious food and bought her the prettiest clothes.

The little girl's body was like a sapling long parched by drought and finally nourished by rain, filling out at a visible pace.

Her once-sallow little face gradually gained color, becoming fair and rosy. Her jade-green eyes were no longer always filled with timidity and unease, and from time to time, they would gleam with curiosity and liveliness.

Under Xuan Jin's careful guidance, Qing Lin's cultivation also formally entered the right track.

Xuan Jin taught Qing Lin the simplest breathing exercises, teaching her to sense the energy between heaven and earth.

Qing Lin's talent was even greater than Xuan Jin had imagined.

Perhaps because of her Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, her perception of energy was exceptionally keen.

In just half a month, she successfully condensed a trace of Dou Qi within her body and formally entered Dou Qi Level One.

The moment she succeeded, she excitedly threw herself into Xuan Jin's arms and burst into tears.

"Young Master... I... I succeeded!"

Xuan Jin rubbed her little head, and a gratified smile appeared on his face.

He could feel that as Qing Lin stepped onto the path of cultivation, the strange power contained within her Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils had begun to show signs of awakening.

This was a good omen.

Once she possessed Dou Qi, controlling snake-type magical beasts through her Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils would become much easier.

"Alright, stop crying."

Xuan Jin helped her straighten up.

"Dou Qi Level One is only the beginning. The road ahead is still long."

Qing Lin nodded vigorously, unprecedented determination gleaming in her emerald eyes.

"Qing Lin will cultivate diligently and never bring shame upon Young Master!"

Seeing how serious she looked, Xuan Jin's heart stirred, and he took out another pill.

"This is a Second-Grade Pill, the Vitality Dispersion Pill. It can help stabilize your Dou Qi. Take one every day from now on."

For the current Qing Lin, using medicinal pills to nourish her body was the best choice.

Her physical foundation was far too poor and required a great deal of energy to make up for it. This was underdevelopment caused by her innate environment; there was no solution besides slowly replenishing her energy.

Seeing that Qing Lin had gotten on the right track, Xuan Jin decided it was time to set out.

Xuan Jin's destination was the Green Lotus Core Flame deep within the Tagor Desert.

Of course, Medusa had already taken the Green Lotus Core Flame. Xuan Jin intended to do something important inside the cave where it had once been.

"Qing Lin, we'll leave tomorrow."

Qing Lin, who had been meditating, opened her eyes at his words and looked at him in confusion.

"Young Master, where are we going?"

"Somewhere that can make you stronger."

Xuan Jin rose to his feet, walked to the window, and looked into the depths of the desert.

"There is an opportunity meant for you there."

He remembered clearly that beside the Green Lotus Core Flame lived a fourth-rank magical beast, the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake.

That magical beast would become the first target of Qing Lin's Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils.

As long as she successfully controlled the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake, Qing Lin would not only gain a powerful helper, but more importantly, its Dou Qi would gradually be absorbed by her.

An innately powerful physique truly made cultivation twice as effective with half the effort.

Early the next morning, Xuan Jin left Stone Desert City with Qing Lin in his arms.

As Xuan Jin flew through the air while holding Qing Lin, she opened her eyes and looked down from the heights, trembling yet excited.

"Y-Young Master, will I be able to soar through the sky like you someday?"

Xuan Jin said softly, "Of course. Alright, we'll be there soon."

Qing Lin nodded and buried her little head in Xuan Jin's chest again.

Half an hour later, a small wooden cabin appeared before Xuan Jin.

The cabin looked dilapidated. A fence surrounded it, with a wooden sign hanging from it bearing the two words: "Maps."

This was the secluded residence of the Ice Emperor, Hai Bodong.

"We're here."

Xuan Jin set Qing Lin down from his arms, and the two walked to the front of the cabin.

He did not knock. He merely stood calmly outside the door and waited.

After a moment, an aged, raspy voice came from inside the cabin.

"If you're buying maps, come in."

Xuan Jin pushed open the creaking wooden door and entered with Qing Lin.

The room was dimly lit. An old man dressed in blue cloth, his hair graying, sat behind the counter with his head lowered, fiddling with something unknown.

He looked like an ordinary old man of the desert, without the slightest trace of Dou Qi fluctuation.

But Xuan Jin knew very well that beneath that ordinary shell hid a once-renowned Dou Emperor expert.

Hai Bodong raised his head. His cloudy old eyes swept over Xuan Jin and Qing Lin before finally settling on Xuan Jin.

"What map do you want?"

"The most detailed map of the Tagor Desert." Xuan Jin set Qing Lin down and spoke calmly.

Hai Bodong pulled out a scroll of parchment from beneath the counter and tossed it onto the table.

"Fifty Gold Coins."

Xuan Jin did not reach for any Gold Coins. He merely looked at him.

"I also want a map indicating where Heavenly Flames might appear."

Hai Bodong's movements paused. He looked up again, a sharp gleam flashing through his cloudy eyes.

"Heavenly Flames? Young man, that isn't something you should be thinking about."

There was a warning in his tone.

"I want it, so give it to me." Xuan Jin's tone remained calm.

Hai Bodong stared at him for a long while before suddenly bursting into laughter.

"I do have one, but... the price won't be cheap."

"Fifty thousand Gold Coins."

He held up five fingers.

Xuan Jin looked at him and suddenly smiled as well.

"Ice Emperor Hai Bodong, one of the Jia Ma Empire's ten greatest experts. Former grand elder of the Mite'er Family."

"Tell me, how many Gold Coins is your life worth?"

Xuan Jin's voice was not loud, but every word was like a sharp blade stabbing viciously into Hai Bodong's heart.

The smile on Hai Bodong's face instantly froze.

He shot up from his chair, terrifying cold light erupting from his cloudy old eyes.

An aura belonging to a Dou Ling expert burst uncontrollably from his body, sweeping through the entire cabin.

"Who... exactly are you?!"

Hai Bodong's voice was hoarse and low, filled with vigilance.

His Dou Ling aura flooded the cramped cabin in an instant like a cold current.

Yet this aura, enough to make even an ordinary Da Dou Shi turn pale, vanished into Xuan Jin like mud sinking into the sea, without stirring the slightest ripple.

Xuan Jin did not even look at him. He simply pulled over a chair and sat down.

He held Qing Lin in his arms and covered her ears with his hands.

"Children shouldn't listen to all this fighting and killing."