Qing Lin

In the northeast of the Jia Ma Empire lies a desert that stretches beyond the reach of the eye.

Deep within this desert sits the formidable Snake-Person Empire.

To defend against the incursions of the snake-people and keep their race confined to the desert, the Jia Ma Empire constructed a series of fortress cities, and Shi Mo City is one of them.

After the enrollment at Jia Nan Academy concluded, Xiao Lei hurriedly carried Xiao Yi Xian and flew rapidly toward this desolate wasteland.

Xiao Lei did not choose a large flying magical beast, as their strength was too weak and their speed limited, far inferior to Xiao Lei's own Purple Cloud Wings.

Having cultivated for so long, and relying on the Woe Poison Body, even though Xiao Lei had been busy with other matters, he had already reached the level of an eight-star Dou Ling, very close to the Dou King realm.

Supported by such cultivation, Xiao Lei crossed a vast distance in one go, racing against time to arrive at Shi Mo City...

At this very moment, in a courtyard within Shi Mo City, a young girl who looked no older than fourteen or fifteen wiped the sweat from her forehead.

The girl was pretty, with delicate, flawless features. Her fair skin was a rare sight in this desert, and even more unusual was the thick, plain clothing she wore, which wrapped around her entire body.

In the scorching heat of the desert, this was truly a strange sight.

The girl's act of wiping sweat lasted only a moment before she turned her attention back to the laundry in her hands.

Water is precious in the desert, so Qing Lin could only wash clothes in a single wooden bucket, utilizing every drop to the absolute limit.

"I must hurry. There are other things to do later. If I'm too slow, I'll be scolded again!"

If these words came from anyone else, they might sound like a complaint, but for Qing Lin, they were a self-imposed spur.

She felt fortunate that this family had taken her in for work. Although the master had significantly docked her wages due to her snake-person bloodline, for Qing Lin, simply having a meal to eat made her feel incredibly happy.

She was a half-breed of human and snake-person; such individuals rarely survived past childhood, and Qing Lin was a miracle.

Yet, it was unclear whether this miracle was a gift of fate or a form of torture.

Because of this snake-person bloodline, Qing Lin had faced discrimination and bullying from all sides since birth.

Qing Lin often lost her jobs because of the green scales on her arms, even though she always offered to forfeit all her wages as long as she was given a meal.

The result was always the same: dismissal, and dismissal without a single coin of pay.

Qing Lin did not know that this was merely an excuse used by those people to avoid paying her; it just so happened that her snake-person bloodline was the easiest excuse to use.

She could only blame herself for everything, forced to wear thick clothes and keep her sleeves tied tightly with rope, even when drenched in sweat, terrified that her scales might be exposed again.

However, it was all in vain; Qing Lin was cast out time and time again...

After drifting for many years, Qing Lin arrived here. This was the last place willing to hire her; if they dismissed her too, Qing Lin had no idea where she would go.

Truth be told, this household was not wealthy. It was a fallen family, and by this generation, only one branch remained, with their financial situation being dire.

Of course, they still had to keep up appearances; even in their decline, these people were unwilling to do the menial labor themselves.

As for hiring Qing Lin, it was simply because she was the cheapest.

Naturally, Qing Lin was not fully aware of all this.

Qing Lin did not understand why this place didn't have many servants like other places, nor did she understand why she had so much work to do!

Qing Lin only knew that she was about to finish three months of work here, something that had not happened in a very long time.

Moreover, the boss had promised her that once she completed three months, she would be paid her wages.

Life felt "bright" as never before, at least in Qing Lin's eyes.

Qing Lin was full of motivation!

Just as Qing Lin was dizzy from the variety of chores, a young boy and a young girl burst in.

The little boy held a toy whose name Qing Lin did not know, while the little girl shouted, wanting to snatch it from him.

Seeing this, Qing Lin quickly grabbed her sleeves with both hands until she felt the two thick ropes binding her cuffs, and only then did she breathe a slight sigh of relief.

At least her snake scales would not be seen!

"Ah!"

Suddenly, a cry of surprise entered Qing Lin's ears.

It turned out that the little boy had tripped and fallen from a three-step staircase while running.

The boy's wailing immediately pierced the sky and struck Qing Lin's mind, leaving her completely at a loss.

Nearby, in a corner, a middle-aged woman who had witnessed the scene gave a sinister smile before walking quickly toward them.

"Oh my, my little treasure, are you alright! Did you hurt yourself anywhere!"

The middle-aged woman was acting with great flair, while Qing Lin was as helpless as a child—or rather, at her current age, she could still be considered a child herself.

"Madam..."

Everything had nothing to do with Qing Lin, but perhaps because she was accustomed to guilt being placed upon her, Qing Lin habitually assumed it was her fault.

"What are you good for! The young master fell and you were just standing there watching the show, you... now, immediately, get your things and get out!"

The middle-aged woman unleashed a torrent of abuse, only revealing her true purpose at the very end.

However, Qing Lin was clearly unaware of this; she only knew that she seemed to be losing her job again.

Qing Lin didn't even think about her wages; money was something she hadn't touched in all these years.

She had never bought anything for herself, accustomed as she was to a life where having a meal was enough; the clothes on her back were cast-offs from a "generous" master years ago, the origins of which she could no longer recall.

To her, wages were less about currency and more a symbol of being "acknowledged" by her masters.

Just as Qing Lin thought she had finally found a place where she could stay for the long term, everything shattered once again.

Qing Lin's expression was vacant, having no idea what she should do next or where she should go.

The middle-aged woman standing nearby gave Qing Lin a shove, and the already dazed girl collapsed onto the ground.

"Mistress, Qing Lin cannot lose this job! You... Mistress, you can deduct my wages, take as much as you want, or even pay me nothing at all, I just need a bite to eat!"

As she always did, Qing Lin sacrificed her wages.

She did not even offer a word of defense for herself, pleading only for forgiveness.

Yet, the middle-aged woman showed not the slightest hint of mercy.

Over these past few days, she and her husband had discussed it at length and decided to leave Shi Mo City; situated in the desert, the prices of most goods were exorbitant, and they could no longer afford to live here.

Thus, they had decided to leave Shi Mo City, and as for Qing Lin...

They had never intended to pay her from the very beginning, and it was not just them—every one of Qing Lin's previous employers had been the same.

"Get out, get out now, you jinx! My child falling down is all because of the filthy Snake-Person blood in your veins! Get out!"

The middle-aged woman shouted and cursed, wanting nothing more than to drive Qing Lin away immediately.

At that moment, a voice rang out from thin air.

"So it is here, after all. It seems she hasn't been taken in by Xiao Ding yet!"

As the voice faded, a figure appeared in mid-air.

He was dressed in an Alchemist robe, a badge with two ripples pinned to his chest, and a black blade slung at his waist, his aura imposing and sharp.

What shocked the middle-aged woman most, however, was the pair of purple wings sprouting from Xiao Lei's back.

"A... a Dou King! An... an Alchemist!"