Qing Lin, the Little Pitiful

After leaving the Ancient Map Shop, Tang Chen followed the markings on the map and arrived at Stone Desert City.

This city was not very large. Its nature was similar to Green Mountain Town's—one lay near the Monster Mountain Range, while the other was located in the Tagor Desert.

Within the city, mercenaries who lived with their lives on the line made up the largest portion of the population.

Tang Chen spread out his senses over the entire city and found Qing Lin's whereabouts before long.

At this time, Qing Lin had already joined the Desert Iron Mercenary Group as a maid. Usually, she could do odd jobs and earn a meager wage.

Qing Lin was small and did not eat much. Generally speaking, the money she earned each month was enough to keep her full, with some left over to save.

However, people always discriminated against her because she was of mixed snakefolk blood. They could not stand seeing her do well and constantly found ways to bully her. Not only did they verbally abuse her, but sometimes they even beat her. Worse still, they stole the wages Qing Lin had worked so hard to earn, leaving her unable to buy food and forcing her to go hungry.

These things happened often. Xiao Ding and the others wanted to intervene, but there were always times when they were absent. Whenever they were not around, those bad people would come after Qing Lin again. Qing Lin had long grown used to it and continued living on tenaciously.

Today was payday. Worried that her money would be taken away, the little girl had gone early to exchange her wages for food.

After being bullied so many times, the little girl had gained a bit of experience of her own.

Whenever she received her wages, she would quickly run off to buy food that tasted awful but could fill her stomach. That way, those people would not be able to steal it. At most, they would curse her or beat her a little. In the little girl's heart, that was still far better than going hungry.

But today was an exception.

After Qing Lin exchanged her money for food and was preparing to go home, those bad people blocked the road she had to take, demanding that she hand over her money.

"Big brothers, I'm really sorry. Qing Lin already exchanged her wages for food." Qing Lin lifted the cover off her basket, revealing some dark-colored food that looked utterly unappetizing.

Qing Lin thought that, as before, they would scold her a little and let her go. But these people were clearly no longer satisfied with bullying her so lightly.

"You stinking snakefolk, you've gotten clever lately. Are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for us?" The fierce-looking man in the lead stepped forward, grabbed Qing Lin by her braid, and said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't." Qing Lin did not dare resist and could only keep apologizing.

"You didn't? Clearly you did! Every time you get money, you go exchange it for this disgusting stuff. Aren't you just trying to make things difficult for us?" The man viciously seized Qing Lin's braid and yanked it hard, making tears stream down her face from the pain.

The beasts beside him did not stay idle either. With one slap, they knocked the basket from Qing Lin's hands. The food inside spilled onto the ground, and still not satisfied, they stomped on it hard, determined not to leave even a single piece for Qing Lin.

"Please, don't step on it. Please, I'm begging you." Qing Lin had endured the insults and beatings, but food was the foundation of her survival. Without it, how was she supposed to live in the future?

Qing Lin broke free from their hold and tried to protect the food scattered on the ground.

Seeing her act this way, those beasts stomped even more gleefully.

Qing Lin knelt on the ground, looking at the ruined food as large tears fell from her eyes. For the first time, she had thoughts of ending her life, but then she remembered what her mother had told her before leaving: "Qing Lin, Mommy is leaving. You must live well."

"You snakefolk bastard, you've even learned to resist? Let's see if I don't teach you a proper lesson." Seeing Qing Lin resist, the man became even more excited. He raised his fist and smashed it toward her.

Just as his fist was about to land on Qing Lin, it was caught by a powerful hand. The owner of that hand was Tang Chen, who had sensed what was happening and rushed over.

Tang Chen had not expected Qing Lin's life in Stone Desert City to be so difficult. If he had known, he would have come sooner.

Not feeling any pain, Qing Lin lifted her head in confusion and saw Tang Chen standing in front of her. That tall figure gave her an overwhelming sense of safety.

"Y-you, who are you? Mind your own business and get lost!" The man roared in shame and anger after Tang Chen caught him.

Crack!

Tang Chen did not waste words with him. With a squeeze, he directly crushed the man's arm.

"Aaaah!" The man rolled wildly on the ground in agony.

"What are you standing around for? Kill him for me!"

The man ordered the brothers behind him.

"You beasts deserve to die!" It was Tang Chen's first time seeing creatures so utterly beneath humans and animals alike. For the first time, he felt a little angry.

Tang Chen raised a hand and cast a barrier that blocked Qing Lin's senses, easily suppressing the few men onto the ground.

Then, step by step, he crushed their limbs. Throughout it all, they continuously let out heart-rending screams and pleas for mercy, but Tang Chen remained deaf to them.

After they died from the pain, Tang Chen burned them all to ashes with a single flame.

Only after finishing everything did Tang Chen remove the barrier blocking Qing Lin's senses, allowing Qing Lin to see him before her.

Her first thought was: My benefactor is really handsome.

"Little girl, are you alright?" Tang Chen smiled and held out his hand to Qing Lin.

"Thank you." Seeing Tang Chen's smile, Qing Lin felt a warmth spread through her heart. She knew that this big brother before her had helped her, and she carefully placed her small hand in his large one.

When Tang Chen pulled Qing Lin to her feet, the scales on her arm were exposed. The little girl saw them and hurriedly pulled her hand back, retreating as she said in panic, "I'm sorry, Benefactor. Qing Lin didn't mean to scare you."

"Not at all. I think the scales on your hand are very beautiful." Tang Chen walked over, took Qing Lin's hand, and stroked the scales on her arm.

"Really?" It was the first time Qing Lin had ever been praised. She could hardly believe it and thought she might have misheard.

"Really. Qing Lin is adorable and outstanding, so don't care too much about how others look at you. Just be yourself," Tang Chen said.

"Thank you." Qing Lin was deeply moved. It was the first time she had ever felt care and warmth from another person.

"Qing Lin, are you willing to come with me? If you follow me, not only will you have enough to eat, but I can help you become one of the continent's peak experts, so no one will ever bully you again."

Tang Chen invited Qing Lin.

"Qing Lin... is willing!" Faced with Tang Chen's sincere invitation, Qing Lin was more than willing in her heart.

"Great. Then let's go."

Having achieved his goal, Tang Chen prepared to take Qing Lin and leave Stone Desert City.

"Um... Benefactor, can I go tell the group leader and the others first? After all, they were the ones who took me in." Qing Lin asked cautiously.

"Of course. And don't call me Benefactor anymore. My name is Tang Chen. I'm a little older than you, so you can call me Brother Chen," Tang Chen said to Qing Lin.

"N-no, Qing Lin can't do that. Qing Lin should still call Benefactor Young Master." Growing up in such an environment had made Qing Lin deeply insecure.

Before the bright and radiant Tang Chen, she did not dare hope to become his younger sister. She would already be happy just to become Tang Chen's maid.

"Young Master? That... that works too." Tang Chen deliberately pretended not to understand, wanting to tease Qing Lin and close the distance between them.