The Maid Qing Lin, I Am the Great Emperor!

Wutan City.

Xiao Yan finally left the Xiao Clan, spurred on by Yao Lao's urging.

After fusing with the Heavenly Flame, his strength had leaped forward qualitatively, like a wild horse breaking free from its reins.

Yao Lao knew that this small Wutan City could no longer satisfy Xiao Yan's need for growth.

Only the vast outside world, a realm filled with challenges and opportunities, was the stage where he truly belonged.

Before his departure, Xiao Zhan, filled with concern, urged Xiao Yan to visit his two brothers in Shimo City if he had the chance.

Xiao Yan naturally nodded in agreement, then set off from Wutan City with nothing but light luggage.

His departure did not stir a ripple in the seemingly bustling Xiao Clan; no one cared about his quiet journey.

As for Yao Lao, before leaving, he had left behind a sufficient supply of Poison Pills for Little Doctor Fairy, enough to help her break through to the rank of Dou Wang.

Shimo City.

Time flowed to the next day, and Qing Lin, looking utterly aggrieved, was still sent to Xiao Fan's side.

Qing Lin kept her head lowered, her eyes filled with unease and trepidation.

Seeing this, Xiao Fan couldn't help but find it amusing.

"Don't look at me like that, as if I forced you into this."

Qing Lin did not speak.

Isn't that exactly what you did?

She simply stared fixedly at Xiao Fan, her emerald eyes looking pitiful.

"Alright, I was just teasing you yesterday..."

Noticing Qing Lin's tension, Xiao Fan's tone softened.

He crouched down and gently rolled up Qing Lin's sleeve.

In an instant, he saw the dense patches of snake scales clinging tightly to her skin.

Before Xiao Fan could speak, Qing Lin seemed to suffer a great shock. Like a startled fawn, she immediately lowered her head and said in a trembling voice, "I... I'm sorry..."

The smile on Xiao Fan's face vanished instantly. He asked softly, "Why are you saying sorry?"

"Be... because..."

Qing Lin blinked, tears swirling in her eyes until they finally spilled over like beads from a broken string.

It seemed that from a young age, amidst the strange looks and beatings from others, she had long grown accustomed to using apologies to trade for a shred of pity, or perhaps to ensure the next beating would be a little lighter.

"From now on, you don't need to say sorry to anyone. You are this Seat's handmaiden, and you represent this Seat's face."

Xiao Fan's voice carried a hint of dominance.

"Ye... yes..."

Qing Lin sobbed, thinking to herself: Wuu, Young Master is so fierce...

Despite this, the way she looked at Xiao Fan unconsciously gained a touch of warmth and reliance.

"Besides... they look quite nice, what is there to be sorry about?"

Xiao Fan yawned as he spoke.

Qing Lin did not reply, but a glimmer of light appeared in her previously dull eyes.

"Let's go, take me for a walk around this place."

Xiao Fan stood up, his gaze indifferent.

"Okay..."

Qing Lin replied in a small voice; though quiet, it held a newfound sense of obedience.

The two walked side by side down the street. Xiao Fan stood tall with an extraordinary air, looking every bit the dashing young master of a wealthy family.

As for Qing Lin, because of the peculiar snake scales on her body, she had always been regarded as a "little monster of human-snake hybrid."

The sight of the two of them walking together instantly drew the gazes of countless passersby.

"It's that creature... how disgusting..."

A passerby covered their nose and mouth, whispering.

"Indeed, I heard she's covered in snake scales..."

Another chimed in, their eyes filled with revulsion.

"This is a curse... she brings misfortune..."

Others whispered in discussion.

"Heh, I bet that young master has his eyes on her looks, doesn't he?"

A burst of malicious laughter erupted from the crowd.

The whispers of the passersby were like sharp blades, piercing straight into Qing Lin's heart.

Her face turned as pale as paper, and her head sank lower and lower, almost buried against her chest. Her footsteps became sluggish and heavy as she murmured softly, "I... I'm sorry..."

In truth, she didn't even know why she was apologizing, but perhaps this was the only way to make those people dislike her a little less; it was an instinctive reaction she had developed over a long time.

It was at this moment that a ripple stirred in Xiao Fan's otherwise calm heart. He turned around abruptly and said indifferently, "Scram!"

A chilling aura erupted like a surging tide, flashing for only an instant, yet it caused the complexions of everyone nearby to turn deathly pale.

They felt an invisible pressure wash over them, so suffocating that they could barely breathe; their legs went weak, and they nearly collapsed to the ground.

"So... so terrifying..."

"That young man's gaze is so chilling..."

The crowd hurriedly withdrew their gazes, no longer daring to make a single sound, and hung their heads as they scattered in a panic.

"Raise your head..."

Xiao Fan's voice rang out again, this time carrying an unquestionable authority.

Qing Lin timidly lifted her head, traces of undried tears still lingering in her eyes.

"From now on, you don't need to bow your head to anyone!"

Xiao Fan stared into Qing Lin's eyes and said every word clearly. "Ye... yes..."

Qing Lin's voice remained faint.

"Louder!"

Xiao Fan barked again.

"YES!!!"

Qing Lin used every ounce of her strength, tilted her head back, and shouted at the top of her lungs. This cry seemed to vent all the grievances and dissatisfaction she had suppressed in her heart for years, and the sound echoed over the street for a long time.

The two gradually walked away, their figures growing smaller at the end of the street.

The surrounding pedestrians watched the direction they had left in, still shaken and not daring to utter another word of gossip.

They knew that from this moment on, Qing Lin had a powerful backer and was no longer the little monster who could be bullied by anyone.

However, within the crowd, a figure was squinting, their eyes flashing with a sinister light.

"Damn it... to think someone beat me to it..."

The person cursed under their breath.

"Since that's the case, don't blame me for being impolite..."

As the words fell, this person quietly slipped into the crowd and vanished.

Night fell, the stars twinkled, and a crescent moon hung high, casting a cold radiance that bathed everything in a layer of silver.

The Desert Iron Mercenary Group's base.

The bonfire danced in the night wind, crackling and popping, with sparks occasionally flying out only to vanish into the darkness.

The warm firelight illuminated a small area where Xiao Fan and Qing Lin sat.

Qing Lin was no longer as guarded as she had been during the day, and her emerald-green eyes appeared exceptionally bright in the glow of the fire.

She was like a curious child, constantly asking Xiao Fan all sorts of questions.

"Young Master, who are you? Why are you so amazing?" Qing Lin tilted her head, asking with a face full of curiosity.

"Me? I am a Great Emperor..."

Xiao Fan deliberately put on an inscrutable expression, slightly lifting his chin.

"Wow, that sounds so impressive!"

Qing Lin's eyes lit up, her face filled with wonder and admiration.

[Ding! Qing Lin is extremely convinced, Bragging Points +1000!]

"Young Master, where do you come from?"

Qing Lin continued to ask, her eyes filled with longing.

"This Emperor comes from the starry cosmos..."

Xiao Fan continued to spout nonsense, looking up at the sky with a pretentious air as he spoke, as if recalling a distant homeland.

"Wow! The starry sky must be beautiful, right?"

Qing Lin rested her chin in her hands, her eyes sparkling with yearning.

[Ding! Qing Lin is extremely convinced, Bragging Points +1000!]

Xiao Fan nodded slightly and said with feigned profundity, "It isn't exactly beautiful; the cosmos is filled with loneliness..."

His tone carried a hint of a sigh, as if he had truly experienced that kind of endless solitude.

"Young Master must have been very lonely walking along that path, right?"

Qing Lin looked at him with a pained heart, her eyes filled with concern.

"Loneliness just means you have already reached the peak..."

Xiao Fan smiled slightly and patted Qing Lin on the shoulder.

"Young Master is truly amazing!"

Qing Lin gave him a thumbs-up once again, the look of admiration in her eyes growing even more intense.

[Beep! Qing Lin is extremely convinced, Bragging Points +1000!]

And just like that, one dared to speak, and the other dared to believe.

Beside the warm campfire, the atmosphere seemed exceptionally harmonious.

Yet outside the encampment, several fierce, masked figures had already begun to surround the area...