Great Dou Master

Qing Lin blinked her puzzled eyes and timidly asked Xiao Yun, "Young Master Xiao Yun, aren't you afraid? I am..."

At that point, Qing Lin suddenly fell silent.

Xiao Yun continued, "The child of a Snake Person and a human, right?"

Qing Lin nodded, timidly lowering her head even further.

Seeing this, Xiao Yun smiled. "Qing Lin, don't care about what others think. Your birth is not a reason for people to fear you. Sorry for frightening you just now."

Qing Lin raised her head, her small, nervous hands twisting the corner of her clothes. In all these years, Xiao Yun was the first person who had ever apologized to her.

Usually, it was already good enough if the people of Stone Desert City did not hit her on sight.

"Young Master Xiao Yun, are you really not afraid of me?" Qing Lin asked softly.

Xiao Yun nodded lightly, rubbing Qing Lin's adorable little head as he smiled. "I'm not."

Turning toward the outside, Xiao Yun said, "Come on, show me around Stone Desert City."

"Mm." Hearing Xiao Yun's request, Qing Lin agreed and carefully followed after him.

When the two left the room, sunlight poured down from outside. Desert sunlight did not make anyone feel warm.

Xiao Yun glanced at Qing Lin, took out a pill, and handed it to her. "Eat this."

Qing Lin accepted the pill from Xiao Yun's hand. Though she was somewhat afraid that it might be poisonous, she still swallowed it.

The moment the pill entered her stomach, Qing Lin immediately felt her body turn cool. "The sun... doesn't feel hot anymore!"

Xiao Yun had already walked ahead of Qing Lin. Looking at his back, Qing Lin felt touched.

"Thank you, Young Master Xiao Yun," Qing Lin said softly.

As they walked through Stone Desert City, they occasionally encountered members of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group who knew Xiao Yun. They all greeted Xiao Yun kindly, but when their gazes swept over Qing Lin beside him, their smiling faces turned cold. Some even concealed disgust in their eyes.

Qing Lin took in all their expressions. The small trace of happiness Xiao Yun had just stirred in her heart instantly vanished, and she lowered her head.

Xiao Yun patted Qing Lin's head and said, "Qing Lin, live more freely. Don't care about how others look at you."

"Mm." Qing Lin nodded aggrievedly.

But she understood in her heart that she could not live as freely as Xiao Yun said. She would care about others' gazes, and she would feel sad because of their looks of disgust.

Qing Lin clearly had done nothing wrong, so why did you all look at me like that?

Qing Lin had done nothing wrong. Qing Lin wanted friends too. Qing Lin wanted to play with friends too.

As Qing Lin thought about it, a tear rolled from the corner of her eye.

Many people in Stone Desert City understood what Qing Lin wanted, but they had lived in the Tagore Desert for years and harbored deep hatred toward the Snake People.

Many had tried not to hate Qing Lin, but whenever they thought of the Snake People's blood—the blood of those they hated—flowing through her veins, they could not help revealing their disgust.

This emotion was the product of the long-standing hostility between the humans and Snake People living in the Tagore Desert. Nothing could erase it.

Gradually, people stopped forcing themselves to like Qing Lin. Instead, their disgust grew even stronger. Perhaps not driving Qing Lin out of Stone Desert City was already the greatest concession in their hearts.

Everywhere Qing Lin went in Stone Desert City, she received cold stares from everyone. After touring only half the city, Xiao Yun brought Qing Lin back to the Desert Iron Mercenary Group.

Night fell, and a day of care was coming to an end. Qing Lin bade Xiao Yun farewell, as she needed to return and rest.

Xiao Yun looked at Qing Lin, thought for a moment, and finally asked, "Qing Lin, everyone in Stone Desert City hates you. Do you hate them?"

Qing Lin froze. She looked at Xiao Yun. After spending the day with him, she had felt happiness around him for the first time, and she did not want to deceive him.

After thinking seriously for a while, Qing Lin finally said, "I do hate them, but I don't blame them. If Qing Lin didn't have Snake People blood in her body, they would treat Qing Lin like an ordinary child too."

"What they hate is the Snake People blood in my body. It would be nice if Qing Lin didn't have Snake People blood."

After saying that, Qing Lin left the courtyard sadly. Xiao Yun stood where he was and pondered for a while before turning to see Little Doctor Fairy.

Little Doctor Fairy had been cultivating the entire time. After a day of cultivation, she had successfully broken through to become a Two-Star Dou Master.

The moment she came out, she saw a little girl fleeing sadly. Unable to hold back, she asked, "What was wrong with that little girl?"

Xiao Yun said, "You mean Qing Lin? She is the child of a Snake Person and a human."

Xiao Yun quickly explained Qing Lin's situation to Little Doctor Fairy: her Snake People bloodline, and the long-standing hatred between the humans and Snake People of Stone Desert City.

After hearing Xiao Yun's words, Little Doctor Fairy fell silent for a while. She had thought her own fate was miserable enough, yet she had unexpectedly encountered another child here with an equally miserable fate.

Early the next morning.

"Young Master, you're awake."

That morning, Qing Lin entered Xiao Yun's room carrying a basin of water with both hands, only to find Xiao Yun already seated inside.

Xiao Yun smiled at Qing Lin, took the basin from her and washed his face, then led Qing Lin out.

The moment they stepped outside, Xiao Yun discovered that Little Doctor Fairy had somehow appeared outside his room.

Xiao Yun smiled, pulled Qing Lin over, and introduced her. "Qing Lin, this is your Sister Little Doctor Fairy."

Little Doctor Fairy was still only a Two-Star Dou Master. Xiao Yun was not in a hurry to seek the medicinal ingredients needed to refine the Snake Venom Pill for her, so they remained at the Desert Iron Mercenary Group.

He often took time to guide Xiao Li and Xiao Ding in their cultivation, and two months quickly passed.

One day, the Dou Qi of heaven and earth in the surrounding area suddenly surged. Everyone in the Desert Iron Mercenary Group sensed this disturbance.

"What's going on?!"

Soon, everyone saw the Dou Qi between heaven and earth rushing toward one location. The sight made them think of a possibility.

"Could someone be making a breakthrough?!"

"This scene... could someone be breaking through to Great Dou Master?!"

"That direction is the commander's residence. Could the commander be about to break through to Great Dou Master?!"

The entire Desert Iron Mercenary Group erupted in excitement. Before long, the fact that Xiao Ding had broken through to Great Dou Master was confirmed.

Inside the Desert Iron Mercenary Group's main hall, Xiao Ding looked gratefully at Xiao Yun and said, "Thank you for your guidance over these past two months, Uncle."

Xiao Yun nodded with a smile. "Breaking through to Great Dou Master so quickly is quite a surprise. It seems you haven't disgraced the Earth Tier cultivation technique Big Brother gave you."

Xiao Li said excitedly from the side, "Big Brother, congratulations on breaking through to Great Dou Master."

Xiao Ding nodded, then looked at Xiao Li. "If Second Brother works a little harder, breaking through to Great Dou Master won't be far away either."

Xiao Li's face instantly fell. "Big Brother, I've already worked very hard these past two months. I'm already a Six-Star Dou Master now. One star a month is already my limit."

Watching the two brothers bicker, Xiao Yun smiled faintly. "I can intensify your training. Raising two stars a month would not be a problem."

At the words "intensify your training," Xiao Li shuddered despite the blazing heat. Recalling the hellish training of the past two months, he hurriedly shook his head.

"No, Uncle. I'm quite satisfied with my current achievements. There's no need to intensify the training."

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