Several days later, a notice was posted in the Mercenary Guild hall in Stone Desert City.
"Qing Lin, a member of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group and a One-Star Dou Practitioner, will hold arena matches to challenge mercenaries of the same rank.
Winners will receive a reward of 1,000 gold coins. Limited to three challengers."
The moment the notice went up, the entire Mercenary Guild erupted.
A One-Star Dou Zhe-that was the difficulty of an F-rank mission, yet the reward matched an A-rank mission.
Once they heard the news, every One-Star Dou Zhe mercenary in the city flocked to the Desert Iron Mercenary Group.
"That half-human, half-snake monster from the Desert Iron Mercenary Group actually dares to hold arena matches?"
"Hahaha, has the Desert Iron Mercenary Group run out of people? They're actually sending a maid out to make a spectacle of herself!"
"Come on, let's go watch the fun and earn some gold coins while we're at it!"
Everyone viewed the arena challenge with mockery and disdain.
Many mercenaries went with the intention of toying with her, eager to teach that "monster that was neither human nor beast" a lesson.
At the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, Qing Lin stood nervously on a makeshift arena platform.
"Young Master Xiao Yan, I'm scared!"
Xiao Yan stroked Qing Lin's head.
"Don't be afraid. Just remember one thing: if you think you can't beat them, glare at them as hard as you can!"
Xiao Yan was not worried that Qing Lin would lose.
After becoming a Dou Zhe, Qing Lin's Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils had begun to awaken.
Her two innate abilities, command over all snakes and illusion arts, had also activated.
Command over all snakes was of no use in the arena for now, but her illusion arts worked on anyone, whether human or snake-person.
With the formidable illusions of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, even as a mere One-Star Dou Zhe, Qing Lin could leave anyone below a nine-star Dou Shi utterly dazed with a single glare!
There was simply no way she could lose!
Sure enough, once the matches began, Qing Lin fought clumsily out of fear, but she kept Xiao Yan's words firmly in mind.
If I can't beat him, glare at him!
And so, a ridiculous scene unfolded in the arena: on one side stood the timid, frightened Qing Lin with her eyes wide open; on the other stood mercenaries blundering about like dizzy flies, striking empty air no matter how much strength they put into their blows.
In the end, before the dumbfounded crowd, Qing Lin won three matches in a row in spectacularly ugly fashion.
After the matches, the one-star mercenaries present refused to accept their defeats, clamoring that they would return the next time the arena opened and wash away their humiliation.
At that point, the people of Stone Desert City still looked down on Qing Lin immensely.
Two days later, the Desert Iron Mercenary Group posted another notice.
"Qing Lin, a member of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group and a two-star Dou Zhe, will hold arena matches to challenge mercenaries of the same rank.
Winners will receive a reward of 1,000 gold coins. Limited to three challengers."
As soon as the notice appeared, the previous One-Star Dou Zhe challengers began cursing. How had she gained a star in just two days?
The others paid it little mind, however, and continued arriving in an endless stream, drawn by the prospect of amusement and their greed for the reward.
Yet, to the mercenaries' astonishment, Qing Lin once again won all three matches in ugly fashion.
Even that was not enough to dampen the mercenaries' enthusiasm. They continued clamoring that next time, they would have their revenge and claim the reward!
Two days later, the Desert Iron Mercenary Group posted another notice.
This time, it was three stars.
Some people had already noticed how quickly Qing Lin's strength was increasing.
Still, it did not cause much of a stir.
After all, one-, two-, and Three-Star Dou Zhe were still rather low-ranking in Stone Desert City.
People continued coming to challenge her for the gold coin bounty.
But then came four stars, five stars, six stars, seven stars...
The Desert Iron Mercenary Group's notices changed every two days.
At last, the entire city erupted.
Everyone had noticed the terrifying speed at which Qing Lin's strength was growing!
One star every two days-was she even human?
No one suspected Qing Lin of faking it. It was not as though they had never known her before. She had been Stone Desert City's most famous joke!
On the second day after she reached Nine-Star Dou Zhe, the Desert Iron Mercenary Group finally stopped posting notices.
The city's Dou Zhe mercenaries practically wanted to set off firecrackers in celebration!
She had finally hit the end of the road!
How could advancing to Dou Shi be that easy?
She was stuck now, wasn't she?
Hmph, so much for extraordinary talent. That was all she amounted to!
But just one day later, on the third day, the Desert Iron Mercenary Group posted another notice.
"Qing Lin, a member of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group and a one-star Dou Shi, will hold arena matches to challenge mercenaries of the same rank.
Winners will receive a reward of 3,000 gold coins. Limited to three challengers."
The entire city fell silent.
She had actually advanced?
Some disbelieving one-star Dou Shi went to sign up for the challenge, only to discover, to their dismay, that Qing Lin really had become a one-star Dou Shi-and still thrashed opponents of her own rank.
What followed was a one-sided show put on by the Desert Iron Mercenary Group.
During the Dou Shi stage, a notice went up every three days.
Thirty days later, Qing Lin advanced to Nine-Star Dou Shi!
During the Da Dou Shi stage, a notice went up every five days.
Fifty days later, Qing Lin advanced to nine-star Da Dou Shi!
During the Dou Ling stage, a notice went up every eight days.
Eighty days later, Qing Lin advanced to Nine-Star Dou Ling!
In just one hundred and eighty days, the entire city watched Qing Lin rocket from a mere Dou Zhe all the way to Nine-Star Dou Ling!
By then, no one in Stone Desert City came to challenge her anymore.
Challenge her, their asses!
Even Stone Desert City's strongest expert was only a Four-Star Dou Ling. He would have to have a hole in his head to come and invite humiliation!
Meanwhile, the rumors about Qing Lin in Stone Desert City gradually began to change their tune.
When she was a Dou Zhe, they called her that half-human, half-snake monster.
At the Dou Shi stage, she became that Qing Lin from the Desert Iron Mercenary Group.
At the Da Dou Shi stage, she became Miss Qing Lin, a heaven-blessed prodigy.
Once she reached the Dou Ling stage, everyone's attitude made a complete about-face.
"What? Is the esteemed Lady Qing Lin human or a member of the Snake-People Tribe? Do you even need to ask?
The defining feature of the Snake-People Tribe is having a snake's tail for a lower body. Does Lady Qing Lin have a snake's tail for a lower body?
She doesn't, does she? Then what the hell are you talking about? Lady Qing Lin is obviously human, not a member of the Snake-People Tribe!
Move, move! I can't be bothered with your nonsense! Don't block my way-I'm going to behold Lady Qing Lin's august countenance!"
At the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, the ordinary members gazed at Qing Lin as though witnessing a miracle.
At first, they had merely thought their leader was fooling around.
But as the days passed, they finally became utterly convinced.
Their esteemed leader truly was wise and mighty!
How fortunate he had been to take in Lady Qing Lin when she was down on her luck!
In the arena, Qing Lin calmly jumped down from the platform.
It had been another day without a single challenger.
Today was her last day standing in the arena.
Young Master Xiao Yan had said it was enough.
Qing Lin also felt that it truly was enough.
Half a year had passed, and those six months left her filled with emotion.
She had gone from a timid little girl with an inferiority complex, who believed herself beneath everyone else, to an expert of Stone Desert City who could calmly face her challengers.
The transformation could hardly have been greater.
And her uncertainty over her own identity had long since resolved itself, unnoticed, through battle after battle.
The laughable thing was that the race she had previously resolved to choose-the Snake-People Tribe-was one the people of Stone Desert City later refused to acknowledge!
They insisted on citing authoritative texts to prove that she should be human, not a member of the Snake-People Tribe.
But it no longer mattered!
She now understood what Young Master Xiao Yan had meant during their heart-to-heart that night.
Any race would do. She could simply choose one that brought peace to her heart.
As for other people's acknowledgment?
Preaching was useless. Broken bones were the finest truth!
Before you continue