Qing Lin

Upon hearing Xiao Ding's words.

Hai Bodong was not particularly surprised.

After all, in Hai Bodong's view,

given the almost fanatical attraction Heavenly Flames held for alchemists, it would have been truly strange if that brat, Pill King Gu He, had not rushed over to investigate as soon as he received news.

That would have been the truly strange thing!

By his estimation, there was a very good chance that Queen Medusa had taken the Heavenly Flame.

However, wary of Queen Medusa's strength, Hai Bodong decided to wait for Gu He's group.

When there was any movement,

he would seize the chance to act.

After all, although he could borrow Old Yao's strength

to defeat Queen Medusa,

it would inevitably have a significant effect on Old Yao's still barely recovered soul strength!

To be safe, Hai Bodong decided to use the most effortless method possible to obtain the Heavenly Flame.

As for the Storage Ring Xiao Ding wanted to return,

Hai Bodong did not accept it.

Instead, he intended to exchange it with Xiao Ding for a maid.

At first, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li

were somewhat resistant to this.

But after Hai Bodong revealed his identity,

and they learned that he was Ice Emperor Hai Bodong, the one who had helped their third brother Xiao Yan recover his ability to cultivate,

Xiao Ding and Xiao Li immediately bowed three times to Hai Bodong and repeatedly thanked him.

"Senior Ice Emperor, the kindness you have shown our third brother is something we brothers will never forget!"

After that, the two no longer hesitated. After briefly asking Hai Bodong to take good care of Qing Lin,

they entrusted her to Hai Bodong!

Naturally, Hai Bodong had a reason for exchanging for such an apparently unremarkable maid!

Not long after Hai Bodong entered the hall,

Old Yao within the Bone Flame Ring on his hand

had transmitted to him that there was a maid here with a Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils bloodline in a half-awakened state.

He had told him that he absolutely had to take her under his wing!

After listening to Old Yao's brief explanation of the formidable aspects of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils bloodline,

Hai Bodong was somewhat disappointed

by the news that the Green Lotus Core Flame

might have already been taken first

by Queen Medusa.

But if this trip could bring the Mite'er Family a new member with decent potential,

then it would not have been a wasted journey!

After leaving the Desert Iron Mercenary Group,

Hai Bodong held Qing Lin's hand

and wandered casually through the alleys of Stone Desert City.

To bring them closer together, Hai Bodong took the initiative to chat with the young girl Qing Lin for a while along the way.

During the conversation, he learned that the girl with the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils bloodline was named Qing Lin.

As for Qing Lin's miserable experiences,

Hai Bodong, whose own fate had likewise been filled with hardships,

could empathize with her somewhat.

But he also considered the inferiority complex Qing Lin had developed after suffering oppression for so many years.

Therefore, Hai Bodong had no intention of immediately giving Qing Lin the same treatment as Xiao Yi Xian.

Instead, he decided to keep her by his side for the time being

as a personal maid.

After all, in his view,

Qing Lin still severely lacked a sense of self-worth. He needed to give her a position where she could serve him

so that she could feel her own value.

Of course, Hai Bodong would not waste time making her learn any maidservant lessons. That would only be a waste of time.

After hearing Hai Bodong's arrangements, Qing Lin also emerged from her initial state of worry.

Her somewhat dim eyes

immediately shone with delighted light.

After Hai Bodong and Qing Lin walked out of the alley, they began to encounter more people.

When the pedestrians on the road saw Hai Bodong's clothes, whose fabric alone made it clear that they were extremely valuable,

most of them wore very friendly smiles.

But when they noticed Qing Lin beside him,

in her somewhat tattered clothes, especially the green scales exposed on her arms,

most of their faces

revealed looks of disgust.

By Hai Bodong's estimation, if not for their concern over him, these people might even have driven Qing Lin away with clubs.

Whenever someone's gaze fell upon her, and she noticed the undisguised disgust within it,

Qing Lin's small body

would tremble slightly.

Seeing this, Hai Bodong stopped walking.

Looking at Qing Lin, he asked, "Have you ever had someone you particularly hated, Qing Lin?"

Hearing this, Qing Lin merely shook her head blankly and said, "Qing Lin does not understand what it feels like to hate someone!"

"Let me tell you, hating someone means desperately wanting that person to die."

Hai Bodong slowly spoke as he stroked Qing Lin's head.

"That sounds too frightening! Qing Lin has never particularly hated anyone before." Frightened somewhat by Hai Bodong's explanation, Qing Lin answered timidly.

"Hehe! Then Qing Lin, do you want to know..."

"How to erase other people's hatred toward you?"

Seeing that Qing Lin seemed to have been frightened by him, Hai Bodong hurriedly changed the subject.

"Mm! Qing Lin wants to know!"

Qing Lin replied with an innocent expression.

"Hehe! It is actually very simple. Your fist just has to be big enough!"

Hai Bodong glanced at Qing Lin, who had fallen silent at his words, then continued.

"Let me put it this way: I took you in as a maid precisely because you have the potential to become a powerful expert."

"And if you can possess strength like mine in the future, or even surpass me, then those people who once hated you..."

"When they look at you in the future, their eyes will naturally hold only the reverence one should have for the strong!" Upon hearing this, a thoughtful look appeared on Qing Lin's small face.

Although what Hai Bodong said

seemed somewhat too absolute to ordinary people,

Qing Lin had already placed herself in the role of Hai Bodong's maid.

Naturally, she would try her best to persuade herself to believe Hai Bodong's explanation.

Afterward, in order to give Qing Lin some time to think for herself, Hai Bodong did not speak again.

Later, Hai Bodong took Qing Lin to buy quite a few well-fitting clothes on the bustling streets outside the alley.

At first, because of the conspicuous unusual scales

on Qing Lin's body,

Hai Bodong visited several shops in succession without success, suffering one rebuff after another!

However, most of those shop owners had family or friends who had suffered harassment from the snake people.

Even as a Dou Huang powerhouse, Hai Bodong could not say much about their choice.

After all, he himself was not some bloodthirsty person.

Naturally, he would not start hacking his way from one end of the street to the other over a minor quarrel with someone!

But now, Qing Lin

was his, Hai Bodong's, maid.

For those fellows who, for no reason at all,

hurled cruel insults at Qing Lin, Hai Bodong would generally use his Ice Dou Qi to slap them through the air.

Of course, this was Hai Bodong's merciful choice,

considering that they were in a busy marketplace.

If they had been in the wilderness, given his temperament,

simply using Dou Qi to remove the hands and feet of those who angered him would have been considered lenient!

Fortunately, because Stone Desert City was close to the Tagor Desert,

its trade routes were extremely well developed!

Hai Bodong did not have to make much effort before finding an outside shop willing to sell Qing Lin clothes.