30: Green Scale

In the northeastern part of the Jia Ma Empire lay a seemingly endless desert.

Deep within this desert existed a powerful Snake-People Empire.

To resist the Snake-People's invasions and keep their tribe confined to the desert, the Jia Ma Empire had built numerous cities along its borders, with Stone Desert City being one of them.

After the Jia Nan Academy's admissions concluded, Xiao Lei hurriedly carried Xiao Yi Xian and swiftly flew towards this desolate expanse.

Xiao Lei had not chosen a large flying Demonic Beast, as such creatures were too weak and their flight speed was limited, far inferior to Xiao Lei using his Purple Cloud Wings.

Having replicated his cultivation for so long, and relying on the Calamity Poison Body, even while busy with other matters, Xiao Lei had already reached the cultivation level of an Eight-Star Dou Ling, coming very close to the Dou Wang realm.

Supported by this level of cultivation, Xiao Lei traversed vast distances directly, racing against time to arrive at Stone Desert City...

At this very moment, within a courtyard residence in Stone Desert City, a young girl who looked to be only fourteen or fifteen wiped the sweat from her forehead.

The girl was quite beautiful, with delicate, flawless features. Her fair skin was a rarity in this desert, and even more unusual was the thick, plain clothing she wore, which almost completely enveloped her entire body.

This was indeed a strange sight in the scorching desert heat.

The girl's act of wiping her sweat was momentary; she quickly returned her attention to the clothes in her hands.

Water was precious in the desert. Qing Lin could only wash clothes in a single wooden bucket, utilizing every drop to its utmost.

"I need to hurry. There are other chores to do later. If I'm slow, I'll be scolded again!"

To others, these words might sound like complaints or grumbling, but for Qing Lin, they were a self-imposed urging.

She felt fortunate to have been taken in by this Family to work. Although her wages were heavily docked due to her Snake-People Bloodline, for Qing Lin, simply having food to eat made her feel incredibly blessed.

She was a hybrid of Snake-People and Human Race. People like her typically did not survive past childhood; Qing Lin was a miracle.

But it was unclear whether this miracle was a gift from fate or a form of torment.

Because of this Snake-People Bloodline, Qing Lin had faced discrimination and bullying from all sides since birth.

Qing Lin often lost jobs because of the green scales on her arms. Even though she would offer each time to forfeit all her wages, asking only for a meal.

The result was always the same: dismissal, without any pay.

Qing Lin didn't know that this was merely an excuse those people used to avoid paying wages, and her Snake-People heritage provided the most convenient pretext.

She could only blame everything on herself, forced to wear thick clothing and never loosen the ropes tied around her sleeves, even when drenched in sweat from the heat, terrified her scales might show again.

Yet, all her efforts were in vain. Time and again, Qing Lin was cast out...

After drifting for years, Qing Lin had come here. This was the last place willing to hire her. If they dismissed her too, she herself had no idea where to go next.

Speaking of this household, it wasn't wealthy. It was a Family that had declined, reduced to a single branch by this generation, and their financial situation was, of course, extremely poor.

Naturally, they still had to maintain appearances. Even in decline, these people were unwilling to do the servants' work themselves.

As for hiring Qing Lin, it was because she was the cheapest.

Of course, Qing Lin was largely unaware of all this.

Qing Lin didn't understand why this place didn't have many servants like other households, nor why her workload was so heavy!

Qing Lin only knew that she was about to complete three months here—a duration she hadn't experienced in a long time.

Moreover, the master had promised her that upon completing three months, she would receive her wages.

Life seemed unprecedentedly "bright," at least in Qing Lin's eyes.

Qing Lin was brimming with motivation!

Just as Qing Lin was busy and overwhelmed with various chores, two children, a boy and a girl, barged in.

The little boy held a toy whose name Qing Lin didn't know, while the little girl shouted, trying to snatch the toy from his hands.

Seeing this, Qing Lin hurriedly grabbed the sleeves of her clothes, feeling for the two thick hemp ropes tying them shut. Only then did she breathe a slight sigh of relief.

At least her snake scales wouldn't be seen!

"Ah!"

Suddenly, a cry of alarm reached Qing Lin's ears.

It turned out the little boy had tripped and fallen down a three-step staircase while running.

The boy's wails instantly pierced the sky, striking Qing Lin's mind. She immediately became flustered and didn't know what to do.

Nearby, in a corner, a middle-aged woman who witnessed this scene smirked cunningly, then quickly strode over.

"Oh, my little darling, are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?"

The middle-aged woman's acting was superb. As for Qing Lin, she was as helpless as a child—or rather, she practically still was a child.

"Madam..."

None of this was Qing Lin's fault, but perhaps accustomed to bearing the blame, she habitually assumed it was her mistake.

"What are you good for?! The young master falls and you just stand there watching? You... now, immediately, pack your things and get out!"

The middle-aged woman unleashed a torrent of scolding, finally revealing her true intention.

However, Qing Lin was clearly unaware of this. She only knew she seemed about to lose her job again.

Qing Lin didn't even think about her wages. In all these years, she had never actually received any.

She had never bought anything either. She was used to a life of just having food. The clothes on her back were made from fabric discarded years ago by a "generous" former master.

For her, wages were more a symbol of "being acknowledged by the master."

Just when Qing Lin thought she had finally found a place to stay long-term, everything shattered once more.

Qing Lin stood there in a daze, unsure what to do next or where to go.

Seeing this, the middle-aged woman nearby shoved Qing Lin. Already mentally scattered, Qing Lin was pushed to the ground.

"Madam, Qing Lin cannot lose this job! You... Madam, you can dock my wages, any amount, or none at all. I just need a meal!"

As usual, Qing Lin offered to forfeit her pay.

She didn't even try to defend herself, only begged for forgiveness...

Yet, the middle-aged woman showed not a shred of mercy.

Recently, she and her husband had discussed at length and agreed they must leave Stone Desert City. Located in the desert, most things here were exorbitantly priced; they could no longer afford to live!

So they decided to leave Stone Desert City. As for Qing Lin...

They had never intended to pay her from the start. Not just them—every one of Qing Lin's past employers had been the same.

"Get out, get out now, you ill-omened thing! My child fell because of your filthy Snake-People Bloodline! Out!"

The middle-aged woman shouted angrily, just wanting to drive Qing Lin away quickly.

At that moment, a voice rang out from nowhere.

"So it's here. It seems she hasn't been taken in by Xiao Ding yet!"

As the voice faded, a figure appeared in mid-air.

He wore an alchemist robe, with an alchemist badge bearing two ripples pinned to his chest. A dark, long sword hung at his waist, and his Aura was imposing.

What shocked the middle-aged woman most were the pair of purple wings on Xiao Lei's back.

"A D-Dou Wang! An... an Alchemist!"