Chapter Forty-Two: Azure Scales, Sand Mercenary Corps

“Gentlemen, this is a lowly servant who does chores for our mercenary group. I hope she hasn't disturbed you?” One of the men approached Lin An and his companions. Seeing Qinglin cowering on the ground before them, it was obvious she must have offended them somehow.

“Hurry up and kneel! Apologize to them!” he shouted, kicking Qinglin as he spoke.

Qinglin was already extremely weak, and the man was strong. Just as she tried to get up to apologize to Lin An and the others, she was kicked back to the ground.

She coughed violently, gritting her teeth as she struggled to rise.

“Even if she did bump into us by accident, is there any need to treat her like this?” Lin An frowned slightly, clearly displeased.

Unexpectedly, his words only seemed to enrage the men further.

“I’m having her apologize so she remembers her place. Who do you think you are to interfere? Even if I killed her right now, someone as lowly as her wouldn’t be missed by anyone,” the man declared, lifting his foot to kick Qinglin again.

Lin An could bear it no longer. Battle energy surged through his body, gathering instantly in his palm.

Just as the man’s foot was about to land on Qinglin, Lin An struck him with a powerful blow. The force was overwhelming, sending the man flying backward.

“Old Wang, are you alright?” the other two rushed forward, shocked by the strength of one so young.

Zhang Fei hurriedly helped Old Wang up. Old Wang felt blood surging in his chest and spat out a mouthful of it before wiping his lips angrily.

“Zhang Fei, go tell the boss that I was bullied in Desert City!” he ordered.

In Stone Desert City, the Sand Mercenary Group had never feared anyone, nor had they ever suffered such humiliation. If they simply let these people leave today, their group would become a laughingstock.

After all, aside from the City Lord’s Mansion, the Sand Mercenary Group was the most powerful force in Stone Desert City. Only recently had the Iron Desert Mercenary Group emerged to contend with them.

“Please, save me… save me…” Qinglin pleaded desperately as she heard Zhang Fei sending for reinforcements.

She was of humble birth, an orphan wandering Stone Desert City, always looked down upon by humans. Two years ago, by a stroke of luck, she had joined the Sand Mercenary Group. Though she was still bullied, at least she had shelter and didn’t have to scour for food each day.

A few months ago, the group recruited several powerful eight-star Dou Fighters who harbored a deep hatred for the Snake People. Upon discovering Qinglin’s serpentine bloodline, they despised and abused her even more.

She had planned to accompany the group on this outing, hoping to escape to somewhere safer. She had heard the Iron Desert Mercenary Group had a good reputation and that her group avoided conflict with them, so she wanted to try her luck.

But Zhang Fei and the others saw through her intentions, leading to her current plight.

“Don’t worry. With me here today, no one will harm you,” Lin An assured her, having already guessed her identity.

The Azure Serpent Three Flower Pupils—an impressive ability indeed.

“What bold words—you think you few can stand against our Sand Mercenary Group?” the other man, Hu Qiangqiang, sneered. “If you’d been sensible, you could have just looked the other way, but now you want to meddle? Don’t blame us for what’s to come!”

“Sand Mercenary Group?” Lin An mused silently. If he remembered correctly, Qinglin first appeared with the Iron Desert Mercenary Group, so why was she here now? Then he recalled that only half a year had passed since Xiao Yan’s three-year pact; perhaps something had happened in the interim.

It didn’t matter. Whether it was the Sand or the Iron Desert Mercenary Group, anyone who dared stand before them today would regret it.

Lin An and his companions remained where they were, waiting quietly for the Sand Mercenary Group to arrive.

Seeing Qinglin’s injuries, Yao Chen took a first-grade healing pill from his ring and handed it to her.

Qinglin stared at the precious pill. She had seen others take such things, but someone like her, even when beaten and wounded, always had to rely on her own constitution to endure.

She had never dared to hope she might one day receive a pill herself.

“I—I don’t have money to pay you,” she stammered, not taking the pill.

“Don’t worry. If the young master wishes to save you, the pill is yours, free of charge,” Yao Chen said kindly.

He could see the fragility and misfortune in the young girl before him. Her lowly status was no fault of her own, yet she had suffered countless scorn and could not even live as an ordinary person.

Still, Qinglin hesitated, glancing timidly at Lin An.

Only when he smiled and nodded did she accept the pill from Yao Chen.

Hu Qiangqiang was astonished at their generosity—giving a precious first-grade pill to someone so despised and lowly, without a second thought. Greed flickered in his eyes. After all, this time, they were clearly in the right.

Soon, dozens of men surrounded Lin An and his companions from all directions.

“So you’re the ones who bullied our Sand Mercenary Group’s brothers?” a man stepped forward. He was one of the group’s hall masters, an eight-star Dou Fighter, his face and body marked with scars that gave him a fearsome appearance.

“At this point, even if I said it wasn’t us, would you really let us go?” Lin An replied calmly.

“You’re not stupid. Let me tell you—no one in Stone Desert City has ever crossed the Sand Mercenary Group and left unscathed,” Scarface sneered, his grin widening after someone whispered in his ear.

Hearing this, Yao Chen almost laughed aloud. Clearly these men, accustomed to throwing their weight around in this small city, had grown arrogant and blind to their own limitations, daring to boast without even probing their opponents’ strength.