Battle Through the Heavens: It turns out I'm actually the patriarch of the Xiao family!

Chapter 54 Finally Seeing Qinglin

The real business Xiao Chen was talking about was to make the Mo Tie Mercenary Group have no rivals in Stone Desert City.

It was already late, and the evening glow shone through the gaps in the high windows of the council hall, casting long, blurry streaks of light on the stone floor. A tranquility, a tranquility that had settled from the daytime hustle and bustle, filled the air.

Xiao Chen sat upright in the main seat, the smile lingering on his lips for a moment before quietly disappearing, his deep black eyes returning to calm and stillness.

He nodded slightly, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest of the seat, producing a subtle yet clear tapping sound.

"Brothers and siblings, with deep affection and strong bonds, are the foundation upon which my Xiao family stands."

Xiao Chen's voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable power.

"I am very pleased that you have this intention. As for Xiao Yan—"

He paused slightly, his gaze seemingly piercing through the wall, directed towards some distant place.

"He has his own path to walk, but your friendship is one of the sources of his confidence to move forward, and it is not entirely useless."

When the Xiao family suffered a tragedy, Xiao Yan placed his hopes on the Mo Tie Mercenary Group, founded by his two older brothers, and the entire clan migrated there.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li were deeply moved. They felt a surge of gratitude for their ancestor's recognition and a strong sense of belonging to the family. They bowed their heads respectfully and said, "We will remember your teachings, Ancestor."

"7

"As I said before, there's no need to be reserved in front of me; we're all family."

Xiao Chen raised his hand, the light sweeping over the two brothers before finally settling on the deepening twilight outside the window. His tone was calm and even, yet it stirred up a thousand ripples like a stone thrown into water: "Now that I'm back, Xiao Yan no longer needs the protection of your small territory. But this Mo Tie Mercenary Group, which is the culmination of your efforts and bears the name of my Xiao family, cannot simply be an ordinary force that is content with its limited territory."

He turned his head slightly, his gaze seemingly piercing through the solid stone wall, and landing on the camp of a mercenary group in Stone Desert City.

"You established the mercenary group with the initial intention of creating a safe haven for Xiao Yan. Tomorrow, I will help you make the Mo Tie Mercenary Group a truly solid foundation in this Stone Desert City that no one dares to offend and no one can shake."

Although the words were spoken softly, they were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, exploding in the ears of Xiao Ding and Xiao Li.

"What the ancestor means is—"

A sharp glint flashed in Xiao Li's eyes, and he involuntarily caught his breath.

Xiao Ding straightened his back instantly, his gaze fixed intently on the figure in the main seat, his voice carrying a barely perceptible mix of excitement and caution: "Eliminate—the hostile forces?"

"That's right." Xiao Chen's response was decisive.

"How can this city be considered a true place of refuge if these unsightly obstacles are not removed?"

His words carried a chilling air of self-righteousness.

His gaze returned to the two brothers, and Xiao Chen's tone softened, but still carried an undeniable command: "Go and prepare. Rest for one night, and we'll make our move tomorrow."

The evening breeze blew through the window, carrying the unique coolness of the desert into the council hall, stirring the hair at Xiao Ding's temples.

He looked into Xiao Chen's deep, calm eyes, took a deep breath, and suppressed the pounding in his heart.

The Desert Iron Mercenary Group was his life's work, and he was naturally delighted to see it grow stronger.

The next morning, as soon as Xiao Chen opened his eyes, he immediately sat cross-legged and entered a meditative state.

Unfortunately, his body was still in that terrible state.

Shaking his head helplessly, Xiao Chen sighed softly before slowly opening his eyes.

Shortly after Xiao Chen opened his eyes, there was a knock on the door.

"Enter."

The door was gently pushed open, and a petite figure cautiously entered, saying timidly, "Senior, you're awake—"

The girl who entered was not very old; she looked slightly younger than Xiao Yan.

She wore an elegant light green dress. Although petite, she already exuded a graceful and poised air, carrying a unique youthful charm.

Her delicate oval face was incredibly cute, like a fine white porcelain doll, yet it carried a hint of timidity, with a frightened look in her eyes like that of a startled fawn, making one feel a pang of pity.

Upon seeing the girl in green, Xiao Chen was taken aback for a moment, then nodded kindly at her.

Is it a blue scale?

It's not certain yet.

"Senior, shall I—let me help you wash up?" The cute girl stood nervously by the bed, gently placing the basin of water on the wooden shelf outside the bed, and whispered.

"No need, I can do it myself."

Smiling and shaking his head, Xiao Chen jumped off the bed, went to the wooden frame, tilted his head to look at the girl's nervous expression, and couldn't help but ask with a smile, "What's your name?"

"what?"

Upon hearing this, the girl paused for a moment, then stammered, "I—I'm called Qinglin."

She quickly glanced up at Xiao Chen, then immediately lowered her eyes, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.

"Azure Scales?"

Xiao Chen repeated softly, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes. It really was her.

That lovely girl with a troubled past and the potential for the extraordinary Jade Serpent Three-Flower Pupil.

"A good name."

Xiao Chen smiled, his tone becoming even gentler: "It's very unique, just like the color of your clothes."

Receiving Xiao Chen's praise, Qing Lin's cheeks flushed slightly. Seemingly mustering a bit of courage, her voice rose a little: "Thank you, thank you for the praise, Senior. This name is... is—"

Her voice lowered again, as if she had touched some taboo, and the rest of her words became indistinct, turning into a muffled whisper.

Xiao Chen didn't press further, but simply nodded to show his understanding.

"I'll handle these things myself from now on," he said to Qinglin, turning his head slightly as he wiped his face with a wet towel, his tone relaxed yet authoritative.

"Yes—" Qinglin hurriedly replied, respectfully stepping back, but her hands were still nervously clasped in front of her, making her seem somewhat at a loss.

With a naive inexperience and an instinctive awe of the unknown powerful.

Xiao Chen looked at her and sighed inwardly.

The girl in my memory, who would one day command countless serpentine monsters to bow down and stand tall amidst bloodshed, is now so timid and humble.

The starting point of destiny is always shrouded in dust.

After he finished washing up, he put the towel back in the basin and turned around to face Qinglin's light green eyes, which were hesitant to speak, timid yet unable to hide their curiosity.

"Are you settling in well here?" Xiao Chen asked casually, breaking the silence.

Qinglin was taken aback when Xiao Chen asked her this. She paused for a moment before whispering, "I'm used to it. The mercenary group is pretty good."

Xiao Chen didn't expose her, but his gaze inadvertently swept over Qing Lin's slender neck and wrists half-hidden by her sleeve.

There must be some bluish snake scales growing on that snow-white wrist, right?

"Yeah, you'll get used to it," Xiao Chen replied casually.

"You're not actually human, are you?"

Xiao Chen's light swept towards Qing Lin's feet.

Upon hearing this, Qinglin's adorable little face immediately turned pale.

She carefully took two steps back, then hugged her calves with both hands and squatted down against the corner of the wall, her small body trembling constantly.

"Senior, I am—" The little girl trembled as she hugged her legs, her timid voice tinged with a hint of anxious sobs.

Looking at Qinglin's timid appearance, Xiao Chen shook his head with pity.

Near the Tagor Desert, there are occasional instances of human women being violated by snake people.

Normally, snake people and humans do not get pregnant when they have relations. However, there is always an extremely rare chance that a woman who has relations with a snake person will get pregnant and give birth to a child.

Both humans and snake people regard beings like the Azure Scale as a curse.

It seems that besides receiving more scorn and ridicule, I've lived so many more years.