When Han Feng saw the green scales on Qing Lin's arm, his eyes focused for a moment, then his expression returned to normal as he said, "They are indeed very pretty. Let's eat first."
Lin Xian'er smiled at Qing Lin. "See? I told you Master is very nice."
Qing Lin nodded, a happy smile appearing on her face again.
But she didn't notice that Ye Qingyun, on the side, had a grim expression, which she dared not show directly due to the occasion.
After everyone had finished dinner, Han Feng stood up. "Qingyun, you clear the table. Xian'er, bring Qing Lin to my room."
Ye Qingyun was taken aback and was about to speak, but saw Han Feng smiling as he patted the two little girls' heads.
Seeing Han Feng's caring expression, Ye Qingyun subconsciously trusted him and said no more.
She began to clear the table, wondering how she would confess to Han Feng later.
No matter what, the fact that Qing Lin had Snake-Person blood in her was unchangeable.
If Han Feng refused to take them in because of this, then Ye Qingyun would have no choice but to find another way.
Lin Xian'er brought Qing Lin to Han Feng's room. Han Feng beckoned for Qing Lin to come over.
"Master."
Qing Lin greeted Han Feng in her mother's tone.
Han Feng waved his hand.
"Just call me Uncle Han."
"Uncle Han?"
Qing Lin blinked her emerald-green eyes and looked up curiously.
"Qing Lin, hold out your hand and let Uncle take a look."
"Okay!"
Qing Lin obediently extended the arm with the green scales.
"Uncle Han, please be gentle when you touch them. It will hurt if you use too much force," Qing Lin reminded him, thinking that Han Feng also wanted to play with her scales.
Han Feng's expression almost broke. He glanced at Lin Xian'er, who was scratching her head with a slightly embarrassed smile.
Apparently, someone had already hurt Qing Lin.
Gently placing his hand on Qing Lin's wrist, Han Feng closed his eyes and felt the life fluctuations in the little girl's body.
After a general scan, Han Feng opened his eyes in surprise.
Unlike the weak constitution he had imagined, the source of life in Qing Lin's body was very abundant, even surpassing that of ordinary people.
What was going on?
Logically, the offspring of a union between a Snake-Person and a human would mostly not live to adulthood. This was the explanation for species differentiation.
Only with the conditioning of high-grade pills could the offspring be born healthy.
But Han Feng's examination just now had clearly found that Qing Lin's life source was very strong. Could it be that this mother and daughter pair were hiding some secret?
"Uncle Han?"
Qing Lin's tender voice brought Han Feng back to his senses. Looking at the two-year-old child before him, Han Feng shook his head and smiled.
"That's enough. Xian'er, take Qing Lin out to play."
As if granted amnesty, Lin Xian'er took Qing Lin's hand and ran outside.
Han Feng, left in the room, felt a headache coming on. He had just gone out for a bit and the maid he found was also hiding a secret.
Knock, knock, knock.
Just then, there was a knock on Han Feng's door.
"Master, may I come in?"
Ye Qingyun's voice came from outside.
"Come in."
Click.
A young woman with her long green hair tied up, wearing loose-fitting home clothes, walked in.
If one ignored the scar on her face, her appearance and demeanor were indeed extraordinary.
The story that she used to be a young mistress of a great family was probably true.
Ye Qingyun raised her head slightly. Seeing Han Feng looking at her with an expressionless face, she panicked.
She knelt down with a thump. "Master, I'm sorry."
"What have you done to be sorry for?" Han Feng asked faintly.
"I, I hid the matter about Qing Lin. She, she does have the blood of a Snake-Person in her."
Han Feng said nothing.
The atmosphere in the room fell silent.
Ye Qingyun's head was pressed to the ground, her body trembling continuously.
She was terrified. Would Han Feng kill her and her daughter?
"Is Qing Lin's father a Snake-Person?"
"Yes."
"Do you remember who he was?"
Terrifying memories of that day flooded Ye Qingyun's mind, and tears streamed down her face. She couldn't remember at all how many of them there were.
"There were many of them. I, I can't remember," she sobbed.
Han Feng was taken aback, then a deep sense of guilt welled up in his heart.
"I'm sorry."
He apologized to his maid once again.
Ye Qingyun wiped her tears, saying nothing, but her body was still trembling.
Han Feng stepped forward to help her up, taking out a handkerchief to wipe her cheeks.
"The reason I asked you that just now is because the offspring of Snake-People and humans are mostly weak and don't live to adulthood."
Ye Qingyun's body trembled, and she looked at Han Feng with tear-filled eyes.
"What? Qing Lin, she... she..."
Han Feng quickly comforted her.
"Don't worry. I just checked on Qing Lin. She is very healthy."
"That's good, that's good."
Ye Qingyun breathed a huge sigh of relief. Her body suddenly went limp, and she leaned against Han Feng's chest.
The atmosphere became quiet.
Ye Qingyun's face turned beet red. She quickly scrambled out of Han Feng's arms, apologizing repeatedly, "Master, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
A dirty woman like her had just offended her master.
Han Feng's heart was as calm as still water. He looked at Ye Qingyun with pity in his eyes.
"You don't need to apologize. This is not your fault."
He placed his hand on her head and stroked it gently.
"You are just an innocent victim caught in the war between two nations."
Han Feng's gentle voice gradually calmed Ye Qingyun. She closed her eyes, enjoying this moment of peace.
The moment they made physical contact, Han Feng scanned Ye Qingyun's body with his soul.
A woman who had endured hunger for many years, her physical condition was naturally a complete mess.
However, to Han Feng's surprise, her body actually contained a small cluster of emerald-green life essence.
This cluster of essence was silently supporting Ye Qingyun's broken body.
If not for this essence, Ye Qingyun would probably have died long ago.
Han Feng carefully examined Ye Qingyun's physical composition and finally came to a conclusion about everything.
"Azure Wood Longevity Body."
"Han Feng murmured, his voice brimming with emotion."
So it was because of the mother's powerful physique that Qing Lin had a healthy body.
In the cultivation world, some cultivators were born with enviable physiques. They were born geniuses, possessed faster promotion speeds than ordinary people, and also mastered some special abilities.
Lin Xian'er's Woeful Poison Body was the ancestor of all poison users.
The Azure Wood Longevity Body, although not as monstrous as the Woeful Poison Body, also had considerable potential.
A cultivator with the Azure Wood Longevity Body had a longer lifespan than ordinary people, and their life source was also stronger. They could use wood-attribute Dou Qi to perform an extraordinary healing art, with effects far exceeding ordinary healing methods.
A cultivator with this physique, if placed in the imperial army or a super-sect, would be treasured and revered.
Once an Azure Wood Longevity Body advanced to Dou King, they could manipulate the power of heaven and earth to bring down a rain of life, directly healing friendly forces over a large area.
This ability was simply a divine skill for an army.
The cultivation world was full of intrigue, and life-and-death battles happened every day. Who wouldn't want a companion with an Azure Wood Longevity Body behind them, ready to heal their injuries at any time?
A look of shared sympathy appeared in Han Feng's eyes as he looked at Ye Qingyun.
To have such a powerful aptitude, yet have it worn down by some calamity.
Although Han Feng didn't have a special physique, after Yao Chen had provided him with a super-strong foundation, his aptitude was already top-tier on the continent.
Unfortunately, the original owner of this body liked to mess around, and now his aptitude was unbearable to look at.
And Ye Qingyun, due to the long-term overdraft of her body, her Azure Wood Longevity Body had also become half-crippled.
Han Feng withdrew his hand. Ye Qingyun, as if waking from a dream, opened her eyes in a daze.
"Master?"
"Don't let your imagination run wild anymore. Since you've come here, live in peace."
Han Feng helped Ye Qingyun up.
"Go back and get a good night's sleep. I'm still waiting to try your cooking tomorrow."
Ye Qingyun blushed slightly and curtsied to Han Feng.
"Thank you, Master."
After saying this seriously, Ye Qingyun took the initiative to leave the room, closing the door with a click.
Han Feng smiled lightly.
What luck did he have today, to actually pick up an Azure Wood Longevity Body?
Although her physique was half-crippled, in Han Feng's opinion, it would not be difficult for Ye Qingyun to recover her Azure Wood Longevity Body. At any rate, it would be easier than him recovering his own aptitude.
One must know that the Azure Wood Longevity Body was synonymous with "tenacity." As long as there was a breath left, there was hope for recovery.
Han Feng rubbed his temples.
Now, he had one more thing to do.
To help Ye Qingyun condition her body and restore her physique.
If he remained indifferent to an Azure Wood Longevity Body, it would be too much of a waste.
Han Feng pondered for a moment and wrote down a few medicinal ingredients on a piece of paper.
"I'll have to trouble Supervisor Gaton again."
Being in a foreign land, he had no choice but to rely on the local powers. If Han Feng had to find these materials himself, he would also find it a huge headache.
The night was as quiet as water. For Ye Qingyun and her daughter, tonight was destined to be an extraordinary one.
For the first time, they slept in a clean room, no longer having to worry about their livelihood for the next day.
Hugging Qing Lin, Ye Qingyun looked at the starry sky outside the window.
Perhaps tragedy in life was destined, but as long as one was alive, one could encounter their own beauty.
That night, Ye Qingyun forgot her past nightmares and slept very peacefully.
In the morning, Han Feng woke up and smelled a sweet aroma coming from the dining hall.
Walking into the dining hall, he saw that Ye Qingyun had already prepared breakfast.
The spirit melon porridge stewing in the pot looked very good.
Ye Qingyun put the lid on and continued to prepare other dishes.
Han Feng's footsteps were no longer concealed. Hearing the noise, Ye Qingyun turned around.
"Master, you're up."
"I'll go get you some hot water."
Ye Qingyun brought hot water and served Han Feng as he washed up.
After washing up, Han Feng sat down to eat.
"Master, some of the dishes are not ready yet."
"You guys can eat them later. A bowl of porridge is enough for me."
Han Feng took a sip of the spirit melon porridge. It tasted good.
This spirit melon was a gift from the Miteer Auction House, and its quality was excellent.
With such ingredients, it would taste good no matter how it was cooked.
But overall, Ye Qingyun's cooking skills still exceeded Han Feng's expectations.
At least, it was better than what was served in ordinary restaurants.
After finishing two bowls of porridge, Han Feng got up to go out.
"I won't be back for lunch. You guys can handle it yourselves."
"Oh, okay."
Ye Qingyun replied and then saw Han Feng to the main door.
"Master, be careful."
"Mm, go back inside. It's cold out."
Han Feng waved his hand and had Ye Qingyun go back into the house.
The weather was getting deep into autumn, and the morning roadside was a bit chilly.
Arriving at the Miteer Auction House, Han Feng saw the guard from yesterday.
"Mr. Han, you're here."
"Yes, I have something to trouble you with. Please help me inform Supervisor Gaton that there are some more ingredients I need his help to collect."
As he spoke, Han Feng handed the piece of paper in his hand to him.
"Okay, I will definitely deliver it."
"Thank you."
Han Feng left the Miteer Auction House and walked towards the city gate.
The temperature difference between day and night in the desert was large. At this moment, it didn't feel hot at all. Han Feng passed by the ancient map shop from before and caught a glimpse of the mysterious old man still inside.
Without greeting him, Han Feng walked into the desert. The sand under his feet was very soft, sinking with each step.
When he reached a place where no one was paying attention, Dou Qi wings spread from Han Feng's back, and with a flap, he flew into the high sky.
He had walked in a straight line just now, for about five kilometers.
Taking out the map, Han Feng marked his current starting point and then began to fly and investigate along the outer perimeter of the desert.
In the early morning, the sun's rays had not fully shone down, and the fire-attribute energy in the desert was at a low state.
Under these circumstances, if the fire-attribute energy was still abnormal, it meant that there was indeed something hidden.
After flying for a few kilometers, Han Feng finally found a section with obvious abnormal fire-attribute energy.
He flew towards it, his Dou Qi smashing down like a bolt of silk, blasting a small pit in the desert.
"Hiss hiss!"
A tier-three Fire Rock Lizard scurried away in panic from the sandpit. It had just been taking a nap and was almost smashed in the head.
After the Fire Rock Lizard fled, Han Feng felt the fire-attribute energy in this place drop rapidly. He shook his head helplessly, flew higher again, and continued his search.
After searching the entire outer perimeter, Han Feng ruled out the possibility of a Heavenly Flame being hidden here and then continued deeper.
This was indeed an extremely tedious process.
But for the sake of the Heavenly Flame, Han Feng had no choice but to repeat the boring detection work. It was not until noon, when the sun was high in the sky, that he found a place to rest for a moment.
Marking and eliminating possibilities on the map bit by bit, Han Feng roughly estimated that he might be able to finish exploring the eastern region of the Tagor Desert within two months.
If it wasn't in the east, then he would have to go to the west.
The Tagor Desert there was not connected to the Jia Ma Empire, but to the Luo Yan Empire and the Mu Lan Empire.
At that time, there would probably be other complications.
At noon, the fire-attribute energy in the desert reached its peak.
Han Feng did not waste it. He sat in meditation and slowly advanced his Dou Qi.
After completing the Flame Mantra in the Black-Corner Region, Han Feng had advanced to the seven-star Dou Emperor realm. Cultivating until now, he had almost reached the mid-stage of the seven-star Dou Emperor.
Although the next two months would be spent searching for the Heavenly Flame, he could also use the favorable conditions of the Tagor Desert to cultivate his Dou Qi.
He was confident that he could reach the late stage of the seven-star Dou Emperor within two months.
After cultivating for an hour, Han Feng continued his work, taking a different route back to Desert City, constantly marking along the way.
By the time he returned to the vicinity of Desert City, the sky had already darkened.
Because it was the first day he had left the three females at home, Han Feng was a little worried, so he still had to go back at night to check on them.
After things stabilized, he planned to spend the night in the desert.