BTTH: Demon Emperor Xiao Yan

After the auction ended, Xiao Yan returned to his residence. Along with him came the several million gold coins he earned from the auction, a barely acceptable-quality alchemy cauldron, and the girl who had previously been locked inside the iron cage.

As a VIP client of the Miteer Auction House, Xiao Yan enjoyed quite a few privileges. One of them was the ability to have his purchased items delivered to a designated location. That spared him some awkwardness—after all, if he were to carry a girl down the street, people would most likely curse him as a pervert.

Of course, Xiao Yan didn't just sit around waiting for his items. To be cautious, he split a portion of his soul power to follow the transport team and ensure nothing went wrong.

While the Miteer Auction House had a reputable record and wasn't likely to pull any tricks, it never hurt to be prepared. He was concerned that some fool might try to ambush the convoy. He didn't care about the cauldron—it wasn't exactly high-grade—but that girl with the Jade Snake Three Flower Pupils was absolutely critical.

The girl wasn't delivered inside a cage, but her wrists and ankles were still locked in heavy shackles. Frowning slightly at the sight, Xiao Yan casually stored away the cauldron and moved to remove her shackles. But the moment she saw him approach, she instinctively shrank back in fear, her eyes wide with panic, looking just like a terrified little rabbit.

Her body was extremely frail, appearing only seven or eight years old. Perhaps due to long-term malnourishment, she looked even younger than she actually was. Her hair was dry and lifeless, and she was clothed in a thin, poorly fitting garment—calling it clothing was generous; it was more like a piece of torn cloth.

"Don't be afraid." Xiao Yan removed his black cloak, revealing his youthful and gentle face. "See? I'm just a kid like you."

The girl stared at him in surprise. When she'd been escorted here, her captors had said the buyer was some important figure. She thought it would be a strange old man or a fat merchant. She never expected it to be a boy who looked barely older than her.

Perhaps it was Xiao Yan's harmless appearance, or maybe it was his soft and gentle tone. In any case, the girl didn't seem quite as afraid anymore. Although fear still lingered in her eyes, it had lessened significantly. As Xiao Yan knelt and began unlocking her shackles, he asked, "What's your name?"

"Qing... Qing Lin," the girl answered timidly. She tugged on her sleeves in an attempt to hide the green scales on her wrists, clearly afraid they would disgust this young master.

"Who came up with that name? No imagination at all." Xiao Yan chuckled and shook his head. "Green scales, so you're called Qing Lin? What if your scales were multicolored? Would that make you Cai Lin?"

Naturally, he'd noticed her movements. From her past imprisonment and the discrimination she faced growing up, it was clear this girl was deeply insecure. But to Xiao Yan, that was actually a good thing. A fragile heart was easier to influence—it wouldn't take much to leave a lasting impression.

As someone who had lived hundreds of years in his past life, Xiao Yan knew exactly how to win over an insecure girl. He gently stroked Qing Lin's head, then carefully rolled up her sleeve, smiling as he said, "These scales are beautiful. Why hide them?"

"Y-You're not scared of them?" Qing Lin blinked. Even she sometimes hated those scales. But this boy...

"Why would I be scared of something so beautiful?" Xiao Yan smiled and brushed her hair aside before continuing, "Alright, take off your clothes."

"...Huh?" Qing Lin's face instantly went pale. While she was imprisoned, she had overheard people speak of those with twisted fetishes—adults who liked the bodies of little girls... Was she unlucky enough to fall into the hands of such a person? Just moments ago, she thought he was nice. She didn't expect him to be a wolf in sheep's clothing.

"What are you thinking? I just want to apply medicine." Xiao Yan couldn't help but laugh bitterly when he saw her expression. He had noticed the many whip marks on her body and simply wanted to treat her wounds, but it looked like she'd misunderstood completely.

Hearing this, Qing Lin's face flushed red. She glanced at the jade bottles in front of Xiao Yan and realized he truly was trying to help her. Only then did she reluctantly take off her clothes, though she still instinctively used her arms to cover herself modestly.

Xiao Yan filled a basin with warm water and pulled out a clean cloth to wipe her body. Perhaps because she hadn't bathed in days, the cloth quickly became dirty. So Xiao Yan simply gave her a full bath before taking out healing medicine and treating her injuries.

With Xiao Yan's current skills, any healing medicine he produced was naturally top-grade. Not only could it quickly heal wounds, it could also prevent scarring. When applied, it didn't hurt at all—on the contrary, it felt cool and soothing, easing the pain considerably.

Xiao Yan worked with absolute focus and didn't have a single impure thought. Honestly, as a former Saint of Wrath who had lived for centuries in his past life, if he were to have any lecherous thoughts about a little girl, it would be truly disgusting. He wasn't some kind of lolicon... probably.

While treating her, he realized her body was still extremely weak. Treating the injuries alone wouldn't suffice—she would need proper care and nourishment for some time. So he postponed his trip to the desert once again and stayed in Black Rock City to help Qing Lin recover.

As an alchemist, he naturally knew how to take care of her. Under his attentive care, her condition gradually improved. Color returned to her face, and when she was a bit stronger, he took her out to buy some nice clothes and dressed her up properly.

"Now this is what a pretty little girl should look like..." Xiao Yan admired her appearance with gentle eyes. He believed that after all this effort, he'd surely carved a deep impression in Qing Lin's heart. As long as she trusted him wholeheartedly, it wouldn't interfere with the plans to come.

'I just wonder if transplanting the Jade Snake Three Flower Pupils will have any side effects...' Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at her. 'I'd better wait a little longer...'

(End of Chapter)

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