Qingshan Town

Qingshan Town was one of the towns in the southwest of the Jia Ma Empire closest to the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

In a courtyard southwest of the town, Lin Yuan was giving Qing Lin some instructions.

"Qing'er, I'm going out for a bit. Stay in this estate and cultivate in peace for a while. I made you stay in the Magical Beast Mountain Range for so long—you've worked hard. Once Young Master finishes his business, I'll take you to stroll around some bustling cities." Lin Yuan affectionately smoothed Qing Lin's hair tips with his hand and spoke to her with a hint of apology.

"It wasn't hard. I didn't work hard. Young Master is the one who worked hard. Young Master doesn't need to worry about me. I have Little Red and the others protecting me, so there won't be any problems. Young Master can go handle your own business at ease." Qing Lin blinked her large jade-green eyes and spoke sweetly.

"But Young Master, this appearance is...?" Her tone shifted, and Qing Lin looked curiously at Lin Yuan's face, somewhat doubtful as she asked. The current Lin Yuan did not have his true appearance, but was in the state of wearing Xu An's identity.

The appearance before her eyes was good, but Qing Lin still felt her Young Master's true appearance looked better.

"Oh, right. This is the first time Qing'er has seen me like this. Mm, this is a bit hard to explain. I'll explain it properly to you next time there's a chance. I'm heading out first."

"Mm! Young Master, be careful on the road too."

Lin Yuan waved his hand and headed toward the Shopping Street.

After Qing Lin watched Lin Yuan leave, she released a Fourth-Tier Magical Beast to stand guard, then returned inside. She sat cross-legged on her bed, formed a cultivation hand seal, closed her eyes, and began cultivating.

"I'm still too weak right now. If I want to help Young Master, I have to hurry and become stronger!"

Because Qingshan Town was close to the Magical Beast Mountain Range, mercenaries gathered here, bringing a different kind of commercial prosperity.

On both sides of the streets in the shop district were a large number of stores, and the medicinal herb shop named "Myriad Medicine Pavilion" was the largest herb shop in Qingshan Town. Xiao Yi Xian was Myriad Medicine Pavilion's finest physician.

Inside Myriad Medicine Pavilion, Xiao Yi Xian also wiped the sweat from her forehead and ended her morning's work. There had been somewhat many patients today, and even she was a little tired.

At this moment, Mr. Yao, the person in charge of Myriad Medicine Pavilion, walked out from the inner hall. He glanced at Xiao Yi Xian's graceful, slender willow waist, and a strange light flashed through his eyes. Before Xiao Yi Xian turned around, he quickly withdrew his gaze, looked at Xiao Yi Xian, and praised, "You've worked hard, Xiao Yi Xian. Myriad Medicine Pavilion's business can be so prosperous because your contribution ranks first."

"Mr. Yao, you are too polite. I merely completed my own duties," Xiao Yi Xian replied gently.

Mr. Yao was just about to offer a few more words of praise to draw closer to Xiao Yi Xian when a young man emitting a powerful aura suddenly walked over. That formidable pressure instantly made Myriad Medicine Pavilion fall silent.

"Such a powerful aura. He's definitely not at the Dou Shi level. Could he be a Da Dou Shi, or even a Dou Ling expert? Such a young expert? Which great clan's genius is he?" A few drops of cold sweat could not help appearing on Mr. Yao's forehead as he nervously looked at the young man, who seemed to be around twenty-one or twenty-two from his appearance.

The newcomer was precisely Lin Yuan. Lin Yuan swept his gaze around, looked at the surroundings, and his line of sight swept past Xiao Yi Xian before finally landing on Mr. Yao.

"You're the one in charge of Myriad Medicine Pavilion?" Lin Yuan asked indifferently. Although it was a question, his tone was extremely certain.

Sensing the other party's gaze pressing down on him, Mr. Yao mustered his courage, stepped forward, lowered his head, cupped his hands, and bowed as he said in a tone mixed with a bit of flattery, "This lowly one is the person in charge of Myriad Medicine Pavilion. If there is anything you can make use of me for, please feel free to command me, my lord."

Although Lin Yuan's gaze rested on Mr. Yao, the Soul Perception he released was focused on Xiao Yi Xian. He planned to test whether Xiao Yi Xian already knew the location of that Treasure Cave.

Narrowing his eyes, Lin Yuan said indifferently, "Mm, you have good insight. This seat does indeed have something for you to do. If you do it well, there will be a reward. If you do it poorly, there will be punishment. And that punishment is definitely not something you would want to experience. Do you understand?"

Hearing Lin Yuan's warm yet cold and cruel words, Mr. Yao could not help wiping the cold sweat from his forehead and said even more respectfully, "This lowly one understands. Please give your orders, my lord."

"Under a certain cliff in the Magical Beast Mountain Range near this Qingshan Town, there is a cave. This seat came here to search for it. Do you know where that cave is?" Lin Yuan had his back to Xiao Yi Xian as he coldly looked at Mr. Yao, deliberately adding a bit more eagerness to his tone, while his Soul Perception focused on capturing Xiao Yi Xian's changes.

"M-my lord, this lowly one is the person in charge of Myriad Medicine Pavilion, so I don't often go into the mountains to gather herbs, nor have I heard anyone mention it, so..." Mr. Yao's face was filled with terror as he cautiously replied to Lin Yuan.

Behind Lin Yuan, when Xiao Yi Xian heard Lin Yuan mention the cave beneath the cliff, her eyes slightly contracted, and her heartbeat quickened a little.

Her little head began to spin. "Could the cave this person mentioned be the cave I saw last time? A cave that even an expert like this is looking for—looks like there really is a secret inside. It's very likely a treasure cave, a great opportunity. No, I have to calm myself down. I can't let anyone see anything unusual."

Xiao Yi Xian quickly adjusted her state, making herself show a bewildered expression as well. Since everyone was paying attention to Lin Yuan, no one else noticed Xiao Yi Xian's change during those few breaths.

A trace of amusement flashed through Lin Yuan's eyes. From the moment he entered the door, Xiao Yi Xian's state had been completely enveloped by his Soul Perception, so he naturally captured that brief change of hers. "She has already discovered that cave. Looks like this time, I don't need to explore and search bit by bit myself. I just need to put on a show of luring the snake out of its hole."

As his thoughts turned, Lin Yuan already had an idea. His aura strengthened a notch, and the gaze he directed at Mr. Yao grew even heavier. His indifferent tone was mixed with a bit of impatience. "In other words, you don't know?"

Mr. Yao felt the gaze pressing down on him become even heavier. Under the heavy pressure, inspiration struck him in his panic, and he hurriedly said, "My lord, please calm your anger. This lowly one will quickly inquire with those who have gone herb gathering and immediately arrange for people to search the mountains. I will definitely find the cave for my lord."

"Forget it. Counting on trash like you is worse than acting myself. Next, you will handle one matter. If you fail to handle it well, then you die. Understand?" Lin Yuan said coldly.

"My lord, please give your orders. This lowly one will definitely do everything possible to handle it well," the panicked Mr. Yao hurriedly agreed.

"I'll give you three days. Go gather manpower, collect information, and make a detailed map. The requirement is that every cliff location in this area must be marked on the map. When I return from the Imperial Capital, hand it to me. Understand?" Lin Yuan ordered.

"Yes, yes. This lowly one will arrange it immediately and will definitely handle this matter well. Please rest assured, my lord." Mr. Yao hurriedly agreed to Lin Yuan's order.

Lin Yuan patted Mr. Yao's stiff shoulder and chuckled. "Work properly, and work carefully. I will also assign this matter to another person. When the time comes, if your map is not complete enough by comparison, then you know the result, don't you?"

"This lowly one understands. How could this lowly one dare neglect my lord's matter? Many thanks for my lord's leniency. This lowly one will definitely handle the matter well," Mr. Yao said in a panic.

"Good. This seat will come again three days later."

Lin Yuan turned and walked before Xiao Yi Xian, his gaze landing on Xiao Yi Xian's gentle and beautiful face. At this moment, her face was full of bewilderment.

"She's acting so convincingly. On the surface, I can't see any flaws at all. Looks like women really are self-taught when it comes to acting, and Xiao Yi Xian is no exception." Looking at Xiao Yi Xian's bewildered expression, Lin Yuan could not help sighing inwardly.

Lin Yuan looked meaningfully at Xiao Yi Xian, who had lowered her head, and chuckled. "I didn't expect a remote and backward place like Qingshan Town to have such a beauty."

Having said that, Lin Yuan channeled power through his vigorous legs, Dou Qi swirling around his entire body as he leaped upward. His figure shot like a cannonball, smashing through Myriad Medicine Pavilion's rooftop and disappearing from everyone's sight, leaving only one sentence echoing inside the room.

"Remember, three days later, this seat will come again."

As for Xiao Yi Xian, who remained where she was, her nose moved slightly, and an extremely faint scent was captured by a pharmacist's keen sense of smell.

"This smell... it's the scent of medicinal herbs."

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