Xiao Yi Xian's Message

Crack...

With a crisp sound, Lu Bu moved. The thin cocoon formed from black material instantly shattered. With a tap of his foot, he leaped into the lake to wash himself.

The corner of Xiao Yan's mouth twitched at the sight. "I never want to drink water from this lake again..."

After a while, Lu Bu, now cleaned up, leaped out of the lake. He wiped away the water streaming down his body and could not help grinning, immediately feeling refreshed.

"Not bad!" Clenching his fist and sensing the abundant power within his body, Lu Bu could not help letting out a long roar toward the sky.

Forming a hand seal, he summoned the puppet from the cave. Lu Bu clenched his fist and threw a fierce punch.

With a bang, the puppet was sent flying into the cliff. A distinct fist mark appeared on its chest, and beneath its black skin, stark white chunks of flesh were clearly visible.

Lu Bu nodded. Not bad. With his physical body alone, he could withstand a Da Dou Shi head-on and might even defeat one.

Not far away, the corner of Xiao Yan's mouth twitched. What powerful physical strength.

"What are you looking at?" Noticing Xiao Yan's gaze, Lu Bu said irritably, "Hurry up and cultivate!"

Xiao Yan and Yao Lao exchanged a glance before returning to the cave with the puppet and Burning Blood. Lu Bu was right. He needed to continue cultivating.

Lu Bu snorted and sat within the Spirit Gathering Array to cultivate. But after forming a hand seal, he quickly opened his eyes, surprise flashing across his face.

The unstable Dou Qi caused by the Purple Crystal Source and the energy Yun Yun had left behind had unexpectedly become solidified after the Purple Crystal Source tempered his body. It was even more solid than before.

"A four-star Dou Shi... not bad. It saved me quite a bit of time." Lu Bu looked surprised, but what surprised him even more was...

With a soft puff, a small cluster of Purple Fire ignited on Lu Bu's fingertip.

"How did this thing... get into my body?" Lu Bu stroked his chin. Was it because of the Purple Crystal Source?

But at that moment... his soul suddenly trembled. Lu Bu frowned. What was going on?

After thinking for a moment, Lu Bu quickly understood. It was Xiao Yi Xian. He had once given Xiao Yi Xian a soul jade slip so she could contact him.

Lu Bu had been waiting for Xiao Yi Xian during that time, but a year had already passed since he and Xiao Yi Xian had finished their treasure hunt.

Lu Bu had thought Xiao Yi Xian would never contact him again. He had not expected... that it would happen now.

"I should go to Qingshan Town and take a look..." Lu Bu rubbed his chin. After pondering for a moment, he brought the puppet with him. The Purple Cloud Wings behind his back trembled lightly as he shot into the sky and flew toward Qingshan Town.

The events in Qingshan Town had begun a month earlier...

After a year of recuperation, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group had basically recovered. Hemon, an eight-star Dou Zhe, had already advanced to nine-star.

Mu Li, a seven-star Dou Zhe, had also advanced to eight-star. Though they could no longer run rampant as they had when Mu She led them, they had escaped the danger of being swallowed up in Qingshan Town.

Seeing that nothing could be done, forces such as the Blood Battle Mercenary Group in Qingshan Town gave up on annexing them. Instead, they began cooperating with the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, treating them as equals as everyone joined hands to make money.

One night, Mu Li went alone to the cave Lifi had mentioned. But aside from a skeleton and three opened stone boxes, there was nothing inside.

However, one thing was certain: there had indeed been treasure here, but someone had already taken it. After investigating the cave, Mu Li secured a rope and made his way down to the bottom of the cliff, where he discovered the remains of Second Leader Gan Mu and those twenty skilled men.

Although his father's remains were not among them, he was likely dead as well.

"Xiao Yi Xian..." Looking at the bones scattered across the ground, Mu Li clenched both fists, his face twisted with viciousness. "I'll make you pay the most painful price!"

The next morning, Xiao Yi Xian began seeing patients according to her usual routine. At noon, she would return home and would not see patients again until the next day.

"Xiao Yi Xian, sorry to trouble you." A bearded man entered Myriad Medicine Hall and unwound the bandage around his right arm.

Xiao Yi Xian examined his wound and slowly nodded. "It is recovering well. Another two or three days should be enough."

"That Gale Wolf's claws really were vicious."

"Haha, I have to thank you for your medicine. If it weren't for you, I would have needed to rest for much longer. My family of three would have run out of food next week." The Bearded Man laughed heartily, clearly delighted.

Xiao Yi Xian smiled and changed his medicine again. The man paid for it, but instead of leaving as he usually did, he said somewhat mysteriously:

"Xiao Yi Xian, have you heard? There have been some rumors going around town."

"What?" Xiao Yi Xian frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled.

"They say there is a treasure cave beneath a cliff in a valley to the east." The man spoke in a mysterious tone.

"Oh? Is that so?" Xiao Yi Xian smiled. "I am not very interested in such things."

"Alright." The Bearded Man smacked his lips. True enough, this sort of thing should be discussed over drinks with his brothers. Talking to Xiao Yi Xian really would not get him the amazement and cheers he wanted.

"How many people know about this?" Xiao Yi Xian asked with an unruffled smile.

"Quite a lot." The Bearded Man scratched his head. "I heard it in a tavern too."

With that, he nodded and left Myriad Medicine Hall.

As he left, Xiao Yi Xian's brows gradually furrowed. A cliff in the eastern valley... was that not the cave she had discovered?

It was already empty, so it did not matter if someone found it, Xiao Yi Xian thought. She then stopped paying attention to the matter and continued seeing patients.

Over the next two days, the rumors grew increasingly widespread and lively. Even those who did not believe them had heard something about them.

At last, some people could not hold back any longer and formed groups to seek treasure, only to find an empty stone chamber.

The cave was real, but everyone returned empty-handed. The mercenaries of Qingshan Town sighed in regret and jeered endlessly.

"Ah, there was clearly treasure in that cave. Too bad we were a step too late and someone got there first!"

"Yeah. If there had been a Xuan-tier cultivation method inside... heh, advancing to Dou Shi would have been just around the corner for me."

"Hahaha, keep dreaming. If there had been a Xuan-tier cultivation method, do you think it would have fallen into your hands?"

"Hey, hey, hey, what do you think was inside those three stone boxes?"

"Who knows?"

"..."

Amid the heated discussions, the matter of the cave's treasure gradually became mere after-dinner talk. Only over drinks would the mercenaries mention it, treating it as entertainment.

Everyone knew that rather than dream such impractical dreams, they would be better off figuring out how to kill a few more magical beasts.

However, just as the matter was about to fade from public attention, word spread from somewhere that Xiao Yi Xian had been the first to discover the cave entrance, and that Xiao Yi Xian had taken the treasure inside.

Everyone scoffed at the news.

"Xiao Yi Xian? She is only a physician. Without anyone to help her, could she have even descended into that cave? Hahaha... what a joke."

"Exactly. And even if it really was her, how could such a weak woman carry all that stuff up the cliff?"

"Judging from the traces there, there were clearly piles of gold or silver coins. No one could have moved them away without a sound."

"Hahaha... that is actually quite a funny joke."

Everyone in Qingshan Town merely laughed off the rumor. Xiao Yi Xian did not look like someone capable of emptying out an entire cave.

Northwest of Qingshan Town, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group's base.

"Young Leader, everything is ready." A middle-aged man bowed as he reported to Mu Li.

Mu Li nodded. "Since that is the case, begin."

"Once we get the treasure in Xiao Yi Xian's hands, we will be able to restore the Wolf Head Mercenary Group to what it once was."

Beside him, Hemon licked his lips and laughed loudly. "Mu Li, you really have a good head on your shoulders. You managed to make so many tricks out of an abandoned cave. Hahaha..."

"Uncle He, this would not have been possible without your support." Mu Li smiled.

"Hahaha, before long, we will get that treasure and once again suppress all of Qingshan Town... hahaha!" Hemon threw back his head and laughed.