The Temptation of Delicious Food

Chen Guan still failed to find that cave today. He did encounter two Fire Foxes, but unfortunately, neither was the one from yesterday.

After eating and drinking his fill, Chen Guan put away the two Fire Fox magical cores from the ground. He had another reason to kill Fire Foxes now; other magical beasts did not have such a high drop rate.

Rather than trouble any other magical beasts, Chen Guan headed straight for the area where the Crimson Ice Snake King was located.

Just as he could remember the Fire Fox's aura, the Crimson Ice Snake King could recognize his as well. Chen Guan did not even need to search for it. The moment he arrived, it charged out of the dense woods, determined to wash away yesterday's humiliation.

However, Chen Guan had come prepared, and his condition was no longer what it had been. Why would he fear it now? Gripping his broadsword, he took the initiative and charged forward.

He used Drifting Cloud Steps to evade the foul-smelling venom, then unleashed Boundless Ocean. Man and snake collided in the most ferocious manner.

The Crimson Ice Snake King's magical beast body gave it an innate advantage in sheer strength, while Chen Guan prevailed through technique. His attacks surged like huge waves, each wave stronger than the last. From being forced back more than ten steps in their first clash, he had built up to twenty waves and was now evenly matched with it.

Of course, the consumption of Dou Qi within his body was equally astonishing, nearly draining a tenth of it.

Fortunately, he cultivated a Xuan-rank technique. If it had been a Huang-rank one, he would probably have been at the mercy of others after only two or three bursts.

"Ha ha, again."

Having fought the Crimson Ice Snake King to a draw, Chen Guan was in high spirits. To him, this was the perfect opponent. It could pressure him without completely crushing him, and every attack came with the intent to kill, never showing the slightest mercy.

An opponent like this was truly hard to come by.

For that reason, Chen Guan temporarily abandoned his intention of killing it immediately, keeping it around as a whetstone instead.

Man and snake fought back and forth for nearly Two Hours, resting more than once in the middle. They chased and battled from one end to the other, throwing this area inhabited by Tier 2 Magical Beasts into complete chaos.

Seeing that night was approaching, Chen Guan swallowed a second-grade pill that restored Dou Qi. He stopped tangling with it and fled toward the outer edge.

"See you. I'll come play with you again tomorrow."

The Crimson Ice Snake King pursued him for a while before giving up. Perhaps it understood the young man's words, or perhaps it was tired as well. It could kill him tomorrow; there was no rush.

After leaving the Magical Beast Mountain Range, Chen Guan headed straight for the Ten Thousand Medicine Hall.

After fighting for so long today, it was impossible for him to be completely uninjured. Fortunately, they were all superficial wounds.

He could treat them himself, but why not use a free physician when one was available?

After all, she was a professional.

The familiar displays, the familiar staircase. Seeing that Chen Guan's injuries were clearly not serious, yet he still intended to go upstairs, several hot-tempered mercenaries were about to step forward and stop him.

Before they could act, however, a hand landed on their shoulders.

"Young Master Chen is an honored guest of our Ten Thousand Medicine Hall." Steward Chang pressed down on the mercenary's shoulder with considerable force, making his stance clear.

"An honored guest? This pretty boy?"

"Fine. Since that's the case, we'll give the Ten Thousand Medicine Hall some face. Just don't let me run into you outside."

Steward Chang chuckled without saying anything else. Good words could not persuade a ghost determined to die. As long as they did not drag the Ten Thousand Medicine Hall into it, that was enough.

No one understood the influence behind the young man better than Steward Chang. Today, he had personally escorted a batch of Yellow Lotus Essence to nearby Jieji City for a handover. To his surprise, the City Lord had come to receive him personally and had attached great importance to what appeared to be an ordinary transaction.

Seeing the whole leopard through a single spot, Steward Chang realized that the young man's identity was far from ordinary.

Flattery might backfire and earn the young man's displeasure, but Steward Chang believed he could at least ensure that the young man remained safe within the Ten Thousand Medicine Hall.

Meanwhile, Chen Guan made his way to Xiao Yi Xian's "consultation room" as if he knew the place by heart.

There were even more people today. Chen Guan waited nearly Half an Hour before she finally sent away everyone unrelated to him.

"Help me deal with these superficial wounds. Just apply some medicine."

"Take your clothes off. You really went looking for Fire Foxes?"

Seeing Chen Guan's somewhat bedraggled appearance, Xiao Yi Xian had already guessed the outcome.

"Of course. If I said I would, then I had to do it. Unfortunately, I didn't find the one that injured me yesterday. I only found two of its brothers, and I roasted them both. Here, I specifically saved one for you. Just like we agreed yesterday. Eat without worry; I got rid of that strange smell."

Watching the young man actually take out a roasted Fire Fox, Xiao Yi Xian's lips twitched slightly.

She had taken it as a joke, never expecting him to be serious. Still, it was roasted such a golden, crispy color that it looked rather delicious and appetizing.

"Cough, cough. I'm not eating it. Fire Fox meat smells far too strong; you can't wash that smell away."

After swallowing, Xiao Yi Xian looked away and focused on treating his injuries. They were all minor superficial wounds that did not even require bandaging. A little cleaning and medicine was enough, and she soon finished.

"Today, I'll shamelessly take advantage of you for free. I'll bring you something tasty next time."

"You're too polite. I should be thanking you for the notebook you gave me. It has helped me tremendously."

After seeing the young man out, Xiao Yi Xian returned to her seat. Looking at the whole roasted fox on the table, she could not help reaching out with her small hand.

Was it really as delicious as he claimed? One bite, just one bite! She tore off a piece of leg meat and slowly tasted it. A rich meaty fragrance instantly bloomed across her tongue. It really was quite good.

And there was none of that strange smell.

Unable to resist, she reached out again, then stopped. She quickly rose and went to the doorway, poking her head out to make sure no one was around. With a bang, the door was locked tight.

The next day, Chen Guan ate, cultivated, fought the Snake King, went to Xiao Yi Xian to treat his wounds, and brought her a steamed Fire Fox.

The day after that followed the same routine, except this time it was spicy braised Fire Fox.

Then came secret-recipe marinated Fire Fox.

Stir-fried Fire Fox.

For Over Ten Days straight, Chen Guan's routine remained exceptionally regular, progressing on two fronts and yielding considerable gains.

After fighting for all these days, Chen Guan had thoroughly figured out every method the Crimson Ice Snake King possessed. When he fought the Snake King again, he no longer felt the pressure he had at the beginning and could handle it with ease.

He could not help sighing that finding an opponent who could constantly pressure him was truly difficult. Gang Zi from the imperial family had been like that, and so was this Snake King.

As for the Ten Thousand Medicine Hall, Chen Guan went there every day. Even in the past few days, when he no longer had even a scratch, he still went without fail.

The various ways of preparing Fire Foxes had proven quite useful. He and Xiao Yi Xian could now be considered friends with a good relationship.

They enjoyed each other's company each time they met, and their conversations grew increasingly broad. They discussed ways to prepare Fire Foxes, strange tales from the Dou Qi Continent, and even how a certain mercenary in Magical Beast Town had become a Cao Thief. They would also make some harmless jokes.

They both enjoyed this atmosphere, but Steward Chang of the Ten Thousand Medicine Hall had gained an extra source of worry.

Over the past Half an Hour—no, over the past half month—Xiao Yi Xian seemed to have developed a strange illness. She had a poor appetite, and the meals sent up every day were barely touched, which was quite concerning.

It was not that he cared so deeply about Xiao Yi Xian. It was simply that she was one of the Ten Thousand Medicine Hall's golden signs. If anything happened to her, the hall's business would drop by at least twenty percent. That was no exaggeration.

How could he not worry? Meanwhile, inside a certain inn.

With a muffled sound, Chen Guan opened his eyes, which shone brilliantly.

"I've finally become a Four-Star Dou Master."