The Girl by the Lake

Mo Cheng did not return that night, and there was no news of him in the following days either. Both Yun Leng and Gu He had already guessed the outcome.

Outwardly, they remained unmoved. As for what they truly thought inside, only they themselves knew.

Especially on the fourth day, when the imperial family swept through the Mo Family of Salt City with thunderous force, the two could not help but wonder whether this was a warning from the imperial family.

Quite a few people turned their attention toward the Misty Cloud Sect. No matter what, the Mo Family had been associated with the Misty Cloud Sect. Although the imperial family had justice on its side and exposed the Mo Family's dirty deeds, earning widespread approval, it had undeniably embarrassed the Misty Cloud Sect.

As the saying went, even when beating a dog, one had to consider its master. This saying was even more thoroughly demonstrated on the Dou Qi Continent.

Yet unexpectedly, Yun Leng, the Great Elder who had always cared deeply about face and acted forcefully toward outsiders, did not express any opinion this time. He obediently responded to the outside world according to Yun Yun's words.

"Vermin like the Mo Family, who commit evil under the banner of the Misty Cloud Sect—next time, the imperial family only needs to inform us. My Misty Cloud Sect will personally clean them up and give everyone an explanation."

In response, Yaoye gave a simple reply.

"Oh, all right."

Meanwhile, Chen Guan and the other two had once again arrived at the Magical Beast Mountain Range, a place that had left a deep impression on them.

"Young Master, the Fire Fox you wanted."

Wang Yan and his brother returned carrying their respective prey, somewhat puzzled. Was this thing really that delicious?

They had noticed it the last time they followed behind the young man to protect him. He seemed especially fond of Fire Foxes. What a strange preference.

As Two-Star Dou Spirits—no, Three-Star Dou Spirits—they were already top experts within the Jia Ma Empire, surpassing ninety-nine percent of its people.

Wang Yan and his brother had originally thought themselves quite formidable. Yet after watching the Mo Family's Great Elder Qing Ming perform that monkey show a few days ago, they realized that Dou Spirits did not seem all that impressive.

They were lacking compared to those above, yet more than adequate compared to those below.

It would have been fine anywhere else, but at the young man's side, they had no chance to show their abilities at all. The only thing they could do was run errands and handle odd jobs.

Chen Guan accepted it with a smile. "Thanks for the trouble."

He skillfully slaughtered it, skinned it, removed the tendons, marinated it, and set it over the charcoal fire prepared beforehand. Before long, the fragrant aroma wafted through the air.

The entire process was so practiced that one might suspect he had once done this for a living. The two brothers exchanged glances and realized that even doing odd jobs seemed a little beyond them.

"Brother Wang, don't follow me tonight. After eating, buy more supplies in town that might be useful in the desert. Once I'm done handling my business, I'll come find you at the inn."

Putting away an entire roasted Fire Fox, Chen Guan entered Qingshan Town ahead of them and headed straight for the Ten Thousand Medicine Hall.

The two brothers silently nodded, fully aware of his purpose.

Being young was wonderful. It made them recall the girl by the lake in Orchid City from all those years ago.

"Old Wang, how do you think Xiaowu is doing now? I regret backing down more and more. Otherwise, I wouldn't have let that guy surnamed Tang have her for nothing. When I saw her last time, even her child could run already. Do you regret it? I know you had feelings for her back then too."

Wang Yan shook his head. He was a cold and ruthless man.

"You really don't regret it?" Wang Dalang clearly did not believe him. "Why? Have you let it go?"

Wang Yan said, "I only think she has become even more charming."

Ten Thousand Medicine Hall.

Chen Guan first sought out Steward Chang, whom he had met a few times before, and informed him that he would no longer continue purchasing Yellow Lotus Essence.

He had originally intended to honor their agreement and did not mind letting the Ten Thousand Medicine Hall earn for another month. However, Steward Chang was more tactful than he had expected and immediately said they could end the arrangement at any time.

Unable to refuse such kindness, Chen Guan let him have his way.

After going up to the second floor, Chen Guan immediately saw that Xiao Yi Xian's "consultation room" was packed. He did not go over to Join the Fun, instead taking out the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture outside and reading while he waited.

From the mercenaries' foul-mouthed chatter, he also learned why there were so many people. It turned out that just last night, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group and the Mad Lion Mercenary Group had engaged in a small-scale brawl.

Chen Guan lightly shook his head and paid it no mind.

In the Original Work, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group had been a stepping stone for Xiao Yan, minor villainous characters.

But to Chen Guan, they had never provoked him. Moreover, since Xiao Yi Xian had not encountered that cave, they had never clashed with her either. Everyone had remained at peace.

Under such circumstances, he had no interest in wasting energy on meaningless matters.

There were far too many mercenary groups like this in the Jia Ma Empire. Basically, no one's hands were truly clean. They were like weeds—impossible to eradicate completely. Cut them down, and the mess only became more tangled.

That was the law of survival. Saints could not survive in this world, so there was no need to Get Stuck on a Minor Point.

He returned his attention to the poison scripture in his hands. This was not his first time reading the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, but now that he had seen more of the world, it gave him more to consider.

For instance, Chen Guan felt that some of the poison formulas within shared the same underlying principles as an alchemist's pill formulas.

For several of the poisons, he even felt that with slight adjustments to the formula, they could be made into pills—the poisonous kind.

Or, if he replaced the ingredients with medicinal herbs of opposing properties and studied them carefully, they might become good pills with decent effects.

Imagining cost nothing. Chen Guan let his thoughts roam freely, and countless wild, bizarre conjectures surged into his mind.

In the blink of an eye, more than two hours had passed, and the mercenaries had all left one after another.

Xiao Yi Xian emerged while stretching lazily, making one worry that her slender waist could snap at any moment. Upon noticing someone still sitting outside, she hurriedly lowered her hands and returned to her usual gentle, quiet demeanor.

"Chen Guan?!"

She had just been about to ask when the young man raised his head. She recognized him at once, and a delighted smile appeared on her face.

When a friend came from afar, was it not a joy?

Infected by her mood, Chen Guan also smiled brightly, feeling especially relaxed.

Xiao Yi Xian gave him a feeling different from everyone else. Their first meeting had brought sudden delight, and even after spending time together, his heart still stirred.

Perhaps it was because they were each other's only friends.

"Are you here to train again?"

As she led the young man into the consultation room, Xiao Yi Xian casually asked.

Chen Guan showed no restraint at all. He pulled over a chair, sat down even faster than she did, and took out the dinner he had prepared.

"No, I'm going to the Tagor Desert. I specifically changed my route to come see you. How's that? I'm a good friend, right?"

Xiao Yi Xian sat across from him and expertly took a gleaming dagger from a drawer to begin dividing the food. Her movements were clean and efficient; in less than a minute, she had carved two plates of Fire Fox meat.

She picked up a piece with her fingers and stuffed it into her mouth, savoring it blissfully. It was still the familiar recipe, still the familiar taste.

"What are you going to the Tagor Desert for?"

"To seize an opportunity."

"That sounds dangerous, doesn't it? I heard the Snake People Race lives there. Are you going alone? Didn't Princess Yaoye send anyone to protect you? Oh, right, when you disappeared last time, I was curious—what exactly is your relationship with Princess Yaoye?"

It seemed that women were naturally fond of gossip. Xiao Yi Xian was usually so quiet and ladylike, yet she had said so much at once. That said it all.

"My sister."

"Your biological sister?"

"Not my biological sister, but closer than one."

Perhaps her curiosity had been satisfied, or perhaps it was something else. In any case, Xiao Yi Xian felt rather good upon hearing that answer.

Mm, the meat in her mouth seemed even more delicious.

Nothing more today~ Feel free to join the group~ (≧▽≦)