Magical Beast Mountain Range

"It's fine!"

Yan Qingshan shook his head and smiled at the girl. His injuries had naturally healed long ago, but he had kept his wounds wrapped and pretended to be recuperating, truly afraid of arousing suspicion.

After all, his previous injuries had been extremely severe. If he suddenly recovered completely, wouldn't that be plainly telling everyone that he had a secret?

As Yan Qingshan spoke with Xiao Yi Xian, the Myriad Medicine Hall staff had also finished recruiting the mercenaries. These mercenaries were so eager not only because herb-gathering was safer than hunting Magical Beasts and paid fairly well, but also for other reasons.

The Myriad Medicine Hall was Qingshan Town's largest medicine shop. If they could build a relationship with it, they might someday be able to call in a favor.

Within the silent forest, the large group moved forward quietly. Wary eyes constantly swept the shadowy spaces amid the surrounding trees, while hands gripped the weapons at their waists, ready to deal with any sudden danger.

As veteran mercenaries who had spent years making their living in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, though many were working together for the first time, they still maintained a basic understanding. A glance was enough for them to recognize signals of danger and safety in each other's eyes.

"Where are we now?"

Yan Qingshan sat in the simple carriage, lowering his head to study the map. As the leader of the herb-gathering team and a patient besides, he naturally received the best treatment.

"Probably here. We took this route, right?"

Xiao Yi Xian was beside the carriage. Hearing Yan Qingshan's question, she came over, checked the map, and pointed to one of the many routes marked in red. Comparing it with the route in his memories, Yan Qingshan could roughly determine their location, but he still needed to confirm it with someone.

"This route has quite a few cliffs."

Yan Qingshan glanced at the markings on the map and casually remarked on it. His gaze swept across their surroundings, deepening his impression of the area, especially the precipitous cliffs near the route.

"I think so. Mountain roads with many cliffs are harder to travel, and there probably aren't many grassy valleys where large amounts of herbs grow either. But wasn't this route chosen by Brother Qingshan?"

Xiao Yi Xian looked around, somewhat puzzled as to why Yan Qingshan had brought it up.

"Is that so? Maybe I'm just muddleheaded. Xiao Yi Xian, how does it feel coming out this time..."

Yan Qingshan laughed it off and did not continue the previous topic.

Xiao Yi Xian lowered her head somewhat bashfully. "It's all right! I should thank you, Brother Qingshan. Otherwise, I really would have been completely overwhelmed."

"It's nothing. Shouldn't we help each other? Xian'er!"

Yan Qingshan raised a brow and quietly switched to a more intimate form of address. Without waiting for Xiao Yi Xian's response, he turned his attention back to the map and began marking up this map of the outer Magical Beast Mountain Range around Qingshan Town.

There was no need to rush with Xiao Yi Xian, this little beauty who was cold on the outside but warm within. The meat was right beside him; wouldn't taking it slowly be more interesting?

Yan Qingshan chuckled inwardly and turned his thoughts elsewhere. Looking at the scattered cliff markings on the map, he felt a faint bitterness in his heart. As expected, I was too naive.

This small map only covered the part of the outer Magical Beast Mountain Range near Qingshan Town. There were already no fewer than a hundred marked mountain peaks, not to mention the countless large and small peaks absent from the map.

The Magical Beast Mountain Range had countless peaks and a vast territory. In the outer region alone near Qingshan Town, there were eight different entry routes, and each route had numerous forks leading in all directions. Every herb-gathering trip required them not only to visit previously discovered herb fields, but also to scout new routes.

The valley where Yan Qingshan's group had discovered a large amount of Yellow Lotus Essence last time had been a newly found location. They simply had not expected so many wild wolves there, including a small pack of more than ten First-order Magical Wolves. Although they had eventually slaughtered the wolf pack, the team had suffered severe losses.

Among all these routes, sheer cliffs were standard features, varying in size. If he had to search them one by one, how long would it take?

Yan Qingshan's head hurt. Reality truly was not a novel. In a novel, finding an opportunity only took two or three chapters. Even knowing there were opportunities in the outer Magical Beast Mountain Range, he would likely need months before seeing any results.

Yet he had to do it, because this was the closest opportunity he had to obtain high-level cultivation techniques and Dou Skills.

In the Magical Beast Mountain Range, a group of nearly a hundred people was slowly advancing. At the heavily guarded center was the Myriad Medicine Hall herb-gathering team, and amid the crowd's star-like escort, Yan Qingshan calmly arranged everyone's tasks.

Xiao Yi Xian, the white-robed girl standing beside him, straightened slightly as she listened and carefully took note of his instructions. From time to time, she secretly glanced at his profile, but whenever he turned his head, she quickly looked away and lightly wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. She panted softly, looking quite warm.

Yan Qingshan noticed her little movements and found them amusing. With Shuguang's analytical assistance, he had arranged this herb-gathering team skillfully and reasonably over the past few days. Not only did the Myriad Medicine Hall staff admire him, even the mercenaries spoke to him respectfully whenever they saw him.

As the team's former person in charge, the girl beside him had been even more won over by him these past few days, practically treating him as an idol.

The girl's shyly flushed face as she turned away, combined with her delicate features, made her especially endearing. She avoided his gaze slightly, yet secretly observed him at the same time. Wasn't that a girl's first reaction upon seeing her idol?

Yan Qingshan patted the wooden board of the carriage where he sat cross-legged, wanting Xiao Yi Xian to come over and rest. "Xian'er, come sit for a while!"

Xiao Yi Xian shook her head. "No need, Brother Qingshan. I'm still fine."

The sun stood high in the sky, blazing overhead. Under the scorching sunlight, everyone on the road soon found their lips and tongues dry, their throats parched.

A bareheaded mercenary drenched in sweat came to the carriage. "Qingshan, the weather is too hot. There's another herb field ahead. Though it was harvested less than three months ago, should we stop for a while?"

This bald mercenary was named Mang Ba, the leader of a mercenary squad in Qingshan Town. As a Five-star Dou Practitioner, his strength was considered quite decent.

Because of certain connections, he was among the guard mercenaries for almost every Myriad Medicine Hall herb-gathering expedition. Last time, it had been he who carefully protected Yan Qingshan, still barely alive, and brought him back to the Myriad Medicine Hall. He could be considered Yan Qingshan's lifesaver.

"Uncle Mang Ba, then have everyone move a little faster. We'll rest once we reach the woods ahead!"

Yan Qingshan glanced at Xiao Yi Xian beside him, who was still sweating, handed her a flask of water, then nodded toward Mang Ba. This blazing sun was indeed unbearable. The mercenaries wore heavy armor, making them hotter and more prone to sweating and dehydration than the herb-gathering team. It greatly affected their combat strength.

"Ah! All right!"

Mang Ba answered and turned to notify the mercenaries. Hearing that they could rest once they entered the woods, everyone was greatly encouraged and quickened their pace.

The Magical Beast Mountain Range was fraught with danger. Along the way, the group had encountered attacks from three waves of Magical Beasts and several other packs of wild animals.

Fortunately, with so many mercenaries guarding them, there were not many injured, and their injuries were not severe. A little bandaging was enough.

With so many mercenaries approaching the woods, the commotion was naturally considerable, but it was intentional. In the Magical Beast Mountain Range, the safest paths were actually the trails gradually worn out by mercenaries who had traveled the mountains for years. The weeds were sparse and short, leaving almost nowhere for danger to hide.

The woods on either side of the mountain path were certainly dense and cool, but they surely housed wild beasts and even Magical Beasts. Every entry into the forest required great caution.

Just like now, a team of fairly strong mercenaries entered the woods while deliberately making enough noise to startle snakes in the grass. They were soon attacked.

"Everyone, be careful! Crimson Ice Serpents! Three on the left, five in the middle, two on the right, and four more following behind..."

Yan Qingshan called out loudly to warn the mercenaries. Shuguang had activated its alarm and detection functions the moment they moved.

Because of his powerful perception and its comparative analysis, he easily identified the types and movement patterns of the attacking Magical Beasts, accurately reporting the data within his field of vision.

Several illusory crimson shadows came whistling toward them, diving down from the treetops.

Crimson Ice Serpents were ice-element First-order Magical Beasts, quite common in the outer Magical Beast Mountain Range. They excelled at attacking with ice spikes, which carried Cold Poison within them. If the poisoned were not treated in time within half a day, the Cold Poison would freeze the blood in their bodies until they died.

These Crimson Ice Serpents seemed to belong to a pack, and this forest was likely their habitat. They had hidden in the canopy, dangling from the tree trunks. When the mercenaries below made a disturbance, they struck decisively, shooting poisonous ice spikes like lightning.

The attacks of First-order Magical Beasts were no trivial matter. Though the mercenaries had expected an ambush before entering the woods, they had not expected it to come so quickly and fiercely. Two mercenaries failed to evade the Cold Poison. Their faces immediately turned pale as they collapsed weakly, white mist of frigid air rising from their bodies as though they were ice sculptures.

The Crimson Ice Serpents' ambush naturally drew attacks from even more mercenaries. Working together, the group killed all but two or three of the roughly thirteen or fourteen Crimson Ice Serpents, which escaped from the rear. The ground was left covered in the serpents' remains, around twenty or thirty pieces in total.

After the dozen or so Crimson Ice Serpents were dealt with, the two mercenaries seriously injured by Cold Poison, along with several others who had been unlucky enough to suffer injuries in the battle, were sent to the herb-gathering team. Yan Qingshan and Xiao Yi Xian treated them according to their conditions.

"Bandage them. Also, feed these two some Yellow Lotus Powder, then support them as they move around. That will keep them from suffering any lasting internal injuries."

Yan Qingshan briefly examined the symptoms of the injured and prescribed corresponding treatments. Since he had to maintain the appearance of still recovering from his wounds, he could not personally intervene. Apprentice assistants naturally went to help treat the mercenaries, and this was also an opportunity for them.

On the other side, Xiao Yi Xian personally tended to the other mercenaries. A smile rested on her lips as she treated them carefully, carrying an inviolable air of holiness.

The reason this girl would later enjoy such high standing and prestige in Qingshan Town was inseparable from her character and actions.

While Yan Qingshan's side bandaged and treated the injured, some mercenaries surrounded the herb-gathering team on guard, while the rest continued ahead to clear the way. Several others were assigned to collect the Crimson Ice Serpent corpses.