First Meeting with Little Fairy Doctor

Green Mountain Town, also known as Demon Beast Town, bordered the Demon Beast Mountain Range. Mercenaries who lived by the blade roamed the town year-round. They formed groups and factions, spittle flying as they talked in the streets about nothing more than sleeping with the most beautiful women, drinking the strongest wine, and killing the fiercest demon beasts.

Near noon, beneath the blazing sun, a young man entered through the town gates. Because he wore a Half-face Mask, his exact age could not be seen, but his fair chin revealed that he was very young—a teenager.

The youth wore a black silk robe and carried a strange Long Sword on his back. Though the blade itself was hidden, the hilt alone showed that it was extraordinary. With a Half-face Mask on his face, his features could not be seen clearly, but the sharp lines of his chin suggested an exceptional appearance. He strolled along the bluestone street, looking around as if searching for something.

Wearing a mask and carrying the Demon Sword, Xiao Se naturally drew quite a bit of attention as he walked down the bluestone street. However, he paid it no mind. After crossing two streets, he finally reached his first destination—the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion.

As he entered the spacious shop, a strange medicinal fragrance filled the air, refreshing his mind and spirit.

Seeing Xiao Se enter, the young clerk who had been eating lunch put down his bowl and chopsticks, then rose to greet him with a professional smile. "Customer, what do you need?"

Xiao Se lightly inhaled the medicinal scent in the shop and said calmly, "Which section has Huang Lian Essence?"

Upon hearing Huang Lian Essence, the young clerk curled his lips disdainfully and pointed toward a corner of the shop. "Huang Lian Essence is low-grade medicinal material. One costs a hundred Gold Coins. Go pick them yourself!" With that, he turned and returned to the counter, picking up his bowl and chopsticks again.

Xiao Se nodded slightly, unconcerned by the clerk's snobbish attitude. He walked to the corner and began selecting on his own. With no one bothering him, he was free to take his time.

His gaze continuously swept over the mountain-like pile of Huang Lian Essence, but the result left Xiao Se greatly disappointed. Clearly, he did not possess the luck of Xiao Yan, the original novel's chosen son of fate, who could casually find a piece of Blood Lotus Essence.

Just as he was about to pick two random pieces of Huang Lian Essence and make do, a light and pleasant voice rang out from the Second Floor of the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion. "A Gui, I'm going to the Demon Beast Mountain Range with the Herb Gathering Team this afternoon. Please help me bring in the medicinal herbs drying in the back courtyard."

Xiao Se turned toward the voice, and a charming young girl entered his sight.

She was an exceptionally beautiful girl, dressed in a light green, waist-cinching gown. Her temperament was pure and refined, and the faint smile on her face gave off a fresh, ethereal feeling.

In terms of beauty, she might have fallen short of Long Kui and Xun Er, but the willow-thin waist bound by a green ribbon was the most slender Xiao Se had ever seen. Even Lan Kui, Long Kui's petite and delicate original form, could not compare. It was barely enough to fit in one hand, stunningly slender, as though a gust of wind might snap it in two.

"Leave it to me, Little Fairy Doctor." The young clerk who had served Xiao Se earlier patted his chest.

"Mm." The girl called Little Fairy Doctor by the young clerk nodded slightly and walked out of the shop.

Staring blankly at Little Fairy Doctor's departing figure, Xiao Se stroked his chin, and an idea immediately came to him. He then picked several decent pieces of Huang Lian Essence and brought them to the counter. As he paid, he asked, "Brother, may I ask something? I heard that girl say the Herb Gathering Team will be heading to the Demon Beast Mountain Range to gather herbs. Do all your medicinal ingredients come from the Demon Beast Mountain Range?"

The young clerk accepted the large bag of Gold Coins from Xiao Se. Upon seeing the Ring on his hand, the disdain in his eyes eased somewhat. He replied, "Yes. The Demon Beast Mountain Range has abundant medicinal resources. Every so often, our Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion spends a great deal of money recruiting mercenaries as guards to gather herbs in the Demon Beast Mountain Range. They'll be setting out in half an hour. They should have started gathering people already. The location is at the town gate."

Xiao Se nodded slightly and stored the Huang Lian Essence in his Ring. Leaving the medicine shop, he headed straight for the town gate.

From afar, he heard a commotion.

A middle-aged man beat a gong and shouted loudly, "The Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion is heading into the Demon Beast Mountain Range to gather herbs! We're recruiting fifty mercenaries with the strength of Fighter Two-Star or above! Five hundred Gold Coins per person! First come, first served!"

Most of the surrounding mercenaries dismissed the middle-aged man's shout with disdain. Five hundred Gold Coins to risk their lives in the Demon Beast Mountain Range? Who was he trying to fob off, beggars?

Seeing that no one moved, the middle-aged man narrowed his eyes and added, "Little Fairy Doctor will be accompanying us this time."

Upon hearing Little Fairy Doctor's name, the previously indifferent mercenaries looked at one another for a moment. Those who believed their strength met the requirements immediately rushed toward the middle-aged man, scrambling to get there first.

Watching the mercenaries suddenly swarm forward, Xiao Se gave a bitter smile. It seemed that even four years earlier, Little Fairy Doctor's reputation in Green Mountain Town was still enough to command a response. He then squeezed desperately into the crowd as well.

The fifty slots were fought over so fiercely that the mercenaries nearly cracked their heads open, and some almost came to blows just to register sooner. Yet thanks to the evasive properties of the Ethereal Smoke Step, Xiao Se still slipped to the very front.

"The last slot." The middle-aged man cheerfully struck the gong in his hand and smiled at the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd.

"Count me in!" The masked youth's somewhat hurried voice sounded before the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man stared blankly at the masked youth, who was not particularly tall, and frowned. With an awkward smile, he said, "Little brother, our requirement is a Dou Zhe with strength of Two-Star or above. You look no older than fifteen or sixteen. Can you manage?" He deliberately emphasized the youth's age. In his view, this boy was most likely some family's young master who had secretly run away from home while wearing a mask to conceal his identity. The Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion had no desire to play nanny. If something happened, who knew what trouble it would cause.

"Kid, are you even weaned yet? Sneaking out to imitate others? Be careful your family doesn't spank you."

"Kid, if you know what's good for you, get out of my way. Don't waste my time."

With the final slot taken, some mercenaries who had been drawn here by Little Fairy Doctor's reputation immediately began cursing.

Xiao Se ignored their insults. He walked to a nearby tree as thick as a calf, raised his right leg, and covered it in yellow Dou Qi.

Sky Rending Leg.

With a fierce shout in his heart, Xiao Se swept his right leg toward the tree, carrying savage force and a piercing shriek through the air.

Crack!

The tree broke at the sound. The severed trunk flew more than ten meters away, sliding along the ground and kicking up clouds of dust.

"Is this strength enough for me to join the Herb Gathering Team?" Xiao Se patted his hands, which had no dust on them, and smiled at the already stunned middle-aged man.

"Hehe, of course it is. Little brother, what impressive legwork! With that strike just now, even a Three-Star Fighter would have to avoid it for the moment." The middle-aged man nodded in amazement, took out a bag of Gold Coins, and said with a smile, "The last slot is yours. Here are two hundred and fifty Gold Coins. You'll get the rest when we return."

"Fine." Xiao Se casually accepted the Gold Coins and stepped aside. His purpose was only to use the Herb Gathering Team to find the cliff face from the original novel and, while he was at it, see whether he could befriend Little Fairy Doctor. He did not care how much the payment was.