Treasure Hunt (Request Collection, Request Recommendation)

The convoy moved through the quiet forest under the protection of the mercenaries.

Xiao Xie walked at the front with a relaxed, carefree expression. He glanced back at the Ten Thousand Medicines Hall herb-gathering team, surrounded by layers of guards. His gaze casually swept over the group before finally settling on the white-dressed woman in the center, who was being fawned over like the moon surrounded by stars.

Xiao Yi Xian, that delicate beauty, already had a thin sheen of sweat on her fair forehead, making her seem even more deserving of tender care.

If he wanted to recruit Xiao Yi Xian under his command, the crucial thing would be curing her Woeful Poison Body. Of course, Xiao Xie could not cure her yet, but he would definitely be able to in the future.

However, Xiao Xie had an even better idea: rely on his lottery draws to obtain an item especially suited for Xiao Yi Xian, such as a high-level cultivation technique for poison cultivators. Otherwise, such exceptional talent as the Woeful Poison Body would simply go to waste.

Outside the Monster Beast Mountain Range, everything had remained fairly peaceful. However, not long after the group entered the range, they suffered a small-scale monster beast attack.

The attackers were three first-tier monster beasts known as Cold Water Snakes. These monster beasts were quite common along the outer edges of the Monster Beast Mountain Range. They possessed an ice attribute, and ice harbored cold poison. If those poisoned were not treated within half a day, the cold poison would freeze the blood in their bodies until they died.

After being ambushed, three mercenaries immediately collapsed. However, three Cold Water Snakes were clearly no match for the Mercenary Group. The mercenaries quickly reacted and hacked them to death in a frenzy. Once the Cold Water Snakes had been dealt with, the three mercenaries afflicted with cold poison were swiftly sent to the herb-gathering team at the rear, where Xiao Yi Xian personally expelled the cold poison from their bodies.

Within the Monster Beast Mountain Range, there was no shortage of monster beasts. Before the group had traveled even five hundred meters, they had already endured three waves of monster beast attacks. Fortunately, the mercenaries had superior numbers. At the cost of minor injuries to more than a dozen of them, they repelled all three waves.

"Everyone, we're close to the herb-gathering area. Let's rest for a while!" Xiao Yi Xian's gentle voice suddenly rang out.

At her words, the mercenaries discussed it briefly. Some were assigned to stand guard, while everyone else sat down where they were to rest.

Xiao Xie found a relatively clean spot and sat down, watching Xiao Yi Xian with great interest. When he saw her gradually leave the crowd, he thought for a moment, then moved and quietly followed after her.

Xiao Xie followed Xiao Yi Xian through a dense patch of forest until they reached the edge of a cliff. Xiao Yi Xian carefully inspected her surroundings, then took a bundle of rope from her storage ring. She tied it around a thick, towering tree, gave it another hard tug, then tossed the rope over the cliff's edge and slowly climbed down.

"Treasure hunting?" Xiao Xie chuckled as he watched Xiao Yi Xian's actions.

"Ah!" Just then, Xiao Yi Xian's scream suddenly came from the cliffside. Xiao Xie's expression changed, and he rushed over. He saw Xiao Yi Xian gripping the rope as she dangled in midair, while not far from her was a brightly colored venomous snake—a first-tier monster beast, a Spotted Snake.

Xiao Yi Xian took out a packet of medicine and scattered it toward the Spotted Snake, but it dodged aside. Enraged, the Spotted Snake coiled up, then sprang like a compressed spring, its venomous fangs snapping toward the terrified Xiao Yi Xian.

Pale-faced, Xiao Yi Xian closed her eyes as though resigning herself to fate. Then she suddenly felt her waist tighten and her body grow light. She had already fallen into a warm embrace.

Feeling the soft, fragrant body in his arms, Xiao Xie looked at Xiao Yi Xian's tightly shut eyes and pale little face, then smiled. "Beauty, you can open your eyes now."

A teasing voice suddenly sounded beside her ear. Xiao Yi Xian opened her eyes and saw only a handsome face before her.

"Thank you." Xiao Yi Xian blushed and hurriedly pulled herself free from Xiao Xie's embrace.

"Xiao Xie," Xiao Xie said as he looked at Xiao Yi Xian.

"Just call me Xiao Yi Xian." Xiao Yi Xian was slightly startled before introducing herself as well.

Watching the somewhat flustered Xiao Yi Xian, Xiao Xie chuckled. "You're a healer, yet you dared to go treasure hunting alone. I don't know whether to call you bold or say you've got a screw loose."

"You're the healer!" Xiao Yi Xian shot Xiao Xie an annoyed look.

"Beauty, anyone who sees it gets half. If you found something good, why not tell me honestly?" Xiao Xie asked in an overly familiar manner. As he spoke, he walked to the cliff's edge and looked toward the strangely shaped section of cliff face.

After a long while, Xiao Yi Xian parted her red lips and reluctantly whispered, "I accidentally discovered it once while gathering herbs. There's a hidden cave there, one that's difficult to notice."

"You were planning to go into that cave just now?"

"Yes, but I didn't expect to run into a Spotted Snake. I nearly lost my life." Xiao Yi Xian spoke with some lingering resentment.

Xiao Xie smiled. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go treasure hunting now!"

"Hey!" By the time Xiao Yi Xian reacted, she found herself already in Xiao Xie's arms.

Holding Xiao Yi Xian around the waist, Xiao Xie lightly tapped the cliff with the tip of his foot. The two of them then plunged straight down into the dark abyss below.

The fierce wind whistling past their ears pressed their clothes tightly against their skin. Xiao Xie held Xiao Yi Xian with his left arm while sharply tugging the rope wound several times around his right hand. Their rapidly falling bodies slowed, and they gradually came to hang midway down the cliff.

Three updates today. Request Collection, recommendations, and support for the new book. A new book cannot do without everyone's support. Thank you all. Canguang will write it with all his heart.