Could it be the mark of the enemy who wiped out her clan? Had it already found her?
In an instant, many thoughts flashed through Yun Xi's mind.
"What do you mean?" After a long while, she heard her own hoarse voice.
"The mark on your body will help you complete this mission."
"Do you know what kind of mark this is?" Yun Xi asked again.
Yu Nanfei shook his head.
"However, I know how to remove the mark, if you need it."
Yun Xi pondered. Being marked meant that the other party could find her at any time. It was practically a ticking time bomb.
Regardless of who had marked her, removing the mark was the best choice for her.
"Yu Nanfei, I need it. I want to remove it." Yun Xi offered no further explanation.
"Mm, all right. Since that's the case, do your best to complete that mission. When I regain my freedom, I'll tell you how to remove the mark."
"Okay."
Although there was no quest prompt, Yun Xi knew that she had accepted Yu Nanfei's quest.
At that moment, she realized that the quest's significance to her was no longer limited to its extraordinary rewards. It was also connected to Yu Nanfei's freedom... and her mark.
With the topic concluded, Yun Xi did not stay any longer.
Of course, although the two had developed a slight connection, they still had to sign the purchase contract.
Yu Nanfei had to guarantee that the Information Extraction Technique earring had been personally refined by him and would not cause Yun Xi any negative effects.
Faced with Yun Xi's caution, Yu Nanfei readily signed the contract as well. The entire process went very smoothly.
After leaving the Enchanting Accessories Shop, Yun Xi headed outside the town. Two months had passed since she had last visited the outskirts of Qinglan Town.
At that moment, a steady drizzle was falling.
This light rain had already continued for half a month.
Holding the oiled-paper umbrella she had bought from the general store, Yun Xi observed her surroundings as she walked outward.
Perhaps because of the rain, there were few people outside Qinglan Town today. Only a handful of Patrol Team members remained at their posts, diligently carrying out their duties.
At that moment, a beautiful woman with a curvaceous figure approached from ahead. A Patrol Team badge hung from her waist, and her expression was stern. "Little girl, the weather's bad today. Why have you come out?"
Her gaze was sharp as she looked Yun Xi up and down, her fingertips pinching a rune and ready to strike at any moment.
"I came out to level up." Yun Xi did not mind the woman's caution.
Few people in Qinglan Town traveled alone. Someone going out alone on a rainy day... would generally be investigated by the Patrol Team, in case she was a Humanoid Strange Creature.
In ordinary towns, the people trusted their local Patrol Team more than anyone else.
Take Qinglan Town, for example. The contracts of Patrol Team members generally included clauses requiring them to remain loyal to Qinglan Town and do their utmost to protect its residents.
Even in the wilderness, ordinary people could safely ask Patrol Team members for help if they encountered them.
That was because, under normal circumstances, Patrol Team members received corresponding contribution points for helping the people, so they generally would not refuse.
Contribution points were linked to Noble Titles. Their importance was self-evident.
"Do you mind if I use this?" The woman waved the rune in her hand. It was the most common low-grade identification rune.
"That rune won't work on me. I have equipment that prevents detection. If you're worried, you can try it." Yun Xi answered honestly.
The woman's probing gaze did not change. Only after several seconds did she lower her eyes and let out a quiet breath. "All right. You pass."
"There is a strange aura spreading through Continuous Rain Cave to the south. If you want to kill Strange Creatures, you can take a look there, but be careful."
Continuous Rain Cave? Yun Xi was not a native, so how would she know where Continuous Rain Cave was? But she did not ask the woman again. As long as she got close, the Strange Creatures would come looking for her by scent anyway.
"All right, I'll take a look."
Yun Xi hung the White Crystal Pendant Yu Nanfei had given her around her wrist so she could easily observe its changing color.
After leaving Qinglan Town through the southern gate, Yun Xi could choose to head east, southeast, or west.
Of the three directions, the White Crystal Pendant showed the deepest color to the south. About half of it had turned black.
She already knew that the White Crystal Pendant could detect strange auras up to LV10. Half-black meant roughly LV5, which was just right for her to level up.
Yun Xi started walking south.
The drizzle pattered against the umbrella, making a soft, crackling sound.
Rain usually concealed many abnormalities.
Rainy days were not suitable for going out to hunt monsters, but she had no choice. The drizzle had already continued for half a month, and she had no idea when it would stop.
There was only half a month left before the quest began. Yun Xi could not just sit at home and wait for death.
Fortunately, she had not put all her Freedom Attribute Points into Spirit. Her current Constitution of 19 also made her five senses exceptionally sharp.
Just like now, when a faint tapping sound came from behind her.
If not for her enhanced Constitution, Yun Xi would never have noticed it.
Yun Xi forced herself not to move so she would not alert the enemy, but her limbs tensed as she prepared for battle at any moment.
The next instant, a red object shot straight at her from behind on the right.
Yun Xi quickly sidestepped to avoid it. At the same time, a cold gleam flashed in her hand.
When she came to her senses, a section of red flesh had already fallen to the ground.
She held the Careful Sword in her hand, and a drop of bright-red blood slid down its blade.
"Shriieeek—" The attacker's miserable shriek made Yun Xi's entire body prickle.
Yun Xi had already turned around to face her attacker.
A huge toad-like Strange Creature appeared before her. The object she had cut off and sent tumbling to the ground was the toad's tongue.
This Strange Creature was unexpectedly fragile. Its attacking tongue had been severed with ease. Taking another look at its health, she saw that it only had 100.
This was a level-one Strange Creature.
The ensuing battle went unexpectedly smoothly. Yun Xi's Constitution completely crushed the huge toad. She did not even need to use any techniques, simply using the Careful Sword to send it to its doom.
[Ding! Congratulations, player. Freedom Attribute Points +1.]
With +10 experience, Yun Xi reached level 6.
[Level: 6] [Experience: 0/70]
Leveling up granted +2 Freedom Attribute Points and +1 Freedom Skill Point.
With the toad as her opening opponent, the battles that followed went incomparably smoothly.
On rainy days, Frog Strange Creatures and Toad Strange Creatures appeared in unusually large numbers. They were basically low-level Strange Creatures from level one to level two.
As for the only level-five Strange Creature, Yun Xi immobilized it with one Immobilization Technique and finished it off with several Fireball Techniques.
Light Control Technique and Counter Attack Technique had not been activated.
Yun Xi's four months since the game's internal beta had not been wasted. She was very satisfied with the results of her studies.
At the same time, she once again realized how important a useful technique was.
If she still only knew Water Ball Technique and Water Arrow Technique today, she certainly would not have been able to leave unscathed after facing that level-five Strange Creature. At the very least, she would not have escaped without a single injury.
The experience required from LV1 to LV10 was very low. It only required (level × 10) experience. Yun Xi reached LV10 after spending just three days.
Starting from LV11, however, the required experience would be ten times that of LV1 to LV10: (level × 100) experience.
Before you continue