The Fall Over the Cliff

The Fall Over the Cliff

"E-enough!" Hearing Xiao Tian's words, the white-robed middle-aged man finally came to his senses. He swallowed and said hoarsely, "Young man, in that case, the last spot is yours. There's a reward for joining Myriad Medicine Pavilion's recruitment team: six hundred gold coins in total, paid after you escort us back."

The white-robed man took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, then smiled.

Hearing this, Xiao Tian smiled and nodded. "All right!"

The six hundred gold coins didn't matter much to him. What mattered was having someone to lead the way and a chance to get some experience.

Before long, the recruitment team had finished assembling. Led by the apothecaries from Myriad Medicine Pavilion, they set off for the Monster Beast Mountain Range.

In the depths of the forest, everyone stayed alert to the dangers around them, afraid of being attacked by savage magical beasts.

The sun beat down, and many people in the group were already drenched in sweat.

The delicate woman known as Xiao Yi Xian was also glistening with sweat. Her exquisite face flushed as she raised a hand to wipe her brow. Wrapped in her white clothes, her slender figure looked all the more alluring.

The sight stirred the hearts of many of the men traveling with her.

"Xiao Yi Xian, we still have a long way to go. Let me carry you!" A young man walked over and said ingratiatingly.

"Thank you for the offer, Young Leader, but I can keep going," Xiao Yi Xian politely declined with a smile.

Though firmly rejected, the young man wasn't the least bit annoyed. Instead, he smiled and called out to his men, "Keep your eyes open! Make sure Xiao Yi Xian stays safe!"

As soon as he spoke, seven or eight burly men answered in unison and took up defensive positions around Xiao Yi Xian. The young man himself followed close beside her, walking shoulder to shoulder with her.

Xiao Tian paid little attention to the scene, but the men beside him began muttering curses under their breath.

"Damn it, Kyle's little punk. He's only acting this way because his old man's the head of the Snake Nest Mercenary Group!"

"Exactly. Does he really think he can win Xiao Yi Xian over like this? In his dreams!"

"Shh, keep your voices down. I heard that the Wolf Head Mercenary Group harassed Xiao Yi Xian a while back, and not long after, Kyle led his men to wipe them out!"

"Holy crap, what are you saying? The Snake Nest Mercenary Group had something to do with the Wolf Head Mercenary Group's destruction?"

"Yeah. I once escorted some medicinal herbs and heard Kyle say it himself. He even said that anyone who offended Xiao Yi Xian was picking a fight with the Snake Nest Mercenary Group!"

At those words, the men who had been gossiping turned pale and didn't dare say another word.

Xiao Tian heard them too, and his expression flickered with surprise.

The Wolf Head Mercenary Group had been one of the three great mercenary groups in Qingshan Town. He had wiped them all out a few months ago.

He hadn't expected the Wolf Head Mercenary Group he had destroyed to become someone else's bragging point.

Xiao Tian gave a wry smile and continued following the group.

"The gathering area is just up ahead. Let's take a break and get ready first!" After they had been walking for half an hour, Xiao Yi Xian's gentle voice suddenly rang out among the group.

At her words, the whole party stopped at once. They kept watch over their surroundings as they rested and regrouped.

Xiao Tian leaned against a tree, lazily turning the Zi Wu Qi Xing Sword over in his hands.

"Hey, kid, that greatsword of yours looks pretty nice. How about selling it to me for eight hundred gold coins?" Just as Xiao Tian was about to close his eyes and rest, a boisterous laugh suddenly sounded beside him.

At the words, Xiao Tian glanced at the burly man beside him. The man had a thick beard and wore gray-brown armor. A fierce, savage aura radiated from him.

"You've got a good eye. I'm just afraid you wouldn't be able to lift it," Xiao Tian said casually with a faint smile.

"You think I can't handle it? How heavy can this greatsword be..." The burly man laughed and reached out to grab the Zi Wu Qi Xing Sword in Xiao Tian's hands.

But in the very next instant, the smile froze on his face, replaced by utter shock and disbelief.

He had grabbed the hilt and tried to lift the sword, but it wouldn't budge an inch.

His muscles bulged as he gathered Battle Qi into both arms, but it was no use.

"Y-you... just how heavy is this sword?"

Feeling the weight of the Zi Wu Qi Xing Sword, the burly man stared at Xiao Tian in shock and asked.

"Not that heavy. Just a hundred thousand jin," Xiao Tian said lightly, shrugging.

"What?" The burly man's eyes widened. "A-a hundred thousand jin? Are you sure?"

"Heh, do I look like the sort of person who likes to lie?" Xiao Tian shook his head and smiled at the burly man's stunned expression.

The burly man froze, staring at Xiao Tian in astonishment.

If the sword really weighed a hundred thousand jin, didn't that mean Xiao Tian's strength was...

The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became. The burly man swallowed, hurriedly clasped his hands toward Xiao Tian in a respectful salute, gave an awkward laugh, and promptly turned to leave.

While the group was still resting, Xiao Tian stretched and walked toward a nearby cliff to relieve himself.

But just as Xiao Tian was about to take it out, a fair hand suddenly appeared by his feet, gripping the edge of the cliff.

Then a pretty face of ethereal beauty slowly rose into view. It was Xiao Yi Xian, from their group.

Earlier, while everyone was resting, Xiao Yi Xian had searched the nearby area and soon found a white medicinal herb by the cliff. She had immediately gone to pick it.

Their eyes met. The two stared at each other strangely for a moment before the woman broke the silence, speaking softly with a trace of embarrassment.

"C-could you give me a hand?"

Xiao Tian coughed awkwardly, then immediately grabbed her fair hand and pulled her up onto the cliff with a little effort.

Once she was standing steadily, a faint smile appeared on Xiao Yi Xian's lips. She brushed the hair from her forehead and said softly, "Thank you."

Looking at her breathtaking face, Xiao Tian smiled and waved it off, indicating that it was nothing.

"But why were you down below the cliff?" Xiao Tian asked, puzzled by what she had done.

Surely one ordinary medicinal herb wasn't worth risking her life over?

"I... I really need that White Jade Fruit down there, so I had to get it." For some reason, when Xiao Yi Xian heard Xiao Tian's question, a hint of panic flickered in her beautiful eyes. She answered hesitantly.

Xiao Tian quickly noticed the fleeting change in her expression.

Something's wrong. There must be something down at the bottom of this cliff. Xiao Tian narrowed his eyes and immediately sent out his spiritual power to investigate the cliff's base.

Soon, he saw a jumble of rocks and heaps of bones at the bottom. Among the fallen trees was a deep, pitch-black cavern.

"Heh, so there really is something strange here. Could there be a treasure?" Xiao Tian smiled faintly and prepared to go down and investigate.

But just as Xiao Tian was about to move, Xiao Yi Xian bit her lip and suddenly flung a cloud of white powder at him.

However, as soon as she raised her hand, Xiao Tian caught it firmly, leaving her unable to move.

With her soft hand gripped tightly in his, Xiao Yi Xian struggled violently, her heart pounding.

"Y-you... let go of me!" Feeling Xiao Tian's warm body, Xiao Yi Xian's face flushed red as she struggled and cried out.

Xiao Tian didn't answer. Still holding her soft hand, he jumped straight off the cliff.

"Shit!"

But the moment he jumped, Xiao Tian suddenly realized what he'd done. His eyes widened as he blurted out a curse.

The cliff was steep and deep. His combat strength was formidable, but he was only a Dou Qi practitioner and couldn't use Battle Qi transformation into Wings to fly for long.

Of course, with his physique, he'd be unharmed even if he fell. But if Xiao Yi Xian fell like this, she would likely be smashed to pieces.

Xiao Tian frowned slightly and turned in midair, wrapping both arms tightly around Xiao Yi Xian's soft body.

THUD!!

A muffled impact sounded as Xiao Tian and Xiao Yi Xian crashed into the ground, leaving a huge crater.

Feeling the warm, soft touch against him, Xiao Tian finally let out a breath of relief.

"You... you pervert! Let go of me!" Now that the young man was right in front of her and she could feel his masculine scent, Xiao Yi Xian struggled incessantly.

She could clearly feel Xiao Tian's arms tightening around her slender waist—and even felt him deliberately stroke her waist.

She was furious and flustered, but there was nothing she could do to resist. All she could do was struggle with all her might.