Wolf Head Mercenary Group

When Xiao Yan saw Xiao Peng, surprise appeared on his face.

He had not expected to run into Xiao Peng here.

When he noticed Xiao Yi Xian as well, he had thought she was dead.

Because he believed Xiao Yi Xian could not have survived alone at the time. He knew very well that she could not even defeat a first-tier Magical Beast.

Why had he not saved Xiao Yi Xian?

They had only met once, and quite a few people liked her. Those people would surely look after Xiao Yi Xian.

He would not risk himself to save someone he had only met once.

He subconsciously swept his gaze around. Aside from the skeletons, there was nothing else. He knew that everything here had been taken by Xiao Peng.

Xiao Yan smiled and greeted Xiao Peng. "What a coincidence, cousin."

Xiao Peng replied with a smile, "It is indeed a coincidence, cousin. What brought you here?"

He was rather curious about why Xiao Yan had come.

Xiao Yan scratched his head and said, "It's a long story. I was gathering herbs nearby when I discovered a cave here, so I came over to see what was going on."

He secretly sighed at how truly good Xiao Peng's luck was. He had only been out for such a short time and had already encountered a fortuitous opportunity.

Xiao Peng took out a piece of Blood Lotus Essence and said to Xiao Yan, "Cousin, I happened to obtain a piece of Blood Lotus Essence. It is useless to me. Do you need it?"

The moment he saw the Blood Lotus Essence, Xiao Yan's eyes widened. He had not expected Xiao Peng's luck to be this good.

He had actually obtained Blood Lotus Essence. Xiao Yan had been wondering how he could get some.

Looking at the Blood Lotus Essence, Xiao Yan scratched his head and said, "I need it, but I do not have anything to trade you for it right now."

After thinking for a moment, Xiao Peng suggested, "Give me 350,000 Gold Coins, and the Blood Lotus Essence is yours."

Xiao Yan agreed. "All right. I owe you a favor."

With that, he took out a card and handed it to Xiao Peng.

Xiao Peng accepted the card and gave the Blood Lotus Essence to Xiao Yan.

The two chatted for a while before Xiao Yan left.

He still needed to enter the Magical Beast Mountain Range to train and properly improve his strength.

"Should I take you back, or what?" After Xiao Yan left, Xiao Peng asked Xiao Yi Xian beside him.

Xiao Yi Xian held the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture in her arms. She watched Xiao Yan's figure disappear at the end of the passage before turning to Xiao Peng.

There was still some lingering surprise in Xiao Yi Xian's eyes. "I never expected... you two to be cousins."

Still, she felt that Xiao Yan and Xiao Peng were two different kinds of people. Xiao Yan looked like a sunny young man, but he would not easily help others.

Xiao Peng, on the other hand, seemed somewhat distant, yet he was warmhearted.

Xiao Yi Xian paused, lightly tapping the cover of the poison scripture with her fingertip. "Blood Lotus Essence is so precious. Isn't 350,000 Gold Coins too little?" In her eyes, a rare treasure that could soothe violent Spiritual Power was worth far more than that.

Xiao Peng casually put the card into his Storage Ring and said indifferently, "If something is useless to me, it is enough to exchange it for something practical."

Then Xiao Peng looked at Xiao Yi Xian. "Where do you live? I'll take you back directly. It is getting late, and the mountain roads are unsafe."

Xiao Yi Xian spoke softly. "Qing Shan Town. Sorry to trouble you."

Xiao Peng nodded and summoned the Qingping Sword. Its blade trembled lightly as it hovered above the ground.

"Get on. Qing Shan Town is not far. We'll be there soon."

Holding the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, Xiao Yi Xian carefully stepped onto the sword and gently grasped Xiao Peng's sleeve.

When the sword light rose, Xiao Yi Xian instinctively closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the night wind sweeping over the treetops was already beneath her feet.

She looked down. The mountains were dark as ink, and only the lights of distant Qing Shan Town glimmered like scattered stars, a warm and gentle expanse.

"You seem very afraid of heights?" Xiao Peng's voice came from beside her, carrying a hint of barely noticeable amusement.

Xiao Yi Xian's cheeks reddened slightly, and she nodded honestly. "Mm... I fell from a high place before, so I am a little afraid."

An accident had happened while she was gathering herbs in the past, leaving her somewhat fearful.

The sword light beneath Xiao Peng's feet slowed, becoming as steady as walking on level ground. "Don't be afraid. I'm here."

Those simple words made Xiao Yi Xian's heart suddenly skip a beat.

"Xiao Peng," Xiao Yi Xian suddenly said, her voice drifting softly on the wind, "do you... often help other people?"

Xiao Peng looked ahead, and the sword light tilted slightly to avoid a stretch of overhanging branches. "Not necessarily. I help if they look agreeable."

Xiao Yi Xian could not help smiling. Lowering her head, she poked the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture in her arms with a fingertip. "Then am I someone who looks agreeable to you?"

"Mm." Xiao Peng answered readily. "At least you are more agreeable than those people who ran away without even looking back."

His words reminded Xiao Yi Xian of the moment the mercenaries abandoned her, but her heart did not hurt as much anymore.

The lights below drew closer and closer, and she could make out Qing Shan Town's bluestone streets and uneven rooftops.

Xiao Peng controlled the Qingping Sword and slowly descended beneath the old locust tree at the town entrance. As the sword light dispersed, Xiao Yi Xian's feet had just touched the ground, yet she still felt a little unsteady.

After hesitating for a moment, Xiao Yi Xian said, "Xiao Peng, come sit at my home. Have a cup of hot water."

As she said this, Xiao Yi Xian felt a little embarrassed. It was her first time inviting a man into her home.

Xiao Peng looked at Xiao Yi Xian's reddened ears, then glanced at the dim lantern at the town entrance. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded. "All right."

Xiao Yi Xian's home was deep within the town, a wooden house with a small courtyard. Several medicinal herbs grew in one corner, and moonlight fell over their leaves, casting a faint silvery sheen.

When she pushed open the door, the hinges let out a soft creak.

"Make yourself comfortable." Xiao Yi Xian carefully placed the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture on the table and turned to the kitchen to boil water.

As her skirt swept over the threshold, it stirred a breeze that made the candle flame sway gently.

Xiao Peng sat on a wooden stool, his gaze falling upon the illustrated guide to medicinal herbs hanging on the wall. It was densely covered in annotations, the handwriting graceful yet firm.

"The water is ready."

After a while, Xiao Yi Xian came over carrying two cups of hot water, steam rising from their rims.

As Xiao Yi Xian placed a cup before Xiao Peng, her fingertips accidentally brushed his hand. She pulled them back as if burned, and her cheeks reddened further.

Bang—

At that moment, the door was violently kicked open.

The door slammed into the wall with a tremendous crash, wood chips flying everywhere.

A group of burly men barged in. Their leader had a hideous scar across his face, and his eyes swept over the room like those of a hungry wolf.

Xiao Yi Xian jumped at the commotion, not understanding what had happened.

Just as Xiao Yi Xian was puzzled, a man walked in.

Xiao Yi Xian recognized him at once. He was Mu She, the leader of Qing Shan Town's Wolf Head Mercenary Group.

Seeing Mu She, Xiao Yi Xian could not help frowning. "Mu She, what are you doing? Why did you barge into my home?"

Seeing Mu She and his men reminded her of being abandoned.

Mu She sneered and said to Xiao Yi Xian, "My son died protecting you, and you still have the nerve to ask why I came?"

Upon hearing Mu She's words, Xiao Yi Xian trembled with rage. She had truly never seen anyone so shameless.