A Fierce Battle on the Way Down

Chapter Nine: A Fierce Battle on the Way Down (This Chapter Is Free

The following evening, Bi Fan kept his promise and stayed in the Medicine Garden. He even began cultivating beside it, waiting for the Dragon Sable.

Late that night, the Dragon Sable showed up as expected. Seeing Bi Fan there, it didn't dare dig up the spirit medicines.

"Squeak, squeak..." The Dragon Sable gazed at Bi Fan pitifully, looking utterly adorable.

Bi Fan had been lonely ever since he was little. He didn't fit in with the other children his age and was often bullied.

So he adored the Dragon Sable. He really wanted to keep such a cute little pet.

"Little one, how about coming with me? I'll feed you spirit medicines every day." Bi Fan coaxed it, not knowing whether the Dragon Sable could understand him.

The Dragon Sable stared at Bi Fan with wide eyes, bouncing up and down as if to say, "I want spirit medicines! Hurry up and give me some!"

Bi Fan shook his head with a wry smile, pulled up a ginseng root, and tossed it over.

The Dragon Sable caught it and began gobbling it down.

Before long, the ginseng was gone. The Dragon Sable edged closer to Bi Fan, its front paws gesturing incessantly.

"Here you go," Bi Fan said with a smile, tossing it another ginseng root.

This time, the Dragon Sable didn't leave right away. It stayed until it had finished eating the ginseng.

After that, the Dragon Sable came every night. Bi Fan gave it two spirit medicines each time—not too many—and personally fed them to it.

After ten days, the Dragon Sable had grown familiar with Bi Fan. While it was eating, he could even stroke it.

To amuse himself, Bi Fan gave the Dragon Sable a name: Gluttonous Sable.

After eating its fill, the Dragon Sable would play with Bi Fan for a while before leaving.

Bi Fan was very happy that they had become so close.

As they spent time together, Bi Fan discovered that the Dragon Sable was exceptionally clever and could understand what people meant, even though it couldn't speak.

One day, while Bi Fan was tending the spirit medicines in the Medicine Garden, Yu Xiao Feng arrived.

"Bi Fan, go down the mountain tomorrow and buy some cosmetics for women for us in Qingyang Town, below Qingyang Mountain."

"Big Sister Xiao Feng, no problem. But who'll look after the Medicine Garden? And how will I get down the mountain?" Bi Fan asked excitedly.

He had always wanted to go down the mountain and see the world, but he'd never had a way to do it. At last, he had his chance.

"I'll arrange for someone to look after the Medicine Garden. Just come back as soon as you can. Tomorrow morning, I'll have an Immortal Crane take you down the mountain. When you return, ride one of the sect's Immortal Cranes. I'll give you a token; just show it, and an Immortal Crane will bring you back up."

"All right. I'll be back as soon as I can," Bi Fan said, suppressing his excitement.

Before leaving, Yu Xiao Feng gave Bi Fan quite a bit of silver to spend down the mountain.

After she left, Bi Fan danced around with excitement. Only after a while did he calm down and remember the Gluttonous Sable.

Bi Fan was leaving, and he really couldn't bear to part with the Gluttonous Sable.

That night, the Gluttonous Sable came again. Bi Fan fed it until it was full, then said, "Gluttonous Sable, I'm going down the mountain tomorrow. Do you want to come with me?"

The Gluttonous Sable stared at Bi Fan, eyes wide, as if trying to figure out whether he was telling the truth.

"Gluttonous Sable, I really am going down the mountain for a few days. Come with me. I'll make sure you eat and drink well. If you want spirit medicines, I can bring plenty."

Bi Fan really hoped to have such a little bundle of joy by his side, and he kept trying to tempt the Dragon Sable with promises.

"After I leave, someone else will look after the Medicine Garden. It'll be hard for you to get spirit medicines, and you'll have to watch out so you don't get caught."

To persuade the Dragon Sable to come with him, Bi Fan resorted to every trick in the book, both threats and bribes. He was quite the scoundrel.

The Dragon Sable tilted its head from side to side, as if thinking it over.

Bi Fan rambled on and on, and the Dragon Sable became his best audience. Anyone else who saw them would have thought the scene incredibly strange.

At last, the Dragon Sable couldn't stand Bi Fan's incessant chatter and nodded.

"Fantastic!" Bi Fan was so excited that he grabbed the Gluttonous Sable, lifted it above his head, and cheered loudly, just like a child who'd gotten his favorite toy.

Afterward, Bi Fan began preparing food for the Gluttonous Sable. With so many spirit medicines in the Medicine Garden, he might as well put them to use.

Bi Fan specifically chose spirit medicines that weren't too precious and were plentiful, so no one would notice.

With the Heavenly Origin Ring in his possession, he didn't have to worry about having nowhere to store the spirit medicines.

The Dragon Sable seemed to know that Bi Fan was preparing food for it. It happily jumped onto his shoulder, its front paws gesturing nonstop.

Early the next morning, Yu Xiao Feng sent an Immortal Crane to Bi Fan's lodgings to carry him down the mountain.

The Immortal Crane stood over two meters tall, and its wings spanned a full three meters when spread.

An Immortal Crane had the strength to tear apart tigers and leopards, and its power was equivalent to the fourth level of the Mortal Embryo Realm, the Inner Breath Realm. Immortal Cranes could also cultivate and gradually grow stronger.

This was the first time Bi Fan had seen an Immortal Crane from so close. In the past, he'd watched people ride them through the sky and soar above the world, and he'd envied them immensely.

He hadn't expected to be riding one himself so soon. Bi Fan couldn't help marveling at fate's strange turns.

After being thrown into the Myriad Snake Den and surviving the ordeal, Bi Fan's fate had taken a turn. Good fortune seemed to keep finding him.

Bi Fan didn't know whether he should hate Zhu San or thank him. If Zhu San hadn't knocked him out and thrown him into the Myriad Snake Den, Bi Fan might still be a lowly herb boy with no prospects in the Medicine Garden.

The Immortal Crane took flight, and Bi Fan tensed, gripping the rope on its back with both hands.

The Dragon Sable was even more adorable. It hid in Bi Fan's arms, peeking its little head out with a curious look.

As he flew high above the ground, Bi Fan suddenly had a realization: he was meant to be an eagle soaring through the heavens, not a hardworking bee.

The Immortal Crane was incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, it carried Bi Fan beyond Qingyang Mountain. It landed and let him down, then spread its wings and soared away, soon disappearing from sight.

Outside Qingyang Mountain, the mountain road was wide enough for carriages to travel side by side. Goods from the outside world were brought here before being transported up to Qingyang Mountain.

From there, it was still about ten li to Qingyang Town, and Bi Fan had to walk the rest of the way.

Bi Fan had no idea what the outside world was like. This was his first time down the mountain, and even the flowers and grass seemed beautiful to him.

He hadn't gone far when he suddenly heard the sounds of fighting coming from a nearby grove.

His curiosity got the better of him, and he prepared to—

He lightened his steps and soon reached the edge of the grove.

There was a clearing in the grove, where two figures clashed, fighting fiercely.

One of them wielded a long sword, the other a great saber. Light flashed along their weapons. It was clear both were powerful, far stronger than Bi Fan.

Bi Fan held his breath, afraid they might notice him.

Both fighters were very strong. Their blades flashed, and the force of their attacks swept through the air, snapping trees and sending dirt and rocks flying in every direction.

Their weapons were both extraordinary. They cut through stone and trees as easily as chopping melons and vegetables.

"When will I be strong enough to fight like that?" Bi Fan watched, enthralled and exhilarated.

The two were fighting to the death. Their strength was evenly matched, and soon both were injured, yet they still fought as if they didn't care whether they lived or died.

"Die! Better yet, you two should die together..." Bi Fan muttered from where he stood.

The Dragon Sable was very clever. It watched quietly without making a sound.