Xiao Yi Xian

Homeward Inn, Heaven-Grade Room One.

"Where are you going next?"

Beneath the twinkling stars, Hai Bodong and Yan Lin discussed their plans for the following day in the room.

The Ice Emperor sat alone at a round tea table, washing the tea, brewing it, and savoring it at his leisure. Yan Lin sat by the wooden window, drinking wine as he gazed out over the boundless desert.

Under the bright moonlight, he truly understood the meaning of "the desert sands gleam like snow, and the moon over Yan Mountain hangs like a hook."

"Monster Mountain Range." After speaking, Yan Lin tipped his gourd back toward the sky. Clear, fragrant wine gushed into his mouth, and with a gulp, he swallowed it down.

The desert was cold at night, but with wine by his side, Yan Lin felt no chill.

"What are you going there for?" Hai Bodong paused in the middle of tasting his tea and glanced at Yan Lin, curious as to why he was heading from the border to the Monster Mountain Range.

The Monster Mountain Range was the core territory of the Jia Ma Empire. Going there meant venturing deep into human lands.

"To find beautiful women. And while I'm there, I'll find a lion in the Monster Mountain Range and take something from it." Yan Lin did not look at Hai Bodong as he casually spoke words the other man could not understand.

The beauties were naturally Xiao Yi Xian and Yun Yun.

As for the lion in the Monster Mountain Range, it was naturally the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King. Yan Lin wanted to take some Companion Purple Crystal Source from it to aid his breakthrough to Dou Wang.

That's right—take.

He was well-read!

[A lion?]

[Beautiful women?]

Hai Bodong could not understand what Yan Lin was talking about, but as long as he was not being asked to betray humanity, it was fine.

After drinking the hot tea in his hand, he was in the mood to tease Yan Lin. "You're out there looking for beautiful women. Aren't you afraid Medusa will find out and slap you to death?"

"You think I'm afraid of Medusa?"

Yan Lin turned his head to look at Hai Bodong. Without even thinking, the latter nodded. "Yes."

"Heh, you didn't hesitate at all? Is that really how pathetic I am in your eyes?"

Yan Lin swung his feet in from where they had been dangling outside the wall, jumped down from the window, walked to Hai Bodong's tea table, and sat across from him.

Seeing Yan Lin's expression of demanding an explanation and looking for an argument, the Ice Emperor calmly poured himself tea and said, "When the wife is strong and the husband is weak, the husband naturally cannot assert himself."

"Especially with a proud woman like Queen Medusa. Who wouldn't fear her? This old man knows young people like you care about saving face, but there's no need to force it in matters like this. You can brag until the sky breaks, but it still won't be as convincing as improving your strength."

"Have you ever considered that she might be madly in love with me and willing to listen to anything I say?" Yan Lin still wanted to salvage his image and tried to argue.

Hai Bodong remained unmoved, his tone utterly certain. "Others might be capable of that, but Medusa definitely isn't."

He had always believed that a proud woman like Queen Medusa would never be like an ordinary woman, so lovestruck that she obeyed everything a man said.

The Ice Emperor harbored fear toward Queen Medusa and only knew her superficially, which was why he thought this way. But Yan Lin knew very well that Queen Medusa also had a gentle, feminine side.

However, Medusa would only show that side to the man she acknowledged.

Once she acknowledged a man, she would remain bound to him in life and death.

So Yan Lin did not agree with Hai Bodong's words.

"Old Hai, you're mistaken about that..."

Yan Lin stopped arguing and offered no further explanation. Medusa's secrets were something he wanted to keep all to himself.

Still, his assured tone and confident smile made Old Hai raise his brows slightly. He wanted very much to hear how Yan Lin intended to refute him.

Who would have thought that Yan Lin would not say another word? He simply left the table and returned to the window to drink.

Seeing this, Hai Bodong decided Yan Lin was merely young and hot-blooded, stubbornly refusing to admit the truth.

Qingshan Town.

The spacious Myriad Medicine Hall was filled with the fragrance of herbs. Countless customers came and went—some bought or sold medicinal ingredients, some traded magic cores, and others came for treatment.

Most of them were local mercenaries from Qingshan Town. They lived with their lives on the line, often entering the Monster Mountain Range to hunt magical beasts for magic cores and medicinal herbs. Injuries were inevitable.

Myriad Medicine Hall offered services ranging from buying and selling magic cores and medicinal ingredients to treating injuries, so mercenary business never stopped flowing in.

However, many mercenaries came specifically for Xiao Yi Xian of Myriad Medicine Hall.

Myriad Medicine Hall was not the only shop in Qingshan Town. Many mercenaries came here because of Xiao Yi Xian, the beautiful and kind physician.

At that moment, more than a dozen mercenaries waiting to have their wounds treated stood in line before the clinic counter of Myriad Medicine Hall.

Some of these mercenaries were burly, fierce-looking men who clearly did not seem easy to provoke. Yet every one of them followed the rules, obediently lining up and waiting for the white-clad girl behind the counter to treat them.

The girl in the pale white dress was not breathtakingly beautiful, but she was still a rare beauty.

No matter who the injured person was, the girl treated everyone equally, tending to their wounds with a gentle smile.

Her faint smile carried a fresh, ethereal air. It was precisely this unique temperament that had won over so many mercenaries in Qingshan Town, making them willingly line up for her treatment.

However, Myriad Medicine Hall received an uninvited guest today.

Ignoring the rules, he walked straight past the people in line and came to the pale-clad girl's side. "Are you Xiao Yi Xian?"

Xiao Yi Xian, who was bandaging the wound of a young mercenary, looked up at the red-haired young man beside her. A trace of amazement appeared in her eyes.

The young man before her had sharp brows and bright eyes, and he was extraordinarily handsome. He was the most handsome man she had seen in all her years in Qingshan Town.

He wore a fitted black outfit, carried twin swords on his back, and had a yellow wine gourd hanging at his waist. He possessed both the air of a wandering young hero and a noble young master.

Xiao Yi Xian was not someone obsessed with looks, but Yan Lin had made quite a good first impression on her.

"I'm Xiao Yi Xian. May I ask who you are?"

Xiao Yi Xian finished bandaging the injured man before standing to face Yan Lin. She brushed aside a lock of hair by her temple, her clear and ethereal eyes meeting his as she spoke.

"My name is Yan Lin. I came here specifically for you." Having confirmed that the girl before him was the person he sought, Yan Lin revealed a gentle smile.

If he wanted Xiao Yi Xian to leave with him, he naturally had to make a good first impression.

If that failed, he could always abduct her by force.

No matter what, Xiao Yi Xian was his for the taking. No one could stop him. He said so!

"Do I know you?"

Hearing that Yan Lin had come specifically for her, Xiao Yi Xian looked puzzled. She examined him carefully once more and was certain she had never met him before.

Yet this stranger claimed to have come all this way for her. Xiao Yi Xian truly could not understand.

"This is our first time meeting." Yan Lin answered frankly.

Seeing Yan Lin be so direct, Xiao Yi Xian became even more curious about his intentions and could not help asking, "Then you..."

The girl deliberately left her question unfinished, but Yan Lin already understood what she wanted to ask.

If this was their first meeting, why had he specifically come looking for her?

Yan Lin could hardly say that he had come specifically for her Tribulation Poison Body—and for her herself.

Fortunately, he had prepared an excuse long ago.

"I came to find you because I saw that you have exceptional bones. You are truly a cultivation genius found only once in ten thousand."

As though possessed by a charlatan, Yan Lin said with utmost seriousness, "To tell you the truth, I want to take you as my disciple."

"Ah?"

Xiao Yi Xian was stunned.

She had considered many possibilities. She had even thought Yan Lin might have been attracted by her appearance and was deliberately using an excuse to approach her.

She had never expected that Yan Lin wanted to take her as his disciple.

Xiao Yi Xian found it strange, and somewhat funny.

Yan Lin looked about the same age as she was, yet he wanted to take her as his disciple. Whether he meant it or not, she found the words amusing.

The mercenaries waiting in line for treatment also found it ridiculous. Every one of them believed Yan Lin had ulterior motives and did not sincerely wish to take Xiao Yi Xian as his disciple.

He was too young.

So young that it was difficult to believe he could be anyone's teacher.

In the eyes of those mercenaries, Yan Lin was a pig trying to root up someone else's prized cabbage. A yellow-haired Dou Wang riding a flashy flaming bike, clearly out to court Xiao Yi Xian.

In truth, they all harbored the same thoughts.

After all, Xiao Yi Xian was the flower of Qingshan Town. She was gentle, kind, and skilled in medicine. There was hardly a mercenary present who did not desire her.

People judged others by their own nature.

"Take Xiao Yi Xian as his disciple? How did this guy even come up with that?"

"This kid wants to court Xiao Yi Xian, doesn't he?"

"Isn't that obvious? He wants to play the rebellious master-student game. Young people really know how to have fun."

"That's right. Each generation is better than the last. Even his methods for courting girls are this innovative. This kid has potential."

"Why didn't I think of that? When I get back, I'll try it on some girl too."

"Xiong Er, if it works, remember to tell me tomorrow."

"Hehe..."

Listening to the mercenaries with lemon-yellow thoughts gossiping away, then seeing that Xiao Yi Xian also seemed to think he had ulterior motives, Yan Lin frowned slightly before coldly shouting, "Silence!"

He snapped his fingers. In an instant, all the mercenaries who had been gossiping were suppressed by Yan Lin's powerful Dou Qi pressure. It was as if massive boulders weighing thousands of pounds had fallen onto their heads. Their bodies bent slightly, and their movements became incomparably sluggish.

[So uncomfortable!]

[This pressure... He's actually this terrifying!]

[Damn it, we've kicked an iron plate this time.]

[So he really came to take a disciple. I was the one with the filthy mind and foul mouth.]

[We're in trouble now.]

The mercenaries suppressed by Yan Lin's pressure found it difficult even to breathe. Their faces were filled with terror, and every one of them feared for himself.

They regretted it.

In this world, the strong could not be insulted!

At that moment, they realized they had judged the wrong person. Yan Lin was unbelievably powerful.

Though they were awed, they also felt somewhat aggrieved.

Yan Lin looked far too young. Who could have known that someone his age possessed such terrifying strength?

With such a youthful face, who would not underestimate him?

Xiao Yi Xian was equally shocked.

She raised a hand to cover her slightly parted lips and stared at Yan Lin in utter disbelief.

[He... is so strong!]

Yan Lin's pressure only affected the mercenaries with loose tongues, so Xiao Yi Xian's movements were not restricted.

However, she stood closest to Yan Lin and could clearly sense the mountain-like pressure radiating from him.

Only a true powerhouse could possess such pressure.

His aura even affected the entirety of Myriad Medicine Hall, instantly plunging the once-lively shop into silence.

No one dared make a sound. They all looked toward Yan Lin with fearful, reverent gazes.

"Don't be nervous. I won't hurt you. I only showed a little of my strength because they were too noisy, and to make you believe I'm not a liar."

Seeing that Xiao Yi Xian had been intimidated, Yan Lin did not want to frighten her further. His expressionless face softened as he smiled. "Let me introduce myself again. My name is Yan Lin. As for my strength, I'm a Nine-star Peak Dou Spirit, only a step away from breaking through to Dou Wang."

"I'm also a Fifth-Grade Alchemist. Now, are you willing to become my disciple?"

After speaking, Yan Lin draped the Fifth-Grade Alchemist robe he had confiscated from Qi Yunxiao over himself so Xiao Yi Xian would believe him.

Fifth-grade and fourth-grade were practically the same when rounded up.

It was perfectly reasonable for Yan Lin to call himself a Fifth-Grade Alchemist.

[A Nine-star Peak Dou Spirit! And a Fifth-Grade Alchemist?!]

Xiao Yi Xian and everyone else in Myriad Medicine Hall were utterly stunned upon hearing Yan Lin reveal his strength.

They knew Yan Lin was powerful, but they had not expected him to be this monstrous.

However, compared to his strength, Yan Lin's identity as an alchemist clearly had a greater impact on Xiao Yi Xian.

Looking at the Fifth-Grade Alchemist robe on Yan Lin, she found it hard to believe that he was already a Fifth-Grade Alchemist at his age.

After hesitating slightly, she asked in a doubtful yet uncertain tone, "Are you really an alchemist?"

Yan Lin smiled knowingly and raised a hand, casually sweeping it over the counter beside her.

At once, the Ring on his hand flashed brightly. Bottle after bottle of low-grade medicinal pills he had refined in the past appeared on the counter before the stunned eyes of everyone in Myriad Medicine Hall.

"I refined these pills casually in the past. Consider them a meeting gift for you."

Yan Lin smiled as he presented the pills to Xiao Yi Xian. Looking at the counter full of small white jade bottles, her eyes visibly lit up.

"May I take a look?" Xiao Yi Xian asked Yan Lin for permission, her eyes as clear and bright as spring water filled with eager longing.

Her dream was to become an alchemist.

Yet she had no choice but to become a physician. Still, her desire to become an alchemist had never faded. At least, before she learned that she possessed the Tribulation Poison Body, she had remained a girl with dreams.

Yan Lin knew that Xiao Yi Xian had always longed to become an alchemist. That was why he was playing to her interests and deliberately revealing his identity as an alchemist, hoping to trick this young girl into leaving with him.

That way, whether he wanted to obtain Xiao Yi Xian's Tribulation Poison Body or gain Xiao Yi Xian herself and make her work for him, he could gradually achieve it all.

"Of course." Yan Lin nodded with a smile.

Only then did Xiao Yi Xian walk to the counter and casually pick up a White Jade Bottle. Upon opening it, a rich medicinal fragrance filled her nose, and a pill the size of a longan came into view.

"It really is a medicinal pill."

A faint flush of excitement appeared on the girl's fair face. Seeing her reaction, Yan Lin's lips curled into an imperceptible smile.

Yan Lin waved his hand over the counter again, taking several scrolls from his Ring. He tempted Xiao Yi Xian once more. "Xiao Yi Xian, if you become my disciple, all these pills will be yours. And these Earth-grade cultivation methods and Profound-grade Dou Techniques will all be yours as well."

Looking at the various scrolls on the counter, the girl's bright eyes shimmered with excitement.

Though she could not clearly see what the scrolls contained, she saw the names and grades of the cultivation methods and Dou Techniques written on them. Every one was Profound-grade or above.

This sincerity was simply too great.

Hesitating for even a second would be disrespecting herself.

"Greetings, Master."

Xiao Yi Xian smoothly dropped to her knees and became his disciple.

There was no other reason.

Yan Lin was offering far too much!