Mr. Yao's Guard

The moment Lin Ze discovered that Mu Li was actually at the Flame Mercenary Group's base, he knew events had taken an unexpected turn.

Not only had the Flame Mercenary Group's members refrained from causing trouble for the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, but they were also getting along like a house on fire?!

This unexpected development left Lin Ze with a lot to think about.

"For two mercenary groups to be getting along so well, there must be some benefit I haven't uncovered yet."

Lin Ze pondered to himself.

He didn't believe Huo Lie had built the Flame Mercenary Group into what it was today only to accept such a huge loss.

"Looks like I really will have to investigate the Flame Mercenary Group's base properly."

On the other side of town.

Xiao Yi Xian had finished treating patients for the day. She smiled as she watched one of them leave.

Only then did she stand and stretch her stiff limbs after sitting for so long.

"That Lin Ze said he wouldn't come, and he really didn't. I'm leaving for Qingshan Town tomorrow, and he couldn't even come to see me off."

Xiao Yi Xian grumbled to herself.

"Forget it. I'll go to the library once more today and give him another chance."

Xiao Yi Xian huffed to herself.

She tidied herself up in front of the mirror, then headed for the library.

After Xiao Yi Xian had left, a middle-aged man in an expensive robe quietly appeared at the entrance.

His nostrils flared, as though he hoped to catch a trace of the fragrance the beauty had left behind as she passed.

He watched Xiao Yi Xian's graceful figure disappear around the corner, his eyes clouding with a hint of malice.

A man dressed as a mercenary behind him cupped his hands and said,

"Mr. Yao, ever since Miss Xiao Yi Xian went to that library on the first day, she seems to have taken quite an interest in it."

Mr. Yao was the person in charge of Wan Yao Zhai.

Greedy by nature, he had immediately organized a Pharmacist Team when he heard that Magical Beasts had attacked Fire Wolf Town. After rushing there at full speed, he had managed to secure the business.

When the mercenary reported Xiao Yi Xian's unusual behavior, suspicion also arose in Mr. Yao's mind.

A man like him always judged others by himself.

He used his own habitual way of thinking to guess at other people's motives.

He wondered if a pharmacy in Fire Wolf Town had offered Xiao Yi Xian a higher price, hoping to keep her there.

After all, he knew perfectly well that Xiao Yi Xian's fame and medical skills brought Wan Yao Zhai far more profit than the compensation it gave her.

If Xiao Yi Xian wanted to leave Wan Yao Zhai, he would never agree to it.

"If Xiao Yi Xian really wants to stay in Fire Wolf Town, there's no reason she can't stay with me!"

A wicked thought surfaced in Mr. Yao's mind. He also had a residence in Fire Wolf Town, just right for hiding a beauty away.

The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. With so few people from Wan Yao Zhai in town this time, there was less chance of getting caught. He could make Xiao Yi Xian his captive lover!

With that thought, he immediately turned to the mercenary.

"I understand. But Xiao Yi Xian is a pharmacist at Wan Yao Zhai, and I trust her."

The mercenary paused, but still nodded, cupped his hands, and left.

Only after the mercenary was gone did Mr. Yao stroke his chin and call over his Guard.

As the person in charge of Wan Yao Zhai, a powerful organization in Qingshan Town, Mr. Yao had some Guards of his own.

"Do this, then that, and then..."

The Guard's face filled with shock as he listened.

"Can you do it?" Mr. Yao asked, his expression hardening with displeasure.

The Guard hurriedly nodded.

Mr. Yao didn't keep these Guards around to do nothing.

When it mattered, they were there to handle the sort of things no one could know about.

The Guard hurried after Xiao Yi Xian.

As Xiao Yi Xian walked, she stopped from time to time to look at medicinal herbs laid out by roadside vendors if any caught her interest.

If something was particularly rare, she would even buy it.

She didn't have many interests, but medicinal herbs were one of them.

After making several stops and taking up quite a bit of time, she finally left the street lined with vendors.

As she drew closer to the library, the crowds around her gradually thinned.

Looking at the library drawing nearer, Xiao Yi Xian had already made up her mind: most likely, she still wouldn't see Lin Ze today.

"Should I go look at the place he mentioned that day? But I haven't run into anything I can't handle..."

As Xiao Yi Xian thought this, she suddenly sensed something was wrong.

Perhaps it was because she had met Lin Ze a few days ago and been influenced by the stories he had told her.

Lin Ze had left Qingshan Town promptly because he had discovered that a Wolf Head Mercenary Group mercenary was following him.

Over the past few days, Xiao Yi Xian had also been paying attention to her surroundings when she went out.

This time, when she casually turned her head, the corner of her eye caught sight of a familiar figure.

Mr. Yao's Guard?!

Why was he here?

Xiao Yi Xian wondered if Mr. Yao had sent him to protect her, or if...

She furrowed her brow slightly, pretended nothing was wrong, and entered the library.

She greeted the owner, paid, and went inside.

She picked up a book at random and pretended to read, but her mind was racing.

"If Mr. Yao sent someone to protect me, there'd be no need for him to sneak around..."

"Could Mr. Yao have bad intentions toward me?"

Xiao Yi Xian remembered sometimes feeling uncomfortable around Mr. Yao, as if someone were sizing her up with an intensely greedy gaze.

At the thought, alarm bells rang in her mind.

"Whether that's true or not, I can find out by testing him."

Xiao Yi Xian studied the library's layout and soon came up with a plan.

She rehearsed it in her mind, then went to the owner and said apologetically,

"Could I have the library to myself today? I'm willing to pay five times the price—no, ten times. Would you be willing to let me have the whole place?"

The owner paused.

But when he saw the pleading look on Xiao Yi Xian's beautiful face, his heart softened, and he decided to indulge her little whim.

Besides, he wouldn't be losing out. He wasn't even sure ten people would come to the library in a whole day.

"Sure."

As she paid, Xiao Yi Xian said thoughtfully,

"Thank you. Could you close the door, too? It'll be quieter that way."

"Of course."

The owner considered it and agreed without protest.

Since she had the whole place to herself, it hardly mattered whether he closed the door.

While the owner went to close it, Xiao Yi Xian slipped out the back entrance and circled around to a corner in front of the library, where she watched from hiding.

Meanwhile, the Guard followed Xiao Yi Xian to the library, thinking about Mr. Yao's instructions.

He couldn't understand why Mr. Yao had suddenly decided to make a move against Xiao Yi Xian. Was it just because Mr. Yao suspected she might have been courted by another pharmacy?

As the Guard was thinking it over, he suddenly saw the library start to close.

He paused. What was going on? Hadn't Xiao Yi Xian gone inside? Why was the library suddenly closing?

Could it be?!

A flash of inspiration struck the Guard, and his face turned anxious.

Had he lost track of her?!

He hesitated, but decided to go forward.

When the library owner saw the Guard, he hurriedly said,

"Sorry, we're not admitting anyone else today. Could you come back tomorrow?"

"You're not admitting anyone? Didn't someone just go in?"

The Guard asked, puzzled.

The owner lowered his voice. "That guest asked to rent out the whole place, so I'm closing the door."

The Guard's expression changed. Did the owner think he was stupid? It was one thing to have people reading in the library, but who rented out the whole place?

Remembering Mr. Yao's suspicion that Xiao Yi Xian might be using the library to secretly contact another pharmacy, the Guard immediately understood: the owner was covering for her!

"Move!"

The Guard surged forward, easily knocked the owner aside, and entered the library.

"Hey! You can't just force your way in!"

Unable to stop him, the owner could only shout helplessly.

The Guard searched the library quickly, but found no trace of Xiao Yi Xian.

It was over!

He had lost her.

He had failed the task Mr. Yao had given him!

In his panic, the Guard didn't stop to think. He hurried to the entrance, grabbed the owner, and demanded,

"Where's the person who came in just now?!"

"She... Isn't she inside?" The owner looked confused.

Seeing the owner still pretending to be innocent, the Guard was so furious he almost laughed.

"Damn it! Are you messing with me? You put on that pitiful face while laughing at me inside, don't you?!"

"Did you help her escape? Tell me, which pharmacy are you working for? She belongs to our pharmacy. No one's taking her from us!"

Hearing this, the owner was both startled and frightened. Who wouldn't be scared when confronted by a lunatic?

What the hell was he babbling about?

The owner struggled and shouted, drawing the attention of people nearby. They gathered around and pointed at the Guard.

Surrounded by onlookers, the Guard realized he had made a mistake. The most important thing was to find Xiao Yi Xian!

No! He needed to report back to Mr. Yao at once!

He released the owner, shoved through the crowd, and hurried away.

Xiao Yi Xian watched everything from the corner, her eyes narrowing.

"Mr. Yao suspects another pharmacy offered me a higher price?"

"But even if I wanted to work for another pharmacy, we could just part on good terms. I'm only a pharmacist at Wan Yao Zhai, not his property. Why would he have me followed?"

Xiao Ye Xian was clever and alert. In a place as chaotic as Qingshan Town, she had seen plenty of dark deeds.

Mr. Yao's decision to have someone follow her was highly unusual.

Xiao Yi Xian had a vague sense that Mr. Yao might have ill intentions toward her.

Once she understood this, a bitter smile appeared on Xiao Yi Xian's face. She hadn't expected to run into a problem she couldn't solve in Fire Wolf Town after all.

And yet the problem had come from someone she had thought of as "one of her own."

"I'd better not go back for now. If it's really a misunderstanding, we can clear things up later."

"But if Mr. Yao really does have bad intentions, then going back now would be walking right into a trap!"