Lin Ze couldn't help smiling when he heard why Xiao Yi Xian envied him.
The Death Soldiers were absolutely loyal to him. Even if they came across an enormous opportunity, they would hand whatever they obtained over to him.
But from Xiao Yi Xian's perspective, having such loyal subordinates really was something worth envying.
"Hehe, you're right to be jealous."
Lin Ze said with a grin.
"When you have this many loyal subordinates of your own someday, you'll find that a lot of things suddenly become much easier."
Hearing Lin Ze's infuriating words, Xiao Yi Xian gave an adorable snort.
"I'm not jealous!"
Hearing Xiao Yi Xian's words, which said one thing while she meant another, Lin Ze smiled.
He touched his Storage Ring, and several Dou Skills appeared in his hand.
"These are the Dou Skills from the Storage Ring. I don't really need them, so see if any of them suit you."
Xiao Yi Xian was taken aback and hurriedly waved her hands, refusing.
"No, these are far too valuable!"
"A Dou Skill is worth a lot. I can't just take one from you for nothing."
Lin Ze didn't mind.
"These Dou Skills were practically free. I wouldn't feel bad even if I lost them, let alone gave them to a friend."
Lin Ze's words struck Xiao Yi Xian deeply.
Although her status as an apothecary had earned her considerable respect in Qingshan Town, most of her relationships were only casual acquaintances.
She didn't actually have many friends she could truly get along with.
Most of them were people she'd met at Wan Yao Zhai.
Now, though, she and Wan Yao Zhai had fallen out.
Would those friends still treat her as they had before?
Even Xiao Yi Xian herself wasn't sure.
After all, Wan Yao Zhai wielded considerable influence in Qingshan Town.
Even the Three Great Mercenary Groups didn't dare provoke Wan Yao Zhai lightly.
In that situation, would those friends still be willing to risk offending Wan Yao Zhai to keep associating with her?
Xiao Yi Xian wouldn't force them to take her side and face Wan Yao Zhai together, nor would she resent them.
After all, this was her own choice.
But that only made her treasure all the more those friends who were willing to stand by her, like Lin Ze, who stood before her now.
Xiao Yi Xian's beautiful eyes grew slightly misty as she spoke with utmost seriousness.
"Lin Ze, don't worry. No matter how badly you're injured in the future, I'll do everything I can to treat you!"
Seeing how serious Xiao Yi Xian was, Lin Ze gave an awkward laugh.
"If possible, I'd rather you didn't have to keep that promise."
Xiao Yi Xian realized that her words sounded rather ominous, and awkwardly lowered her head.
The moisture in her eyes disappeared at once, and she stared intently at the ground.
She wondered how nice it would be if there were a crack in the ground she could crawl into.
"All right, don't take it to heart. I understand how you feel."
"We're not about to part ways, and we still have plenty of time ahead of us!"
"Who knows which of us will end up relying on the other?"
Lin Ze said with a smile, then pushed the Dou Skills toward her.
Xiao Yi Xian didn't hesitate any longer.
She picked through the Dou Skills and finally chose two.
One was a Palm Dou Technique, and the other was a Movement Dou Technique.
The Palm Dou Technique would make her hands more nimble and powerful.
That would help her throw the Medicinal Powder she prepared.
It suited her skills as an apothecary.
The Movement Dou Technique needed no explanation. It would be useful in both battle and escape.
"Tomorrow, we'll head for the Magical Beast Mountain Range near Qingshan Town."
"Given our history with Qingshan Town, we should avoid going into town, right?"
Lin Ze asked Xiao Yi Xian, and she nodded.
She didn't have much attachment to Wan Yao Zhai, either.
It was just a place where she worked.
At most, she felt a little wistful that she had to leave her old friends without saying goodbye.
"Once we find the ruins, we'll head straight to the nearest town and ask which city Jia Nan Academy will be recruiting in."
Hearing that Lin Ze had already arranged everything so thoroughly, Xiao Yi Xian had no objections and nodded.
After they settled their plans, they each began cultivating.
Lin Ze practiced his Dou Skills once, then returned to his room to cultivate Dou Qi.
Xiao Yi Xian studied the two Dou Skills she'd gotten that day.
By evening, Lin Ze came out and saw her hands darting and turning. She was already practicing the techniques quite proficiently.
Lin Ze raised an eyebrow but wasn't particularly surprised.
There was no need to mention Xiao Yi Xian's talent. Though she hadn't yet tapped into the potential of her Woeful Poison Body, it had already begun to show.
Since Xiao Yi Xian was practicing so diligently, Lin Ze didn't disturb her.
He went to the kitchen in the Small Courtyard and started cooking.
"Hey? Lin Ze, let me do it."
The noise caught Xiao Yi Xian's attention, and she quickly called out.
"We're friends, and you're not my servant. Cooking isn't your obligation. Let me make dinner today."
Lin Ze replied with a smile.
His Culinary Arts weren't particularly impressive, but he could still make a few home-style dishes.
Xiao Yi Xian nodded at that and said with a beaming smile, "Then I'll sit back and wait for your food."
"No problem."
A little while later, Xiao Yi Xian finished bathing. She looked at the dishes on the table, which were both appetizing and fragrant, and seemed surprised.
"They look pretty good. To be honest, I was prepared to eat them even if they tasted awful."
"Haha, it won't come to that. If they really taste bad, you don't have to force yourself. You can always cook another meal."
Lin Ze laughed. He didn't approve of forcing yourself to eat food just because it tasted bad.
"Not bad, though still a little worse than mine."
After tasting the dishes, Xiao Yi Xian pretended to give her verdict.
"Sure, sure. From now on, we'll leave the cooking to you, Chef."
"No way. Besides... I want to eat your cooking, too."
The two chatted and laughed, and the time passed quickly as they enjoyed their meal.
The next day, after packing up, the two left Fire Wolf Town and headed toward Qingshan Town.
By the time they arrived, it was already evening.
The forest was even darker as they made their way through it.
Xiao Yi Xian nervously clutched Lin Ze's sleeve.
They weren't traveling alone; four Death Soldiers guarded them nearby.
This area was on the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, where they would encounter Tier 2 Magical Beasts at most.
Of course, Lin Ze had already sent Death Soldiers to scout the area, and they hadn't found any dangerous Magical Beasts.
So there was no need to worry about their safety.
After traveling a little farther, they passed through a patch of dense woods, and the view before Xiao Yi Xian suddenly opened up.
A steep cliff came into view, with figures milling about along its edge.
By the faint moonlight, Xiao Yi Xian recognized them as Lin Ze's subordinates.
The Death Soldiers were equipped with all kinds of weapons and looked highly disciplined.
A rope was tied around a thick tree trunk, its other end extending down the cliff.
Standing by the edge, Xiao Yi Xian watched where the rope led.
Her gaze finally settled on a spot hidden among the trees, where she could just make out a pitch-black opening.
It was clear that Lin Ze's subordinates had already scouted the way.
Xiao Yi Xian hadn't expected exploring the ruins to be so easy.
It was completely different from what she'd heard before.
Wasn't exploring ruins supposed to involve overcoming one challenge after another, killing Magical Beasts, solving mechanisms... and only then reaching the ruins?
Why was the only difficulty when exploring ruins with Lin Ze the Magical Beasts they might encounter on the way?
Xiao Yi Xian looked at Lin Ze and saw one of his subordinates reporting to him.
Her eyes filled with envy.
When Lin Ze's subordinates ran into trouble, they really stepped up!
Before you continue