Refusing a Kind Offer

After teasing Xiao Yi Xian a little, Xiao Ce winked at her.

"If there's nothing else now, shouldn't you start fulfilling your duty as my guide?"

"I've been in Qingshan Town for two days and haven't properly looked around yet." As he spoke, Xiao Ce stroked his chin.

After hearing this, Xiao Yi Xian frowned slightly and shook her head. "I'm afraid not right now. Quite a few of the mercenaries who went to the Magic Beast Mountain Range with us to gather herbs last time were injured. I still need to change their bandages today."

As if afraid Xiao Ce would not believe her, she added, "You can come with me too. Once I'm done, I'll take you around."

"No wonder you're so popular in Qingshan Town. I wasn't wrong at all when I said you were gentle and kind."

Xiao Ce laughed heartily. There was a hint of admiration in the way he looked at Xiao Yi Xian, along with a touch of sentiment in his heart.

Who could have imagined that such a gentle and kind woman would transform into the Heavenly Poison Girl, feared by countless people, in just a few short years in the original story?

It was hard to imagine what she had gone through in the Chuyun Empire to change so drastically. If she had not met Xiao Yan later on, her fate would probably have been the same as those Woeful Poison Bodies before her: after enduring the agony of ten thousand poisons devouring her body, her poison body would erupt and she would die, her life a tragedy.

But now that he had transmigrated here, he naturally would not let Xiao Yi Xian repeat the same mistakes or relive the hardships of the original story.

Standing beside Xiao Ce, Xiao Yi Xian happened to meet his gaze. Yet she discovered that the way this guy looked at her had suddenly changed. There was admiration in it, but also pity. It made goosebumps rise all over her body, and she quickly turned her head away, not daring to meet his eyes again.

What kind of look had that been just now?

Eugh~

For some reason, it made her feel a little mushy.

Xiao Ce continued, "I won't accompany you. About what time will you be done? I'll come find you then."

Xiao Yi Xian pondered briefly. "Around sunset, I suppose. I should be finished before the sun goes down."

"Fine. I'll come find you at sunset."

After Xiao Yi Xian left, Xiao Ce settled down in Wanyao Pavilion. Mr. Yao was naturally delighted and personally arranged a quiet courtyard for him.

In the spacious courtyard, Xiao Ce calmed his heart and immediately immersed himself in cultivation once more.

For him to rise from a one-star Dou Zhe to a nine-star Da Dou Shi in merely three years, the Xuantian Yin-Yang Dao had naturally contributed greatly, but it was also inseparable from his diligent cultivation.

Moreover, although his realm had risen at an astonishing speed, his foundation was not the least bit unstable. Compared to nine-star Da Dou Shi cultivators practicing Xuan Class or Earth Class techniques, his Dou Qi was at least several times, perhaps even more than ten times, more abundant.

Beyond that, Xiao Ce had also made the utmost use of his talent in Dou techniques.

The five Xuan Class Dou techniques Xun'er had given him back then—low-grade Xuan Class Mountain Crushing Fist, mid-grade Xuan Class Flame Dragon Palm, mid-grade Xuan Class Crimson Flame Shield, high-grade Xuan Class Swallow Return Strike, and high-grade Xuan Class Nine Turns of the Wandering Dragon—had long since been cultivated to perfection.

Especially the high-grade Xuan Class Nine Turns of the Wandering Dragon. This movement technique was extraordinary, allowing its practitioner to move like a wandering dragon, shifting and turning within the smallest space. Every change of direction came with an explosive burst of power, making it extremely useful in actual combat.

With those five perfected Dou techniques as his foundation, Xiao Ce had asked Xun'er for five Earth Class Dou techniques of the same types last year. To get them, he had served as Xun'er's "manservant" for a week, pouring tea, fetching water, washing her feet, and coaxing her to sleep.

Ling Ying had not even stopped such intimate contact.

In his eyes, those were all chores for servants. For the sake of living off a woman, Xiao Ce had completely thrown away his dignity.

What he did not know was that it was precisely these casual interactions that made Xun'er increasingly dependent on Xiao Ce, greatly accelerating the progress of their relationship.

Otherwise, why was Ling Ying still an old bachelor even now?

Xiao Ce often thought that when he and Xun'er married in the future, he truly ought to give Ling Ying a huge red envelope as a belated reward.

Time always passed quickly during cultivation.

Qingshan Town streets, Wanyao Pavilion pharmacy.

The pharmacy was somewhat deserted, with only a few people inside buying medicine.

Xiao Yi Xian sat behind a separate table and stretched lazily.

After sitting here for half the day, counting yesterday's injured patients, she had treated dozens of people in total.

Most had been injured by magic beasts, while only a small number were sick or poisoned.

"Today is finally over. I wonder when that guy will come."

Xiao Yi Xian looked outside the pharmacy and murmured softly.

Perhaps even she had not noticed that her attitude toward Xiao Ce was changing at a visible pace.

Tap, tap~

At that moment, another set of footsteps came from outside the pharmacy, and Xiao Yi Xian subconsciously looked over.

The newcomer was a fairly handsome young man dressed in fitted leather armor, with a wolf-head badge pinned to his chest.

The moment Xiao Yi Xian saw him, her delicate brows furrowed slightly.

That shamelessly persistent fellow had come again.

"Xiao Yi Xian, long time no see!"

The moment Muli entered the shop, he greeted her as though they were close acquaintances and strode toward her.

He seemed to have just returned from the Magic Beast Mountain Range. Large patches of still-wet blood stained his leather armor, and a thick bloody stench radiated from his body. Especially as he walked, the airflow he stirred rapidly spread that stench throughout the shop.

When the customers preparing to buy medicine saw this, they abandoned their purchases and left one after another.

Xiao Yi Xian glanced at Muli and gave him a perfunctory smile. "Young Captain Muli, if you're here to buy medicine, you can speak with the shopkeeper. If you're here for treatment, then I'm sorry, but my consultations are over. I'm preparing to return to Wanyao Pavilion."

That attitude caused a flicker of displeasure to pass through Muli's eyes, though he maintained a gentle expression. "Xiao Yi Xian, can't I visit you simply as a friend?"

As he spoke, he flipped his hand, and an emerald-green pendant appeared in his palm.

"This is a pendant I specially had made some time ago. A second-tier wood-attributed magic core was added to it, and it has beautifying and complexion-nourishing effects."

"After thinking it over, only you, Xiao Yi Xian, are worthy of this pendant in all of Qingshan Town. This is a gift I carefully prepared for you, and it represents my feelings for you."

Putting on an affectionate act, Muli extended the pendant toward Xiao Yi Xian.

He had paid a great price to have this pendant made solely to win Xiao Yi Xian over completely.

Whenever he thought of her peerlessly beautiful face, heat surged through his entire body.

Unfortunately, Xiao Yi Xian had Wanyao Pavilion behind her and was deeply beloved by the townsfolk and mercenaries of Qingshan Town. Otherwise, he would have forced himself on her long ago instead of going through all this trouble now.

Yet faced with the pendant he offered, Xiao Yi Xian merely shook her head faintly and raised a hand to refuse it.

"Young Captain Muli, I cannot accept a reward without merit. Please forgive me, but I cannot accept your gift."

The moment those words were spoken, Muli's hand stiffened in midair. His handsome face instantly darkened, and a shadowy glint flashed through his eyes as he looked at Xiao Yi Xian.

He had not expected Xiao Yi Xian to remain unmoved even before a pendant crafted with a second-tier wood-attributed magic core.

She really did not know how to appreciate a favor!