Payment and Reward

Two agile figures darted through the dense, leafy forest, silently approaching an area that opened up ahead. Once concealed within the bushes, their gazes peered through the gaps in the leaves, clearly seeing the battle unfolding a hundred meters away.

One man and two women.

The man was exceptionally handsome, and the women were delicate and graceful.

The three were already covered in wounds, surrounded and attacked by over a dozen black-clothed figures in uniform attire. The situation was perilous, and they were on the verge of suffering fatal injuries and death.

"Is that him?"

The Medicine Slave muttered, a hint of regret on his face.

Ye Tong, with his sharp hearing, faintly caught the Medicine Slave's murmur and asked in a low voice, "Who do you recognize?"

The Medicine Slave chuckled playfully, "The Purple Robe Youth. I accompanied my master out once a few years ago and met him. He's the second son of the Zifu County King, hailed as the most outstanding cultivation genius in Zifu County, Mu Xiaochen. A few years ago, when he was only eighteen, he broke through to the Innate Realm, only half a year behind that monstrous princess of the Sky Net Empire."

Mu Xiaochen?

The second son of the Zifu County King?

A glint flashed in Ye Tong's eyes, and a smile spread across his lips. He disliked pampered young masters but didn't dislike elite geniuses. Especially the son of the Zifu County King; if he could befriend him, he'd likely be able to act with impunity in Zifu County, slapping anyone he disliked in the face.

"Cough, cough..."

"Acting with impunity is the behavior of a pampered brat."

Ye Tong chuckled dryly and complained inwardly. His gaze returned through the gaps in the leaves to the battle scene ahead.

The best way to forge a connection was to offer help in times of need, to save someone in distress. After all, a life-saving grace was greater than heaven. However, Mu Xiaochen knew the Medicine Slave, and even if he saved his life, the man would likely attribute most of the gratitude to Poison Demon Huo Lanqiu, even if he knew it was his decision.

Saving someone, making a friend – yes, it was also a technical skill.

Ye Tong mulled over the three words, then patted the Medicine Slave's shoulder, casually picked up a blade of grass, bit it, and walked out of the bushes, stopping not far from the battlefield.

Although the Medicine Slave didn't want to reveal himself, he couldn't change his Young Master's decision. He could only lean on his dragon-headed cane, appearing frail and ancient, and follow Ye Tong slowly.

Mu Xiaochen, trapped and his injuries worsening, felt his heart plunge into an icy abyss.

Despair!

It gradually consumed his heart.

However, he felt a pang of guilt, knowing his two cherished companions would likely die fighting alongside him. At the same time, his hatred for the assassins from the Left Camp intensified.

The appearance of Ye Tong and the Medicine Slave caused everyone present to change their expressions slightly. Especially the black-clothed man who hadn't attacked yet; his sword-like eyebrows rose, and a cold glint flickered in his eyes.

This assassination attempt.

They had conducted numerous simulations and finally chosen the uninhabited Tenth Mountain. However, the sudden appearance of these two individuals exceeded their previous expectations.

"Is that him?"

Mu Xiaochen, who was being besieged, recognized the Medicine Slave after seeing the newcomers. Although he didn't recognize Ye Tong, he remembered the Medicine Slave's identity. His encounter a few years ago had made him pay particular attention to Poison Demon Huo Lanqiu and even the old slave beside Huo Lanqiu.

At this moment.

Mu Xiaochen saw a glimmer of hope.

Ye Tong, with grass in his mouth, crossed his arms and said with a smile, "Coming to this deep mountain and old forest, I thought it was incredibly boring. I never expected it to be so lively here. Tsk tsk, so many people besieging three, and they still need so much time? They're incredibly stupid."

Mu Xiaochen pushed back a black-clothed assassin in front of him and said loudly, "Are you two people who were with Senior Huo Lanqiu? I am Mu Xiaochen, the son of the Zifu County King. I have met Senior Huo and Senior Medicine Slave before. Does Senior Medicine Slave still remember?"

The Medicine Slave kept his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, remaining silent, pretending not to hear him.

Mu Xiaochen's expression changed slightly, and he gritted his teeth again, "Senior Medicine Slave, please lend us your aid. After resolving this crisis, I will reward you handsomely."

The Medicine Slave remained silent.

Ye Tong became interested, spat out the grass from his mouth, and asked with a smile, "I like the words 'reward you handsomely' that you said. Of course! A drop of water given in kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring; that's only natural. However, I'm very curious, how 'handsome' is the reward you speak of?"

Mu Xiaochen couldn't ascertain Ye Tong's identity, but being exceptionally intelligent, he realized the Medicine Slave seemed to follow the young man's lead. He immediately asked loudly, "What do you need?"

What do I need?

Ye Tong secretly chuckled, took out the Silver Crystals from his embrace, played with them for a moment, and then deliberately let them fall to the ground. Instantly, Ye Tong, as if acting, exclaimed in alarm, crouched down, and cried out with a pained expression, "Oh no, this Young Master only has this one Silver Crystal left, how could it fall on the ground? I..."

"Ten Silver Crystals."

Mu Xiaochen's eyes lit up, excited that he had seen through Ye Tong's intentions. He loudly promised.

"Yay..."

Ye Tong's heart warmed, and he immediately made a gesture, preparing to tell the Medicine Slave to save them.

Mu Xiaochen didn't understand the meaning of Ye Tong's strange sound, but seeing Ye Tong's gesture, he said resolutely, "Twenty it is, twenty. We can't hold on any longer, hurry and help."

Twenty?

Ye Tong's expression froze, and his eyes blinked a few times.

Immediately, his gaze shifted to his raised finger. This posture... was "Yay," which also looked like "Two"! Ye Tong realized, and felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. However, a misunderstanding that resulted in him gaining ten more Silver Crystals was something he welcomed with open arms.

"Medicine Slave, save them."

The only black-clothed man who hadn't attacked moved his feet with a feint, his figure already blocking the way between Ye Tong and the Medicine Slave. He was like a drawn sword, exuding a sharp aura, and said sternly, "The Left Camp is handling this. Do you two really intend to interfere?"

The Left Camp?

The Medicine Slave's expression changed slightly. As his hunched body gradually straightened, a surging aura erupted from him. Ye Tong might not understand the Left Camp, but he knew it clearly, because he... had also been a ruthless figure who emerged from the bloody sea and mountains of corpses of the Left Camp.

The dragon-headed cane was raised, his thumb touching a slightly protruding button.

In the Medicine Slave's left hand, six willow-leaf-shaped flying daggers appeared. Each dagger blade gleamed with a faint blue luster, a sign of the potent poison coating them.

"Kill!"

The burly man in black lunged forward, his layered blade light attempting to engulf the Medicine Slave.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

Three willow-leaf-shaped flying daggers shot out in a triangular formation. Although blocked by the long saber in the burly man's hand, they disrupted his attack.

"Still as a maiden, swift as a startled hare."

This saying was embodied perfectly in the Medicine Slave. When still, he resembled a dying old man, frail and decrepit. But the moment he moved, he instantly became sharp, agile, and keen.

The burly man in black was at the fourth level of the Innate Realm, one level higher than the Medicine Slave. The two immediately engaged in a fierce battle, and under the Medicine Slave's guidance, they gradually drew closer to Mu Xiaochen's position.

"Slash..."

The Medicine Slave pressed his thumb down, and a half-foot-long spike shot out from the bottom of the dragon-headed cane. This sudden killing blow sliced across the burly man's cheek. As the latter's pupils contracted and his body retreated, the Medicine Slave moved like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. The remaining three flying daggers struck the three black-clothed assassins surrounding Mu Xiaochen, while the dragon-headed cane also created afterimages, piercing their vital points.

The feint was effective, yielding immediate results.

Ye Tong stood at a distance, silently commending the Medicine Slave's tactics. He had employed a similar strategy when fighting two Sabertooth Wolves. With a flick of his toe, he sent a porcelain bottle flying out over ten meters away.

"Two quarters of an hour left."

Ye Tong watched as the burly man in black, filled with rage, lunged at the Medicine Slave again, muttering softly to himself.

Poison!

A very potent poison!

This was the most virulent poison Ye Tong had personally concocted. It was colorless and odorless, carried by the wind. According to the formula, even a strong practitioner of the Innate Realm would die from an overdose if inhaled.

However.

He was unwilling to place all his hopes on the poison. He discreetly reached into his embrace, then summoned the Book of Life and Death. He flipped to a black page and, as he channeled his True Essence, over a dozen names appeared on the page.

Ye Tong had studied the Book of Life and Death and discovered that as long as he injected his True Essence, the book would display the names of people within a certain proximity. This range was only about ten meters; any further and it wouldn't work.

"Um Bato!"

After observing for a moment, Ye Tong locked onto this name.

Through a century of research, he had come to understand the names in the Book of Life and Death. The deeper the handwriting, the stronger the person's power. All he needed to do was to guide his Qi and rewrite the name, then inject Vital Energy to siphon off the opponent's Vital Energy. Since that burly man in black was the strongest among the dozen or so black-clothed assassins, Ye Tong could deduce his identity.

Observe!

Find an opportunity!

Ye Tong needed to strike when the Medicine Slave and Um Bato were locked in a crucial moment of their battle, catching them off guard to inflict damage. Even if he couldn't kill him, he could significantly impact him.

In a battle between powerhouses, even a slight misstep could lead to death.

With the deaths of three black-clothed assassins, the pressure on Mu Xiaochen and his companions eased considerably. Despite being covered in wounds, they could temporarily protect themselves through their desperate fighting. The battle between the Medicine Slave and Um Bato intensified. Within just a few minutes, the Medicine Slave was covered in blood and wounds. Although Um Bato's cultivation was slightly superior, the Medicine Slave's extensive combat experience, honed through countless battles, inflicted considerable damage on Um Bato as well.

"Hah..."

The Medicine Slave leaped into the air, his dragon-headed cane a blur, its movements difficult to track. Layered illusions surged towards Um Bato like a tide. He had unleashed his full strength, even his ultimate trump card, his most powerful move.

In a clash of strong individuals, the brave one prevails.

While fighting the Medicine Slave, Um Bato was shocked to discover that some of the Medicine Slave's combat techniques were almost identical to the ones he had learned in the Left Camp. Though this situation puzzled him, as the battle reached this stage, he unleashed his strongest move, his blade light sweeping out with a roar.

"This is the moment."

Ye Tong's gaze finally managed to focus on the two, and at this very moment, he found his opportunity. Without any hesitation, he quickly channeled his True Essence into the Book of Life and Death, rapidly writing the name "Um Bato."