Gathering Herbs

Xiao Jin stayed by Xiao Yi Xian's side the entire way. Even after they entered the Magic Beast Mountain Range and the girl began gathering herbs, he remained close beside her without leaving her side.

Mu Li tried to intervene several times, but Xiao Yi Xian's icy gaze sent him retreating each time.

After walking for half a day, Xiao Yi Xian finally wiped the sweat from her forehead and said gently to the surrounding mercenaries, "Brothers, it's getting late. Let's fill our stomachs first. We'll rest for an hour."

The many mercenaries answered in unison. The strongest among them was only a Dou Zhe, and after traveling through the complex terrain of the Magic Beast Mountain Range all morning, they had already expended much of their strength.

Being ravenously hungry was no pleasant feeling. They had merely been too embarrassed to complain in front of Xiao Yi Xian.

After receiving Xiao Yi Xian's instructions, they sat down in groups of three or five and took out their dry rations to enjoy.

Mu Li deliberately maintained a gentle smile as he came to Xiao Yi Xian's side and asked politely, "Miss Xiao Yi Xian, why don't you dine with the people from my Wolf Head Mercenary Group?"

He pointed toward the distance, where a group of people had gathered in a circle, with several dishes placed before each of them.

These things were nothing special outside, but in the harsh environment of the Magic Beast Mountain Range, such treatment could be considered lavish.

Xiao Yi Xian shook her head. "Thank you for your kindness, Young Leader. I'll be fine eating with my friend, so I won't trouble you."

Mu Li was not annoyed by her rejection. After all, this same rejection had already happened several times over the past half-day.

Only after Mu Li left did Xiao Yi Xian rub her hands together and stare at the Storage Ring on Xiao Jin's hand. "Quick, quick, quick! Where's the food I asked you to bring?"

Only then did Xiao Jin remember. No wonder Xiao Yi Xian had asked him to put the food into his Storage Ring that morning.

It turned out this girl still didn't even have a Storage Ring.

He slapped his forehead, first taking the food out of his Storage Ring before retrieving another Storage Ring and placing it in Xiao Yi Xian's hand.

"Blame me. I forgot to leave you a Storage Ring the last time I left."

"Hehe, it's fine. Who told our Dou Wang lord to be such a busy man? It's perfectly normal to forget something once in a while."

Xiao Jin: "..."

Why was this girl being so sarcastic?

He did not dwell on it. A lively Xiao Yi Xian was far better than the Xiao Yi Xian from the original story, who had nearly closed off her heart and abandoned love after her Woe Poison Body erupted.

After lunch, Xiao Yi Xian leaned against a large tree and planned to rest for a while.

Seeing that Xiao Jin was still sitting where he was, she patted her thigh with a smile. "Want to lie down and rest for a while?"

"Ahem, there's no need for that." Xiao Jin felt somewhat awkward, and his expression became much more unnatural.

"What's there to be shy about? It's not as if we've never done this before." Xiao Yi Xian curled her lips. You weren't shy back then.

Xiao Yi Xian had forgotten that Xiao Jin had only been thirteen at the time, merely a half-grown child.

But Xiao Jin was now over fifteen, and with his feelings between men and women awakened, how could he still act as he had two years ago?

Xiao Jin wanted to resist, but Xiao Yi Xian forcibly held his head and pressed it onto her thigh.

The instant they came into contact, the soft sensation traveled from the back of his head straight into his heart.

Xiao Yi Xian subconsciously shuddered. The feeling of having her ticklish spot touched was still rather uncomfortable.

She quickly composed herself. One fair, jade-like hand descended onto Xiao Jin's head and gently stroked it.

Whenever her fingers brushed against his slightly bristly hair, she would occasionally let out a quiet laugh.

Xiao Jin hurriedly closed his eyes. Every time he raised his head, he could meet Xiao Yi Xian's peerlessly beautiful face, and he could not withstand such torment.

"Young Leader!" a mercenary suddenly let out a howl of agony. His shoulder was nearly crushed by Mu Li's grip.

Only then did Mu Li realize what he had done. His face darkened as he released the Wolf Head Mercenary Group's mercenary and dropped heavily onto the ground.

A moment later, he lowered his voice. "Have someone keep an eye on that brat. If there's a chance tonight, kill him outright!"

"Yes, Young Leader." The mercenary whose shoulder had been squeezed hurriedly agreed and scurried away from the center of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group.

If he stayed any longer, he really might lose the use of his shoulder.

The hour of rest soon passed, and Xiao Jin left the intoxicating lap pillow several minutes early.

Xiao Yi Xian lightly hammered her thigh twice. With the strength of a Three-Star Dou Ling, she quickly dispelled the numb, tingling sensation.

"Brothers, please stay alert. This afternoon, we'll be entering deeper into the Magic Beast Mountain Range. We may encounter quite a few First-Rank Magical Beasts."

Mu Li was the first to respond. "Everyone from the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, pay attention! Don't let us capsize in the gutter!"

The dozens of burly men around them answered in unison. Their uniform voices drew the gazes of the surrounding people one after another.

Xiao Jin could not help shaking his head.

Truly, a bootlicker gets nothing in the end.

He and Xiao Yi Xian had just acted so intimately. How had this brat still not given up?

As they continued deeper into the Magic Beast Mountain Range, they encountered more and more Magical Beasts.

Three Red Ice Snakes hung upside down from the tree trunks. Taking advantage of several mercenaries' inattention, they swiftly injected their cold poison into their bodies.

In the blink of an eye, the three mercenaries became like ice sculptures, their hands and feet going limp as they collapsed to the ground.

The entire group could not help descending into a commotion. Enraged, everyone attacked at once, and in a moment, the three Magical Beasts were reduced to dust beneath the dazzlingly varied Dou Qi attacks.

Unfortunately, none of the three Magical Beasts produced a Magic Core, costing the mercenaries present a considerable amount of income.

If they truly relied on the meager reward offered by the mission, these mercenaries would have starved to death long ago.

They were willing to enter the Magic Beast Mountain Range because they hoped to try their luck.

If they could obtain a Magic Core, even the lowest-grade First-Rank Magic Core could be sold for three or four hundred gold coins.

After dividing the spoils among them, each person could receive five or six gold coins.

That alone was equivalent to two or three months of wages for an ordinary worker.

After all, on the Dou Qi Continent, twenty gold coins were enough for a commoner's family to live on for a year.

Everyone was disappointed for only a moment before quickly adjusting their mood.

Magic Cores were things that could only be encountered by chance. When luck was bad, one might kill more than a dozen Magical Beasts in a row without obtaining even a single Magic Core.

After the three Red Ice Snakes were dealt with, the three poisoned mercenaries were also brought before Xiao Yi Xian, who personally treated them and dispelled the poison.

The journey that followed was even more dangerous. Over a distance of only a few hundred meters, the group encountered several waves of Magical Beast attacks.

Fortunately, after learning from the Red Ice Snakes, the many mercenaries remained fully alert, and these crises were easily resolved.

Only a few mercenaries suffered minor injuries, all of which Xiao Yi Xian treated for them.

After reaching another herb-gathering area, Xiao Yi Xian said, "Everyone, I plan to gather herbs here. You may rest as you wish, but be sure to remain vigilant."

Soon, more than a dozen mercenaries were arranged in pairs and assigned to several directions.

Xiao Yi Xian tugged at Xiao Jin's wrist and whispered, "Some time ago, I discovered a place, but I can't fly, so I couldn't get across."

Xiao Jin understood. This should be one of the caves mentioned in the original story, where they could find a Fragmented Map of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame.