After a noisy night, it was not until the sun hung high in the sky the next day that Yun Yun finally woke up.
As for Qing Lin, she had long since gotten used to rising early.
"The Amethyst Winged Lion King's seal? I was still too careless. If he hadn't stepped in, things might have ended badly!"
Yun Yun gently pulled open her clothes and examined the strange purple mark on her chest. She couldn't help sighing, then turned her attention to Qing Lin and Xiao Yi Xian.
There was no question that both girls were stunningly beautiful, though their temperaments differed somewhat.
Having felt Xiao Lei's Dou Huang cultivation last night, Yun Yun wasn't at all surprised that he had two peerless beauties by his side.
"Little girl, where's your young master?"
Yun Yun hadn't seen Xiao Lei since waking up. Just thinking of him brought last night's events to mind, filling her with a strange mix of embarrassment and indignation. Even so, she wanted to see the man who had saved her life.
At the very least, she should learn his name first!
"Young Master didn't come back last night. Qing Lin's worried too! It's a pity my cultivation is too weak. Young Master won't let me go out rashly!"
Xiao Lei and the others had been in the Magical Beast Mountain Range for some time now. He had already helped Qing Lin awaken her constitution, since it didn't have any drawbacks to speak of.
But Xiao Lei's strength had been limited at the time, and things in the core region were rather chaotic. He hadn't dared to try anything reckless, and had only prepared a third-tier magical beast for her. In the short time since then, Qing Lin had only just broken through to Dou Zhe.
Yun Yun paid little attention to Qing Lin's words, assuming she was just a pretty ornament Xiao Lei kept around.
Still, she couldn't help quietly grumbling about Xiao Lei. Bringing someone with no cultivation into the core region of the Magical Beast Mountain Range was simply too dangerous.
"Then can you tell me your young master's name?"
It was rather embarrassing, but last night had been such a chaotic mess that everyone had tacitly kept quiet in the end. Even now, Yun Yun still didn't know the name of the people who had saved her.
"Young Master's real name is Xiao Lei. Big Sister, you can just call him by his name! Young Master is very kind and doesn't care about formalities."
Every word the girl spoke brimmed with admiration for Xiao Lei, which left Yun Yun secretly amazed.
"Oh, right, I'm Qing Lin, and that's Big Sister Xiao Yi Xian. We're both traveling with Young Master, but our strength is still pretty weak! We can't help Young Master with much yet."
Ever since learning about her constitution, Qing Lin had become much more confident and cheerful.
Hearing Qing Lin say this, Yun Yun quickly took another look at Xiao Yi Xian.
"A Da Dou Shi, at her age!"
After probing her cultivation, Yun Yun was stunned. She didn't know Xiao Yi Xian's exact age, but guessed that she couldn't be much older than Nalan Yanran. And what was Nalan Yanran's cultivation now?
Yun Yun checked Qing Lin's cultivation too. Seeing that she had only just broken through to Dou Zhe, Yun Yun breathed a sigh of relief.
She'd scared herself!
How could there be so many geniuses?
"Miss Qing Lin, I heard you call Xiao Lei 'Young Master.' Are you his maid?"
Curious about Xiao Lei, Yun Yun had also grown interested in how the two girls were connected to him. She couldn't help getting nosy.
Qing Lin didn't overthink it and answered directly.
"Mhm! Young Master pays me a hundred gold coins a month, and he even gave me fifty in advance. Qing Lin has never received so much pay before!"
As she spoke, the girl's face glowed with contented happiness. Yun Yun, however, froze.
A hundred gold coins? A hundred gold coins!
He'd lured such a beautiful young girl into becoming his maid for a mere hundred gold coins!
The rather imposing image of Xiao Lei that Yun Yun had formed in her mind instantly came crashing down.
Such a handsome man with a stern, upright look—who would've thought! He was actually taking advantage of a young girl!
"He only pays you a hundred gold coins a month, and you went with him? What about her?"
Yun Yun was completely dumbfounded. She turned to look at Xiao Yi Xian, wondering if she was getting a hundred gold coins too.
"That's right! Qing Lin didn't follow Young Master for the money! He insisted on paying me. I only wanted enough to eat!"
"As for Big Sister Xiao Yi Xian, I can't tell you about her. You'll have to ask her yourself!"
As Qing Lin finished speaking, Xiao Yi Xian let out a breath of stale air and came out of her cultivation.
"Xiao Lei didn't promise me any gold coins. I chose to follow him willingly. You could say I'm doing it for free."
Xiao Yi Xian's gaze was calm. At first, she had followed Xiao Lei because he'd given her hope—the hope of resolving her Woe Poison Body. Later, as they gradually got to know each other, they became friends.
That was something rare for Xiao Yi Xian. After all, from the day her Woe Poison Body awakened, she had been fated to face others turning away from her.
Having a friend was a good thing, and there was nothing wrong with traveling with Xiao Lei.
Yun Yun knew none of this, of course.
Absurd! Just absurd!
One followed him for a hundred gold coins, and the other didn't even charge him!
But just as Yun Yun's mind was short-circuiting over this, low footsteps sounded at the entrance.
"Young Master's back?"
The three of them turned toward the entrance together. The vine-covered opening was suddenly thrown aside, revealing Xiao Lei's handsome face.
Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin were already used to it, especially Xiao Yi Xian. Back when she had been seeing patients, Xiao Lei had cut in line thanks to his looks and his alchemist's techniques.
But Yun Yun was different. The first time she'd seen Xiao Lei, she'd been struck by the seal and was barely conscious. The second time had been at night, so she hadn't imagined he would be this handsome.
And he was the youthful, dashing sort—not like some middle-aged uncle.
At that moment, Xiao Lei carried a giant python over one shoulder and held a dark-colored saber in his other hand. The sight hit Yun Yun right in the face.
Thump, thump, thump!
Yun Yun had never been so keenly aware of her own heartbeat. Well, perhaps she had been in her dream last night, but she'd forgotten.
At that moment, Yun Yun couldn't help thinking of what Qing Lin and the others had said. If she hadn't become the Misty Cloud Sect Master, perhaps she, too, would have wanted to travel the continent with Xiao Lei.
After all, he was a Dou Huang, and his looks were beyond reproach.
"Hey, you're up. How are your injuries?"
Xiao Lei saw Yun Yun and didn't feel awkward at all. He spoke naturally.
Last night's events?
What events? Xiao Lei had no idea!
"I'm willing!"
??
Xiao Lei was baffled. Willing to do what? Had he even said anything?
"Ahem. What's that on your back?"
Realizing she'd said the wrong thing, Yun Yun hurriedly tried to recover and change the subject. But as soon as she looked, she froze again.
"This is a fifth-tier magical beast—the Mystic Ice Python!"
Even among fifth-tier magical beasts, there were differences. The Mystic Ice Python on Xiao Lei's shoulder had excellent bloodline potential. With normal cultivation, it could become a sixth-tier magical beast, at which point it would be called a Mystic Ice Flood Dragon.
Magical beasts of this kind were usually stronger than others of the same tier.
What was more, the one on Xiao Lei's back seemed to be alive!
"Oh, I guess so. I don't know much about it. I saw it guarding a high-tier poisonous herb, so I beat it up!"
Xiao Lei's foundation was too shallow, after all. He knew a fair amount about medicinal herbs thanks to the knowledge that had come with the Copy Alchemy Technique, but when it came to magical beasts, he was completely in the dark.
But Xiao Lei didn't care. He had the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils. What trouble could there be in catching a fifth-tier snake-type magical beast, unless it had some heaven-defying bloodline?
"Xiao Yi Xian, take this herb. Stay here for the next few days and absorb it!"
As he spoke, Xiao Lei took out a poisonous herb—the one he'd seized from the Mystic Ice Python—and handed it directly to Xiao Yi Xian.
"Nine-Leaf Gelsemium!"
As a Dou Huang, Yun Yun was well-informed. She recognized the poisonous herb in Xiao Lei's hand at once.
Though it was poisonous, this herb was worth a great deal—no less than an ordinary Fifth-grade Pill. Yet Xiao Lei had offered it without a second thought.
Xiao Lei's reasoning was simple: it wouldn't do much for him as a Dou Huang, so he might as well give it to Xiao Yi Xian. Her strength was too low, and he had to keep an eye on her constantly to make sure nothing happened. It was a hassle.
"This is an extremely poisonous herb! Even an ordinary Dou Wang could die from swallowing it directly. You can't eat it!"
Yun Yun hurriedly shouted, but Xiao Yi Xian paid her no mind. She took the herb and swallowed it in one gulp, then went off to a corner to absorb it.
"Qing Lin, you can have this little snake for a pet!"
At that, Yun Yun was dumbfounded all over again. A fifth-tier magical beast as a pet? Even if you wanted it, the beast might not agree!
Even the Misty Cloud Sect didn't have a fifth-tier magical beast guarding it!
Xiao Lei had no idea how shocked Yun Yun was. He simply set the Mystic Ice Python down. It didn't struggle at all, quickly shrinking into the shape of a little snake before slithering toward Qing Lin.
"Careful! This is a peak fifth-tier magical beast!"
Before you continue