Amid the splintered table and chair debris, Xiao Yu found his father.
"How are you? Are you hurt?" Xiao Yu helped him to his feet.
"You little brat, I'm your father!" Xiao Zhan glared at him. His arm throbbed with pain; it seemed to be broken.
A Da Dou Shi had broken a Dou Master's arm with one punch!
If he hadn't experienced it himself, Xiao Zhan would never have believed it.
Now he believed Xiao Yu was capable of dealing with Green Mountain Town's troubles.
Besides, if his arm really was broken, Xiao Zhan wouldn't have the face to go out.
If he ran into someone he knew and they asked about it, he wouldn't know what to say.
Xiao Yu was also right to remind him: with such a large Xiao Clan estate, they really needed someone to hold down the fort.
Hearing Xiao Zhan, Xiao Yu looked a little aggrieved. "Father, you're the one who told me to go all out."
"Get out, get out, get out." Xiao Zhan pushed him away. "When are you planning to leave?"
His father had agreed?
A smile immediately spread across Xiao Yu's face. "I'll leave shortly. I'll let Xiao Qian and Ya Fei know first."
Xiao Zhan hadn't expected Xiao Yu to be in such a hurry. He cautioned him, "Keep a low profile when you get to Green Mountain Town. Those mercenaries live by the sword and have all sorts of tricks. You're strong, that's true, but you can't guard against every underhanded tactic. Understand?"
"I know, Father." Xiao Yu had it in hand.
"You've always been sensible, so I won't lecture you. Go early and come back soon. Don't make your two wives worry." Xiao Zhan waved him off.
After leaving the study, Xiao Yu found Li Qian and Ya Fei and told them about it.
Then he set off for Green Mountain Town.
Dusk.
A carriage came to a slow stop. The driver looked toward the town in the distance, then turned around and said, "Young Clan Leader, we've arrived at Green Mountain Town."
The curtain was lifted, revealing Xiao Yu's face. He glanced ahead, then stepped out of the carriage.
Once he landed, Xiao Yu instructed, "Go to the Xiao Clan Medicine Shop first."
With that, he walked into town.
Mercenaries, both men and women, came and went along the bluestone streets.
At the shops lining either side, mercenaries sat or stood in groups, talking animatedly. Amid the din, they mostly talked about women and wine. Every so often, they mentioned a place where dangerous magical beasts had appeared, warning others to stay away for the time being.
As he walked through town, Xiao Yu felt gazes coming at him from every direction.
The clothes he wore looked exceedingly expensive.
Combined with his still-youthful face, they gave quite a few people ideas.
There were usually only two kinds of people who ventured near the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
Those who needed money and wanted to make some!
And those who yearned to grow stronger!
Sometimes, robbing a young master brought in money faster than fighting magical beasts—and might even be less risky.
Xiao Yu never slowed his pace. Though he didn't look back, he could tell from the reactions around him that someone was already tailing him.
Come on, if you're not afraid to die. Xiao Yu sneered inwardly.
Before long,
Xiao Yu stopped in front of a spacious shop.
A sign hung above the entrance.
"Myriad Medicine Pavilion."
Xiao Yu murmured the name and strode inside.
As expected of Green Mountain Town's largest pharmacy, business was booming. The shop was packed with customers, most of them dressed as mercenaries.
Perhaps Xiao Yu's clothes made him look like a wealthy man; a shop assistant hurried over to him at once.
One male assistant was the quickest. He stopped in front of Xiao Yu and greeted him with a warm smile. "Hello, sir. Welcome to the Myriad Medicine Pavilion, the largest pharmacy in Green Mountain Town. We have all kinds of medicinal herbs, as well as Magic Cores of every attribute. Just tell me what you need."
Xiao Yu smiled. "All right. I'll have a look around first."
He wandered around the shop. Whenever his gaze lingered on something, an assistant nearby would immediately introduce it.
After making a round, Xiao Yu chose a few things to buy, but they weren't expensive.
The male assistant looked a little disappointed, and his manner was no longer as warm as before.
"By the way, I heard the Myriad Medicine Pavilion has a physician named Xiao Yi Xian. I happen to be studying medicine too. Could I meet her?" Just before leaving, Xiao Yu suddenly remembered something.
The male assistant froze. The lively crowd around them fell quiet as well.
"What's wrong?" Xiao Yu was confused by the reaction.
The male assistant said, "I'm sorry, sir, but we can't let you meet Xiao Yi Xian."
Xiao Yu was stunned.
What was going on? Did Xiao Yi Xian have that much clout that he couldn't even meet her?
A mercenary said, "A month ago, Xiao Yi Xian had an accident while gathering herbs. She passed away."
A sorrowful look crossed his face, and everyone around them looked somber too.
In Green Mountain Town, most of the mercenaries had received treatment from Xiao Yi Xian and held her in great respect.
Hearing this, Xiao Yu was completely stunned.
Xiao Yi Xian was dead?
He could hardly believe it. How was that possible? Had changing the plot caused this?
The expressions around him were clearly genuine; no one seemed to be lying.
Seeing their sorrowful faces, Xiao Yu didn't press them for details. He hurried out of the shop.
Afterward, Xiao Yu asked several other people, and they all told him the same thing he had heard at the Myriad Medicine Pavilion.
Xiao Yu felt as if the world had turned upside down.
How could such a wonderful woman as Xiao Yi Xian be gone?!
In the original story, Xiao Yi Xian had an exceptional cultivation talent and was stunningly beautiful.
When the Jia Ma Empire faced an invasion by three nations, Xiao Yi Xian had appeared.
At the time, Xiao Yan had only been a Dou Emperor, while Xiao Yi Xian was already a Dou Zong.
That rate of progress was impressive, even if she'd followed the Woe Poison Body path. It showed just how formidable she was.
A woman like that was bound to meet the system's requirements.
Xiao Yu felt deeply dejected.
He had come to the Magical Beast Mountain Range partly to hunt magical beasts, but Xiao Yi Xian had also been one of the reasons.
Everything he'd told Xiao Zhan back at the Xiao Clan had been true.
Well, here he was.
But it seemed he'd arrived too late...
While Xiao Yu was still dazed, several people suddenly blocked his path.
Four or five burly figures with menacing faces stood in a row.
One of the men spoke. "Kid, this shop is a scam. Go look around somewhere else."
Xiao Yu froze. Looking past them, he saw a shop with its doors wide open. It was empty, without a single customer.
The shop assistant sat behind the counter, dozing off.
At one corner outside the shop hung a flag bearing a large, engraved character: "Xiao."
It was the Xiao Clan's pharmacy!
"What if I insist on having a look?" Xiao Yu turned his gaze back to them, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smile.
The burly man looked Xiao Yu up and down. "You look unfamiliar. First time in Green Mountain Town, right? I suggest you ask around about the Wolf Head Mercenary Group first."
When the man mentioned the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, pride appeared on his face and those of the people beside him.
They seemed extremely proud to be members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group.
"What Wolf Head or Dog Head? You dare interfere with the Xiao Clan's business? Believe me, by tomorrow, you'll all be dead heads!"
Xiao Yu's expression turned cold, his voice chilling.
The burly man froze. "You're with the Xiao Clan?"
"That's right!" Xiao Yu glanced at them sidelong. "I'll give you three breaths to get lost. Otherwise, you'll face the consequences."
But instead of leaving, the men burst out laughing.
Hearing the laughter, some people nearby turned to look.
Before you continue