Meeting Again

"Teacher, why is this damn thing so heavy?!"

The outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range · Green Mountain Town

Xiao Yan staggered forward a step, gritting out the words through clenched teeth. The enormous Heavy Black Ruler strapped to his back was nearly as tall as he was, and it was weighing on him so heavily he could barely breathe.

The peculiar sight naturally drew attention. Everyone coming and going in Green Mountain Town stared at Xiao Yan in amazement.

"The people around here sure are fierce..."

Passing a medicine shop, Xiao Yan couldn't help sighing at the sight of several struggling mercenaries hanging from the trees in front of it.

"Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion!"

Xiao Yan forced himself to straighten up and read the sign beside the entrance. Spotting the dazzling array of medicinal ingredients inside, he lifted his foot and walked in.

"Yang-Returning Powder? It can restore a small amount of Dou Qi?!"

"Healing medicine? It can quickly close wounds!"

"..."

Xiao Yan eyed the various medicines in the transparent display cases, each labeled with its name and effects. Dragging his exhausted body along, he clicked his tongue.

"Little Yanzi, look over there!"

Yao Lao's voice was unusually urgent. Xiao Yan followed the direction he indicated, and a plant with alternating red and white leaves immediately caught his attention.

"Good eye, young man. You spotted the medicinal ingredient personally gathered by our pavilion master at a glance."

A young man who had been sitting idly behind the counter noticed someone else taking an interest in the Ice Spirit Flame Grass and hurried over to greet him.

"Such a precious medicinal ingredient is just sitting in a display case, yet it's been preserved with great expertise. How strange."

Xiao Yan thought to himself.

"How much does this medicinal ingredient cost?"

"This medicine isn't for sale."

The young man's casual reply left Xiao Yan stunned, though he had already braced himself to pay through the nose.

Not for sale? Then why put it on display?!

"Our pavilion master said that anyone who can see its hidden mystery may have it for free!"

A hidden mystery?

Xiao Yan's head began to ache. Why was this another person who liked speaking in riddles?!

After saying this, the young man watched Xiao Yan with a beaming smile.

Over the past half month, Xiao Yan was the eighty-sixth person to ask about the Ice Spirit Flame Grass. Still, not one of them had managed to take it away.

Steal it? Heh. See those people hanging from the trees outside?

The hall master had given strict orders: those people could come down once someone managed to take the Ice Spirit Flame Grass.

"Little Yanzi, don't focus only on the Ice Spirit Flame Grass!"

Yao Lao's voice came at just the right moment, making Xiao Yan frown slightly as he stared fixedly at the grass.

"Hm?"

Only then did Xiao Yan scan the entire counter and notice that such a precious Ice Spirit Flame Grass had been placed among the lowest-grade Yellow Lotus Essence, in the very corner.

"Ah, he's the fifty-seventh person to notice where it's been placed!"

The young man, who had been watching Xiao Yan, grew a little excited.

Take it! Hurry up and take it! Then the hall master will make his move again!

"Sorry to trouble you, but could you take this out for me to have a look?"

Xiao Yan's polite request froze the young man's smile. With an awkward expression, he took out the Yellow Lotus Essence from the far corner.

Xiao Yan gently picked up the Yellow Lotus Essence and carefully scraped its surface with a fingernail. Through the crack, he saw a core as red as blood. He brought it closer and sniffed; a faint scent of blood wafted out.

"Blood Lotus Essence, a high-grade medicinal ingredient!"

Xiao Yan spoke with confidence. The young man slumped like a deflated ball, his face falling as he said listlessly,

"Congratulations. Both medicinal ingredients are yours!"

"Young man, please wait. Our pavilion master would like to see you."

The young man called out to Xiao Yan, who had already stepped outside. Then, under Xiao Yan's puzzled gaze, he bowed slightly.

"The pavilion master of Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion?"

Xiao Yan frowned. Was the man planning to go back on his word?

"Might your surname be Xiao, young man?"

Xiao Yan's heart skipped a beat. How did the pavilion master know who he was?!

"Our pavilion master said you'd understand once you went to see him."

Xiao Yan grew wary and secretly stirred the Dou Qi within his body before heading toward the rear courtyard of Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion.

"All right, you can all come down now!"

Seeing Xiao Yan enter, the young man waved at the people in the trees. The restrictions Yun Zimo had placed on them vanished completely.

The people dropped to the ground and exchanged delighted looks. They hurriedly thanked him and fled. The young man smiled disdainfully, then returned to his post behind the counter.

Xiao Yan entered the rear courtyard. In the center of the main hall stood a woman in a white dress, seated with a veil over her face. She had a refined, ethereal air.

"Is this the pavilion master of Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion? She doesn't look very old!"

"Little Yanzi, long time no see!"

As Xiao Yan wondered, a warm, hearty voice came from the hall. His gaze sharpened, and then he saw the figure he had been "longing for day and night."

"Brother Yun Li!"

Xiao Yan cried out in delight and dashed over to embrace Yun Zimo.

"It's been over a year. You seem to have changed quite a bit."

"How have I changed?"

"You seem a lot steadier."

The two shared a laugh, and only then did Yun Zimo introduce the quiet Xiao Yi Xian beside him.

"Xiao Yi Xian, pavilion master of Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion and guest elder of the Misty Cloud Sect."

"Little Yanzi, don't get too close to that woman. She's a Nine-Star Dou Zhe-level Poison Master!"

Yao Lao's voice came at just the right moment. Xiao Yan naturally changed his raised hand into a cupped-fist salute.

"Brother Yun Li, weren't you at the Misty Cloud Sect? What are you doing here in Qingshan Town?"

At the banquet, Xiao Yan voiced his confusion.

"My mercenary group's headquarters happens to be in Qingshan Town."

Yun Zimo smiled lightly.

"I was passing through to take care of some business, so I stopped by."

"Passing through?"

Xiao Yan didn't believe him for a second. Knowing Yun Zimo, every single thing he did was planned and purposeful. Perhaps he had even set up that little mystery at the counter!

Thinking of the counter, then recalling the young man's question, Xiao Yan suddenly realized something. How had Yun Li known he would come to Qingshan Town?

Xiao Yan didn't believe in foreknowledge. The first thing that came to mind was that there were Misty Cloud Sect spies along the entire route—even in Wutan City, and in the Xiao Clan!

He didn't believe Yun Li would harm him, but he couldn't say the same about the Misty Cloud Sect—or the Nalan Family...

Yun Zimo had no idea Xiao Yan had thought of all that in an instant. Even if he had, he probably would have just laughed it off.

"How many stars?"

"Eight-Star Dou Zhe!"

"Oh?"

Yun Zimo was a little surprised. That was far higher than he had expected. He had thought Xiao Yan would be doing well to reach Five-Star Dou Zhe, but he had made it all the way to eight stars.

"I never let up on the methods Brother Yun Li taught me, not even during those three years. Maybe I laid a good foundation, so I've been advancing faster lately."

Xiao Yan scratched his head and grinned.

You really did have the guts to train that hard. Yun Zimo couldn't help marveling at how worthy Xiao Yan was of his future title as the Flame Emperor. He knew just how brutal his training methods were. Xiao Yan must have burned through most of the Xiao Clan's resources. No wonder the clan members hated him so much. Anyone would be unhappy watching a good-for-nothing hog the best resources.

"You're lucky you weren't beaten to death."

Yun Zimo said it with certainty.

"Your blood and energy are strong, and your Dou Qi is solid. That training hasn't affected your potential at all, so either you've been taking good care of yourself or you've been burning through resources like crazy."

Xiao Yan smiled awkwardly. Even Yao Lao had been amazed at the time. To meet his need for resources, he had encouraged Xiao Yan to borrow money from Xun'er several times, leaving Xiao Yan so embarrassed that he felt like a kept man.

According to Yao Lao, things like horse stances beneath waterfalls, running while carrying boulders, and strengthening the body with clubs...

Those were all deadly methods. Yun Li had dared to recommend them only because he had built himself up on a mountain of resources; otherwise, Xiao Yan would have been vomiting blood and dead within half a month.

But because Dou Qi and the body's blood and essence reinforced one another, this training could, in theory, produce several times—or even dozens of times—the results. So even when Xiao Yan had to swallow his pride and ask for more, the supply of resources never stopped!

"Here, I prepared this gift for you. Since I couldn't be there in person, consider it a belated present."

Yun Zimo took out a scroll containing Eagle Wings and gently pushed it across to Xiao Yan.

"This!"

Xiao Yan jumped to his feet in shock. A high-grade Profound-tier Flying Dou Technique—Eagle Wings!

"This is far too valuable. I can't accept it!"

Xiao Yan repeatedly tried to refuse. Flying Dou Techniques were the rarest of all. How could he accept such a gift?

"Is it valuable?"

Yun Zimo took out a high-grade Storage Ring and tossed it to Xiao Yan.

"What about this? Is it valuable?"

"Brother Yun, I..."

Xiao Yan stared helplessly at the high-grade Storage Ring and Flying Dou Technique in his hands, at a loss for words.

"These are things I'm giving you personally. They have nothing to do with the Misty Cloud Sect. I picked up the Flying Dou Technique, and I got the Storage Ring from an enemy. I have no use for them, so I might as well put them to good use."

Yun Zimo spoke nonchalantly, earning a roll of the eyes from Xiao Yi Xian.

What Yun Zimo didn't mention was that he had actually killed a veteran Dou Wang from the Black-Corner Region to get that Storage Ring...

"Don't rush to thank me. Yanran has a better environment for cultivating than you, more resources, and the old sect master personally teaches her. She works harder than you, too. If you wander the continent with your head down, the Three-Year Agreement will be nothing but a joke."

Yun Zimo said it deliberately.

"So, don't disappoint me when it comes to the Three-Year Agreement!"

Hearing Yun Zimo say all that, Xiao Yan steeled his resolve and nodded firmly.

"Brother Yun, I understand!"