Douluo Shuttle, If I Pull Out Dou Skill, Won't You Explode?

Liu Bai nodded.

"Thank you."

Xiao Yi Xian looked a little embarrassed.

"You don't need to thank me. I was the one who invited you here, and I even made you spend money."

The two sat beside the stone table in the courtyard. The night breeze was slightly cool, and the moonlight flowed like water.

Looking at Xiao Yi Xian's profile, made even more gentle and beautiful beneath the moonlight, Liu Bai sighed inwardly over the hardships in her future and spoke without thinking.

"Xiao Yi Xian, you're kindhearted and willing to help others. That's a good thing. But you should be more cautious too. The people around you may not be as sincere as they appear. In this world, people's hearts are difficult to read. As far as I can see, there aren't many good people around you."

Xiao Yi Xian had been staring blankly at the crescent moon on the horizon. At his words, she turned and gave Liu Bai a faint smile.

"Liu Bai, thank you for reminding me. I actually know all that."

She lightly fiddled with a fallen leaf on the stone table, her voice lowering slightly.

"Whether it's Mu Li or Boss Yao, or even many people in this town... they treat me well either because my medical skills are useful, because of this face, or because they're afraid I'll stop treating them if I get angry. Sincerity? Perhaps there's a tiny bit of it, but more often, it's a matter of weighing gains and losses."

She lifted her head. A trace of confusion flashed through her eyes, only to be quickly concealed beneath her usual gentleness.

"But what can I do even if I know? Other than here, where can I go? I have no home, no family. Green Mountain Town and the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion have at least given me a place to stay, something I can do to support myself and help others."

Seeing the fleeting vulnerability and confusion in her eyes, Liu Bai's heart stirred, and he spoke almost without hesitation.

"If you have nowhere to go, you can choose... to follow me."

The moment the words left his mouth, even Liu Bai froze. But he soon felt that perhaps it was not a bad choice.

It would be better to guide her in advance than to let her awaken the Woe Poison Body in ignorance and then be forced to wander from place to place.

Xiao Yi Xian was visibly stunned as well. Then two faint blushes rose on her pretty face.

She turned her head, tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and teasingly said in a deliberately casual tone, "What? Have you taken a fancy to me too? We've only known each other for a day, and you already want to whisk me away?"

Liu Bai could not help laughing. "You're so beautiful, kindhearted, and skilled in medicine. How many men wouldn't be moved?"

"However, I wasn't joking just now. Xiao Yi Xian, your future shouldn't be confined to this tiny Green Mountain Town. The world outside is vast and wonderful. If one day you truly feel you have nowhere to go, or you want to see a different place, come find me anytime. I keep my word."

Seeing the seriousness in Liu Bai's eyes, the teasing in Xiao Yi Xian's heart faded away.

She met his gaze for a moment, then looked away. Yet the corners of her lips curled up of their own accord, and her voice became much lighter.

"Alright! If this young lady ever really falls on hard times, or gets tired of staying in Green Mountain Town, I'll come seek refuge with you! When that happens, don't complain that I'm too much trouble!"

"I'd be delighted."

Liu Bai smiled.

Thus, beneath the moonlight, their promise was made.

The two chatted for a while longer before returning to their rooms to rest.

Early the next morning, the first light of dawn appeared.

Liu Bai finished a night of cultivation.

"After reaching the Dou Ling realm, every additional star takes more time. At my current speed, it'll take two or three months to break through one star."

The higher one's realm rose, the slower advancement became. After reaching the Dou Wang realm, it might take years to advance even one star. Dou Emperors and Dou Zongs advanced even more slowly, while Dou Saints might struggle for centuries without breaking through a single star.

Unless one possessed special treasures, such as devouring Heavenly Flames, a Dou Emperor Bloodline, or special constitutions like the Woe Poison Body or Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils.

Otherwise, rapid advancement was simply impossible.

Just as he pushed open his door, he heard rustling outside, mixed with the soft clinking of bottles and jars.

Curious, he left the side room and came outside the main house where Xiao Yi Xian lived. He saw that she had already changed into a simple white dress and was carrying a half-full medicine basket out of the room. Inside were clean bandages, porcelain bottles, and several common herbs.

"You're...?"

Liu Bai was puzzled.

When Xiao Yi Xian saw him, she broke into a smile.

"Of course I'm going to treat people's illnesses and injuries! I'm Green Mountain Town's Little Fairy Doctor, so I'm busy every day! Did you think everyone was like you, some young master here to train who can sleep until they wake naturally?"

As she spoke, she mischievously blinked.

Liu Bai laughed. "I'm no young master. Come on, I'll go with you and see just how popular Green Mountain Town's Little Fairy Doctor is."

"Alright, but you'd better keep close. Don't get lost in the crowd."

Xiao Yi Xian smiled and headed briskly toward the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion's front hall with her medicine basket.

Liu Bai followed behind her. The two crossed the courtyard, and when they reached the entrance to the corridor connected to the front hall, they were both slightly startled by the sight before them.

In front of the spacious front hall of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion, as well as on the open ground outside, two fairly long lines had already formed!

Among them were ragged mercenaries covered in fresh wounds and old scars, ordinary townsfolk with sallow faces who clearly suffered from years of overwork, and anxious women holding crying children... There were all kinds of people, thirty or forty in total!

Although there were many of them, the order was surprisingly good. No one shouted or pushed. They simply waited quietly, their eyes fixed eagerly on the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion's entrance.

When Xiao Yi Xian appeared carrying her medicine basket, a slight stir ran through the crowd. Many faces revealed relieved and grateful smiles.

"Little Fairy Doctor is here!"

"Wonderful, Little Fairy Doctor!"

"Little Fairy Doctor, please look at my child! He had a high fever last night!"

"Little Fairy Doctor, this arm of mine was scratched by an Iron-Back Wolf..."

Calls rose one after another.

The smile on Xiao Yi Xian's face became even gentler. She quickly walked behind the already-prepared examination table, sat down, and said softly to the crowd.

"Everyone, don't worry. Line up properly and come one at a time. I'll see all of you."

Her voice seemed to carry a calming power. The crowd soon quieted again and consciously maintained order.

Liu Bai stood quietly in the shadows of the corridor, watching the scene.

Morning light fell across Xiao Yi Xian's focused and gentle profile. She skillfully cleaned wounds, applied medicine, and wrapped bandages for the injured. She softly asked patients about their symptoms and patiently comforted crying children... The kindness, focus, and sense of responsibility that came from the depths of her heart made her seem to glow.

At that moment, Liu Bai became even more determined to pull her away from the tragic fate that might await her.

A woman like this should not be tortured by the Woe Poison Body, should not be forced to stain her hands with blood, and should not struggle in loneliness and misunderstanding.

"Perhaps... taking her away is the right choice."

Liu Bai thought silently.

It was not only for the Woe Poison Body that might awaken early and her future strength, but also for this rare, pure kindness.

This time, he would not let Xiao Yi Xian go to a place like the Chu Yun Empire. He would let her stay by his side and remain that innocent, carefree Little Fairy Doctor.

Liu Bai walked over to the examination table and naturally took the clean bandages Xiao Yi Xian handed him. He helped hold down a deep wound on a mercenary's arm, making it easier for her to apply medicine and wrap it.

His movements were not as practiced as Xiao Yi Xian's, but they were steady enough.

"I didn't expect your medical skills to be this good."

Liu Bai praised her sincerely.

While swiftly winding the bandage, Xiao Yi Xian pursed her lips and smiled. Yet a nearly imperceptible trace of disappointment flashed through her eyes.

"What use are good medical skills? In the end, I'm not an Alchemist. If I could become an Alchemist in this life, even just a first-tier one, and refine those miraculous pills, I'd be completely satisfied. It's just..."

She sighed softly.

"I don't know whether I have the talent to become an Alchemist, or whether some great Alchemist might happen to pass by someday and help examine me. Then I could directly follow him and learn alchemy. You never know, right?"

Liu Bai's hands paused slightly.

Of course, he knew that according to the original setting, Xiao Yi Xian did not possess the fire and wood elemental talent needed to become an Alchemist.

The essence of the Woe Poison Body was poison, inherently at odds with the path of an Alchemist, which required precise control over fire and wood energy.

However, if her poison body could be controlled in the future and her strength reached a certain level, she might not be unable to obtain similar abilities through other means, or walk a unique path combining poison master and physician.

For example, by obtaining the Nether Poison Flame, but at least for now, there was not the slightest possibility.

He did not directly tell her that truth, which might discourage her. He merely smiled gently and comforted her.

"How can you know whether you have talent without trying? Even if you don't have the talent to be an Alchemist, your medical skills can still save countless people. That value is no less than an Alchemist's. Besides, who can say what the future holds?"

Hearing this, Xiao Yi Xian looked up at Liu Bai and smiled brightly.

"You're right! Whether I have the talent or not, what I'm doing now is still meaningful!"

Time slipped quietly by, and another day passed in the blink of an eye.

Late on the third night, the moon shone brightly amid sparse stars, and all was silent.

Avoiding the eyes of others, Liu Bai and Xiao Yi Xian quietly left the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion and entered the Magical Beast Mountain Range once more.

The mountain forest was more dangerous at night than during the day, but also more concealed.

Liu Bai walked ahead to clear the way, spreading out his soul perception to avoid magical beasts active at night.

Xiao Yi Xian followed closely behind him, carrying a dim wind lantern in her hand as she carefully identified the direction.

"Xiao Yi Xian, is it this way?"

Liu Bai stopped in a relatively flat clearing in the forest. Shadowy trees and boulders surrounded them, all looking much the same.

"I remember... it was this way..."

Holding up the wind lantern, Xiao Yi Xian turned in circles uncertainly, her brows slightly furrowed.

"Wait, let me think... It seems it was this way... No, it should be this way..."

Liu Bai watched her confused appearance, and a bad feeling rose in his heart.

No wonder she had not gone down after discovering the cave in the original story for several years. Could it be that she had forgotten the exact location? Did she only find it again three years later? Her sense of direction was really terrible...

"It's fine. We'll take it slowly. No rush."

Liu Bai suppressed his helplessness and continued to soothe her in a gentle tone.

They had come this far. They could not give up just because they could not find the way.