The Two Wanted Men

Xiao Yi Xian's heart warmed at that moment. Seeing the breakfast Li Xingluo had prepared for her, she thought of how she had struggled to get by alone all these years, without even a single friend.

The man before her had protected her yesterday, no matter the cost. He must have known what the consequences would be, yet he had still done it. Xiao Yi Xian's beautiful eyes glistened. A friend? She hoped with all her heart that this was real.

Seeing Xiao Yi Xian standing there in a daze, making no move to eat, Li Xingluo teased, "What, afraid I poisoned it?"

He chuckled. In truth, Li Xingluo knew that Xiao Yi Xian was a poison-bodied person herself. What poison could possibly bring her down? Still, his little joke made her laugh.

She slowly sat down and picked up the breakfast he had prepared for her. She took a small bite, and warmth welled up in her heart.

"I forgot to tell you: I'm a master of poison. Better be careful."

Xiao Yi Xian waved her hand. Her eyes were pure as snow, and her smile was so healing that Li Xingluo found himself staring.

He looked away and continued cultivating. The sun had just risen; it was neither as scorching as at noon nor as gloomy as at dusk. Instead, it filled the world with a sense of new beginnings and a deep warmth.

Xiao Yi Xian even remembered to lick the food from her fingers.

"Finished eating?"

"Mm!"

"I'll walk you back to the Herb Gathering Group!"

"Okay." Their exchange was simple. She didn't dare hope that she had truly found such a friend.

They said little as Li Xingluo led the way along the route Xiao Yi Xian had given him.

She followed close behind, watching his back. Perhaps... At the thought, the smile on her face faded, and her expression darkened. Perhaps this was simply too much to hope for.

She lowered her head, lost in thought, and didn't notice Li Xingluo stop. She bumped straight into him and nearly cried out. Li Xingluo quickly raised a finger to his lips.

Xiao Yi Xian didn't understand why he was acting that way. Li Xingluo pointed ahead, where members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group were patrolling.

Their words carried clearly to the two of them.

"Li Xingluo's got some nerve, killing people from the mercenary group."

"Yeah. I heard he was with that squad, too."

"Seems like it was all for a woman."

The squad leader couldn't stand their chatter. He stopped, turned around, and barked at them.

"Open your eyes and listen up! The young master has issued a kill-or-capture order. Five thousand gold coins for him dead, ten thousand alive."

At the bounty the squad leader named, everyone's eyes lit up. It was a hefty sum.

At least, it was a hefty sum in Green Mountain Town. Sure enough, as soon as the squad leader finished speaking, the members chorused, "Yes, Captain!"

The squad leader nodded with satisfaction and led his squad on to search for Li Xingluo. He noticed that the squad leader was holding a wanted poster. It was a little far away, but he could still make out that the person in the picture was him.

Only after watching the patrol disappear did Li Xingluo finally let out a breath.

Seeing him like that, Xiao Yi Xian couldn't help feeling guilty.

"I... you... I'm sorry. This is all because of me."

Li Xingluo only smiled. Some things couldn't be helped; others had to be done.

"I'd wanted to leave the mercenary group for a long time. This has nothing to do with you. Anyone else would've stepped in to help, too. Those people aren't fit to be called human."

"But..."

"I know what you mean. Don't worry. They won't catch or kill me. For now, let's get you to the Herb Gathering Group. As for me, don't worry. I'll be fine."

Li Xingluo reassured Xiao Yi Xian. He could tell she was worried about him.

Li Xingluo knew exactly how precarious his situation was, but he didn't want this kindhearted girl worrying about him.

He kept smiling as though the Wolf Head Mercenary Group didn't concern him in the least. They ran into several more patrols along the way, but the two of them managed to evade them.

"Since when did they set up a checkpoint here?"

They were only one last stretch away from the Herb Gathering Group's camp, but a checkpoint blocked their path.

"What do we do?"

"I'll draw them away. You slip past while they're distracted."

"No!" Xiao Yi Xian saw the eight men at the checkpoint and worried for Li Xingluo's safety.

"There's no arguing about it. If I'm right, they've probably put up a wanted poster of you, too. Only if I show myself and draw them away will you be able to get out of danger. Don't worry. I'm not that easy to kill."

Li Xingluo gave Xiao Yi Xian a reassuring smile. Before she could react, he had already darted out of the bushes.

The Wolf Head Mercenary Group members at the checkpoint saw someone emerge from the bushes.

"Who are you?"

"Why do you look familiar?"

"Yeah."

"Right! He's Li Xingluo, the one the young master put a bounty on. Men, seize him!"

To the men there, Li Xingluo was nothing but walking money. At the squad leader's command, the others charged forward without hesitation.

One man ran ahead of the rest and slashed at Li Xingluo. Li Xingluo calmly caught the blade with his bare hand and killed him with a counterattack.

Seeing the body on the ground, the men who had charged forward stopped in their tracks. They hadn't expected Li Xingluo to be so formidable.

"What are you standing around for? He's only one man. Get him!"

The squad leader's words worked. The remaining six men charged at Li Xingluo with their blades drawn.

Hidden in the bushes, Xiao Yi Xian nearly cried out. Fortunately, she covered her mouth in time. She was worried about him.

To their surprise, as the six men charged at him together, Li Xingluo turned and ran. The six froze in disbelief.

"What are you standing there for? He's one man, and there are seven of us! He's running because he knows he can't beat us. Hurry up and chase him! This is money we're talking about. Don't tell me you don't want it!"

The squad leader certainly knew how to lead. A few words were all it took to fire up his men, and they chased after Li Xingluo as if they'd been injected with chicken blood.

Once the men were gone, Xiao Yi Xian slipped out of the bushes. She looked in the direction Li Xingluo had disappeared, her beautiful eyes darkening as her face turned grim.

Li Xingluo, I'll remember you. We'll meet again. With sorrow weighing on her, Xiao Yi Xian turned and passed through the checkpoint.

Li Xingluo ran to a pond and, seeing that everyone at the checkpoint had followed him, let out a long breath.

The seven men who had chased him all the way saw that Li Xingluo had stopped running and assumed he was afraid.

"Kid, why'd you stop? Keep running! Not that you could outrun us. Come quietly with us, and at least you'll live a little longer."

The squad leader looked at him with utter contempt and spoke in a scornful tone.

Li Xingluo smiled. He hadn't been running away. He'd only wanted to give Xiao Yi Xian a chance to escape. If a fight had drawn in more people, she would've been caught up in it, too. Now that he was alone, he could finally fight without holding back.

"You, or you?"

Li Xingluo pointed at the seven men, imitating the squad leader's contemptuous, smug gesture. His attitude was downright arrogant.

"Get him! Dead or alive!"

At the squad leader's command, the six men lunged at Li Xingluo together. But Li Xingluo charged toward them instead of retreating.

In just a few exchanges, all six were left lying on the ground for good, their blood staining the grass.

Dragging his blood-smeared blade, Li Xingluo fixed the squad leader with a ferocious stare.

"Have you decided how you want to die?"

"Don't get cocky, kid. You're just a Two-Star Dou Zhe. I'm a Six-Star Dou Zhe."

With that, the squad leader drew his long blade and gathered his strength, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to Li Xingluo.

"You'll do nicely for testing out my new Dou Technique!"

"Earth-Splitting Slash!"

Li Xingluo raised the blade in his hand and poured Dou Qi into it. His eyes flickered between light and shadow.

When the squad leader charged at him, Li Xingluo didn't hesitate. He swung his blade, its shadow slicing through the air as it hurtled toward the squad leader, wrapped in immense energy.