Everyone present was dumbstruck.
Only when Mu She's body slammed into the ground did the sound of a warning bell seem to ring, jolting everyone back to their senses.
The mercenaries nearby all stumbled several steps backward, putting as much distance as they could between themselves and Xiao Ze.
They were afraid the mysterious man might get annoyed and poke them to death with a single finger!
After all, even the head of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, one of the three great mercenary groups, had been killed with a single poke!
"How is this possible?!"
The old man cried out. Instinctively, he turned to flee.
Xiao Ze glanced at him and kicked a stone at his feet.
The old man heard the wind howl behind him. Then a sharp pain struck the back of his head, and he sank into darkness.
"All right, I'm not some indiscriminate murderer. I just wanted to avenge Xiao Yi Xian."
"The mastermind and his accomplice have both been dealt with. This matter ends here."
"Of course, if any of you still want to avenge those two, you can say so now."
Xiao Ze let out a sinister chuckle, making himself seem like a gloomy old monster.
The many mercenaries present fell silent. They weren't related to the two men, so who would avenge them?
Besides, they had poisoned Xiao Yi Xian. They'd gotten what they deserved.
They deserved to die!
Although the mysterious man's actions had been deeply satisfying, none of the mercenaries dared to act rashly.
Just as they had cautiously backed away from him before, they now dared not speak out of turn. For all they knew, a finger might come pressing down on their foreheads!
"Heh. In that case, this old man will take his leave."
Xiao Ze took Xiao Yi Xian by the hand and slowly left Green Mountain Town under everyone's gaze.
Only after they had gotten well clear of Green Mountain Town did Xiao Yi Xian speak.
"Xiao Ze, you're really cautious. You wore a mask and a cloak, and even pretended to be an old man."
Xiao Yi Xian chuckled.
"Can't be helped. When you're out and about, caution is the best way to stay alive."
Xiao Ze shrugged and asked Xiao Yi Xian, "Is there anything else you need to bring?"
"No. I have no attachments, to begin with. I'm only temporarily employed by the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion. We both benefited from the arrangement."
Xiao Yi Xian removed her cloak and shook her head.
"Xiao Ze, are you heading back to Wutan City now?"
"I've got time to spare. There's no rush to go back."
Hearing Xiao Yi Xian ask so pointedly, Xiao Ze realized she might have something else in mind.
"How about we gather some medicinal herbs in the Magical Beast Mountain Range? They'll come in handy when I prepare poisons."
"Sure."
Xiao Ze nodded, agreeing to Xiao Yi Xian's request.
By his rough estimate, he had been away from Wutan City for only five days so far, leaving him more than twenty days.
"I don't have a cultivation method suited specifically to you. You can come with me to take the Jia Nan Academy entrance exam when the time comes."
"With your current strength, you should pass the test easily."
As Xiao Ze led Xiao Yi Xian toward the Magical Beast Mountain Range, he explained what lay ahead.
Even the Xiao Clan might not have a cultivation method for poison-type Dou Qi.
Without bothering Xun Er, Jia Nan Academy was probably the best option.
Watching Xiao Yi Xian happily pick medicinal herbs, Xiao Ze began to consider a few possibilities.
In the original story, Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian's chance encounter happened while they were out gathering herbs. They discovered an extremely well-hidden cave in a cliff.
Xiao Yi Xian clearly hadn't found the cave yet.
Going out to gather herbs meant staying fairly close to Green Mountain Town.
A place rich in medicinal herbs, a cliff, a cave.
There couldn't be that many places on the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range that matched all three conditions!
Wasn't this a targeted opportunity?
An opportunity with a clear direction!
Xiao Yi Xian also needed to look for suitable herbs, so she was taking Xiao Ze around the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range to gather them.
"Xiao Yi Xian, try to look in places with plenty of medicinal herbs, preferably somewhere with a cliff."
At Xiao Ze's request, Xiao Yi Xian tilted her head.
"Xiao Ze, are you looking for an opportunity in the Magical Beast Mountain Range?"
"We'll be staying on the outskirts for a few days anyway. Why not find ourselves a little fun?"
Xiao Yi Xian nodded and carefully recalled the surrounding area.
"Based on what you're looking for, there are two places near Green Mountain Town that fit."
"Then let's go!"
Half a day later, they reached a cliff with plenty of medicinal herbs growing on it.
Unfortunately, Xiao Ze searched for a long time with his spiritual perception and couldn't find any hidden cave.
"Xiao Ze, I don't think you should get your hopes up too high."
As she dug up herbs to preserve them, Xiao Yi Xian spoke to him.
"People across the Dou Qi Continent often talk about finding opportunities and rising to greatness overnight, but you can't put all your hopes on that."
"Haha, don't worry. I understand that finding something is good luck, and not finding it is no great loss."
After Xiao Yi Xian finished gathering the herbs they needed from that spot, they headed to the second location.
As they approached the cliff, Xiao Ze's eyes lit up.
The advantage of knowing what was coming was now on full display!
Even if he didn't know the exact location, as long as he had enough clues, he could find the opportunity!
"Xiao Yi Xian!"
"Hm?"
Xiao Yi Xian looked up from digging for herbs, her eyes full of questions.
"When luck comes, nothing can stop it!"
At Xiao Ze's words, Xiao Yi Xian froze for a moment. Then she came to her senses and sprang to her feet.
"Did you find the opportunity?!"
Following Xiao Ze's directions, Xiao Yi Xian spotted the extremely well-hidden cave.
"That's unbelievably lucky! There really is an opportunity!"
Xiao Yi Xian jumped with joy, grabbing Xiao Ze's hand and shaking it again and again as she pointed excitedly at the cave.
This was an opportunity she had discovered together with Xiao Ze!
"Xiao Ze, I feel like my life's gotten so much more interesting since I started staying by your side!"
Xiao Yi Xian said meaningfully.
"Haha, that's great. But life shouldn't just be interesting. You also have to work hard to make it better!"
Xiao Ze laughed and ruffled Xiao Yi Xian's hair, calming her down.
Next, the two of them worked out how to reach the cave below the cliff.
They found a sturdy vine and tied themselves tightly together.
Xiao Ze slipped an arm around Xiao Yi Xian's slender waist, no wider than his hands could span, and pulled her snugly against him.
"We're about to jump. Hold on tight."
With her head bowed, Xiao Yi Xian let out a muffled sound, her voice full of embarrassment.
This time, they didn't run into any attacking magical beasts and reached the cave entrance without incident.
Once they had their feet on solid ground, Xiao Yi Xian's pretty face flushed crimson, and she quickly slipped out of Xiao Ze's arms.
Her cheeks felt as though they were on fire. So hot!
Although she had feelings for Xiao Ze, such intimate contact still made her terribly shy.
What surprised her, though, was that she didn't feel any dislike.
Xiao Ze appeared calm on the surface, but inside, he was a little restless.
After steadying himself, Xiao Ze went to the cave entrance.
A faint mist hung over the cliff, and the sunlight barely reached it.
As a result, only the area near the entrance was clearly visible. Farther in, everything was pitch-black.
Xiao Ze made a simple torch and said to Xiao Yi Xian, "Let's go in together. If I leave you out here, some unknown magical beast might carry you off."
"I'm not that weak! I've got poison powder for self-defense!"
Xiao Yi Xian showed him her poison pouch, but still obediently came over.
As she moved closer to Xiao Ze, she remembered their earlier embrace, and her cheeks reddened slightly.
Seeing Xiao Yi Xian talk tough while her actions said otherwise, Xiao Ze smiled.
"Better safe than sorry!"
The two pressed close together and entered the cave, one behind the other.
Thank you, dear readers, for following along! Recommendation rankings now depend entirely on follow-through, so please lend a hand and scroll to the very last page of the book. I'm deeply grateful!
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A thousand thanks!
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