At Xiao Li's words, Xiao Yi Xian tilted her head and smiled. Her adorable little face nearly melted Xiao Li's heart.
Xiao Yi Xian was still less than five feet tall, a perfectly cute little girl.
After helping Xiao Yi Xian tidy up the wooden hut they had built over the past year, Xiao Li left the depths of the Magical Beast Mountain Range with her. In the year they had spent there, Xiao Li had nearly wiped out all the Tier 1 and Tier 2 Magical Beasts in the surrounding area.
The two of them left the Magical Beast Mountain Range together. By now, aside from a few Magical Beasts, there were hardly any in the middle region that could threaten Xiao Li. The more powerful Magical Beasts mostly lived in the heart of the range.
As they walked along the main road, Xiao Li wasn't in a hurry. Rather than rushing off to seek revenge, he might as well buy himself a new set of clothes first. He didn't want to show up looking ragged and get laughed at by his enemies.
Inside a clothing shop in Qingshan Town, a shop assistant watched Xiao Li and Xiao Yi Xian pick out clothes, lips pursed. She couldn't help grumbling to herself.
"Where'd these poor kids come from? Can they even afford anything here?"
Xiao Li looked at Xiao Yi Xian, who was still growing. "Boss, I'll take two of this outfit—and two of every size up from it, too."
With that, he tossed a money pouch onto the counter. Its solid thud nearly turned the shop assistant's eyes gold.
Just from the sound, the experienced shop assistant could guess roughly how much was inside: at least several hundred gold coins!
The shop assistant, who had been impatient just a moment ago, instantly changed her tune.
"Of course, young master! Please wait a moment!"
Xiao Li and Xiao Yi Xian walked out of the clothing shop in their new outfits. They certainly made a handsome pair.
Xiao Li had sharp brows and bright eyes. At fifteen, he had grown into his looks, and a year of fighting in the Magical Beast Mountain Range had stripped away the last traces of his boyishness. After all, he would be taking part in his coming-of-age ceremony next year.
"Coming-of-age ceremony..."
At the thought of the ceremony, Xiao Li clicked his tongue. It seemed he'd have to return to the Xiao Clan. He could look for a Xuan Class cultivation technique while he was there.
"What's wrong, Brother Xiao Li?"
At the sweet, gentle voice beside him, Xiao Li looked at Xiao Yi Xian. A hint of admiration crept into his eyes.
The little girl had grown a bit more over the past year. When she smiled, her curved brows gave her a warm, welcoming air. She was still flat-chested, but she was beginning to develop. In another three or four years, she would become the goddess of all Qingshan Town.
"Nothing. I just have to go home for a while. My coming-of-age ceremony is next year."
Xiao Li's matter-of-fact words stirred a flurry of thoughts in Xiao Yi Xian's heart. Young girls were always so prone to melancholy.
That's right. Brother Xiao Li has a family, too. With his talent, they must be a powerful clan. I'm just an orphan. His family probably wouldn't approve of us...
Xiao Yi Xian suddenly lifted her head. No, no, what was she thinking? How could she and Brother Xiao Li ever be a thing?
She told herself that, but when she looked at Xiao Li's handsome, sharply defined face, a trace of sorrow still rose in her heart.
Seeing Xiao Yi Xian's furrowed brows, Xiao Li assumed she was thinking of the family she had lost because of him. Over the past year, she had opened up to him and told him about it.
"If you don't mind, you can come home with me, too."
Xiao Yi Xian's eyes widened, and she looked up at the young man beside her. The warm sunlight blurred Xiao Li's features a little, but... he was so handsome!
At some thought, Xiao Yi Xian's face reddened. She lowered her head and walked on in silence.
Xiao Li scratched his head in puzzlement, caught up with her, and touched her forehead.
"Do you have a fever? Why's your face so red?"
"Huh? You idiot!"
Xiao Yi Xian stamped her foot, then stormed off without looking back. She moved so fast that even Xiao Li could barely keep up.
After fooling around for a bit, Xiao Li's smile faded. He took the Thunder Scale Spear from his Storage Ring. They'd bought the clothes; now it was time to wipe out the Wolf Head Mercenary Group.
The closer they got to the Wolf Head Mercenary Group's headquarters, the fewer people they saw. The Wolf Head's people were notorious for their wickedness, so it made sense that the area was deserted.
"Those Wolf Head guys really got what was coming to them. That day..."
"Yeah, yeah. There wasn't a single corpse left intact."
Xiao Li's ears twitched. He wondered if someone had come after the Wolf Head Mercenary Group.
When he reached their headquarters, Xiao Li saw two mercenaries lying at the entrance and frowned. Their clothes bore the Wolf Head insignia, so they must have belonged to the Wolf Head Mercenary Group. But why had they been killed here? They'd both been felled with a single blow. Whoever had done it had to be at least a Dou Master.
Xiao Yi Xian had spent a year in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Now, even seeing dead bodies didn't change her expression.
"Brother Xiao Li..."
Xiao Li shook his head slightly and walked straight into the Wolf Head Mercenary Group's headquarters. The blood here had dried. They'd been dead for at least three days, and no one had come to clean up. Had the Wolf Head been wiped out? If so, how was he supposed to get his revenge?
At that thought, Xiao Li quickened his pace.
As they entered the training grounds, Xiao Yi Xian's face paled at the sight of bodies strewn everywhere. There were well over a hundred of them, and not one was intact. They were all torn limbs and mangled flesh!
Xiao Li drew in a sharp breath. They'd all been smashed apart with a single blow. Whoever had done this was at least a Peak Dou Master, perhaps even a Da Dou Shi. He wondered what the Wolf Head had done to provoke such a ruthless opponent.
Wisps of green Dou Qi drifted from the Wolf Head Mercenary Group's main hall.
Xiao Li took a deep breath. "May I ask which senior is here? Please come out and meet me."
He wasn't being rude without reason. He truly wanted to see who had wiped out the Wolf Head Mercenary Group. This involved the original story, and the best thing to do was keep events in his own hands.
Inside the hall, Xiao Zhan, his forehead wrapped in a strip of white cloth, abruptly looked up. His bloodshot eyes were filled with disbelief.
"Li'er! It's Li'er!"
He stumbled out of the hall, his whole body trembling with excitement. When he saw the astonished young man outside, even his pupils quivered in disbelief.
Seeing Xiao Zhan covered in blood, Xiao Li's heart ached.
"Father!"
"Li'er!"
Xiao Zhan pulled Xiao Li tightly into his arms, his right hand pounding his son's back again and again.
"I thought you were dead."
Over the past few days, Xiao Zhan had agonized countless times over whether he should enter the Magical Beast Mountain Range. He himself didn't matter, but the Xiao Clan had made him hesitate for a long time.
Thank goodness Xiao Li had come back.
"I knew it. My son, Xiao Zhan's son, would definitely amount to something!"
Xiao Zhan let go of Xiao Li. His bloodshot eyes gave no clue whether it was exhaustion or tears of relief.
After a long while, his emotions had settled somewhat. Xiao Zhan released the hand he'd been clutching around Xiao Li's and noticed Xiao Yi Xian standing beside him.
The little girl had fair, tender skin and wore a long purple-and-white dress. She looked just like a little fairy out of a painting.
But her age... Xiao Zhan thought of his youngest son, Xiao Yan, who was nurturing the meridians of that little girl Xun'er. His vision went black, and after days of exhaustion, he nearly collapsed on the spot.
"Li'er, this girl..." Xiao Zhan's lips trembled. Could two of his three sons really have—
You beasts!