Xiao Yi Xian knew full well that even if she returned to the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion, Mr. Yao would only use her and take away her freedom. She might as well take a gamble and let Xiao Li help her escape. Even if she died, that would be better than being treated like a tool!
Though Xiao Yi Xian was gentle by nature, there was steel in her heart. She was unwilling to spend her whole life bound to the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion. She wanted to find a way to solve the problem with her body and become a physician!
Seeing the smile on Xiao Li's face, the worry in Xiao Yi Xian's heart eased a little. At the very least, trusting him was better than trusting the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion and slowly waiting to die.
Hearing Xiao Yi Xian's words, Xiao Li raised an eyebrow slightly. Letting her come with him went against his original intention of avoiding any major changes to the story.
Xiao Yi Xian was undoubtedly an important person who would influence Xiao Yan's life.
Then Xiao Li froze again. Xiao Yan was a transmigrator, and so was he. He even knew the story. What was he afraid of...?
That was right. Xiao Li suddenly realized he was afraid of changing the story. It was true that the story mattered, but that didn't mean he had to be afraid.
The person he had transmigrated into was Xiao Li, the ruthless man who was willing to burn his life for his family!
Xiao Li also believed that even without Xiao Yi Xian, even if the story changed, his third brother, the future Flame Emperor Xiao Yan, would still be able to reach the peak!
He wasn't some good-for-nothing who could only rely on the story, either!
He looked at Xiao Yi Xian, who was nervously clutching him. She was still far from the woman she would become a few years later. The most obvious proof was that the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion wouldn't stand up to the Wolf Head Mercenary Group for her now. In a few years... they might at least hesitate before giving her up.
Looking at that poor girl, all alone, Xiao Li made up his mind.
"Fine. I'll take you with me."
His voice was steady, but Xiao Yi Xian's eyes widened.
"Th-thank you."
Her voice trembled, fragile in a way that tugged at the heart.
Bending down, Xiao Li scooped Xiao Yi Xian into his arms. Holding the spear in one hand, he unleashed a surge of lightning. The Dou Qi cloak on his body vanished as he channeled all his Dou Qi into the Thunder Scale Spear.
"Hold on tight," Xiao Li said softly.
Xiao Yi Xian nodded without a word and buried her face against his chest. Enveloped by the boy's uniquely crisp, clean scent, the turmoil in her heart began to settle.
The Thunder Scale Spear swung with a furious sweep. Xiao Li's right foot stamped a small pit into the ground, and he shot toward the depths of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
Only a few low-ranked Dou Zhe stood in Xiao Li's way. They were no match for him.
"Get out of my way!"
His shout stunned the men blocking his path, but Xiao Li's hands never slowed. The sound of thunder exploded again and again as he unleashed Lightning Flash Strike in rapid succession, as if it cost him nothing.
He had to blast a path open within seconds. Otherwise, if Gan Mu caught up from behind, things would get troublesome.
Driven by Xiao Li's Dou Qi, the Thunder Scale Spear unleashed its full might. A swimming fish clad in scales of lightning appeared, lunging at the enemy with a thunderous burst of speed.
The few Dou Zhe ahead were no match for him. One explosive strike split them all in half, scattering blood across the ground.
Xiao Li's figure faltered slightly. Gan Mu's gaze turned vicious as Dou Qi coiled around his right fist, which he slammed into Xiao Li's back with all his might.
"Bang!"
The punch struck Xiao Li, who had no defenses up. Even with his Dou Master cultivation, he couldn't take it lightly—Gan Mu was a high-ranked, seven-star Dou Zhe, after all.
Xiao Li's face paled. He swallowed the metallic tang rising in his throat. If he hadn't dispelled his Dou Qi cloak to maximize his attack, Gan Mu wouldn't have been able to injure him so badly.
Xiao Li didn't stop. He didn't even look back; instead, he used the force of the blow to surge more than ten meters forward.
"Gan Mu, I'll repay you a hundredfold for this punch one day!"
Xiao Li chose not to kill Gan Mu there and then. There were still twenty Dou Zhe from the Wolf Head Mercenary Group behind him, and even if he killed Gan Mu, Mu Li would still be directing them from the rear. Fighting recklessly would only put himself in danger.
Holding Xiao Yi Xian tight, Xiao Li darted forward in a blur and vanished into the dense forest.
Mu Li was frantic. "Uncle Gan, hurry and chase him! What if he gets away and comes back for revenge later?"
Gan Mu's face darkened and turned deathly pale. A thin trickle of blood slid from the corner of his mouth.
"Don't be ridiculous. Do you think I don't know that? Unfortunately, he nearly killed me with one spear thrust earlier. I held on by sheer force of will, hoping that last punch would make him stay, but I didn't expect..." He paused. "Go back and tell the regiment commander to prepare. We need to act quickly."
Supported by one of his men, Gan Mu watched as the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion's representative finally stepped forward. "Vice Commander Gan, about our medicine-gathering trip..."
Gan Mu glanced at him. "Keep going. The remaining men should be enough to protect you while you gather medicine."
The representative of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion nodded repeatedly. At best, he was only the fourth- or fifth-ranking figure in the pavilion. Both his strength and status were beneath Gan Mu's, a villainous man, so naturally he kept his head low.
Gan Mu turned to Mu Li. "Nephew, take two or three men back and tell the regiment commander what happened. Ask him to send reinforcements. Have them guard the mountain entrance and wait for that Xiao brat to come out!"
As he spoke, Gan Mu's face grew even paler. Xiao Li's spear had nearly pierced his heart. By comparison, his own punch would only leave Xiao Li's blood and Qi in turmoil for a while.
A powerful Dou Master really was terrifying!
Still, it was a pity that the depths of the Magical Beast Mountain Range were a place even Da Dou Shi dared not enter.
A cold smile curled Gan Mu's lips. He didn't know how powerful the experts above Da Dou Shi were, but Dou Masters absolutely could not enter the inner reaches of the mountain range.
In the middle reaches of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, Xiao Li finally stopped in a valley after sprinting dozens of kilometers without pause.
Xiao Yi Xian lifted her head from Xiao Li's arms, her eyes trembling. "Brother Xiao Li, does it hurt?"
Xiao Li's face, flushed from running, suddenly went blank. It took him a moment to reply that it didn't hurt.
Xiao Yi Xian used her small body to support Xiao Li, doing her best to make him comfortable as he rested.
"Brother Xiao Li, are we going into this valley?"
Seeing Xiao Li stop at the entrance, Xiao Yi Xian thought he planned to go inside and recover from his injuries.
Xiao Li shook his head. "The energy of heaven and earth in this valley is stronger than in ordinary places. A magical beast must have claimed it. I'll recover my Dou Qi first, then we can take a look inside."
Xiao Li wasn't seriously injured. The only thing that could even be called an injury was the punch Gan Mu had landed on him. He had simply used up all his Dou Qi on the way there.
To move faster and avoid attracting other magical beasts, Xiao Li had spent nearly all his Dou Qi on the way, leaving himself with barely enough to stay alive. There wasn't literally not a drop left, but he had used up at least eighty or ninety percent.
Xiao Yi Xian nodded and took several rough-looking pills from her clothes.
"Brother Xiao Li, I made these pills myself. They can restore Dou Qi and heal injuries. You..."
Xiao Li ate one without hesitation. Xiao Yi Xian had no reason to harm him. If he died here in the middle reaches of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, the chance of a little girl who wasn't even a Dou Zhe surviving would be practically zero.
Seeing Xiao Li take her pill without hesitation, a sincere smile appeared on Xiao Yi Xian's face.