After the two of them had playfully tussled for a while, Xiao Yi Xian led Xiao Yuan into the house.
It was his first time stepping into Xiao Yi Xian's bedroom.
The air was filled with a faint medicinal fragrance, mingled with the unique, sweet scent of a young woman.
It was the same scent that clung to Xiao Yi Xian.
"Wolf Head Mercenary Group... has really been wiped out?"
Xiao Yi Xian poured him a cup of tea and asked softly.
"Yeah. From top to bottom, not a single one was left."
Xiao Yuan picked up the teacup and took a small sip. He answered casually, as if it were as simple as eating or drinking.
But the look in Xiao Yi Xian's eyes gradually grew more complicated.
"Little brother Xiao Yuan, I really can't see through you more and more."
Xiao Yi Xian wasn't the only one who had said that.
Ya Fei had said the same thing.
Whenever that happened, Xiao Yuan would only stay silent and answer with a smile.
If you could see through me, would I still be the cool, handsome, unbelievably awesome Xiao Yuan?
Xiao Yi Xian immediately shot him a look.
At his age, most boys were still living like spoiled young masters in their clans or working hard at cultivation.
She had never met anyone else who ventured out into the world like he did.
It made Xiao Yi Xian recall their first meeting.
She had foolishly stuck up for him.
When this naughty little brother could clearly handle things himself!
Xiao Yi Xian felt a little annoyed, but also somewhat relieved.
Even without hearing his thoughts, she knew perfectly well that the little brother she'd taken in, though a little mischievous and sometimes rather improper, meant her no harm at all.
In fact, he went out of his way to help her...
"By the way, Big Sister Xiao Yi Xian, shouldn't you make good on our bet?"
Xiao Yi Xian, pulled from her thoughts by Xiao Yuan, brushed the strands of hair from her forehead and gave him a coquettish glare.
But she still answered gently:
"All right, all right. Big Sister lost the bet. So where do you want to take me now?"
"Hold on. Let me take a look and plan things out first."
Xiao Yuan didn't answer right away. Instead, he took two maps from his Storage Ring.
One was the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame Fragment Map he had found in the stone chamber.
The other was the Heavenly Flame map the system had rewarded him with.
Xiao Yuan picked up the Heavenly Flame map and studied it. The expression on his face gradually turned strange, shifting from calm to something quite peculiar.
Ancient Nether Poison Swamp... Nether Poison Fire...
He looked at the map in his hand, then secretly glanced at Xiao Yi Xian sitting before him.
"Little brother Xiao Yuan, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing... I just wanted to ask you, Big Sister Xiao Yi Xian, if you'd like to learn alchemy."
At his words, Xiao Yi Xian froze. Her cherry lips parted as she let out a tiny "Ah," her face full of shock.
She was the legendary Woeful Poison Body!
After reading the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, she had gained a much fuller understanding of her constitution.
How could someone like her possibly become an alchemist?
Xiao Yuan then explained the general situation to Xiao Yi Xian.
"You mean that if I obtain this Nether Poison Fire, I'll be able to refine pills?"
"That's more or less the idea."
Xiao Yuan tightened his grip on the teacup slightly, his tone a little awkward.
That was because pills refined using the Nether Poison Fire and poison Dou Qi would only be poisonous.
"But Big Sister Xiao Yi Xian, you don't need to worry too much. There's nothing wrong with refining Poison Pills, really. At the very least, you can take them yourself. And even if you don't want to learn alchemy, refining this Nether Poison Fire alone will greatly increase your strength..."
The Nether Poison Fire ranked twentieth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. It was a flame found in the Ancient Nether Poison Swamp.
After being steeped for millions of years in the swamp's Sky-Covering Poison Miasma, it had devoured an endless amount of poisonous miasma until its flames brimmed with poison. It was pale purple in color, formed by absorbing the deadly poisons of the world, and possessed immeasurable power. Even the slightest contact could make life worse than death.
One could say there was no rare treasure more compatible with the Woeful Poison Body than the Nether Poison Fire.
Moreover, the Nether Poison Fire fed on poisonous miasma. In a sense, it could not only boost Xiao Yi Xian's cultivation, but also effectively suppress the outbreak of the Woeful Poison Body.
At least, it would keep her from suddenly bringing ruin to all living things.
As for alchemy—
The Nether Poison Fire was a Heavenly Flame. The missing wood attribute could be replaced with rare treasures from nature used as supplements, just as Tang Zhen, the current valley master of Burning Flame Valley, did.
Xiao Yi Xian's soul strength was decent, too. Even if she couldn't advance far, she could still manage to refine pills below the fourth tier without much trouble.
But the problem was that once she refined the Nether Poison Fire, she would only drift further and further away from her dream.
"All right, little brother Xiao Yuan. Don't overthink it. I accept."
Xiao Yi Xian gave an answer that took him by surprise.
"Are you sure you don't want to think it over?"
"No need."
Xiao Yi Xian shook her head and smiled playfully.
"You've put so much thought into what's best for your big sister. What reason would I have to refuse?"
Her voice was light, without a trace of heaviness.
Her smile was gentle and bright, like soft sunlight warm enough to embrace everything.
Xiao Yi Xian had already made up her mind.
Right now, she had no grounds to be picky.
If she hadn't met Xiao Yuan, she wouldn't even know what her future might have become.
Though Xiao Yuan's thoughts had mentioned someone called Xiao Yan, what would happen to her before that person appeared?
Would she become a poison master hated and hunted by everyone, then be driven out of Qingshan Town?
That wasn't what she wanted.
Since she was already mired in a swamp, and someone had reached out a hand, heedless of the danger, to pull her free, what reason did she have to put on airs and refuse?
Besides, she didn't believe she would ever meet another person who knew she had the Woeful Poison Body and still showed no disgust or fear, trusting her completely.
No matter what lay ahead, as long as little brother Xiao Yuan was with her—
That was enough.
Thinking of this, Xiao Yi Xian's mood lifted considerably. She propped her chin on her hand and gazed at the handsome young man across from her with tender eyes.
"Then, little brother Xiao Yuan, where are you taking your big sister to find this Nether Poison Fire?"
"Uh... There's no rush. I need to find a quiet place to improve my strength first."
I didn't expect the Ancient Nether Poison Swamp to be right next to the Jia Ma Empire, in the Chu Yun Empire.
Perhaps it's because of the Poison Swamp that the Chu Yun Empire produces so many poison masters, and that they're so powerful.
So, at the very least, I need to be able to unleash Taixu Sword God and add another trump card. That'll make things much safer.
Hearing his thoughts, Xiao Yi Xian immediately understood.
"In that case, come with your big sister. I happen to know a place that'll be perfect for your cultivation."
As she spoke, Xiao Yi Xian took his hand and quickly led him out of the room.
She then took a bamboo whistle from her clothes and blew a soft note.
A moment later, a huge blue eagle appeared in the sky, flying toward them from afar.
"This is my partner, Xiao Lan. She's a first-tier Blue Eagle."
Xiao Yi Xian proudly raised the bamboo whistle in her hand and smiled playfully.
"As expected of Big Sister Xiao Yi Xian. You're amazing!"
Since she summoned this Blue Eagle, she must be taking me to her secret base, right?
As he thought this, Xiao Yuan naturally slipped an arm around Xiao Yi Xian's slender waist again and leaped onto the eagle's back.
He didn't notice the faintly resentful look in Xiao Yi Xian's eyes at all.
This little brother of hers really did know everything.