Secret Base

"You're here~"

Today, Xiao Yi Xian wore a fitted white dress that made her already slender waist look even more delicate. The small stretch of arm exposed beneath her sleeves was as white as snow, her eyes beneath thick lashes were lively as water, her rosy lips soft and full, and her smooth long hair fell over her shoulders, gleaming like pearls beneath the sunlight.

Light had no form to begin with,

but when it shone upon Xiao Yi Xian,

it took on a shape.

Xiao Yi Xian seemed to have been waiting for a long time today, as though she had already expected Xiao Fan to come.

Xiao Fan carried Zi Yan on his back as he approached Xiao Yi Xian.

Glancing at the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion, which had already closed its doors, Xiao Fan raised a brow and asked, "You're not opening the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion anymore?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Its mission has been completed."

"What mission?"

"A secret..."

Their conversation abruptly stopped.

Zi Yan on his back was very quiet—too quiet, in fact. Even Xiao Fan felt that something was off.

"Xiao Yan'er?"

A childish voice came from his back. "Xiao Fan, I'm sleepy. You two talk."

As she spoke, Zi Yan hugged Xiao Fan a little tighter...

Xiao Yi Xian stepped over to Zi Yan and softly said, "Thank you..."

Zi Yan did not reply. Lying on Xiao Fan's back, she simply began snoring.

"Hey, hey, hey! Sleep if you want, but don't drool!" Xiao Fan felt his back becoming soaked.

But clearly... no one could wake Zi Yan once she had fallen asleep. Poor Xiao Fan was practically being marinated in her drool.

Looking at Zi Yan helplessly, Xiao Fan said apologetically to Xiao Yi Xian, "Xian'er, she's still young. Don't mind her."

"Mm, I know."

"Also, you're just a little kid yourself," Xiao Yi Xian reminded him.

"Xian'er, what are you planning to do if you're not running the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion anymore?" Xiao Fan began asking about her plans.

"The Chu Yun Empire."

"No!" Xiao Fan immediately refused.

"Why?" Xiao Yi Xian's beautiful eyes flickered.

"Because... I'm worried about you."

"Is it only worry?" Xiao Yi Xian seemed to have discovered a different side of Xiao Fan. Xiao Fan in her previous life had worried about her too, but his feelings then had not been the same as they were now.

Xiao Fan gritted his teeth. He believed that, with Xiao Yi Xian's intelligence, she would understand what he meant.

"Because... I want to be with you, Xian'er."

"Xian'er, stay."

Xiao Yi Xian realized that she truly had changed. She had become someone who wanted to cry at the slightest provocation, even though she had always been so good at hiding her emotions before...

"Xiao Fan, you know about my constitution..."

"So what..."

Xiao Fan wanted to say that if she stayed by his side, he could find poisons suitable for her as well. Whatever Xiao Yi Xian wanted, he, Xiao Fan, could get it for her.

"Xiao Fan, don't try to persuade me anymore." Xiao Yi Xian interrupted him. "Xiao Fan, the Chu Yun Empire suits me very well, and I have no choice but to go..."

"If there's still any wish I haven't fulfilled before leaving..."

"Then it is this... Xiao Fan, can you accompany me for a while?"

Xiao Fan knew that this was Xiao Yi Xian's decision, one he could not talk her out of. In his previous life, Xiao Fan had been absent from Xiao Yi Xian's journey of growth. When they met again, she had already become the Heavenly Poison Maiden of the Chu Yun Empire.

Yet Xiao Yi Xian had never been absent from Xiao Fan's journey of growth, from Dou Wang all the way to Half-Emperor...

This time, he did not want to miss Xiao Yi Xian's growth.

Just as Xiao Fan was about to refuse, Xiao Yi Xian took his arm on her own initiative. "Xiao Fan, I'll take you somewhere..."

Xiao Fan had already guessed where Xiao Yi Xian meant.

Xiao Yi Xian had just been about to whistle for the Blue Eagle when Xiao Fan domineeringly pulled her into his arms.

"Xian'er, lead the way."

Enchanting purple wings condensed behind Xiao Fan's back. A flight Dou Technique envied by countless people was now being used by Xiao Fan to woo a girl.

Xiao Fan scooped Xiao Yi Xian up in a princess carry and flew into the air...

As for Zi Yan, she would find a suitable place for herself.

"Hm? Xiao Yi Xian, aren't you afraid?"

Xiao Yi Xian shook her head and gazed at Xiao Fan with boundless tenderness. "Xiao Fan, I'm very happy."

"My heart, here." Xiao Yi Xian pointed at her chest.

"It feels very warm."

Not long after the two left, the mercenaries of Green Mountain Town noticed the scene as well. Some even spread the news, "That old woman from the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion is actually a Dou Wang expert!"

The leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group who had previously tried to rob Xiao Fan fled Green Mountain Town overnight after hearing the news.

Who knew whether he might suffer a secret attack from her someday?

The entire Green Mountain Town also designated the area where the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion stood as a place that could never be approached...

Within a valley in the Magical Beast Mountain Range stood a crude little wooden cabin.

The small valley was filled with energy, so dense that it nearly condensed into mist.

Countless spirit plants and medicinal herbs concealed the small valley completely. It would not be easy to discover this place.

But Xiao Fan knew that this was the secret base he shared with Xiao Yi Xian, although it was not yet.

"Xian'er, this place is quite scenic."

"Isn't it..."

Until the very end, Xiao Yi Xian had waited in this small valley for Xiao Fan to come find her. But what arrived was not Xiao Fan, but news of Xiao Fan's death and intelligence that the Gu Clan and the Ancient Void Dragon Clan had gone to war.

This place held Xiao Yi Xian's happiest memories, but also memories she least wished to recall...

As soon as they entered the valley, Zi Yan discovered quite a few treasures and darted away in a flash.

Someone who could find milk to drink on her own would not starve to death.

"Hehe, Xian'er, if we could spend our whole lives here, that wouldn't seem so bad."

Xiao Fan stretched and took a deep breath of the fresh air.

Xiao Yi Xian silently moved to stand beside Xiao Fan as well.

The distance between them grew closer and closer, both probing, both hesitating...

In the end, Xiao Fan still took Xiao Yi Xian's hand.

"Xian'er, let me walk this road with you, okay?"

Xiao Fan stubbornly extended the invitation to Xiao Yi Xian once more.

Xiao Yi Xian still did not answer, changing the subject instead. "It's getting dark. Let me make you a meal."

Xiao Fan knew that Xiao Yi Xian did not want to answer his question. She was avoiding it.

"Sure! I haven't tasted a meal made by my adorable, gentle little angel Xian'er yet."

"Don't describe me in such a strange way!"

Xiao Yi Xian shook off the hand Xiao Fan was holding and entered the wooden cabin to prepare dinner.

Xiao Fan looked over the tranquil valley once more...

"It's ready~"

"I'm coming!" Xiao Fan eagerly entered the wooden cabin, but when he saw an unidentified liquid giving off a seven-colored glow, his expression immediately changed.

Looking at the soup, which resembled the Aphrodisiac Powder he had obtained earlier in several ways, Xiao Fan asked suspiciously, "Xian'er? You didn't poison this, did you?"

"No! What do you mean by that!"

Xiao Yi Xian was very unhappy at Xiao Fan's accusation.

"Are you eating or not?"

"I'm eating!" Xiao Fan suppressed his resistance and gulped it down. "Hm? The taste actually isn't bad?"

Watching Xiao Fan shovel down the food, Xiao Yi Xian was very happy, but the deep hesitation and sorrow in her beautiful eyes could not be concealed.