Wolf Head Mercenary Group

Early the next morning

Seeing the stone stele bearing the words "Green Mountain Town," Xiao Yan threw back his head and let out a long howl. "We're finally here!"

As more people appeared, Yao Chen had already slipped back into the ring. Huo Yuhao and Xiao Yan walked to the town entrance.

"Let's stop here before entering the mountains and prepare some necessary herbs and other supplies," Huo Yuhao suggested.

"Alright." Xiao Yan agreed. "Let's find an apothecary first."

"I know a place."

"It's not far, right? I can barely walk anymore."

"It should be quite close."

"Should be?"

As they passed through the crowd, their figures drew frequent glances from many mercenaries. First, they looked exceptionally young. Second...

"Look, what's that guy carrying on his back?"

"It's all black. Could it be a coffin?"

"Tch." Xiao Yan complained, "This is what you call not far? We've practically crossed half the town!"

"We're almost there."

Just as Xiao Yan was about to lose his temper, he saw Huo Yuhao stop in front of an apothecary.

"We're here. This is the place."

Xiao Yan could only suppress his resentment and look up at the plaque.

"Myriad Medicine Hall? We passed several herb shops, yet you didn't enter any of them. Don't tell me you have some kind of backdoor deal with this one. Are you getting a kickback?"

Ignoring the strange words Xiao Yan had blurted out, Huo Yuhao explained, "We crossed paths before."

There were not many customers in the shop at the moment, and the clerks were quite idle. When they saw someone enter, one clerk warmly came forward.

"Honored customer, what would you like? We have..."

Xiao Yan cut him off. Glancing around, he listed a string of names. "I want Tigerbone Grass, Spirit-Calming Flower, Yellow Lotus Essence..."

"Please slow down, sir. Let me write that down!"

While Xiao Yan was making his large purchase, Huo Yuhao called over another clerk and asked, "Hello. Is Mr. Yao or Xiao Yi Xian here?"

"What business do you have with them?" The clerk looked somewhat puzzled.

"We are old acquaintances."

"There are plenty of people who want to see Xiao Yi Xian. Everyone uses that excuse..." The clerk had intended to mock him, but Huo Yuhao did not look like he was lying. He promptly changed his tone. "I'll ask for you, but whether she sees you is another matter." With that, he turned and ran toward the rear courtyard.

After choosing his herbs, Xiao Yan walked over with an unfriendly expression.

"So there really is something going on! You even know the owner!"

"We met before in the Magic Beast Mountain Range."

"Since you're acquaintances, it'd be embarrassing to take advantage of them. Oh, right—" Xiao Yan weighed the Blood Lotus Essence in his hand. Remembering something, he said to Huo Yuhao, "You didn't give your name just now. What if they refuse to see you? Are we going to get thrown out as swindlers later?"

"Uh, probably not?"

Tap, tap. Crisp footsteps approached, and a graceful figure in a white dress emerged.

"Who is it? Ah! Brother Yuhao!"

The figure she had never forgotten appeared before her. Xiao Yi Xian's face flushed red with surprise and delight as she hurried forward, took Huo Yuhao's hand, and led him toward the rear courtyard.

"Hiss—" Xiao Yan sucked in a cold breath, as though he had seen something utterly incomprehensible. He thought to himself, I thought this kid was a block of wood. Who knew he'd quietly gone and...

He then handed all the herbs except the Blood Lotus Essence to the clerk. "Wrap these up for me. I'll pay later." Then he followed Huo Yuhao inside.

Seeing this scene, the customers in Myriad Medicine Hall beat their chests and stamped their feet, lamenting that the most beautiful girl in Green Mountain Town had been whisked away by some unknown brat. One mercenary left Myriad Medicine Hall and ran toward a sizable residence.

Xiao Yi Xian said, "Father, look who's here!"

Mr. Yao raised his head from his medical book. "Oh, it's little brother Huo. Long time no see. And this is?"

"This is my younger brother, Xiao Yan," Huo Yuhao introduced.

"Nonsense! I'm the older brother!"

"Whoever is weaker is the younger brother." Huo Yuhao glanced at him, then turned back and continued, "Please excuse him. My younger brother is rather rebellious."

"Did Brother Yuhao come for something this time?" Xiao Yi Xian asked.

"We were just passing through. We're planning to enter the Magic Beast Mountain Range."

"I see..." Xiao Yi Xian's tone carried a faint trace of disappointment. She then invited Huo Yuhao and Xiao Yan to rest at Myriad Medicine Hall for a day.

"Brother Yuhao, it's getting late. Rest for a day before leaving!"

Huo Yuhao looked out the window. The sunlight was still slanting down, and the morning dew had yet to dry. "Getting... late?"

The tips of Xiao Yi Xian's ears turned red, but she stubbornly kept her gaze fixed on Huo Yuhao's eyes.

"Ah, it really is late!" Xiao Yan suddenly chimed in with a teasing grin, pressing Huo Yuhao down to keep him from speaking. "Since it's already so late, we'll set off tomorrow. Thank you, Miss Xiao Yi Xian."

"Wonderful! Come with me, I'll take you to the guest rooms!"

Wolf Head Mercenary Group headquarters.

A mercenary was reporting to their young master.

"What? You said those two brats went in and never came out?" Mu Li clenched his right hand hard, crushing the teacup.

"Yes, Young Master. As soon as those two entered Myriad Medicine Hall, that Xiao Yi Xian rushed out and pulled them inside. Do you think...?"

"Impossible!" Mu Li roared, fiercely hurling the shards in his hand at his subordinate. "Xian'er could never fall for some mud-legged nobody from who knows where!"

"I saw it with my own eyes, Young Master!" The mercenary covered his face, his voice aggrieved. Yet inwardly, he grumbled, What kind of relationship do you even have with her to call her so intimately? Has Xiao Yi Xian ever said more than two words to you? And mud-legged nobody? Anyone listening would think you were the young master of some great sect.

"Li'er, I told you to remain calm when things happen." A cold voice sounded as Mu She, leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, entered.

"You may leave."

"Yes, Chief."

"Yes, Father."

Mu She patted Mu Li's shoulder, looking as though he hated iron for not becoming steel. "A few months ago, one of Myriad Medicine Hall's teams suffered severe losses and was saved by a young man. It was likely one of those two. Think carefully, and you'll know that Yao only kept them there out of gratitude."

"But Xian'er..." Mu Li still could not set his mind at ease.

Mu She frowned and cut him off. "Li'er! She is merely a woman. What you should pay more attention to is your cultivation and the development of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group! Once our Wolf Head Mercenary Group dominates all of Green Mountain Town, what difficulty would there be in taking Xiao Yi Xian?"

"Father's lesson is right." Mu Li suppressed his emotions and lowered his head in acknowledgment.

"From now on, cultivate one extra shichen every day!" With that, Mu She left Mu Li's room. Arriving at the main hall of the headquarters, he waved over a trusted subordinate.

"Have the spy we planted in Myriad Medicine Hall investigate the backgrounds of those two strangers who arrived today."

"Yes!"

In a guest room at Myriad Medicine Hall, Huo Yuhao was being interrogated by Xiao Yan.

"Are you confessing or not? Be honest and you'll be treated leniently; resist and you'll be punished severely!" Xiao Yan gripped Huo Yuhao's neck and spoke viciously.

"Cough, cough!" Huo Yuhao pushed Xiao Yan's hands away, his expression very unnatural.

"Back in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, they encountered a Snow Demon Ape that was about to break through to the third tier. I gave them a hand."

"Oh—saving the beauty like a hero, huh? What, didn't she offer herself to you in return?"

"It doesn't count as saving them. They encountered the Snow Demon Ape because of me." Huo Yuhao had no mood to joke with Xiao Yan now, and his voice was somewhat low. "I still arrived too late."

Seeing this, Xiao Yan stopped teasing him and said seriously, "This isn't your fault. It wasn't like you deliberately lured the Snow Demon Ape there. The one who wanted to hurt them was the Snow Demon Ape, and the one who saved them was you. How does that not count?"

After saying that, Xiao Yan once again revealed a mischievous grin and teased, "Why did Yuhao insist on coming to her home? Don't tell me you're interested in her too."

"When I saw Xiao Yi Xian last time, I vaguely felt that she might have been poisoned. That's why I planned to have Teacher examine her condition this time."

Yao Chen suddenly emerged from the ring and said, "I had the same feeling."

"Could it be because she cultivates Poison Dou Qi?" Xiao Yan asked.

"Doesn't seem like it." Yao Chen explained, "That feeling was different from Poison Dou Qi. Besides, she seems to have only broken through to the Dou Zhe realm a few days ago. Four months ago, she probably had not even begun cultivating a technique. Where would she have gotten Poison Dou Qi?"

"How about calling her in again, Yuhao? Master can observe her more carefully," Xiao Yan suggested.

"Alright." After pondering for a moment, Huo Yuhao agreed.