Undercover

"Brother Yuhao, were you looking for me?"

"Yes, there's something I need to confirm." Huo Yuhao explained, "Little Fairy Doctor, release some of your Dou Qi first."

Little Fairy Doctor's expression tightened. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but swallowed the words back. Following his instructions, she circulated her Dou Qi and gathered it in her palm. Since she had not yet become a Grand Dou Master, she could not release her Dou Qi externally. Yet as her Dou Qi circulated, wisps of purplish-gray mist emerged from her palm.

"It's actually the Calamity Poison Body!" Yao Chen's astonished voice reached Huo Yuhao and Xiao Yan's ears, followed by an explanation.

Seeing Huo Yuhao's expression gradually turn grim, Little Fairy Doctor lowered her voice. "Brother Yuhao, you really did see through it. My constitution is rather special. After Father took me in, he investigated it and found that it was a curse known as the Calamity Poison Body." Her spirits sank. "I can increase my Dou Qi by consuming poison, but every time I eat poison, I lose control."

However, the disappointment soon faded from Little Fairy Doctor's face, and she brightened again. "When Brother Yuhao saved me last time, your ice-element Dou Qi entered my body and completely suppressed the poison inside me. During this time, I tried consuming poison again. It only increased my Dou Qi, and I didn't lose control anymore!"

Looking at the radiant smile before him, carrying a faint hope for the future, Huo Yuhao was momentarily dazed. The girl's purple hair seemed to turn blazing red like fire. When he came back to himself, Huo Yuhao frowned tightly and grasped Little Fairy Doctor's hand. Ignoring how her face instantly flushed, he injected Dou Qi into her body and tried to suppress the poison within her.

A faint chill washed over her. Ice-blue currents flowed through Little Fairy Doctor's meridians like melted snow. At the slightest contact, the purplish-gray poisonous mist within her body immediately lost its activity and came back under the control of her Dou Qi.

Under Huo Yuhao's control, Little Fairy Doctor, who should have been injured by the cold, felt only a trace of coolness, like air conditioning in summer. As Huo Yuhao's Dou Qi circulated, a tingling sensation filled her meridians. Bliss flooded her mind, and an uncontrollable moan escaped her lips.

"Ah—ah!"

Unmoved by the sound, Yao Chen observed carefully for a while, marveling inwardly that Huo Yuhao's ice-element Dou Qi could even suppress the Calamity Poison Body. Then his teasing voice sounded by Huo Yuhao's ear. "That little girl probably won't be able to leave you in the future!"

"What happened?" The door was suddenly slammed open, and Mr. Yao rushed inside before looking over the scene.

The scene he had imagined did not appear. Everyone was fully clothed; Huo Yuhao was merely holding Little Fairy Doctor's hand. As everyone looked toward him, Huo Yuhao's eyes were filled with confusion, while Xiao Yan's were full of amusement. Little Fairy Doctor looked embarrassed and annoyed. Mr. Yao was somewhat awkward. "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding!" Seeing that Huo Yuhao and Little Fairy Doctor were still holding hands, Mr. Yao's thoughts shifted, and he seemed to understand something. He turned and left through the door. "I won't disturb you. Please, continue!"

"Ah, Xian'er really does have feelings for Brother Huo..." Mr. Yao sighed softly after leaving the room.

Brother Huo's Dou Qi can suppress the Calamity Poison Body. It would be a good thing if Xian'er followed him. Mr. Yao thought as he walked, recalling how tightly the two had held hands.

"Mr. Yao!" A timid voice called him back to his senses. Mr. Yao lowered his head slightly and saw a maid carrying a tray.

"It's Liffy. Delivering food? Hurry along, then."

Inside the room, Little Fairy Doctor hurriedly shook off Huo Yuhao's hand. Her head seemed ready to steam, and she muttered, "F-Father saw us!"

Having enjoyed the show, Xiao Yan nudged Huo Yuhao with his elbow. "So? How about taking her with us to the Magic Beast Mountain Range?"

"Stop messing around." Huo Yuhao frowned. "We're going there to train. Bringing her along would be inconvenient, and it would be dangerous for her as well. We can wait until we return, or have Mr. Yao move the Myriad Medicine Hall to Wutan City."

"What if it's too late and she gets poisoned to death by her own poison? Yuhao, you can't just stand by and watch her die, can you?" Xiao Yan urged. "Didn't you say gathering herbs isn't urgent? I don't think training is urgent either."

Hearing Huo Yuhao and Xiao Yan arguing, Little Fairy Doctor came back to her senses and hurriedly said, "Brother Yuhao, are you going to gather herbs? I know a place that might be able to help you."

When the two stopped arguing, Little Fairy Doctor continued, "I found it by accident while gathering herbs once. There's a cave with a residence inside. It should have been left behind by some senior expert. The cave is hidden behind a strange tree on a cliff. When I investigated it last time, I faintly smelled medicinal fragrance. There may be herbs inside that Brother Yuhao needs."

At that moment, Yao Chen suddenly transmitted his voice. "Take her with you. Are you worried that your master can't protect you?"

"All right."

The next day, after thanking Mr. Yao for his hospitality, Huo Yuhao and Xiao Yan waited in the main hall for Little Fairy Doctor so they could set off together.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Little Fairy Doctor jogged over with several bags slung over her back. "I'm all ready!"

Seeing Little Fairy Doctor loaded down with bags, black lines appeared on Huo Yuhao's forehead.

"Don't you have a storage ring?"

As he spoke, Huo Yuhao took a ring set with a dazzling gemstone from his robes and handed it to Little Fairy Doctor. "This storage ring is for you. It has twenty cubic meters of space inside."

"Ah! Th-Thank you!" Perhaps because she had just run over, Little Fairy Doctor's face was flushed red, and her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

He called me a beast, but does this kid not know what it means to give someone a ring? Xiao Yan smiled as though he had seen through everything.

Watching the three figures disappear into the distance, Mr. Yao shook his head and sighed. "A grown daughter can't be kept at home."

"Boss, those two only bought some ordinary medicinal herbs, yet they left behind more than a hundred thousand gold coins!"

"Hm? That much gold?" Mr. Yao found it strange. Then he thought of the ring Huo Yuhao had given Little Fairy Doctor, a ring with even more space than a mid-grade storage ring. "Could that have been a betrothal gift?"

Wolf Head Mercenary Group headquarters, council hall.

"Oh, a cave residence left behind by some predecessor?" Mu She raised his teacup and looked at the subordinate kneeling on one knee below him. His voice was unhurried. "Are you certain?"

"Absolutely, Chief!" the subordinate said. "It came from the person we planted in the Myriad Medicine Hall. Apparently, that little girl Little Fairy Doctor found it while gathering herbs yesterday. They went there today."

Seeing that Mu She was still drinking tea, the man became anxious. "Chief, we need to go too! Otherwise, those three brats will take all the treasure!"

Mu She set down his teacup, stepped forward, and helped the subordinate up. "Get up first. Are you certain there are only three people? Boss Yao didn't go with them?"

The subordinate thought for a moment before answering firmly, "He didn't."

Mu She nodded in satisfaction, returned to his seat, and lightly tapped his fingers against the table. "Li'er, what do you think we should do?"

Mu Li, who was sitting nearby, immediately stood up and said excitedly, "Father, this is a good opportunity! I'm willing to lead two teams to follow them. I guarantee I'll bring all the treasure back to you!" At the same time, he viciously swore to himself.

Those two little bastards dared lay their hands on my woman. Once I catch them, I'll personally torture them.

Mu She's voice rang out. "Li'er, you still don't understand. I've told you many times: even when a lion hunts a rabbit, it uses its full strength. Besides, that kid was already able to save the Myriad Medicine Hall's team from danger a few months ago. What level is he at now? Can you defeat him?"

"I'm sorry, Father. I didn't think it through."

"Go call the second and third chiefs. Bring all the veterans. We'll go take a look at this ancient cave residence."

"Yes, Chief!"