Cave on the Cliffside

Walking among towering trees and through lush green shrubs, no one dared let down their guard. The earlier attack by the Scarlet Ice Snake had already shown that danger could lurk in those dark corners.

Beast roars rang out continuously from all around. The especially shrill wolf howls carried far through the somewhat eerie forest. The Magic Beasts that occasionally appeared within the party's sight made everyone tense up and remain on high alert.

The outskirts of the Magic Beast Mountains were just as vast. Along the way, aside from the earlier Snake-Tail Leopard attack, they encountered several more sudden assaults by Magic Beasts.

They were hunters of the forest. Few people could fight a Magic Beast alone, so the party had paid a bloody price, allowing Mu Chen to truly understand the brutality of Magic Beasts.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out ahead. Mu Chen frowned, only to see Xiao Yi Xian step out gracefully. She first looked apologetically at the injured mercenaries, then said in a clear, ethereal voice, "We've traveled for so long. Everyone has worked hard.

We're already close to the place where we'll gather herbs, so let's rest here for a while."

Traveling for so long had indeed drained their strength. On top of having to guard against Magic Beasts that could appear at any moment, everyone was already exhausted. Thus, when Xiao Yi Xian suggested resting, no one objected.

Traveling while exhausted in the Magic Beast Mountains was practically suicide! Those cruel "hunters" would never let such a good opportunity slip by.

This saying was always on the lips of experienced mercenaries, and no one chose to ignore it.

After a brief discussion, more than a dozen burly mercenaries were reluctantly sent out around the camp to stand guard and prevent savage Magic Beasts from approaching their resting place.

The rest sat casually on the ground in twos and threes, unconcerned by the damp soil and rotting leaves sticking to them.

Since they had spent years roaming the Magic Beast Mountains, the mercenaries basically all knew one another.

However, they sensibly refrained from boasting to each other. Noisy voices could travel far through the silent forest and attract Magic Beasts. This was also one of the survival rules they had to follow.

Mu Chen sat on a slick stone, his peripheral vision never leaving Xiao Yi Xian. Before long, Xiao Yi Xian, dressed in a pale white gown, whispered something to the members of the herb-gathering team and quietly left the party.

Mu Chen narrowed his eyes and clearly saw the upward curl of Mu Li's lips. Evidently, he too had been watching Xiao Yi Xian's movements.

Without making a sound, Mu Chen quietly withdrew into the dense forest behind him and vanished into the undergrowth.

The Wolf Head Mercenary Group had many members. If Mu Li set off immediately, he would surely arouse the suspicions of the other mercenaries. If they wanted to follow, they had to find a good excuse. Therefore, Mu Li would be unable to move for the time being.

The forest was dimly lit. Mu Chen quickened his pace, and before long, the light ahead grew brighter. Distant mountains stretched out in shades of green, white mist curling around their towering peaks. Behind him lay a jade-green forest, while before him stood a steep cliff. From its edge, he could vaguely see the lush treetops more than a hundred meters below.

A brisk breeze brushed across Mu Chen's cheeks, carrying a faint fragrance in the air. After looking around for a while, he indeed spotted a pale white medicinal plant bearing red fruit near the cliff's edge. At the same time, the value of the herb appeared in his mind.

"White Orchid Fruit." White quality. Worth 2 points.

Mu Chen smiled faintly as a soft climbing sound reached his ears. Unhurriedly, he walked over to the pale white flowers and came face-to-face with Xiao Yi Xian's somewhat dazed, pretty face.

A flicker of panic passed through Xiao Yi Xian's heart. Her beautiful eyes instinctively glanced at the cliff below before meeting Mu Chen's smiling gaze.

Their eyes met, and a captivating flush swiftly spread across Xiao Yi Xian's fair face. She called out weakly, "Can... can you give me a hand? I don't have any strength left."

Mu Chen smiled and nodded, extending his right hand. The handkerchief on his palm, soaked in medicinal liquid, made Xiao Yi Xian stick out her tongue in embarrassment. Then, holding Mu Chen's wrist, she climbed up the cliff.

"Thank you."

After thanking him, Xiao Yi Xian saw that Mu Chen had no intention of leaving, and anxiety flickered through her lively eyes.

Her delicate brows furrowed as her gaze fell upon the pale white flowers at the cliff's edge. The tension on her pretty face slowly eased, and she smiled. "Judging by what you did earlier, this White Orchid Fruit must be your target, right? This is a mid-grade medicinal herb, worth several thousand gold coins."

The payment from Wanyao Pavilion was only five hundred gold coins, while this White Orchid Fruit was worth several times that amount.

Xiao Yi Xian had thought Mu Chen would pluck the White Orchid Fruit with delight, but she was disappointed. The man who had saved her life merely watched her with a smile, showing no interest whatsoever in a White Orchid Fruit worth thousands of gold coins.

Xiao Yi Xian's heart immediately skipped a beat. Could he have noticed something?

Xiao Yi Xian's bright, watery eyes were filled with anxiety, yet she maintained a pleasant smile. Gently crouching down, she carefully plucked the red fruit from among the pale white flowers and handed it to Mu Chen. Half-jokingly, she said, "This White Orchid Fruit is for you, but those who see it get a share too."

Xiao Yi Xian practically stuffed it into Mu Chen's hand, then hurriedly said, "Let's head back quickly. We've been gone so long; the party must be worried about us."

Mu Chen quietly watched Xiao Yi Xian's flustered actions over that short span of time. Her crude, clumsy acting made him laugh inwardly, and he could not help saying with a smile, "Xiao Yi Xian, you're really too adorable."

"Huh?"

Xiao Yi Xian awkwardly brushed back the hair before her forehead, looking completely at a loss. Is he confessing to me?

It could not be denied that Xiao Yi Xian did have a favorable impression of Mu Chen, the man who had saved her life. He was rather handsome too, without the roughness common among mercenary men. Xiao Yi Xian thought quite highly of him.

A faint shyness appeared on Xiao Yi Xian's jade-white face, but when she thought of the poison that surfaced unpredictably within her body, her bright, watery eyes immediately dimmed.

Xiao Yi Xian forced a smile. "Thank you for the compliment, but we should head back soon. They must have finished resting by now. While it's still light out, let's hurry to our destination. The herb-gathering mission isn't finished yet."

With a soft inward sigh, Xiao Yi Xian put away the packet of medicinal powder that had slipped into her palm. In the end, she still chose not to act against Mu Chen. She could only pray that he had not discovered the secret beneath the cliff.

My body is getting stranger and stranger. The poison is appearing more frequently too. I wonder whether I can hold on until the next herb-gathering expedition.

Without the relevant information mentioned in the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, Xiao Yi Xian did not know how to prepare higher-grade poisons to increase her resistance to poison. Thus, whenever the poison surfaced in her body, she would lock herself tightly inside a dark room and endure that torturous pain alone.

Mu Chen noticed the dimness in Xiao Yi Xian's eyes. After giving it some thought, he understood her concerns and decided not to tease her any further.

Mu Chen pointed toward the cliff below and said softly, "Aren't you going down to take a look? I can help you."

Mu Chen did not intend to waste any more time either. He would cut through the mess quickly! Taking advantage of this opportunity, he would thoroughly loot everything in the cave on the cliff, then focus entirely on dealing with the Wolf Head Mercenary Group.

Xiao Yi Xian looked shocked, then said bitterly, "So you already knew. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to deceive you.

I only discovered the cave beneath the cliff by accident during one of my herb-gathering trips. My strength is limited, so I didn't dare go too deeply inside. I only explored it a little.

However, judging by the traces left behind, the owner who built this cave must have been very powerful. It was very likely left behind by a Dou Ling expert."

Xiao Yi Xian's estimate was rather conservative. After all, she had always lived in the remote Qing Mountain Town, and the strongest person she had ever seen was only a Dou Master. Estimating that the cave's owner had been a Dou Ling expert was already an exceptionally bold guess.

Mu Chen had long known what was inside. He looked around and chose a more suitable spot.

Mu Chen found a sturdy vine and tied it to a large tree near the cliff. Then he extended his hand and said, "Although you look adorable when you're spacing out, and I like it, just as you said, if we don't hurry, we might return empty-handed if they discover us.

Oh, right. My name is Mu Chen. I think you'll remember it."