Treasure Hunting

The cave entrance was not wide, only enough for two or three people to pass through. The cave was not pitch-black; on the contrary, the stone walls on both sides gave off a faint glow, lending it a rather mysterious feeling, like a winding path leading into hidden depths.

Under the illumination of the torch, the area around the cave entrance could be seen. There were very obvious knife marks there. Perhaps because so many years had passed, the edges of those cuts had become somewhat rounded and blurred. If one did not look carefully, they would truly be hard to discover.

After sniffing, and detecting no unusual smell in the mountain cave, Lin Qingyun said, "Looks like it's safe. Let's go! Let's see what we can get. I hope it won't disappoint me."

A faint smile also appeared at the corners of Lin Qingyun's mouth. In his heart, there was actually a faint sense of excitement, as if he were completing an adventure. Treasure hunting—the thing he had always wanted to do in his previous life. He had not expected that he would actually complete it here.

After speaking, Lin Qingyun paid no attention to Xiao Yi Xian behind him and took the lead, carefully walking into the pitch-black cave.

Looking into the dark interior of the mountain cave, Xiao Yi Xian hesitated a little. A moment later, she stamped her foot, gritted her silver teeth, and followed.

As they walked through the quiet, dark mountain cave, a faint chill lingered around them. In the silent passage, there were only the faint sounds of two people's footsteps.

Even with the light of the torch, the inside of the mountain cave still leaned toward dimness. The faint light shone on the ceiling of the cave, revealing bats hanging upside down above them. Once creatures that lived in darkness like these were startled, they would flap about and fly wildly.

In an environment where only footsteps could be heard, the atmosphere seemed somewhat oppressive. Feeling the slight chill, Xiao Yi Xian crossed her arms around her own body and quickened her pace a little, following closely behind Lin Qingyun.

Although the young man in front of her was very hateful, in this kind of environment, only the young man before her could give her a bit more sense of security.

They walked in this quiet atmosphere for a full quarter of an hour. Just when Xiao Yi Xian really could not stand this maddeningly silent darkness any longer, the young man in front of her suddenly stopped.

"Ah..." Completely failing to notice, Xiao Yi Xian crashed straight into Lin Qingyun's back. Under the pressure, those two soft, perky mounds were instantly compressed against Lin Qingyun's back into two soft little round balls.

The intimate contact made Xiao Yi Xian's pretty face flush red, and she immediately took a step back, saying in embarrassed anger, "Why did you suddenly stop?"

That soft contact from earlier also made Lin Qingyun's mind sway. From the corner of his eye, he could not help glancing at those two perky mounds.

They were a little small, but they looked pretty good. He just did not know how they would feel in his hand...

Bah, what am I thinking?

Lin Qingyun muttered to himself, then slapped a palm against the stone wall in front of him and said, "There's no road. But I imagine that behind this door should be our destination."

"Then why are you looking at me? With your strength, you should be able to open it, right?" Xiao Yi Xian muttered.

"I can open it, yes, but it'll take some effort. You should be proficient in mechanisms and the like, right? How about you do it?" Lin Qingyun shook his head, looked at Xiao Yi Xian, and said.

"How do you know I'm proficient in mechanisms? Speak. Did you secretly investigate me? Sure enough, you have wicked designs on me." Xiao Yi Xian stepped back a few paces, eyes wide, staring at Lin Qingyun warily.

"Uh..." Lin Qingyun held his forehead with one hand. Was this really that considerate Xiao Yi Xian? Why was she different from how she had been described in the original work? How could her thoughts jump around so much?

Lin Qingyun said with a serious expression, "What are you thinking? If you don't make a move soon, the sky will be bright. Do you want to draw all those mercenaries over?"

"Hmph!" Xiao Yi Xian let out a soft snort, her gaze remaining warily fixed on Lin Qingyun. Only when she reached the stone door did a solemn expression appear on her face.

She extended a pair of delicate jade hands, her nimble five fingers continuously tapping or brushing over the surrounding stone walls.

Lin Qingyun also walked forward curiously, wanting to take a look, but he was soon met with a wary gaze.

With an awkward smile, Lin Qingyun raised the torch and looked at the surrounding stone walls.

On the stone walls were some faint carved marks. Although they were already somewhat blurred now, one could roughly make out that they depicted people. Presumably, these human silhouettes were traces left behind by the master of the cave.

"Found it!" While Lin Qingyun was observing the surrounding stone walls, Xiao Yi Xian's delighted soft cry made him shift his gaze.

Beside the stone door, Xiao Yi Xian had already crouched down. One slender hand touched a small protruding point below the stone door. Her finger pressed down slightly, and a creaking sound slowly rang out within the mountain cave.

And as the stone door moved upward, light spread out from within, driving away all the surrounding darkness.

Looking at the brightly lit interior beyond the stone door, Xiao Yi Xian smiled faintly, but she took two steps back, then lifted her snow-white chin toward Lin Qingyun and said with a soft laugh, "There. Go in."

"You're cautious, aren't you?" Lin Qingyun smiled and walked in without the slightest hesitation.

"I'm a weak woman. If I weren't a bit more cautious, I'd probably have been eaten clean by men like you long ago." Xiao Yi Xian smiled and followed close behind.

After entering through the stone door, the view before them suddenly became spacious.

Looking at the familiar furnishings inside, Lin Qingyun nearly failed to hold back his laughter.

"What are you laughing at?" Xiao Yi Xian looked at Lin Qingyun warily, holding a paper packet in her hand, afraid that the young man before her had improper intentions toward her.

"Nothing. I just thought of something funny," Lin Qingyun said.

After saying this, Lin Qingyun walked as if he knew the way well to a small flowerbed piled up with soil in the corner. Within the flowerbed, all sorts of flowers and plants were planted, and a strange fragrance lingered around it.

"You've got quite the eye!" Xiao Yi Xian also walked over, but very quickly, she stared blankly at the small flowerbed, continuously murmuring, "Purple Blue Leaf, White Spirit Ginseng Fruit, Snow Lotus Seed..."

"They're all high-grade medicinal herbs. Unfortunately, they were planted together, so the medicinal strength of each herb isn't very abundant. It was clearly plundered away by even higher-grade medicinal herbs. What a pity, what a pity," Lin Qingyun said with a shake of his head and a sigh.

Being deeply familiar with the medicinal properties of a hundred thousand medicinal herbs, he could tell from a little withered yellow on the leaves that these high-grade medicinal herbs gathered together would die off in large numbers within a few years, leaving only the highest-grade few behind.

"You also understand medicinal herbs?" Xiao Yi Xian turned back in some surprise and looked at Lin Qingyun.

"Hehe, I've read a few books about medicinal herbs, so I know a little," Lin Qingyun said with a smile.

After saying this, he had already begun moving. From his Storage Ring, he took out several large jade bottles as well as a jade shovel, his target aimed directly at a grass leaf alternating between white and red.

"You're pretty direct, taking the most precious one." Xiao Yi Xian frowned and spoke with extreme reluctance.

"This thing is of great use to me. If you're willing to let me have it, then I'll only take one-third of the medicinal herbs here," Lin Qingyun said.

What did you say? Great use?

Of course not!

This was prepared for his good brother Xiao Yan!

(A reader said: simp, dropped.)

Hehe, brothers were, of course, for scamming.

Lin Qingyun had already begun carefully thinking in his heart about how to pry something out of Xiao Yan or Medicine Elder's hands.

"Fine, fine!"

Hearing Lin Qingyun say this, Xiao Yi Xian's expression finally improved a little, and she nodded slightly.

At this moment, Lin Qingyun had long since stuffed the Ice Spirit Flame Grass, roots, soil, and all, into a jade bottle. Immediately after, he unceremoniously pocketed several more high-grade medicinal herbs.

Only then did he hand the small shovel in his hand to Xiao Yi Xian in satisfaction.

Her gaze followed as Lin Qingyun placed that Ice Spirit Flame Grass into his Storage Ring. Only then did Xiao Yi Xian reluctantly withdraw her eyes. For someone like her who loved medicine, obtaining a rare medicinal herb was far more stirring and exciting than obtaining several hundred thousand in wealth.

With a sigh, Xiao Yi Xian felt extremely vexed. If this fellow had not accidentally discovered the secret below the cliff, all these things should have belonged to her. But now... sigh. The moment she thought of it, Xiao Yi Xian felt like crying but had no tears.

"Damned bastard."

Vaguely, Lin Qingyun also heard that bit of bad language. Finding it amusing, he directly cast his gaze toward a Bluestone Platform to the side. As for those several hundred thousand gold coins, he directly ignored them.

"A Flying Fighting Skill!" The moment he thought of that fighting skill that could let a person fly into the air, Lin Qingyun felt a small surge of excitement in his heart.

Firmly stuck to the stone platform were three locked stone boxes.

Knowing that these stone boxes were extraordinary, Lin Qingyun was too lazy to study them. He took the keys from the hand of the skeleton seated upright.

History was always astonishingly similar. The skeleton's arm happened to break off, and Lin Qingyun also saw the small scroll hidden within the skeleton's arm.

"Sigh, Xiao Yanzi, sorry about this." After silently reciting this in his heart, Lin Qingyun reattached the bone arm, then, with a smile on his face, took the keys and walked to the Stone Table.

Touching the metal lock that was faintly warm, he turned his head and looked at Xiao Yi Xian, who was still busy, then said with a smile, "Come over quickly! Otherwise, if I open it on my own, you'll say I wanted to keep it all for myself."

"At least you still have a bit of conscience."

Wrinkling her pretty nose, Xiao Yi Xian stopped what she was doing and walked toward Lin Qingyun.

Lin Qingyun waved the three black keys in his hand at Xiao Yi Xian and said with a smile, "Then I'm opening them."

"Open them!" Rolling her eyes at Lin Qingyun, Xiao Yi Xian looked toward the three stone boxes, a trace of eagerness also appearing in her eyes.

Looking at the stone boxes, Lin Qingyun licked his lips, casually chose one from among the three keys, then grabbed the lock and carefully inserted it.

A click suddenly sounded.

Unexpectedly, he hit the mark on the first try. Carrying a trace of surprise, Lin Qingyun abruptly lifted the lid of the stone box.

Although he already knew what was inside, Lin Qingyun still felt a little impatient as he took out that colorful, ancient-looking scroll from within.

"Seven-Colored Poison Scripture. You're also a physician, so it seems quite suitable for you." After casually flipping through it a few times, Lin Qingyun handed the scroll to Xiao Yi Xian.

"Mm." Xiao Yi Xian merely nodded, but no joyful expression seemed to appear on her face.

Lin Qingyun let out a soft sigh. If nothing unexpected happened, after Xiao Yi Xian flipped to the very end, she would see the detailed records about the Calamity Poison Body. And at that time, strong-willed as she was, she would also begin choosing to consume poison to grow stronger.

All of this could not be avoided.

"Why not tell her directly!"

"No, that would be impossible to explain clearly!"

Lin Qingyun was somewhat conflicted. He did not know why he had suddenly become so sentimental.

And at this moment...

"What are you thinking about? I'm warning you! Don't have wicked designs on me."