Danger, and a Hero Saving the Beauty

Unknowingly, Xiao Yi Xian had ventured deeper into the mountain range.

"Hmm? Is that... Dew Grass?"

Xiao Yi Xian's eyes lit up, and she quickly headed toward a patch of grass ahead.

Several bluish-green stalks of grass dotted with dew grew within the patch. They were Dew Grass, the main ingredient for refining healing pills.

She crouched down and carefully dug up the herbs, a delighted smile appearing on her face.

In the grass behind her, a pair of gleaming green eyes had already fixed upon her.

"Whoosh—"

A gust of wind suddenly rose.

Xiao Yi Xian's heart jolted, and she whirled around.

A massive magical beast was pouncing toward her!

It resembled a leopard, yet it had a serpent-like tail tipped with a poisonous barb. It looked utterly ferocious.

A Snake-Tailed Leopard!

A second-tier magical beast, equivalent to a human Dou Master!

Xiao Yi Xian's face went pale, and she hurriedly stumbled backward in terror.

She was only a little medic. How could she possibly be a match for a second-tier magical beast?

"What do I do... what do I do..."

Panic overwhelmed Xiao Yi Xian. In a fluster, she pulled several packets of medicinal powder from her robes and threw them at the Snake-Tailed Leopard.

The powder scattered, forming a cloud of white smoke.

This was a special sleeping powder she had made herself. It worked well enough against ordinary wild beasts, but its effect on a second-tier magical beast was extremely limited.

The Snake-Tailed Leopard merely sneezed before charging through the smoke and pouncing at Xiao Yi Xian.

A foul stench wafted from its gaping maw, while its sharp teeth gleamed with a cold light.

Xiao Yi Xian was so frightened that her soul nearly fled her body. She turned and tried to run.

But how could her speed compare to that of the Snake-Tailed Leopard?

She had only taken two steps when the Snake-Tailed Leopard struck her across the back with a paw.

"Ah!"

Xiao Yi Xian cried out miserably as she was sent flying, crashing heavily onto the ground.

A piercing pain shot through her back. Her vision went dark, and she lost consciousness.

The Snake-Tailed Leopard lunged to her side, lowered its head, and opened its jaws to bite down.

At that critical moment!

"Whoosh!"

A streak of Dou Qi tore through the air and struck precisely into the Snake-Tailed Leopard's eye.

"Roar—!"

The Snake-Tailed Leopard let out a shrill scream and rolled wildly across the ground in agony.

A figure in white drifted down from a tree and landed beside Xiao Yi Xian.

It was Lu Xia.

Looking at the Snake-Tailed Leopard writhing in pain on the ground, he casually flicked out another wisp of poisonous flame.

The dark green poisonous flame landed on the Snake-Tailed Leopard and instantly spread across its body.

Within a few breaths, the Snake-Tailed Leopard, which had been so vicious moments ago, turned into a puddle of pus!

After dealing with the Snake-Tailed Leopard, Lu Xia crouched down and looked at Xiao Yi Xian on the ground.

Her eyes were closed, her face was pale, and her lips were bloodless. The clothes on her back had been torn open by the claw, and blood seeped out, staining her dress red.

Lu Xia frowned slightly and reached out to lift her from the ground.

The young girl's body was light and bonelessly soft, carrying a faint herbal fragrance.

Holding her, he looked around and quickly found a dry cave.

Lu Xia carried Xiao Yi Xian into the cave and gently laid her on the ground.

He took out a healing pill from his storage ring, pried open Xiao Yi Xian's mouth, and fed it to her.

The pill melted as soon as it entered her mouth and slid down her throat.

Before long, some color returned to Xiao Yi Xian's pale face.

Lu Xia then took out wound medicine, carefully lifted the clothing on her back, and treated her injury.

The wound on her fair, smooth back was not too deep, but it was long and looked quite frightening.

After applying the medicine, he took out clean strips of cloth and carefully bandaged her wound.

Only after finishing all this did Lu Xia let out a breath of relief.

He walked to the cave entrance, gathered some dry firewood, and returned. He ignited it with Dou Qi and built a fire.

The orange-red firelight illuminated the entire cave and drove away its cold dampness.

Lu Xia sat beside the fire, watching Xiao Yi Xian lying on the dry grass as he quietly waited for her to wake up.

The flames flickered across his face, casting shifting shadows.

The cave was quiet, filled only with the crackling of burning wood and the girl's steady breathing.

Two hours later, Xiao Yi Xian's eyelashes fluttered lightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.

"Mmph..."

She let out a soft groan, feeling pain all over her body, especially in her back, where it burned fiercely.

I... didn't die?

Xiao Yi Xian froze for a moment before coming to her senses.

She remembered being sent flying by a single paw strike from the Snake-Tailed Leopard, then losing consciousness.

By all reason, after being struck by a second-tier magical beast, she should not have survived.

Could it be... someone saved me?

Xiao Yi Xian's heart skipped a beat, and she instantly became wary.

Forcing herself to endure the pain, she sat up and swiftly scanned her surroundings.

The cave was small and empty. Apart from the pile of dry grass she had been lying on, there was only a fire in the middle.

There was someone sitting beside the fire!

A young man in a white brocade robe sat with his back to her beside the flames.

His back was straight and upright, and somehow familiar.

Xiao Yi Xian's heart thumped. Instinctively, she tried to retreat, only to accidentally pull at the wound on her back.

"Hiss..."

She sucked in a sharp breath and could not help making a sound.

Hearing the movement, the young man by the fire turned around.

A handsome, gentle face came into Xiao Yi Xian's view.

It was him?!

Xiao Yi Xian was stunned. Was this the noble young master who had said he wanted to take her as his disciple?

Why was he here?

Could it be... he had saved her?

Xiao Yi Xian's heart was filled with confusion.

Seeing that she was awake, a gentle smile appeared on Lu Xia's lips as he said, "You're awake?"

"How do you feel? Does your wound still hurt?"

His voice was gentle and full of concern.

Xiao Yi Xian looked at him blankly for a moment before finally coming back to herself and asking softly,

"Was... was it you who saved me?"

Lu Xia nodded and admitted it frankly.

"Yes, it was me."

"I followed behind you when you entered the mountain."

"Don't misunderstand. I didn't mean you any harm."

He explained, "I was simply worried about your safety. The Magical Beast Mountain Range is still quite dangerous, and it was too dangerous for a girl like you to enter the mountains alone."

"That Snake-Tailed Leopard appeared too suddenly. By the time I arrived, you had already passed out."

"Don't worry. I killed the magical beast, and I've treated your wound as well. It's nothing serious. You'll recover after resting for a few days."

Listening to him, Xiao Yi Xian inexplicably felt a warmth rise in her heart.

So... he had been protecting her in secret all along.

She had thought that he had left after she rejected him.

She had never expected him to keep following her, and even save her life at the critical moment.

Xiao Yi Xian was deeply moved. Looking at Lu Xia, she said earnestly,

"Thank you for saving me."

"If it weren't for you, I would probably have died in that Snake-Tailed Leopard's jaws today."

Her tone was sincere and filled with deep gratitude.

Lu Xia waved his hand and said with a smile,

"It was nothing. No need to thank me."

Looking at his gentle smile, much of the wariness in Xiao Yi Xian's heart faded.

She could sense that Lu Xia truly meant her no harm.

Otherwise, he would not have saved her, much less treated her wound.