Three Stone Boxes, Four Fortunes!

"Gather the herbs first?"

Xiao Yi Xian glanced at the Herb Garden, then at Xiao Yan, unable to hide the delight in her eyes.

Xiao Yan nodded and took a stack of jade boxes from his Storage Ring.

"Perfect. The boxes I brought can finally earn their keep."

The two crouched beside the Herb Garden, carefully dug up the mature herbs, and sorted them into their boxes.

Whenever they encountered seedlings that were still too young, Xiao Yi Xian left them in place and gathered the soil back around them. Xiao Yan left them untouched as well, taking only the Ice Spirit Flame Grass and placing it in a separate jade box.

Only when the lid closed did the alternating heat and cold at his fingertips gradually fade.

This would come in handy for refining medicine later. It was hardly something he could easily buy at an ordinary herb shop.

"I have a use for this one. You can pick from the rest first."

Xiao Yi Xian did not refuse. She selected several herbs she urgently needed, then pushed the remainder toward him.

"You're an Alchemist. In your hands, these can become a few more bottles of medicine."

Xiao Yan smiled and put them away, then walked toward the center of the Stone Chamber.

A skeleton sat upright on the Stone Chair. Its clothing had long since rotted away, leaving no clues to its identity.

He cupped his hands and bowed before reaching out to remove the Keys.

"Since I've benefited from what you left behind, senior, I'll give you a proper burial afterward."

Xiao Yi Xian also bowed before joining him at the Stone Ledge.

The first key slipped into the keyhole and turned gently.

Click.

The lock opened.

Xiao Yan used his sword sheath to lift the lid. He waited a moment, then, seeing nothing amiss, leaned closer with Xiao Yi Xian.

An old, faded book lay quietly inside the Stone Box.

The four characters on its cover were clearly visible.

Seven-Colored Poison Scripture!

Xiao Yi Xian's breath caught slightly. She took out the book and flipped through a few pages, the delighted surprise in her eyes growing brighter.

"It records so many poisonous substances, and even some formulas I've only heard the names of..."

Halfway through, she suddenly stopped and looked up at Xiao Yan.

"Don't you think there's something wrong with studying these things?"

Xiao Yan was inspecting the bottom of the box. At her question, he could not help smiling.

"If you hadn't understood poisons yesterday, could that mercenary have been saved?"

Xiao Yi Xian froze for a moment.

"You can only cure a poison if you can identify it. And there's nothing wrong with using it to defend yourself against bad people."

Xiao Yan pointed to the book in her hands.

"If you like it, it's yours. But make sure you understand any unfamiliar formulas first. Don't poison yourself just because curiosity gets the better of you."

"I'm not stupid."

The girl gave him a mild glare, then closed the Poison Scripture and tucked it carefully into the leather pouch she carried.

Yet her smile had become much more relaxed than before.

The second Stone Box was soon opened as well.

There was no book inside, but rather a black scroll.

Xiao Yan unrolled it, and a pair of lifelike, purplish-black wings immediately came into view.

Several lines of small writing appeared beneath the wings.

"High Xuan Tier, Flying Dou Technique, Eagle Wings."

Xiao Yi Xian read it aloud, then widened her eyes.

"A Flying Dou Technique?"

She could not help reading it again. Only after confirming she had made no mistake did she turn to Xiao Yan.

"If you learn this, you can fly?"

"According to what's written here, yes."

The corners of Xiao Yan's mouth lifted slightly.

I've finally gotten the Purple Cloud Wings.

The Divine Abilities the Grandmaster had taught him were naturally more powerful, but he had yet to master riding clouds and mist. If he learned this Flying Dou Technique first, traveling and crossing cliffs would become much easier.

He could hardly find a tree and tie a rope to it every time he encountered a deep ravine.

He continued reading. Seeing that its cultivation involved numerous considerations, he did not rush to try it and instead rolled the scroll up again.

He could ask the Grandmaster for guidance once he returned. There was no need to hurry.

"I'd like to keep this scroll."

Though Xiao Yi Xian was somewhat envious, she readily nodded.

"Then it's yours. I've already taken the Poison Scripture. I can't want everything I lay eyes on."

Xiao Yan smiled without saying more and turned his gaze toward the last Stone Box.

As the third key turned, a harsh scraping sound came from within the lock.

Rather than force it, he steadied the lock and slowly adjusted the angle. A moment later, the final clasp sprang open at last.

A yellowish scroll appeared before them.

Xiao Yan unrolled it and glanced over its opening lines.

"High-grade Profound Tier Dou Technique, Mad Lion's Roar."

Another High-grade Profound Tier Dou Technique!

Xiao Yi Xian stared at the Stone Ledge for a long moment before saying, "This senior must have amassed quite a fortune in his day."

"Indeed."

Xiao Yan skimmed the cultivation instructions, then rolled up the scroll.

He already had the Origin Returning Sword Manual, so there was no urgency to practice this Dou Technique. Still, he could use its methods of circulating Dou Qi as a reference, and bringing it back to the Xiao Clan would add to the clan's foundations.

In Wutan City, a High-grade Profound Tier Dou Technique was enough to make people fight until their heads split.

"I'm not good at this sort of thing."

Seeing him look her way, Xiao Yi Xian waved a hand before he could speak.

"You keep it. Just give me a few more of those herbs later."

"All right."

All three Stone Boxes had been opened. Xiao Yi Xian was about to count the valuables in the corner when she saw Xiao Yan return to the Stone Chair.

"Is there something else?"

"Let's take a look first."

Xiao Yan bent down, his gaze settling on a section of the skeleton's arm.

He had noticed it while taking the Keys. The dark color within the gap in the bone was different from the dust accumulated beside it.

Now that he looked closer, he could indeed see the corner of an extremely thin piece of leather.

"There's something hidden here."

He gestured to Xiao Yi Xian, then supported the skeletal arm and carefully drew the rolled-up sheet out through the gap.

Xiao Yan gently set the arm back down, then spread the sheet over the Stone Ledge.

It was an ancient map with torn, incomplete edges.

Its lines were tangled, and most of it was clearly missing, but a peculiar lotus pattern remained in one corner.

The lotus seemed to have been outlined in flames. The moment Xiao Yan's gaze fell upon it, his heartbeat quickened.

The Purifying Lotus Demon Flame!

Compared with the two Dou Techniques they had just found, this unassuming map fragment was what he had been longing for most.

But with only one corner of the map in hand, it was naturally far too early to find the demonic flame through it.

"Do you recognize it?"

Noticing his expression, Xiao Yi Xian asked softly.

"It should be connected to something I'm looking for. But the map is incomplete, so I can't make out the exact location yet."

Rather than put the map away, Xiao Yan looked at her and said:

"I'd like this map too. That means I'm taking quite a lot, so how about you get a larger share of the remaining valuables?"

Xiao Yi Xian looked at the map fragment, then at the pile of Gold Coins nearby, and suddenly laughed.

"If you hadn't said anything, I was already about to leave."

"We agreed to split everything. I can't forget what I said just because something valuable turns up."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony."

Xiao Yan took out the jade boxes he had put away earlier and set them before her. The girl did not decline again, choosing several herbs she needed.

She did not understand the map and had no intention of making wild guesses. Xiao Yan's willingness to lay everything out and discuss it reassured her more than the map fragment itself.

The two soon finished dividing their gains.

Xiao Yi Xian took most of the Gold Coins and packed them into several wooden chests along with the extra herbs. There was too much to carry, so Xiao Yan stored them in his Storage Ring for her, agreeing to return them once they reached town.

Afterward, they dug a grave beside the Herb Garden, properly buried the cave owner's remains, and erected an unmarked stone tablet.

When they were done, Xiao Yi Xian looked back at the now-empty Stone Ledge, still feeling a little dazed.

"I only came to pick a few Purple-Leaf Orchids. I never expected..."

"Never expected you wouldn't even need your herb basket anymore?"

Xiao Yan finished her sentence, making her laugh despite herself.

Upon reaching the stone door, he touched the Storage Ring on his hand again.

Herbs, Dou Techniques, and the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame Fragment Map.

This detour had certainly not been wasted.

Once he mastered the Purple Cloud Wings, the journey to Stone Desert City to find his two elder brothers would be much easier.

At that thought, Xiao Yan's lips curved upward, and he strode after the girl in the white dress ahead.