Three days later.
Xia Kong strolled down Qingshan Town's only long, flagstone-paved street, his gaze sweeping around as he searched for the Myriad Medicine Pavilion and Xiao Yi Xian.
The breeze from the woods carried the rich scent of earth and vegetation, while the rough, booming laughter and chatter of mercenary squads filled his ears.
Crude and uncouth though they were, that was how they approached life.
Everywhere in Qingshan Town, the local customs differed completely from those of Wutan City, refreshing Xia Kong's mood along with them.
As Qingshan Town's largest medicinal herb merchant, the Myriad Medicine Pavilion occupied a carefully chosen location almost dead in the center of town.
After finding the entrance to the Myriad Medicine Pavilion, Xia Kong did not rush up like a fool and ask about Xiao Yi Xian. Instead, he posed as a customer shopping for spiritual herbs, entered at his leisure, and picked up a piece of yellow lotus essence from the counter to examine closely.
He sensed no sign of the blood lotus essence Xiao Yan had picked up for a bargain in the original story. Presumably, the time had not yet come. Xia Kong did not mind, directing more of his attention toward the conversations between the customers and shop assistants nearby.
Listening to the idle chatter of those coming and going, Xia Kong soon obtained the information he wanted: Xiao Yi Xian had already led the Myriad Medicine Pavilion's herb-gathering party deep into the Magical Beast Mountain Range and was not currently in Qingshan Town.
Having learned what he needed, Xia Kong set down the herb, turned around, and left the Myriad Medicine Pavilion.
Although he had bought nothing, his bearing and the clothes Ya Fei had carefully selected made it obvious that he was no ordinary person. Naturally, none of the shop assistants staged a farce of looking down on him through a dog's eyes.
After a brief look around from the roadside, Xia Kong quickly settled on an inn diagonally opposite the Myriad Medicine Pavilion. He chose a second-floor room with excellent light and a clear view, making it his temporary lodging in Qingshan Town.
After two or three days of continuous travel, he truly needed a thorough wash and some rest.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
Within the farm space, the sixteenth round of level-three crops ripened one after another.
Ten stalks of level-three rice, ten level-three white radishes, and ten level-three strawberries were all harvested, finally filling Xia Kong's empty backpack once more.
As for why his backpack had been completely empty before? It was best not to ask.
If someone insisted, Xia Kong would only answer that Ya Fei had "swindled" him out of every last resource with a single kiss.
It was not that Xia Kong's self-control was lacking. That kiss of Ya Fei's had truly plucked at his heartstrings, leaving him intoxicated for a moment, and he still savored its lingering sweetness.
Considering Ya Fei's current circumstances and her cultivation talent, Xia Kong had simply handed her all 220 mature fruits he had accumulated in his backpack: one hundred from level-two crops and 120 from level-three crops.
This batch of spiritual materials was not intended for Ya Fei to auction off for cash. With the authority she currently held within the Mittel Family, she certainly could not withstand the pressure of auctioning such a large quantity of rare resources.
These resources were more of a long-term investment Xia Kong was making in her.
With these spiritual fruits in hand, including level-three cherry tomatoes, level-three strawberries, and level-three potatoes, Ya Fei had enough support to advance all the way to Da Dou Shi without encountering any bottlenecks before Dou Ling.
It was easy to foresee that such rapid leaps in Ya Fei's cultivation would inevitably draw covetous eyes from others within the Mittel Family. For precisely that reason, she had postponed her original plan to return to the Imperial Capital immediately until a year later.
"Ah, beauty has led me astray."
Xia Kong sighed softly, unconsciously licking the corner of his lips as he savored that fleeting warmth.
Gathering his thoughts, he ate his fill in the farm space, then left it and took his usual seat by the window in the inn's dining hall. He quietly watched the people coming and going outside while listening to diners recount strange tales of their adventures in the mountains.
The Dou Qi Continent had always abounded with legends of falling off a cliff and finding a fortuitous opportunity just one step ahead. Someone might tumble into a deep ravine only to discover an unrivaled cultivation method, or be pursued by a demon beast only to find a spiritual herb that improved their aptitude, allowing them to leap through the dragon gate like a carp from then on.
Through these mercenaries' conversations, Xia Kong gained a deeper appreciation of such stories.
Just then, the mercenary diners in the hall suddenly grew restless. They abandoned their bowls and chopsticks and crowded toward the doorway to peer out onto the street.
Xiao Yi Xian must be back! Apart from her, no one should have that much influence.
Xia Kong reached that reasonable conclusion based on the information he had overheard over the past two days.
Whenever the Myriad Medicine Pavilion organized a herb-gathering expedition into the mountains, it lasted four or five days, and today was the fifth day since the last party had set out.
"Look, the Myriad Medicine Pavilion's herb-gathering party is back!"
"I heard Xiao Yi Xian led them this time!"
"Whenever Xiao Yi Xian leads, they have the fewest casualties and the biggest haul. Those people are so lucky. Why can't I ever get that kind of luck?"
"Look, that's Mu Li, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group's young leader. Tsk, tsk, he really is attentive to Xiao Yi Xian. He actually escorted the party into the mountains to gather herbs himself..."
"Him? Worthy of her? A toad lusting after swan meat!"
A mercenary familiar with Mu Li's character indignantly voiced his true feelings.
"Hey, do you have a death wish? Mu She, the leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, is a two-star Dou Shi!"
His companion hurriedly covered his mouth, stopping him from making any more outrageous remarks that might bring death down upon him.
"Xiao Yi Xian! Xiao Yi Xian! I see her! Now that she's back safely, smiling as always, I can finally put my heart at ease!"
Even before seeing her in person, Xia Kong could already feel Xiao Yi Xian's prestige among Qingshan Town's mercenaries through their heartfelt praise.
A faint smile lifted the corners of Xia Kong's lips as he turned his gaze toward the crowded street.
Amid the crowd, the girl dressed in plain white instantly captured his entire attention.
Even Mu Li, the tall, handsome young leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group standing beside her, was relegated to the edge of his vision, reduced to a mere backdrop.
The girl had delicate, lovely features. Though she lacked Ya Fei's dazzling allure and Xun'er's exquisite perfection, the ever-present, warm, healing smile of a physician on her face was especially moving, instinctively stirring the desire to protect her.
Her figure was slender, and the narrow sash around her waist made her look all the more graceful, like a white lotus untouched by worldly dust.
Like the other mercenaries, Xia Kong quietly watched her enter the Myriad Medicine Pavilion. With a sweet smile, she crouched down to rebandage the wounds of every injured guard in the party, soothing them in a gentle voice.
Suddenly, as though sensing something, Xiao Yi Xian raised her bright, expressive eyes.
Their gazes met across the crowded mercenaries and the broad flagstone road, through gaps in the drooping branches and leaves.
Xia Kong nodded to Xiao Yi Xian in approval and appreciation.
But Xiao Yi Xian only felt puzzled and bewildered.
Who is that man? Why is he looking at me like that? What does he want?
He'd better not have any ill intentions. They call me Xiao Yi Xian, but treating illnesses and saving lives aren't the only things I know how to do.
Only after the man disappeared from the window did Xiao Yi Xian gather her thoughts and return to her usual work of bandaging and treating the mercenaries.
Standing beside Xiao Yi Xian as both her guard and her self-appointed protector, Mu Li followed her gaze and likewise caught sight of Xia Kong.
With just one glance, Mu Li decided that this man would become a formidable rival in his pursuit of Xiao Yi Xian.
Fury and fighting spirit blazed in his eyes, but Mu Li quietly summoned several members of his mercenary group and instructed them to investigate Xia Kong's background.
Despite having a single-character given name meaning "strength," he was no brute who only knew how to use his fists!
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