After leaving Qingshan Town, the two walked slowly along a woodland trail worn by those who had come before them. Along the way, they kept encountering mercenaries heading into the mountains to earn a living.
Most greeted Xiao Yi Xian with eager expressions and respectful attitudes. In passing, they also grew intensely curious about the identity of Xia Kong, who walked beside her.
To Xia Kong's slight disappointment, however, even after they reached the depths of the mountain forest, where people grew scarce and magic beasts began to appear, not a single fool came looking for trouble. He never got a chance to show off his strength.
Ultimately, it was nothing more than his little urge to show off acting up. For one thing, the two walked side by side, a talented man and a beautiful woman, and Xiao Yi Xian showed not the slightest displeasure. Naturally, no one had any reason to interfere. For another, Xia Kong's clothes and bearing were clearly extraordinary, and he even wore a Storage Ring on his finger-a treasure ordinary mercenaries did not even dare covet.
Greed might cloud a person's judgment, but the threat of death staring them in the face was enough to bring anyone who had lost their reason instantly back to their senses.
The sun gradually climbed above the treetops, its light filtering through gaps in the leaves to fall in dappled patches across Xia Kong's and Xiao Yi Xian's faces.
Xia Kong found the forest breeze against his face warm and wonderfully pleasant. Beside him, however, Xiao Yi Xian was already struggling to hold on. Fine beads of sweat dotted her smooth forehead, and her steps grew increasingly unsteady as her legs weakened.
Xia Kong had been watching her condition all along and judged that she was nearing the limits of her stamina. Just then, he spotted a large, flat blue-gray rock nearby and suggested, "Since you don't want me to carry you on my back, I won't insist. Let's rest here for a while."
Hearing that they could stop and rest, Xiao Yi Xian stopped forcing herself onward. Bracing herself against the large rock, she slowly sat down and raised a hand to gently wipe the sweat from her forehead.
She had already begun to regret deliberately sulking at Xia Kong and contradicting him earlier. Whether she had actually annoyed him, she did not know, but she was the one suffering for it. She had barely slept a wink last night and had not had time for breakfast that morning. In truth, fatigue had swept over her just after they left Qingshan Town. Yet when Xia Kong offered to carry her earlier, how could she possibly agree? She could only grit her teeth and struggle on until now-a perfect example of manufacturing misery where there was none.
Seeing the girl panting for breath yet still refusing to yield, Xia Kong had already guessed most of what was on her mind. He merely chuckled inwardly without pointing it out.
"Try some spirit fruit. We've still got two or three days of traveling ahead. We can't have you wearing yourself out."
Xia Kong took out ten level-one cherry tomatoes, arranged them on a jade plate, and set it before Xiao Yi Xian.
It was Xiao Yi Xian's first time seeing this kind of fruit, and curiosity flickered in her eyes.
With her temperament, she would ordinarily never readily accept gifts from a stranger. But Xia Kong was different. She knew he would not harm her. Besides, she had come into the mountains because of him and ended up exhausted like this, so there was no need to stand on ceremony. She picked one up, put it in her mouth, and bit down fiercely, as though venting all the hurt and resentment she had accumulated since last night on that single fruit.
As it turned out, the spirit fruit's flavor truly exceeded her expectations.
Refreshing, sweet juice burst in her mouth, spreading a distinctive sweet fragrance. It was sweet without being cloying, with just the right hint of tartness, and instantly whetted her appetite.
"What kind of spirit fruit is this?" Xiao Yi Xian asked curiously, blinking her clear eyes.
Xia Kong did not answer. He merely pushed the jade plate a little closer to her, looking rather as though he were feeding a well-behaved little animal.
"Hmph!" Xiao Yi Xian gave a petulant little snort, picked up one in each hand, and slipped both between her rosy lips at once.
Her little mouth bore a sin it should never have had to bear. Her cheeks instantly bulged, making her look just like a squirrel busily hoarding food.
Even Xiao Yi Xian herself had not expected to do something so childish.
After a moment's thought, she quickly understood why. First, the spirit fruit had a unique flavor that made it impossible to stop once she tasted it. Second, when she ate the first one, a faint warmth had flowed down her throat and spread through her limbs, dispelling most of her fatigue. More importantly, a faint craving had stirred deep within her body.
Had she lifted her clothing at that moment, she would have seen the Seven-Colored Hidden Line on her lower abdomen, the mark of the woeful poison body, faintly shimmering with a weak, seven-colored radiance.
These level-one cherry tomatoes were also marrow-cleansing spirit fruits, possessing the wondrous ability to cleanse the body and marrow and improve one's constitution. Naturally, they could affect the woeful poison body as well. That effect, however, would only truly reveal itself once the woeful poison body had fully activated.
While Xiao Yi Xian savored the spirit fruit, Xia Kong did not sit idle. He took level-one potatoes, level-three rice, and level-three white radishes from the farm warehouse, along with various other ingredients and seasonings, and began preparing lunch for the two of them right there.
Chopping wood, lighting a fire, setting up a pot-his movements flowed like drifting clouds and running water, a pleasure to watch. His cooking skills had once been just enough to feed himself. Only after binding himself to the farm space had he devoted himself to learning to cook, both to make good use of the farm's produce and to reward himself for the hardships of cultivation.
In particular, during the year he had spent at the Mittel Auction House, he had studied diligently for a long time under the expert chefs employed by Mittel. Now, with the addition of the farm's top-quality ingredients, his dishes looked enticing, and their fragrance drifted on the forest breeze, lingering for miles.
As the tempting aroma wafted over, Xiao Yi Xian could not help swallowing.
"I really never imagined that someone like you could make dishes that look, smell, and taste so wonderful."
Though she had yet to taste a single bite, the aroma alone convinced her that this lunch would be extraordinarily delicious, drawing sincere praise from her.
"Heh, I'm no young master from some great clan. In terms of background, you and I aren't really so different," Xia Kong said evenly.
He had expected Xiao Yi Xian's look of utter disbelief, but he had no intention of explaining much further. He handed her the portion he had prepared separately.
"Eat up. Once you're full, it'll be time to send you on your way."
Xiao Yi Xian accepted the wooden bowl and held the wooden chopsticks Xia Kong handed her. For a moment, she did not know whether to keep holding them or put them down, and her heart inexplicably tightened.
Xia Kong's lips spread into a grin, and he burst out laughing.
"Haha, don't overthink it. I'm not sending you to the next life. We're just continuing our journey."
Only then did Xiao Yi Xian realize he had frightened her as a joke yet again. Puffing her cheeks in annoyance, she carried her food off to one side and began eating in small bites.
Before you continue