A gentle voice suddenly came from behind her, making Xiao Yi Xian whirl around and nearly cry out in fright.
At some point, the figure in green had appeared behind her. His handsome face wore a faint smile beneath the moonlight, and he had arrived as silently as a ghost.
"S-Senior?!"
She patted her chest, still shaken. "Y-You... what are you doing here?"
"Passing through."
Without explaining further, Xiao Lin smiled and turned his gaze toward the hidden Cave Abode in the cliff.
Patterns faintly revolved within his Double Pupils, allowing him to see through every restriction inside.
"You found a Cave Abode but couldn't get in?"
"Not a bad stroke of fortune."
Xiao Yi Xian's pretty face flushed slightly as she nodded in embarrassment. "The cliff is too steep. I..."
After a moment's hesitation, she chose not to mention Little Blue.
"No matter."
Xiao Lin held out his hand. "Hold on to me."
Xiao Yi Xian froze.
Looking at that slender, warm hand, she felt her heart inexplicably quicken. She hesitated a moment before finally placing her hand in his-
Wings formed from Dou Qi unfurled behind Xiao Lin. He wrapped an arm around her slender waist and shot toward the Cave Abode like lightning!
"Ah-!"
Caught off guard by the sudden change, Xiao Yi Xian cried out and instinctively closed her eyes. Wind howled past her ears, and by the time it died away, her feet were already on solid ground.
She opened her eyes to find them standing at the entrance to the Cave Abode.
The vines that had covered the surrounding area and the rocks blocking the entrance had all vanished.
Ahead, a passage wound into the depths, with chisel marks and rough outlines faintly visible along its walls.
"This..." Xiao Yi Xian stared at everything in a daze, still unable to recover from her shock.
In the original story, Xiao Yi Xian had stumbled upon this extremely well-hidden cave while gathering medicinal herbs.
But the cliff had been too steep, her preparations inadequate, and mercenaries were stationed outside, so she had not entered it on her first visit.
She had even told the maidservant at her side about this secret after returning.
Later, while out with the mercenaries, she had finally found an opportunity to return, only for Xiao Yan to discover her by chance.
"Oh? There's a little fellow hiding here, too."
With a sidelong glance, Xiao Lin spotted the rank-one Rock Snake lurking in the darkness.
He reached out and caught the magical beast that Xiao Yi Xian would have found quite troublesome.
"Your rank's a little low. Even Qing Lin wouldn't bother catching you."
"A Rock Snake, hmm? An interesting name. I wonder if you'll become an Onix after advancing a rank. I'll spare your life and let Qing Lin raise you."
As Xiao Yi Xian watched blankly, Xiao Lin slapped the snake against the ground, knocking it unconscious.
"Qing Lin? Is she the little girl who was with you during the day? Won't she be in danger on her own?"
Coming back to her senses, Xiao Yi Xian seemed to remember something and spoke cautiously to Xiao Lin.
"She'll be fine. There are no high-ranking magical beasts nearby, and she has a rank-four Mud Snake guarding her. Nothing will happen."
"Let's go." Xiao Lin gently patted her shoulder and took the lead.
"Let's see what treasures this senior left behind."
As they walked through the quiet, dark cave, a faint chill curled around them. Only their soft footsteps sounded within the silent passage.
The gloomy surroundings made Xiao Yi Xian involuntarily wrap her arms around herself.
She looked up at Xiao Lin, who was walking slowly ahead. After a brief hesitation, she quickened her pace and followed closely behind him.
This senior did not look very old, yet his strength was terrifying, and he did not seem to harbor any ill intent.
In a place like this, drawing closer to him was the only way she could feel a little safer.
After a long while, they reached a sealed stone door. Xiao Lin glanced at it and gently pressed a protrusion beneath the door. With a creaking sound, the stone door began to rise slowly.
"Mechanism Arts? Senior, you even understand these unorthodox little arts."
Seeing how effortlessly Xiao Lin had uncovered the mechanism's secret, Xiao Yi Xian could not help exclaiming in admiration.
"Just a little trick." Xiao Lin waved a hand.
"My eyes are a little special. They can see things other people can't."
The abilities of his Double Pupils took countless forms. Before their power to pierce illusions and discern the underlying essence, ordinary mechanisms and formations had nowhere to hide.
"Also, do I look that old? Stop calling me Senior all the time. No need to be so formal. Just call me Xiao Lin."
"But..."
"All right, let's go inside and have a look."
Cutting off Xiao Yi Xian's hesitant reply, Xiao Lin waved his hand and strode through the stone doorway.
Seeing him enter, Xiao Yi Xian hurried after him.
Once they stepped through the stone doorway, the space before their eyes suddenly opened up.
Looking ahead, they saw a skeleton sitting starkly upon a chair in the center of the stone chamber!
Its hollow-eyed skull had fallen onto its pale thigh bones, lending the sight a rather eerie air in the silence.
In front of the chair, three locked Stone Boxes stood neatly arranged on the Bluestone Platform, immediately drawing Xiao Yi Xian's attention.
In three corners of the chamber lay piles of glittering gold coins and other precious valuables, enough to dazzle the eyes.
In the last corner stood a small flower bed built up from soil. Various flowers and herbs grew within it, and a faint, unusual fragrance lingered in the surrounding air without dispersing.
"Purple Blue Leaf, White Spirit Ginseng Fruit, Snow Lotus Seed..."
Her beautiful eyes stared blankly at the little flower bed as the names of rare, hard-to-find, high-grade medicinal herbs slipped from her rosy lips one after another.
"Ice Spirit Flame Grass!"
As her gaze swept over the flower bed, Xiao Yi Xian's pupils suddenly contracted. Her eyes fixed on a stalk at its center, its leaves alternating between white and red.
Just as she slowly reached out to collect it, she suddenly seemed to remember something.
Her body stiffened slightly, and she slowly turned around, her expression nervous and embarrassed.
"Ahem..."
"Senior, if any of these things or those Stone Boxes catch your eye, please take whatever you like. I'll just take a few medicinal herbs."
"Medicinal herbs? No need..."
Xiao Lin paused in surprise, then waved his hand.
Yet at his words, Xiao Yi Xian's pretty face suddenly turned deathly pale. Melancholy and disappointment welled up in her heart, along with a faint, inexplicable sense of hurt.
Still, she forced herself to maintain her composure and squeezed out a bitter smile.
"Well... of course. After all, it was only because you brought me here that I could..."
"I don't need them."
"Ah...?"
"I mean, none of these things are worth my attention. They're all yours."
Xiao Lin smiled faintly and tipped his chin toward Xiao Yi Xian.
"W-What?"
At his words, Xiao Yi Xian stared blankly for several seconds, unable to gather her thoughts.
As far as she knew, whether mercenaries were dividing their spoils or the Myriad Medicine Pavilion was distributing profits, the strong always claimed the lion's share.
At most, they left a few scraps for the weak. Some would not even spare them a sip of broth.
She had never expected...
"Then... then I'll..."
Xiao Yi Xian could not help stammering now. Joy gradually flooded her face, and her lips curved into a crescent.
"Thank you, Sen... Big Brother Xiao Lin!"
Silently watching Xiao Yi Xian hurriedly gather the medicinal herbs, as though afraid he might change his mind, Xiao Lin looked rather helpless and narrowed his eyes slightly.
[Target: Xiao Yi Xian] [Cultivation: Four-star Dou Zhe] [Fortuitous opportunities: Woeful Poison Body (not activated); Snow-Colored Swan Kiss] [Fortune value: 253]
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