Conditions

"I said, can you let go of me now?"

Xiao Yi Xian's voice drifted over from in front of the cave.

Xiao Yan chuckled and released her slender waist.

"I scouted this place from a distance before. The cave's owner must have been very powerful in life. There might be traps inside."

Not daring to act rashly, Xiao Yi Xian stood two or three meters behind Xiao Yan.

"Stay close. It looks like no one has been here in ages, so there must be plenty of snakes, bugs, and rats. Don't get scared and run around triggering traps."

After reminding her, Xiao Yan lit the torch in his hand and slowly headed forward.

"Ah!"

Yet before he had taken even two steps, Xiao Yi Xian's cry rang out behind him.

Xiao Yan looked back and saw a Flying Rock Snake circling in the air, its sights set on Xiao Yi Xian behind him.

The Flying Rock Snake was a variant of the Flying Snake. Ordinary Flying Snakes could use their flattened necks as wings to remain airborne for brief flights.

Flying Rock Snakes, however, were variants born from swallowing too many minerals. Their skin was as hard as rock, making them almost impossible to injure with ordinary blades.

Even among first-tier magical beasts, this species ranked near the top, with strength comparable to a seven- or eight-star Dou Zhe.

With only the strength of a One-Star Dou Zhe, Xiao Yi Xian was helpless against it.

The Flying Rock Snake moved swiftly, using its brief moment in the air to lunge at Xiao Yi Xian.

Though Xiao Yan moved second, he reached her first. Bursting forward at full speed, he grabbed the Flying Rock Snake's head and squeezed viciously, crushing it into pulp.

"Th... thank you."

Xiao Yi Xian had fallen to the ground in fright. Staring at the snake's corpse with its crushed head, she was still shaken.

The thought that she might already have met a terrible end if she had truly come here alone sent another wave of fear through her.

"No need to thank me. Besides, it looks like we're in luck."

Xiao Yan slowly opened his hand, revealing a first-tier Earth-Type Magic Core.

This thing could fetch a thousand gold coins on the market and was a key ingredient for refining a First-Rank Pill or forging a Magic Core Weapon.

It would have been quite a find in Wutan City, but here in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, it was commonplace.

"It looks like you really aren't as bad as I thought. What's your name?"

"Xiao Yan." As he spoke, Xiao Yan held out his hand and pulled Xiao Yi Xian up from the ground. "And you? Surely your name isn't actually Xiao Yi Xian?"

"Me? I have neither a father nor a mother, and I haven't used my name in a long time. Just call me Xiao Yi Xian."

Xiao Yi Xian seemed reluctant to say much about her past.

Xiao Yan did not press her. Everyone had their own secrets, after all.

As the two ventured deeper into the cave, the temperature grew colder and colder.

Xiao Yi Xian was lightly dressed to begin with. By now, she had wrapped her arms tightly around herself and was shivering.

"If you're really cold, come a little closer. I'm a fire-type Dou Zhe. You'll be warmer near me."

Walking ahead, Xiao Yan glanced back at the shivering Xiao Yi Xian.

"No need... I can manage!"

She was a girl, after all. Even if she really was cold, she could not bring herself to press too close to a strange man.

"Suit yourself."

Xiao Yan shrugged, but he still released more Dou Qi, letting it surround him in an area roughly a meter across.

Although Xiao Yi Xian insisted she could bear it, once she felt the warmth coming from Xiao Yan, she unconsciously edged closer, little by little.

Catching the faint waves of fragrance drifting from behind him, Xiao Yan did not call her out. He simply focused on moving forward, sparing her the embarrassment.

After walking through the darkness for a while, Xiao Yan suddenly stopped.

Unable to react in time, Xiao Yi Xian bumped into him, the softness of her chest pressing firmly against his back.

"Why did you stop all of a sudden?"

Xiao Yi Xian hurriedly stepped back twice and asked, sounding embarrassed and annoyed.

"There's a stone door ahead. It looks like we can't get in without opening it."

Xiao Yan examined the stone door. It was very thick, beyond an ordinary Dou Zhe's ability to break by force. With the strength of a Dou Shi, however, one full-powered strike should have been enough.

Just as Xiao Yan was considering whether to force the door open, Xiao Yi Xian suddenly discovered something.

"Found it! It's a Formation Disk!"

Since the owner had built a stone door, he could not have intended to seal the chamber off completely. Following that reasoning, Xiao Yi Xian quickly located the Formation Disk.

"You know how to work mechanisms too?"

Xiao Yan watched her with interest, bringing the torch closer to illuminate the Formation Disk for her.

"I read a little about them in books before. It should be enough."

Xiao Yi Xian then busily fiddled with the Formation Disk. A few minutes later, its pieces finally slid fully into place, and a click came from the stone door.

"Done! Well? Pretty impressive, right?"

Xiao Yi Xian gave a little huff and proudly lifted her snow-white chin.

"Be careful."

Xiao Yan caught Xiao Yi Xian just as she was about to hurry through the stone doorway.

He then picked up a stone from the ground and tossed it straight inside.

Only after confirming there were no traps inside did Xiao Yan release her hand.

"You really are overly cautious."

Seeing the way Xiao Yan behaved, Xiao Yi Xian could not help shaking her head.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Xiao Yan walked ahead, ready to fight at any moment. If some magical beast or other creature was being kept inside, getting ambushed would be disastrous.

Once they entered, however, they found no danger. The cave's owner had truly intended to leave its contents to those who came after him.

Beyond the stone door lay a rather plain, empty stone chamber.

Moonlight stones set into the walls provided illumination, keeping the chamber from being quite so dark.

At the center of the chamber, a skeleton sat on a stone chair, its ghastly white skull drooping against its chest.

In front of the skeleton stood a stone table, with three locked iron boxes resting on it.

Numerous pots were arranged around the chamber, planted with all sorts of rare medicinal herbs.

The most striking of them was a medicinal herb placed right in the middle, shimmering with a faint blue light.

"This is... ice spirit flame grass!"

Xiao Yi Xian's attention was instantly drawn to it, and she hurried over to the plant.

Just as Xiao Yi Xian was about to reach for it, Xiao Yan acted first and snatched up the pot of ice spirit flame grass.

"What are you doing? I found it first!"

Xiao Yi Xian's delicate brows knitted slightly as she glared at Xiao Yan, puffing with anger.

"Nothing. I just had a feeling this thing must be worth a lot. Besides, quick hands get the prize, slow hands get nothing. You were too slow, so doesn't that make it mine?"

"You..."

Xiao Yan's words left Xiao Yi Xian speechless. For a moment, she could not think of a rebuttal.

"But it's not as though I can't give it to you. You'll have to agree to one condition, though."

Just as Xiao Yi Xian was pondering how to deal with Xiao Yan, he abruptly changed tack and actually offered to give it to her.

"What do you want me to do?"

Xiao Yi Xian was extremely wary, not believing that Xiao Yan's condition would be easy to satisfy.

"It's simple. I can give you this herb, or even all the medicinal herbs here. But on one condition: you have to teach me pharmacology and medicine."

Hearing Xiao Yan's request, Xiao Yi Xian widened her eyes and stared at him in disbelief. "That's it?"