Mu Li instinctively turned around and found that Xiao Yan had already brought Xiao Yi Xian out of the cave.
As he watched Xiao Yan approach step by step, Mu Li felt a terror unlike anything he had ever known.
"Brother, spare me! My father is the leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group. As long as you let me go, he'll give you a lot of money!"
By now, Mu Li had lost every trace of his earlier arrogance. He did not even dare utter a threat.
His father was only a Two-Star Dou Shi. If he faced Xiao Yan, he would meet the same end-killed in a single move.
With his greatest pillar of support gone, Mu Li was utterly terrified. For the first time, he truly understood just how vast the gulf between people could be in this world.
"Are you going to jump yourself, or should I help you?" Xiao Yan asked evenly. "Don't say I never gave you a chance. Jump from here, and if you survive, we'll wipe the slate clean."
The cliff behind Mu Li was at least a thousand zhang high. Even Xiao Yan would have virtually no chance of surviving the fall, let alone a mere Six-Star Dou Zhe.
"Please, give me a chance! As long as you spare me, I'll do anything! You can have all the treasure, and Xiao Yi Xian too! I also have a Profound Tier Low Grade Dou Technique. If you're interested, I can give you that as well!"
Mu Li dropped straight to his knees before Xiao Yan. As long as he could stay alive, dignity meant nothing.
"You and I are alike in some ways. Neither of us would ever give someone who deliberately plotted our death a second chance."
Xiao Yan's words all but pronounced Mu Li's death sentence. Besides, letting someone like him go would be no different from releasing a tiger back into the mountains.
When Mu Li realized that Xiao Yan would not spare him, his fear turned to fury.
"If you want me dead, I'll tear a chunk of flesh off you first!"
Mu Li suddenly sprang up from the ground, Dou Qi erupting around his hands.
[Profound Tier Low Grade-Wood Hardening]!
His fists transformed into a pair of hardwood clubs covered in spikes. He drove them toward Xiao Yan with lethal force, whipping up waves of air!
Yet an attack of this level meant nothing to Xiao Yan. He did not even dodge, catching the attack with one hand.
"You want to tear a chunk of flesh off me? You think you're worthy?"
Dou Qi erupted from Xiao Yan's body. His fire attribute Dou Qi instantly engulfed Mu Li, reducing him to a charred corpse.
When the people above the cliff saw their young leader killed, they immediately scattered and fled, even though Xiao Yan had long since withdrawn his Dou Qi Armor.
He had killed Mu Li in a single blow. They knew perfectly well that an expert of this caliber was far beyond their ability to oppose.
Xiao Yan could not be bothered to chase down those small fry. He simply let them go.
Xiao Yan walked over to Mu Li's corpse and removed a Storage Ring.
He inspected its contents and found tens of thousands of gold coins, several first-tier healing pills, and the Profound Tier Low Grade Dou Technique, Wood Hardening. It was an unexpected windfall.
However, now that Xiao Yan had a Flying Dou Technique and Mad Lion's Roar, he had no intention of practicing this Profound Tier Low Grade Dou Technique.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yi Xian had huddled in a corner from beginning to end, not daring to move.
"Why are you hiding so far away?"
Seeing Xiao Yi Xian trembling like that, Xiao Yan almost wanted to laugh.
"You killed so many people. Are you going to silence me too?"
Tears glistened at the corners of Xiao Yi Xian's eyes, as though she might burst into tears at any moment.
"What are you thinking? I'm still waiting for you to teach me pharmacology and medicine. Let's head up."
Xiao Yan grabbed Xiao Yi Xian and leaped onto a jagged rock. He then bounded from rock to rock, reaching the top of the cliff in just a few breaths.
"What do we do next? Are we still going back to Qingshan Town?"
Xiao Yi Xian looked pitifully at Xiao Yan, a complete change from her initial expression of disgust.
"I don't mind either way. I was planning to cross the Magical Beast Mountain Range in the first place."
Xiao Yan shrugged. He still wanted to follow the coordinate map to find the Heavenly Flames.
"No, you can't leave! If you go, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group will definitely come after me. If a helpless woman like me falls into their hands, I'll be better off dead."
As she spoke, Xiao Yi Xian lifted her sleeve and dabbed away the tears at the corners of her eyes.
"Stop pretending. Those tears are probably some kind of potion too. Don't worry. You still owe me something, and I won't leave until I've learned pharmacology and medicine."
Only after receiving Xiao Yan's promise did Xiao Yi Xian relax.
"All right, let's return to Qingshan Town first."
However, they now faced a new problem: how to get back.
This was Xiao Yan's first visit to the Magical Beast Mountain Range, and he had no idea how to find the way back.
Xiao Yi Xian moved very slowly. Xiao Yan did not mind carrying her on his back, but he could tell that she minded very much.
Fortunately, Xiao Yi Xian had a solution to this problem too. She took out a small, short flute and played a distinctive tune.
Before long, a blue eagle slowly descended from the sky and landed in front of them.
"A first-rank Blue Eagle? You've got a few tricks up your sleeve."
Magical beasts were extremely difficult to tame. Unless one belonged to a faction specializing in beast taming or raised a beast from infancy, gaining its loyalty was as difficult as ascending to heaven.
“Its name is Little Lan. I healed its injuries when it was hurt, and it’s been following me ever since.”
"This is Little Lan. I only helped heal its injuries once, and it's been following me ever since."
Xiao Yi Xian smiled sweetly and stroked the Blue Eagle's feathers.
"You certainly live up to your name, Xiao Yi Xian. You treat people and beasts with the same kindness."
At that moment, Xiao Yan's opinion of Xiao Yi Xian rose another notch. She truly was a beautiful girl with a kind heart.
Her skill with poison was merely a means of protecting herself.
The two climbed onto the Blue Eagle together. At a full two meters long, it could accommodate both of them.
The Blue Eagle then beat its wings and soared into the sky, leaving the Magical Beast Mountain Range behind for the time being.
After returning to Qingshan Town, Xiao Yan moved into a guest room provided by the Myriad Medicine Pavilion with Xiao Yi Xian's help. Only a courtyard separated him from her.
For one thing, staying nearby made it easier for Xiao Yan to protect Xiao Yi Xian at any time. Having obtained the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, she also needed the Myriad Medicine Pavilion's resources to concoct poisons.
For another, living close to Xiao Yan made it convenient for Xiao Yi Xian to teach him pharmacology and medicine whenever necessary.
Although Xiao Yi Xian was not an alchemist, she had worked with medicinal substances for ten years and possessed a fair amount of knowledge as a physician.
She recognized most medicinal ingredients below the fourth tier, and she even gave Xiao Yan the illustrated compendium of precious medicinal herbs she had treasured for years.
During this period, Xiao Yan studied diligently under Xiao Yi Xian. Aside from sleeping and relieving themselves, the two were together almost every day.
After a few days, rumors about Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian spread throughout Qingshan Town. Gradually, Xiao Yan's fame in town reached its peak.
Almost every mercenary knew of Xiao Yan's existence. Of course, that fame was built on jealousy.
Xiao Yan's progress in pharmacology and medicine exceeded Xiao Yi Xian's expectations. In just three days, he could already prepare some basic medicines for treating injuries.
If Xiao Yan could become an alchemist, he would undoubtedly be an exceptional genius.
However, those peaceful days did not last long. On the fourth day after Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian returned to Qingshan Town, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group turned out in almost full force and surrounded the entire Myriad Medicine Pavilion.
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