"Haha, we really struck it rich this time! Sixty-two wolf pelts, over a hundred intact wolf fangs, and even six whole magic cores!"
That night, everyone in the mercenary squad worked until dawn, but smiles lit up every face!
Thanks to Xiao Yan, all sixty-odd Forest Wolves that had surrounded them were wiped out.
Moreover, Xiao Yan had used a sonic Dou Technique, shattering their fragile organs from within while leaving their hides perfectly intact.
Forest Wolf pelts and fangs were hot commodities in Qingshan Town. The pelts could be sewn into clothing, while the fangs could be honed into sharp weapons.
The least valuable spoils were actually the wolf carcasses strewn across the ground.
Yet despite helping kill so many Forest Wolves, Xiao Yan asked for none of the spoils and refused their gold coins. He merely picked out a few plump Forest Wolves, gutted them, chopped and washed the meat, then put it into a large pot to stew.
"They say the fragrance of dog meat carries for ten miles. Wolves and dogs are pretty similar, so they should taste about the same, right?"
Xiao Yan did the cooking himself, cleaning the wolf meat thoroughly before stewing it with various medicinal herbs and spices from his Storage Ring.
By the time the mercenary squad finished gathering the spoils, waves of meaty fragrance had already reached their noses.
Ling'er, who was helping him cook, kept staring in astonishment. She had never imagined Xiao Yan would be such a good cook.
"Wild Forest Wolf meat is too firm. If you roast it directly, you probably won't even be able to chew it. You have to stew it over high heat for several hours, then use spices to bring out the flavor and get rid of the gamey smell."
Xiao Yan even considered throwing in some numbing illusion incense, but decided against it. If they became addicted to the stuff, treating them would be no easy task.
"You're really incredible, Brother Xiao Yan. Usually, someone with your strength would be a scion of some great clan, out gaining experience. Those people tend to be arrogant, with no understanding of ordinary life.
"But not only are you powerful, you also know so many practical skills. Compared with you, we really have to hang our heads in shame."
At twenty years old, Mu Lan had already reached the rank of Five-Star Dou Zhe in Qingshan Town, making him a genius renowned throughout the surrounding area.
He had grown accustomed to being treated that way, but compared with Xiao Yan now, one stood in the heavens while the other lay in the dirt.
If anyone called him a genius again, he probably would not be able to accept it even in his own heart.
"Since everyone's here, try my cooking. I don't know whether it'll suit your tastes."
Using a wooden ladle, Xiao Yan served each person a large bowl of wolf meat and broth.
The four mercenaries lived by licking blood from the edges of blades. They had encountered far worse conditions in their daily lives.
Never mind this fragrant wolf stew-they had even tried gnawing on raw magical beast meat.
Only Ling'er, who was out on her first mission and had never eaten Forest Wolf meat before, seemed reluctant.
Besides, the entire squad had nearly died in the wolves' jaws earlier. Now they were supposed to eat those same wolves, which made it even harder for her to adjust.
"I... I'll just have a little broth."
Xiao Yan did not push her, serving Ling'er only a small bowl of broth in the end.
The fragrance of the wolf meat occasionally attracted magical beasts, but before they could get close to camp, Xiao Yan's Flame Beasts killed them. The others did not even notice.
Everyone gathered around the tents and talked through the night, sharing stories from years past. Apart from Ling'er, who could not stay awake and went to bed early, they all chatted until dawn.
"Brother Xiao Yan, words of thanks can't repay such a great kindness. Whatever happens, the Blood Battle Mercenary Group will always be your friend!"
At daybreak the next morning, the party returned to Qingshan Town. The mercenary squad intended to report back, so they parted ways with Xiao Yan before reaching his destination.
After leaving them, Xiao Yan headed straight for the Myriad Medicine Pavilion.
He had been away from Qingshan Town for over a month now-a considerable length of time. Far too much could happen in that span.
Yet when Xiao Yan returned to the Myriad Medicine Pavilion, he discovered that its gates had been sealed. Barricades had even been erected a dozen or so meters away from the building.
Xiao Yan frowned, a trace of foreboding rising in his heart.
He stopped a mercenary on the street at random and asked, "Brother, what happened to the Myriad Medicine Pavilion? Why was it suddenly sealed off?"
At the mention of the Myriad Medicine Pavilion, the mercenary's expression immediately changed. "Ah, young brother, you just got back from the Magical Beast Mountain Range, didn't you? Last night, a terrifying poisonous mist suddenly erupted in the Myriad Medicine Pavilion, sweeping through its entire inner courtyard.
"Over a dozen people were caught in it. A few were poisoned to death on the spot, and the rest are still unconscious. Nobody knows what happened inside, and the poisonous mist still hasn't dispersed!"
"Was Xiao Yi Xian among those people?" Xiao Yan hurriedly asked.
The mercenary thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Doesn't seem like it. But nobody's found her yet, either. Something probably happened to her too. Alas."
With that, the mercenary sighed and left.
Something had happened at the Myriad Medicine Pavilion!
Xiao Yan's heart reeled. His first thought was of Xiao Yi Xian. Wasn't that inner courtyard where she lived?
Dou Qi gathered beneath his feet as he unleashed Explosive Step. With several heavy, springing strides, he shot past the barricades and seals and vaulted over the Myriad Medicine Pavilion's high wall.
"Xiao Yi Xian! Xiao Yi Xian!"
He shouted her name, but no one answered.
Passing through the outer courtyard and entering the inner one, he found a pale purple gas hanging in the air all around him.
Xiao Yan recognized it as a poisonous mist. Even diluted this much, it would directly corrode a Dou Zhe's Dou Qi Vortex if inhaled. It was terrifying.
Dou Qi erupted over Xiao Yan's body, while the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame enveloped him.
The terrifying heat of the heavenly flame instantly burned away all the pale purple poisonous mist, allowing Xiao Yan to keep advancing.
The farther Xiao Yan went, the denser the poisonous mist became. By the time he reached Xiao Yi Xian's bedroom, it was so thick that it had almost turned black.
But no matter how fierce the poisonous mist was, its only fate before a heavenly flame was destruction. Burning away all the mist, Xiao Yan made his way to Xiao Yi Xian's door.
Her door stood ajar, and the poisonous mist inside was even thicker.
An ominous feeling rose in Xiao Yan's heart, but he had already come this far. If he did not go inside and look, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
Relying on his heavenly flame's protection, Xiao Yan burst through the door and entered Xiao Yi Xian's bedroom.
She lay on her bed, her skin deathly pale. Only her face shimmered with an eerie seven-colored light.
"Xiao Yi Xian!"
Xiao Yan recognized her, and at the corners of her mouth and beneath her nails, he spotted traces of black
particles. From their smell, Xiao Yan identified them as an extremely potent poison.
But Xiao Yan had never expected Xiao Yi Xian to take poison and kill herself. Had she suffered some unbearable humiliation during the month he had been away?
Xiao Yan slowly walked up to Xiao Yi Xian, his heart filled with both grief and fury.
Her personality meshed so well with his. They could have become the closest of friends, yet now they were separated by the boundary between life and death.
Still, Xiao Yan could not simply leave Xiao Yi Xian's body here to rot and stink. He intended to lay her to rest in the earth.
Yet just as Xiao Yan was about to carry her away, Xiao Yi Xian's hand suddenly twitched. Her heart, which had stopped beating, miraculously began to beat again!
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