Cave Treasure Hunt

"Xiao Yi Xian is back!" someone shouted from the street.

Jia Lie Jun, who was attending to customers, looked outside at the sound. He saw a young girl walking briskly into the shop. She wore a long white dress, her delicate features giving her a gentle air. Her waist was slender enough to seem graspable in one hand, and her pure, refined temperament made her seem like a fairy untouched by the mortal world.

This must be Xiao Yi Xian. She really is a rare beauty, Jia Lie Jun thought to himself.

"Who are you?" Xiao Yi Xian asked with a puzzled expression upon seeing an unfamiliar person in the shop.

The shop assistant hurried forward and said ingratiatingly, "This guy had no money to buy medicine, so he's working in the shop to pay off his debt."

In the days that followed, Jia Lie Jun often ran into Xiao Yi Xian, but the two had little contact. A miscalculation, Jia Lie Jun regretted inwardly. Of course—how could a mere shop hand possibly make someone view him differently?

"Little brother, I have a job for you. Myriad Medicine Pavilion's herb-gathering team will soon be entering the Monster Beast Mountain Range to collect herbs. Join the guard team and escort them for me. Then the remaining gold coins you owe will be written off. How about it?" Yao Xiansheng asked in a negotiating tone.

"Fine." Jia Lie Jun nodded.

In the silent forest, the clatter of horse hooves sounded exceptionally clear. A group moved quietly through the deep woods, the mercenaries watching their surroundings vigilantly, their hands gripping the weapons at their waists.

"We're about to enter the Monster Beast Mountain Range. Everyone, stay alert," a rather handsome young man called out. A badge was pinned to his chest, engraved with a wolf's head baring its bloody maw.

"Yes, Young Commander!" More than a dozen burly men responded in unison. Their orderly shout startled a flock of birds into flight. The young man nodded in satisfaction, looking quite pleased with himself.

By evening, night gradually descended. A few stars appeared in the east, while a crescent moon like a silver sickle rose from behind the dark mountain peaks. Dozens of tents stood in an open clearing, and the bonfire crackled fiercely. Snores rose and fell one after another, while the roars of magical beasts occasionally echoed from afar. Strangely, these roars did not wake the mercenaries, who continued sleeping soundly.

Xiao Yi Xian climbed up, kicked one of the mercenaries lying on the ground, and, seeing no response, nervously looked around before sneaking out of the camp. Suddenly, Jia Lie Jun's eyes snapped open. He quietly rose and followed after her on tiptoe. Xiao Yi Xian passed through a small patch of woods before finally stopping beside a cliff. She slowly crouched down, grabbed a vine, and began sliding down it. Seeing this, Jia Lie Jun hurried forward, seized the vine, and shook it hard.

Xiao Yi Xian clung tightly to the vine and screamed in fright. Looking up, she saw a young man standing at the cliff's edge, gripping the vine and shaking it with all his strength.

"Stop shaking it!" Xiao Yi Xian cried, clutching the vine tightly.

"Tell me, why did you put sleeping drugs in the food? And what are you sneaking around for so late at night?" Jia Lie Jun asked sternly as he looked down at Xiao Yi Xian from above.

"I-I wasn't trying to do anything," Xiao Yi Xian defended herself.

"You're still being stubborn? Do you believe I'll cut this vine?" Jia Lie Jun put on a vicious expression.

"Fine, I'll tell you. I found a cave beneath the cliff. That cave should have been left behind by some senior expert, so I wanted to go in and investigate," Xiao Yi Xian hurriedly said, her voice trembling slightly.

"Can you pull me up first?" Xiao Yi Xian asked weakly, her face carrying a pleading look that made one unable to help but feel tender toward her.

The moment her feet touched the ground, Xiao Yi Xian's legs went weak and she collapsed onto the ground. After resting for quite a while, she got up and said angrily, "You bastard! How could you treat me like that? Don't you know I'm a girl? You have no idea how to treat a woman with tenderness."

Jia Lie Jun smiled without speaking. Then he rubbed his hands together and said with a flattering grin, "Finders share. How about we go in and take a look together?"

Xiao Yi Xian snorted and ignored him. After a moment, she said, "Fine, I agree. But the cliff is too steep, and I can't get in by myself. So you have to take me with you."

"No problem. Leave it to me." Jia Lie Jun patted his chest, then wrapped an arm around Xiao Yi Xian's waist and leaped into the air. Spiritual Power surged within his Mud Pill Palace, and a longsword appeared beneath their feet out of thin air. The sword carried the two of them slowly downward. Object Manipulation was another wondrous application of Spiritual Power. As long as one's Spiritual Power was strong enough, even moving mountains and overturning seas would be as easy as turning one's hand.

"Wow, you can fly!" Xiao Yi Xian said in surprise. A faint blush also colored her face. Jia Lie Jun did not reply. He took out a torch and lit it before walking toward the cave, and Xiao Yi Xian hurriedly followed.

The cave entrance was narrow and dark, carrying a cold, damp feeling. Holding their torches, the two cautiously walked onward. Along the way, they came across quite a few magical beast skeletons, frightening Xiao Yi Xian into screaming curses. After walking for about ten minutes, a stone door emitting a faint glow appeared before them.

A deafening bang startled Xiao Yi Xian, who had been observing her surroundings. She turned toward the sound and saw Jia Lie Jun forcefully blast open one with his fists. Xiao Yi Xian's lips twitched as she muttered, "What a barbarian."

The two stepped through the stone door into a stone chamber. The chamber was quite spacious, with Moonlight Stones embedded in the walls. In the center stood a stone chair, upon which sat a skeleton. Three stone boxes were neatly arranged on the bluestone floor before the chair. Some gold coins and jewels were piled in a corner of the chamber. In a remote corner, a small flowerbed made of packed earth held several medicinal herbs. The two hurried over, their eyes shining as they stared at the herbs. One plant in the flowerbed, its leaves alternating between white and red, was especially eye-catching.

"Ice Spirit Flame Grass."

"You recognize this herb?" Xiao Yi Xian asked softly.

"Yeah. I urgently need this herb. How about this: I'll only take this one, and the rest of the herbs will be yours?" Jia Lie Jun asked.

"Hmph, you stinking bastard. You went straight for the most valuable one," Xiao Yi Xian muttered, though she still nodded.

Jia Lie Jun walked up to the stone platform and touched the three stone boxes. Each box had a metal lock on it. Battle qi surged in his hand as he exerted force, but the metal did not budge in the slightest. He then looked at the skeleton on the stone chair and saw three black keys hanging from its bony fingers.

Jia Lie Jun's eyes lit up. He stepped forward and gave a gentle tug, immediately tearing off the skeleton's arm. Looking at the bone arm in his hand, he discovered a small scroll hidden within the gaps between the bones. Jia Lie Jun was overjoyed. He glanced back at Xiao Yi Xian, who was transplanting the herbs, then quickly took out the scroll and tossed it into his Storage Ring.