Xiao Chen's conjecture

Xiao Chen glanced at the girl in military attire without saying anything more.

He turned and walked over to the middle-aged man, collecting everything useful on his body along with his Storage Ring.

In truth, he had killed the middle-aged man for two reasons.

One was to use the Azure Nether Freedom Sword Scripture to test his current maximum combat strength.

The other was to let Xiao Yi Xian see how cool her teacher was.

As for saving these people, that had merely been something he did in passing.

Only when Gong Feng and the others saw this did they all breathe a sigh of relief.

It seemed that Senior Xiao Chen did not intend to hold their young lady's earlier offense against her.

The torrential rain had quietly stopped at some point.

The thick clouds overhead parted.

Faintly, pale rosy clouds could be seen emerging on the horizon.

Xiao Yi Xian stood at the entrance to the great hall, watching the rosy clouds on the horizon. The godlike bearing Xiao Chen had displayed earlier surfaced in her mind, and her lovely face flushed slightly.

Xiao Chen, meanwhile, had set a bamboo chair before the Dou Di statue and lay on it, examining the middle-aged man's blood-red longsword.

The longsword had been forged from some special iron ore, with blood-yin silkworm silk wrapped around its hilt and intricate talismans and cloud patterns drawn upon it. It was quite a fine weapon.

Unfortunately, the sword had already been badly damaged and was no longer of much use.

He casually tossed it aside and turned his attention to the middle-aged man's Storage Ring.

Quite a few items lay inside, mostly medicinal herbs and scrolls.

Two of the herbs could nourish the soul and could be used on Yao Lao.

There was also a scroll describing how to rear Ghost-Faced Insects and control them to kill enemies.

Most importantly, it described how to cultivate using Ghost-Faced Insects.

The hundred-odd Ghost-Faced Insect corpses on the crosses outside had been hung there after the middle-aged man drained them dry.

Xiao Chen had no regard for such things at all.

Next, I need to see just what Yin Yuandong came to the Dou Qi Continent to do-

With that thought, Xiao Chen glanced at Yin Yuandong, who was dozing with his eyes closed on the other side of the great hall.

Dusk deepened, and night was approaching.

A bonfire was lit again inside the great hall.

"Senior, it's getting late. We've prepared some humble wine as a small token of our gratitude. Please, join us with this young lady."

Gong Feng came before Xiao Chen and Xiao Yi Xian, bowed respectfully, and invited them with a smile.

A lavish spread of food and drink had already been prepared beside the bonfire, with two spacious, well-lit places left open.

They had clearly been reserved for Xiao Chen and Xiao Yi Xian.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony."

Xiao Chen glanced at Xiao Yi Xian, drew her down to sit on the floor with him, and stretched comfortably.

Seeing that everyone else was still standing, he said helplessly, "Sit down, all of you. Don't be so stiff."

Only then did Gong Feng and the others smile and take their seats one by one.

Throughout it all, the girl in military attire seemed utterly distracted.

She kept her head lowered, her lovely face pale, and said nothing.

There was no telling what she was thinking.

But her earlier air of arrogance and insolence was gone.

Xiao Chen did not care what was going through her mind.

He only cared whether Xiao Yi Xian beside him was hungry.

So he began eating and drinking without concerning himself with anything else.

Seeing this, Xiao Yi Xian began eating as well.

Seeing how little Xiao Chen stood on ceremony, Gong Feng and the others gradually relaxed.

They began trying to offer him toasts and make small talk.

They had to sound out this expert's attitude, didn't they?

Xiao Chen did not refuse, though he barely spoke.

He focused on eating and drinking.

Even so, his mild attitude put Gong Feng and the others considerably more at ease.

They truly feared drawing the attention of this terrifying existence who had slain the middle-aged man with his sword.

That would absolutely be a nightmare none of them could bear!

Yin Yuandong also sat beside the bonfire, eating silently without speaking.

Xiao Chen had no intention of taking the initiative to speak to the old fellow, either.

This man was no simple character.

During their conversation, Gong Feng volunteered information, introducing each of their identities with apparent casualness and even laying out the entire purpose of their trip.

Only then did Xiao Chen learn that their party served Duan Ruifeng, a Dou Huang expert who had once ranked among the Jia Ma Empire's Ten Great Experts and enjoyed fame equal to Ice Emperor Hai Bodong.

The girl in military attire was named Duan Chenfei, and she was Duan Ruifeng's only daughter.

He treasured her like a pearl in his palm and lavished affection on her.

The guards were all elites under Duan Ruifeng's command, with even the weakest being a Nine-Star Dou Zhe.

They were all men who had seen the battlefield.

Brave and skilled in combat.

Their party had come to Poison Cloud Mountain to seek a rare medicinal herb called Purple Dragon Profound Grass to treat Duan Chenfei's pet, a Crimson Flame Snow Wolf.

As Xiao Chen listened, doubts arose in his mind.

Duan Ruifeng?

The original story didn't seem to mention this person.

One of the Jia Ma Empire's former Ten Great Experts?

Why had he never appeared later on?

Could it be-

A possibility occurred to Xiao Chen.

Could my appearance have changed these people's fates?

If I hadn't transmigrated, and Yin Yuandong hadn't appeared on the Dou Qi Continent, Gong Feng and the others would definitely have been slaughtered by that middle-aged man.

Then Duan Ruifeng would have sought revenge for his daughter, the middle-aged man would have tried to possess him, and the two would ultimately have perished together?

That was why the middle-aged man had never left Poison Cloud Mountain.

And Duan Ruifeng had remained on Poison Cloud Mountain forever as well.

Of course, this was only Xiao Chen's conjecture.

There was no way to verify the actual reason anymore.

After a moment of silence, Xiao Chen asked, "How did you learn that Purple Dragon Profound Grass grows on Poison Cloud Mountain?"

Duan Chenfei, who had remained silent all this time, spoke up. "A while ago, I came across an ancient scroll at home. It recorded that Purple Dragon Profound Grass grows on Poison Cloud Mountain."

As she spoke, she still kept her head lowered, her voice subdued.

"An ancient scroll?" Xiao Chen raised an eyebrow.

Duan Chenfei nodded. "My father obtained it during his travels when he was young."

"Was there an illustration?" Xiao Chen asked.

He intended to have these people leave as soon as possible so he could handle things afterward.

"Yes."

Gong Feng answered and handed Xiao Chen a sheet of paper.

Xiao Chen glanced at it, then handed it straight to Little Gold on his shoulder. "Go find this Purple Dragon Profound Grass."

Little Gold rolled his eyes. "You make yours truly do every dirty, exhausting job!"

Gong Feng and the guards were all startled.

This little snake could actually speak!

After all, as far as humans knew, a Magic Beast had to be at least a Fifth-Order Magical Beast to speak!

This little golden snake-

It-it-it-was actually such a powerful Magic Beast?!

Everyone felt their heads buzzing.

They had never imagined that even the little pet snake on Senior Xiao Chen's shoulder would be so formidable!

Duan Chenfei's beautiful eyes widened, and she found it equally hard to believe.

The way she looked at Xiao Chen changed completely.

Her gaze held astonishment, disbelief, profound reverence, and a measure of gratitude.

"Senior, what are you doing?" Duan Chenfei asked cautiously.

Could Senior be planning to help me find the Purple Dragon Profound Grass?

"Once you have the Purple Dragon Profound Grass, leave. Poison Cloud Mountain is too dangerous," Xiao Chen said casually.

Judging by the current situation, he felt there was little point in continuing to travel together.

What Yin Yuandong's purpose truly was-that was what Xiao Chen was most curious about.