Experiencing Death

Experiencing Death

The moon sank and the sun rose; another new day had come.

Opening his eyes from cultivation, Chen Xiao glanced at his two exposed arms.

Xiao Yi Xian's medicinal powder worked extremely well. In just one night, they had completely returned to normal.

After truly enjoying the benefits, Chen Xiao suddenly understood a little why the girl had managed to accumulate such high popularity.

For those at the bottom with little to their names, seeking treatment from Xiao Yi Xian was indeed incredibly cost-effective.

"Today, back into the mountains!"

Jumping off the bed, Chen Xiao practiced Yan Return Strike a few times as usual. Once he estimated the time was about right, he left the inn to accept a mission.

With the goal of familiarizing himself with the environment and gaining experience, after confirming that the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion herb-gathering team still would not be entering the mountains today, Chen Xiao once again joined a team hunting magical beasts.

Only, this time, the target was a first-rank Blackscale Wolf. Aside from the requirement for a larger number, the danger level was not high.

Relying on his strength as an Eight Star Dou Zhe, this time, Chen Xiao felt no threat.

The next few days were the same: taking missions, entering the mountains, then returning to Green Mountain Town.

Aside from one occasion when he encountered a mercenary corpse in the mountains and picked up a waist saber, the rest was hardly worth mentioning.

This state continued until the morning of the seventh day. Chen Xiao finally waited for the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion's recruitment mission.

"The Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion is entering the Magical Beast Mountain Range to gather herbs! Fifty people above Two Star Dou Zhe, hurry up, everyone!"

The loud shout made the noisy street fall slightly silent. A moment later, a crowd of mercenaries immediately rushed toward the middle-aged man dressed in Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion attire, each trying to get there first.

Mercenaries were also picky when accepting missions. Simple missions with generous pay were always the first choice, while hunting missions that required risking one's life would be avoided as much as possible.

The Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion counted as a small giant in Green Mountain Town. The fact that it could recruit fifty mercenaries in one go was enough to reveal a few clues.

Even more attractive was that their rewards were more generous than those of other employers' herb-gathering missions. Under such conditions, they were naturally extremely popular.

Chen Xiao had been waiting for a long time, so today, there was no way he would miss it. Mixed into the crowd, he surged toward the middle-aged man.

With the help of his slightly stronger strength, although his height was lacking, he still squeezed his way to the front and, as he wished, snatched a spot.

After quite a while, the fifty-person mercenary team was assembled. Guarding the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion herb-gathering team, they entered the mountains in grand fashion.

When no danger had appeared, guard missions were extremely leisurely. This happened to make it convenient for Chen Xiao to firmly memorize this route in his mind.

"It really isn't the same direction as those missions from the past few days. No wonder I searched for so many days without the slightest gain."

Following within the team, Chen Xiao vigilantly surveyed the surrounding environment. After seven consecutive days of training, he was like a sponge, madly absorbing the mercenaries' experience, gradually learning how to better survive in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

Over the past few days, every time he saw a cliff nearby, Chen Xiao would find an excuse to go over and investigate.

Unfortunately, his searches had turned up nothing.

Now, only after following the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion herb-gathering team's route did he learn that he had simply been going in the wrong direction.

Fortunately, Chen Xiao had asked around beforehand. The Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion herb-gathering team's route was fixed and never changed direction; only the depth they went each time differed. Otherwise, if Chen Xiao wanted to find that cave, the difficulty would probably have doubled.

There was nothing to say along the way. After traveling for about an hour, the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion's herb-gathering area finally arrived. It was a small basin with slightly lower terrain.

Under the gaze of the herb-gathering team's leader, the fifty mercenaries displayed the quality they ought to have. They moved swiftly and decisively, guarding the entire small basin, with a sentry every three steps and a post every five, ensuring that no magical beast could threaten the herb-gathering team.

Seeing this, the leader smiled in satisfaction.

So what if they spent a little more money?

In exchange for this full sense of security, it was worth it!

"Get moving, get moving! Be quick with your hands and feet. Let's try to head back this afternoon."

At the leader's call, the herb-gathering team immediately poured into the valley and began today's task.

The medicinal herbs used by physicians were more common and widespread compared to the medicinal materials alchemists used to refine pills. In this Magical Beast Mountain Range, the resources could be said to be incredibly abundant.

But similarly, their value could not compare to the Rare Medicinal Materials used by alchemists. This was also one of the reasons pill prices had remained high.

You got what you paid for.

Chen Xiao stood on high ground at the edge of the basin, quietly keeping guard with a long saber that was half a person's height planted beside him.

"On the way in, we passed seven cliffs. After tomorrow, I'll move alone. I'll search them one by one. This place is still in the outer region. Second-rank magical beasts are already extremely rare, and the probability of a third-rank magical beast appearing is negligible. Safety is still guaranteed."

Chen Xiao planned the follow-up in his heart, and time also flowed by second by second.

At noon, the blazing sun was scorching like fire.

The mercenaries guarding the surroundings of the small basin also suffered greatly. Quite a few even stripped off their shirts and tied them around their waists, cursing the damned weather in low voices.

However, it was right at this moment that a rustling crawling sound suddenly came from the distant forest.

The mercenaries reacted extremely quickly, gathering together one after another and drawing their weapons as they prepared for battle.

The sudden change made the herb-gathering team below look over nervously, their hands unconsciously stopping.

"A magical beast attack?"

"Don't panic. There are so many of us."

The middle-aged leader of the herb-gathering team loudly took control of the situation. He had experienced this kind of thing at least dozens of times and was extremely practiced.

This was also why the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion had to hire so many mercenaries every time it entered the mountains.

Under the tense stares of countless eyes, the source of that strange sound finally came into view.

"Red Ice Serpents! Seven of them! Careful!"

The nearest mercenary saw the incoming magical beasts clearly and shouted a warning.

The Red Ice Serpent was a first-rank magical beast, very common in the outer reaches of the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Its attribute was ice, and that ice contained poison. If those poisoned were not treated within half a day, the Frost Poison would freeze the blood inside their bodies solid, until they died.

Hearing the warning from the mercenaries up ahead, the mercenaries who had taken off their shirts all changed expression slightly, then hurriedly began fumbling their clothes back on.

However, the Red Ice Serpents were extremely fast. After darting out of the grass, they glanced at the crowd. Not only did they fail to take the hint and leave, they attacked without the slightest hesitation, like bolts of lightning. Using their threadlike bodies, they shot into the crowd from tricky angles, and in a single exchange, three mercenaries were bitten.

At once, the three men, their faces deathly pale as ice sculptures, collapsed limply to the ground with icy hands and feet.

"Don't let these beasts get away! Everyone, attack!"

A mercenary shouted the order, then charged over with his long saber and hacked down.

The dazed mercenaries all followed close behind.

Chen Xiao was neither afraid to fight nor eager to stand out. He followed the crowd, drawing his saber and slashing.

Putting aside the dreaded Frost Poison, the Red Ice Serpents' strength was only about on par with an ordinary Dou Zhe. Under the combined assault of more than forty mercenaries, in less than two minutes, the seven Red Ice Serpents were hacked to death in a flurry of blades.

Unfortunately, they did not find the slightest trace of a magic core inside their bodies.

"What do we do with the three of them?"

Looking at the three mercenaries lying on the ground, trembling nonstop, everyone could not help turning their gazes toward the herb-gathering team.

"Bring them over. I'll drive out the poison for them," the middle-aged man from the herb-gathering team said with a nod.

It was precisely to deal with special situations like this that the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion's herb-gathering team always had at least one physician accompanying them each time. This was experience accumulated from years of moving about in this place.

Hearing this, everyone finally let out a long breath of relief.

However, just as three mercenaries stepped forward, about to help those three up, a sudden change occurred.

A long snake the color of mountain stone abruptly shot out from a corner no one had noticed. Before anyone could react, it bit down on the throat of one of the heavily injured mercenaries.

Chen Xiao's expression changed. He hurled the long saber in his hand, cleaving the snake into two pieces and denying it any further chance to do harm.

"There was actually a Rock Serpent hiding in the dark. His throat is crushed. There's no saving him..."

The leading man of the herb-gathering team hurried forward. After a brief examination, he pronounced the mercenary dead, then quickly began treating the other two mercenaries.

Hearing his words, the surrounding mercenaries could not help sighing.

As mercenaries, they had often imagined that perhaps one day they would be buried in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, and they were mentally prepared for it.

That was why they lived so freely in ordinary times, using their limited means to enjoy every day.

However, watching a companion die miserably before their eyes like this still left them heavy-hearted.

Chen Xiao silently stepped forward and picked up his long saber.

Looking at the mercenary beside him on the verge of death, Chen Xiao felt his steps grow somewhat heavy. He opened his mouth, but did not know what to say, or what he even could say.

This was the first time in his life he had personally witnessed a person die right in front of him. It was completely different from seeing a corpse before.

From the bottom of his heart, he loathed and rejected such a scene, but reason was telling him that this was a lesson he had to experience in order to grow in this world!

I can get used to it, and I have to get used to it!