Chapter 56: Cliff-Diving for Treasure
When the two returned to the group, they found that the mercenaries who had been resting were already standing around, waiting impatiently.
"Xiao Yixian, if you didn't come back soon, I would've sent someone to find you."
Seeing Xiao Yixian emerge from the forest, a figure quickly walked over. However, when he saw Xiao Yuan following behind her, he paused slightly and asked with a smile, "And who might this young man be?"
"Probably one of the mercenary guards, just happened to run into him earlier."
Xiao Yixian's expression held a trace of coldness as she looked at Xiao Yuan. She replied indifferently, then turned to the youth, saying,
"Young Master Mu Li, let's go. There's still a short distance left. We'll be at the destination soon."
"Hehe, alright."
The young man referred to as Mu Li smiled and nodded, stepping aside to let Xiao Yixian pass. However, when Xiao Yuan walked by, Mu Li suddenly extended his arm to block him.
?
Xiao Yuan couldn't be bothered with this idiot and simply gave him a cold glance.
"Hehe, I mean no harm. You must be the young Two-Star Dou Fighter I heard about? My men reported that you have great cultivation talent."
Mu Li smiled slightly, his tone calm and friendly.
Seeing that Xiao Yuan didn't respond or acknowledge, Mu Li continued:
"Interested in joining the Wolf Head Mercenary Group? We give generous treatment to gifted individuals like you. After all, the Monster Beast Mountain Range is dangerous. It's better to stick together than to go it alone."
Xiao Yuan didn't bother replying to the recruitment. He simply said coldly,
"If there's danger, I'll probably be the one saving you. So forget it."
With that, he sidestepped Mu Li and calmly returned to the group.
Watching Xiao Yuan disappear into the crowd, the smile on Mu Li's face slowly faded. A cold glint flashed in his eyes:
"You brat, you refuse a toast only to drink punishment. No matter how strong you become in the future, that's still the future. A dead man has no future."
...
After resting, the group resumed their journey. Along the way, they encountered two waves of magical beast attacks, neither of which caused much disturbance.
As night fell, the group finally arrived safely at their destination—a sunken basin full of medicinal herbs.
The basin was teeming with herbs of all kinds. As soon as one entered, the rich medicinal fragrance filled the air. A deep breath brought a sense of refreshing clarity to the mind.
Looking at the herbs on the ground, Xiao Yuan's eyes gleamed with excitement.
If he could absorb all these herbs, his cultivation speed would skyrocket!
But for now, preparations needed to be made. He couldn't let Mu Li ruin his plans tonight.
The reason he had followed Xiao Yixian earlier was because he had backtracked about 200 meters to check on the three Windwolves and the Wind Spirit Herb.
That short 500-meter walk, taken cautiously with the group, had taken a lot of time.
But Xiao Yuan, relying on his soul perception, moved quickly and efficiently.
Before Xiao Yixian had even left the forest, he had already returned and followed behind her.
He had long since decided how tonight's actions would unfold.
Since Mu Li liked jumping into the spotlight so much, he might as well let him play with the Windwolves tonight!
Night fell, and darkness cloaked the land.
In the camp, bonfires crackled, their pops and snaps especially crisp in the silence of the night.
Under the cover of dusk, Xiao Yuan quietly slipped out of the camp, moving silently along the path they came from.
Though night impaired vision, with soul perception, it posed no issue.
It wasn't yet midnight. Setting out early was part of his plan.
Xiao Yuan had no intention of missing the treasure in the cave—or the herb guarded by the Windwolves.
Moments later, cloaked in stealth, Xiao Yuan arrived behind a tree just 20 meters from the giant tree where the Wind Spirit Herb grew.
With a flip of his palm, three paper packets appeared.
These were obtained earlier that afternoon after he had blocked Xiao Yixian in the forest and made her obediently pull them from her chest.
That incident had made her chest appear noticeably flatter. Her resentful gaze still lingered in his memory.
These three packets were likely her entire stock.
Though it was Xiao Yuan's first time doing something like drugging magical beasts, he seemed to have a natural talent for it. Using the principle of his Green Wind Spiral Fist, he dispersed the powder toward the three Windwolves.
And the result? Extremely effective.
Wind was a common occurrence in the mountains and didn't alert the Windwolves at all. Under Xiao Yuan's precise control, the powder was inhaled completely by the beasts.
Xiao Yixian had clearly invested a lot into crafting the powder—it was potent enough that even these hardy magical beasts couldn't withstand it. In mere moments, all three alert Windwolves were knocked out.
Cautiously, Xiao Yuan waited a bit longer before stepping out. Using soul perception to stay alert, he dug out the Wind Spirit Herb.
Afterward, he tossed a torn piece of fabric—cut earlier from Mu Li's tent—beside the tree, then vanished into the forest.
By the time Xiao Yuan reached the cliff, Xiao Yixian had been waiting for a while. The cold mountain breeze of night made her shiver, and she was hugging her arms tightly for warmth.
"You weren't followed, right?"
Xiao Yuan ignored her discomfort and asked casually.
"No."
Xiao Yixian didn't want to speak to the man who had poisoned her, but with her life in his hands, she could only respond unwillingly.
"Good. Then let's begin."
Xiao Yuan stepped toward her, preparing to hold her.
"What are you doing?!"
Seeing this shameless rogue making no mention of the antidote and trying to touch her again like earlier, Xiao Yixian blushed furiously and shouted in embarrassment and anger.
"If I don't hold you, are you going down by yourself?"
Xiao Yuan replied with confusion.
"?"
Xiao Yixian stared at him as if he were crazy, then asked in disbelief,
"We're going down just like this? No ropes?"
"If we used ropes, wouldn't that tell everyone something's going on? Don't worry. I'm a professional. Just watch and learn. Be good."
Xiao Yuan explained calmly, then—ignoring her glare—pulled her into his arms again. A waft of herb-scented fragrance drifted between them.
"Shameless..."
Xiao Yixian muttered, but feeling the warmth of his embrace and the firm grip around her, she swallowed the rest of her complaints.
"Heh."
Xiao Yuan just chuckled. Then, with a palm strike, he unleashed a gust of green wind that knocked a lurking rock snake off the edge of the cliff near the cave entrance. Locking onto the target location, he leaped off the cliff with Xiao Yixian in his arms.
"Ahhh!"
Caught off guard by the sudden sensation of falling, Xiao Yixian screamed and clung to Xiao Yuan like an octopus.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Albino1