Tang Xilong said "Nah, I rather treat her like a baby sister, it's more convenient."
*{System: If I had a face, I would roll my eyes at you a lot}
Tang Xilong grinned "But you don't so you can't"
Tang Xilong walked for about another few hours more before the system spoke
*{System: Yo host, won't you take a break? You have been walking for a day now though you took a break when you tried that energy morphing thingy but you should still rest}
Tang Xilong asked "Which mountain are we in right now?"
*{System: We're almost at the third one}
Tang Xilong said "Notify me when I get to the third mountain then I rest"
*{System: Oh wait, someone is in the third mountain and this person seems to already be a disciple of ehnn All The Way Sect. What's he doing here?}
Tang Xilong shrugged "As long as he is not a foe, I don't care but how did he find out about the tunnel?"
*{System: Anyone running desperately for their life would find this tunnel. Am guessing he must have climbed up to reach the cave cause he is too weak to jump that high in one go}
Tang Xilong asked curiously "How weak?"
*{System: Only first level peak stage and since he is wearing the sect robe of All The Way Outer Sect then he should have been there for at least a year and it is known you must be at least first level middle stage to join All The Way Sect so why has this boy only moved one stage, is he of low aptitude? Don't worry, he is definitely not a foe and even if he was. You could just turn his mortal energy into your devil energy and use the devil Spirit Fire to burn him out of existence. Pays no threat to you}
Tang Xilong was surprised when he heard that "He is a mortal? He would definitely be hostile to me since I am a devilkin"
*{System: Probably or probably not, I feel like he won't be hostile cause he is injured}
Tang Xiaomi spoke up "You say what? He's injured?"
Tang Xilong rolled his eyes "Little eavesdropper, when did you wake up?"
Tang Xiaomi chuckled wryly "Hehe, when System said 'oh wait someone is in the third mountain and is a disciple of some all sect or whatever' "
Tang Xilong said "That's the sect we are going to, silly girl"
Tang Xiaomi got off his back and held his hand to stabilize her walking "Then let's help him, he might be of use to us"
Tang Xilong shook his head "No, not happening, I will not be wasting any of my pills on a stranger just cause we are gonna be fellow sect disciples, am no samaritan"
Tang Xiaomi shrugged "Okay let's see what your reaction will be when you see him"
Tang Xilong also shrugged "Okay then"
Another hour later, they got closer to the guy and the other two were asking to be brought out cause it would be weird if they appeared out of thin air in front of another person so Tang Xilong brought them out and Tang Xie'er immediately clinged to Tang Xilong's right arm then Tang Xiaomi giggled "Xie Gege loves being close with Xi Gege"
Tang Xie'er hid his face but was blushing then Tang Xilong said "Don't tease your Xie Gege, he isn't as thick skinned as System"
Tang Xi'an said "Xi Gege, cancel.. spirit fire. I have.. Spirit energy for.. fire now"
Tang Xilong agreed since he was pretty tired then he said "Okay but when you're tired, you must speak up this time"
Tang Xi'an nodded happily then the black red fire disappeared and a bright orange fire took its place
*{System: Okay guys, you're here, he is just a few meters away from you oh seems like he is unconscious already. Damn with that injury, he really held on for his dear life}
The four of them reached the guy and were shocked by the state he was in
Tang Xie'er bent down and said "This injury must have come from a large beast with sharp claws. It isn't that deep but its width made him lose a lot of blood. He would need both health restoration pills and mortal restoration pills to close it up"
Tang Xilong sighed "Ugh, Mimi, you won. System, how many pills do I need to save this silly idiot from death?"
*{System: What the Zichao said but approximately two of each to bring him back to tip top shape so he can at least walk and run a bit and not be a burden but looks like that's all you have left. Will you still give him?}
Tang Xilong gritted his teeth and saw the three looking at him then he said "What? You guys can hear the system too?"
Tang Xie'er shook his head "Xiaomi just told us both using spiritual sense. Xi Gege, we will support you no matter what you choose. We can just leave and pretend like we never saw him. He is unconscious anyways so he wouldn't even know we passed by here"
Tang Xi'an and Tang Xiaomi nodded
Tang Xilong sighed "I'll just be foolish this one time. Anyways, if he backstabs us. No one should be against me burning him alive"
The three gave a thumbs up and four pills appeared in Tang Xilong's arm then he whimpered "My last pills to save a stranger ohh my heart, this guy better pay me back somehow when he gets back to sect and he better not die on the way!"
Then Tang Xilong reluctantly forced the pills down the guy's throat then the injury started closing up little by little
*{System: These are only third grade pills and I can regenerate any part of you that is cut off and heal you instantly so you don't need a pill and once we get into the library, I can get you a cultivation technique that helps you recover both mortal and devilkin energy fast so stop whining. You'll get a follower for free bruh}
Tang Xilong shrugged and sat down "Okay let's rest here for a while guys"
Tang Xie'er immediately sat behind Tang Xilong and rested Tang Xilong's head on his lap while Tang Xi'an sat beside Tang Xie'er and did the same for Tang Xiaomi
*{System: ◝(⁰▿⁰)◜Father and daughter receiving royal treatment ehh}
Tang Xilong and Tang Xiaomi said at the same time "Cao!"
*{System: Like Father like daughter, both of you are equally rude.}
They didn't answer but slept off and Tang Xi'an said "Xi Gege and Xiaomi must be so tired from walking all day"
Tang Xie'er nodded "I just wish we could help instead of being so weak"
Tang Xi'an said "We just have to serve and protect them both cause they are our masters. We can never fail them"
Tang Xie'er agreed "Xi'an, you're totally correct. Their lives come first before ours"
*{System: oh looks like these two are seeing themselves as servants to the rude duo ehh. They're so damn lucky!}
An hour later, the boy was just about to regain consciousness even though his injuries healed fifteen minutes ago
*{System: Okay! Wake up! You pair of sarcastic whatever! Your follower is about to awake. You have to at least look cool. I mean see those drool on your faces. You two are so embarrassing I can barely look}
Tang Xiaomi and Tang Xilong reluctantly awoke then Tang Xiaomi sat up and said "System, that's not the right to wake someone up"
*{System: But it's the best way to wake you two}
Tang Xilong still laid down on Tang Xie'er's lap as he watched the auburn haired boy open his azure blue eyes 'Okay why the heck am I paying attention to details'
The auburn haired boy had tears in his eyes when he woke up and the others were wondering why when he spoke "Thank you.. so much for saving me"
Tang Xilong asked "How do you know we saved you?"
The auburn haired boy replied "I regained consciousness then I heard you say you were gonna use your last pills to save a stranger then I lost consciousness again"
Tang Xilong sighed in relief and nodded 'Good that he didn't hear me say system and me burning him alive if he betrays us'
The auburn haired boy wanted to get up but Tang Xie'er spoke "Although your external injuries are healed, you shouldn't get up yet as your internal injuries are still recuperating so don't get up or the pills we use will waste"
The auburn haired immediately stopped trying to move "Am sorry. I just wanted to show you my gratitude by kowtowing but I guess I can't do that now. I owe you my life kind sir. My name is Ning Caiyu"
*{System: ⊙.☉ A royal? Wow, Host, you saved a member of the mortal royal family damnn your luck is actually turning up for the better}
Tang Xiaomi told the other two what the system said and everyone was astounded when they found that the boy was of a royal status then Tang Xilong asked "You're royalty? You? If so, what are you doing here alone? Shouldn't royals like you have lackeys who follow you around cause you're special or whatnot?"
Ning Caiyu shook his head "Not all royals are like that but the thing is, day before yesterday I came out for a quest with four other disciples but one of them accidentally woke up a sleeping beast when we entered its lair for the quest then they all blamed it on me when I hadn't even gone anywhere near the beast. One of them pushed me towards it and they all ran away which shocked me that I froze. Then the beast attacked me which awoke me from my stupor and I ran out of its lair but it didn't chase me since it's a nocturnal beast. This cave was close and night was falling so I climbed up but didn't have enough strength to push the rock to block the entrance so I kept moving to get deeper inside then I realized this was a tunnel but a mortal like me doesn't have any fire element nor did I buy a fire tailsman so the small light that came from outside guided me to a certain point then everywhere became pitch black so I lost consciousness"
"I woke up much later and realized that I had lost a lot of blood also had become much weaker and I didn't know when the tunnel would end so I started moving again albeit slower then I reached here and decided to rest then I lost consciousness again so when I heard voices around me in my subconscious, I tried to wake up but only for a few secs and I heard what you said about last pills and before I went unconscious again, my last thought was that was someone going to save me?"
Tang Xiaomi sighed "Aiya, what a poor guy, you were duped and abandoned by your fellow disciples. Xi Gege, he'll come with us, right? We are going to the same place afterall"
Ning Caiyu shook his hands "No, you already saved me, I can't burden you guys any longer"
Tang Xilong rolled his eyes "Oh shut up, if I leave you here, with how weak your body is, you'll just die and my pills would go to waste for realz this time. We are also going to the All The Way Sect so you're coming with us period"
Then the four of them stood up and Tang Xilong asked "Can you walk?"
Ning Caiyu stood up carefully with his body against the wall "Yea.. I can, I have more strength now"
Tang Xiaomi hopped onto Tang Xilong's back then Tang Xilong rolled his eyes but carried her anyways and started walking forward "Okay then keep up. Xi'an watch him"
Tang Xie'er clinged onto Tang Xilong's sleeve again while Tang Xi'an helped Ning Caiyu stand up properly
Then Ning Caiyu asked "Uhm, you guys know my name but I don't know yours yet"
Tang Xilong let out an exasperated sigh "Am Tang Xilong, the silly brat on my back is Tang Xiaomi, the youngest of us four and the boy clinging onto me is my immediate younger brother, Tang Xie'er then the girl beside you is Tang Xi'an, my younger sister also"
Ning Caiyu asked in surprise "Oh you guys are family?"
Tang Xiaomi excitedly said "Yes and we have a new addition to our family now!"
Tang Xilong scoffed "We are not family, we are just temporarily in the same group and will be separated when we get to the sect cause he definitely won't bat an eyelid to us when we get there"
Ning Caiyu replied anxiously "No no why would you think that? I would never"
Tang Xilong sneered "Oh really? Aren't royals not supposed to be around commoners. Just so you know, we four are not from any noble family and we don't have parents either so we are technically peasants to you"
Ning Caiyu smiled and loosened Tang Xi'an's grip then walked closer to Tang Xilong "I don't see you as peasants, you guys are one of the very few friends I have had since me arriving at the sect.. most people don't even bother with me. I was happy when those four asked me to join them for a quest but who would have known it was just a set up to kill me"
Tang Xiaomi asked "Xi Gege, by normal facts. Commoners don't dare to plot against a royal unless headed by another royal cause if not they will be charged treason if found out so this was actually one of those throne plots I guess"
Tang Xilong nodded "A noble can also plan against a royal if they tread carefully so.. Prince Ning, have any idea who in the sect hates you enough to want to kill you?"
Ning Caiyu replied "Please don't call me Prince, just call me Caiyu. Well a lot of people don't like me already but as for the mortals who have power and hate me is Ning Shixin, my immediate elder sister"
Tang Xiaomi was surprised "Your own sister wants to kill you!? Damn she's a vixen"
Ning Caiyu sighed "It's because she's one of the empress children while I am just a consort's son and weak too but there is absolutely no reason for her to want to kill me since I am not eligible for the throne and neither is she"
*{System: Ask him if there is any mortal with power who acts nice towards him like they're family}
Before Tang Xilong could speak, Tang Xiaomi already asked the question and Ning Caiyu replied "Xia Kuimu is a mortal like me but she is very nice and she's also betrothed to my Wu Ge, Ning Qimeng and he is my blood brother but is always at odds with Si Ge, Ning Tiandu since the two are always competing for the throne that's why they both went to Creation Sect but I think my dad favors fourth elder brother more cause he is the only male of the empress and he already got the talented Xia Aiming betrothed to him since she has Fire Heavenly Body. The consort had pleaded before my dad got Xia Kuimu betrothed to Wu Ge. Wu Ge has no reason to want to kill me"
*Wu Ge means Fifth elder brother and Si Ge means Fourth elder brother
Tang Xilong laughed "Yea you might think that but it may not be so. Who knows who actually is after your head. Well not my problem but I won't protect or help you"
Ning Caiyu laughed wryly at the last sentence "You've already helped enough, I dare not ask you to do more than you already have"
Tang Xilong nodded 'Yo, system, where are we now?'
*{System: Well, you are a few hours away from the end since the width of the mountains become smaller as you go but the height increases. If you run, you should be out of the fourth mountain by evening and let me notify you, today is the third day already}
Tang Xilong was stumped 'Third day! How are we already in the third day?'
*{System: Don't fret, the first day you found the coyote and the marten then you ran away from the beast horde albeit you killed some too then you spent the second day here came across this boy, saved him and rested for a while so now we are in the early wee hours of the third day. You have four more days now so I suggest you run or if you walk, you'll get out of the fourth mountain by sunrise tomorrow bro}
Tang Xilong signaled to Tang Xie'er and he immediately knocked Ning Caiyu out then he told Tang Xiaomi and Tang Xi'an to go to the beast space to rest
Tang Xie'er turned into his second form and hooked himself on Tang Xilong's waist then Tang Xilong carried Ning Caiyu on his back as he sprinted forward
*{System: You know if you reach fifth level in both cultivations, you could throw people into your mind space}
Tang Xilong scoffed "And who would I wanna throw in?"