In the empty square at the back of Wanyaozhai, Xiao Yixian directed the remaining apprentices to take some herbs out to dry in the sun. While the sun shone almost every day this winter, the duration was truly limited, so the limited daylight hours had to be fully utilized.
"Brother Qingshan!"
Suddenly, the graceful figure in white trembled, excitedly strode forward, and like a young swallow returning to the forest, she burst into an embrace.
"Xian'er!!!"
Yan Qingshan hugged Xiao Yixian tightly. The girl's first reaction to him made him feel his love, and while he was delighted, he also felt a slight sense of guilt.
His feelings for Xiao Yixian were not pure from the beginning. He knew she possessed the Evil Poison Body, and he exploited her innocence to launch an emotional offensive, gradually making this young girl's heart attached to him.
Yan Qingshan knew that once the Evil Poison Body began to cultivate through poison, its power level would rapidly increase. Before its full outbreak, its owner would be at least Dou Zong.
In the original novel, even without Xiao Yan's presence, achieving Dou Zun wouldn't have been too difficult for
Xiao Yixian. However, in that case, she would likely have been unable to suppress her poisonous body and erupted early, ultimately killing herself or self-destructing. His choice to pursue Xiao Yixian was also based on a certain calculus. If his plan failed and he couldn't rise to prominence, he at least had Xiao Yixian as a fallback.
Once Xiao Yixian matured into the "Sky Poison Girl," her Dou Zong strength would have made her the most powerful figure in the Black Horn Territory and even the neighboring empires. Her Earth-rank wood-attributed cultivation techniques would have provided the resources for attaining Dou Wang or even Dou Huang status. While
this would have been difficult for Yan Qingshan, it wasn't difficult for a Dou Zong. Yan Qingshan's intentions were essentially based on exploitation, and while they were certainly somewhat despicable, he didn't offer any excuses, and therefore felt guilty towards Xiao Yixian.
Of course, at this stage, he had no intention of actively activating his poisonous body. He never wanted this innocent girl in his arms to become the feared Sky Poison Girl.
"Xian'er's grown taller again!"
Yan Qingshan and Little Medical Fairy walked hand in hand in the backyard of Wanyaozhai. The taller Yan Qingshan gestured, stroking the girl's hair with his palm, which immediately caused another wave of disapproval.
Twelve or thirteen-year-old girls experience their most noticeable growth spurts, and in the past six months, Little Medical Fairy had transformed dramatically, her figure noticeably sculpted, and her height almost approaching that of Yan Qingshan, who was fifteen.
"Brother Qingshan, you're so annoying! You're not that much taller than me, and yet you act like an adult!"
Little Medical Fairy pouted coquettishly at Yan Qingshan, yet didn't shy away from his head pats. Her squinting eyes, a look of both enjoyment and disapproval, were truly adorable.
"Qingshan's back! Little Medical Fairy's here too!"
Yan Qingshan and Little Medical Fairy had just turned the corner, hand in hand, when a voice suddenly rang out from the front. Little Medical Fairy's nose wrinkled, and she subtly took a half step back, hiding behind Yan Qingshan. Yan Qingshan, unobtrusively, stepped forward to block the man's slightly intrusive gaze.
"Boss!"
Yan Qingshan gave a cursory bow, then spoke loudly, finally causing the man to turn his gaze.
Boss Yao of Wanyaozhai was considered Xiao Yixian's adoptive father and Yan Qingshan's benefactor. He wasn't a good man, but he wasn't a completely evil villain either.
He had taken in many homeless orphans like Xiao Yixian and lent a hand to Yan Qingshan in his most difficult times. But he was also greedy, never missing an opportunity to exploit others.
Of course, the equation wasn't that simple. If it weren't for Boss Yao, homeless orphans like Xiao Yixian might have died before they even reached adulthood. Even if they managed to survive, their current lives would be virtually impossible. Therefore, Boss Yao's debt to them was significant.
Boss Yao was not only greedy but also lustful. He frequently frequented places of pleasure, and even with his adopted orphans... even with a girl like Xiao Yixian, barely thirteen, he was extremely wary of this evil father.
After Boss Yao retracted his gaze, he began to criticize Yan Qingshan. "Ahem... Qingshan! I've treated you well. Every time you asked for leave before, I tried my best to satisfy you. But what happened this time? You've been away for almost a month..."
Boss Yao asked questions for a while, with a hint of criticism. Yan Qingshan has performed very well in the past few months. Not only have his medical skills improved rapidly, and compared to regular doctors, he only has a little experience, but he has also taken the initiative to lead the herb-collecting team, opening up two new safe herb-collecting sites, and each time he harvests a lot, he has become a "cash cow".
This time, Yan Qingshan disappeared for almost a month. Because of the letter, Boss Yao didn't care at first, but these days, he has really panicked.
He hasn't even shaken this "cash cow" enough! How could he just disappear like this? He originally planned to keep this young man for a few more years before letting him become a professional!
"Boss, I was delayed on the road this time, but I brought back some things, and I'd like you to take a look!"
"This is... Blood Clotting Grass, Yellow Root Flower, Blood Bone Vine... You actually managed to grow them alive..."
Boss Yao looked at the contents of the six large jars that Yan Qingshan took out, and shuddered, even his voice trembling.
Yan Qingshan nodded, "When I went out this time, I encountered a strange swamp, and there actually grew a white orchid. After I removed the white orchid, I found that the soil there had a medicinal fragrance.
I suspected that this was a rare medicinal soil, so I asked someone to load it up and brought it back in a carriage. On the way, I picked some herbs and planted them, and they actually grew..."
"This is a treasure, a treasure..."
Boss Yao's expression suddenly became excited. Medicinal soil was extremely rare, at least for those at the bottom of the continent. It was usually only available to the rich and powerful, specifically for cultivating medicinal fields.
While the medicinal soil in these six jars wasn't much, it was enough to cultivate a medicinal field. With a medicinal field to grow herbs, it would be a continuous source of wealth for Wanyaozhai!
"Boss, I think with the level of Xiao Yixian and I, we should be able to become doctors!"
Yan Qingshan walked over to Boss Yao and said in a low voice, "Although this medicinal soil is precious, it's too heavy for me to carry away. I might as well exchange it for something better..."
"Qingshan! I've long seen that you're not ordinary. With Xiao Yixian and you, you're good enough to become doctors. Tomorrow I'll gather everyone here and make the announcement..."
Boss Yao's expression changed drastically after hearing Yan Qingshan's words. He exchanged pleasantries with him, patting him on the shoulder with an air of confidence.
Boss Yao's slight annoyance with Yan Qingshan vanished instantly with the appearance of this medicinal soil. He was a businessman, always prioritizing profit. Since Yan Qingshan had offered him a favor, he naturally agreed to oblige. Boss
Yao was satisfied, and so was Yan Qingshan. This medicinal soil was actually the same soil from the flowerbed in the Treasure Cliff Cave.
He knew Boss Yao had always wanted to establish a medicinal field, and this medicinal soil, dug up just enough, settled the matter between them and Boss Yao, saving him from future trouble.
Ultimately, Boss Yao still owed him a debt of gratitude. He wasn't the type to repay a small favor, but neither was he ungrateful. Given the circumstances, he was willing to repay a favor and part ways amicably with Boss Yao. Wouldn't that make everyone happy?
...
Just as Yan Qingshan was dealing with Boss Yao and chatting privately with the Little Medical Immortal, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the door. An old servant hurried over to Boss Yao and whispered something, causing Boss Yao's expression to darken.
"Follow me!"
Boss Yao said to the guards around him. The powerful guards, each with a strong aura, were moved by his words, knowing that it was time for the boss to use them.
"Let's go and take a look!"
Yan Qingshan, still a little curious, took Xiao Yixian's delicate hand, and the two of them went together.
In the outer hall of Wanyaozhai, in the square where the notices were posted, quarrels continued. Many mercenaries pushed each other and the situation was almost out of control.
"Mangba, I know you are a big shot among the mercenaries, but this matter was decided by our captain himself. We, Langtou, have taken the quota this time. Wanyaozhai didn't say anything, so why are you making such a fuss!"
Mangba and other mercenaries who had cooperated with Wanyaozhai for many years were facing a group of well-equipped and neatly equipped powerful mercenaries who shouted loudly. The leader of this group was a young man in his early twenties.
Yan Qingshan followed Xiao Yixian to the center of the arena. When the young woman saw the young man, a flicker of displeasure flashed across her eyes, and she whispered, "Brother Qingshan, that man is Mu Li, the young leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group. I heard he just broke through to the Fighter level two months ago."
"Xian'er, you really hate him!"
Yan Qingshan noticed the displeasure in Xiao Yixian's gaze towards Mu Li. He leaned over and whispered in Xiao Yixian's ear, breathing down her throat maliciously, making Xiao Yixian's cheeks flush and give him a cold look.
Xiao Yixian wrinkled her nose and said, "Last month, I saw him bullying someone on the street. He's a very annoying person."
"Is that so? Mu Li, I have some impression of him!"
Yan Qingshan's eyes changed slightly. This was the third original character he had encountered besides Xiao Yixian and Boss Yao. He was a minor boss in the early stages, but he died shortly after landing. However, his arrogant personality was consistent with the usual characteristics of a villain.
Mu Li pushed through the noisy crowd and came to the center of the scene. He looked around and announced loudly: "I believe everyone knows about my Wolf Head Mercenary Group. This year, Wanyaozhai's first herb-picking team will go out. I, Wolf Head, will be responsible for their safety. I think no one will doubt our Wolf Head's strength!" The
thirty or so mercenaries from the Wolf Head Mercenary Group stood in a row at the same time, bursting out with a powerful momentum. Seeing this, the other mercenaries subconsciously retreated, making the Wolf Head Mercenary Group very popular.
Boss Yao didn't look particularly pleased to see this scene. His old servant hurried over to offer some polite words, "We at Wanyaozhai trust the strength of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group. If Captain Muli is willing to take the remaining spots, we at Wanyaozhai welcome you."
"Who said... we at Wolf Head are going to take those remaining spots?"
Muli suddenly showed a strange smile on his face. He turned around and unsheathed his long sword. "What I mean is that this time, the escort mission for the Wanyaozhai herb-picking team will be completely handled by our Wolf Head Mercenary Group.
Of course, we won't just be sending these few people. This time, we at Wolf Head Mercenary Group are sending a hundred elite members. I don't think anyone would object!"