Chapter 52: Teaming Up
Xiao Yan looked at the woman in white, who was already sitting in position, treating the wounded that came and went. His eyes narrowed slightly.
Xiao Yixian's appearance now made him think of four words: "Angel in white."
Especially the gentle smile on her face, which was indeed refreshing. No wonder these usually fierce mercenary men would act like sheep in front of her.
However, looks couldn't fill the stomach, and Xiao Yan, who had been living on dry rations for the journey, felt that his mouth was nearly parched.
Nodding at the shop assistant, Xiao Yan walked out of Wan Yao Zhai, found a tavern, and enjoyed a hearty meal. Afterward, he returned to his room, carefully inspected it, and then condensed some ice crystals using Dou Qi at the gaps in the doors and windows before lying down on the bed to sleep soundly.
He hadn't slept well during the past few days of traveling, and coupled with his current weak strength, his body was somewhat exhausted.
After all, he was about to enter the Monster Beast Mountain Range, so he needed to rest and gather his energy.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, as the first light of dawn appeared in the sky, Xiao Yan's biological clock woke him up on time.
Waking up from a good sleep, the fatigue deep within him was greatly reduced, and Xiao Yan felt rejuvenated.
This time of day was perfect for practicing Dou Qi. The saying "The early bird catches the worm" applied just as much to cultivation.
Cultivation was like sailing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall back. Only by persistently moving forward can one grow stronger.
Sitting up on the bed, Xiao Yan slowly closed his eyes, formed the cultivation hand seals, and began practicing the Wind Rolling Technique.
Over the past three days, he had traveled during the day and studied the Wind Rolling Technique at night. Now, the Dou Qi in his Qing Mu Qi Mansion had already transformed into green wind-type Dou Qi.
During his actual training, Xiao Yan could sense that, while both were high-level Xuan class techniques, the quality of the Wind Rolling Technique was slightly inferior to the Xuan Bing Technique.
However, even so, it was still a high-level Xuan class technique, so its effectiveness was certainly not bad.
Additionally, Xiao Yan could absorb energy from medicinal herbs through secret methods, so his training speed now was faster than when he was in Wutan City.
It might only take him less than a month to break through to a Six-Star Dou Shi!
After two hours of cultivation, Xiao Yan opened his eyes.
The streets outside had already become noisy. A new day had begun!
After a quick wash, Xiao Yan walked out of the tavern and headed toward another exit of Xiao Yan Town.
Because that was also the entrance to the Monster Beast Mountain Range.
When Xiao Yan arrived at the exit at a leisurely pace, many mercenaries had already gathered there, shouting loudly and trying to recruit lone mercenaries who wanted to enter the mountain.
These people were like random teams in a dungeon; they formed a group with certain requirements and would then enter the Monster Beast Mountain Range.
The mercenaries they were trying to recruit usually had some tricks up their sleeves, enough to survive on their own in the Monster Beast Mountain Range.
Xiao Yan was one of the latter but had no interest in joining the former's group.
Because he didn't come to Qing Shan Town just for training in the Monster Beast Mountain Range.
He was also preparing for the expansion of the Xiao family's influence.
Therefore, Xiao Yan's target would be one of the mercenary groups already well-organized in Qing Shan Town.
There were only three such mercenary groups in the entire town, each with around a hundred members. Most of the members were at or above the Dou Shi level, and it was said that the leaders of the three groups were all Dou Shi level experts, making them some of the most powerful forces in Qing Shan Town.
With Xiao Yan's current Five-Star Dou Shi strength, he could easily deal with some lower-level Dou Shi if he went all out.
The tricky part was how to gather these three mercenary groups under his control and arrange for someone he trusted to manage them.
As Xiao Yan was silently pondering this, there was suddenly a commotion at the town's entrance, followed by an excited shout:
"Wan Yao Zhai is going to the Monster Beast Mountain Range to gather herbs, and Xiao Yixian will be going with them! There are only fifty spots available, and the requirement is that your strength must be above a Two-Star Dou Shi. Everyone, hurry up!"
The shout made the noisy crowd fall silent for a moment, but soon, mercenaries who thought they met the conditions rushed forward to the middle-aged man wearing Wan Yao Zhai clothing.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan didn't hesitate at all. He stepped into the Dragon Step, weaving through the crowd like a snake, and quickly made his way to the front.
"I'll go first!"
Xiao Yan wore a bright smile on his face as he raised his hand and said.
"Huh?"
The middle-aged man, looking at the young boy in front of him, who appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen, dressed with a hint of nobility, was taken aback, then quickly smiled and said, "This young master, what we need are Dou Shi, those above Two-Star Dou Shi!"
Obviously, he didn't believe a boy of Xiao Yan's age could have such strength, but since he couldn't see through Xiao Yan's true abilities, he spoke politely.
However, the mercenaries behind who were "cut in line" weren't so happy, and immediately started shouting angrily:
"Where did this little brat come from? Barely out of his diapers and already wandering around!"
"Kid, get out of the way, don't waste our time!"
At the same time, a burly man with a beard walked toward Xiao Yan, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder and push him aside.
The smile on Xiao Yan's face immediately vanished. Before the man's hand could even touch him, Xiao Yan bent down and, with his left foot on the ground, kicked his right foot up, landing a blow to the man's chin.
Boom!
Xiao Yan didn't put much strength into the kick, but the location was precise, and it sent the man flying straight back to the ground, knocking him out cold.
The strike, which took down a Dou Shi, immediately stunned the entire crowd, and no one dared to complain anymore.
After all, in the eyes of mercenaries, the person with the biggest fists deserved respect.
"So, now?" Xiao Yan didn't even look at the burly man behind him. A smile reappeared on his face as he casually asked.
"The talent of this young brother is indeed impressive. At such a young age, you've already broken through to Two-Star Dou Shi. You're the first to join. The mercenary fee is five hundred gold coins, and the task is to ensure the safety of our Wan Yao Zhai herb-gathering team on the way back. You'll receive half of the payment now, and the rest after we return."
The middle-aged man's eyes showed a flash of admiration before he smiled and said.
Xiao Yan shook his head and waved his hand lazily, "Forget it, five hundred gold coins aren't worth splitting. Just give it to me when we return."
"Since you've said so, young brother, it's no problem."
The middle-aged man nodded and said warmly.
Xiao Yan then moved aside and began to wait.
(END CHAPTER)
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