Even though she still didn't believe Xiao Feng was a mercenary, after witnessing his strength, the woman decided to team up with him.
"Hello, I'm Xiao Linger." The woman smiled; from the side, she looked beautiful and gentle.
Xiao Feng nodded. "Xiao Feng."
The two crossed the river together and headed towards the place the woman had mentioned.
According to Xiao Linger, there was a mature medicinal herb there. If it could be dug up, it could be sold for over a thousand gold coins. She would then give five hundred gold coins to Xiao Feng as a hiring fee.
What Xiao Feng had to do was lure away the Demonic Beast guarding it.
"How strong is the Demonic Beast guarding it?" Xiao Feng asked.
Xiao Linger shook her head. She only knew that what was guarding it was a poisonous scorpion with the ability to spit venom. She wasn't sure of its actual strength, but she had previously sought out three Dou Practitioners to go with her, and they still couldn't defeat it.
"That poisonous scorpion's venom is very strong. Last time, just getting hit by a single drop made me like this." Xiao Linger's tone was filled with a sense of loss.
Xiao Feng fell silent. He had no way to comfort her, and Xiao Linger had a good mindset; she didn't need his comfort anyway.
"If..." Xiao Linger's tone carried a hint of unease, "I mean, if you can't beat it, or if it runs back after being lured away, remember to warn me!"
Xiao Feng gave a heavy grunt of affirmation. His heart stirred; he truly didn't know what kind of pain this young girl had experienced.
"Since it's so dangerous, why come at all?" Xiao Feng asked.
The last trace of a smile on Xiao Linger's face vanished. She shook her head slightly and didn't answer.
After walking for about two hours, the two finally arrived at the location.
Perhaps because they were on the outskirts, they didn't encounter any Demonic Beasts along the way, and the journey was unimpeded.
"I didn't expect you to be able to walk this far in one go!" Xiao Feng felt some admiration for Xiao Linger.
Wiping the sweat from her forehead, a confident smile rose on the beautiful right side of Xiao Linger's face. "Of course! I'm a Herb Gatherer! Many mercenaries always think our Physique is weak and we can't walk mountain paths. That's not true at all!"
Xiao Feng gave an awkward smile; he had been thinking the exact same thing.
"Look, in that valley, that poisonous scorpion usually hides in the soil. It will launch a sneak attack as soon as a person or animal approaches the medicinal herbs." Xiao Linger ran toward the entrance of the valley and pointed in a direction. "Great, no one else has picked it yet."
Xiao Feng looked in the direction Xiao Linger was pointing. There was a short tree, like a bonsai, less than a meter tall. Hanging directly above was a walnut-sized fruit, entirely reddish.
"That's a blood sun fruit. I heard that Alchemists can use them." Xiao Linger smiled again.
"Aren't you worried about being thrown by mercenaries to lure away the Demonic Beast, only for them to leave with the fruit themselves?" Xiao Feng frowned, feeling a bit worried for this naive woman.
"Heehee, little brother Xiao Feng, thank you. But we Herb Gatherers are all registered. Even though I'm marginalized, mercenaries wouldn't do what you said. If a Herb Gatherer and a mercenary enter the Magical Beast Mountain Range together and only the mercenary comes out, he'll be blacklisted. The trouble that brings isn't something a thousand gold coins can make up for."
Xiao Linger was very happy; Xiao Feng's words of concern made her eyes narrow into crescents.
"By the way, wrap this around your nose and mouth. I prepared it specially; it can block a bit of the venom."
"Okay, then you step back. I'll go test it out first." Xiao Feng wrapped the scarf Xiao Linger handed over around his face. After giving a warning, he walked toward the valley.
"Be careful!" Xiao Linger said, stepping back a bit.
Xiao Feng focused his mind. This was his first time facing a Demonic Beast; he couldn't be too careful.
While approaching the fruit tree, he used his Soul to search the soil over and over for any sign of the poisonous scorpion.
Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit him.
"Not good!"
Xiao Feng thought he had fallen into the scorpion's ambush and hastily retreated, but the dizziness didn't fade at all; instead, it grew even heavier.
"What... is going on?" Xiao Feng swayed and eventually collapsed to the ground.
Outside the valley, a nearly two-meter-long poisonous scorpion appeared. Its body was tinged with purple, its joints were black, its large pincers were held high, and its tail stinger gleamed as it rushed quickly toward Xiao Linger.
Strangely, Xiao Linger wasn't panicked; instead, she looked delighted.
"Xiao Zi, the food is ready. Go ahead and eat."
The poisonous scorpion seemed to understand Xiao Linger's words. After she climbed onto it, it quickly turned around and rushed toward the unconscious Xiao Feng in the valley.
"This person is only unconscious. Hurry up and sting him to death!" Xiao Linger pointed at Xiao Feng.
Whoosh!
The tail stinger pierced through the air, bringing a gust of wind as it lunged toward Xiao Feng's chest.
At that moment!
A flash of light streaked past, accompanied by a muffled sound.
Chih!
Like a Sword Qi, it pierced through the poisonous scorpion. The creature shuddered slightly, and the descending tail stinger lost its strength, slumping limply to the ground.
Xiao Feng, who should have been unconscious, had opened his eyes at some point. His right hand's fingers were pointed at the scorpion; the Sword Qi that pierced it had been released from there.
The smell of medicine on the scarf was very light, but it hadn't escaped Xiao Feng. What puzzled him was that when he had interacted with her earlier, he had looked into her eyes, and they were clear and bright, not seeming fake.
What kind of past could cause a person to develop two such diametrically opposed personalities?
He looked at Xiao Linger, his eyes full of regret. "I suspected you, but I still chose to believe. You've disappointed me too much. Can you tell me why?"
Xiao Linger couldn't believe her eyes. That was a Rank 2 Demonic Beast; it had been killed by him just like that?
She slumped to the ground and said in an exasperated tone, "Do whatever you want with me, just don't look at me with those pitying eyes!"
The previous gentleness and innocence were nowhere to be seen.
Xiao Feng tossed aside the thing wrapped around his face and stood up to walk in front of Xiao Linger. "I just feel sorry for that 'Xiao Linger'. If such a person really existed, she would probably hate what she has become."
"Stop being so hypocritical! Didn't you find out I was trying to kill you? Why don't you kill me! Do it!" Xiao Linger shouted angrily at Xiao Feng, tears rolling down her eyes.
Xiao Feng was bewildered. The victim hadn't even lost his temper yet, and the perpetrator was already crying?
After a while, Xiao Linger wiped away her tears, and her voice became calm. "If you're going to kill me, do it. If not, I'm leaving."
"How could there be such a good deal?" Xiao Feng raised an eyebrow. "Regardless of what happened to you before, as far as right now is concerned, you were planning to kill me. You think you can just walk away?"
Xiao Linger also had an indifferent look and sneered, "Then what do you want? What can a little brother who hasn't even finished growing do? Besides, someone like me wouldn't even fetch a good price if sold as a slave."
Xiao Feng looked at Xiao Linger with a complex expression, which made her frown again. "I said, I don't need anyone's pity. Don't use that high-and-mighty attitude to talk big. It only makes me feel sick!"
"Does the poisonous scorpion have a Monster Core?" Xiao Feng suddenly asked.
"Huh?" Xiao Linger was stunned, unable to keep up with Xiao Feng's pace.
Thud!
Xiao Feng dropped a dagger. "Dig out its Monster Core."
"You!" Xiao Linger looked indignant. It was her good friend, after all; making her dig out its Monster Core was too cruel.
Xiao Feng's expression was cold. "If you don't dig it out, I'll cut off your legs and leave you here."
Before he could finish his sentence, Xiao Linger had already grabbed the dagger and begun prying at the scorpion's carapace.
Ten minutes later, a Monster Core stained with blood and a foul stench was tossed at Xiao Feng's feet.
"Pick it up." Xiao Feng glanced at Xiao Linger, his gaze so cold it made one shiver.
Xiao Linger had always felt her disguise was perfect and could fool anyone. At this moment, she realized the youth before her seemed to hide even more.
She wasn't afraid of death, but she was afraid of Xiao Feng's gaze. She felt that if she didn't follow his demands, something more terrifying than death would happen.
Reluctantly, she picked up the Monster Core. Suddenly, another bottle of water was thrown at her. Just as she was about to take a sip, she heard Xiao Feng speak: "Wash the Monster Core clean. If there isn't enough water, lick it clean."
Xiao Linger was furious and slammed the bottle down. "Just kill me!"
"I'll only ask you once. Are you sure?" Xiao Feng's gaze shifted over.
"I... I changed my mind!"
Xiao Linger gritted her teeth and began washing the Monster Core, while constantly swallowing her dry saliva. She had sweated a lot earlier and then cried for a while; she was really thirsty now.
After washing the Monster Core, there was a little water left. Xiao Linger stole a glance at Xiao Feng and quickly drank it.
"Pah!"
Before she could swallow, Xiao Linger spat the water out. "Cough cough... what's in this?"
Xiao Feng shrugged. He didn't know what Xiao Xun Er had prepared; he had bought a ton of these bottled liquids back then. He seemed to remember it was for soaking feet to relieve fatigue.
"Fine, here's the Monster Core." Xiao Linger handed the Monster Core to Xiao Feng.
"Keep it." Xiao Feng was sitting on a rock thinking about things, not even raising his eyelids.
"Huh?" Xiao Linger was confused.
"You think you can leave just by washing the Monster Core?" Xiao Feng glanced at Xiao Linger. "From now on, if you leave a twenty-meter radius around me without permission, you'll have to bear the consequences."
Xiao Linger found a clean rock and sat down, weighing the Monster Core in her hand. "Let's be clear. Since you don't plan to kill me, what will it take for you to let me go?"
Xiao Feng glanced at her, smiled, and said nothing.
"You!" Xiao Linger was exasperated. After glaring at Xiao Feng a few times, she fell silent for a long time, then placed the Monster Core on the ground and turned to walk away.
Chih!
A Sword Qi condensed from Dou Qi grazed the woman's calf, bringing a spray of blood.
Xiao Linger gave a muffled groan, and her steps became unsteady, but she continued to walk forward.
"Do you think because I'm young, I'm not ruthless enough?" Xiao Feng's voice came from behind. "Or was I too polite with you before, giving you the courage to bet that I wouldn't strike?"
At this moment, Xiao Feng's fingertips were pointed at Xiao Linger's back, with light flickering on them.
Xiao Linger paused for a moment and continued walking.
Xiao Feng's expression turned completely cold. He walked over quickly and kicked Xiao Linger in the back, knocking her directly to the ground.
"Get back here!"
"Just kill me." Xiao Linger clutched the mud beside her, her voice low.
"That would be too easy for you." Xiao Feng's face was cold as he dragged the woman by one leg and dragged her back.
Xiao Linger's expression was wooden; she didn't struggle, allowing herself to be dragged back.
Seeing Xiao Linger's expression, Xiao Feng didn't speak. He began to bandage her wound, then set down a bottle of water and a portion of dry rations before starting to study the Monster Core.
After a long time, Xiao Linger suddenly spoke. "I hate you."
"Oh."
Emotion began to appear on her previously wooden face. Xiao Linger looked at Xiao Feng, her eyes full of hatred, and roared at him, "Why are you so good to me? Why did you have to appear at a time like this? Why didn't you just kill me!"
"The blood on the wound will attract Demonic Beasts. With your Physique, death is the only path. Without food or water, you'll also starve to death." Xiao Feng looked up. "You want to end it all, but that would be too much of a loss for me."
"I don't need your pity!"
"Perhaps you've misunderstood. The Magical Beast Mountain Range is full of dangers. I want someone to scout the way for me. Of course, I won't be responsible for that person's life."
"That's it?"
Xiao Feng looked into Xiao Linger's eyes. "I'll be staying here for a while. When I leave the Magical Beast Mountain Range, you'll be free."
Xiao Linger met Xiao Feng's gaze. Feeling that he didn't seem to be lying, she grabbed the water and drank wildly, then took the dry rations and ate ravenously.