Xiao Yi Xian didn't know it, but after seeing her actions, Xiao Bai's lips also curved upward, and a hint of amusement flickered in his eyes.
Although Xiao Yi Xian was unaware, someone else saw it clearly. Inside the ring, Yao Lao finally understood why Xiao Bai had acted the way he did earlier.
Damn it, this kid Xiao Bai really is full of mischief.
After exiting the cave, Xiao Bai didn't put Xiao Yi Xian down. Instead, he carried her all the way to the top of the cliff.
At the cliff's edge, Xiao Bai looked down at her in his arms, while Xiao Yi Xian clung to his neck. Their eyes met, and the atmosphere became somewhat intimate.
After a moment of staring, Xiao Bai finally set her down.
Once on the ground, Xiao Yi Xian's face flushed pink. She lowered her head, not daring to look at him, and pretended to straighten her slightly disheveled dress.
Suddenly, she noticed a large hand reaching toward her. Confused, she looked up.
"This storage ring contains the 'Seven-Colored Poison Codex' you wanted, as well as 200,000 gold coins. I can't give you the medicinal herbs—I still need them."
"Oh, and there are also a few pills inside. They're good for treating injuries, both internal and external."
"Keep the pills for yourself. Don't give them to anyone else."
Xiao Yi Xian looked at the man who had suddenly become so talkative. She didn't reach out to take the ring, her emotions a tangled mess. Softly, she asked, "Are you leaving?"
Xiao Bai looked at her and nodded.
"Hurry up and take it. Weren't you crying over these things earlier? What, you don't want them now?" Seeing her hesitation, Xiao Bai teased.
"W-who was crying? Hmph!" Xiao Yi Xian's face turned red as she shouted, then turned her head away with a huff.
This jerk is so annoying!
Xiao Bai found her reaction amusing. He took her hand and placed the storage ring in her palm.
The ring was a low-grade storage ring he had bought at the Miteer Auction House in Wutan City. He had bought three at the time, and if they hadn't run out, he would have bought more.
"Alright, the mercenaries at the bottom of the cliff are probably looking for you, right? Keep the ring safe, and be careful not to let anyone steal it."
Xiao Yi Xian glanced in the direction he mentioned but saw nothing. She didn't doubt Xiao Bai's words, knowing how extraordinary he was. She had been gone for a while, so those people were likely searching for her in a panic.
"Remember what I said. I'm leaving." After speaking, Xiao Bai looked at her intently for a moment, then turned and walked away in the opposite direction.
Xiao Yi Xian was stunned for a moment as she watched him leave without hesitation.
Suddenly, as if remembering something important, she realized she had been calling him "jerk" all this time and still didn't know his name. This time, if he left, she might never see him again. In a hurry, she called out, "Hey, you haven't told me your name yet!"
"Xiao Bai."
"Little Bai?"
"Xiao Bai."
"Little Bai."
Xiao Bai turned around helplessly and said, "Come on, say it with me: Xiao Bai."
Xiao Yi Xian followed along seriously, "Little Bai."
Xiao Bai was speechless. "Miss, where exactly is your accent from?"
As he spoke, he looked at her, but when he noticed the glimmer of amusement in her eyes despite her serious expression, he realized she was doing it on purpose.
Fine, fine. He had teased her for so long—he could let her have this one moment of payback.
With that thought, Xiao Bai turned around and waved at her. "Call me whatever you want."
Watching his figure grow smaller in the distance, Xiao Yi Xian shouted after him, "Remember, my name is Xiao Yi Xian!"
The mountain wind was fierce, and she wasn't sure if he could hear her. She stomped her foot in frustration, annoyed that she had forgotten to mention it earlier.
Suddenly, a familiar and infuriating voice reached her ears: "Got it!"
Xiao Yi Xian instantly smiled, but as she smiled, a hint of sadness crept into her heart.
Looking down at the spatial ring in her hand, still warm to the touch, a soft expression flashed in Xiao Yi Xian's eyes.
In her sixteen years of life, this was the first time she had encountered such a person—domineering yet gentle, seemingly cold but warm at heart.
Hearing a faint call in the distance, she hurried over to the crooked tree, untied the rope, and placed it along with the spare rope into the spatial ring. This rope was something that jerk had used to deceive her and though it was infuriating, she didn't want to throw it away.
"Xiao Yi Xian!" A mercenary saw her figure on the cliff from a distance and shouted excitedly.
Soon, more than ten mercenaries arrived at the top of the cliff.
One particularly handsome young man walked toward Xiao Yi Xian with a smile on his face and said, "Xiao Yi Xian, we finally found you!"
Seeing the young man, Xiao Yi Xian smiled politely and said, "Thank you for your concern, Young Master Mu Li!"
She then turned to address the other mercenaries, "I came here to search for medicinal herbs, and I lost track of time. I made everyone worry, and I apologize for causing trouble!"
"Don't mention it, don't mention it! Xiao Yi Xian, you've saved us several times, so of course, we had to try our best to find you. It's not troublesome at all, right everyone?" a burly man said loudly.
"Yeah, yeah! Xiao Yi Xian, don't be so polite with us rough men!"
"Exactly! We may not have much, but we've got plenty of strength!"
The handsome young man, seeing everyone's reaction, still wore a smile on his face, but a cold glint flickered in his eyes. If it weren't for Xiao Yi Xian's great reputation in Qingshan Town, he would have made his move on her long ago.
He then looked at Xiao Yi Xian's empty hands. She had been out for most of the day, how could she have found nothing?
The young man scanned the surrounding environment thoughtfully.
—
After leaving the cliff, Xiao Bai did not immediately leave the Beast Mountain Range. Instead, he started searching through the mountains. He needed to find a suitable place to practice his Flying Dou Technique.
Otherwise, those first-level magical beasts would drive him crazy. These creatures had little intelligence and attacked anyone they saw, not caring whether they could win or not.
Using the "Thunder Flash Step," Xiao Bai traveled swiftly through the forest. After an hour, he heard a faint rumble in the distance. It wasn't thunder—there must be a large waterfall nearby.
Xiao Bai's heart skipped a beat, and he rushed toward the sound.
A moment later, Xiao Bai arrived at a massive waterfall. It was the first time he had seen such a large waterfall, resembling a river of stars falling from the sky, incredibly magnificent.
Xiao Bai noticed a cliff next to the waterfall. About ten meters above the ground, there was a small cave.
"This is the place!" Xiao Bai quickly rushed toward the cave.
The cave was around ten square meters in size and felt quite cool inside. Despite being next to the waterfall, it wasn't damp.
Looking around, he found no signs of magical beasts living there. It made sense—who would set up their den near such a loud and constant noise?
He first took out some supplies from his spatial ring, setting up a cultivation bed inside the cave. Sitting cross-legged on it, he then took out Yao Lao's ring and placed it beside him. He softly said, "Senior, please protect me while I cultivate."
"Don't worry, Xiao Bai!" Yao Lao's voice came from the ring as he floated out, stroking his beard with a smile.
Xiao Bai nodded with a smile.
He then took out a dark scroll from his spatial ring and slowly unfurled it.