First Encounter with the Little Fairy Doctor

Qingshan Town, also known as Beast Town, was so named because of its proximity to the Beast Mountain Range. The town was often filled with mercenaries who lived dangerously, making a living by risking their lives. They roamed the streets in groups, loudly boasting about their exploits—be it seducing the most beautiful women, drinking the strongest liquor, or hunting the fiercest magical beasts.

As the noon sun blazed down, a young man walked into the town. His face was half-covered by a mask, making it hard to gauge his exact age, though his fair-skinned chin suggested that he was quite young, likely a teenager.

Dressed in a black silk robe and carrying a strange long sword on his back, even though the sword itself was not visible, the extraordinary quality of its hilt was apparent. The mask obscured his features, but his sharp chin hinted at a striking appearance. He wandered along the stone-paved streets, glancing around as if searching for something.

Walking down the streets, the masked youth carrying the magical sword naturally drew a lot of attention. However, he paid no heed to it, calmly crossing two streets before arriving at his first destination: Wan Yao Zhai (Myriad Medicine Pavilion).

As he stepped into the spacious shop, the air was filled with a peculiar medicinal fragrance that was soothing and refreshing.

Seeing the young man enter, a shop assistant, who had been eating lunch, put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up, and greeted him with a professional smile. "Sir, how may I help you?"

Sniffing the medicinal aroma lightly, the youth spoke in a calm tone, "Where can I find Huang Lian Jing (Yellow Lotus Essence)?"

Hearing the name Huang Lian Jing, the assistant sneered slightly and pointed to a corner of the shop. "Huang Lian Jing is a low-grade medicinal herb, one hundred gold coins per piece. You can pick it yourself." With that, the assistant turned back to his counter and resumed eating.

The young man nodded slightly, ignoring the assistant's disdainful attitude, and walked over to the corner to make his selection. Without anyone to bother him, he found the peace he preferred.

His gaze swept over the piles of Huang Lian Jing, but disappointment soon filled his eyes. Unlike the main protagonist of the original story, Xiao Yan, he wasn't lucky enough to randomly stumble upon a rare Blood Lotus Essence.

Just as he was about to pick a couple of random pieces and be done with it, a light, pleasant voice sounded from the second floor of the shop. "Agui, I'll be heading to the Beast Mountain Range with the herb-gathering team this afternoon. Please make sure to collect the herbs drying in the backyard for me."

Turning his head toward the voice, the young man saw a charming young girl coming into view.

She was a stunning girl, dressed in a light green, waist-hugging gown. Her refined and ethereal demeanor, combined with a faint smile, gave off a sense of freshness and grace.

Although her beauty might not surpass that of Long Kui or Xun Er, her slender waist, cinched with a green belt, was the slimmest he had ever seen—so delicate that even the petite and fragile Long Kui seemed less so in comparison. It was as if a gust of wind could break her in half.

"Leave it to me, Little Fairy Doctor," the shop assistant replied with a confident pat on his chest.

"Mhm." The girl, referred to as Little Fairy Doctor, nodded slightly before stepping out of the shop.

As he watched her departing figure, the youth stroked his chin, a plan forming in his mind. He picked out a few good-quality Huang Lian Jing pieces, paid for them at the counter, and casually asked, "Brother, I overheard the girl mention that the herb-gathering team will be heading to the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Are all your herbs gathered from there?"

The shop assistant, now a bit more respectful after noticing the youth's storage ring, replied, "Yes, the Beast Mountain Range has an abundant supply of medicinal herbs. Our shop regularly recruits mercenaries to serve as guards and accompany the team into the mountains. They're actually departing in half an hour, from the town gate."

The youth nodded, storing the Huang Lian Jing in his ring. He left the shop and headed straight toward the town gate.

From afar, he could already hear a commotion.

A middle-aged man was beating a drum and shouting, "The Myriad Medicine Pavilion(Wan Yao Pharmacy) is heading into the Magic Beast Mountain Range to gather herbs. We're recruiting fifty mercenaries with at least two-star Dou Zhe strength, offering five hundred gold coins as payment. First come, first served!"

Most of the mercenaries watching scoffed at the offer. Five hundred gold coins to risk their lives in the Beast Mountain Range? They weren't interested.

Seeing the lack of response, the middle-aged man squinted and added, "The Little Fairy Doctor will be joining this trip."

At the mention of the Little Fairy Doctor, the mercenaries, who had been indifferent, exchanged glances before those who considered themselves qualified rushed forward.

Watching the sudden surge of mercenaries, the youth chuckled. It seemed that even though he had arrived four years earlier than in the original story, the Little Fairy Doctor's influence in Qingshan Town was still immense. He, too, pushed his way into the crowd.

The fifty available spots were quickly filled, with mercenaries even fighting for a chance to sign up. Yet the youth, using his nimble footwork, managed to reach the front of the line.

"The last spot," the middle-aged man said with a smile, hitting his drum again.

"Count me in!" came the somewhat anxious voice of the masked youth.

The middle-aged man blinked, looking at the seemingly young boy in front of him. He frowned and laughed awkwardly, "Our requirements are for mercenaries with at least two-star Dou Zhe strength. You look no older than fifteen or sixteen. Are you sure?"

The youth didn't respond to the taunts from the surrounding mercenaries. Instead, he calmly walked toward a nearby tree, raised his right leg, and covered it in yellow battle energy.

"Splitting Kick!"

With a shout, the youth's leg sliced through the air, smashing into the tree with a sharp whistling sound.

Crack!

The tree snapped in half, sending the broken section flying ten meters before crashing to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

"Will this suffice?" the youth asked, dusting off his hands as if nothing had happened.

The middle-aged man, stunned, quickly nodded. "Of course, of course. Such impressive leg skills! Even a three-star Dou Zhe would have to be cautious around that." Smiling, he handed the youth a bag of coins. "You've got the last spot. Here are two hundred and fifty gold coins. The rest will be given to you upon your return."

"That's fine," the youth replied casually, taking the coins. His goal was simply to use the herb-gathering team to find the cliff mentioned in the original story and perhaps form a friendship with the Little Fairy Doctor. He wasn't interested in the reward.

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