Chapter 17: Joining Hands to Enter the Magical Beast Mountain Range! Xiao Yixian

The next morning.

Wanyao Pavilion began recruiting mercenaries in Qingshan Town early in the morning to head up the mountain together.

Regarding the compensation for this, Wanyao Pavilion had never been stingy.

They promised many good things, including medical treatment for the mercenaries.

Therefore, many mercenaries came to sign up.

Yao Laoban hesitated for a moment, then took a step back and looked at Gu Fei.

"How about you choose the mercenaries?"

Gu Fei gave him a look that was not quite a smile, then shook his head.

Yao Laoban had no choice but to select the men according to the usual rules, trembling as he watched Gu Fei's expression while choosing.

It was truly because Gu Fei's terrifying aura from yesterday had left too deep an impression on him.

Recalling yesterday, Yao Laoban's whole body twitched.

"Are you, are you satisfied with these mercenaries?"

【Yao Laoban feels panic, Emotion Value +10】

Gu Fei gave a faint response, and the matter of recruiting mercenaries was considered finished.

Wanyao Pavilion had many things to do during the day, so Yao Laoban did not go to see them off.

Xiao Yixian followed behind Gu Fei, and a large, imposing group of mercenaries followed behind them.

Among the mercenaries heading to the Magical Beast Mountain Range with Gu Fei, just like in the original story, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group was also going along.

Moreover, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group was the strongest among the three major mercenary groups in all of Qingshan Town.

Therefore, they were also the main force among this group of mercenaries.

However, Gu Fei narrowed his eyes and looked back inadvertently at the leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, who was walking at the very end with his head lowered and an unreadable expression.

That was the young leader, Muli.

He had ulterior motives.

Xiao Yixian introduced Gu Fei to everyone, and when she mentioned Gu Fei's identity as an Alchemist, the group of mercenaries looked at him with respect and longing.

【Mucuan feels respect, Emotion Value +0.1】

【Qinzheng feels admiration, Emotion Value +0.1】

Most of these mercenaries who licked blood from the edge of a blade had also fantasized about being legendary Alchemists capable of stirring up a storm.

But most were hindered by talent and poverty, and had to choose the path of being a mercenary.

Now that a young Alchemist had appeared before them, they naturally felt a sense of longing.

However, Gu Fei's brows furrowed slightly.

【Muli feels worry, Emotion Value +10】

In an instant, Gu Fei looked up toward a tall and sturdy mercenary.

That mercenary was the leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, and also their young leader; Gu Fei remembered his name.

Muli.

He was also the Muli who, in the original story, wanted to plot against Xiao Yixian and Xiao Yan for the sake of profit.

Gu Fei did not believe that the worry of such a malicious person would be for the safety of a weak Alchemist like himself.

Calculating the time, at this point in the original story, the person entering the Magical Beast Mountain Range with Xiao Yixian should have been Xiao Yan.

Gu Fei thought about it and suddenly realized.

Back then, Xiao Yan was just a person of mediocre strength, so Muli was naturally unscrupulous.

But now that it had been replaced by him, an Alchemist...

Could it be that Muli found him an eyesore and was worried he would delay his plan this time?

Therefore, the originally set order should have been for the strongest Wolf Head Mercenary Group to take the lead, with Gu Fei and Xiao Yixian walking in the safest middle of the formation.

However, Gu Fei had walked at the very front from the beginning, and Muli had tacitly allowed this act of near-suicide, even secretly giving the entire mercenary group a strict order not to warn Gu Fei.

But since he had accepted the task of escorting Gu Fei and Xiao Yixian at the request of Yao Laoban, he still had to put on a show when they encountered Magical Beasts.

What's more, Muli was now so angry at Gu Fei that his teeth itched.

When the first wave of Magical Beasts attacked suddenly, Muli deliberately slowed down his attack speed, thinking to wait until the attacks from those Magical Beasts landed on Gu Fei before making a move.

But he didn't expect that this person, who had pretended to be full of courage and taken the lead when going up the mountain, would shrink back behind him with Xiao Yixian the moment a Magical Beast attacked!

The first time, Muli thought it was an accident, but several times after that, Gu Fei would suddenly grab Xiao Yixian and dash behind him while walking, and fierce attacks would follow one after another—

【Muli feels anger, Emotion Value +10】

Watching Muli deal with things in such a disheveled state, the corners of Gu Fei's mouth curled up.

Since he wanted to plot against him, let's see if Muli could withstand the gift he was giving him.

Xiao Yixian followed Gu Fei obediently, her eyes alertly scanning the surroundings.

She did not make any comments about Gu Fei's playful actions.

Along the way, after eliminating several waves of Magical Beast attacks, the group finally arrived at a place in the Magical Beast Mountain Range where medicinal herbs gathered.

【Xiao Yixian feels excitement, Emotion Value +80】

Xiao Yixian's eyes were bright, and she looked very happy.

Gu Fei laughed out loud; this girl was deeply obsessed with medicinal herbs, and in her eyes, even treasures worth thousands of gold were probably not comparable to this place rich in medicinal herbs.

Xiao Yixian hurriedly gave everyone a few instructions, telling them to rest on the spot first and then go to harvest the herbs after they were rested.

Gu Fei didn't say anything, but leaned against a tree with his arms crossed, watching her quietly.

The spot he chose was very clever; from this position, he could see the area where the herbs were being harvested, and he could also keep the movements of almost all the mercenaries in his sight.

This included Muli, who clearly had ulterior motives after hearing Xiao Yixian's words.

【Muli harbors malicious intent, Emotion Value +10】

Xiao Yixian glanced hesitantly at Gu Fei, then walked over.

"I will go pick out some medicinal herbs that the apothecary shop needs to restock; Young Master can come down himself once you have rested enough."

"The medicinal herbs here are very abundant, and there are quite a few whose names even I cannot identify; I hope there will be some that Young Master needs."

She looked up at Gu Fei, then waved goodbye with a smile in her eyes.

Gu Fei stood where he was, watching Xiao Yixian leave the tent alone and head toward the surrounding dense forest.

She did not know that the next moment, Muli, who had been pretending to be idle, stood up and quietly trailed behind her.

Gu Fei frowned and pondered in his heart.

He knew Muli harbored evil intentions and was worried that Xiao Yixian would not be able to defeat him.

Thus, Gu Fei chose to follow behind Muli and quietly trailed after him.

Gu Fei was an expert at concealing his aura, not to mention that Muli's strength did not even come close to his; throughout the entire pursuit, Muli did not discover a single clue.

After passing through the dense forest, a cliff appeared in Gu Fei's line of sight.

Muli was hiding in the shadows, spying on Xiao Yixian, while Gu Fei was behind Muli, and Xiao Yixian had just arduously climbed up from below the cliff.

"Muli, why are you sneaking around behind Xiao Yixian?"

Seeing the malice in Muli's eyes, Gu Fei struck first.

He infused his Dou Qi into his voice and shouted loudly toward Muli, who was not far away.

"What?"

Hearing this, Muli was panicked and turned his head abruptly.

He had not expected that someone would actually be following him, and that he had not noticed it at all.

Xiao Yixian, who was walking in the front, had a pale face at this moment; she was somewhat flustered, not expecting that Muli, the Young Leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, would actually be secretly stalking her.

(End of this chapter)