Chapter 60: Inner Court Express, Heading to Shimo Cheng

(Thanks to typ Yiqing for the 10095 starting‑point coins reward! More updates tomorrow!)

"May I ask, could you help me find herbs that can mend the soul?" Xiao Li asked tentatively.

Ziyan frowned adorably, a bit unwilling, "Why should I help you."

Ziyan wasn't a docile girl; she had a fiery temper since childhood, and she feared Xiao Li's strength—if it were a few years later, she would have already told Xiao Li to get lost.

Xiao Li thought for a moment, pulled out a few pills that Xiao Yan had painstakingly forged during overtime, low‑grade pills used to restore fighting Qi, which he didn't need either.

The pills emitted a fresh fragrance, completely different from the bitterness of the herbs.

Ziyan flared her nostrils, her gaze at the pills showing a hint of greed.

Although these round pills contained far less energy, their aromatic scent was far more appealing than the bitter herbs.

Seeing Ziyan's interest, Xiao Li smiled, "If you find it for me, I'll give you this bottle of Restoring Qi Pill. How about it?"

Ziyan swallowed, feigning contemplation, "Ahem, in that case, I'll help you once."

Seeing Ziyan eagerly pocket the pills, Xiao Li's mouth twitched; kids are really easy to coax.

Delighted with the pills, Ziyan soon found suitable herbs—a six‑stage Purple Sunny Spirit Vine.

After parting with Ziyan, Xiao Li endured the pain of expending a thousand days of fire energy to acquire the herb.

He carefully stored the herb; Xiao Li planned to visit Xiao Yan immediately, as it's better to give it early—once Xiao Yan grows stronger, its value will correspondingly drop. Xiao Li also intends to discuss alchemy for the Thunder Sect with Yao Lao.

He recalled that last time Xiao Yan returned and told him he had passed the alchemist examination, so he should be heading to Shimo Cheng now; it's a good chance, having not seen his elder brother for a while, to meet him.

Also, he needs to fetch the Qinglian Earth‑core Fire for his third brother.

Xiao Li isn't the type to linger; once he decides to move, he acts like thunder—swift and decisive, his usual style.

In Heijiao Yu, Xiao Li glanced at the Thunder Sect; now the Thunder Sect has some reputation, and since the Fighting Sect's news spread, many major powers have sent envoys to visit.

These visits are also reconnaissance.

Unfortunately, they found nothing they wanted, only seeing the bustling steward Li within the Thunder Sect.

Since none of the powers obtained concrete information, they dare not rashly oppose the Thunder Sect; as long as the Thunder Sect doesn't infringe on their interests, this peace should last a long time.

... Gama Empire, Shimo Cheng (no rush travel posts)

Dust‑caked, Xiao Li shook the sand from his black robe, gazing at the nearby Shimo Cheng; a broader smile spread across his face. After walking for days in the desert, his spirit was quite weary, so the prospect of a place to rest made him genuinely excited.

A desert city, compared with interior imperial cities, felt more simple and solid; perhaps due to its proximity to the Tagor Desert, its defenses were far stricter than those inside the empire, and fully armed soldiers patrolled everywhere in the city.

After entering the city, Xiao Li headed south according to memory; after turning a few streets, a courtyard nearly as large as the Xiao family mansion in Wutan City appeared in view.

Above the courtyard, a flag fluttered in the wind, bearing the bold characters "Mote Iron Mercenary Corps", subtly exuding an aura of iron‑blooded hardness.

Outside the mansion, several robust men stood upright, weapons in hand, their sharp gazes scanning the passersby at the gate.

From the faint scent of blood on them, it was clear they were true iron‑blooded warriors who had rolled from the knife's edge, not the rookie wannabe mercenaries who merely strap a weapon to their waist.

Xiao Li observed and silently nodded; these men were far more elite than those in Qingshan Town, after all, guarding the Snake‑people differs from the Beast‑mountain range.

"Please report: Xiao family's Xiao Li, here to visit your commander."

Xiao Li's clear voice rang out; the gate's guards exchanged glances, then looked at Xiao Li's appearance and nodded knowingly.

He indeed resembled the commander, even sharing the surname Xiao; it seemed a member of the commander's family had arrived.

"Please wait a moment, brothers; we need to report first."

The guards speculated a bit but couldn't be sure; caution was paramount.

Xiao Li nodded, "No problem, thank you, brothers."

Five minutes later, two familiar presences rushed toward the gate; Xiao Li's face lit up, his nose tingling slightly. In this world, Xiao Ding and Xiao Yan are his true blood‑related brothers; no matter how aloof Xiao Li is, the thick‑as‑blood lineage still makes him a bit emotional and unsteady.

"Elder brother, Xiao Yanzi."

Xiao Li cheerfully waved, his face full of smiles as he looked at Xiao Ding and Xiao Yan.

Xiao Ding hurried forward, punching Xiao Li's chest, "You kid, it's been over a year since I saw you; I once thought of building a mercenary corps with you."

Xiao Li forced a dry laugh, "Having him spend a few years as a mercenary in this desert would be too torturous."

He turned to Xiao Yan, feigning confusion, "Xiao Yanzi, why are you also here?"

Xiao Yan rubbed his sun‑heated cheeks, "The fire element is abundant here, so I came to train for a while."

Xiao Li nodded, said no more—this place wasn't for catching up—"Let's go inside and talk."

"Alright."

The three brothers walked side by side into the barracks, ignoring the mercenaries' curious stares; Xiao Ding was eager to learn how his second brother was doing. He'd asked Xiao Yan before but got little info; now that he was here, he would ask properly.

Inside, Xiao Li gave a rough account of his years, with nothing to hide; Xiao Ding and Xiao Yan are his blood brothers, so he could be frank.

Although Xiao Li omitted the risks he'd faced these years, Xiao Ding could guess that Heijiao Yu wasn't easy to survive in.

But Xiao Ding said little, merely remarking that Xiao Li had made progress these years; between men, there's no need for excessive sentimentality—parting and meeting again, a simple "you're impressive" suffices.

Xiao Li also taught Xiao Ding the Rainbow‑Siphon Technique; while it hadn't been useful to him, that was due to his many odd encounters—normally it's a top‑tier skill, and it suited Xiao Ding's above‑average talent perfectly.

Seeing Xiao Ding and Xiao Yan's amazed faces, Xiao Li calmly asked, "Xiao Yan, you're fire‑aligned, or are you an alchemist?"

Xiao Yan nodded, "Yeah, what's up, second brother?"

"Then you, want exotic fire?"

Dear readers, after finishing here I'll head to Heijiao Yu to recruit soldiers and horses. It'll probably be a bit bland—just ordinary cultivation and recruiting strongmen, likely very uneventful—so I'd like to ask for your opinions: should I focus solely on the protagonist's cultivation daily, or add some Xiao Yan plot? Please reply in the comments.

Thanks to typ Yiqing for the reward, thanks to ||Ying|| for the reward, thanks to reader 4548 for the reward, thanks to reader 6782 for the reward, thanks to reader 3702 for the reward, thanks to reader 4548 for the reward, thanks to "I Want to Live in the Wasteland" for the reward!

Promote a group‑mate's novel.

Yun Miao transmigrated into Yunlan Sect, witnessed the three‑year pact, and decided to betray the sect.

The first step of betrayal: descend the mountain, then encounter Na Lan Yanran…

"I really didn't intend to bring the young clan leader into the betrayal…"

(End of chapter)