Chapter 153: Strange Musings
Packing all of his things, Xiao Yan left the cave. At this moment, it was noon outside. The blazing sunlight glared, smothering the entire mountain with blistering heat.
After jumping down from the cave and walking a few steps, he coincidentally met the Little Fairy Doctor, who was carrying a flower basket and had just returned from harvesting medicine. At the moment, she wore a green cloth over her head, like a pretty little village girl. Xiao Yan was a little amused, shaking his head and smiled as he greeted her.
The Fairy Doctor smiled sweetly at Xiao Yan, her eyes sweeping across the mountain cave. She was smart enough to not ask any questions, everyone had their own secrets and she was no exception. So, she did not delve deeper into what Xiao Yan did in the cave and pretended she hadn’t seen anything. Xiao Yan did not comment about her reaction, but rather he was instead happy and liked the way she reacted.
“Hungry? I’ll make lunch.”
While strolling to the house along with Xiao Yan, the Fairy Doctor turned her head, smiled cheekily at Xiao Yan when she spoke. Then, she bent down, rolled up her sleeves and started a fire in the stone kitchen, methodically arranging all of the ingredients.
Sitting on a rock to the side, Xiao Yan watched the Fairy Doctor who was lightly humming a song while working busily, causing him to smile. She was definitely a resourceful and ingenious girl but of course, Xiao Yan wouldn’t forget that this beautiful and pure girl who was cooking currently with her white as jade hands, was similarly deft and devious when using poison.
Poison Masters, the reputation of this occupation on Dou Qi Continent wasn’t great. A lot of people were scared to build relationships with Poison Masters since the latter could use poisoning methods that were impossible to guard against and would leave enemies, even friends uneasy.
Similarly, if it wasn’t for the help of Yao Lao, a grandmaster level alchemist protecting him, Xiao yan wouldn’t dare to eat the food that the Fairy Doctor gave him. After all, when one was outside, one had to be very careful because no matter what, each person only had one life.
And perhaps because Xiao Yan didn’t reject any of the food that the Fairy Doctor prepared, after living together for half a month, the Fairy Doctor was friendlier and gentler towards Xiao Yan. Of course, this warmth didn’t have any hint of romance, Xiao Yan was able to recognize straight away that the Fairy Doctor treated him as a really close male friend.
And to this girl’s sensitive heart, what she really needed was not a lot. Only a little bit of trust was able to produce a beautiful smile on her pretty face but alas, her occupation, made her fated to receive little of this.
To this, Xiao Yan was slightly ashamed. If it wasn’t for the help of Yao Lao, he definitely wouldn’t have been able to attain the Fairy Doctor’s friendship.
Sitting on the rock, Xiao Yan looked at the beautiful figure who was busily making lunch for two. Lightly exhaling, he suddenly asked, “When are you planning to leave here?”
“Huh?” Hearing Xiao Yan’s question, the Fairy Doctor turned her head back. Her hands pushed aside her bangs and staring doubtfully at Xiao Yan with her beautiful eyes, she lightly asked, “Why?”
“Don’t misunderstand, this is your place, I wouldn’t dare to chase you out.” Wringing his hands, Xiao Yan teased. “Due to several reasons, I might be staying at this place for roughly a half month to a whole month. I was thinking, if you had any urgent matters, you could….”
“Its okay, you can stay however long you like. I really don’t have any urgent matters to attend to. I was thinking that if I had time, I could adventure in the Dou Qi Continent for a while but it’s not an urgent matter. My time isn’t rushed….” Sighing in her heart, the Fairy Doctor turned and laughed unconcernedly.
“Adventuring in the Dou Qi Continent? That’s not a bad idea.” Xiao Yan nodded his head in agreement. Adventuring in the Dou Qi Continent was also one of his dreams.
“You are interested? Then we could travel together.” Adding a little wood into the fire, the Fairy Doctor laughed and said.
“Ah, I still have some matters that I have to complete so in the short term, I don’t have that mindset or the free time to do so.” Xiao Yan shook his head and laughed.
“That’s regrettable. It was so hard to find a likeable companion.” Shaking her head with a little regret, Fairy Doctor spoke grudgingly.
“Going out to adventure…..Just some friendly advice: you should try your best to conceal your identity as a Poison Master. If not, your trip will be quite lonely.” Brooding for a while, Xiao Yan suddenly spoke out seriously.
Her body trembling, the Fairy Doctor threw a few non-poisonous mushrooms into the pot then stared at the boiling pot. Lightly sighing, she was clear about her own status, it would incite the fear in many.
“Uh….actually, you can’t be considered a Poison Master yet. Hmm, you can use your identity as a doctor to adventure. At least a doctor would gain people’s respect easily.” Gazing at the Fairy Doctor’s suddenly mute profile, Xiao Yan forced out a laugh.
“I will become a Poison Master sooner or later and also, I might be the kind that incites the most hatred and fear.” Sighing faintly, Fairy Doctor softly spoke.
“…Whether you become a Poison Master, it depends on yourself. This kind of thing, at least no one would force you?” Hearing this, Xiao Yan was a little befuddled.
“Ai, you wouldn’t understand…..” Her hair fell down and covered her pretty face. The Fairy Doctor muttered softly, “If we meet in the future, I hope you are still able to treat me as a friend.”
Scratching his head in bafflement, Xiao Yan’s was totally confused by the Little Fairy Doctor’s mysterious words.
“Haha, it’s done.” Shaking her head, the Fairy Doctor looked at the boiling pot, and suddenly smiled. Stretching out to take a small bowl from the side, she ladled a bowl of mushroom soup and served it carefully to Xiao Yan.
Reaching over and taking it, Xiao Yan smelled a delicious fragrance, his mouth started to salivate and swallowing his saliva, he gave the Fairy Doctor a thumbs up, then ignoring the heat of the soup, he started drinking it.
Staring at Xiao Yan who was holding the bowl of mushroom soup and eating without any hesitation, a happy smile appeared on the Little Fairy Doctor’s pretty face. She really liked how Xiao Yan trusted her.
Squatting on the rock, Xiao Yan drank quite a few bowls of mushroom soup then returned the bowl to the Fairy Doctor in satisfaction. Patting his round stomach, smiling happily and said, “Good skills. Whoever marries you will be very fortunate.”
“Marry me?” Hearing Xiao Yan’s words, the Fairy Doctor couldn’t help but smile and said, “You have to know that a Poison Master is one of the Dou Qi Continents least married occupation because not many people would be brave enough to share a bed with a wife that can release a deadly poison in a split second.”
Shaking his head helplessly, Xiao Yan felt that the Fairy Doctor was really a little too pessimistic. Even if being a Poison Master made people a little scared and fearful, her current ability was far from reaching that stage right?
Those grandmaster level Poison Masters that were infamous, able to make everyone fearful and not dare to step anywhere near, wasn’t something that anyone could become.
“Remember, if we are to meet again on the Dou Qi Continent in the future, you cannot detest me. Because if so, I think I would be really sad.” Organizing the utensils, the Fairy Doctor walked towards the house and just as she was about to enter, her footsteps stalled and quickly turned around to speak with a slight smile. Upon finishing speaking, she entered the house, leaving a totally baffled Xiao Yan on the rock alone.
Staring blankly at the small house for a long while, Xiao Yan smiled helplessly. Even if she were to become a Poison Master in the future, why did that matter? Just based on her occupation, he would hate her?
After entertaining wild thoughts and crazy conjectures for a while, Xiao Yan lazily stood up. Arriving at an area under a mountain, he lifted his head and looked at the scorching sun in the sky. His legs slightly moved then stepped heavily on the ground. Following that was a crisp explosion sound, Xiao Yan’s body was like a cannon bullet, charging up the cliff and as that strength was expiring, his feet once again heavily stepped on the rock wall. Amidst the explosion noises, Xiao Yan’s body charged straight up the rock wall unendingly.
Upon the fifth explosion, Xiao Yan’s body volleyed in the air, landing firmly on one of the mountain peaks inside the valley. From here, the small house down in the valley was not even as large as half a fist.
As it was noon currently, the glaring sun in the sky gave out burning hot rays of light unrelentlessly. The exposed rocks outside, under this baking sun, was so hot that people wouldn’t dare to touch it.
Xiao Yan’s landing location was just a nice protruding rock slab. This was the best place to “enjoy” the hottest sunbathing.
Wiping the sweat on his forehead, Xiao Yan smiled bitterly and shook his head. After complaining about how tough training was to himself, he sat down on the sweltering stone slab. A moment later, the heat from his butt caused Xiao Yan to grit his teeth. Sitting upright, Xiao Yan ignored the constant sweat that kept rolling down from his face, both hands forming the training seal and started to still his mind.
Just as he finished completing his training posture, Xiao Yan found that the fire natured elemental energy from the surroundings started to funnel into his body. His mind routinely and familiarly refined the energy that just entered in his Qi Paths, lastly channeling it into his Qi vortex. After circulating it into the Qi vortex, it was then channeled into the purple flame in the middle of the Qi vortex.
Absorbing this fire natured Dou Qi with hints of the hot sun, the purple flame started to flare up and after devouring, the small purple flame seemed as if it grew a little bit.
Under the attention of his mind, every bit of the slow growth of the small purple flame was noticed by Xiao Yan. Looking at the decent results of training, he was quite delighted and after absorbing the energy from the outer environment for a while, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes. He then took out the jade bottle which contained the Amethyst Essence from the ring. His fingertip lightly and carefully dabbed a little, then put it into his mouth and lightly tasted it. Following his saliva, it was swallowed into his stomach.
Just as the Amethyst Essence was swallowed into his stomach, Xiao Yan’s face flared red. The originally normal skin, at this moment started to have hints of red. Feeling the change in his body, Xiao Yan quickly focused, then circulated the Dou Qi in his body and started to neutralize this intense and tyrannical energy.
On the mountain rock, under the glaring sun, the youth was sweating heavily and gritting his teeth while he endured the trial of the intense heat inside his body, like a silkworm enduring the pain before breaking out from the cocoon and becoming a butterfly.
After the pain, it was like a rebirth. Only, this journey of change, required painful and harsh trials to nurture.