Chapter 246: Chapter 246: Gathering Herbs in the Silver Snowfield
Deep in the night, a streak of azure inked through the mountains, stirring up dust wings in its wake.
The rider on the horse was none other than Shi Xiaole.
Despite the ongoing efforts of the Revenge Gathering - sending people to the Silver Water Region on one hand and searching around for a ready Jade Heart Orchid to bargain with on the other - Shi Xiaole didn’t just twiddle his thumbs waiting for rescue.
Su Yanru was injured to save him, and he had the obligation to assist her.
He spurred Qingfeng to its full speed. By the sixth day afternoon, he reached the boundary of the Silver Water Region, and by the seventh day, he arrived at the periphery of the Silver Snowfield.
The Silver Snowfield was known as a wonder of the Silver Water Region.
Covering thousands of miles, this spot was blessed with spectacular landscapes. With the fall of frosty snow every midnight, it presented a striking spectacle that contradicted the burning summer outside.
Due to the unique climate, the Silver Snowfield was home to several herbs, a fraction of which were exceedingly rare. These attracted numerous warriors and herb merchants to this place.
Of course, it wasn’t so simple as walking in and finding the herbs. Most people only collected common herbs. If they were rare, you had to be cautious, as there were always martial artists patrolling in secret, ready to intercept halfway.
Shi Xiaole had already researched the appearance and habits of the Jade Heart Orchid and without much thought, steered Qingfeng into the snowfield.
The cold struck him like ice knives, and he was enveloped in a blank whiteness as snow layers crunched underfoot. It was as if he had stepped into a snow-covered world.
As he went deeper, Shi Xiaole had to power up his inner energy, otherwise, freezing over was inevitable.
In the following days, he started to look around while occasionally uncovering herbs, but the Jade Heart Orchid’s shadow was nowhere to be found. As for Qingfeng, it had already left the Silver Snowfield on its own.
Herbs were hidden; it was impossible to find them while mounted. Moreover, the sight of Qingfeng would certainly invite trouble. Shi Xiaole didn’t want any unnecessary problems.
"A stem of Cold Fragrance Flower."
Somewhere in the Silver Snowfield, Shi Xiaole picked a herb that resembled a mimosa.
Known as the Cold Fragrance Flower, its market value was around 500 taels. Its medicinal properties were highly effective for warriors cultivating cold inner energy.
Just as he was about to depart, Shi Xiaole suddenly looked eastward with a sense of urgency.
"Miss, you go first."
Hundreds of meters away, a group of men were desperately brandishing their weapons, engaging the dozen men in front of them as blood stained the snow beneath their feet.
"Thought you could escape?"
A scar-faced man among the obstructed group laughed heartily. He swung his long knife creating an arc of light, and instantly, two opponents fell in their tracks.
"Scar-faced Wolf, aren’t you being too ruthless?"
A young maiden watched in despair as the Ye Family’s guards fell one by one.
The Ye Family, eminent in herb cultivation, sent family members every month to collect herbs from the Silver Snowfield. This was Ye Yiyi’s first time leading a group independently, and she unexpectedly bumped into the notorious Eighteen Bandits of Wolves Mountain.
Even the weakest among the eighteen bandits had peak-level Qi absorption, while the leader, Scar-faced Wolf, had peak-level Xuan Qi. The Ye Family’s guards were no match for them.
The martial level in the Silver Water Region wasn’t high, and a person with the first level of Xuan Qi was considered a top expert.
Ye Yiyi couldn’t understand why the Eighteen Bandits of Wolves Mountain would covet the common herbs collected by their family?
"Too ruthless? In the martial world, you need to be ruthless to survive. But for a tender beauty like you, brother will be very gentle."
The scar-faced man spoke loudly, getting a round of raucous laughter from the other bandits.
Ye Yiyi began to understand.
It wasn’t the herbs they coveted, but her, known as a beauty in the martial world. Thinking of this, her face paled further.
"Miss, what are you waiting for? Leave, quickly! Don’t let our deaths be in vain."
Ye Qi, the captain of the Ye family guards, called out loud.
A bandit grunted and quickly surrounded him from all directions. The others wanted to lend their support but were stopped by Scar-faced Wolf, exacerbating their casualties.
Reason told Ye Yiyi that the best course of action was to leave. However, how could she abandon her companions and watch them die in front of her?
"Rain of Swords!"
Biting her lower lip, Ye Yiyi attacked the few bandits surrounding Ye Qi, her sword light pouring down like a rain curtain.
"The lady has good skills."
Scar-faced Wolf stared hungrily at Ye Yiyi’s body. He hadn’t touched a woman for nine days, and he wouldn’t miss this opportunity.
As he swung his long knife, the powerful arc of the blade shattered the sword light, the blade slashing across, Scar-faced Wolf leered at Ye Yiyi, stricken with terror.
The Ye family’s guards halted, with Ye Qi swaying wildly.
"Lady, strip off your clothes."
Scar-faced Wolf ordered.
Ye Yiyi felt simultaneously cold and numb.
"If you don’t strip, your men will die."
Scar-faced Wolf teased.
Ye Yiyi’s eyes welled up, and as she stood, bewildered, a voice.Commanded, "Let her go."
The Eighteen Bandits of Wolves Mountain all turned to see a young man dressed in azure robes, a long sword hanging from his waist, stride forward.
"Kid, I advise you not to meddle in other’s business, or it will lead a path to death."
A man threatened fiercely.
Shi Xiaole looked at Scar-faced Wolf, asserting unequivocally, "Let her go."
Feeling ignored, the bandit shouted and with the fierce energy of his peak-level Qi Absorption, his wild knife slashed directly overhead at Shi Xiaole.
"Young Master, be careful!"
Ye Yiyi couldn’t help but shout in worry, afraid that Shi Xiaole might get injured.
With his thumb gripping the hilt of his sword, Shi Xiaole didn’t even look as he waved his hand, releasing a spiral of Sword Qi.
Crack.
The enemy’s blade was drilled through by the spiral Sword Qi, then shattered into pieces. Before completely disintegrating, a green flash was seen, and Shi Xiaole suddenly appeared in front of Scar-faced Wolf, pointing his sword at him.
"Damn!"
Scar-faced Wolf didn’t expect Shi Xiaole to move so fast. His long saber was quick enough to block, but under the enormous force of the impact, his body immediately retreated.
Shi Xiaole’s current state, reaching fifty-five percent of the Brahma-I Unity and having accessed his Sword Heart, made him significantly stronger than he was a few months ago. Underestimating Shi Xiaole, Scar-faced Wolf naturally fell into a disadvantage.
Before Scar-faced Wolf could react, Shi Xiaole’s figure suddenly rose, in an instant, his green blade rested on the enemy’s neck.
Chirp.
At the same time, the body of the bandit who had attacked Shi Xiaole earlier suddenly stiffened, having been sliced into two halves by the spiral Sword Qi.
A cold sweat dripped from his forehead, Scar-faced Wolf was terrified, pleading hastily, "Young Hero, let’s talk it out."
Who or what was this demon-like figure who had effortlessly blocked his attacks? How was this possible?
Ye Yiyi’s mouth was wide open, she was totally stupefied.
The Ye Family guards and the other sixteen bandits were also stunned.
"Have your men release those people."
Shi Xiaole pointed at the Ye Family guards they had captured.
Scar-faced Wolf’s eyes flicked, struggling, "Young Hero, what if I release them, and you still plan to kill me?" While speaking, he was subtly signaling the remaining sixteen Wolves.
This young man was too powerful; they had to outsmart him to win.
But Shi Xiaole was waiting for this moment. As they were distracted, he suddenly drew his sword with his left hand, and a light yet swift sword strike of about ten meters burst forth.
One after another, heads flew into the sky, and sixteen headless corpses were left behind. The most frightening part was, after slicing through the sixteen bandits, his Sword Qi morphed into a light breeze, stirring the clothes of the Ye Family guards behind him without harming anyone.
This control over timing and blade technique left the Ye Family guards, led by Ye Qi, shivering from head to toe.
"No..."
Scar-faced Wolf realized something was wrong. He was just beginning to shout when his head flew up as well, shock still etched on his face.
Sheathing his sword, Shi Xiaole walked away.
Coming back to her senses, Ye Yiyi quickly rushed to him, thanking him, "Young Master, thank you for saving my life."
"No need for thanks."
Ye Yiyi hesitated for a moment, then suddenly took out a wooden box from her chest. In the box lay a quietly situated medicinal herb. "I have nothing to repay you with, but here is a Three Purities Grass. I hope you will accept it."
Shi Xiaole’s eyes lit up.
Three Purities Grass, worth over a hundred thousand taels of silver in the market. It’s said that each time you practice, placing a piece in your mouth could keep the mind clear, temporarily enhancing comprehension. It is one of the most cherished medicinal herbs in the Martial World.
Ye Qi and the others were also taken aback—where did their Miss get such a precious thing?
Glancing at Ye Yiyi, Shi Xiaole chuckled, "You need something from me?"
She only saved them on a whim; the woman didn’t have to repay him with such an expensive gift. Although this young woman was innocent, she was not foolish.
Ye Yiyi’s face flushed, "Is it possible for you to stay and escort us out?"
There were many people who came to the Silver Snowfield to pick ordinary herbs. After all, even ordinary herbs here were of superior quality compared to outside. But now, Ye Yiyi understood that her appearance was sinful. What would she do if she bumped into another person like Scar-faced Wolf?
"I’m sorry, but I’m in a hurry."
Shi Xiaole shook his head.
Ye Yiyi urgently spoke, "Young Master, did you also come here to find medicinal herbs? Amongst us, we have a highly experienced pharmacist. If you stay with us, you’re sure to gain a greater harvest."
After her words were spoken, a man standning behind the guards nodded with a small smile.
Shi Xiaole paused.
Indeed, pharmacists, due to their years of picking and harvesting, could predict the location of herbs to a certain extent, avoiding many unnecessary efforts. Unfortunately, talented pharmacists were few and far between, and this time, he was in such a hurry he didn’t have time to find one.
"Should you agree, we’ll give you thirty percent of the medicinal herbs we pick."
Ye Yiyi looked anxious. If he still refused, she would no doubt raise the reward.
"Aren’t you afraid that I’m a bad person?"
"A person willing to help others cannot be a bad person."
"Alright then."
Shi Xiaole eventually agreed. He didn’t know where the Jade Heart Orchid was, and guarding Ye Yiyi and the others wouldn’t make much of a difference. Besides, having a pharmacist might even provide him with more clues.
Ye Yiyi exhaled with relief.
With Shi Xiaole around, though it wasn’t entirely foolproof, at least the risk was reduced. And for some reason, he seemed to exude a calming aura, giving her a sense of security.
The group started walking westward, with the Ye Family’s pharmacist collecting numerous herbs along the way.
"Hmm, that place?"
Suddenly, the Ye Family’s pharmacist inadvertently noticed a narrow gully to the south, according to his years of experience, herbs of great quality were most likely to grow in such terrains.
