Chapter Eighteen: Xun’er Appraises the Treasure

Upon hearing Ling Ying’s report, the girl quietly reading in the courtyard smiled softly.

“The Beasts’ Mountain Range in the Gamma Empire is indeed an ideal training ground for those at the Fighter and Battle Master levels. First, they battle the beasts, then fight against people. Many renowned strong warriors have grown step by step through this path.”

“Miss is absolutely right. The human heart is unpredictable, whereas beasts are more straightforward. Although Chen Xiao is relatively steady by nature, compared to those who have survived countless life-and-death battles, he is still quite inexperienced. Growing gradually like this is just right.”

Ling Ying smiled in agreement, then suddenly vanished into the shadows.

“He’s coming this way, probably looking for Miss. This old servant will take his leave first.”

Xun’er did not reply further but continued flipping through the ancient book in her hands, as if unaware of the conversation. Yet, the corner of her eye occasionally glanced toward the courtyard’s entrance, revealing that she was not as indifferent as she appeared—she still possessed the temperament befitting her age, only more carefully concealed.

Time passed moment by moment, and soon rhythmic footsteps echoed from outside the courtyard.

Tap, tap—

Chen Xiao knocked on the courtyard gate, attracting the attention of the girl seemingly immersed in her reading.

“Xun’er, may I come in?”

“Brother Chen Xiao? When did you come back?”

Dressed in a flowing blue gown, Xun’er looked up in surprise, then personally stood to welcome Chen Xiao inside.

The look of surprise was convincingly natural.

Chen Xiao smiled wryly to himself. He did not believe that Ling Ying would remain oblivious to someone as grown as him approaching. But seeing through it, he chose not to reveal his knowledge.

“I just returned. After tidying up my room briefly, I came over. This time in the Beasts’ Mountain Range, I was lucky to find some seemingly good herbs. Unfortunately, I couldn’t identify some of them. I remember you have many books in your collection, so I came specially to borrow a few to broaden my knowledge.”

In the past few years, Chen Xiao had been busy with intense cultivation, rarely finding time to read ancient texts. His living conditions also didn’t allow it.

Thus, his understanding of the world mostly came from what he had accumulated before the age of five and memories from his previous life.

Within the Xiao family, this was not much of an issue, but this trip to the Beasts’ Mountain Range made Chen Xiao realize this gap in his knowledge.

For instance, he couldn’t name many of the herbs found in caves and stone chambers, let alone know how to use them.

Therefore, reading more books became essential!

Only then could one avoid squandering valuable resources.

“I see. Brother Chen Xiao, please wait a moment. I’ll go inside and look for some books.”

Xun’er nodded knowingly and hurried inside.

Two or three minutes later, she returned holding several ancient books.

Whether she found them or took them from her ring was a secret only she knew.

“Brother Chen Xiao, these two focus on herbs. Once you have memorized them, you should be able to identify most herbs, except for the very rare ones. These two cover a broader range, including many natural treasures and even some interesting anecdotes. I like them most.”

This was no lie; Chen Xiao often saw her reading these two books.

“Thank you.”

Chen Xiao nodded in gratitude and reached out to take the books, but Xun’er tucked them behind her back instead.

Meeting Chen Xiao’s puzzled gaze, she smiled slyly and said, “I’m terribly bored this month. Since Brother Chen Xiao’s harvest was rich, if you don’t mind, can I come along to satisfy my curiosity?”

Chen Xiao thought for a moment, then nodded.

With Ling Ying, the lurking demon, nearby, even if he refused, Xun’er had countless ways to find out.

Moreover, the things he brought back needed to be hidden from others, but not from Xun’er.

After all, she was the one he trusted most.

“Of course. With your help watching over things, I’d be grateful.”

Side by side, they left the courtyard, winding through several alleys before finally arriving at Chen Xiao’s residence.

Pushing open the weathered wooden door, a small but tidy room came into view.

Xun’er looked around curiously. Her first impression was that everything was too neat—the chairs and tables, the teacups on the table, even the bedding was perfectly arranged.

Only one round, tightly wrapped package in the corner looked somewhat out of place.

For some inexplicable reason, Xun’er suddenly felt compelled to move that package aside…

Besides that, the room was spotlessly clean, hardly the look of a place untouched for a month.

“Is this package Brother Chen Xiao’s harvest?”

“Yes, it contains a lot of miscellaneous items. Please wait a moment.”

Xun’er nodded slightly, placed the ancient books on the table, and pulled out a chair to sit.

She noticed the four porcelain cups arranged at the center of the table and then surrounded them with four scrolls of ancient texts in a square formation.

Finishing these small gestures, Xun’er couldn’t help but smile quietly.

Meanwhile, Chen Xiao opened the package in the corner, taking out several pieces of clothing and a black robe, then brought them to the table.

Noticing the arrangement on the table, he was a bit surprised but didn’t pay it much mind.

“This demon core was obtained from hunting a Bluewood Wolf, first rank—nothing special.”

“These wooden boxes all contain herbs.”

Chen Xiao took everything out of the package one by one, neatly arranged them on the floor, and waited for Xun’er to identify them.

A treasure appraiser delivered right to his door was too good to waste.

“These bottles contain powdered medicine for treating external injuries. I’ve used them a few times with excellent effect, so I stocked up.”

“This scroll of Seven-Colored Poison Scripture and the Wild Lion Chant were lucky finds, the biggest rewards this time.”

Pulling out the last two scrolls, Chen Xiao explained.

The fragmented map and gold coin card were always carried with him. As for the Purple Cloud Wing scroll, after practicing it, it became useless and was destroyed.

Looking at the many wooden boxes filling half the room and the scrolls on the table, Xun’er was somewhat astonished.

She had heard from Ling Ying that Chen Xiao had done well, assuming it referred to his improved strength, but never expected so many valuable items.

Of course, these meant little to her, but for Chen Xiao, who was only a nine-star Fighter, this was a windfall.

Even the three great clans of Wutan City would envy these treasures.

“I won’t bother with the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture or the Wild Lion Chant; I’m not very interested.”

“Tell me about these herbs.”

“This one is the Purple Blue Leaf. Taking it directly has little effect, but it’s needed for refining some pills. Brother Chen Xiao could try to sell it.”

“This one is the White Spirit Ginseng Fruit. It’s a natural healing pill with effects comparable to the Recuperation Pill, but probably better than your powdered medicine. You should carry a few for emergencies.”

“This one is the Snow Lotus Seed…”

“This one is…”

Without pause, Xun’er explained each herb clearly, casually describing their effects and giving Chen Xiao advice on which to keep and which to sell.

Looking at this girl younger than himself who seemed to know everything, he felt utterly overshadowed.

At this moment, the contrast was starkly evident.

“Oh, there’s even an Ice Spirit Flame Grass! Brother Chen Xiao, you’re fortunate. This herb is a great tonic for those with ice attributes. With it, you should be able to break through to Battle Master smoothly. More importantly, it can be taken directly. Though not as effective as when refined into a pill, it still works at eighty percent efficiency!”

Hearing this, Chen Xiao, who had been daydreaming, suddenly looked up sharply.

He only knew that the Ice Spirit Flame Grass was essential for refining the Blood Lotus Pill, never considering it could aid his cultivation.

Now, with Xun’er’s reminder, he realized its true value for himself.

But on reflection, it made sense. The materials prepared by Xiao Yan and his master for assisting in refining the strange flame all shared one trait: coldness.

Wasn’t this a perfect match for his ice attribute?

“I didn’t expect such an unexpected gain. Thank you, Xun’er. Otherwise, even after breaking through to Battle Master, I wouldn’t have known how to make use of it.”

“Hehe, it’s nothing. If you want to thank me, why not give me this demon core? It looks quite pretty.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiao glanced at the demon core on the table.

It wasn’t reluctance but rather the opposite. The request was too trivial.

It was only a first-rank demon core. If not for sentimental reasons—it was his first one ever—he would have disposed of it back in Qingshan Town.

“Feel free to take it. Being able to summon a treasure appraiser of your caliber with just a first-rank demon core is a big gain for me.”

“Thank you then, Brother Chen Xiao. My curiosity is satisfied, so I’ll be off now.”

Watching the girl gracefully leave, Chen Xiao spent some time organizing the herbs before turning his gaze to the Ice Spirit Flame Grass.

Battle Master, huh...

He remembered the heads of Wutan City’s three great clans—all Battle Masters themselves!