Amelia Mulan’s amethyst eyes stared at Bai Xuan without blinking.
The curiosity in her gaze had become scorching, as if she wanted to see through him completely, from the outside in.
Bai Xuan felt a bit uncomfortable being stared at and was just about to say something when she spoke.
“Oh, I know!”
Amelia suddenly clapped her hands, her gaze falling on the bent black iron rod in Bai Xuan’s hand.
“I remember... is there a training staff in the baggage wagon? It might not be that great, but it’s definitely better than what you have, big brother.” Amelia tilted her head slightly, her pink hair sliding over her shoulder.
She turned to Anna, her tone softening. “Sister Anna, that staff is just a spare anyway. Let’s give it to this big brother. He looks like he really needs it.”
Anna shook her head gently. “My Lady, that staff is a product of the family workshop. Even if it is only a spare, it is not an item that can be given away to a stranger at will.”
Amelia blinked. She didn't seem surprised by Anna’s refusal; instead, a look of having planned this appeared on her face.
“We can’t give it away... that’s a shame.”
She turned back to Bai Xuan, a bright smile blooming on her face. “But big brother is an adventurer, right? Then... we can just hire you!”
“Father said that equivalent exchange is the rule!”
She leaned forward slightly, her tone filled with an inviting lightheartedness. “If we hire you as a temporary member, provide you with appropriate equipment and the reward you deserve, wouldn't that be okay?”
Money! Equipment!
These words struck Bai Xuan’s most tense nerves.
His heart thudded heavily behind his ribs.
Temptation came rushing in alongside deeper wariness.
He looked up, his gaze meeting Amelia’s smiling eyes for a moment before he quickly looked down, revealing an expression mixed with hesitation and gratitude.
“My Lady’s kindness... is truly overwhelming. But I am only a low-rank Healer with meager strength, and my situation... is quite wretched. I’m afraid I am not worth such trouble.”
“I’m the one who decides if it’s worth it!” Amelia’s tone was delicate, but it carried a certain stubbornness.
She turned to Anna, her voice laced with a clearly spoiled, pleading tone:
“Sister Anna~ Look at him. His clothes are torn, and that black rod is all bent. Let’s take him with us to find treasure, okay?”
“Just think of him... think of him as a little animal we picked up on the road! Please?”
Anna’s gaze fell on Bai Xuan.
Her look was steady, devoid of much emotion, yet it made Bai Xuan feel as if he were being measured against a strict standard.
She shook her head slightly, her voice low but steady. “My Lady, please reconsider. First, this gentleman has clearly been through a bitter battle; both his stamina and mana are near their limits.”
“We plan to move deeper. He may not be able to handle the intensity. Secondly...”
She paused, her eyes meeting Bai Xuan’s briefly. “Hiring also requires the consent of the person involved. You cannot simply rely on your own whims.”
Anna’s words clearly carried the scent of distrust toward a stranger.
Bai Xuan was currently alone, in poor condition, and in a dangerous place.
The group before him was well-dressed, their guards were elite, and the guard named Garrett had displayed strength far beyond his own when he acted.
If they truly had malicious intent, they wouldn't need to waste any words.
And they clearly possessed the ability to leave this place.
More importantly, Amelia had mentioned hiring and better equipment.
Money and a safe way out—these were exactly what he needed most right now.
Risk and opportunity clashed violently in his mind.
Bai Xuan looked up, making his expression appear sincere. “This... Lady Anna is right. In my current state, I am indeed a burden.”
His voice dropped slightly, revealing exhaustion and lingering fear. “If you all hadn't happened to appear, I might have already...”
“So, regardless, thank you for your help. As for the hiring...”
He looked hesitantly at Amelia. “If the My Lady does not mind my meager strength, I... am willing to do my best.”
Hearing the softening in Bai Xuan’s words, Amelia immediately turned to Anna.
She pressed her hands together, her amethyst eyes sparkling with pleading light. “Sister Anna, look, he said it himself! And look...”
Amelia looked at Bai Xuan again, as if she had discovered something interesting. “He’s a Healer! In such a remote place, we actually found a healing class!”
“Sister Anna, you’re also from the healing branch. Maybe you can even exchange some pointers on the way! Please? Let’s just take him!”
Looking at Amelia’s charming and persistent display, Anna eventually sighed helplessly.
She knew this young lady; once she took an interest in something, she wouldn't give it up easily.
She re-evaluated Bai Xuan. The scrutiny in her eyes hadn't diminished, but she seemed to have made some sort of compromise.
“Since My Lady insists... then a temporary partnership is acceptable. However, the rules must be stated beforehand: you must follow orders during the march and are not permitted to act on your own.”
“Furthermore, you need to briefly explain why you are here and what you encountered previously.”
Bai Xuan nodded immediately. “Thank you very much.”
He paused, then began to weave a narrative of half-truths. “My team and I took on a scouting mission.”
“But while passing through some ancient altar ruins, we triggered some sort of mechanism and fell into a hidden underground space.”
“There were... many powerful undead inside. We fought desperately to find a way out, but my teammates all...”
“In the end, I was the only one who found an exit and climbed out, only to attract those undead just now.”
Amelia listened intently. Once Bai Xuan finished, she leaned in a bit closer.
Her small nose twitched slightly as her eyes curiously scanned Bai Xuan’s hand, which hung at his side and had just performed healing magic.
“Big brother.”
Her voice was light. “The light from your magic feels so... clean.”
“It’s a bit different from the healing magic I’ve seen the Bishop grandpas perform in the Grand Cathedral back in the Royal Capital.”
Bai Xuan’s spine stiffened instantly.
She had noticed something abnormal. The Holy Light Catalyst originated from his system skill; it might be a different system of power from the traditional divine healing magic of this world.
His mind raced, yet he did his best to maintain a calm facade.
Finally, he showed a slightly proud smile. “You have a very keen eye, My Lady. I have traveled here from another country, and I do not use the Church’s healing magic.”
“This is a method that focuses on stimulating life potential.”
“So the effect... is a bit special. The trade-off is that the healing process can be quite unpleasant; the wounded person will feel pain.”
“Pain?”
Amelia’s attention was drawn to this description. “How much does it hurt? Does it... does it hurt more than falling down a tall flight of stairs?”
She looked eager to try. “Can I feel it? Just for a second!”
“Absolutely not!!”
Anna and Bai Xuan’s voices rang out almost simultaneously.
Cold sweat nearly broke out on Bai Xuan’s forehead.
Letting this high-born noble lady experience the kind of pain that even adventurers found hard to bear?
He could almost see himself being hacked into pieces by those guards in the next second.
Bai Xuan waved his hands hurriedly, his tone firm. “That is not a pain you can endure, My Lady. Only warriors who have undergone long-term training and possess firm wills can barely tolerate it.”
His gaze swept over the guard nearby whose hands were covered in red gauntlets, and he added, “Like this powerful and resilient warrior here.”
Hearing this, the red-gauntleted guard lifted his chin slightly, and a hint of faint approval appeared in his eyes as he looked at Bai Xuan.
Amelia looked at Anna’s disapproving face, then at Bai Xuan’s nervous state, and pouted.
Reluctant as she was, she gave up on the idea of trying it.
“Fine... but if there’s a chance later, I definitely want to see how you heal others!”
Anna timely interrupted the further discussion of healing magic, her tone returning to a serious one. “Then, it is settled for now.”
“You will stay toward the rear-flank of the group. Stay alert. We need to continue moving forward. Can you keep up with your stamina?”
Bai Xuan gripped the iron rod and stood up straight. “No problem. I’ll keep up.”
A smile bloomed on Amelia’s face, and she did a little twirl. “Great! Our Ding-Dong Rabbit Adventure Team has grown again! Welcome, big brother!”
Bai Xuan mimicked noble etiquette and bowed slightly. “It is my honor.”
Amelia turned her head, her pink hair trailing a bright streak.
“By the way, big brother, what’s your name? I don’t know it yet!”
Her eyes crinkled. “I am Amelia Mulan.”
Bai Xuan simply responded, “Just call me Bai Xuan.”
“Bai Xuan...”
Amelia repeated it, her delicate eyebrows arching slightly.
Then she showed a look of novelty. “What a unique name. The pronunciation is short, but it has a rhythmic feel when put together.”
“I don’t think I’ve heard a name like that in the Royal Capital.”
Bai Xuan explained naturally, “In my hometown, people often use names like this. It’s a bit different from the naming customs of the Continental Common Tongue.”
Amelia chewed on those words, a thoughtful look appearing in her eyes.
As the heir to the Mulan family, the books and secrets she had been exposed to since childhood far exceeded those of ordinary people.
Some fragments sleeping in the corners of her memory were lightly tapped by this special name.
It felt like... she had seen it somewhere before?
In volumes covered with the dust of history, in ancient manuscripts recording distant eras.
In legends, the heroes and champions sung about in ballads seemed to have names with this strange style.
Could it really be...
Amelia looked up, her gaze falling on Bai Xuan’s face once more.
That young face, dusty yet unable to hide its refined features, overlapped for a moment with the blurred yet magnificent silhouettes on ancient scrolls.
She was just about to say something when the ground shook without warning.
Boom—!
A sound like muffled thunder rolled from the direction of the altar ruins, and the bone fragments and gravel beneath their feet vibrated slightly.
Bai Xuan immediately turned to look, a slight shock in his heart. Had something happened in the tomb again?
He quickly used his peripheral vision to observe Amelia and Anna, seeing a brief flash of surprise on their faces as well.
This commotion was unexpected for them too.
Just as everyone’s attention was drawn by the loud noise, an old voice sounded from very close by, as if it were seeping out from the cracks in the ground:
“That tremor of mana... it is Master Banner. He has found a worthy opponent.”
Bai Xuan whirled around toward the source of the voice, his breath catching for a second.
About a dozen meters behind them on their flank, a dark brown creature resembling an armored giant caiman crouched quietly on the ground.
The color of its rough scales almost blended in with the surrounding gray environment; its massive body hadn't even entered his field of vision earlier.
What made Bai Xuan’s spine go even stiffer was that an old man in a worn gray robe was sitting on the beast’s broad, rock-like back.
His hands were folded on his knees, and his eyelids were half-drooped as if he were dozing or lost in thought.
The man just existed there, yet he strangely lacked presence, like an old moss-covered stone in the wilderness that one’s gaze would easily slide over.
He was here the whole time?
Bai Xuan’s mouth felt dry.
To be able to tame such a dangerous magical beast as a mount and make it so quiet and docile...
To even be able to hide such a large monster here without being noticed, even bypassing the system panel...
The strength of this old man and the resources this family possessed once again exceeded the boundaries of his knowledge.
In his limited common sense as an adventurer, magical beasts were either a source of materials or a life-threatening menace.
A mount?
That seemed to be standard equipment for heroes in a bard’s stories.
Bai Xuan decisively gave up on inspecting the old man. The actual gap was too large, and his mental energy was already low after the heavy consumption.
Even at full status, if his inspection were discovered, it would be impossible to explain.
“That idiot is definitely over there!”
Amelia stomped her foot, her tone full of complaints, but a hint of worry rose in her eyes.
“Grandpa Frank, let’s go over! I want to see him being chased around by monsters with my own eyes! Let’s see if he dares to run off on his own again!”
The old man called Frank lightly dropped from the beast’s back, not even stirring up much dust.
He walked to Amelia’s side with steady steps.
“The level of power of the undead the Young Master is fighting is similar to his own. It is a suitable whetstone.” His voice was as calm as still water.
Bai Xuan couldn't help but speak, his voice tinged with confusion. “Miss Amelia, aren't you worried about his safety?”
It was Anna who answered him.
“Master Banner is exceptionally talented; his strength is sufficient to deal with the vast majority of threats in this area. Even if a highly improbable accident were to occur...”
Anna paused for a moment. “The Young Master carries enough protection on his person that he will not fail in an exploration of this level.”
Bai Xuan understood. It was a reliance based on a massive backup of resources.
Dangerous, perhaps.
But death? That was not within their current considerations.
“Let’s go, let’s go!”
Amelia had already started walking toward the sound, her skirt brushing past the bone fragments on the ground.
Bai Xuan gripped the bent iron rod in his hand and followed in silence.
He had only just left that place, and now he was heading back.
The closer they got to the altar ruins, the denser the wandering undead became.
But there was no need for Bai Xuan to act at all.
The three guards were like scythes harvesting wheat; with the rise and fall of their sword light, any undead that approached were shattered and fell to the ground.
They soon arrived at the edge of a large sinkhole with radial cracks along its perimeter.
This was completely different from the scene when Bai Xuan had left.
Rate on N.U.
