Chapter 97: Clearing Out Some Minions

“Good! The two of us will definitely spare no effort to protect Miss’s safety.”

With that, they both knelt down at once, speaking with utmost reverence.

“Wenlong, Huatu, you two are both older than me. Kneeling like this every day, I fear I’ll die young before my time.”

Xiao Yang reached out to help them to their feet, still unable to resist a teasing remark.

This left the pair stunned.

“From now on, just call me Young Master. No need to kneel at the drop of a hat. True respect for a person is shown right here.” As he spoke, he pointed a finger to their chests. “So from now on, no need for the formalities. As long as I’m in your heart, that’s all that matters.”

At this moment, Zhou Yan’s voice rang out from inside. Clearly the meal was ready.

“Senior Brother, the food is ready. Please call Wenlong-ge and Huatu-ge to come and eat with us.”

“Coming!”

Xiao Yang answered with a crisp nod. Glancing at the two men who had returned to their posts, he reached out and caught their hands.

“Yan’er has summoned you both, so make do with us and join us for a meal.” As they walked, he continued speaking.

Before long, the three of them reached the table. All of them swallowed hard at the sight and smell. That fragrance seemed to burrow straight into their nostrils, stirring a helpless hunger with just a glance.

The next day.

Xiao Yang rose particularly early, determined to reach the Beast Wilderness as soon as possible.

Yet someone had risen even earlier than him, and not only that—apparently the man had not slept a wink all night.

“Senior Brother, you must hurry back to find me.”

Zhou Yan spoke with dark circles framing her eyes.

This made Xiao Yang feel both amused and pained at once.

“Senior Brother, the dry rations I packed are everything you love most. To make sure you don’t go hungry, I made extra.” Zhou Yan spoke in a soft, slightly husky voice.

The girl had stayed up the entire night making those rations for her senior brother.

This indirectly led to the fact that although Xiao Yang himself was the one venturing into danger, she had prepared provisions for dozens of people. Though the amount was excessive, Xiao Yang still accepted every single portion.

“Thanks, Yan’er. Come on, give me a peck.”

Xiao Yang flashed a cheeky grin.

But this left Zhou Yan’s face a deep crimson.

Hao Wenlong and Hao Huatu both looked skyward to distract themselves.

“Go die!”

Zhou Yan replied, half-shy, half-angry.

“Hehe!”

“All right, it’s getting late. I should be going too.”

Xiao Yang reached out and ruffled Zhou Yan’s hair, offering her a faint, reassuring smile.

Although he knew they would part ways sooner or later, Zhou Yan’s eyes still grew a little red, with tears shimmering in their depths.

It was about to become a farewell.

“Senior Brother, you must return safely. Otherwise I will never forgive you in my lifetime.”

“Good. I promise you. It’ll be no more than ten days, or at most half a month. I’ll come back.”

Xiao Yang agreed without hesitation.

“We must shake on it.”

With that, Zhou Yan extended her hand as if to seal the pact.

“Good. Shake on it.”

At this moment, Xiao Yang could only do his best to indulge the little girl’s request.

“Shake and hang for a hundred years, never to change. Whoever breaks the oath becomes a little dog.”

Suddenly Zhou Yan leaned close, and with a soft smack she kissed his cheek.

Then the little girl turned and dashed back into the house, leaving Xiao Yang standing there utterly dazed.

Feeling the lingering warmth on his face, he muttered to himself uncertainly.

“Was I just… forcibly kissed?”

He still sounded somewhat doubtful.

While Hao Wenlong and Hao Huatu both struggled to hold back their laughter, wanting to laugh yet not daring to. They could only endure in silence.

“Little girl, daring to kiss me like that. Wait until I return and I’ll settle the score with you.”

Xiao Yang laughed and called out toward the house.

Meanwhile Zhou Yan leaned against the doorframe, hands clasped tightly, praying softly.

“Protect my senior brother and bring him back safely.”

At that moment Xiao Yang also bid farewell to the Hao brothers.

“Brothers, I’ll be leaving first. This girl Yan’er will be in your care. Please look after her well.”

“Task completed!”

The two Hao brothers shouted in unison.

The shout drew several indignant voices from nearby.

“Still TM not letting people sleep? Have you no shame!”

Yet the moment they realized it was the Hao brothers, their protests died instantly. They shrank back, necks tucked in, too afraid to speak.

“All right, I’ll be on my way.”

With that, Xiao Yang headed straight for the city gate.

At the same time, Zhou Yan quietly opened her door and watched the departing figure, tears she could not hold back spilling freely.

Xiao Yang’s purpose in venturing out this time was simple: make as much money as possible.

He had already tested it. Beast corpses could indeed be recycled.

Yet the price was slightly lower than Beimo City’s offer.

To Xiao Yang that was no problem at all. As long as the quantity was large enough, a little less was acceptable.

There was another reason he had chosen the Beast Wilderness.

Rumors claimed that hidden within the wilderness lay the graves of ancient strongmen, perhaps even a powerful cultivator’s tomb lay beneath one’s feet.

Since it was called a place of strongmen, inheritances would naturally exist.

And within those inheritances lay priceless treasures.

In other words, getting rich depended on… plundering archaeology.

Soon Xiao Yang arrived at the city gate. To his surprise, quite a crowd had gathered there.

“Xiao brother!”

“Young Master!”

Jin Buhuan and Zhao Wude appeared, unsurprising. What truly surprised him was Xue Yong, and even more so Nalan Fangya.

Xiao Yang nodded and offered a wry smile.

“Everyone, I’m only going out for a couple of days. Do you really need to see me off with such fanfare?”

“We came to bid you farewell, brother Xiao. This parting might last over ten days.”

Jin Buhuan smiled in reply.

Zhao Wude hesitated, then spoke up.

“Young Master, how about this—let this old man accompany you.”

After saying that, recalling his own limitations, he quickly added, “I can at least help you deal with some of the lesser beasts.”

“No need.”

Xiao Yang turned down the offer without hesitation.

Although the man genuinely wanted to follow him, he was not like the Hao brothers. Trust was an issue.

He would not place his life in the hands of someone who had once been an enemy.

At the very least, without sufficient strength, Xiao Yang would not accept anyone.

“All are trivial matters. The more people who go, the harder it becomes to hide things.”

Moreover, this time he needed to use his recycling ability.

If there were only a few beast corpses, it would be easy to hide—they could simply be stored in the space ring.

But if the haul was large, the lie would collapse.

It was still too soon to reveal this trump card. Not to mention Zhao Wude; even Zhou Yan, Xiao Yang would not display his system’s recycling power in the short term.

“Then Young Master, be careful.”

Zhao Wude took out a large blade as he spoke.

Its aura marked it as a spiritual artifact.

“Young Master, this is something I obtained by chance. It’s a fine spiritual weapon. Please accept it.”

This time Xiao Yang did not refuse.

He had needed a handy weapon anyway.

After all, fighting ordinary opponents was one thing—same size, same scale.

But battling beasts was entirely different.

Some of them reached over ten zhang long. Who knew how long it would take to crush one with bare fists?

So possessing a weapon was inevitable.

Even if he had not bought one yet, he would acquire one the moment he reached the Beast Wilderness.

With the weapon safely stored, Zhao Wude finally exhaled in relief. He had truly feared Xiao Yang would reject the treasure blade.