Chương 17: Gift from Cai Ni

"Xiaoyao... um..." Cai Ni's expression became very hesitant.

She twisted her body to turn her back to Xiao Yao.

When I turned around again, I found that I had something in my hand!

"This is a gift for you. If you ever need my help in the future, just come find me. You can find me by dripping your blood on this."

"Scales? Taken off his body!" Xiao Yao was taken aback. It was truly strange that the snake people had such methods.

What Cai Ni handed over was a snake scale, its entire body a deep purple. When held up to the sunlight, one could clearly see the iridescent colors flowing across it, and it also carried a faint fragrance.

This snake scale was a darker color than the one Old Seven used when he was tracking it, and it was smaller, only the size of a pigeon egg.

"Okay, I'll accept it!"

When the seven snake-woman women saw this scene, they all stepped forward at the same time, their eyes revealing a hint of shock, which aroused Xiao Yao's curiosity as well.

Xiao Yao took the purple scale and examined it in his hand, but couldn't figure it out, so he put it in his pocket.

Little did he know that these were scales that Cai Ni had possessed in a hidden part of her body since birth, and that they were not just for finding someone, but held extraordinary significance.

"Cai Ni, let's go! See you later, Xiao Yao!" Seeing that Xiao Yao had accepted the scales, the eldest sister Cai Yi said goodbye again.

She then reached out and hugged Cai Ni's slender waist, and the pair of white wings reappeared on her back. In a flash, she flew into the sky.

Almost simultaneously, the six sisters behind Caiyi manifested six brightly colored wings and followed closely behind, gradually turning into small black dots on the horizon and disappearing.

"Goodbye, Xiaoyao!!!!!"

As Cai Ni loudly bid farewell, they gradually turned into tiny black dots and disappeared into the horizon.

Xiao Yao then returned to the cave and retrieved the Grade 3 pill: the Injury Recovery Pill!

He's not some rich guy, so he can't lose this thing.

Looking at the wall inside the cave, Xiao Yao couldn't help but lose himself in thought.

Xiao Yao also deeply remembered that delicate and pretty face and graceful figure.

"Caini... if I don't die... we will meet again..."

"The Burning Execution..."

After whispering to himself, Xiao Yao left the cave, turned around, and headed south, disappearing into the dense forest.

With the help of the second-grade peak pill "Qi Recovery Pill", his fighting spirit has been restored to about 70-80%.

That would be enough for him to leave the Monster Mountain Range before nightfall.

"The Ice Explosion Technique consumes too much battle qi, and the evolution of the 'Burning Technique' needs to be expedited, but a safe method and place must be found..."

"Back then, even with Yao Lao's help, Xiao Yan nearly lost his life while devouring the strange fire! If I were to devour the strange ice, I might fare even worse!"

"The Myriad Bone Poison Ice is a rare treasure of heaven and earth, capable of rivaling strange flames. We cannot be careless; we must ensure absolute safety..."

"Perhaps the true power of the Myriad Bone Poison Ice will only be revealed after the cultivation technique is successfully absorbed..."

"If we can counteract the chilling aura of the Thousand Bones Poison Ice with the help of the strange fire, the balance of Yin and Yang might work..."

As Xiao Yao sped south, he secretly made plans in his mind.

Fortunately, the journey was smooth and unobstructed. Apart from a few pheasants that peeked out from behind and killed each other, there were no monsters around.

He was even congratulating himself on his good luck, little did he know that the passing of the seven peak Douhuang experts had already scared away all the magical beasts here.

An hour later, Xiao Yao finally emerged from the Monster Mountain Range.

"Phew... finally out. Let's find a place to fill our stomachs first!"

He determined the direction and continued south, soon finding a patch of wasteland that looked like a road.

"If we follow this path, we should be able to see some houses..." After walking for almost a day, Xiao Yao finally saw a few wisps of smoke rising ahead, weaving through the evening glow.

"So beautiful... I'm so hungry!" His stomach's protest interrupted his desire to recite a poem, and he quickly sped up.

He finally found a place to stay before dark.

This is a small village with only a dozen or so scattered households.

Small villages like this are usually inhabited by people who have lived in the mountains for generations, gathering herbs and wild fruits to earn a living. They are very simple and honest.

He saw a group of children playing and laughing on the outskirts of the village ahead, and Xiao Yao walked over in a few steps.

When these children saw a disheveled stranger, they were immediately frightened and ran away, with the younger ones crying as they ran.

"Do I look scary?" Xiao Yao carefully touched his face before he felt relieved.

But the next second, he noticed a small thing tugging at his trouser leg.

I looked down!

Sure enough, a beautifully sculpted little boy looked up at him.

Xiao Yao relaxed and joked, "Hehe! Luckily, one of them didn't run away! You didn't wet your pants, did you?"

"Get out of the way! I want to go home for dinner. You stepped on my toys." The little boy, about five years old, was angrily saying to him.

"Sorry, little one, you were too relaxed and didn't notice."

"Hey? Can you bring your brother home for dinner?"

Seeing that there was only this one little guy left, Xiao Yao had no choice but to set his sights on him.

"No! My mom said I can't bring strangers home, and besides, my family is big enough to eat, why should I give you food?"

"I won't eat your food for free, how about I give you money?"

"Well... okay... come with me." The little boy said and walked to the side, where a cow was lying next to the stone mill.

The little boy quickly climbed onto the cow's back, and then, without the boy's prompting, the cow stood up on its own, swaying its tail and walking in one direction.

"Wow, that's awesome..." He swallowed the next word and quickly followed the man and the cow.

After walking less than two hundred meters, the ox went into the brightly lit courtyard of a farmhouse. The old ox skillfully lay down and didn't move.

"We're here! This is my home. I'll tell my mom."

The little boy ran into the house, calling out loudly, "Mommy! Mommy!!"

"Oh! Gou Dan'er, you're finally back! Where have you been running around again? We've been waiting for you to eat."

Slap! Slap! Two crisp slaps landed on the little boy's bottom.

"Oh! Mother, don't hit her! Don't hit her! We have guests!"

"Guests? Didn't we tell you not to bring strangers home? Huh?"

Slap, slap, two more slaps.

"Mom, he'll give us money, he has money!"

"Hmph! I'll deal with you later!"

Then Xiao Yao saw a peasant woman walk out with a smile.

"Oh dear, little guest, where are you from? And where are you going?"

"Hehe, sister-in-law, I got lost while gathering herbs in the mountains. It took me a whole day to find this place. If you can provide me with a meal and let me rest for the night, that will be fine. I'll leave tomorrow."

"Oh dear! Look at you, going into the mountains at such a young age, what were your parents thinking?"

"Hehe, sister-in-law, I'm an orphan."

"Oh dear! How pitiful! Come inside quickly, there's freshly cooked food, we can eat together."

"It feels like coming home once we get here. My husband is also a mountain runner, and he's been in the mountains for two days and hasn't come back yet. We're both unlucky people."

"Okay! Okay! Thank you, sister-in-law!"

When the peasant woman heard that Xiao Yao was also a mountain runner and an orphan, she immediately became enthusiastic and welcomed him into the house.

But when he entered the house, he realized what the little boy meant when he said, "We have a lot of family members!"

Wow, there are so many people! Two whole tables full, with seven or eight children, all about the same age.

"Hehe! Young man, sit down. Don't mind the simple meal, just have a bite."

"Sister-in-law! You're amazing, taking care of so many people all by yourself!"

"Hey... what's so great about them! These are all orphans. Their parents died in the mountains trying to make some money."

"I took them in because I felt sorry for them, I hope you won't laugh at me."

"An orphan..." Xiao Yao couldn't help but feel a lump in his throat, his heart filled with sorrow.