Rustling through the thickly foliaged mountain forest, a small figure moved through the jungle.
Fangfeng Root grows on several cliffs of Thousand Beast Tomb Mountain, and Yun Sheng, entering the mountain to gather herbs, first had to trek through a primeval forest.
As the mountain terrain gradually rose, the forest became more remote, with some areas piled with rotting leaves up to half the height of a person. If one was careless and stepped on it, misfortune was more likely than good fortune.
Yun Sheng carried a basket for herbs on her back, tied her sleeves and trouser legs tightly with hemp rope, and wielded a walking stick in one hand while occasionally clearing the obstructing plants in front of her with the other.
"Little Black, don't follow me, go back," Yun Sheng walked a few steps, then had to stop when she heard footsteps behind her.
Behind her, the fully recovered dachshund Little Black followed Yun Sheng as she ran.
The recovery of this little dog was unexpectedly good, especially after eating some Demon Beast Meat. In just two nights, it had regained its strength.
Perhaps because of the Demon Beast Leg, despite Yun Sheng's several attempts to drive it away, it refused to leave. This morning, when Yun Sheng went up the mountain to gather herbs, it eagerly followed behind her.
"Leave immediately," Yun Sheng pretended to be angry; the mountain was very dangerous, and it was just a normal little dog, too dangerous for it to go up the mountain.
Seeing Yun Sheng getting angry, the little dog drooped its head, tucked its tail, and reluctantly ran back down the mountain.
Only when Little Black was out of sight did Yun Sheng feel relieved and continued walking up the mountain.
In her previous life, she had followed farmers into the mountains several times to collect old ginseng and was quite proficient in gathering herbs in forests.
Although Great Mage Yang had told her to bring Ye Beiming along, Yun Sheng had automatically ignored this suggestion.
That youngster, though young, was full of tricks; Yun Sheng, who had lived for more than two decades and was nearly thirty this lifetime, had been tricked by him twice, and her heart was already filled with annoyance.
Besides, Yun Sheng muttered, even though the other person was skilled, he was still blind, and she had no intention of taking care of another person in the deep mountains and old forests.
Yun Sheng's understanding of this world was clearly not enough.
She didn't know that when martial arts practice reached profound levels, one's skin, hair, flesh, and even other senses could become tens of times more sensitive. It wasn't certain yet who would need to take care of whom.
Yun Sheng had picked Fangfeng Grass, and the journey seemed unusually smooth, encountering only some first-level low-tier Demon Beasts occasionally.
Suddenly, Yun Sheng heard some movement behind her, and she turned around cautiously.
Along the way, Yun Sheng had deployed several Beast Traps made by Uncle Tie in the forest, hoping to capture some game.
It was still early, recalling the Moonlight Grass beside that peculiar ancient tomb, Yun Sheng followed her memory and found the abandoned Beast Tomb.
Before the Beast Tomb, Moonlight Grass grew remarkably lush.
"I'll look around the mountains again; if I'm lucky, I can add a meal for my family and Little Black tonight," after filling her basket with herbs, Yun Sheng retraced her steps back the same way.
Shortly after she left, a figure quietly stood on top of the Beast Tomb.
That was Ye Beiming.
Unbeknownst to Yun Sheng, shortly after she left the Magic Temple, the "trickster" Ye Beiming she mentioned had been secretly following behind, inadvertently acting as her guard.
Compared to Yun Sheng's full gear, Ye Beiming appeared much more leisurely; the rugged mountain path under his feet was like flat ground, and he ran faster than a rabbit.
Most of the time, he was leading a few steps ahead of Yun Sheng, occasionally stopping to clear any threatening second and third-tier Demon Beasts from their path, while leaving a few first and second-level low-tier Demon Beasts for Yun Sheng to practice on.
Towards the end, once Ye Beiming confirmed there were no threatening Demon Beasts nearby, he would rest on a tree for a while, waiting for Yun Sheng to catch up with her short legs.
With Ye Beiming's covert protection, Yun Sheng naturally had a smooth journey.
"Moonlight Grass? This Little Wildcat, usually so clever, really misjudged this time. Moonlight Grass is utterly insignificant compared to this abandoned Beast Cave," Ye Beiming approached the unremarkable Beast Cave, sniffing the damp air blowing from inside.
Ye Beiming groped around at the entrance of the cave, and after the dampness settled, he secretly thought, "A few days ago, there must have been a newborn Demon Beast here, and judging by the situation, this Demon Beast is not of low rank."
Under Ye Beiming's feet, a green Magic Array appeared, and streams of green Wind Element poured into the Beast Cave.
Wind has the sharpest sense of touch, allowing one to quickly discern the situation inside the cave.
The unknown cave, with unclear dangers, was too risky to enter alone; despite his young age, Ye Beiming had somehow learned this cautious and careful way of handling matters.
If Yun Sheng had witnessed this scene, she would have been so shocked her mouth would form an "O" shape.
It turns out that this young disciple from the Magic Temple, Ye Beiming, is not only practicing Dual Cultivation of Magic and Martial Arts, but he is also a Multi-element Mage.
It's so unfair, a boy barely ten years old, with such astonishing talent, and what's more valuable is his temperament, as calm and composed as an adult, truly a demonic presence of the highest order.
By now, Yun Sheng had already retraced her steps to check the Beast Traps she had laid along the way.
As a Doctor, Yun Sheng knew well that diet during the growth period is crucial; after tasting Demon Beast Meat, she thought of improving her own meals to enhance her physique.
At that moment, she heard the cry of a young animal; the sound originated from one of the Beast Traps that Yun Sheng had set earlier.
A Second-level Little Demon Beast, Golden Rhinoceros Pig, had been trapped.
The Beast Trap Yun Sheng used was specially processed, sharper than ordinary traps, and the deadliest iron spike even had a small amount of Mandala Juice smeared on it.
After discovering the little boar, Yun Sheng didn't hurry to approach, but crawled carefully to observe.
The little boar was evidently out foraging and inadvertently stepped on the Beast Trap.
Its hind legs were completely pierced by the sharp spike, blood flowed profusely, emitting a piercing cry, and after struggling forcibly a few times, it quickly fell unconscious to the ground with the onset of the anesthetic.
"Looks like I'm in for a treat today," Yun Sheng couldn't help but be pleased, as Golden Rhinoceros Pigs are rare. These Demon Beasts are known to usually venture in male and female pairs. The little boar seemed to be a straggler, and capturing it was definitely going to be a delicious meal.
Yun Sheng hurried forward, intending to open the Beast Trap.
Just as Yun Sheng squatted down to open the Beast Trap, a whoosh sounded behind her, and an arrow brushed past her shoulder.
Yun Sheng reacted quickly, rolling away to dodge.
A few strong youths burst out of the nearby bushes.
The leader, carrying a longbow and dressed like a young hunter, was none other than Yun Sheng's old acquaintance, Lei Hu, and his group of friends, who had previously attempted to fight her on the hillside of the village.
Lei Hu, having spent time in the town's Martial Arts Hall where hunting activities among martial arts disciples are popular, returned to the village thinking of hunting a Demon Beast on the mountain to show off back at the Martial Arts Hall.
Lei Hu was astute, having inquired from an old hunter, he learned that only deep in Thousand Beast Tomb Mountain could slightly higher tier Demon Beasts be captured, so he rallied a few of the village hunter's children and headed up the mountain together.
Little did they know that shortly upon ascending the mountain, they would encounter Yun Sheng capturing the little boar.
If it had been someone else, Lei Hu could only have been envious, but seeing the pitiful Yun Sheng catching the little boar, he felt jealous and malicious thoughts arose.
The area was desolate, with no one around, and Yun Sheng had come alone, heard to have become the Medicine Gathering Boy of the Magic Temple, definitely here to gather herbs.
In such remote and deep woods, the insignificant girl wouldn't have such good luck anymore, and the village chief couldn't come to her rescue now.
"You little waste, it's you again. This little boar is mine, hand it over if you know what's good for you," Lei Hu grinned broadly, waving his millstone-sized fists, threatening Yun Sheng to hand over the prey.