Xiao Ning did not react until Xiao Zhan left; he rubbed the storage ring in his hand and curiously glanced at the contents inside. 

He saw a golden card, a black scroll, and a piece of jade. From three objects, the fragment of jade attracted his attention. 

At a first look, the lines carved on it seemed to glow. Yet the next second, the piece jade returned back to normal. 

Xiao Ning's eyes shrunk, and a shock appeared on his face; he recognized it. 'Tou She Ancient Jade,' a name appeared in his mind, and unconsciously he held the storage ring firmly. 

While Xiao Zhan did not know the origin of the jade, still, it was proof of one's identity as the Clan leader. Even then, he did not hesitate and handed it over to Xiao Ning. 

Xiao Ning noted this down and decided to repay the latter in the future. He tilted his head and took one last look before walking away. 

......

As the evening arrived, the moon's hazy silver light brightened the forest. Xiao Ning casually looked at the magnificent sight. 

While it looked like he was enjoying the view, the vigilance in his eyes did not decrease. Especially at night, this beautiful scenery hid lethal danger. 

It would be a lie if he were not nervous. Even with his current strength Xiao Ning couldn't guarantee that he could cross the Magic Beast Mountain range. 

......

It has been a few days since he left Wu Tan City and traveled through the large forest. 

'Soon, I will reach Qingshan town,' he muttered in his heart. Xiao Ning picked the wooden stick and ate the roasted meat, and after eating, he put off the fire. 

'Thump!' Xiao Ning jumped off the ground and landed on the branch of the tree. He leaned against the trunk of the tree and closed his eyes to rest. 

During this period, he experienced many sneak attacks. He found napping on the tree to be safer than resting on the ground. While it was dangerous; still, Xiao Ning was not without any gain. His senses became sharper, and each attack was intended to deliver a lethal blow to his enemy. 

Still, these were not his most significant gains. Xiao Ning discovered his weaknesses, his attacking method was singular, and on top of it, he lacked a suitable weapon. 

Xiao Zhan's dou technique scroll made up for his lack of different attacking methods, and as for a weapon, Xiao Ning could only look around.

......

Finally, after a few days of travel, a small town appeared in front of Xiao Ning. After looking at it, a smile appeared on his face. It was Qingshan Town or more popularly known as the Magic Beast Town, and because of its location, it was a paradise for the mercenaries.

'Sigh!' He exhaled, and his tensed body relaxed after entering the town. Unlike Xiao Yan, he did not have anyone protecting him in the dark, and any mistake would be deadly. 

Xiao Ning walked down the yellow path and curiously looked around as he passed through. While crossing the market, his gaze stopped at a medicine ingredient store, 'Thousand Medicine Place.'

After pondering for a moment, he chose to walk over and entered the spacious store. Even though he wore ordinary clothes, still, it could not hide his unique temperament. 

As Xiao Ning refined the drop of blood; aside from the increase in strength, his physical appearance also changed. He became more attractive, and there was a noble air around him. 

"Hello guest, how can I help you?" A maid stepped forward and asked politely. One could see a red blush on her face. 

Her voice attracted the gazes of other customers in the shop, and they were jealous after seeing her shy expression. Yet, after looking at Xiao Ning's appearance, no one said a thing. 

Such looks did not bother him; he was already used to them. Xiao Ning gazed around and frowned slightly. 

"I want to see the real collection of the shop," he smiled and spoke gently. 

After looking at his smile, the blush on her face grew, and she spoke stammeringly, "Y...Yes, sir, please follow me." She hurriedly walked towards the interior, and he followed her. 

Xiao Ning entered the small room, sat on the chair, and waited for the maid to bring the precious medical ingredients. 

Soon the maid returned with a wooden box in her hands, and one by one, she took out the contents and placed them on the table in front of Xiao Ning.

A thick medicinal fragrance spread in the room as she placed the contents. After completing her work, she stood on the side and occasionally peeked at Xiao Ning. 

As soon as she opened the box, a fist-sized black rock caught his attention. He saw her small actions yet chose to ignore them and focus on the stone. 

Xiao Ning had a hunch that there was something extremely precious within the stone, yet he did not show it on his face. He calmly retraced his gaze and looked at other ingredients. 

After a while, he estimated the value of the rest of the items. He looked at the maid and said, "I want all of it." 

The maid stood stunned and did not react immediately. She recovered after a few seconds and asked again, "Sir, do you really want to buy all of it?"

"Yes," Xiao Ning calmly nodded; he took out a black card and handed it to her to deduct the money. He could see the happiness in her eyes. 

Even though the maid wanted him to stay a little longer, she still did her job professionally. A few moments later, she placed everything carefully wrapped. 

Looking at this, Xiao Ning nodded in satisfaction; he took out a first-tier healing pill and gave her as an incentive. 

"I will come again after a few days. If there is any other precious ingredient, keep it for me." Xiao Ning left after speaking. 

He wandered around the market for a while, bought a white fox mask, and rented a room for the next few days. While he recovered from the physical fatigue with his Dou Qi; the same could not be said for his mental strength. Xiao Ning slumbered as soon as he laid on the bed. 

Note -

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