--- Chapter 34 ---
After filling his stomach with the soup prepared by Lan Rou, Baek Ain popped a mouth-refreshing pill and walked to Yi Xian. He looks nervous for some reason.
Yi Xian silently sat at the entrance of the Poison Master's Inheritance Cave, staring at the sunrise with her calm green eyes. Her face is filled with complex emotions, making Baek Ain laugh bitterly inside.
"Hi, morning." Baek Ain greeted her, sitting at the entrance as well.
Yi Xian glanced at him and replied, "Hi."
"Yesterday..."
"No one in Qingshan Town saw you rampaging. I guaranteed that." Baek Ain immediately answered. "And the Wolf Head Mercenary Group is disbanded because all their members died."
"Anyway, you haven't answered my offer."
"I'll die soon..." Yi Xian suddenly stated and closed her eyes. "The Woeful Poison Body, just as you said, has reacted violently in the last few days."
"At this point, my life will end too."
"Accepting your offer won't change my fate. Might as well jump from this cliff and ascend to heaven."
"Aih, why so suicidal?" Baek Ain couldn't believe this lady.
"It's just a Woeful Poison Body. I can suppress it for now and find a way to cure it soon."
Yi Xian's green eyes actually tightened as she looked at Baek Ain with amazement. She has searched countless medicine records related to Woeful Poison Body and even asked 3-class alchemists from Black Rock City, but none of them could help her condition.
Does that mean this young man before her is 4-Class Alchemist or even higher?
'That can't be...' Yi Xian shook her head. Even the most talented person in the Jia Ma Empire is only a 6-Class Alchemist named Gu He, the Pill King.
"You're too young for that. Bluffing also has its limit."
Baek Ain shrugged and returned, "Limit exists to get surpassed."
"Oh, by the way... I haven't introduced myself."
"My name is Baek Ain. You can call me Ain."
"Baek Ain? That's a pretty unusual name." Yi Xian's sad expression softens slightly. "My name is Yi Xian."
"Still, if only finding the cure for my cursed Woeful Poison Body was as easy as you said."
She chuckled sarcastically, "I'd gladly be your servant if you could do that."
"Okay then." Baek Ain confidently nodded.
He suddenly grabbed Yi Xian's wrist and used Life Drain on her, absorbing her life energy which also paired with her poison Dou Qi. White Poison Art reacted and became strong indirectly.
[White Poison Art's Proficiency +0.4%]
[White Poison Art's Proficiency +0.5%]
[White Poison Art's Proficiency +0.3%]
"No, you can't!" Yi Xian panicked when realizing what Baek Ain was doing with her Woeful Poison Body. She tried to move Baek Ain's hand away, but it wouldn't budge.
"My poison is dangerous! You'll die!" She desperately wanted Baek Ain to be alive.
Baek Ain shrugged and answered, "I'm fine."
"Stop being dramatic and see if there are symptoms in my body."
"See." He added while lifting his other hand, which is healthy white without any blemish.
"H-How...?" Yi Xian was speechless.
Yi Xian has watched her loved ones suffer because of this cursed body of hers. Once, she was taken care of by an elderly couple. They are sweet grandpa and grandma, but then Yi Xian's Woeful Poison Body goes on a rampage and affects them with deadly poison.
They died with a smile on their face before her very own eyes.
They didn't blame Yi Xian, which made her more guilty instead. Yi Xian couldn't sleep without remembering their last smiles for her.
After that, Yi Xian wandered around the Dou Qi Continent and arrived at the Jia Ma Empire, residing in a small place called Qingshan Town. She gathered enough status to live comfortably, but her fears came to hunt her again.
Even in Yi Xian's wildest dream, she never thought someone could live near her. She has accepted her fate to live alone on a mountain, dying under the sunrise like this. However, a young man she met by chance showed her an opportunity.
An opportunity for Yia Xian to live normally. Just like everyone else in this beautiful world. She wished to enjoy her life to the fullest without fear of Woeful Poison Body.
Drip!
Tears are coming from Yi Xian's green eyes.
"I accepted your offer... You can order me to do anything besides harming innocent people to cure this cursed body."
"Anything?"
"Mm, Anything."
"Even an indecent order?"
"Y-Yes..."
"I'm just joking, Yi Xian." Baek Ain laughed helplessly. The world of cultivation is surely wild.
[Ding! White Poison Art has leveled up to level 11]
Baek Ain released Yi Xian's wrist and asked, "How does it feel?"
"A lot better." Yi Xian smiled excitedly, stretching her well-endowed body around.
Baek Ain could see some spots he shouldn't have seen and faked a cough. He looked away and commented, "Well, there is no grand recruiting, but welcome to my Shadow Guard's Squad, Yi Xian."
"And From now on, you'll follow my order and train your Woeful Poison Body."
"That's..." Yi Xian clenched her hand.
Baek Ain grabbed her hand and said, "Nothing is more dangerous than unrestrained power."
"A wise man once said, with great power comes great responsibility."
"Even though I could suppress your Woeful Poison Body, we should be prepared for the worst. What if I'm not on your side? You can't just stand there and let everyone die, no?"
"Trust me. Everything will be alright." Baek Ain smiled warmly at her.
"Ain..." Yi Xian felt touched.
[...]
[This is the legendary talk of the harem protagonist...] Alicia commented with her monotonous tone.
'Hey, I'm doing a great job here!' Baek Ain complained internally.
[You didn't even deny it, host]
"..." Baek Ain.
...
...
After Baek Ain shared the information about the Shadow Guard and how to train the Woeful Poison Body, Yi Xian officially joined his group now.
His conviction skill isn't that bad, after all.
Baek Ain doesn't know he was Yi Xian's only last hope.
Lan Rou sipped water from her bamboo container and saw Baek Ain walking with the depressed girl. She frowned and sighed inside because he picked her anyway in the end.
'I wonder what face Lady Fei would make when I relay this news?' She thought amusingly.
Baek Ain walked to Lan Rou and introduced Yi Xian to her, "Lan Rou, this is Yi Xian. Our new party member."
"Yi Xian, this is Lan Rou. She's my teacher and lover."
Lan Rou blushed slightly but felt proud and happy inside when Baek Ain mentioned her like that. She held her head high and looked at Yi Xian smugly.
"Lover... I thought you were young?" Yi Xian questioned curiously.
"I Am." Baek AIn nodded while shrugging his shoulders. "My fifteen birthday is close, though."
Yi Xian hummed and glanced back at Lan Rou, "How old are you then, Senior Lan?"
"..." Lan Rou didn't expect such a blatant question from this girl.
"My age..."
"Your age is?"
"My age is a secret..."
"..." Baek Ain is also curious, but let's not step onto a landmine.