Chapter 42: The Poisoned Blue Eagle!
Somewhere on the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, Jiang Lin—clad in black armor and cloak—appeared among Xiao Yi Xian's herb-collecting team, drawing curious glances from those around him.
Since Xiao Yi Xian's group wouldn't venture deep into the mountains, their leader was a middle-aged nine-star Dou Zhe named Li Miao.
"Captain Li, don't keep staring at me like that. You're making me feel shy," Jiang Lin joked as he walked alongside Xiao Yi Xian and turned to the stern-faced Li Miao.
Li Miao looked at the bulky, imposing black-armored Jiang Lin and shook his head. "I've just never seen someone dress like that before. I'm curious."
Jiang Lin smiled. "If something happens later, I'll have to trouble you to get Xiao Yi Xian to safety. No need to get caught up in this mess."
Li Miao shook his head. "I'm just an average Dou Zhe. With that armor of yours, I probably couldn't even scratch the surface. There's no point in me trying."
The power struggles of great figures had nothing to do with a small character like him.
"Hahaha, Captain Li's a smart man." Jiang Lin laughed. He understood that anyone who could serve as an escort for Wan Yao Zhai had likely already been thoroughly vetted by Mr. Yao.
Seeing that Li Miao didn't object to his presence, Jiang Lin followed Xiao Yi Xian for three days, helping her gather herbs and reviewing medicinal botany with her.
"Linzi, look! Purpleleaf Grass! Judging by the age, it must be fifty years old—worth several hundred gold coins!"
Xiao Yi Xian crouched by a boulder, her eyes shining as she gently cradled a violet-green herb in her hands.
Jiang Lin, carrying his intimidating cloth-wrapped greatsword, watched her with a soft gaze.
He never told Xiao Yi Xian about all the external conflicts and conspiracies, so in her eyes, he had come into the mountains simply to accompany her. That made her especially happy.
"These weapons you forge finally have a purpose! Coming into the mountains with me as my lead guard—very good!" she grinned as she stored the herb into a wooden box, handed it to Jiang Lin, and patted his armor-clad chest playfully.
These past few days, her "Linzi" had been way more obedient than the one back at Wan Yao Zhai!
"Heh." Jiang Lin smiled and reached out to take the box, intending to place it in the basket on his back—when suddenly, his expression sharpened. Without hesitation, he dropped the herb worth several hundred gold, wrapped his left arm around Xiao Yi Xian's slender waist, and leapt backward with her. At the same time, his right hand gripped the hilt of the greatsword on his back.
The sudden motion put everyone on alert. Li Miao and the others immediately rushed over.
"Danger?" Li Miao asked, raising an eyebrow. They were still in the outer region of the mountain range—there shouldn't be anything stronger than a first-rank beast.
With his left arm still wrapped protectively around the soft, boneless Xiao Yi Xian, Jiang Lin narrowed his eyes and looked forward cautiously, shaking his head.
Thanks to the refining effect of the Tempering Fire Art and the support of his Black Knight armor, twelve-year-old Jiang Lin looked strikingly large. The already petite Xiao Yi Xian, who stood around 1.55 meters, could barely reach his cold, hard chestplate with the top of her head.
SCREEEEE!!
Just as Jiang Lin shook his head, a blue figure dropped from the sky with a sharp cry, crashing into the nearby forest. Several blood-stained blue feathers floated down through the trees.
"A wounded first-rank flying beast—a Blue Eagle!"
Li Miao jumped, startled by the sudden appearance. But upon recognizing the creature, he sighed in relief. He glanced at Jiang Lin again, eyes full of admiration. If not for Jiang Lin's early warning, they would've been caught off guard.
Seeing it was only a wounded beast, Li Miao and a few others quickly moved in. About thirty meters ahead, they found the Blue Eagle lying in a thicket, its feathers ruffled and matted.
The creature was massive—even lying down, it was as big as an adult human. With wings spread, its wingspan could reach at least four meters. Truly worthy of being called a magical beast—even a first-rank one could overpower a regular adult with brute force alone.
Flap! Flap!
The injured eagle flailed as they approached, but its damaged wings kept it grounded.
Shing!
Li Miao drew his long blade, preparing to finish it off.
"Ah—wait!"
Xiao Yi Xian, still half held by the armored Jiang Lin, finally reached the scene. Seeing the wounded eagle and Li Miao's drawn weapon, she called out in alarm.
The mercenaries turned back toward her in confusion. "Miss Xiao Yi Xian, is something wrong?"
She walked forward and inspected the eagle's injuries. Upon examining its leg, she found a pitch-black wound—clearly a venomous bite. The rest of the bloodstains were minor scratches, which a magical beast's tough body could recover from in a day or two.
"It's poisoned… I think it came here looking for herbs to detoxify itself."
Xiao Yi Xian explained the Blue Eagle's behavior.
Just then, Jiang Lin arrived with the herb basket he had dropped, glancing around at the silent group.
"Huh? Aren't you guys going to take the magic core?" he asked, pulling out his sword, ready to finish the job himself.
He was, after all, a gentle soul—he couldn't bear to see creatures suffer. He believed in helping reunite families and ending pain swiftly.
"Jiang Lin!"
Xiao Yi Xian huffed angrily, watching him draw his sword. Everyone stared as he stepped forward, looming over the frightened Blue Eagle, his greatsword poised overhead.
Jiang Lin's strength was beyond ordinary Dou Zhe. With his mysterious bloodline and constant body training, paired with the refining effect of the Tempering Fire Art, his physical power was overwhelming. Even without armor, few Dou Shi could match him in hand-to-hand combat.
With his full suit of armor?
Jiang Lin was a literal iron fortress—a turtle so tanky, even fellow Dou Zhe would hurt their hands trying to break through.
Jiang Lin (drawing sword): "Out here in the wild, just call me the Iron Juggernaut!"
(END CHAPTER)
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