Da Xuan Martial Saint

"Phew..."

The herb-gathering girl carefully dug out the medicinal herb and placed it into the bamboo basket on her back before she let out a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to head back the way she came, her gaze suddenly became alert and caught sight of Chen Mu's figure below the cliff.

However, unlike Chen Mu, her vision was nowhere near as sharp due to the distance, she couldn't make out Chen Mu's appearance clearly, only managing to distinguish a blurry figure.

Is it Uncle Third?

The herb-gathering girl was surprised for a moment before she called out, "Uncle Third? What are you doing here?"

Her sweet voice echoed through the valley.

However.

The figure below the cliff made no movement and gave no response.

Just as the herb-gathering girl was beginning to find this strange, she suddenly felt a chill on the back of her neck and instinctively turned her head to look up, only to see a leopard demon with a blood-red body and black spots emerging from a rock above her. It seemed to have been disturbed by her shout and was now opening its huge, drooling mouth towards her.

"!!"

The girl's face instantly turned pale with fright, and in her startled state, she immediately thought to flee but then heard a roar that shook her soul, causing her body to stiffen and her foot to miss its footing.

In an instant, she was plummeting down the towering cliff face.

This is the end.

Jin Ling'er could only hear the wind whistling past her ears and the changing mountain scenery, feeling sad for a moment, but thinking that falling to her death was still better than being eaten by the mountain leopard, she felt slightly relieved.

But then it occurred to her that even if she died from the fall at the bottom of the cliff, she would likely still be eaten by the mountain leopard.

Right.

Just now, she seemed to have seen Uncle Third below, hoping that if the leopard followed her down, it would only eat her so that Uncle Third would be safe.

As this thought flashed through her mind, she saw she was getting closer to the bottom of the cliff and instinctively closed her eyes, but in the next moment, she suddenly felt as though she had fallen into a bundle of cotton, and her downward momentum was swiftly halted.

Is this what it feels like to die?

Jin Ling'er was confused for a moment. When she realized that there was no pain in her body, she carefully opened one eye and then saw a simple gray robe, and above it, a young and unfamiliar face.

She was momentarily dazed, her thoughts plunged into chaos. She hadn't been able to see clearly from afar earlier, but now she could see the details: the gray robe on Chen Mu's body was vastly different from what her Uncle Third usually wore, not to mention the difference in appearance. What baffled her more was how someone could catch her after falling from such a height?

However.

Jin Ling'er's confusion didn't last long. The next moment, she heard another roar of the leopard, and she saw a mountain leopard diving down from the cliff at such speed it seemed to fly like a dragon. Even before it arrived, a fierce momentum fell upon them.

She once again showed a look of terror, watching the leopard that lunged from above Chen Mu towards the back of his neck. Explore more adventures at empire

However.

Chen Mu seemed oblivious, unconcerned about the leopard lunging down. He gently set her down and then casually pointed upwards, releasing an invisible Yuan Gang energy that flew out silently, piercing the mountain leopard's head.

The leopard's figure twisted mid-air, veering off course, and with a thud, it fell heavily to one side.

It wasn't until now that Chen Mu finally turned to Jin Ling'er beside him and said in an even tone,

"Did you mistake me for someone else?"

Jin Ling'er still had a frightened look in her eyes, watching the leopard that lay not far away from her, but seeing its body twisted and blood beginning to pool beneath it, apparently dead, she finally let out a breath.

Once she regained her composure and looked at Chen Mu, she realized her mistake and scratched her head embarrassedly, "Yes, I got it wrong. My name is Jin Ling'er. Did you just save me?"

"Yes."

Chen Mu nodded, saying, "I come from outside this area, and I was about to ask you where this place is."

During the journey just now, he had been absorbed in contemplation. Although he seemed to be on the right path, the terrain of Bi Prefecture was too complex. After entering the mountainous area, even with a map memorized in his mind, it was hard to determine his exact location immediately.

"This is Amber Mountain."

Jin Ling'er's voice was clear as she spoke, then looked at Chen Mu and suddenly blushed, "You... you saved me... My mother said if I encounter any danger in the mountains and someone saves me, I have to marry him to repay the debt. But I am only fourteen years old this year, I need to grow another year before I can marry you."

Seeing the girl's naïve expression, Chen Mu couldn't help but laugh, "That won't be necessary. I saved you, and you've told me where this place is, so we are even."

"This..."

Jin Ling'er was taken aback. She didn't understand much, but could giving directions really be considered equal to saving a life?

By now, Chen Mu was already surveying the nearby mountains, quickly locating his position in Bi Prefecture based on 'Amber Mountain'. He was on the southwest side near the Yunni Sky Steps, and indeed, he hadn't gone off course.

"Where is your home?"

Chen Mu shifted his gaze from the scenery to Jin Ling'er.

Jin Ling'er, now somewhat recovered, pointed to the northeast, "It's over the mountain there."

"Well, that happens to be on my way. Could you lead me there to have a look?"

Chen Mu smiled.

Witnessing the mountains brought him insights, and observing people living with the mountains did as well. He did not ask why Jin Ling'er, at such a young age, had ventured so far to gather herbs—perhaps this was the way mountain people lived by their environment. He had mastered the Qiankun Eight Phases, and he, too, had his way of living by the mountain.