CHAPTER 37: THE MOONLIT CLIFF

He stuck out his finger and began pointing at the mountains one by one while murmuring, "Pick the fat one, pick the thin one, pick the one with meat on it... Ah, that one."

After a moment of mumbling, Yue Mingxuan pointed to the mountain on the side and declared, "That one has meat to eat!" Then he quickly set off in that direction.

He moving lightly to avoid the guards stationed at the base and climbed smoothly up to the mountainside.

Along the way, he spotted many herbs, but he didn’t stop to collect any of them.

He went straight up until he reached halfway and finally slowed down while gazing across the other peaks under the moonlight.

Just as he had guessed, the mountain directly ahead had faint outlines of temple buildings, it was definitely royal territory.

Aside from that guarded area, the rest of the mountains seemed free for him to explore.

Feeling reassured, Yue Mingxuan continued climbing toward the top.

There were plenty of herbs along the way but none of them were rare or valuable.

The rare herbs must be growing on the cliffs.

After rubbing his sore calves, Yue Mingxuan hurried toward the cliffside.

Under the bright moonlight, he indeed saw several clusters of reishi mushrooms growing out of the rocks.

Reishi mushroom was known to replenish energy and blood, calm the mind and strengthen the body. It’s a truly valuable medicinal herb.

Yue Mingxuan didn’t know exactly how much it was worth in this ancient world, but it should be enough to feed both him and Sui He for quite some time. And there were several of them here!

He lifted the hem of his robe and tucked it securely into his belt, making it easier to move. Then he carefully gripped the rocks and began to climb down step by step.

Reaching the first plant, he pulled out a sharp dagger and gently pried it loose.

A faint fragrance filled the air as the reishi mushroom slipped neatly into his hand.

Yue Mingxuan smiling with satisfaction and placed it into the cloth pouch tied at his side. Then he continued downward a little farther and soon another plant was his.

The moonlight that was poured through the valley make it bright yet misty.

He looked up while calculating his strength and stamina, and then confidently moved toward the third plant.

Just as he was about to make a cut, a man’s voice suddenly echoed from above.

"There’s another one below you," the voice said with calm and clear voice. "It’s worth several times more than those you’ve found."

"Huh?" Yue Mingxuan looked up in surprise.

At the same time, his foot slipped and before he could react, his body was falling rapidly downward.

The man above hadn’t realized that his words would startle Yue Mingxuan so badly that he’d lose his balance and fall.

Yue Mingxuan reached out several times, but there was nothing to grab onto.

Just as he thought his luck couldn’t get worse, a white figure suddenly appeared moving even faster than his fall.

Right before he hit a large rock, a strong arm caught him.

With one light step, the white robed man carried them both swiftly upward through the air.

"Wait, wait, stop a moment," Yue Mingxuan suddenly said.

The man’s brows drew together.

At a time like this, shouldn’t this person be screaming in fear or perhaps staying quiet like a startled kitten in his arms?

The man stopped in midair because he felt oddly curious about him but at the same time he mischievously loosened his grip just a little to let Yue Mingxuan drop again.

This time, Yue Mingxuan was ready.

He caught hold of a protruding rock, steadied himself and smiled dazzlingly up at the man who had saved him. "Thank you."

The moonlight shone on him like silver daylight coating his smooth skin in a soft glow.

His clear eyes sparkled, his lips were red against his pale face and he was breathtakingly beautiful and almost ethereal.

Now standing beside the fourth reishi mushroom, Yue Mingxuan saw that the man had been right, it was plump and vibrant, its roots thick and stem straight, far better than the three above combined.

"You’ve got a good eye," Yue Mingxuan said softly, his voice rippling like water. Under the moonlight, his gaze shimmered like liquid silver.

The man name is Rong Qinglei. He hovered a level higher while looking down at the herb gathering youth.

For a moment, it felt like he was watching a spirit of the mountains. Was every herb collector in this world so stunning?

Yet he didn’t linger. His white robes fluttered as he leapt lightly onto the cliff’s edge above.

Yue Mingxuan pouted slightly and a flicker of regret crossing his heart.

With such incredible martial skill, she thought, he could have helped her climb up instead of letting her struggle on her own.

It took a long time, but finally Yue Mingxuan pulled himself to the top of the cliff.

He didn’t care about appearances anymore, he sprawled out on the grass with his arms and legs spread wide completely worn out.

After taking a deep breath, Yue Mingxuan finally realized that the man from before had already disappeared.

He had thought that the man, with his calm and noble bearing might be someone from the royal family of Beirong.

During the climb, he had even been planning how to answer any questions the man might ask.

However, now it seemed that the stranger was simply another traveler or someone who is wandering to these mountains just like him.

Thankfully, that was the case. Otherwise, things could have been much harder to explain.

Yue Mingxuan rested for a while before standing up. He patted the dirt from his clothes and began walking down the mountain path.

Thinking about the few reishi mushroom tucked safely in his pouch, Yue Mingxuan couldn’t help but smile.

With those mushrooms, he could easily afford good food and wine for many days and finally, he would live comfortably without worry.