My mom is waiting for treatment, and you're summoning me to be a hero?

Shi Xuan stared blankly at the familiar light green potion in Lin Mo's hand.

He nodded immediately, his tone certain: "That's right, this is 'Stone-Clad Herb,' unique to our Stone-Clad Village. Brother... do you need this?"

"Yes. I need a lot. Gentle effects and no side effects are very important to me."

Lin Mo didn't explain why it was necessary, but Shi Xuan could clearly feel that undeniable urgency.

Upon hearing this, Shi Xuan's cheerful smile faded, and his rugged brows furrowed.

He rubbed his rough hands together and looked north.

Looking towards Shiyi Village, a hint of solemnity appeared in his eyes.

"Brother, to be honest..."

Shi Xuan's voice lowered, becoming heavy.

"This medicine can indeed only be produced in our village. It requires specific stone-cloth grass and a traditional processing method passed down through generations, but... as you know, the village suffered a disaster..."

He paused, then looked back at Lin Mo, his eyes filled with determination.

"So, I can't guarantee you right now how much medicine I can get for you. Is the land still there? Is the village chief who makes medicine still alive? These are all unknowns."

Lin Mo listened silently, without urging him, simply waiting for the next part to continue.

Shi Xuan took a deep breath and straightened his back: "But I can help with introductions. However, you'll have to negotiate with the village yourself about how much you can get and what price you'll get. I can only guarantee that you won't make a wasted trip."

This is a promise made by Shi Xuan based on the worst-case scenario.

Lin Mo looked at him, and after a moment, nodded slightly: "Okay."

Upon receiving Lin Mo's response, the seriousness on Shi Xuan's face eased somewhat.

He glanced at Lin Mo, then at his brothers behind him, who, though exhausted, still held high morale.

"Since you're also going to Stone Robe Village, that's perfect! Let's travel together! We know a shorter route... consider it our way of repaying you for the trouble we caused you earlier, how about it?"

After a moment's thought, Lin Mo nodded: "Okay."

He was originally going to Shiyi Village.

With this group of people who are familiar with the route and clearly know the local environment like the back of their hand, we can save a lot of trouble in finding our way.

Moreover, judging from the way this group of people acted, they really considered returning to the village a top priority.

It's definitely more reliable than running around aimlessly on your own.

"Great! That felt good!"

Shi Xuan grinned and turned to beckon his men.

"Brothers, get ready to pack up and set off! Destination—Stone Robe Village!"

……

After a short rest, the group left the grove and embarked on the dirt road leading to the northern Greystone Mountains.

The road was initially fairly flat, and everyone was walking on the main road.

But as we moved further away from Mingbei City, the road conditions began to deteriorate.

Led by Shi Xuan, the group of people entered a wilderness.

The wild grass here has withered and turned yellow, rustling in the wind.

In the distance, the hazy outline of the mountains resembled the spine of a giant beast, stretching across the horizon.

The procession moved very quickly.

The members of the Stone Tiger Mercenary Group are generally between level 15 and 25.

As a mercenary who makes a living in the wild year-round, he has good stamina and endurance.

Lin Mo, needless to say, had an agility attribute of nearly 3,000 that made it more than enough for him to keep up with the team.

On the way, Shi Xuan took the initiative to walk at the front of the group.

Observe the surrounding terrain from time to time and be careful to avoid ravines where low-level monsters may be lurking.

Lin Mo could roughly tell that Shi Xuan had a very high reputation within the mercenary group.

Everyone had complete faith in him; he was like an elder brother to them.

……

As dusk approached, the sun began to set.

Shi Xuan looked up at the sky and the increasingly clear mountain shadows in the distance, a look of eagerness and relief on his face as he approached his hometown.

He turned his head and smiled at Lin Mo, who had been walking quietly beside him.

"Brother Lin Mo, at this rate, we should be able to see the old locust tree at the village entrance in two hours at most!"

Lin Mo nodded, genuinely satisfied with the speed.

According to the pharmacy clerk, it would take an ordinary person or caravan a day to travel there.

But with them traveling at full speed, they were close to their destination in half a day.

However, at that moment...

Dede dede... Dede dede...

A sudden, rapid, rhythmic sound of horses' hooves came from the end of the road behind them.

Approaching from afar, at an extremely fast speed!

Everyone felt a chill and turned to look.

Amidst the rising dust, a troop of a dozen or so cavalrymen galloped along the road.

They wore fine light armor in the style of Mingbei City, which reflected a cold, hard luster in the setting sun.

The warhorse beneath him was also plump and strong, clearly well-trained.

The aura emanating from these twelve people was solid and sharp.

Even the weakest one is at level 25!

The leader of the group was only one Beast King Essence away from breaking through level 30!

This is definitely an elite soldier from the Northern City army.

They are far superior to ordinary city gate guards!

"broken!"

Shi Xuan's expression changed drastically, and his smile vanished without a trace.

"The elite cavalry of Mingbei City! How did they arrive so quickly?!"

The mercenaries behind him also stirred, gripping their weapons tightly.

"Damn it! When they were helping our village, they made all sorts of excuses, dragging their feet as long as possible! But now they're the first to arrest us!"

"These corrupt officials! All they know how to do is target their own people!"

"We're doomed... Once these scoundrels target us, we can't outrun the warhorses!"

"Big brother! What do we do?!"

……

He faced twelve well-equipped cavalrymen, who were also on horseback.

Of their group of mercenaries, only Shi Xuan, at level 32, could hold off a few even if he tried his best.

The remaining people were no match for them.

Lin Mo tilted his head slightly and looked at Shi Xuan beside him.

At this moment, Shi Xuan's brows were furrowed and his lips were pressed into a straight line.

His eyes flashed rapidly, filled with resentment and worry for the safety of his brothers behind him.

The fierce decisiveness that erupted at the city gate seemed to be suppressed by reality and a sense of responsibility.

The same indecisiveness that Lin Mo had seen before reappeared on his face.

The cavalry drew ever closer, their hooves thundering like drums in everyone's hearts.

Lin Mo spoke calmly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching Shi Xuan's ears: "So? What are you planning to do?"

Shi Xuan's body trembled slightly. He looked at the approaching cavalry, gritted his teeth, and said to Lin Mo.

"Brother, you go first, we brothers will cover your retreat."

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow: "You think you can beat them?"

Shi Xuan gripped his weapon tightly: "We can't beat them, but the Shi Hu Mercenary Group they're looking for has nothing to do with you, brother."

He then cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to Lin Mo again, saying, "I have a younger sister named Shi Qin. If she's still alive, please help me take care of her."

Lin Mo sighed upon hearing this, stood up, and patted Shi Xuan on the shoulder: "You should do this yourself."