Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

Elena only let out a soft breath when she could no longer hear the footsteps.

"Aren't you afraid he'll go back to the Heavenly Heart Palace?"

"Being afraid is useless."

Xilun rose, spear in hand, and walked toward the body of the innocent prince.

"Besides, he might not go around telling everyone that he was completely fooled by an imposter."

Elena thought for a moment and nodded.

Fisher was also a top expert among the third-tier disciples of the Sea Demon Temple, and he valued his reputation highly.

After discovering he had been deceived, his most likely course of action would not be to publicize it, but rather to secretly search for Xilun and try to personally wash away the shame.

This will give them plenty of time.

Xilun approached the corpse and knelt down.

He didn't find much on the innocent prince.

This man was extremely confident in his physique, so he didn't even carry any weapons. He only had a small amount of medicine, a few dozen pounds in cash, and a token symbolizing his status as a direct descendant of the Blue Ocean pirates.

Xilun put away the money and the potion, his gaze falling on the innocent prince's right ear.

Xilun gripped the dagger and cut off the innocent prince's right ear, placing it into a leather pouch specifically for storing mission credentials.

An ordinary pirate has exactly forty ears on his right ear.

Twenty of them could be exchanged for his eligibility to apply for the Inner Court disciple position.

Hogg and Prince Innocent are both among the five most notorious members of the Blue Ocean Pirates. Their right ears and related battle records can each be exchanged for a potion of boundless ocean energy.

Two doses of medicine.

Xilun touched the gradually bulging leather bag and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

His main objective in coming to the Black Abyss Forest has been achieved.

Not only was it completed, but the results far exceeded expectations.

If he can return to the monastery alive, he will have the opportunity to enter the inner courtyard and obtain materials that are difficult for ordinary disciples to access, such as the marrow of the Green Tide Vine and the silver coins of the drowned.

"Let's go."

Xilun looked up into the depths of the dense forest.

"The smell of blood is too strong; it will attract something soon."

The two did not touch the unconscious gray-haired old man.

Fisher seemed to have forgotten about the prisoner when he left, and Siren had no intention of taking him back.

This person knew the whole story of how Xilun impersonated a disciple of the Sea Demon Temple, and was also a high-ranking member of the Blue Ocean pirates.

It could cause trouble no matter which side it falls into.

Elena understood his concerns.

She walked to the gray-haired old man, drew her longsword, and pierced his heart with it.

The old man convulsed twice while unconscious and quickly lost consciousness.

After looting the corpse, the two took Hogg's belongings and important spoils and quickly left the rocky clearing.

They did not return to the cave where they had previously hidden.

Since the innocent prince was able to find this place, it means that the vicinity is no longer safe.

The two moved towards the edge of the dense forest in the rain, changing direction several times along the way and using the flowing stream to clear their tracks.

As darkness fell completely, they finally left the most dangerous area of ​​the Black Abyss Forest.

Ahead lies a small town near the trade route.

The city wall was not high, and two dim gas lamps hung at the entrance.

The torrential rain made the streets unusually deserted, with only a few guards wearing raincoats huddled under the city gate to take shelter from the rain.

Siren and Elena did not immediately enter the city.

The two first washed away the most obvious bloodstains on their bodies in a nearby stream, and then changed out of their monastery robes, which were covered in mud and blood, before pretending to be ordinary wounded travelers and paying to enter the city.

The city was filled with the smell of damp wood, coal smoke, and seafood.

The stone-paved road is lined with low houses with tightly closed doors and windows. Occasionally, a drunkard staggers out of a tavern, only to be forced back inside by the wind and rain.

Xilun found a hotel that was still lit up.

The boss was an overweight middle-aged woman. Seeing the two women's tattered clothes and pale faces, her gaze lingered on Elena for a moment.

"One room?"

"Two rooms," said Xilun.

Elena frowned.

"Open one."

The boss's eyes suddenly became ambiguous.

Elena, too lazy to explain, took out a banknote and placed it on the counter.

"I need the largest room I can get, with two beds. Also, please provide hot water, clean linens, and food. Is there anywhere nearby that sells healing medicine?"

The boss's face immediately lit up with a smile when he saw the banknotes.

"Yes, yes, go two intersections ahead, there's a pharmacy on your right, it should still be open at this time."

Xilun picked up the key, carried the spoils into the second-floor room, and then went out alone to buy medicine.

The two had long since run out of healing potions they carried with them.

The medicines in the pharmacy were extremely expensive, so Xilun only bought a few bottles of common wound medicine and a jar of pungent-smelling ointment, and also asked the hotel to send over a few buckets of hot water.

When he returned to the room, Elena was sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to unbutton her clothes.

Her wound was stuck to her clothes, and the slightest movement would pull at her flesh.

After trying several times, a fine layer of cold sweat had already seeped out of my forehead.

"Don't move."

Xilun closed the door and placed the medicine on the table.

Elena glanced back at him.

"Come here."

"Sure?"

Xiren walked to the bedside, his gaze falling on her tattered clothes.

Elena's most serious injuries were to her back and thigh.

Some of the wounds came from the force of the innocent prince's punches, while others were abrasions caused by hitting the rocks.

The fabric is embedded in the flesh; forcibly tearing it apart will only cause the injury to rupture again.

To apply the medicine, you have to cut open the clothes.

Elena naturally understood this as well.

She pursed her lips, hesitated for a long time, and then whispered:

"I told you to apply the medicine, I won't cause you any trouble afterwards."

Xilun looked at her.

"That would be best."

Elena was so angry at his cautious demeanor that she gritted her teeth.

"It's just two pieces of meat, right? Just apply the medicine and I won't cause you any trouble."

After saying that, she lay down on the bed, buried her face in the pillow, and only her reddened ears were visible.

Xilun didn't say anything more.

He used his strength to create a sharp, thin blade and carefully cut open the back of Elena's clothes.

The torn fabric splits apart to both sides.

Her snow-white skin gradually became visible.

Her back was taut and smooth, unlike the delicate features of a typical noblewoman.

The shoulder blades and waist have faint muscle contours left by long-term sword training, but they do not appear out of place against the backdrop of delicate skin.

But now, that snow-white expanse is covered with scars.

The most severe cut extended from his right shoulder to his waist, where his skin was scraped by rocks, and tiny pebbles were embedded in his flesh.

Large bruises were also visible on other parts of his body, clearly indicating injuries from the force of the punch.

Xilun first soaked the cloth in warm water and then cleaned the bloodstains little by little.

The moment the warm water touched the wound, Elena's shoulders tensed up sharply.

"hiss……"

"pain?"

"nonsense."

She bit the pillow, her voice somewhat muffled.

"Be gentle."

"It's already very light."

"You're judging based on your own physical condition."

Xilun paused for a moment.

He almost forgot that although Elena was also at the third rank, her physique was far inferior to his.

The force he could withstand falling on her wound might indeed be too much.

Xilun softened his movements even further.

He first picked out the small pieces of sand and gravel from the wound, and then slowly cleaned it with medicine.

The pale yellow liquid immediately foamed upon contact with flesh and blood.

Elena gasped, gripping the sheets tightly with both hands.

"Hold on."

"I'm enduring it."

"Then don't move."

"Can you please stop interrogating me like you're dealing with a criminal?"

Xilun did not answer.

The wound medicine was only moderately effective, but it was very irritating.

After cleaning, he used a piece of wood to pick up the ointment and applied it evenly around the wound.

The cool ointment covered her burning skin, and Elena's tense body finally relaxed slightly.

After finishing the back, the next step is the legs.

The most serious injury extended from the back of the calf all the way to the edge of the thigh, as if it had been brutally plowed by a rough stone surface.

The training clothes were completely stuck together with blood and could not be taken off normally.

Xilun used a thin blade to cut open the pant leg from the calf upwards.

The fabric slowly parted, revealing long, fair legs.

Elena's toes curled up instinctively.

"Hurry up."

"There's mud in the wound."

Xilun brought warm water and first washed away the blood and grime around his calves and ankles.

Elena gasped softly as his fingers touched the skin beside the wound.

"pain."

"Bear with it."

"Is that all you can say?"

"It will also say 'Don't move.'"

Elena remained silent for a moment.

"...You'd better not say anything."

Xilun did not speak again as instructed.

The only sounds in the room were the rain tapping against the windows and Elena's occasional, barely suppressed gasps.

"Ouch...be gentle."

"It hurts there."

"Um... wait a minute."

"Are you done yet?"

"There'll be a little while longer."

After all the wounds on the back of her leg were treated, Elena was covered in sweat.

Damp blonde hair clung to his cheeks and neck, and his face was pale from the pain.

Xilun put away the ointment.

"There's still a little bit on the front of the calf, turn it over."

Elena's body suddenly stiffened.

She turned and met Xilen's gaze, her eyes widening slightly.

"front?"

"Um."

"Can't I just apply it like this?"

"The wound is not visible."

The two stared at each other in silence for a moment.

Elena seemed to be going through an extremely intense internal struggle, but in the end she slowly turned over and sat up against the headboard.

She was covered with a thin blanket, only her calves, which needed to be treated, were exposed, and her hands were tightly gripping the edge of the blanket.

"Apply it."

She turned her head away, trying her best not to look at Xilun.

Xilun was somewhat puzzled.

It's just a calf injury, not a private area, so why is her reaction even stranger than when her back and thigh were treated?

He shook his head and used his strength to cut open the other pant leg.

The soft fabric parted, revealing bruises that stretched from the ankle to the middle of the calf.

There was no large area of ​​skin damage, only two thin abrasions.

Xilun applied the ointment and gently rubbed it along the edge of the bruise.

The ointment needs to be used in conjunction with massage to dissolve the blood stasis.

As soon as he pressed down, Elena's breathing noticeably paused.

"pain?"

"A little."

Xilun eased up.

Slowly massage the medicine into the skin by moving your palms upwards along the calf muscles.

Elena's expression grew increasingly strange.

Her ears gradually turned red, and she shrank back towards the headboard, but fearing that it would affect Xilun's application of the medicine, she could only stiffly maintain her original posture.

"Um……"

"hiss……"

"Is it ready yet?"

"no."

"How much longer?"

"In a little while."

Elena suddenly picked up the pillow next to her and covered her face with it.

"Call me when you're done."

Xilun glanced at the pillow, but without thinking much of it, continued to rub the ointment into her skin.

After a short while, the medicine finally penetrated completely.

"alright."

There was no response from under the pillow.

Xilun waited a while, then reached out and removed the pillow.

Elena's face turned completely red.

Her eyes were a little blurry, with a faint watery tinge at the corners, and her breathing was more rapid than before.

Those eyes, usually so sharp and aloof, now seemed veiled in a thin mist, losing some of their sharpness and revealing an oddity that Xilun found hard to comprehend.

"alright."

Xilun repeated it again.

Elena quickly looked away and pulled the blanket tighter around her.

"Okay, sure."

Her voice was very soft.

Xilun put away the remaining medicine and then gave himself some basic treatment for his arm and chest injuries.

The hot water delivered by the hotel has filled the bathtub.

He tested the water temperature, took off his torn shirt, and sat in the bathtub.

The warm water envelops the body, gradually relaxing tense muscles.

The hot water caused a sharp, stinging pain in the wound, but Xilun didn't even flinch.

His mind had returned to his cultivation and mission.

Forty pirate right ears, two credentials for the five great villains, two doses of the Boundless Ocean Elixir, and the application qualification to enter the inner courtyard.

These things are enough to solve most of his current resource difficulties.

However, being eligible to apply does not guarantee entry into the inner court.

There will inevitably be further assessments at the monastery.

Xilun closed his eyes, feeling the damage to the major tendons in his body.

This battle made him realize that although he had many skills and his foundation was gradually becoming more solid, his Qi circulation would always have obvious defects until he mastered the Yi Jin Hua Qi technique.

"What is the Inner Court Assessment?"

Elaine did not respond.

She remained seated on the bed, her gaze fixed on a certain spot, appearing somewhat lost.

Xilun opened his eyes.

"I'm asking you, what is the Inner Court assessment?"

"what?"

Elena then came to her senses.

She glanced at Xilen in the bathtub, then quickly looked away.

"have no idea."

"You don't know either?"

"It's different every year."

Elena took a deep breath, finally managing to regain her composure.

"Sometimes the test is practical skills, sometimes it's mental fortitude, and sometimes you're sent on special missions."

The inner academy isn't looking for people who only know how to cultivate in seclusion. We'll have to wait until we get back to find out the specifics of the exam.

She paused for a moment, then added:

"However, you'd better think about how to explain the deaths of Hogg and the innocent prince first."

Thunder rumbled outside the window.

Xilun leaned against the edge of the bathtub, his gaze gradually deepening.

Two five-man thugs, and forty pirate right ears.

This achievement was enough to get him what he wanted, and also enough to make many people keep an eye on him.

……

The rain finally stopped the next morning.

The dark clouds that had been gathering for days were dispersed by the sea breeze, and the bright sunlight shone through the gaps in the clouds, making the rooftops of the small town glisten with moisture.

Siren and Elena did not linger.

Although their injuries have not fully healed, both of them are now able to move around normally.

Especially Xilun, after a night of meditation, the power of the Overturning Sea Technique was restored, and much of the stagnant blood and qi in his chest and abdomen dissipated.

As long as you don't immediately engage in a life-or-death struggle with a third-tier expert, there shouldn't be too much of a problem.

They hired a horse-drawn carriage and returned to Star Ring Island along the trade route.

The interior of the carriage was not spacious.

Hogg's body had been given a simple treatment; it was wrapped in a waterproof tarpaulin and tied to the back of the carriage.

The Sea Demon Blood Cotton Coat was worn by Xilun, and an inconspicuous gray robe was draped over it.

The wheels rolled over the puddles, making a monotonous creaking sound.

Elena leaned against the side of the carriage, her face still somewhat pale.

Her back injury prevented her from leaning on anything, so she could only sit with her back straight.