Zhu Fanfan asked, puzzled, "Is it because you think it's too heavy?"

Xi Yan reminded him, "Elder Dan is completely different at home and in the wild. Are you sure you want to go out with him?"

Elder Dan is like a wild horse that has broken free of its reins when he's out there; no matter how many reins you have, you can't hold him back, and he'll lead people astray.

For the sake of a few gold bars, Zhu Fanfan answered with certainty: "I'm sure, Brother Xi Yan, you don't want to go, do you...?"

Xi Yan took the package: "You'd better bring some communication equipment. So you can call for help if you regret it."

Before Zhu Fanfan could say anything, Elder Dan became unhappy: "Xi boy, what do you mean? Am I some kind of monster?"

He also brought his communication equipment. Not to mention that the government strictly controls these devices and would never give them to a young girl, even if she could, he would be the one asking for help. That girl is more like a wild horse than him. He was prepared to take the blame for her when he went out. He should be the one asking if he will regret it.

Xi Yan stopped talking. He had already given all the necessary reminders. He was only there to assist in the alchemy process and couldn't make the decisions. If anything went wrong, the person who made the main mistake would have to take the blame.

Once they reached the mountain, Xi Yan realized he had been too talkative. Elder Dan and Zhu Fanfan were two peas in a pod. Along the way, the two bickered and discussed how to search the entire mountain. When they found medicinal herbs, they would discuss them, dig them up, and preserve them for processing when they got home. He carried everything they found, while the other two didn't take anything.

Once they reached the mountain, they let loose and acted like monkeys. Elder Dan used his lightness skill to fly up into the trees and leaped from tree to tree using the branches. It was almost unbearable to watch, as one was afraid he might accidentally fall.

Zhu Fanfan may not have mastered the light-footed skill yet. After climbing the tree, she used the branches to rub against it little by little, then grabbed the branches to swing up and fly to another tree. Although she was clumsy, she was incredibly brave. As for what she looked like, you could only say that she was just like a monkey.

The two got so into playing that they jumped all the way to the riverbank. Zhu Fanfan exclaimed, "The river level has dropped since we last came. These fish are almost stranded. Let's help them!"

Elder Dan sighed, "There are no big fish left, only small shrimp. They only taste good when deep-fried; there's not much meat when grilled."

Zhu Fanfan said, "I know there's a cave here. Why don't we set up camp first? Even a mosquito is still a treat."

Elder Dan gave the approval: "Agreed."

Xi Yan was like a background character, only speaking up when he needed something, and never objecting to any of Elder Dan's instructions.

When the three arrived at the cave, they found the entrance open, but other animals had already entered. A large black bear, hearing human voices, slowly approached the entrance.

Zhu Fanfan was quite puzzled: "Are there black bears in the mountains near the capital?"

Elder Dan was also puzzled: "It seems to have some intelligence and has survived for many years. The Dragon Group has also conducted a search before, so there is no way they could have missed it. Moreover, the environment here is not suitable for black bears, so it must have been moved from somewhere else."

There are many mountains around the capital, but there are no large animals. Just the day before yesterday, a large wild boar came down from the mountain, and today a huge black bear appeared, which is impossible. They appeared silently. There must be a loophole somewhere.

Xi Yan had already adopted a defensive stance, protecting the old man and the child behind him. Once the black bear decided to attack, it would not easily change its mind; it would be a fight to the death.

Zhu Fanfan quickly reminded him, "Bear paws are the most delicious part, don't burn them."

Elder Dan scolded, "You little girl, all you think about is bear paws. You have no sense of proportion. Bear meat is delicious too. Xi boy, you can't burn the bear skin. It's enough to keep warm in winter as many as several quilts."

Xi Yan: ...Didn't you guys consider that he might not be a match for you?

Zhu Fanfan encouraged him: "Go, Pikachu! I'm so proud of you! Be a hero who fights bears, Xi Yan!"

Elder Dan joined in the fun, saying, "Young Xi, I'll give you a bear paw when it's done roasting."

Seeing that the people opposite him were not afraid at all, but rather calm and collected, the black bear felt that its dignity had been challenged and began to attack. The three of them quickly dodged, and even the old man and the young man quickly climbed up the tree, leaving Xi Yan alone who was a step behind and climbed up the tree just as the black bear was about to catch up.

They thought there would be some breathing room, but to their astonishment, the black bear also climbed the tree, and quite quickly at that. The three were completely stunned: ...

Xi Yan took out his own dagger. Elder Dan said that he should not damage the black bear's skin unless absolutely necessary. Moreover, his fire-type ability could not be maintained for a long time. If he used it, there would be a period of weakness, which might become a burden.

Zhu Fanfan had already prepared her hidden arrow. She hadn't been holding it at first, but when no one was paying attention, she took it from her spatial storage and put it on her arm. She also coated the arrow with a lot of sleeping potion. After finally aiming at the black bear's head, she fired it.

Sensing danger, the black bear let go and fell. Luckily, it hadn't climbed very high, but it still fell hard, grimacing in pain. Zhu Fanfan seized the opportunity to fire another arrow, which the black bear dodged again, displaying remarkable agility.

The black bear dodged several arrows in a row, and after running out of hidden arrows, Zhu Fanfan lost his temper. He used his mental power to conjure a bow and arrow, drew the bow, and shot with his mental power. The magnetic field emitted by his mental power made the black bear sense the danger. Zhu Fanfan released the arrow, and the black bear ran away. However, the arrow seemed to have eyes and chased after the black bear, piercing its head. The bear cried out and fell down.

Zhu Fanfan's mental energy was somewhat exhausted. Sure enough, things were different in the space and outside. In the space, she could transform into a bow and arrow, and her mental energy would recover immediately after she used it.

Elder Dan asked worriedly, "Girl, are you alright?"

He can't even materialize his mental energy into a physical form, yet this little girl has. Won't she overdraw her mental energy? Overdrawing mental energy can turn someone into a fool.

Zhu Fanfan replied, "I just feel exhausted."

Zhu Fanfan never tries to be strong when it comes to her own situation. She rests when she's tired and doesn't say she's fine just because she's afraid of bothering others; that would be irresponsible of her.

Elder Dan was relieved to see that Zhu Fanfan didn't seem to be putting on a brave face: "You little girl, you can't use your mental energy recklessly in the future. Your godfather almost turned himself into a fool because of the interrogation. It was only thanks to the help of our seniors that he was alright. Exhausting your mental energy is no joke."

Ming Zhengyang is indeed capable, but sometimes he overexerts himself, which causes some trouble. What they fear more is someone like Ming Zhengyang, who clearly has special abilities that are not easy to cultivate, and who is willing to risk his life for a mission.