Being approached by the protagonist, it would be false to say that he was not intrigued.

And it might be the first time he had a proper look at the protagonist. No, his 'stalking' didn't count.

"You are Ning, right?" Xiao Fan strode towards Ning, his previous exhaustion nowhere to be found. His pitch-black eyes scanned him up and down in a split second, indicating his proficiency, and soon his eyes snapped to meet Ning's.

"That's me." Ning met the gaze.

If Ning had to describe Xiao Fan in a single word, it would be defiant. In those eyes, he saw not a shred of hesitation or fear. Instead, he saw defiance and spirit; he saw someone who was used to getting treated poorly by everyone and decided if violence was a question, then his answer would be a resounding yes.

"What?!" Xiao Fan was the first to snap out of the impromptu staring contest as he spoke.

"It's nothing. So, do you need anything, Brother Xiao Fan?" Ning asked, once again questioning the appearance of the resident protagonist.

That seemed to be a turning point for the protagonist, as he unexpectedly showed signs of hesitation.

"This..."

Eh? I don't think I have interacted with you so deeply for you to hesitate so much.

"Since we are going to be stuck together for the next few months, you don't need to hesitate to ask me anything," Ning took the initiative in the conversation.

He did not want to see Xiao Fan acting so awkwardly as if he was going to do something really embarrassing the next moment.

Just in case, Ning braced himself. After all, one can never depend on the common sense of a Xianxia Protagonist.

With an uncharacteristically quiet sigh, Xiao Fan whispered, "Thank you."

"Hmm?"

"For taking care of me after I passed out in the outer sect competition...Fatty Li told me about it."

Ning couldn't help but quip seeing this, "Brother Xiao Fan, you're bad with emotions, aren't you?"

"Shut up!" Truly, Xiao Fan was as prickly as a porcupine. Fortunately, his outburst dissipated the sappy atmosphere that was beginning to form.

"Hey, no judgment," Ning replied with a quiet laugh. "And you're welcome, Brother Xiao Fan. However, I don't think what I did was anything special. It was just a qi and blood replenishing pill; anyone else would have done the same."

"Anyone would have done that?" Xiao Fan would like to disagree with that. After living in the sect for so long, it was hard to see anyone being good to him besides Fatty Li and Xiao Meiling.

"Yup." Ning replied before a glint appeared in his eyes, "Of course, if you are truly too grateful, then remember to buy my pills after I become a full-fledged alchemist."

"Oh right! Fatty Li did say something like that..." Xiao Fan did remember Fatty Li drunkenly going on about his new friend a while back. Well, he tuned out most of the things he said since let's just say that Fatty Li was not an articulate guy with a few drinks in his stomach.

As expected, Fatty Li was truly an important connection. I didn't raise you in vain, Fatty Li. Ning fist-bumped internally.

"Yeah. You are looking at the future grand alchemist of the sect." Ning bragged with faux smugness that came way too easily to him.

"Well, if you say so. Just give me a few discounts later on." Xiao Fan also gradually let his guard down slowly in this relaxed atmosphere.

"I will. You need to advertise for me, though." Ning saw a chance, and he took it.

"Advertise?"

"Yup. After all, you are the 'Zombie' of the inner sect." Ning gestured with his hands, mimicking the movements of a zombie.

"Zombie?" Xiao Fan raised one of his eyebrows upon hearing that.

"That's your nickname." Ning answered, rolling his eyes at the clueless protagonist, "It is because you keep challenging stronger opponents, and get beat down, only to rise once again to win the battle."

"That's the first time I have heard it." Xiao Fan was perplexed, but what Ning had said made sense.

Ever since he had an altercation with Feng Shin, the 54th-ranked inner sect disciple, he had realized that the only way to get respect in this damn sect was through his fists. From then on, he decided that he'd rather throw the first punch than get shoved around.

"Ya. Since I am pretty sure, you are not going to stop challenging even higher ranks, you are the prime person to advertise my pills." Ning was serious.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

To secure a foothold in the market, effective advertising was crucial. And who could serve as a better spokesperson than the guy around whom the entire plot revolves around?

"That's pretty bold of you." Hearing that, Xiao Fan admitted, "You have heard that piece of shit Luo Jing, no matter what I am the 'trash' of the sect. Are you sure that I could do your pills justice?"

Ning snapped his blue eyes to meet his, "I am sure. After all, don't they say never to judge a book by its cover? And from what I have heard from Fatty Li, I don't think you qualify as 'trash'."

"Haha!" For the first time in their conversation, Xiao Fan burst into laughter, the sound resonating through the carriage.

It was nice to see that this guy still had a fun side to him even with all the shit he had gone through. So, Ning joined in with his own laughter, "Haha!"

"Why are you laughing as well?" Xiao Fan inquired as the laughter gradually subsided.

"You tell me? I laughed because you laughed." Ning replied with an answer that totally made sense. Yup.

"You are weird..."

...

For the first time, Xiao Fan felt the benefit of having a party.

"Look out!" A killer ant suddenly rushed out of a small bush, its pincers shining menacingly, intent on tearing apart this young intruder.

Xiao Fan was unguarded but quickly reacted to the shout. He turned back, seeing the killer ant get shot right through its head at this moment.

Xiao Fan turned back, seeing his 'carriage mate,' as he put it, a lot different from before. With a nod, Ning didn't pay attention to Xiao Fan anymore, as he continued to launch attacks.

His gentle visage was nowhere to be seen.

Cold, calculated, and efficient.

As if a programmed machine, he shot arrow after arrow, each seemingly random but always at just the right moment and right time. Those arrows always seemed to hit where it hurt the most, killing most of the enemy in a single critical blow.

Killer Ant. Attacks with forward pincers. The body is well-armored, save for the legs and segments between the chest, head, and lower body.

Dispatch method?

Overpower those in the early stage with [spiral arrow], the mid with precise strike to the neck.

Reliable...

Xiao Fan felt that this teammate of his was too reliable. Whenever he partied with someone in the past, they always turned out to be a bit unreliable. Either they were too arrogant and never listened to suggestions, or they were just fair maidens who always seemed to attract more trouble in a way.

With such dependable support, Xiao Fan became more aggressive than usual. He raised his fists, his qi coiled like a dragon, and he punched the killer ant in front of him, and blood splattered on the ground.

It was at this moment that a behemoth of ant burrowed out of the ground.

It was the queen of the ant colony. Its red body was covered with armor, its two antennae trembled at the sight of its dead kin.

*Shriek*

"It's the Queen of the killer ant."

"How?! Such a monster should not be in this area." Pan Xue cursed, as she sliced another killer ant with her halberd.

"What should we do, Brother Shuo?" Liao Ting recited a series of incantations, as a large mass of water hurled itself at another killer ant.

"A monster equivalent to the late-stage Qi cultivator." Murong Shuo's tall body surged with Qi as he swatted another killer ant that appeared. "Heavens! Run. Such a monster is way above our strength. The only thing we can do is escape. You guys go on; my Heavenly Mountain defense can hold this beast for a few minutes."

"Brother..." Pan Xue and Liao Ting couldn't help but shout seeing through Murong Shuo's intention.

Fortunately, when the group needed him the most, the protagonist delivered.

"I have a way to kill the beast. Stall it for three minutes." Xiao Fan shouted, a crushing power enveloping his fists.

"You trash. Don't try to be a hero now. If you want to die, then you could do it by yourself." Even at this moment, Luo Jing didn't stop to berate Xiao Fan. He unleashed talisman upon talisman, burning, freezing, electrocuting any killer ant that dared near him.

"This..." Murong Shuo was hesitant. While, after traveling for so many days, he believed in Xiao Fan, his current claim was too outlandish to be true.

"Brother Shuo! Let's believe in Xiao Fan." Ning was the first to give his support. "Even if we try to escape now, the casualty would only increase. Especially, with the appearance of the Queen. We need to finish it now."

"Tsk!" Murong Shuo loudly clicked his mouth as he ran towards the queen, his skin seemingly hardening to resemble a stone, "Prepare your attack, Xiao Fan. Everyone else, f*cking launch everything you have against the ant."

Just like that, the decision was made.

"Sh*t! Take this you oversized ant, Heavenly Halberd Strike!!!"

"Water Snake Technique!!!"

"Why do we need to follow this trash? Tsk." Even though Luo Jing cursed, his hands were filled with talisman, "DIE!!! Whatever Talisman Attack!!!"

With the four attacks, it seemed to slow down the rampaging ant.

"Ning..." Xiao Fan nodded towards Ning who returned it.

"Stay behind, and get ready." Ning grasped his bow tightly.

Killer Queen. Armor as tough as boulders. Large Pincers. Humongous. Current State: Thrashing everything in sight.

Dispatch Method?

Ordinary attacks-useless. Piercing attacks at the joints.

[Spiral Arrow Technique + Piercing Attribute of Thunder Qi = Spiral Piercing Arrow]

Ning's eyes seemed to have streaks of lightning as he launched his arrows with inhuman precision.

*Shriek**Shriek*

After so many attacks, the Killer Queen finally snapped as the injury accumulated in its body. It shrieked as an order of killer ants appeared as if to trample over everything.

"Hold on! Everyone!"

The next few seconds blurred by as everyone launched their strongest attack without holding back. Even Ning had to increase his reaction speed by Lightning Qi to swiftly launch arrows whenever one of his teammates got ambushed on their blind side.

It was a grueling battle, with hope lying in a single person. Fortunately, the bearer of the hope was the protagonist, a certified miracle-maker.

"Everyone! Dodge!" A bright light appeared in Xiao Fan's fist as if to illuminate the world.

"QI GATHERING FIST!!!" The surge of accumulated qi was unleashed at once, engulfing the Killer Queen and its subordinates in a bright light.

"Ugh!" Everyone closed their eyes, blinded by the light. And the next time they opened them, the visage of the ants was nowhere to be found.

Silence...

..

.

"Wow!"

"We won!"

"You did it. You, madlad!"

Resounding cheers sounded throughout the land. Every combatant collapsed, but it was hard to keep the grin off their faces. They had survived.

"Ugh." Just as Xiao Fan was about to fall, Ning caught him.

"You really need to stop fainting so much; at this rate, I might have to start carrying around a portable fainting couch just for you!" Ning couldn't help but let out a quip, glancing at the tired protagonist.

"Oh! Shut up. I am too tired for your sass." Xiao Fan let out the accumulated breath. An attack of such proportion clearly took a toll on him

"I guess, I will let you have it this time...."