“Stop at once!” In the midst of the chaotic hall, Nalan Jie pushed through the crowd, striding over with a grim look. He stopped beside Nalan Yanran and first turned to Xiao Yan, asking, “Young friend Yanxiao, are you alright?” Xiao Yan shook his head, indicating that he was unharmed. Seeing Xiao Yan safe, Nalan Jie let out a sigh of relief. If anything had happened to him, it would have been a disaster for Nalan Jie as well. His gaze flickered over the calm, young face, and Nalan Jie couldn’t help but think more highly of him. Although the battle had only lasted a short while, with Nalan Jie’s strength, he naturally knew what was happening from the start. The fact that he had come so late was because he wanted to observe Xiao Yan’s combat skills in secret. After all, many alchemists might be extremely proficient in their craft, but in combat, they might be utterly incompetent. Nalan Jie had seen such people before.
“This young man, I didn’t expect that not only is his alchemy talent outstanding, but his combat skills are also quite formidable. Judging by the sharpness of his moves, it’s clear he has real combat experience,” Nalan Jie thought admiringly. He then turned his gaze to Mu Zhan, frowning. “Mu Zhan, I didn’t expect two years of training would not only fail to tame your unreasonable arrogance but make you even more arrogant. This is the Nalan family, not the Mu family. Even if that old fool Mu Chen came here, he wouldn’t dare to show such disrespect to me, Nalan Jie!”
“Hehe, Elder Nalan, don’t scold me. I just wanted to test this friend’s abilities. I had no intention of causing trouble in the Nalan family. I’ll take care of the damages right away,” Mu Zhan replied, smiling slyly, though he dared not be too disrespectful in front of Nalan Jie, who was like a grandparent to him.
“Hmph, go tell that to the ghosts,” Nalan Jie snorted, staring at Mu Zhan. “Let me make it clear: Young friend Yanxiao is a distinguished guest of the Nalan family. I do not want him harmed. Your Mu family may have many arrogant members, but we Nalans are not to be trifled with!” Nalan Jie was well aware of Mu Zhan’s nature. If he failed to defeat Xiao Yan today, he might send other family members to try next time. To ensure Xiao Yan’s safety and win his favor, Nalan Jie made this statement publicly, which made many people change their expressions.
Hearing Nalan Jie’s serious words, Mu Zhan’s expression shifted slightly. He never expected that Nalan Jie would say such harsh things for a mere second-grade alchemist. He looked at Xiao Yan standing behind Nalan Yanran, puzzled. “What is this boy’s true identity? It seems I need to investigate when I get back.”
“What’s going on? What happened?” Just as Mu Zhan was mumbling, an elderly voice sounded from outside the crowd. A thin figure flashed through the crowd, appearing beside Xiao Yan like a ghost. Everyone turned to see it was Meter Tengshan, who had been called out earlier.
“Mu Zhan?” Meter Tengshan scanned the mess, then looked at Mu Zhan. He quickly understood the situation when he saw Yaphira and Xiao Yan together. Like Nalan Jie, his face darkened, and he glared at Mu Zhan. “You always cause trouble as soon as you return. Do you believe I can send you back to the border again?”
“Uh… Patriarch Tengshan… you’re here too.” Seeing Meter Tengshan, the usually fearless Mu Zhan felt a chill. The reason he was sent to the border was because he had angered Meter Tengshan. So now, seeing Meter Tengshan, Mu Zhan felt wary and smiled awkwardly.
Meter Tengshan snorted, glancing at Nalan Jie. “I’ll give you a warning. After leaving here, don’t cause trouble for young friend Yanxiao. He is a friend of the Meter family. If you really cause trouble, don’t blame this old man for getting angry. Even Mu Chen won’t be able to save you.”
Though he didn’t know Xiao Yan’s full background, Meter Tengshan spoke without hesitation. A proud Battle Emperor-level expert willing to be Xiao Yan’s guard suggested that this seemingly ordinary youth possessed great power.
In just two minutes, Mu Zhan had received stern warnings from two of the three major families. This left Mu Zhan and the surrounding crowd stunned. While it was understandable that Nalan Jie would protect Xiao Yan, Meter Tengshan’s similar stance was unexpected. After all, Mu Zhan was backed by the powerful Mu family, comparable in strength to the Meter family, especially in terms of sheer numbers.
“Tsk, lucky brat…” Watching the two heavyweights protect Xiao Yan, Liu Ling frowned, sneering.
Beside him, the little princess frowned, her eyes following Xiao Yan. “It seems he must have something the two families value greatly. Otherwise, Meter Tengshan and Elder Nalan would never risk offending the Mu family to defend him.”
“Really a mysterious guy… a pity,” she sighed, remembering Xiao Yan’s attitude towards her. She had missed out on befriending such an extraordinary person, which would surely bring criticism from her father or sister.
Mu Zhan’s smile looked forced. Under the watchful eyes of Nalan Jie and Meter Tengshan, he reluctantly said, “Both elders, I said it was a misunderstanding. Okay, as long as this friend doesn’t provoke me, I won’t bother him. Let’s call it a favor to you both.”
Nalan Jie nodded, turning to the hall. “Everyone, please continue. It was just a childish quarrel. Enjoy the rest of the show, heh.”
The crowd chuckled and dispersed, resuming their drinks and conversations.
“Hehe, old man, you never miss a chance to win someone’s favor,” Meter Tengshan murmured, grinning at Nalan Jie.
“Hmph, old fool, it seems you’re really planning to compete with us,” Nalan Jie said coldly.
“Such a talented person is a headache if they join another family… I think Yaphira and young friend Yanxiao get along well. But Yanran seems reluctant to get close. Haha, different statuses, but you’re at a disadvantage, right?”
Nalan Jie’s face twitched, eyeing Yaphira, who was checking Xiao Yan for injuries, and his granddaughter, who stood coldly. He shrugged. “You’re really willing to invest, aren’t you?”
“Just a little,” Meter Tengshan grinned, downing his wine.
…
“Really, I’m fine. That guy is troublesome, but a little warm-up fight isn’t harmful to me,” Xiao Yan said, shaking his head at the concerned Yaphira.
Relieved, Yaphira examined Xiao Yan, saying, “Little one, when you left Wu Tan City, you were just a newly promoted Dou Zhe. How did you get so strong so quickly?”
Xiao Yan smiled. After such rigorous training, this was normal progress.
“Miss Nalan, thank you for your help,” Yaphira said, approaching Nalan Yanran with a smile.
“Mr. Yanxiao is a guest of the Nalan family, so I should step in. Though it seems my help was unnecessary, given his strength,” Nalan Yanran said, noting Xiao Yan’s cold demeanor.
“Yaphira, after two years, don’t ignore me,” Mu Zhan said, watching Yaphira’s indifference.
“Mu, I dare not. Your temper is too much for me. Stop damaging my reputation. I never agreed to any engagement, so why do you act like I’m yours?” Yaphira said, then returned to Xiao Yan, pulling his sleeve. “Let’s go somewhere else…”
Xiao Yan, seeing the gentle Yaphira and the angry Mu Zhan, nodded and let her lead him away.
“Damn kid…” Mu Zhan fumed, then turned to Nalan Yanran. “Yanran, who is this guy? Don’t be silent. We grew up together; you can tell me something, right?”
Nalan Yanran shook her head. “Honestly, I don’t know much about Mr. Yanxiao, but his alchemy skills are exceptional. He can even cure the poison in my grandfather, something Elder Gu He can’t do.”
“That’s all I know. Just don’t cause trouble for him, or you’ll have trouble too,” she said, walking into the hall, leaving Mu Zhan clenching his teeth.
“No matter who you are, don’t let me catch a chance,” Mu Zhan muttered, seething.
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