The offensive of the Yunlan Sect against the Mi Teer family ultimately ended with heavy losses. Just as everyone thought that the strongest force in the Jia Ma Empire would erupt in thunderous rage, the former instead lapsed into an unexpected silence, which left many people puzzled. Although Xiao Yan and his companions were somewhat surprised by the unusual quietness of the Yunlan Sect, they did not dwell on it too much. If the opposition wanted to give him time to contact other forces, then so be it.
During this time, Hai Bo Dong also displayed remarkable efficiency. In just a day, he had managed to get in touch with the other major forces in the imperial capital. Now that Xiao Yan had come back strong and demonstrated astonishing strength in front of countless people, no one dared to treat Hai Bo Dong’s proposal lightly. Thus, the task of coordinating was completed quite easily.
The meeting place was the Alchemist Guild, which had always maintained neutrality within the empire. As a congregation for nearly half of the empire’s alchemists, the Alchemist Guild naturally commanded significant influence. Although the guild master, Fa Ma, might be slightly inferior to the Pill King Gu He in terms of alchemical skills, his experience far surpassed the latter. Therefore, even Gu He had to be courteous in front of Fa Ma. Hence, the choice of the Alchemist Guild as the meeting place was entirely appropriate.
When Xiao Yan arrived at the Mi Teer residence early in the morning, he encountered Hai Bo Dong and Ya Fei, who were preparing to leave.
“Hehe, you little brat…” Upon seeing Xiao Yan, Hai Bo Dong chuckled, about to greet him, but then he noticed the beautiful yet eerily bewitching face behind Xiao Yan. He coughed dryly and said, “I was just about to send someone to find you. I have already contacted the Royal Family, the Mu Family, and the Nalan Family. We will discuss our collaboration at the Alchemist Guild today.”
Xiao Yan nodded with a smile, patting the head of Zi Yan, who was looking around curiously. Worrying that the little girl would once again be led astray by Medusa to steal someone’s medicinal herbs, he had no choice but to keep her close. However, he was a bit speechless about Medusa following them; this woman seemed to have taken a great interest in Zi Yan.
“Xiao Yan, who is this?” Ya Fei, whose face always carried a gentle smile, was a bit stunned when she saw Medusa, who was closely following Xiao Yan. She then smiled without any visible trace, “A friend, you can call her Cai Lin.”
Under the gaze of Ya Fei’s bright and lively eyes, Xiao Yan felt something was amiss and thus could only vaguely reply, “Ah, Cai Lin, she’s a friend.”
“Haha, so it’s Miss Cai Lin,” Ya Fei raised her eyebrows slightly and took two steps forward, her peach-blossom eyes focusing on Medusa’s perfectly exquisite face. She smiled, “Miss Cai Lin is indeed beautiful. No wonder she is by Xiao Yan’s side.”
Hearing Ya Fei’s words, Xiao Yan was taken aback, as if she was implying that he was only interested in her beauty. He wondered why Ya Fei seemed different today.
As a man, Xiao Yan might not easily notice the subtle undercurrents, but Medusa sensed a slight hint of hostility and wariness from the woman in front of her, who also possessed an outstanding appearance and demeanor. Her long eyelashes fluttered gently, and her lazy gaze swept over Xiao Yan and Ya Fei. She could sense that the beautiful woman in front of her had some special feelings for Xiao Yan.
Thinking of this, for some reason, Medusa couldn’t help but frown slightly, a strange emotion rising in her heart. This made her slightly annoyed, so she turned her face to Xiao Yan, her voice turning cold, “Don’t dawdle here. Let’s get to business.”
Seeing Medusa’s suddenly cold expression, Xiao Yan was taken aback. He glanced between Medusa and Ya Fei, puzzled. “Why are these two women acting so strangely today?”
“Cough…” Standing beside them, Hai Bo Dong, being wiser with age, quickly noticed the slightly unfriendly atmosphere between Ya Fei and Medusa. He coughed and pulled Ya Fei behind him, afraid that the ferocious beauty snake might attack, leaving Ya Fei defenseless.
“Ya Fei, all the auction houses need to be reopened today. These matters are quite troublesome. You should go and oversee them. Xiao Yan and I need to go to the Alchemist Guild…”
Upon hearing Hai Bo Dong’s instructions, Ya Fei, though reluctant, nodded. Before leaving, she slowly approached Xiao Yan. Seeing that his clothes were slightly disheveled, she extended her snowy-white, delicate hand, gently smoothing them, and said softly, “Little one, don’t act rashly during the meeting. It’s important to gather as many allies as possible, even if they only serve as cannon fodder. You carry more than just the Xiao Family’s fate on your shoulders… And remember, you still owe me a promise. Don’t forget it.”
Breathing in the faint, pleasant scent from Ya Fei, and feeling the soft, comfortable touch of her hands, Xiao Yan was slightly moved. He flashed a white-toothed grin, “I won’t forget. When I left, I said that even if you want to be a queen in the future, I will do my best to help you.”
Ya Fei smiled sweetly, covering her mouth, “I have no interest in being a queen…”
Seeing the two of them bantering, Hai Bo Dong forced a laugh, sensing that Medusa’s face was becoming increasingly cold.
“Alright, I’ll leave now. You two should head to the Alchemist Guild. My intelligence network has been monitoring the Yunlan Sect, and I will notify you as soon as I get any news.”
Patting Xiao Yan’s head gently, Ya Fei did not linger, glancing at Medusa as she turned, her lips curving slightly, a small joy in her eyes.
Watching the alluring figure disappear from view, Xiao Yan turned to Medusa, smiling, “Let’s go.”
“If you haven’t had enough, go and follow her some more…”
Glancing at Xiao Yan, Medusa sneered and turned to walk out of the estate.
“What’s with her, acting strange today?” Watching Medusa’s retreating back, Xiao Yan shook his head, baffled.
“She’s jealous, aren’t all women like that?” Hai Bo Dong chuckled, giving Xiao Yan a thumbs-up. “You did well, managing to tame this beauty snake that once terrified the Jia Ma Empire. One word—strong!”
“Jealous?” Hearing this, Xiao Yan laughed and shook his head. He never thought that Medusa would experience such emotions or be tamed.
“Well, when that one-year agreement runs out, she might just flip and kill me.”
“Hehe, this little girl… seems a bit different too?” Hai Bo Dong’s gaze suddenly stopped on the little girl in white, who was holding Xiao Yan’s hand. He was amazed, realizing that even with his strength, he could not fully understand this little girl.
“Old man, stop staring, or I’ll have Sister Cai Lin beat you up!” Seeing Hai Bo Dong’s gaze, Zi Yan huffed and spoke.
Xiao Yan patted Zi Yan’s head, smiling, “Don’t underestimate Zi Yan. At the Dou Wang level, few are her match, and even some Battle Emperors wouldn’t fare well against her punches…”
Hearing this, Hai Bo Dong’s eyes flashed with surprise. This little girl possessed such terrifying strength?
At Hai Bo Dong’s astonishment, Xiao Yan only smiled, not elaborating on Zi Yan’s origins. He knew that Zi Yan had incredible potential, and once he concocted the transformation pill, her strength would not be inferior to Medusa’s… Moreover, her monstrous strength was something even Xiao Yan himself was wary of.
It could be foreseen that in the future, little Zi Yan would be an indispensable ally for Xiao Yan, although that day might be a bit far off.
“Let’s go to the Alchemist Guild…”
Stretching, Xiao Yan steered clear of the topic, turning his gaze towards the direction of the Alchemist Guild. “Let’s go and see those old acquaintances. I wonder if there will be a sense of things changing and people altering after three years?”
“Back then, a lowly Dou Shi, now capable of easily slaying a Battle Emperor, isn’t that a change? Take that old man Jia Xing Tian, still lingering at the Battle Emperor peak after three years, but you… you’ve undergone a complete transformation.”
Hai Bo Dong smiled.
“So, when we meet, their expressions will certainly be more interesting than three years ago.”
Hearing the schadenfreude in Hai Bo Dong’s words, Xiao Yan smiled, pulling Zi Yan as they walked out of the Mi Teer residence, heading towards the Alchemist Guild.
“The Imperial Family, the Alchemist Guild, the Mu Family… and the Nalan Family, it has been a long time. I wonder if, after three years, you all still remember the name Xiao Yan.”
After passing through a series of winding streets, Xiao Yan and his group arrived at the gate of the Alchemist Guild half an hour later. Looking at the familiar entrance, Xiao Yan let out a deep breath, quietly murmuring to himself.
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