Chapter 289: Liu Ling

In the spacious room, Xiao Yan frowned slightly as he observed the spot where his finger had touched Nalan Jie’s back. In the moment when the azure flame was retracted, with the experience from last time, he clearly felt that some inexplicable things were mixed in with the flame, being withdrawn into his body.

“Indeed, the mutated Poison Seal is truly terrifying. Even with the Mysterious Flame I currently control, I cannot completely incinerate it. Sigh, I’m afraid only Teacher’s Bone Spirit Cold Flame can thoroughly cleanse it.” Slowly retracting his finger, Xiao Yan shook his head and sighed softly in his heart.

“The detoxification session ends here. After a few more sessions, I believe the poison in your body will be entirely cleared.” Xiao Yan withdrew his finger into his sleeve and looked at Nalan Jie, whose complexion had improved significantly compared to the last time.

“Thank you, Little Brother Yan Xiao. I can sense that the Poison Seal in my body is gradually decreasing,” Nalan Jie wiped the sweat from his forehead. Each detoxification session caused intense pain, making him feel as if he had just fought a battle with a peer of similar strength. Turning around, he thanked Xiao Yan, who seemed a bit weary.

“It’s mutual benefit,” Xiao Yan shook his head lightly. Scanning his body internally several times, his frown deepened. He found that the Poison Seal, after this detoxification, seemed to have become even denser.

“Sigh… I wonder if this thing is a blessing or a curse. If Teacher were here, with his experience, I wouldn’t have to worry about these matters…” Sighing softly, Xiao Yan could only smile bitterly in his heart.

“Haha, Little Brother Yan Xiao, you’ve worked hard these past two days. If you need any medicinal materials or other items, just let me know. Our Nalan Family will take care of these small matters for you. You just need to rest,” Nalan Su, seeing Nalan Jie’s increasingly rosy complexion, smiled more and more. He stepped forward and said to Xiao Yan.

Hearing this, Xiao Yan hesitated slightly. He casually took out paper and a pen from his storage ring and quickly wrote down some rare medicinal herbs that were difficult to find on the market. He then handed the list to Nalan Su. Since the other party was a big fish, it wouldn’t hurt to take advantage, especially since the wealth of the Nalan Family was substantial enough to not cause them any distress.

Taking the paper, Nalan Su glanced at it. His face did not change at all due to the preciousness of the herbs. With a call, he instructed a maid to go to the family’s warehouse and fetch the items listed on the paper. The entire process was smooth, and Nalan Su agreed without any hesitation, exuding the air of a wealthy man.

“Haha, Brother Yan Xiao, let’s sit in the living room for a while. The things you need will be brought over soon,” Nalan Jie, now dressed, smiled at Xiao Yan.

“Alright,” Xiao Yan nodded slightly and followed Nalan Jie out of the door. They walked through a quiet corridor and entered the luxurious waiting room. As soon as they sat down, a maid hurriedly served fragrant tea and then bowed and left.

“Little Brother Yan Xiao, I assume you came to the capital to participate in the Alchemist Assembly, right?” Nalan Jie, holding a teacup, sipped it slowly and asked with a smile.

“Um.”

“Haha, this assembly will be a gathering of many heroes. It seems there will be a good show,” Nalan Su, sitting beside, laughed.

“I’m just here to join in the fun. I don’t have much skill to compete with others,” Xiao Yan smiled and said.

“You’re being modest. With the unique Mysterious Flame, you can’t help but shine in this assembly,” Nalan Jie shook his head and then smiled, “Before the assembly, you’ll need some practice. If Brother Yan Xiao needs any materials, feel free to ask. As long as the Nalan Family has them, we won’t be stingy.”

“Trying to win me over in advance, huh…” Xiao Yan sipped his tea and shook his head slightly in his heart. A strong alchemist with a Mysterious Flame would have a bright future, and Nalan Jie, being a strong one, knew this well. So even though Xiao Yan was only a second-grade alchemist, Nalan Jie still tried to win him over. If Xiao Yan took materials from the Nalan Family, it would be harder for him to refuse their offer later to become their clan’s alchemist.

“I’ll come to you when I need something,” Xiao Yan did not directly refuse, but his vague response did not imply any promise.

Nalan Jie, being an experienced old fox, could tell what Xiao Yan meant. He smiled and shifted the conversation to another topic, casually asking about Xiao Yan’s other information.

“Haha, may I ask who is Little Brother Yan Xiao’s teacher? I recognize most of the famous alchemists in the Jia Ma Empire, but I haven’t heard of anyone’s student possessing a Mysterious Flame at such a young age.”

“My teacher doesn’t like to appear in public and always stays in seclusion. Before I came out, he told me not to reveal any information about him,” Xiao Yan shook his head and said.

“I see, then I won’t force you to reveal anything,” Nalan Jie smiled and nodded, but thought to himself, “A reclusive expert? At Yan Xiao’s age, it’s impossible for him to tame a Mysterious Flame alone. His teacher must have helped him. An expert who can tame a Mysterious Flame must at least be a Battle Emperor. It seems this little guy has some backing, and it would be beneficial to win him over…”

As Xiao Yan answered casually, time passed slowly. The maid who went to fetch the herbs returned, carrying a silver tray, and gracefully placed it on the table beside Xiao Yan.

Glancing at the perfectly preserved herbs on the silver tray, Xiao Yan nodded slightly. It seemed that the Nalan Family had quite a few experts who knew how to preserve herbs. Carefully storing the herbs in his storage ring, with no further need to stay, Xiao Yan stood up to bid farewell.

“Haha, let’s see Little Brother Yan Xiao off,” Nalan Jie, seeing Xiao Yan stand up, quickly rose and, together with Nalan Su, walked out of the hall with him.

Walking through the small path, the Nalan Family members who passed by respectfully greeted them. After they walked past, the people exchanged glances and cast curious and surprised looks at Xiao Yan. In this holy city, there were only five people qualified to have the Nalan Family’s patriarch and clan head escort them. This young man, who appeared to be around twenty years old, was also qualified to receive such treatment?

Amidst the bewildered and astonished gazes, the three finally arrived at the main gate. Xiao Yan bowed slightly to Nalan Jie and was about to leave when he suddenly noticed two figures walking towards the Nalan Family.

The two figures, a man and a woman, attracted immediate attention. The woman wore a moon-white, wide-sleeved robe, and her graceful steps gave a pleasing aesthetic. Her slightly smiling, beautiful face caught the attention of the men passing by. The man wore an alchemist’s robe and was quite young, with a tall and upright figure. He appeared to be around twenty, with a handsome face, chiseled features, and a gentle smile that easily captured the hearts of women. His appearance, compared to Xiao Yan’s disguise, was like a complete opposite.

Of course, the most eye-catching feature was the alchemist emblem on the young man’s chest, which had three silver ripples, reflecting dazzling light under the sun. The passersby, initially envious of the beauty accompanying the young man, became awe-struck upon seeing the emblem, which symbolized a certain meaning. The man and woman walked slowly, appearing as a perfect couple, attracting the attention of many on the street. Curious and envious gazes were directed at them, making them the center of attention.

When Xiao Yan’s gaze landed on the two, Nalan Jie and Nalan Su also noticed them. When their eyes fell on the man beside Nalan Yanran, their expressions changed slightly.

Watching the two approach, Xiao Yan lowered his head, feeling a faint anger in his heart for some reason. After a while, he took a deep, cold breath. He knew that although he no longer had feelings for the woman in front of him, she had almost become his woman. Seeing her walking and laughing with another man, a knot formed in his heart.

Raising his head, Xiao Yan suppressed all his emotions and calmly watched the two as they approached.

“Mr. Yan Xiao, thank you for today,” Nalan Yanran, reaching the gate, greeted Nalan Jie and Nalan Su, then smiled at Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan did not respond, only shaking his head, his face covered by the ice worm mask, appearing somewhat cold.

After spending a day with Xiao Yan, Nalan Yanran knew of his indifferent nature and did not mind. Pointing to the man beside her, she smiled, “Mr. Yan Xiao, this is my friend, Liu Ling. He is also an alchemist.”

“Hello, Mr. Yan Xiao,” the handsome man extended his hand and smiled at Xiao Yan, his smile gentle and sincere.

“Hello,” extending his hand and shaking the other’s, Xiao Yan spoke calmly, his eyes fixed on Liu Ling.

Since leaving Wu Tan City, the young man in front of him was the first person to make Xiao Yan feel a sense of respect. At such a young age, being a third-grade alchemist, his talent was not inferior to Xiao Yan’s.

“Heh, Little Ling, why aren’t you practicing alchemy with your teacher? Why are you here again?” Nalan Jie looked at the exceptionally outstanding man, sighing inwardly. Liu Ling was the most outstanding young man he had seen in recent years, with talents and strength that matched Nalan Yanran well. He knew that his extremely proud granddaughter might have some liking for this exceptional young man, although it was far from actual feelings. Still, Liu Ling was one of the few young men she had ever shown interest in.

However, Nalan Jie had always remembered the agreement he made with his old friend. Thinking of the Xiao family’s young man who was rejected, he felt apologetic and helpless. Therefore, he resisted the closeness between Liu Ling and Nalan Yanran, hoping to salvage the broken betrothal.

“The assembly is about to start, and it will gather countless strong alchemists from the empire. There are always those who are stronger. So, my teacher asked me to come down and see the world. Also, my teacher sends his regards to the old patriarch,” Liu Ling bowed slightly and replied with a smile.

“Mr. Yan Xiao, I didn’t expect you to be able to expel the Poison Seal from the patriarch at such a young age. It’s truly surprising. Even my teacher couldn’t do anything about it. I guess Mr. Yan Xiao must possess the legendary Mysterious Flame?” Liu Ling turned to Xiao Yan, smiling.

Squinting his eyes, Xiao Yan looked at Liu Ling and asked, “Who is your teacher?”

“My teacher is Gu He,” Liu Ling smiled gently, his pride well-concealed but still evident.

“Gu He, the Pill King, huh…” Xiao Yan muttered to himself, nodding slightly. His indifferent expression did not change despite the name that was famous throughout the Jia Ma Empire.

Xiao Yan’s calm demeanor surprised Liu Ling. Being a direct disciple of the Pill King Gu He was always his proudest achievement. However, it seemed insignificant to the young man before him. Liu Ling’s eyebrows furrowed imperceptibly, then relaxed, and he smiled at Xiao Yan, “May I ask the name of Mr. Yan Xiao’s teacher?”

“My teacher is just a leisurely person in the mountains, not as famous as the Pill King Gu He. There’s no need to mention it,” Xiao Yan smiled and said lightly, his easy and calm manner catching the attention of Nalan Jie and Nalan Yanran.

“Mr. Yan Xiao is too modest. Not counting the Mysterious Flame, becoming a second-grade alchemist at such a young age, your teacher must be quite skilled,” Nalan Yanran, covering her mouth, smiled lightly.

“Unfortunately, it’s all forced upon me…” Xiao Yan stared at Nalan Yanran’s beautiful face and said softly, self-deprecatingly.

Nalan Yanran was taken aback. For some reason, his gaze made her heart tremble. Shaking her head, she was about to say something when Xiao Yan bowed to the group and said with a light smile, “I apologize, but I have some business to attend to. I must take my leave.”

With that, Xiao Yan walked straight into the street and, under the gazes of Nalan Yanran and the others, gradually disappeared into the crowd.

“Yanran, does he really have a Mysterious Flame?” Watching Xiao Yan disappear, Liu Ling couldn’t help but ask again.

“Yes, Mr. Yan Xiao is very strong. His fire control skills are probably not inferior to yours. In alchemy, he is the only one I’ve seen who might surpass you,” Nalan Yanran nodded, her eyes gazing at the end of the street, her mind slightly dazed. For some reason, this cold young man gave her a very strange feeling, something she had never felt with Liu Ling.

Seeing Nalan Yanran lost in thought as she stared down the street, Liu Ling unconsciously clenched his fists, a slight twinge of jealousy in his heart…