After hearing Xiao Zhan's words, the First Elder, Second Elder, and Third Elder in the council hall exchanged glances without speaking.
Although they were dissatisfied with Xiao Zhan's actions, Xiao Yan was currently the most promising talent in the family and a symbol of their future rise. Giving him the Dou Zhe Pill wasn't entirely unjustified.
"Have we found out who's backing the Jia Lie and Ao Ba families?" Xiao Zhan, after expressing some regret, moved on to investigating the cause of the recent troubles.
The First Elder shook his head. After a moment of contemplation, his expression grew solemn. "From the quality of the Rejuvenation Powder and Blood Coagulation Powder circulating through the marketplaces of those two clans, they're clearly flawless grade. I suspect it's the work of Chen Mo."
The atmosphere in the hall immediately turned heavy.
If it truly was Chen Mo, then they were utterly powerless. Against a tier-three alchemist, the Xiao family had no means of resistance.
And if things continued like this, the Xiao clan would soon fall out of the ranks of Wu Tan City's top three families.
After all, the profits from the city's marketplace accounted for the bulk of their family's income.
Xiao Zhan's face darkened. He then said grimly, "Find out for sure. If it is Chen Mo, then I'll have no choice but to bring Yan'er with me and personally apologize."
The First and Second Elders exchanged a silent look. At this point, there was no better solution.
"Perhaps we could send someone to the imperial capital to ask the Nalan family for help. Didn't the old patriarch arrange an engagement between Xiao Yan and a daughter of the Nalan clan back when he was alive? Maybe, for the sake of that bond, they'll lend us a hand."
The usually silent Third Elder finally spoke softly.
His words immediately brightened the eyes of the First and Second Elders. The Nalan family was one of the three great clans in the imperial capital. The one engaged to Xiao Yan, Nalan Yanran, had even been accepted as a personal disciple by Yun Yun, the Sect Leader of the Misty Cloud Sect.
If the Nalan clan were willing to help, then even if they had to face Chen Mo, the Xiao family wouldn't need to cower.
"Sigh… That engagement was arranged by the old patriarch when Yan'er was only three. After the old man's death, relations between our families gradually faded. Whether they still acknowledge the engagement is uncertain. What's more, with the current instability in the Empire, the Nalan clan likely has enough of their own problems. Why would they have time for us?"
Xiao Zhan sighed deeply.
The three Elders fell silent once again.
Ever since the old patriarch's death, the Xiao clan had been in decline. Otherwise, they wouldn't have ended up stuck in a city like Wu Tan.
Outside the council hall—
A black-robed youth stood quietly, having overheard everything. He touched the black ring on his finger, looking defeated.
With clenched fists, he slammed one into the wall, gritted his teeth, and stormed off in frustration.
Just then, Xun'er appeared, having come to find him. Upon seeing Xiao Yan, she smiled and waved as she walked over. "Brother Xiao Yan!"
Xiao Yan's eyes flashed with panic when he saw her. He instinctively tried to evade her.
But Xun'er stepped directly in front of him, blocking his path. "Brother Xiao Yan, why have you been avoiding me lately?"
"N-No I haven't..." Xiao Yan stammered, clearly caught off guard. "Xun'er, I need to go cultivate. I'll see you later."
"Brother Xiao Yan…"
Xun'er watched his retreating figure and stomped her foot in frustration.
After she left, Xiao Yan emerged again from the shadows of a nearby corner.
His face was full of bitterness and unwillingness.
His cultivation had fallen back to the ninth stage of Dou Qi. The Dou Zhe Pill hadn't restored his strength as he had hoped.
He couldn't bear to face Xun'er like this. He was afraid she would see his pitiful state.
But beyond that, he had discovered something else—something shocking.
Xun'er was not as simple as she appeared.
That day, the Dou Wang who had been wounded by Chen Mo had called her "Miss Xun'er."
That left Xiao Yan guessing—just what kind of power or background did Xun'er truly have, for a Dou Wang to willingly serve her?
What was her real purpose for staying with the Xiao family?
These doubts planted a seed of suspicion in Xiao Yan's heart toward Xun'er.
Misty Cloud Sect –
As one of the greatest powers within the Jia Ma Empire, the Misty Cloud Sect was built atop a majestic mountain range barely ten li from the imperial capital.
Because of the sect's name, the mountain had also come to be known as Misty Cloud Mountain.
At the peak of the rear mountain, the summit was shrouded in thick fog, as if it were a place of immortals.
Upon a giant stone by the cliff's edge, a young girl clad in a pale moon-white robe sat cross-legged. Her hands formed cultivation seals as she practiced with closed eyes.
With every breath and exhale, her movements formed a perfect cycle. During each shift of breath, a faint azure energy would emanate into the surrounding air.
That airflow spiraled around her body, then was absorbed back into her frame—refined and integrated.
A gentle breeze passed through.
A graceful and noble woman, dressed in a flowing cyan robe, appeared silently behind the giant stone.
"Teacher, you're here?"
The girl stopped her cultivation and slowly opened her eyes. A faint blue light flashed in her pupils. Her long hair fluttered despite the still air.
"Yanran, I plan to visit the Magical Beast Mountain Range tomorrow to request a piece of Violet Spirit Crystal from the Violet-Gold Winged Lion King."
The girl named Yanran furrowed her brows and leapt lightly down from the rock. Shaking her head, she asked in concern,
"But Teacher, my Wind's Extreme still hasn't reached mastery. Wouldn't it be too soon to go after the Violet Spirit Crystal?"
The woman approached the cliff's edge and gazed down into the abyss, her voice serene yet melodious.
"It's not too early. The battlefront will soon come to an end. Neither I nor the imperial family can stand against Queen Medusa. When the royal family is forced to cede the Magical Beast Mountain Range and the northwestern province to the Snake-People Tribe, obtaining the crystal will become near impossible."
Wu Tan City –
Under the silver moonlight, the night was cool and tranquil.
In the rear courtyard of the Miteer Auction House, where its inner personnel resided, Ya Fei had just finished her bath. She changed into a sheer red silk robe and entered her room.
She lay down on the soft couch and leaned into Chen Mo's arms, her cheeks slightly flushed, her beauty practically bewitching. Resting her head on his chest, she whispered,
"My monthly cycle is over…"
Chen Mo, caressing her crimson hair, was momentarily stunned.
He had wanted to take Ya Fei days ago, but her period had interrupted him.
Instead, he had copied the Shadow Break Technique and given it to her. He even gifted her the longsword Tian Yuan and taught her swordsmanship.
Over the past few days…
Ya Fei's affection for him had risen to 97.
But her experience level had reached 299.
In other words, just one more point and the system would trigger the binding quest for the next "Goddess."
So, Chen Mo decided to hold off on taking Ya Fei. If she pushed him to level 4, there wouldn't be another nearby "Goddess" available to bind.
Little Doctor Fairy and Xun'er were clearly too young.
In the Jia Ma Empire, the only other suitable candidates were Yun Yun and Yao Ye.
Thus—
"Baby, tomorrow I'll head to the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Once I've slain the Violet-Gold Winged Lion King and obtained its Magic Core, I'll bring you back to the capital. There, you'll take control of your family's position. And once everything's in place… you'll give yourself to me completely."
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