The night was as dark as ink, shrouding the Xiao Family.
Deep in the Inner Academy, in the main hall of the Clan Chief’s residence, only a dim oil lamp was lit, casting Xiao Zhan’s weary figure long and thin onto the cold wall.
Xiao Zhan sat alone on a large chair, his eyes closed, but he was not resting; his brows were tightly locked in a “river” shape.
His face was significantly more haggard than three months ago, and the dark circles under his eyes were clearly visible.
His wife, Yan Qian, had long been asleep in the room, but her breathing was weak and unstable.
Every time he heard it, it made Xiao Zhan’s heart feel as if it were being gripped by an invisible hand, anxious and uneasy.
As Yan Qian’s condition worsened day by day, the sense of powerlessness and panic in Xiao Zhan’s heart also increased day by day.
On how many nights had Xiao Zhan come to this silent main hall alone, sitting for the whole night, as if only this silence could slightly accommodate his restless worries.
He had almost collected all the main ingredients and auxiliary materials needed for the Fourth-Rank gu yuan pill to treat Yan Qian, spending a lot of financial and mental effort.
Now, only the last auxiliary ingredient was missing—Jade Marrow Ganoderma!
Hearing that the Wolf Head Mercenary Group of Qingshan Town had luckily collected one in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, Xiao Zhan had immediately sent someone with his personal letter and heavy money to purchase it, and it was estimated that it would be in his hands soon.
However, the biggest problem lay before him: refining a Fourth-Rank gu yuan pill required at least hiring a Fourth-Rank Alchemist!
And to ensure success, it was best to hire a Fifth-Rank Alchemist to take action!
Because Xiao Zhan only had one set of medicinal materials!
But the rules for hiring an Alchemist to take action were extremely harsh; one needed to prepare three sets of medicinal materials and pay a staggering reward.
Xiao Zhan had exhausted everything, and now he had only barely managed to scrape together enough for one set of medicinal materials…
Thinking of this, a thick bitterness appeared on Xiao Zhan’s face.
Could it be…
that it was really time to use the favor left by his father, that once-renowned Dou King, the old Clan Chief of the Xiao Family, Xiao Lin?
‘But…
so many years have passed, will that noble Fifth-Rank Alchemist still recognize the friendship from my father’s time?’
Xiao Zhan clenched his hands involuntarily, his fingernails nearly digging into his palms.
As for the favor owed to Dou Wang Xiao Lin, could Xiao Zhan, merely a Great Dou Master, bear the weight of it?
Would the other party even give him, Xiao Zhan, this Face?
“Forget it…
Regardless, I must give it a try.”
A massive sense of powerlessness surged in Xiao Zhan’s heart; in the end, he could only pin his hopes on this slim Opportunity.
“I will write a letter tomorrow morning and entrust the merchant guild to deliver it with all speed…
Whether it succeeds or not, I must leave it to fate.”
Xiao Zhan wearily closed his eyes again, attempting to dispel the chaotic thoughts in his mind, but anxiety clung to him like bone-gnawing maggots, impossible to shake off. Get faster updates on g.com.
Long-term insomnia and mental torment had pushed Xiao Zhan’s body to its limit.
In this extreme exhaustion and silence, his consciousness began to blur, gradually sinking into a drowsy state.
Just at the critical point where Xiao Zhan’s consciousness was about to be swallowed by sleepiness—
“Xiao Zhan!”
An aged yet resonant voice, filled with an inexplicable majesty and vibrant vitality, suddenly exploded in Xiao Zhan’s ears like a thunderclap!
“Who?!”
Xiao Zhan was instantly jolted awake, all sleepiness vanishing, and he sprang up from his chair.
The Dou Qi of a Great Dou Master within his body subconsciously began to circulate, his gaze sharp as a falcon’s, scanning the empty main hall with suspicion and unease, his expression incomparably grave.
He had not detected anyone approaching at all!
This left Xiao Zhan inwardly horrified, knowing that the strength of the newcomer far exceeded his imagination; they were likely at least a Dou Ling level expert, or perhaps…
even higher!
A chill instantly shot from his spine to the top of his head, Xiao Zhan’s muscles tensed, and his Dou Qi instinctively began to circulate.
Was it an enemy?
Or a friend?
“I was passing through this place and sensed that your Family actually possesses a raw gem of talent; I am quite pleased!”
That voice sounded again, its tone seemingly carrying a genuine hint of appreciation and pleasure.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhan’s expression changed repeatedly, his inner shock deepening.
The other party could not only infiltrate the heavily guarded Xiao Family without a sound, but judging by their tone, they seemed to have taken a fancy to a certain Disciple of the Family?
Xiao Zhan dared not be negligent; he quickly restrained his aura, cupped his fists, and bowed respectfully toward the Void Realm.
His tone was cautious and clear: “I do not know which Senior has graced the Xiao Family with their presence?
This Junior, Xiao Zhan, has failed to welcome you properly; I ask that you please reveal yourself!”
As soon as his words fell, the air in the center of the main hall twisted slightly, and a figure appeared silently like a ghost.
The newcomer was shrouded in a wide black robe, their head covered by a deep hood, making it impossible to see any facial features, only an expanse of deep darkness.
He stood there quietly, yet seemed to merge with the surrounding shadows, emitting an unfathomable aura.
Xiao Zhan’s pupils contracted; he had not been able to see how this person appeared at all!
It was as if he had been there the entire time.
Such means were far beyond Xiao Zhan’s scope of understanding; this was absolutely an unimaginably powerful expert!
“I, I pay my respects to Senior!”
Xiao Zhan’s heart shook violently; he quickly lowered his head, not daring to look any further.
The Black Robed Man moved slightly, and that aged, majestic voice emanated from beneath the hood: “No need for such formalities.
I am an Alchemist with some qualifications, traveling the four corners of the world.
Not long ago, I happened to pass through your Wutan City, and by a stroke of Opportunity, I took on a Disciple…”
He paused deliberately, and the shadows beneath the hood seemed to have two substantial gazes sweep over Xiao Zhan, before he slowly continued: “Hmm, come to think of it, it is indeed a Disciple from your Family.”
“What?!” Xiao Zhan snapped his head up, his Face instantly flooded with shock and immense joy!
A Disciple of the Family had been taken as a student by a mysterious, likely high-ranking Alchemist Senior?
What kind of Opportunity was this!
“May I ask Senior, I wonder which Family Disciple is so fortunate…”
Xiao Zhan asked eagerly, but was interrupted by the Black Robed Man raising his hand.
“Which Disciple it is, you will know in the future.
That little fellow has a pure Heart-Nature and cares for his Family…
This time, hearing that an elder of the Family had an ailment, he specifically implored me…”
As the Black Robed Man spoke, he flipped his sleeve, and several exquisite, warm jade bottles appeared out of thin air in his hand, their bodies seeming to be surrounded by faint energy fluctuations.
“He asked me to bring you these Medicinal Pills; perhaps they can resolve your urgent need.”
Without him making any movement, those jade bottles were carried by an invisible, gentle force and flew steadily toward Xiao Zhan.
Caught off guard, Xiao Zhan scrambled to catch them.
Upon touching them, they felt warm and cool; he could feel the massive medicinal power contained within the jade bottles—these were definitely not ordinary items!
“Senior!
This is too valuable!
This Junior cannot accept it!
I do not know which Family Disciple it is, this Junior…”
Xiao Zhan was both shocked and anxious, quickly looking up to decline and ask for an explanation.
However, the moment Xiao Zhan looked up, his words came to an abrupt halt.
Before him, there was nothing!
That mysterious Black Robed Senior, just like when he arrived, had disappeared without a sound, leaving no trace, as if he had never appeared at all.
Only the heavy jade bottles in his arms, emitting an alluring medicinal fragrance, proved that everything just now was not a hallucination.
In the main hall, only Xiao Zhan remained, standing dazed on the spot, holding the jade bottles.
His Face was filled with disbelief, confusion, and a massive sense of shock from finding a way out of a desperate situation.
The night wind blew outside the hall, bringing a hint of chill, but it could not disperse the raging waves churning within Xiao Zhan’s heart!