The night was as dark as ink, enveloping the Xiao Family.
Deep within the Inner Academy, in the central hall of the Clan Chief’s residence, only a single dim oil lamp was lit, casting Xiao Zhan’s weary shadow long against the cold wall.
Xiao Zhan sat alone in a wide chair, his eyes tightly closed but not in rest, his brow furrowed deeply into a frown.
His face was significantly more haggard than it had been three months ago, with clear dark circles under his eyes.
His wife, Yan Qian, had long since fallen asleep in the room, but her breathing was weak and unsteady.
Every time he heard it, Xiao Zhan’s heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, leaving him anxious and uneasy.
As Yan Qian’s illness grew heavier by the day, the sense of powerlessness and panic within Xiao Zhan also increased daily.
On many nights, Xiao Zhan would come alone to the silent central hall like this and sit for an entire night, as if only this silence could slightly accommodate his restless worries.
For the Fourth-Rank gu yuan pill needed to treat Yan Qian, Xiao Zhan had collected almost all the main and auxiliary ingredients, consuming a vast amount of wealth and effort.
Now, he was only missing the final auxiliary ingredient—the Jade Marrow Ganoderma!
Hearing that the Wolf Head Mercenary Group in Qingshan Town had luckily harvested one in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, Xiao Zhan had immediately sent someone to purchase it with his personal letter and a heavy reward, estimating it would be in his hands soon.
However, the greatest difficulty lay before him: to refine a Fourth-Rank Medicinal Pill, the Foundation Consolidation Pill, he needed to hire at least a Fourth-Rank Alchemist!
And to ensure success, it would be best to hire a Fifth-Rank Alchemist!
Because Xiao Zhan only had one set of medicinal ingredients!
But the rules for hiring an Alchemist were extremely harsh, requiring three sets of medicinal ingredients to be provided by the client, along with an astonishing reward.
Xiao Zhan had exhausted everything he had, and now he had barely managed to scrape together enough for one set of ingredients…
Thinking of this, a deep bitterness welled up on Xiao Zhan’s Face.
Could it be…
that it had truly come to the time when he had to use the favor left behind by his father, that former powerhouse who once dominated the scene, the old Clan Chief of the Xiao Family, Xiao Lin?
‘But…
so many years have passed, would that noble Fifth-Rank Alchemist still recognize the friendship from my father all those years ago?’ Xiao Zhan’s hands clenched involuntarily, his fingernails almost digging into his palms.
Could he, Xiao Zhan, a mere Great Dou Master, hold onto the favor of the Dou King Xiao Lin?
Would the other party even give him, Xiao Zhan, this Face?
‘Forget it…
regardless, I must try.’ A tremendous sense of powerlessness welled up in Xiao Zhan’s heart; in the end, he could only pin his hopes on this slim possibility.
‘Tomorrow morning, I will write a letter and entrust the Chamber of Commerce to deliver it at full speed…
Whether it succeeds or fails, it will be up to fate…’ Xiao Zhan wearily closed his eyes again, trying to dispel the chaotic thoughts in his mind, but the anxiety was like a bone-deep parasite, impossible to shake off.
Long-term insomnia and mental anguish had pushed Xiao Zhan’s body to its limit.
In this extreme exhaustion and silence, his consciousness began to blur, and he gradually fell into a drowsy state.
Just at the critical moment when Xiao Zhan’s consciousness was about to be swallowed by sleepiness— “Xiao Zhan!” A voice, old yet full of vigor, containing a mysterious majesty and vibrant vitality, suddenly exploded in Xiao Zhan’s ears like a thunderclap!
“Who?!” Xiao Zhan was instantly jolted awake, all sleepiness vanished, and he sprang up from his chair.
The Dou Qi of a Great Dou Master within his body circulated subconsciously, his gaze sharp as a hawk as he scanned the empty main hall, his expression extremely grave.
He had actually not sensed anyone approaching at all!
This terrified Xiao Zhan, as he knew 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 were tense, and his Dou Qi began to circulate instinctively.
Was it an enemy?
Or a friend?
“This old man was passing by and sensed that your Family actually possesses a raw talent of great potential.
I am very pleased!” The voice sounded again, its tone seemingly carrying a trace of genuine appreciation and pleasure.
Hearing this, Xiao Zhan’s expression changed repeatedly, his inner shock growing even greater.
Not only could the other party infiltrate the restricted area of the Xiao Family without a sound, but judging by their tone, they also seemed to have taken a fancy to a certain Disciple in the clan?
Xiao Zhan dared not be negligent; he quickly restrained his aura, cupped his fists, and bowed respectfully to the Void, his tone careful and clear: “May I ask which Senior has arrived at the Xiao Family?
This Junior, Xiao Zhan, failed to welcome you in time.
I ask that Senior please reveal yourself!” As soon as his words fell, the air in the center of the main hall slightly twisted, and a figure quietly appeared like a ghost.
The visitor was entirely shrouded in a wide black robe, even their head covered by a deep hood, making it impossible to see any facial features, only a piece of profound darkness.
He stood there quietly, yet seemed to blend into the surrounding shadows, emanating a unfathomable aura.
Xiao Zhan’s pupils constricted sharply; he had not been able to see how this person appeared at all!
It was as if he had always been there.
Such means were far beyond Xiao Zhan’s range of understanding; this was absolutely an unimaginable expert!
“I, I have seen Senior!” Xiao Zhan’s heart was shaken violently, and he quickly lowered his head, not daring to look further.
He lowered his posture extremely low and performed another deep bow, his voice carrying a trace of imperceptible awe.
The black-robed figure moved slightly, and that old and majestic voice came from under the hood: “No need for such formalities.
This old man is an Alchemist with some seniority, traveling the world.
Not long ago, I happened to pass through your Wutan City and, by a stroke of luck, took in a Disciple…” He deliberately paused, and the shadow under the hood seemed to have two substantial gazes sweep over Xiao Zhan, before he slowly continued: “Hmm, come to think of it, it is precisely a Disciple from your clan.” “What?!” Xiao Zhan suddenly looked up, his Face instantly filled with shock and immense joy!
A Disciple of his clan had been taken as a Disciple by a mysterious, likely high-ranking Alchemist Senior?
What kind of Opportunity was this!
“Dare I ask Senior, I wonder which clan Disciple is so lucky…” Xiao Zhan eagerly wanted to ask, but was interrupted by the Black Robed Man raising his hand.
“Which Disciple it is, you will know in the future.
That little one has a pure Heart-Nature and cares for the Family…
This time, hearing that an elder of the clan was ailing, they specifically begged this old man…” As the Black Robed Man spoke, he flipped his sleeve, and several exquisite, warm jade bottles appeared out of thin air in his hand, the bottles seemingly still wreathed in faint energy fluctuations.
“Let me bring you these few Medicinal Pills; perhaps they can solve your urgent needs.” Without any movement from him, those jade bottles were supported by an invisible, gentle force and flew steadily toward Xiao Zhan.
Xiao Zhan was caught off guard and scrambled to catch them.
Upon contact, they felt warm and cool; he could feel the vast medicinal power contained within the jade bottles, which were definitely no ordinary items!
“Senior!
This is too valuable!
This Junior cannot accept it!
I wonder which clan Disciple, this Junior…” Xiao Zhan was both shocked and anxious, and quickly looked up, wanting to decline and ask for clarification.
However, just as 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 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 an illusion.
In the main hall, only Xiao Zhan stood dazed, holding the jade bottles, his Face filled with disbelief, confusion, and a tremendous sense of shock at having survived a desperate situation.
The night wind blew past the hall, bringing a trace of chill, but it could not blow away the surging waves in Xiao Zhan’s heart!