"Hehe, thank you for your praise, Miss Ya Fei. It is indeed my son."
Xiao Zhan chuckled and responded as he walked.
"I heard that Young Master Xiao Yan started practicing Qi at the age of four and became a Dou Zhe at eleven. Such talent is probably top-notch even in the entire Jia Ma Empire. In the future, he might become a Dou Huang expert. With Young Master Xiao Yan in the Xiao family, it will surely prosper in the future."
Ya Fei chuckled softly. Her visit to the Xiao family, apart from intending to befriend them, was more importantly, of course, to take a look at this genius youth.
If these words were said at an ordinary time, they would undoubtedly make everyone in the Xiao family very happy. However, at this moment, she keenly noticed that the smiles on Xiao Zhan and the others' faces were not very natural.
"Miss Ya Fei is unaware. My son had a mishap in his cultivation the day before yesterday. Overnight, all his Dou Qi disappeared. Now, he only has the cultivation of the third Duan of Dou Qi."
Xiao Zhan sighed, and the other elders also wore worried expressions.
Although Xiao Yan could still cultivate, perhaps a delay of a few years would become a stumbling block affecting his path to becoming a Dou Huang.
On the path of cultivation, it has always been that one slow step leads to many slow steps.
"Is that so?"
Ya Fei was also slightly surprised. Her gaze couldn't help but fall on the boy's childish face, only to see that there was no fluctuation on his face. Instead, his eyes were still softly staring at her.
"This little fellow seems completely different from others."
Ya Fei thought to herself silently.
A young man who became a Dou Zhe before the age of twelve should logically be high-spirited and arrogant.
Suddenly encountering such a setback, shouldn't he be depressed?
"If he's not faking it, then this little fellow's mental fortitude is truly terrifying."
This was Ya Fei's first judgment of Xiao Yan.
"Big Sister Ya Fei, you keep looking at me like this. Could it be that there's a flower on my face?"
Seeing Ya Fei's gaze fixed on him, Xiao Yan showed none of a youth's shyness. Instead, he couldn't help but tease her.
"Hehe, it's rare to see such a handsome little brother. Can't an older sister take a few more glances?"
Ya Fei's heart stirred, and she couldn't help but laugh. She wanted to see if this genius youth of the Xiao family was really as she thought.
During her time as a guest in the Xiao family, most of her attention was focused on Xiao Yan.
However, the more she observed, the more alarmed Ya Fei became. Because Xiao Yan didn't say much, but every sentence was just right and difficult to find fault with.
This made Ya Fei, who was best at dealing with people, realize that she was actually being subtly guided by Xiao Yan in their conversation.
"I didn't expect to find such a treasure trove as soon as I arrived in Wutan City. This Xiao Yan might be my most valuable gain during my training in Wutan City."
Ya Fei had already mentally marked Xiao Yan as someone to focus on befriending in the future. As she was about to leave, she casually took out a jade box and placed it on the table beside her.
"Patriarch Xiao Zhan, this is a hundred-year-old blood ginseng I collected when I was in the imperial capital. It is very beneficial for physical recovery and is the main ingredient for many second and third-grade medicinal pills. I believe it will be of great use to Young Master Xiao Yan."
Ya Fei said with a smile. The gift she brought today was originally an ordinary healing pill, but she changed her mind after seeing Xiao Yan.
"Miss Ya Fei, this gift is a bit too valuable, isn't it?"
Xiao Zhan and several elders slightly widened their eyes.
A hundred-year-old blood ginseng was already considered an extremely precious medicinal herb in Wutan City. Its value was probably tens of thousands of gold coins. None of them had expected Ya Fei to be so generous.
"Hehe, it's just a small gift. If I can befriend a potential stock like the Xiao family, then I'm the one who has profited greatly."
Ya Fei seemed to be flattering the Xiao family, but her gaze was fixed on Xiao Yan.
"Father, accept it. To be favored by a great beauty like Big Sister Ya Fei is also our Xiao family's blessing."
In the hall, the young man's tender yet mature voice made Xiao Zhan and the others slightly stunned. After a moment of thought, they surprisingly no longer refused.
Not only Ya Fei, but Xiao Zhan and the others, who could attain such high positions in the clan, needed not only sufficient strength but also brains.
They also clearly felt that today's Xiao Yan seemed to have matured a lot. This maturity made them feel an inexplicable pressure.
"Hehe, Little Brother Xiao Yan really has魄力 (pòlì - courage/daring)."
Ya Fei covered her mouth and smiled, then prepared to bid farewell and leave.
After Xiao Zhan and the others saw Ya Fei off, they found that Xiao Yan had already disappeared.
"Big Sister Ya Fei."
Walking out of the Xiao family's manor, Ya Fei was striding with her fair, jade-like legs towards the Miteer Auction House when her path was blocked by a small figure.
"It's you?"
Looking at this little fellow who was slightly shorter than herself, Ya Fei was stunned for a moment, then chuckled softly again.
"What's wrong? Already learned to follow older sisters at such a young age? Your courage, little fellow, is much greater than those adults of yours."
"If I could tie up a beauty like Big Sister Ya Fei and take her back, then I would indeed have made a bloody profit."
Xiao Yan smiled slightly, making Ya Fei unable to resist glaring at him lightly.
"Not old, but full of bad ideas. You, a little fellow whose hair hasn't even fully grown, still want to make a move on your older sister."
"Let me talk to you about serious matters."
Xiao Yan smiled and shook his head, but his small face quietly became serious.
"I need some medicinal herbs. I hope you can help me collect them."
"Collect medicinal herbs? What are you going to do? Pill refining?"
Ya Fei looked at Xiao Yan with some doubt.
"Mm."
Xiao Yan just nodded lightly, but it made Ya Fei's pupils shrink slightly.
In a small, remote city like Wutan City, alchemists were extremely rare and important figures. The Xiao family actually had an alchemist?
What made Ya Fei's heart tremble the most was that, judging from Xiao Yan's tone, it seemed like he himself was going to refine pills.
How old was this little fellow?
"These are the medicinal herbs I need. I hope you can help me collect two sets."
Xiao Yan took out a small slip of paper from his bosom, on which was written the medicinal formula he had prepared in advance.
"Three stalks of Purple Leaf Orchid Grass, two Soul Cleansing Flowers, one drop of Earth Core Spiritual Milk, a wood-attribute first-tier monster core, and a water-attribute first-tier monster core?"
Ya Fei looked at the medicinal formula in front of her, and after a moment, she spoke softly: "Although I don't understand pill refining, if I'm not mistaken, this medicinal formula is probably for at least a second-grade medicinal pill, right?"
"Third-grade, that's all."
Facing Ya Fei's inquiry, Xiao Yan didn't hide anything.
"Third-grade?"
Ya Fei's breathing became slightly hurried. A third-grade medicinal pill was only somewhat valuable to her, but Xiao Yan's behavior clearly indicated, could it be that the Xiao family had at least a third-grade alchemist? At this time, Ya Fei naturally wouldn't consider Xiao Yan an alchemist anymore. Otherwise, to be able to refine a third-grade medicinal pill at such a young age was simply preposterous.
"This is a formula for a third-grade medicinal pill. You dare to show it to me so openly? Aren't you afraid I'll turn around and sell it to someone else?"
"Not afraid."
Xiao Yan confidently shook his head and said: "These are just the medicinal herbs. Without my fire control steps and proportion control, even a sixth-grade alchemist couldn't refine it."
"Even a sixth-grade alchemist couldn't refine it?"
Ya Fei's heart trembled. A sixth-grade alchemist, that was the highest grade in the Jia Ma Empire. Could a small Xiao family afford to support such a great figure?
However, although she had many doubts in her heart, her face still wore a smile as she looked at Xiao Yan: "Go on, boast. Aren't you afraid of biting your tongue when you brag?"
"Hehe, you will naturally know in the future."
Xiao Yan smiled slightly and said: "My strength is still very weak now. I hope Big Sister Ya Fei will keep everything confidential for me."
"Now you know to ask me to keep it confidential?"
Ya Fei stared at Xiao Yan and glared lightly.
"This is a formula for a third-grade medicinal pill, and it might even be a bigger secret. Even the Miteer family behind me would be tempted if they knew. Once others find out, it will be a big trouble for your Xiao family. Aren't you afraid that your older sister will turn around and sell you out?"
"You won't."
Xiao Yan gently shook his head, his eyes once again showing the gentleness that Ya Fei found strange: "You are a smart woman and won't do such a foolish thing. Besides, our future path is still very long, and we will have many opportunities for cooperation."
(End of this chapter)