Chapter 44: The Medical Fairy's Breakthrough

The news of City Lord Wu Jin being killed spread like a gust of wind through the streets and alleys of Wutan City, and quickly traveled toward more distant cities in the surrounding area.

The people in the City Lord's Mansion all fled overnight; some ran aimlessly toward other cities, while others headed in the direction of the Imperial Capital, seemingly hoping to beg the Gammian Empire's royal family for reinforcements to exact revenge.

The people of the Jia Lie and Ao Ba families had only just returned to their clans when they heard the news of Wu Jin's death; terrified, they brought all the treasures they could scrape together that very night to visit the Xiao Clan. They only departed after Xiao Zhan stepped forward and promised once more that he would not drive the two families to extinction.

However, Xiao Yan did not continue to pay attention to these matters. For him, after showing his strength in front of everyone and removing the threat, his task was finished, so he took Qing Lian and returned to the cave dwelling on the back mountain.

A few days later, having finished refining all the medicinal herbs and while reviewing the General Outline of Dou Techniques in hopes of further improving his self-created Dou techniques, a powerful wave of energy, accompanied by a vortex of heaven and earth energy gathering from dozens of meters around, appeared in the courtyard where Xiao Yan used to live when he was the young master of the Xiao Clan.

"Strange, what happened? Such a big commotion?"

"Look! It's Young Clan Leader Xiao Yan's courtyard! Could it be that Young Clan Leader Xiao Yan has had another breakthrough? Wouldn't that make him a Dou Ling?"

""

"Bullshit, the Young Clan Leader has been on the back mountain this whole time; the one living there should be that girl the Young Clan Leader brought back earlier."

"That girl? Heavens! What kind of realm is she actually in? This commotion must be at least that of a high-level Dou Shi!"

At this moment, the intense commotion also attracted Xiao Zhan and the various elders of the Xiao Clan. Unlike the young members of the Xiao Clan with their weaker strength, they were all people whose strength had already reached or approached the Da Dou Shi level, so naturally, they could see what the situation was.

"That young girl, I remember her name is Little Medical Fairy, right? Is she breaking through to Da Dou Shi?! But isn't this commotion a bit too big?" The First Elder's eyes flickered as he said with some emotion.

"Indeed, I thought Young Clan Leader Xiao Yan was already impressive enough, but I didn't expect the wife he brought back to be this strong as well. It seems we really were sitting in a well looking at the sky." The Second Elder also chimed in at this time.

"Eh? Do you all feel like there's a hint of sweetness in the air?" The Third Elder suddenly realized something strange and asked.

"It seems there is a little?"

"Not good, look over there, there's strange mist in that place!" The Second Elder suddenly shrieked.

Following the direction of the Second Elder's finger, the elders and Xiao Zhan all saw a mass of mist that was overall ink-green, yet faintly contained a seven-colored luster, continuously overflowing from the eaves of Xiao Yan's courtyard wall!

"Not good! It's poison gas! Hurry and have everyone get away!" After realizing the true nature of the mist, Xiao Zhan's expression changed drastically, and he roared: "All Xiao Clan elders who have reached the Da Dou Shi realm, follow me to cast a protective barrier; we must isolate the poison mist!"

"Yes!"

Instantly, several Xiao Clan elders joined forces, and colorful Dou Qi was released one after another, forming a hemispherical protective shield around Xiao Yan's courtyard, shrouding the entire place.

According to common logic, the Dou Qi barrier jointly created by the Xiao Clan elders led by Xiao Zhan would require even a peak Da Dou Shi expert to put in some effort to break, but at this moment, facing the continuously overflowing poison mist, it emitted a hissing sound and was being continuously corroded.

"This! Where on earth did this poison mist come from? How can it be so powerful! What is the background of that young girl Xiao Yan brought back?" The First Elder shouted in shock.

"This can't go on, where is Young Clan Leader Xiao Yan? Why hasn't he come yet?" The Second Elder said with some anxiety.

Just at this moment, a young voice rang out from afar and rapidly approached.

"Sorry, Elders, Xiao Yan is late."

As he spoke, Xiao Yan's figure appeared in the sky, with a pair of purple wings growing from his back.

The cyan and red dual-colored flames transformed into a giant python, circling the barrier created by the group. The terrifying power directly burned the shield along with the poison mist inside into ashes!

"This—" Although they had always known Xiao Yan was powerful, when this power was directed at them for the first time, Xiao Zhan and the Xiao Clan elders were still somewhat unaccustomed to it.

After clearing away the surrounding poison mist, the fire ring transformed from the fire python gradually moved inward, sticking to the wall bricks and tiles, and without damaging the building, it moved all the way forward, finally gathering in front of the room where Little Medical Fairy was in seclusion.

Another stick of incense worth of time passed, and the energy vortex in the sky grew smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared. Clearly, Little Medical Fairy's breakthrough had ended.

Not long after, the poison mist inside the room stopped overflowing, and the poison mist outside had long since been burned away to nothing by Xiao Yan's Volcano Green Lotus Flame.

"Father, Elders, since the matter is resolved, Xiao Yan will take his leave first." Xiao Yan cupped his hands toward the group and said.

"Good, you go ahead." Xiao Zhan also knew that this kid Xiao Yan wanted to go see his wife; although he didn't know why so much poison mist had suddenly appeared during the breakthrough, since Xiao Yan hadn't said anything, he didn't intend to ask.

As Xiao Yanran toward the room where Little Medical Fairy was in seclusion, Xiao Zhan said to the few people around him: "Don't discuss today's events after you go down, and keep a close eye on those who saw it earlier; don't let them wag their tongues, understand?"

"Yes!" The elders acknowledged the order.

Even though Xiao Yan didn't provide an explanation, everyone present was a person of wide experience. Although they didn't know why Little Medical Fairy had chosen the path of a poison master—which was unwelcome in the Gammian Empire, or rather, in most places in this world—since the Young Clan Leader had chosen her and the Clan Head hadn't objected, there was naturally no room for them to wag their tongues.

What's more, even if she was a poison master, she was still a Da Dou Shi of about the same age as Young Clan Leader Xiao Yan! How could they push away such talent just because of a small matter like this? Therefore, the elders all happily accepted Xiao Zhan's order.

With a creak, the door that had been tightly shut for over ten days was opened from the outside by Xiao Yan. Little Medical Fairy, startled by the sound of the door opening, sat cross-legged on the bed and slowly opened her embroidered eyes.

"You're here." Looking at Xiao Yan's figure as he hurried in, Little Medical Fairy gave a sweet smile and said in a gentle voice.

"Mm, broke through? How do you feel?" Xiao Yan walked quickly to Little Medical Fairy's side, and while sitting down next to her, he naturally wrapped his arm around Little Medical Fairy's waist and asked softly.

Little Medical Fairy leaned her body slightly, tilting into Xiao Yan's embrace in a more natural posture, her slender jade fingers combing through the hair that had become somewhat messy from not being groomed for many days, and she replied: "Quite good. Although the accumulation of toxins increases along with the growth of my cultivation, because I purified it once with the Earth Fire Lotus Seed before, I feel fine."

"What about you? I think I felt you take action over at the main hall a few days ago. Did the people from the other two families come looking for trouble a few days ago?" Little Medical Fairy raised her beautiful face and looked at Xiao Yan as she asked.

His right hand hooked under the back of Little Medical Fairy's knees, pulling her from the bed onto his lap; although this drew some dissatisfaction from Little Medical Fairy, who tapped her little fists against his chest, Xiao Yan continued to do as he pleased.

"Don't worry, you still don't trust me when I take action?" Afterward, Xiao Yan recounted to Little Medical Fairy what had happened in the Xiao Clan's main hall a few days prior.

"You killed that City Lord named Wu Jin?" Little Medical Fairy looked at Xiao Yan with some surprise and asked with some doubt: "Are you that sure the people of the Jia Ma Empire won't come looking for trouble with you?"

"I don't know if they'll come looking for trouble, but it's certain they will send people; hmm—a Dou Wang is definitely impossible, so it's highly likely to be an expert at the Dou Ling level." Facing Little Medical Fairy, Xiao Yan spoke more of his own speculations.

"Then what do you plan to do? You can't just kill them too, right? If you do that, no matter how good your talent is, the Gammian Empire's royal family won't be able to tolerate you anymore. Even if you can run away alone, the Xiao Clan will have a hard time escaping."

"Don't worry, I have a plan for all of this." Xiao Yan gave a mysterious smile; clearly, this current situation was something Xiao Yan had long anticipated, or even intentionally brought about.

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Since you've come out of seclusion, let's go for a good stroll around Wutan City these next few days. Come to think of it, I've brought you back for so many days, and I still haven't properly walked around Wutan City!" Xiao Yan looked affectionately at Little Medical Fairy's face and said tenderly.

Hearing this, Little Medical Fairy was also somewhat tempted.

"Then what about Qing Lian?"

"Just let her stay in the mansion to cultivate; she's still at the Dou Zhi Qi stage! She needs to work hard."

"Then—mmph!"

Before Little Medical Fairy could finish speaking, Xiao Yan, who had been famished for many days, blocked the young girl's alluring lips.

Silken robes lightly untied, wind and rain for the night.