Chapter 54: Alchemists Gather

After the three elders had exited one by one, Xiao Yan used a burst of Qi to close the room door and isolated the entire room from the outside world, ensuring that no one would hear the following conversation, especially a certain outsider who was still staying at the Xiao family.

"What is it, Yan'er? Is something the matter?" Xiao Zhan asked, feeling a bit strange as he watched Xiao Yan's actions.

"Father, I brought this back this time," Xiao Yan said in a low voice, taking a jade slip from his bosom.

"This is—that jade slip of the Sun Heart Scripture? Didn't you give this to your two brothers? Why did you bring it back!" Xiao Zhan said with some surprise, his voice unconsciously lowering, even though he knew the sound here could not possibly travel outside.

Xiao Yan smiled slightly and said, "Father, it goes without saying, I naturally brought it back for you. You never touched it back then to provide cover for us brothers. Now that we brothers have all grown up, you don't need to wait any longer."

"This—" Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhan was truly tempted. He looked at the jade slip in Xiao Yan's hand, his fingers unconsciously rubbing against each other. But after hesitating for a long time, he still did not accept it: "Forget it, let's wait a few more years. Although your strength is very strong now, Yan'er, and you could probably barely protect even this Sun Heart Scripture, you are not always at the Xiao family after all. It is still not good to keep this thing here."

"This—"

"No need to say more, Yan'er. This thing is better given to the young people in the clan than to me." Xiao Zhan waved his hand, steadied his mind, and said, "It just so happens that with your help this time, the number of people from the Xiao family who can enter Canaan College should be quite a bit higher than in previous years, plus those who enrolled in the past. Just teach them this cultivation art after you arrive at Canaan College. Once you juniors graduate from Canaan College, even if the relevant news spreads, I, your father, won't have to worry."

"This—alright then." Xiao Yan also knew Xiao Zhan's stubbornness and that he would likely not accept it again, so he continued: "Since that is the case, then Father, take these few Spirit-Awakening Pills. You don't need to decline this, right? After all, once they are used up, there will be no issues even if someone finds out later; it's not like they can be dug out of the stomach."

As he spoke, Xiao Yan took a few jade bottles out of his storage ring; one could even smell the faint fragrance of medicinal pills on them.

The so-called Spirit-Awakening Pill is a Tier 3 medicinal pill that can enhance a person's perception of heaven and earth energy and accelerate cultivation speed; it was just right for Xiao Zhan at this moment. These three bottles of Spirit-Awakening Pills were enough for Xiao Zhan to rise another two realms.

"This—" Looking at the pills Xiao Yan had brought out again, this time Xiao Zhan did not refuse; after all, he was not someone who would endure hardship unnecessarily: "Alright then, I will accept them first."

"Good, then I wish Father an early promotion to the eight-star level," Xiao Yan said with a hint of a smile on his face.

Looking at Xiao Yan's expression, Xiao Zhan suddenly realized: "You brat, you wouldn't have brought up the Sun Heart Scripture first just to make me accept these pills, would you?"

"How could that be!" Xiao Yan blinked, then changed the subject and said, "Right, regarding the candidates to practice the Sun Heart Scripture, our Xiao family still needs to screen them ourselves to prevent anyone with impure motives or poor discretion from mixing in. I will have to trouble you with this matter, Father."

"Hmm, you are right. In that case, I will draft a list and have the people heading to Canaan College bring it to you." Xiao Zhan did not dwell on the previous question and continued along Xiao Yan's train of thought.

"Hmm, that would be excellent."

A day passed quickly, and today was the day the alchemist Gu Ni said he would bring over.

In a reception room on the third floor of the Mittel Auction House, Ya Fei, who served as the manager of the auction house, was hosting Xiao Yan, who had arrived for the second time.

After personally brewing a pot of tea, Ya Fei sat directly beside Xiao Yan and offered the teacup to him with both hands.

"I never imagined that after so many days, Young Master Xiao would actually grace our Mittel Auction House with his presence again; it truly makes our humble place shine," Ya Fei said while leaning lightly against Xiao Yan's left arm.

Although still separated by clothing, Xiao Yan could still feel the softness and the peaks beneath the fabric.

"Hmm, I never imagined that after not seeing you for so many days, you would be so much more proactive than last time." Xiao Yan was naturally not one to pass up a bargain; he accepted all of Ya Fei's charms, which instead left the experienced Ya Fei feeling somewhat at a loss. After all, Ya Fei was only experienced in the business world, not the world of romance.

"Ahem." Ya Fei, feeling somewhat at a loss from Xiao Yan's actions, could only force herself to pull back and bring up business: "Speaking of which, Young Master Xiao is gathering alchemists this time to build the Xiao family's alchemist team, right?"

"Yes, that's right." Xiao Yan sipped the tea personally brewed by Ya Fei to moisten his throat, waiting for Ya Fei to speak further.

"Then may I ask if the future purchase of medicinal herbs and the sale of medicinal pills for the Xiao family can go through our Mittel channels?"

Ya Fei knew that for Xiao Yan, those cumbersome commercial pleasantries and circumlocutions were useless, so she stated her purpose directly.

"Hmm, as for that, do you think it's really important?" Xiao Yan turned the question back to Ya Fei: "Although trading with the Xiao family can indeed help you gain quite a bit of credit, it will be useless once you return to the Mittel headquarters, right?"

"So, what exactly is Young Master Xiao trying to say?" Ya Fei asked, somewhat confused, a hint of vigilance hidden deep in her eyes.

"Hmm, I have already said what I needed to say before." Xiao Yan did not answer directly: "Speaking of which, the time is about right; Gu Ni should be coming."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door to the reception room was knocked on, and Gu Ni's slightly aged voice came from outside: "Young Master Xiao, Miss Ya Fei."

"Come in," Xiao Yan said directly, as if he were treating this place as his own home.

With a creak, Gu Ni pushed open the door and walked in from outside, a look of inexplicable anxiety on his face; he didn't even notice that it was Xiao Yan who had just replied.

"Young Master Xiao, something has gone wrong," Gu Ni said as he walked to Xiao Yan's side.

"What's wrong? Don't tell me those alchemists have all run away."

"Uh—that's not it." Gu Ni was slightly stunned and denied it: "The five Tier 1 alchemists and two Tier 2 alchemists I found this time have all arrived. It's just—"

"Just what?"

"Just that one extra Tier 3 alchemist came!"

"What?" Hearing this, Ya Fei, who was sitting to the side, was suddenly startled, and even Xiao Yan looked over with some surprise.

"Oh my, Gu Ni, I didn't expect you to be able to find even a Tier 3 alchemist; not bad."

"Young Master Xiao, please don't tease me; how could I have that kind of ability." Gu Ni smiled bitterly: "The situation is like this: didn't Young Master Xiao have a battle with people from the Imperial Capital in the north of the city the day before yesterday? It is said that the commotion at that time attracted this alchemist, which is why he came to Wutan City to take a look. It just so happened that I was gathering alchemists here, so he just ran over." After finishing, Gu Ni secretly glanced at Xiao Yan.

Gu Ni had also noticed the duel the day before yesterday and had even run over to watch halfway through; Xiao Yan's final arrow could be said to have left a deep impression on him.

"Hmm, it's fine. Tier 3 is Tier 3. Since he's here, find a way to keep him as well," Xiao Yan said in a normal tone, unaffected by this, and turned to Gu Ni: "Lead the way."

"Yes." Gu Ni bowed and turned to lead the way.

Xiao Yan followed closely behind and walked out.

Ya Fei, following at the end, looked at Xiao Yan's back and remembered the conversation just now, muttering to herself: "Is it to be handed over to Mittel, or to me?"

"But we are neither relatives nor friends, so why would you help me?"

Under Gu Ni's guidance, the three of them soon arrived at a huge conference hall. Here, the alchemists who had arrived early had already formed small circles to communicate with each other.

Only one middle-aged man sitting in his seat with his eyes closed to rest appeared out of place.

Xiao Yan recognized at a glance that he was the Tier 3 alchemist Gu Ni had mentioned. On the way here, Xiao Yan had also learned his name: Bai Ye.