(2) Love Got Up in the Group (The Author's Ramblings)

The Marketplace was one of the Xiao Family's main sources of income.

Among the three major families in Wutan City, the Ao Ba Family also controls several Marketplace, but their main industries are gray and low-level industries related to gambling and prostitution, and the Marketplace do not account for a large part of their business. Only the Jia Lie Family and the Xiao Family mainly focus on the Marketplace business.

As the saying goes, rivals are enemies, and the conflict between the Jia Lie Family and the Xiao Family is therefore particularly intense. If it weren't for the concern that the Ao Ba Family would reap the benefits, the two families would probably have already started fighting.

Xiao Yan and Xun'er naturally headed to the Marketplace under the Xiao Family's name.

Some members of the Xiao Family run businesses in the Marketplace, but there are many more merchants.

The vendors sold a wide variety of things, including food and drinks, jewelry and clothing, as well as some specialties that could only be found in the Beast Mountain Range.

The Xiao Family is responsible for maintaining stability in the Marketplace and preventing acts of violence and robbery, but they do not tolerate petty theft, swindling, or other "gentle" methods.

Of course, even the most basic security measures are chargeable.

In summary, the Xiao Family provides a platform that puts both merchants and customers at ease, and then profits by taking a cut.

After browsing through many vendors, Xiao Yan finally arrived at a fruit shop and ordered two servings of chilled juice. Coincidentally, the shop owner was an Ice Attribute Dou Practitioner could freeze the juice directly into ice cubes without adding ice cubes made from water, thus avoiding affecting the taste of the juice.

Xiao Yan thought so, but the shopkeeper didn't do it that way. He took four plump oranges, peeled and juiced them, then added sugar and water, stirred it well, divided it into two paper cups, and then circulated a Dou Qi to form a layer of frost on the cup wall.

Xiao Yan twitched his lips, paid for the paper cup, downed it in one gulp, raised an eyebrow, and then handed the remaining glass of juice to Xun'er.

Xiao Xun Er's gaze swept across Xiao Yan's face. After staring at him for a while, she noticed that Xiao Yan's facial features were very soft and he did not forcefully suppress the twitching that he had when he was sour. Only then did she bring the paper cup to her lips and take a small sip.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Yan didn't cause any trouble this time. The juice was sweet and delicious, and when you lightly bite into the pulp, it was only slightly sour. The sweet and sour taste, combined with the icy cooling effect, had a unique flavor.

"It's so sweet!" Xiao Xun Er gave Xiao Yan an even sweeter smile, sipping her juice in small sips, her ladylike demeanor exceptionally charming.

The two strolled around the Marketplace for a while before returning to the Xiao Family. Xiao Yan was able to carry his heavy load and use the shopping as a form of cultivation, while Xun'er, under Xiao Yan's instructions, cultivated her Dou Qi, striving to break through to the Dou Zhe level as soon as possible.

Xun'er ultimately possesses extraordinary talent, and we can't selfishly delay her cultivation just because of a little affection.

Xiao Yan wandered aimlessly through the Marketplace. Over the past three years, he had explored every Xiao Family Market and knew the routes by heart. Even if he looked up at the sky, his feet would still guide Xiao Yan to the right path.

However, the situation is a bit different today. It seems that news from this morning has already spread: Xiao Yan, who has become a cripple, and the proud and beautiful Nalan Yanran have broken off their engagement. Such bombshell gossip always makes people particularly interested.

Therefore, when Xiao Yan passed by, the surrounding noise would be slightly louder...

Nalan Yanran's arrival did not affect Xiao Yan's life. He still ate, slept, and played with Xun'er every day. The only difference was that others had another reason to look down on Xiao Yan.

However, since those who care still care about him, Xiao Yan has no interest in what reasons those who don't care might use to spout nonsense.

However, to Xiao Yan's surprise, ten days after breaking off his engagement with Nalan Yanran, Nalan Jie, the pillar of the Nalan Family and a close friend of Xiao Yan's grandfather Xiao Lin Nalan Jie, came to sweep his grave.

Considering the time it took for Nalan Yanran to return to the Imperial Capital, this old man probably didn't take her back to Wutan City the moment she arrived back in the Imperial Capital.

It was still the same spacious hall, but this time there weren't as many people. Xiao Zhan Xiao Yan sat at the head of the table, Nalan Jie sat opposite them, and Nalan Yanran stood.

Nalan Jie was a tall old man with a head of white hair and a face that exuded an imposing presence. Even when sitting in a chair, he remained upright and his aura surpassed that of Xiao Zhan. However, there was a dark spot between his eyebrows, as if he had some health problems.

Not only Xiao Yan, Xiao Zhan was also quite surprised by Nalan Jie's visit, but he did not lose his manners and chatted with him politely.

Nalan Yanran stood to the side with her head down, just like ten days ago when Xiao Yan stood in front of everyone to break off their engagement. She bit her lower lip lightly, seemingly feeling very embarrassed.

Xiao Yan guessed that Nalan Jie was probably going to leave Nalan Yanran waiting for a long time, so he got up and poured tea for the two chattering people, standing aside without taking a seat again.

Nalan Jie admired Xiao Yan even more. He glanced at his granddaughter, who didn't know her place, and then looked at the obedient Xiao Yan. He couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh.

If the engagement hadn't been dissolved, even if Xiao Yan lost his talent, Nalan Jie wouldn't have minded letting him marry into the family. It would have been nice for him to stay by his side as a dutiful grandson. But since the engagement had been dissolved, Nalan Jie couldn't force Nalan Yanran to renew it.

After all, Nalan Yanran has a Dou Emperor Teacher, which Nalan Jie can't afford to offend. He has to think twice before scolding her.

Nalan Jie praised Xiao Yan to Xiao Zhan a couple more times, then said no more and went together to Xiao Lin's tombstone.

In front of Xiao Lin, Nalan Jie also promised Xiao Zhan that he would take care of the Xiao Family, and at the same time gave Xiao Zhan a Fourth Grade Pill, the Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill, which could enable Da Dou Shi to break through one star.

After doing all this, Nalan Jie seemed to have finally forgiven himself and left with Nalan Yanran.

Xiao Zhan escorted Xiao Yan out of the city, watching their departing figures from afar, and sighed with some emotion, "Old Master Nalan Jie is still a man of his word."

"Father, shall we buy the Marketplace of the Jia Lie Family?" Xiao Yan said indifferently.

Xiao Zhan's mind went blank for a moment, and he almost lost track of Xiao Yan's train of thought. It took him a while to react. He pressed down on Xiao Yan's shoulder and said solemnly, "Yan'er, although Grandpa Nalan Jie promised to take care of our Xiao Family, we cannot use his name at will. Otherwise, that little bit of friendship will be broken after only a couple of times."

"Why not use it? What's the difference between not valuing relationships and just talking nonsense?" Xiao Yan thought to himself, but his expression softened considerably. "Relationships always come to an end."

Xiao Zhan opened his mouth, but then he realized that since Nalan Yanran had already come to annul the engagement, she wouldn't care much about the Xiao Family anymore.

Moreover, Nalan Jie has grown old.

"Yan'er, I understand what you mean, but you can't underestimate the Jia Lie Family. Forcibly buying their Marketplace will create enmity. Since we've made an enemy, we should eliminate them completely, but our Xiao Family doesn't have that ability." After saying this, Xiao Zhan fell into thought, clearly considering how to destroy the Jia Lie Family.

Xiao Yan clicked his tongue in boredom. If the Xiao family could take over the Marketplace of the Jia Lie Family, the Xiao Family would be able to dominate Wutan City. The Xiao Family would have the final say on the Marketplace rules, and the money earned each year would increase by at least three to five times.

As for the vengeful Jia Lie Family, what would they dare to do before Nalan Jie died?

The Jialie family only has Jialieao who has a chance to break through to the Great Dou Master level, while the Xiao family has five geniuses: Xiao Ding, Xiao Li, Xiao Yu, Xiao Ning, and Xiao Mei. In ten years or so, when the younger generation of the Xiao family grows up, even if Nalan Jie dies, what can the Jialie family do?

It's a pity that my father was too bloodthirsty!

Xiao Yan shook his head, not trying to change his father's mindset, and continued to wander around the Xiao Family Market.

Nalan Jie's arrival did not have much impact on Xiao Yan's life.

Xiao Yan is currently in a very peaceful state of mind. The only people he cares about are Xiao Zhan, Xiao Ding Xiao Li Xiao Xun Er. He doesn't care at all about whether the Xiao Family can dominate Wutan City or not. Xiao Yan just feels that strengthening the Xiao Family will make his father very happy.

Another simple and boring day passed, but that night, Xiao Yan encountered a supernatural event—the ghost of an old man floated out from the Relic Ring left by his mother.

Xiao Yan stared expressionlessly at this thing that was beyond his comprehension, and for a moment he didn't know how to deal with it.

Fortunately, it seems there is no danger at present. Xiao Yan believes that his cultivation of the Three Stage Dou Qi is not enough to deal with ghosts. If this ghost is really too weak to directly attack a strong person with the Three Stage Dou Qi, then he should immediately ask for help. His father, a Da Dou Shi, should be able to easily deal with it.

The old man was also sizing up Xiao Yan, his eyes gleaming, lost in thought.

The two remained silent for a long time—the older man didn't speak, so Xiao Yan didn't speak either.

But since the old man had shown up, he certainly wasn't there to stare at Xiao Yan. So he broke the silence first and said, "I want to make a deal with you."

Xiao Yan remained expressionless, neither nodding nor shaking his head.

The old man didn't seem to mind and said to himself, "You can call me Old Yao."

"I will provide you with Di Tier Cultivation Methods and Combat Skills, guide you in alchemy, and leave you some pill formulas, which will at least ensure that you can dominate the Jia Ma Empire."

Old Yao paused, looked Xiao Yan over, and seeing that the boy was still acting like a wooden puppet, continued, "I need you to take me to the Central Continent to find a Dou Zun."

"If you refuse the deal, I am willing to provide some compensation for what you have experienced over the past three years."

Xiao Yan stopped keeping a straight face and began to think.

This Old Yao was the culprit behind the disappearance of his talent, and he mentioned Dou Zun right off the bat. If he wasn't bragging, he, a mere ant, was not worth his attention at all.

Even so, the Old Yao still confessed to what he had done and was even willing to give the little ant some compensation. This kind of thing just doesn't sound reliable.

There are two possibilities in this situation. One is that this Old Yao has an unimaginably high moral standard, and even though he knows Dou Zun, he still takes care of the feelings of someone with Three Stage Dou Qi. The other is that my mother may have some connection with this Old Yao, and there may be other hidden reasons for his absorption of Dou Qi.

Regardless of the possibility, Xiao Yan no longer needs to worry about his life.

"Teacher!" After much deliberation, Xiao Yan decided to seize the opportunity.

Just kidding. If hard work could bring rich rewards, why would so many people slack off?

The Old Yao neither denied nor agreed.

After observation, Old Yao could confirm that Xiao Yan was generally a good person—provided that he acknowledged him.

Gaining his approval will likely be difficult. It's easy to guess who was behind these past three years, and Xiao Yan won't believe any reason given. This kid might even pretend these past three years didn't exist, feigning ignorance while knowing the truth.

Of course, Old Yao didn't expect Xiao Yan to trust him directly and be willing to bow down and call him teacher. It wouldn't hurt to accept him as a disciple, at least... Xiao Yan wouldn't do anything out of line.

"Since you call me teacher, I will not treat you unfairly." Old Yao reached out and touched Xiao Yan's forehead, transmitting the Medicinal Herbs needed for the Foundation Building Spirit Liquid into his mind. "This is a Foundation Building Spirit Liquid that can be used even at the Dou Qi stage. The only side effect is that it is expensive."

After thinking for a moment, the Old Yao continued, "Whether or not to let others know is up to you, as long as you don't expose my existence."

After saying that, the Old Yao returned to the ring.

Xiao Yan reviewed the Medicinal Herbs in his mind and then went to sleep.

The next day, Xiao Yan asked his father for a thousand Gold Coins.

Xiao Zhan naturally had some questions about what Xiao Yan wanted so much money for, but Xiao Yan only said that he wanted to try to make money, so Xiao Zhan waved his hand and allocated the funds directly.

With the start-up capital given to him by his father, Xiao Yan began to browse and select items in the Marketplace.

In addition to solving the need for Medicinal Herbs for Foundation Building Spirit Liquid, Xiao Yan also bought a bunch of "junk".

The Dou Qi Continent has existed for an extremely long time, and many of its "old objects" have extraordinary origins, but they have become like waste under the erosion of time.

If you can successfully snag a bargain, it can be a considerable income.

However, the Marketplace does not restrict swindling and cheating methods, so finding a bargain is not an easy task.

Xiao Yan spent a day collecting junk, buying twenty-three pieces of trash. Only one was a solid weapon fragment, and another contained a record of Mysterious Grade Low Level Dou Skill, Absorbing Palm. The rest were genuine junk.

This Dou Technique is incredibly obscure, but it's still only Xuan Tier Low. It's easy to sell it for tens of thousands of Gold Coins, and with a bit of luck, it could even fetch over a hundred thousand. In this way, the cost of the Foundation Building Spirit Liquid can be directly solved.

Although his father nagged him a couple of times not to count on his luck, Xiao Yan ignored it and went to the Miter Auction House, where he luckily won over 110,000 Gold Coins.

In the blink of an eye, more than ten months have passed, and the day to predict one's strength before the Coming of Age Ceremony has arrived.

As Xiao Xun Er Xiao Yan successfully condensed her Dou Qi Vortex and broke through to the One Star Dou Zhe, drawing gasps of amazement from the crowd, who showered her with praise.

Xiao Yan has been cultivating day and night these past few days, and by sheer luck, he has broken through to the Seven Stage Dou Qi. This has brought a host of doubts, with some even suspecting that the testing stone is broken.

"Congratulations, Brother Xiao Yan! You've broken through from the Three Stage Dou Qi to the Seven Stage Dou Qi in less than a year. Your talent is even more terrifying than before!"

Xiao Xun Er moved closer to Xiao Yan, offering her congratulations, but a hint of resentment lingered on her delicate face, and her lips were pouting.

In the past, Xiao Yan could be with Xun'er even when he was carrying heavy loads, but during this period he has been cultivating his Dou Qi and has been nowhere to be seen all day, which has really neglected Xun'er.

Xiao Yan scratched his head and replied with an embarrassed smile, "Haha, I also want to become stronger so I can protect Xun'er..."