Empty City Stratagem

"Who cares who he is! He's alone anyway! We'll just charge up and hack him to death!"

Another Dou Shi said.

"Bullshit! If a man had nothing to rely on, how could he possibly stand openly in our way?"

Ha Mu cut off his brainless suggestion at once.

Thinking back to how countless powerful experts always gathered around alchemists, Ha Mu naturally interpreted the slender figure at the end of his vision as a powerful expert protecting the alchemist.

"Not good. That alchemist brought a powerful guardian. Retreat!"

Ha Mu chose to flee without even thinking.

"Boss, this—"

The Dou Shi behind him exchanged glances, then could only sigh and hurriedly withdraw.

Only after watching that Da Dou Shi lead his men away did Xiao Yan finally let out a breath.

"Phew, they finally left. I thought he'd see through it."

Although all he had needed to do was stand still and say nothing, facing multiple enemies whose cultivation realms far surpassed his own had indeed put no small amount of pressure on Xiao Yan.

"Oh? You actually scared them off just like that?"

A cloud of mist appeared beside Xiao Yan and gathered into Yao Lao's body. Seeing that Xiao Yan had successfully frightened off the group led by that Da Dou Shi simply by standing there unmoving, he could not help feeling somewhat surprised.

"Little one, you're rather interesting."

Yao Lao looked at Xiao Yan, who had finally relaxed, and smiled.

"It was just a petty trick. I just didn't expect it to work so well."

Xiao Yan gave a wry smile and shook his head. Fortunately, the other side was only a Da Dou Shi. If their cultivation had been a little higher, if they had been a Dou Ling or a Dou Wang and could have noticed the trick on his side, he probably would have been exposed.

Yao Lao said, "Though it can't compare to having strength of your own, I have to admit, that move of yours was quite clever."

"It's called the Empty City Stratagem... Anyway, teacher only needs to understand it as a kind of suspicious-troops tactic."

"Empty city... That does fit what you did."

Yao Lao nodded in satisfaction. A sharp mind and good plans in one's belly. Not bad. Though cultivation was equally important, a person could not be too stupid either, or else they would be sold off without even knowing what had happened.

"After all, I'm still just a tiny Dou Zhe right now. The other side had a whole crowd of Dou Zhe alone. If I really ran into them head-on, I wouldn't even know how I died."

Xiao Yan shook his head. Even he knew that while this method seemed clever, it was far too risky.

Sure enough, that old man's strategy really wasn't something just anyone could use...

After sighing inwardly, Xiao Yan turned around and looked toward the place where Wan Guniang was refining medicine.

"Teacher, how much longer does Wan Guniang need before she finishes refining it?"

"At her speed, I imagine it should be soon."

"...How long is soon?... Ow!"

Who knew that as soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yan took a hit from Yao Lao on the head.

"Brat, where did all these questions come from? Just wait patiently."

Yao Lao shot Xiao Yan an annoyed look and said, "Do you think refining medicine is something quick? Let me tell you, in the future, never mind refining medicine for one or two days; spending one or two months, even one or two years, refining a single cauldron of pills is all perfectly common. You'd better get used to it early."

"Ah..."

Xiao Yan sighed.

"Mm. Since the people have already been driven off, don't sit idle either. Keep training these next few days."

However, dejection only lasted for a moment in the end. Xiao Yan immediately pulled himself together again, then nodded and said, "I understand, teacher."

"Mm."

Yao Lao nodded. Leaving aside how he usually bickered with this brat, Xiao Yan was undoubtedly the kind of person who could withstand his torment. Though he inevitably complained a little, no matter what kind of training it was, Xiao Yan could still complete it satisfactorily in the end.

Over the next three days, Xiao Yan indeed did exactly that.

He continued his usual routine of cultivating his method and Dou Qi. When he grew tired, he sat down to cultivate, replenished his Dou Qi, and observed Yao Wan refining medicine.

Gazing at the beautiful figure before him, motionless like a statue, Xiao Yan asked out of boredom, "Teacher, when do you think I'll be able to refine medicine like Wan Guniang?"

"...You've only just learned to walk, and now you want to run?"

Yao Lao said, "This girl's Soul Power is extremely powerful and abundant. It's simply not something you can compare to."

"To put it seriously, if nothing unexpected happens, when you reach my realm, your Soul Power will be more or less the same as that girl's."

"Huh? Is that so?"

Xiao Yan was startled. "But I remember Wan Guniang seems to only be a Dou Wang right now?"

"Her talent is extraordinary. That's not something we can learn."

Yao Lao explained, "Based on my guess, I'm afraid this girl was born with such powerful Soul Power... born in the heavenly realm... With this kind of talent, even in a vast clan like theirs, she's probably as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns."

"When I first observed the people around you, I thought that little girl was already troublesome enough. Who would have thought another one like her would come along..."

"Little one, the road ahead of you is long and heavy..."

Yao Lao suddenly said with sincere gravity.

"Long and heavy? What do you mean, long and heavy?"

Xiao Yan's expression instantly turned strange. "I say, you shameless old man with no dignity as an elder, what are you thinking about all day... Ow!"

"Cultivate!"

Yao Lao's face immediately stiffened as he said.

"Hmph... Cultivate it is..."

Three days later, along with a surge of light, a streak of light shot out from the simple bronze square cauldron, then split apart in midair, becoming more than a dozen even smaller rays.

Yao Wan merely beckoned lightly, then took out a jade bottle. Those dozen or so streaks of light obediently flew into Yao Wan's jade bottle.

"The pill is complete."

Murmuring subconsciously, Yao Wan's face revealed a faint smile.

"It's done? That's actually a little faster than the time I guessed."

Yao Lao walked over together with Xiao Yan, though Yao Lao could probably only float in the air now.

Yao Wan then tossed the jade bottle to Xiao Yan, indicating for him to look for himself.

After catching the jade bottle, Xiao Yan did as told, then poured out from the half-fist-sized jade bottle a pill about the size of a pinky fingernail, green as jadeite.

In his palm, merely smelling the Pill Fragrance released by the pill made one feel refreshed and clear-headed. The fatigue that had unknowingly accumulated over the course of the day also vanished along with it.

Yao Lao picked up that pill from Xiao Yan's palm, observed it briefly for a moment, and could not help asking, "Girl, I have never seen this pill before. Could it be..."

"Naturally. This is a Pill Formula I configured myself."

Yao Wan spoke, though she did not show too much pride.