Realm

Realm

After that night, the Xiao Clan had a rather unusual guest.

"Yan'er, what happened?"

Xiao Zhan, the current head of the Xiao Clan, asked.

"Father, a friend of mine has come to the Xiao Clan and wants to stay for a few days..."

Xiao Yan hesitated. After all, matters concerning Miss Wan were still somewhat sensitive.

If he said nothing, trouble might arise later. But if he revealed it rashly, with Miss Wan's status as an alchemist, there was no guarantee the Xiao Clan would not develop some small thoughts about her.

After thinking it over, Xiao Yan still felt it would be best to at least inform Father.

"Since she is Yan'er's friend, she is a friend of the Xiao Clan. It is only right that we treat her well."

Xiao Zhan nodded lightly and said.

"It's just that this friend of mine is not quite ordinary... she is an alchemist. Her identity may be somewhat special..."

"What? An alchemist?"

Xiao Zhan froze.

"...Yan'er, tell me the truth."

Xiao Zhan suddenly grew serious. He placed a large hand on Xiao Yan's shoulder and said, "Where did you meet this friend?"

Xiao Yan was startled, somewhat not expecting Father's current reaction.

"...Father?"

"People like alchemists are proud and arrogant... even Gu Ni, the second-grade alchemist in Wutan City, is someone Father knows, but he is not an easy person to get along with..."

Xiao Zhan said solemnly, "Father does not mean to doubt Yan'er. I just want to say one extra thing: one must never be without a guard against others."

"Ah..."

Xiao Yan froze, only then realizing that Father probably thought he had been fooled by some swindler putting on airs.

"Father, in your eyes, am I someone so easy to fool?"

Xiao Yan's tone carried a little helplessness and a sense of not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Father naturally does not mean that. It's just that when it comes to the ways of dealing with people and the world, Yan'er is still young and may not understand them so clearly."

Xiao Zhan said with slight embarrassment. He naturally trusted Xiao Yan. His youngest son had been exceptionally clever since childhood. He was only afraid that sometimes cleverness could be the thing that led one astray.

But seeing that Father clearly had no intention of believing him, Xiao Yan could only sigh helplessly.

He did want to take Father to meet Wan Guniang, but who knew whether Wan Guniang would be unhappy about it? Though judging from his intuition, Wan Guniang definitely was not that kind of person...

It seemed that now was not the time to let Father and Wan Guniang meet. At that thought, Xiao Yan could only drop the matter.

"If Yan'er has nothing else, Father will leave first."

Xiao Zhan said.

"Mm."

Xiao Yan nodded lightly. He had grown up, and naturally did not want Father to worry too much.

Although Xiao Zhan still had misgivings in his heart about the "friend" Xiao Yan had spoken of, on second thought, even if Yan'er did not yet understand the ways of dealing with people and the world, in the end he was no fool. Even if he was deceived, it could at least count as buying a lesson. A fall into a pit, a gain in wit. For a young man, that was not necessarily a bad thing.

After comforting himself inwardly, Xiao Zhan relaxed a little, quickened his pace, and left Xiao Yan's residence.

"Sigh..."

Xiao Yan could not help but sigh.

"What's wrong? Sighing like that, without the slightest bit of vigor."

Yao Wan's voice suddenly sounded behind Xiao Yan, startling him.

"Don't just pop out of nowhere all of a sudden... you scared me to death."

Xiao Yan instinctively clutched his chest and said weakly.

He was not putting on an act or joking. He had truly been frightened. In his senses, Yao Wan really seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, placing an enormous burden on his not particularly strong heart.

"Ah? Did I?"

Yao Wan was the one who froze instead. She had not meant to scare Xiao Yan at all. She had merely walked up slowly and said a sentence.

In the end, she had not expected Xiao Yan's reaction to be far greater than she had imagined.

"Of course you did—tsk, how did you manage to walk up behind me without making a sound?"

"Isn't it because your reactions are too sluggish?"

Yao Wan snorted, though she did realize what was going on.

Thinking about it, it was probably because Xiao Yan currently had only the cultivation of Dou Qi Stage 3. Wanting to detect the movements of a Dou Wang like her was still somewhat difficult.

"Could it be because of the gap in realm..."

Just as Yao Wan guessed more or less correctly in her heart, Xiao Yan also more or less realized this point.

Although he had some questions in his heart, Xiao Yan did not just open his mouth and ask directly the moment a thought occurred to him.

As for how to get along with a mysterious alchemist, perhaps even a young alchemist, to Xiao Yan, it was still a subject that was not so easy to figure out.

"There's no need to secretly mull over boring nonsense behind my back. If there's something you want to say, then say it. I hate roundabout ways of speaking."

But before Xiao Yan could react, Yao Wan gave a cold snort, seeing through that bit of small thoughts of his, and said.

"...But if I speak without restraint and offend you, wouldn't that likely give rise to more trouble?"

Xiao Yan was helpless. The initiative in their interactions was not in his hands, but in the hands of this mysterious Wan Guniang before him, who had worn a cloak and a bamboo hat from beginning to end.

On the Dou Qi Continent, the strong were respected, and the weak naturally could only be kneaded and squeezed however others pleased.

"What are you afraid of? Afraid that I'll get unhappy for a moment and slap you to death?"

Yao Wan's tone carried a teasing smile.

"...Mm, right, yes."

Knowing that random bluster probably would not fool her, Xiao Yan simply admitted it like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water. "That's exactly it. You're stronger than me, so naturally I can only obediently endure it—"

"Then you should put all your effort into cultivating, single-mindedly, and wait for the day you can surpass me."

But Yao Wan's answer once again left Xiao Yan somewhat stunned. This Wan Guniang... whether in speech or bearing, she truly was no ordinary woman.

Instead, this made Xiao Yan even more curious. This Wan Guniang—just what was her background?

"Forget it. Always putting on airs when speaking with others—aren't you tired?"

Yao Wan waved her hand, then said, "A meal and a night's lodging are both favors. I don't want to be an ingrate. Since you treat me as a friend, I naturally won't give you the cold shoulder. From now on, just treat me as an ordinary friend."

"You..."

"What? Are you unwilling?"

"That's not what I mean. It's just..."

Xiao Yan asked, "I am somewhat curious... about Wan Guniang's realm."

"...What of knowing my realm? Will it make you grow an extra piece of flesh?"

Yao Wan calmed down, only then speaking unhurriedly.