Wutan City

After discussing their partnership with Boss Yao the previous day, Xia Mo and Xiao Yi Xian left Qingshan Town, summoned Xiao Lan, and fed it the White Orchid Fruit.

Over the past year, Xia Mo and Xiao Yi Xian had given it many energy-rich medicinal herbs. Xia Mo had sensed some time ago that it was close to advancing, and with the addition of this White Orchid Fruit, it should advance soon.

After Xiao Lan swallowed the White Orchid Fruit, it turned and flew toward the Monster Mountain Range, presumably to find a place to advance. Xiao Yi Xian and Xia Mo then returned to Qingshan Town.

Three days later, outside Qingshan Town's Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion, Xia Mo and Xiao Yi Xian looked out over the town. Xia Mo did not feel much, but Xiao Yi Xian was somewhat saddened. After all, she was about to leave the place where she had lived for so many years. "Sister Xiao Yi Xian, we'll come back someday," Xia Mo said earnestly as he looked at her.

Xia Mo and Xiao Yi Xian had not planned to ride Xiao Lan to Wutan City. In this dog-eat-dog world, keeping a low profile was the way to go when one lacked strength. So, they hired a carriage and made their way there slowly. Xiao Lan had already become a Second-tier Magical Beast, so they had it follow nearby along the Monster Mountain Range. Wutan City was close to the mountain range anyway, and as a flying Magical Beast, Xiao Lan would not face much danger as long as it stayed on the outskirts.

More than a year and a half had passed since they first appeared in the little valley. Now, he and Xiao Yi Xian had embarked on a journey across the continent. The road ahead might be long, but Xia Mo knew that neither of them had any other choice.

Travel was always dull, but fortunately, they had each other for company. At that moment, Xia Mo sat in the carriage with his eyes closed, resting while he considered how to carry out his plans once they reached Wutan City. Old Yao must have awakened by now. Even if he was still asleep, he surely had some awareness of the outside world.

Xia Mo had to obtain the Pill of Poison Method, but he definitely could not simply seize it by force. Although Old Yao's strength was less than a tenth of what it once was, he was still not someone a mere Dou Zhe could compare to. And lurking in the shadows was a high-level Dou Emperor, as well as Gu Xun'er of the ancient Ancient Clan.

Storybooks were merely storybooks. Reality was unimaginably cruel. No matter how gifted someone was, cultivation had to be taken step by step; it was impossible to become invincible overnight. By the time Xia Mo had the strength to take it by force, Xiao Yi Xian's strength would likely be about the same as his. Besides, the Flame Mantra required one to abolish their cultivation and start over. Even if he was willing, did Xiao Yi Xian have the time to wait?

Xia Mo was not the kind of sinister person who killed others and stole their treasures at every turn. Besides, once his physique reached great completion, he could rival a Dou Di. Who knew whether the Dragon Phoenix even existed in the Great Thousand World? Moreover, although Xiao Yan had been a brat as a child, after his temperament had been tempered, he had become quite decent. After all, the Endless Fire Domain was under the Flame Emperor's command; myriad flames burned the heavens as he guarded the northern border of the Great Thousand World.

All he needed to do now was offer help in their time of need, and he would receive countless rewards in return. Why not? Over the next year and a half, he would interact more with Xiao Yan. If he could take Old Yao as his master, that would be even better.

After four dusty days on the road, Xia Mo and Xiao Yi Xian finally arrived outside their destination, Wutan City. After informing the coachman, the two got down from the carriage.

Looking at the city walls built from bluish stone and the crowds passing through the gates, Xia Mo immediately knew that Wutan City was countless times more prosperous than Qingshan Town. Xiao Yi Xian also looked curiously at the city before her, since she had never left Qingshan Town before.

"Sister Xiao Yi Xian, let's go into the city." Hearing Xia Mo's words, the two followed the crowd into Wutan City.

Wutan City was merely a small city within the Jia Ma Empire. Its strongest experts were only Da Dou Shi, while its economy was mainly controlled by the three great clans: the Xiao Clan, Jia Lie Clan, and Ao Ba Clan. There was a city lord and officials within the city, but as long as the three clans guaranteed the empire's interests and paid their taxes, the City Lord's Manor would not interfere in other matters.

Xia Mo and Xiao Yi Xian walked along the streets. Marketplaces lined the roadside, with small stalls set up in front of them, making the area look exceptionally lively. Before long, both Xia Mo and Xiao Yi Xian were holding candied hawthorns in their left hands and cotton candy in their right.

After wandering around for a while, Xia Mo and Xiao Yi Xian saw that the sky was gradually darkening and decided to find somewhere to stay first. They asked for directions to the Xiao Clan, then found an inn relatively close to it. Though they had bought some snacks, those could not serve as a proper meal, so they had the innkeeper bring them a table full of fine dishes and meat.

However, Xia Mo ate most of the food on the table, while Xiao Yi Xian merely sampled a little. Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, they asked the innkeeper for two adjoining rooms, just in case. Returning to his room, Xia Mo locked the door, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began that day's cultivation. The night passed silently.

The next day, Xia Mo and Xiao Yi Xian went to the Xiao Clan together. He had already discussed it with Xiao Yi Xian—they intended to enter the Xiao Clan as partners, since it was the most convenient method. Xiao Yi Xian naturally did not object to Xia Mo's decision. Though she did not know why he wanted to work with the Xiao Clan, she believed he had his reasons.

Upon arriving at the Xiao Clan's entrance, Xiao Yi Xian stepped forward and told the guards, "We have business with Clan Head Xiao. Please trouble yourselves to announce us." Although the guards saw that the two were young, their clothing was clearly extraordinary, so they went inside to report them. There was no incident of the guards looking down on them.

After waiting for a while, a guard came out. "The Clan Head invites you both." The two followed the guard into the Xiao Clan's main hall.

When Xia Mo and Xiao Yi Xian entered the hall, they saw that only four people were seated inside. These must be the Xiao Clan Head and the Three Great Elders, Xia Mo thought.

"Clan Head Xiao, please forgive us for coming uninvited. I am Xiao Yi Xian, and this is my younger brother, Xia Mo. We are both physicians, and we have a business proposition we would like to discuss with the Xiao Clan." Xia Mo had discussed this with Xiao Yi Xian beforehand. She would handle the negotiations, since he looked far too young at the moment.

"Oh? What kind of cooperation?" Xiao Zhan asked.

"We possess a secret formula for healing medicine. The medicine it produces is highly effective. Clan Head Xiao, have you heard of Blood Coagulating Paste?"

"Blood Coagulating Paste? I have heard of it, but I do not know much about it specifically."

"This ointment originated from a precious ancient alchemical formula. Because we only know the medicinal herbs and not the formula itself, and because I am not an Alchemist, I cannot produce high-purity healing medicine. But we found another way and created Blood Coagulating Paste. It retains roughly sixty to seventy percent of the original medicine's potency. Even so, it is enough to rival, or even surpass, some of the inferior healing medicines on the market." Xia Mo had taught Xiao Yi Xian to say all this.

Xiao Yi Xian took out a portion of Blood Coagulating Paste for them to examine and asked them to find someone to test it on. Before long, they brought in an injured person and applied the paste to his wound. Soon after, the wound began to scab over.

When Xiao Zhan and the others saw the effects of the Blood Coagulating Paste, their eyes lit up. "Xiao Yi Xian, how do you intend to cooperate?"

"You provide the medicinal herbs, and the two of us will be responsible for making it. Once both sides have established trust, we can teach you how to produce it yourselves," Xiao Yi Xian said.

"And how will the profits be divided?"

"We divide by profit. In the beginning, we take sixty percent and you take forty percent. Later, we can split it equally." Xia Mo and Xiao Yi Xian had discussed this already. For the sake of convenience, they did not mind giving the Xiao Clan a little incentive.

Hearing this, Xiao Zhan and the others thought they had misheard. Usually, when working with Alchemists, the Alchemist took the lion's share. Although Blood Coagulating Paste was not a pill, it could be considered one in a sense—a pill filled with impurities.

"Agreed, agreed," Xiao Zhan quickly replied.

"Then, may our cooperation be pleasant, Clan Head Xiao. My brother and I have only just arrived in Wutan City and have yet to find a place to stay, so we shall take our leave for now."

"Wait. Lodging is no problem. Third Elder, take Xiao Yi Xian and her brother to find a quiet courtyard within the Xiao Clan for them to live in. Please do not find it too humble," Xiao Zhan said hurriedly when he saw that Xiao Yi Xian and Xia Mo were about to leave.

"Then we will accept. Thank you, Clan Head Xiao. Once we are settled, we can begin making the Blood Coagulating Paste."

The Third Elder led the two away and asked whether they had any requirements. They told him that they only needed somewhere quiet. After arranging them in a relatively secluded courtyard toward the rear of the Xiao Clan, the Third Elder left.

"Whew, it's finally over." Xiao Yi Xian let out a breath. For her, such an occasion had been quite stressful.

"Yes, we'll settle down in the Xiao Clan for now. The two of us can cultivate here in peace until we find an opportunity to join Jia Nan Academy," Xia Mo said.

The two sat in the courtyard and spoke quietly.

PS: Other than Guni of the Mittel Clan, none of the three great clans in Wutan City originally had any other Alchemists, so physicians were considered fairly respectable in Wutan City.