Are You Xiao Yan?

The little fellow before her seemed to be growing at a pace that caught her off guard. The boy's faintly warm breath brushed against her face, making Ya Fei's cheeks flush even deeper. She cast Xiao Yan a sidelong glance with her beautiful eyes, yet could not summon even the slightest anger.

"Every time I see you, you have to tease me, you little brat."

Looking into the boy's blazing yet not overly greedy, still clear eyes, Ya Fei forcibly suppressed the flutter in her heart.

She took a deep breath, only letting it out after a soft fullness pressed against Xiao Yan's chest.

"Tell me, you little lecher, what reward do you want? I can't give you anything too excessive."

"Heh, I, Xiao Yan, am not like those fools ruled by their lower halves, but I'm no perfect gentleman either."

Though Ya Fei's face was as beautiful and radiant as a peach blossom, Xiao Yan was far calmer than she was. He lightly patted his own cheek, then moved close to her before she could react.

"You!"

Seeing Xiao Yan being so bold, Ya Fei's beautiful eyes carried a trace of embarrassment and annoyance.

Yet when she recalled how much he had helped her recently, especially those clear, bright eyes of his, she somehow extended her rose-red, tender lips and lightly pecked Xiao Yan on the cheek.

"Hey, did you skip a meal or something?"

Just when she thought she had gotten away with it, she heard Xiao Yan's dissatisfied mutter.

"You little rascal. At your age, you should be learning proper things, yet you've already mastered those old perverts' tricks one after another."

Somehow, Ya Fei even forgot about Xiao Yan's strength just now. Indignantly, she reached out with her slender jade fingers and pinched his ear, rolling her eyes fiercely at him with her pretty face flushed red. This only made her even more alluring.

Xiao Yan was not angry at Ya Fei's treatment. He chuckled, removed her slender jade hand from his ear, and discreetly brushed his fingers across her palm before finally ending their playful exchange.

Xiao Yan walked over to the fallen burly man and slapped him across the face. Under Ya Fei's slightly astonished gaze, the man's entire body trembled. A moment later, he opened his eyes in pain and confusion.

However, when he saw the smiling young face before him, terror abruptly filled the burly man's expression. His body trembled slightly as he looked at Xiao Yan, and his voice shook even more.

"M-Milord, spare me! Spare me, Milord!"

He stared fearfully at the boy's gentle face, his heart filled with dread.

Others might have assumed that Xiao Yan had silently brought down a Dou Master through the means of some powerful expert behind him, but only this Dou Master, who had experienced it himself, knew what he had truly faced.

With just one glance from Xiao Yan, he had felt as though his soul had been pierced by a spear. That terrifying pain far surpassed the agony of any physical injury.

That was why the pain had made him faint on the spot.

He was nearly certain that the terrifying attack, capable of causing someone to black out from pain in an instant, had come from the boy before him, whose face still carried a trace of childishness.

For such a young, almost childlike boy to wield such a terrifying method was simply bizarre.

"I won't kill you."

Xiao Yan swept his gaze over the burly man's panicked face and lightly shook his head.

He was not some bloodthirsty person. If it was unnecessary, he truly preferred to settle matters in a gentler way.

Of course, that was only as long as the other party did not pose a threat to him or disgust him too much. Otherwise, Xiao Yan was no kindhearted man either.

In his previous life, he had risen from obscurity to the peak of the Dou Qi Continent and even the Great Thousand World. What had carried him there was naturally not a merciful heart.

It was an iron-blooded reputation forged through battle after battle, slaughter after slaughter.

"Take your master and leave. While you're at it, tell those idiots in the Mite'er Family that if they want to make enemies of a group of high-ranking Alchemists, they can boldly send people to Wu Tan City.

"And as for the business here in Wu Tan City, I only recognize Ya Fei. If they replace her, then there will be no need for cooperation."

Though Xiao Yan's second statement was calm and casual, it made both Ya Fei and the Dou Master burly man stiffen to varying degrees.

"Y-You are Xiao Yan, the Xiao Family genius of Wu Tan City?"

Looking at the boy's delicate, youthful face, the burly man finally understood exactly what kind of person Lei Le had offended.

Since the beginning of this year, Xiao Yan's reputation in Wu Tan City had long since spread beyond the city, circulating throughout the Jia Ma Empire before eventually reaching the Gama Imperial Capital.

Becoming a Dou Zhe at eleven had already brought Xiao Yan's name to the ears of many great families, causing countless people to marvel and anticipate the Jia Ma Empire producing another Dou Emperor.

But becoming an Alchemist at twelve had directly shaken the entire Jia Ma Empire. Even with the Jia Ma Empire's long history, it was still difficult to find a twelve-year-old Alchemist anywhere in its river of history.

Such talent had already far surpassed Pill King Gu He.

Furthermore, the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid had also caused quite a stir in the imperial capital some time ago. After all, within the Jia Ma Empire, medicinal pills capable of advancing cultivation during the Dou Qi stage were simply too rare.

And Xiao Yan's shadow stood behind it as well. Many people had even begun secretly speculating whether an Alchemist even stronger than Gu He stood behind Xiao Yan.

This very boy before them had not yet left Wu Tan City, yet his name had already silently spread throughout the entire Jia Ma Empire.

"Yes, Milord. I will definitely deliver your message!"

Unlike the Xiao Yan everyone had heard about, this Dou Master burly man had seen the real Xiao Yan with his own eyes. He had also personally witnessed his terrifying methods, and his awe for Xiao Yan had risen to an extremely frightening level.

As he spoke, he frantically grabbed Lei Le, who lay unconscious nearby, then pushed open the door in a miserable state and fled outside.

Watching the burly man's retreating back and Lei Le in his grasp, a trace of coldness flashed through Xiao Yan's eyes.

Someone like Lei Le was probably no cleaner than Liu Xi. If Xiao Yan did not wish to expose too many of his trump cards right now, and did not want to bring Ya Fei too much trouble, this fellow would likely have become a pile of ashes today.

But not getting rid of him now did not mean Xiao Yan would let him go. After all, people like this greatly disgusted Xiao Yan.

Once he brought Hai Bodong back in the future, there would be no need for Xiao Yan to deal with Lei Le personally.

Just as he was about to bid Ya Fei farewell, Xiao Yan turned around and found her beautiful eyes fixed tightly on him, as though some special light flickered within them.

"What are you looking at? Never seen a man as handsome as this young master?"

With a roguish smirk at the corner of his lips, Xiao Yan teased her, only to see Ya Fei purse her red lips, smile, and nod.

"I've realized that today, you really are quite handsome."