Son-in-law Xiao Yan?

Xiao Yan spread his hands, as if blurting it out casually. "Sigh, I never thought the so-called biggest market in Wutan City would actually pick and choose its customers. It's nothing like the Xiao Clan Market across the street. They never turn customers away. The customer is a Dou Wang."

Galio's expression changed drastically. If this news spread, their market's reputation would definitely suffer.

"Young Master, what do we do?"

Galio glanced at the surrounding customers and merchants. After hearing Xiao Yan's words, quite a few shop owners and customers were frowning tightly.

For merchants, of course they hoped for as many customers as possible. Since when was there any logic in driving customers away? Moreover, Xiao Yan was a big spender. As for the customers, they naturally did not want to one day be driven out for some reason while buying something.

After saying this, Xiao Yan ignored the ugly look on Galio's face and said to Xun Er beside him, "Xun Er, we should come less often to places like this that chase customers away. Let's go back to our market."

Xun Er's lively eyes blinked lightly, and like an obedient child, she nodded. "Oh, Xun Er understands."

Watching Xun Er nod and agree with Xiao Yan's words, and seeing the two of them even turn to leave, the corner of Galio's mouth twitched. His fists clenched until they cracked, and his gloomy gaze stared viciously at that genius youth.

"Wait!"

Galio slowly stepped aside and opened a path, saying through gritted teeth, "Since you want to buy things in the market, then please go ahead."

Xiao Yan and Xun Er exchanged a smile. Xun Er held Xiao Yan's arm and walked into the market through the passage in the crowd.

Galio stared at Xiao Yan's back with a ferocious expression, his knuckles cracking. When Xiao Yan was ten years old, Galio had teased Xun Er and been beaten badly by the ten-year-old Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan's reputation as a genius had also started then. In other words, he, Galio, was Xiao Yan's stepping stone.

Yet four years had passed, and Galio was only a One-Star Dou Zhe, while Xiao Yan was already a Three-Star Dou Zhe.

Almost one star a year. That speed was truly terrifying!

"Find someone to follow the two of them. Since they dared to come alone, there's an opportunity." Galio made a throat-slitting gesture.

With his powerful Soul Power, Xiao Yan naturally knew someone was tailing them.

"Three Seven-Star Dou Zhe. They're looking down on you too much, Xiao Yan Gege." Xun Er had also noticed someone following them, but she was not worried.

If Galio knew that Xiao Yan had defeated Nalan Yanran yesterday in a single move, despite her having learned the profound Skill and Combat Technique of the Misty Cloud Sect, then they absolutely would not have done something so stupid.

Forget Dou Zhe—Dou Shi who had not cultivated a Mystic Rank Dou Technique were no match for Xiao Yan.

"Xiao Yan Gege, you suddenly wanted to come here. It can't be as simple as buying things, right?" Xun Er's eyes held a clever light. She knew that Xiao Yan would not suddenly risk coming to a rival's market just to buy things.

Xiao Yan stroked Xun Er's fine hair and said, "Xun Er really is smart. I can't hide anything from you."

Receiving Xiao Yan's praise made a faint smile unconsciously appear on Xun Er's face.

"At the clan meeting a few days ago, the Great Elder mentioned something. Several Da Dou Shi elders from the Galio Clan and Oba Clan have often been leaving Wutan City, and no one knows what they're doing. So today, I came by to investigate while I was here," Xiao Yan replied in a lowered voice.

If someone else from the Xiao Clan had come, they might really have met a deadly end.

"Judging from how Xiao Yan Gege looks, you should have already investigated it clearly, right?"

Xiao Yan could only spread his hands helplessly and smile wryly. "Looks like I won't be able to fool Xun Er in the future. I do have a bit of a lead, but I still need to go back and discuss it with Father."

"Of course, right now we should deal with those few tagalongs first."

Xiao Yan slowly turned around and looked at the three Dou Zhe who had been following behind them. By now, Xiao Yan had already gone deep into the innermost part of the market. This place was still under construction and had not yet opened, so naturally there were very few people around.

"Are you going to get lost on your own, or do I help you?" Xiao Yan looked sharply at the three Seven-Star Dou Zhe behind him, making no attempt to hide his Killing Intent.

In general, the Dou Shi of a clan rarely stayed in their own market. The clan's Dou Shi were mainly responsible for protecting the Herb Gathering Team as it entered the mountains and wilderness to gather herbs, or even for leading teams to hunt Magical Beasts and obtain Magic Cores to sell.

The reason the three great clans built markets was precisely because they themselves were the largest suppliers of medicinal herbs and Magic Cores. Rather than selling to others, they might as well sell them themselves, and that was why clan markets existed.

As long as no Dou Shi appeared, with Xiao Yan's strength, he could walk all over the place.

The three Dou Zhe exchanged glances. The leading Dou Zhe gripped a Red Tassel Spear, suddenly stepped forward like an arrow, and used a Dou Technique. The Red Tassel Spear carried a gust of fierce wind as it stabbed straight toward Xiao Yan's throat.

Xiao Yan's expression was calm. He extended two fingers and pinched the spearhead. With a crack, he snapped it off, then flicked his fingers. The spearhead turned into a dart and instantly pierced through his opponent's shoulder, pinning him to the wall.

His right foot hooked up the broken spear on the ground. Gripping it like a long staff, he finished off the remaining two in two moves.

"You're even weaker than Nalan Yanran."

If Nalan Yanran heard this, she would definitely cough up blood. As the Heavenly Pride of the Misty Cloud Sect, she had actually become a unit of combat measurement?!!

Xiao Yan walked out of the market, patted Galio on the shoulder, and said, "Send someone stronger next time."

Those words made Galio's blood surge with anger, his eyes filling with bloodshot veins.

After Xiao Yan returned to the Xiao Clan, he told Xiao Zhan what he had investigated.

"You're saying they're preparing to refine pills and sell them?!"

Xiao Yan nodded. "This morning, I went to the Xiao Clan Market to take a look. Among all the merchants selling medicinal herbs in our market, the stock of low-level medicinal herbs was half of what it used to be."

"And the merchants selling medicinal herbs in their market no longer have any low-level medicinal herbs at all."

"Low-level medicinal herbs are generally used to refine second-grade and First-grade Pills. If it's First-grade Pills, that's still manageable, but if it's second-grade, then it'll be troublesome."

Hearing his son's analysis, Xiao Zhan's expression had already changed drastically. If the Galio Clan and Oba Clan really possessed the ability to refine pills, then in Wutan City, that would be a dimensional blow! The two clans joining forces really were not easy to deal with! Xiao Yan patted his father's shoulder and comforted him. "Father, you don't need to worry. A second-grade alchemist couldn't possibly obey the Galio Clan and Oba Clan so easily."

"And if there really is no other way, we can ask Old Master Nalan Jie for help."

"So our most urgent task right now is to have the Herb Gathering Team gather more herbs, reduce the sale of medicinal herbs, and prevent others from grabbing us by the throat just in case. As long as we have the raw materials in hand, we'll still have some say."

Xiao Zhan sighed and nodded. Although his father and Nalan Jie were friends who had been through Life and Death together, in truth, Xiao Zhan had never wanted to ask Nalan Jie for help. After all, the original agreement was that Xiao Yan would marry Nalan Yanran. If they asked Nalan Jie for help, wouldn't that make their Xiao Clan look like they were eating Soft Rice!

Wouldn't that make his son a son-in-law!?

As a father, how could he possibly let his son be saddled with the reputation of living off Soft Rice?

Xiao Yan arrived alone at a hidden cave in the Back Mountain, then took out a Pill Furnace, a large pile of low-grade medicinal herbs, and quite a few Magic Cores.

In truth, Xiao Yan had only been saying that to soothe Xiao Zhan. The person he liked was not Nalan Yanran, and he did not want to have too much involvement with the Nalan Family.

Only one's own strength was the real truth!

"Looks like I'll have to do more Alchemy lately. If they really manage to invite a second-grade alchemist, then it won't be enough if I can only refine First-grade Pills."