"I wonder which of those three system pills I'll be rewarded with."
On the way, Xiao Lang thought expectantly. After all, system pills weren't something money could buy; they could only be obtained by completing system choices.
For example, the highly effective Ten Complete Great Tonic Pill was system-produced. Its effects were top-notch.
If Xiao Yan hadn't been an alchemist, then after absorbing so many Heavenly Flames, he'd definitely have ended up infertile.
He must have secretly taken medicine!
That was getting off topic...
Back to the point.
"If I get a Dou Saint Pill, Dou Venerate Pill, or Dou Emperor Pill, then I'll be invincible."
Xiao Lang couldn't help but think happily. Once he obtained those pills, he'd have trump cards that would let him go out and have some fun.
Xiao Lang, Xiao Lang—if he didn't go out and have some fun, how could he live up to his name?
"Creak."
Before Xiao Lang could knock, Xiao Yan's door was pushed open from the inside, nearly hitting Xiao Lang in the nose.
"Ah? Third Brother, sorry. I was just thinking of coming to find you. I didn't expect you to be up already..."
Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Lang with surprise. But thinking of his Third Brother's show-off personality, he was surely planning to go out and show off again because his strength had risen dramatically.
He'd been like this eight years ago.
He'd even called it, "Having strength but not showing it off is like walking at night in fine clothes."
That sentence itself was pretty showy.
Still, he liked the feeling of showing off alongside Third Brother.
Because he was rather... as Third Brother put it, secretly flamboyant.
"Just so happens I have something to discuss with you too. You go first."
Xiao Lang was somewhat curious. What did Xiao Yan want with him?
Could it be that Old Yao had started absorbing his Dou Qi last night?
Seeing Xiao Yan glance around with a secretive look, Xiao Lang grew even more curious. He couldn't help saying, "Let's talk in my little courtyard. There's no one there."
"Alright."
Xiao Yan also felt that his Third Brother's courtyard was quite peaceful, with no one to disturb them.
Even if his father wanted to go there, he had to send word first.
In the entire Xiao family, only Xiao Xun'er didn't need to announce herself.
She had that special privilege.
Later, though, after his Third Brother had "borrowed" a massive sum of one hundred thousand gold coins from everyone in the Xiao family combined, and their father had repaid it, he too gained the right to freely enter Third Brother's courtyard.
He'd even heard that Xiao Xun'er had wanted to pay Third Brother's debt for him!
At the time, he'd been incredibly jealous. If he'd acted sooner and gotten ahead of Third Brother, would Xun'er, that little rich girl, have been his instead?
But when he saw Xiao Lang use all one hundred thousand gold coins to buy cultivation resources for him, Xiao Yan immediately slapped himself.
He'd actually thought of stealing Third Brother's woman before. He was worse than a beast!
From then on, Xiao Yan swore that as long as it was a woman his Third Brother liked, he would never develop even the slightest feelings for her!
Later, he'd heard that Xiao Xun'er had been stopped by Third Brother, who'd said that a man couldn't use his woman's money.
That one sentence had left Xiao Xun'er speechless. Xiao Yan had admired him immensely at the time.
"Come on. Half the chicken soup I made yesterday is still left. Third Brother will cook chicken soup noodles for you."
Xiao Lang had once wanted to cling to Xiao Yan's coattails, but as he watched Xiao Yan grow up step by step, his responsibility as an older brother grew heavier and heavier.
Before, it had mostly been selfish motives. Now, it was mostly familial affection.
Even raising a dog for ten years would create deep feelings, much less raising a person.
"Third Brother, honestly, even dogs wouldn't drink the soup you make."
When Xiao Yan thought of the first time his Third Brother had called him over for chicken soup, that taste, that sour rush—it had been even more intense than eating old jar pickled vegetables stepped on by someone's feet.
It was also from that moment on that he never wanted to enter Third Brother's courtyard again, afraid he'd be caught and forced to drink soup.
"Holy shit! It smells amazing!"
When he ate the chicken soup made by Third Brother again after ten years, Xiao Yan was immediately slapped in the face by the universal law of "it smells amazing."
Especially after he finished eating, a warm current flowed through all four limbs and eight meridians before finally gathering in his two kidneys. He felt as though his kidneys had sprouted wings and could soar freely through the sky.
At once, he realized that this soup was a man's greatest treasure!
Though he didn't need it for now, once he came of age, whoever got the final say in the household would have to depend on this stuff.
"Eat slowly. No one's competing with you. There's still a whole pot left! Besides, you haven't finished developing yet. If you overdo the supplements, you'll easily get a nosebleed."
Watching Xiao Yan bury his head and eat, Xiao Lang felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment.
Who knew that when Xiao Yan raised his head, utterly unaware that blood was streaming from his nose, he would say, "Third Brother, I never expected that after ten years, your cooking skills would have improved this much! I'll come freeload meals from you from now on."
"Three bowls are enough. Look, your nose is already bleeding. You've obviously overdone the supplements, so be careful it doesn't backfire." Seeing that Xiao Yan still wanted another billion bowls, Xiao Lang couldn't help stopping him.
"You two little brats are secretly eating good food behind your old man's back, and you've even forgotten that today's the day to choose a cultivation method at the Dou Qi Pavilion. You're simply showing no respect for your father!"
Just then, Xiao Zhan came over, grumbling and cursing.
Three minutes later.
"Lang'er, this is where you were in the wrong. Why didn't you call your father sooner when you had something this good to eat?"
After eating another bowl, Xiao Zhan's face glowed red as he said excitedly, "If you'd called your father sooner, then maybe those one hundred thousand gold coins... You'd only need to repay ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety gold coins. After all, an old hen costs ten gold coins, which is already ten times the market price."
"..."
Hearing Xiao Zhan's outrageous words, Xiao Lang was left speechless on the spot. He really was his biological father.
He didn't know why, but Xiao Zhan, who was usually calm and steady, displayed every one of his bad habits in front of him.
Xiao Lang had even suspected that the man was a transmigrator too.
But after that poem didn't match up, Xiao Lang was relieved.
A gentleman who didn't know that poem had read all the sages' books in vain.
"Have you two eaten and drunk your fill?"
Watching each of them down three bowls of Ten Complete Great Tonic Pill chicken soup noodles, Xiao Lang revealed a harmless smile, looking like a sunny young man.
"Third Brother, don't smile like that... I'm scared!"
Seeing Xiao Lang's smile, Xiao Yan immediately backed away a few steps, feeling as though his kidneys were about to get snatched.
"Son, let's talk business if there's something to say. That smile doesn't suit your character."
Xiao Zhan was a little guilty too. Having raised his son for so many years, he naturally knew what that smile meant.
"..."
Xiao Lang's mouth twitched. Confused, he took out a mirror and looked at himself, then nodded in satisfaction.
"Look at how handsome and dashing I am, charming and elegant, as refined as jade, exceptional in appearance..."
"Stop! Stop praising yourself. Name your price, we'll buy these chicken soup noodles!"
Seeing Xiao Lang go on for ten minutes without any intention of stopping, Xiao Zhan knew he was definitely going to have to pay.
Since he had to pay anyway, he might as well end the torment sooner.
"As expected, Father understands me."
Xiao Lang grinned, put away the mirror, and said:
"These aren't ordinary chicken soup noodles. This is Wang Wei... Cough, these are Ten Complete Great Tonic Pill chicken soup noodles."
Before you continue