Young Master Xiao Han, are you married?

"Huff—I'm exhausted."

Intent on training his body movement technique, Xiao Han didn't bother using the Purple Cloud Wings to travel. After roughly three days of frantic running, he finally returned to Wutan City.

Along the way, Xiao Han noticed quite a few Mercenary Groups and traveling merchants heading in the same direction as him. Among them were some riding Magical Beast Mounts—clearly wealthy young masters of distinguished status—as well as a number of small to mid-sized forces from nearby cities.

Strange. What are all these people going to Wutan City for? Could it be that the medicinal pills I gave the Xiao Clan have started circulating? But that doesn't make sense. Those are all first-grade pills. Sure, they might attract some mercenaries and merchants, but what are those flashy rich kids and those faction leaders from other places doing in Wutan City?

When he reached the city gates of Wutan City, Xiao Han's eyes went wide.

The entrance was decked out with lanterns and banners. A large group of Xiao Clan members were greeting people from various forces who had come from all over, all smiles.

And those formidable experts, who could have easily looked down on the Xiao Clan Disciples like ants, weren't putting on airs at all. Instead, they chatted amiably with the Xiao Clan members welcoming them.

Behind these guests, weaker attendants were pulling carts loaded with congratulatory gifts. It seemed like some happy occasion had brought them here to offer their blessings.

Curious, Xiao Han strode straight toward the Wutan City gate.

But he wasn't prepared for the frenzy of the Xiao Clan Disciples that followed!

"It's Cousin Xiao Han! Cousin Xiao Han is back!"

"Ahhh! Cousin Xiao Han, I love you!"

A group of fervent young girls—they were always like this in the clan, so Xiao Han wasn't surprised.

"Cousin Xiao Han is so handsome! Truly a Dragon and Phoenix Posture!" a cluster of tall Xiao Clan women called out, cupping their faces.

"So this is the clan's genius Alchemist, Xiao Han? He really does have an impressive appearance." A vaguely unfamiliar old man stroked his beard, eyeing Xiao Han with admiration. Xiao Han didn't recognize him—probably someone sent to manage clan assets elsewhere.

What was going on? Someone like that had come back today of all days.

Faced with the enthusiasm of the Xiao Clan Disciples, Xiao Han raised his right hand, waved slightly, and nodded with a smile in response.

"It's the Young Patriarch! The Young Patriarch is back!"

"Young Patriarch, it's me, Pain! We just met not long ago! Hey, don't push!"

A crowd of Xiao Clan guards also surged forward to greet Xiao Han, eager to leave an impression on this promising young man.

"Young Patriarch, you're calling me?"

Xiao Han frowned. "When did this happen?"

"Uh, Young Patriarch, you don't know yet? Ten days ago, after Clan Head Xiao Zhan broke through to Dou Ling and came out of seclusion, he gathered the Xiao Clan members and announced that you would be the next clan patriarch."

Pain, who was somewhat acquainted with Xiao Han, squeezed out of the crowd and stepped up to him, flattering as he explained.

"What?! My uncle broke through to Dou Ling?"

Caught off guard by the news, Xiao Han's eyes nearly popped out.

"Yes, yes! Word is that your teacher, that Alchemist, refined a 'Spirit Breaking Pill' for the clan head, letting him step into the Dou Ling level!"

A guard beside Pain rushed to answer.

Hearing this, Xiao Han was left speechless.

He hadn't expected Xiao Zhan to be so impatient, gathering all the materials for the Spirit Breaking Pill in just a few days. Every single one of those ingredients was expensive, and for Xiao Zhan to get them all, he must have paid a hefty price!

Damn!

He didn't drain the clan's entire savings, did he?

Xiao Han thought it over, but it was entirely possible!

A first-grade pill could sell for at least a few hundred gold coins, while its cost was only a few dozen. That was at least a tenfold profit, and with Wutan City's traffic now several times higher, it would be enough to cover the clan's deficit.

Don't get it twisted—Xiao Yan in the original work chugged pills to recover like they were water, but that was because he was an Alchemist himself!

If someone who wasn't an Alchemist tried to recover with pills after every battle, even the richest wouldn't be able to afford the terrifying pill costs!

That's why Alchemists were so revered, or rather, held such high status. No other reason—the benefits from these various miraculous pills were just too enormous!

And what Xiao Han hadn't expected was that Xiao Zhan had directly used the fact that he was an Alchemist as a selling point. Though it would eventually become common knowledge, he was still in the clan right now!

Wouldn't this be a huge headache!

Just as Xiao Han was lost in thought, an old man in fine robes stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said cheerfully, "So you're the Xiao Clan's genius Alchemist, Young Master Xiao Han? Truly an impressive appearance!"

Interrupted, Xiao Han snapped out of his thoughts. He turned and cupped his hands in return, asking politely, "And you are, sir?"

"This old man is Fan Yunfei, City Lord of Xiyu City next door. I've come because I heard that Clan Head Xiao Zhan has advanced to Dou Ling and is hosting a feast. I received an invitation and came to offer my congratulations." The old man in fine robes smiled, pointing at the gifts behind him.

"So it's City Lord Fan! A pleasure to meet you!"

Xiao Han put on a hospitable face, but his mind was racing: This Fan Yunfei definitely has the solid strength of Late Stage Dou Ling. Logically, he doesn't need to be this polite to Xiao Zhan.

But judging by his demeanor, he seems to want something. And on the way here, I ran into many Dou Ling-level experts, all top-tier among their peers. They didn't have to show Xiao Zhan any respect, yet they all came with full courtesy. Why?

Just as Xiao Han was pondering, the old man's words made it all click.

"I heard that Clan Head Xiao is searching for some Heavenly Treasures that greatly benefit Soul Power for Young Master Xiao Han's teacher. As luck would have it, I recently obtained a Qing Shen Grass. Not only can it heal soul injuries—especially useful for Alchemists who damage their souls during alchemy mishaps—but it also strengthens the soul. I've brought it as a congratulatory gift."

"I see. I understand your intentions, City Lord Fan. I'll be sure to inform my teacher. If you ever need anything, this Xiao will do his utmost to help."

Xiao Han smiled faintly. So that's the game. It's not really about congratulating Xiao Zhan—it's about using this opportunity to get in good with a high-level Alchemist through him!

Still, the man came with good intentions, and his teacher really did need this item. So Xiao Han straightforwardly accepted the favor. After all, a treasure that could enhance Soul Power was the kind of thing a force like this would treat as a family heirloom.

Upon hearing Xiao Han's words, Fan Yunfei's face lit up with joy: "In that case, I thank Young Master Xiao Han."

"Young Master Xiao Han, I am—"

"So this is Young Master Xiao Han..."

"Young Master Xiao Han, do you recognize me..."

"Young Master Xiao Han..."

"Young—"

Seeing that Fan Yunfei had actually managed to connect with a high-grade Alchemist, the other guests' eyes turned red as they shoved him aside, crowding around Xiao Han to introduce themselves, chirping away until Xiao Han's head throbbed.

Unfortunately, soul treasures were far too rare. Among all the Dou Ling powerhouses now surrounding him, only that old geezer Fan Yunfei had one, reportedly discovered in a perilous place back in his hometown of the Tagor Desert.

Fan Yunfei, who had been about to lose his temper from being shoved aside, felt his mood lift considerably when he saw the group of people with nothing good to offer still trying to curry favor making fools of themselves. He stood to the side, stroking his beard with schadenfreude as he watched the spectacle.

But these people refused to give up. Since they couldn't forge a connection that way, they tried a different angle, attempting to use Xiao Han himself as a breakthrough.

"Young Master Xiao Han, with your outstanding looks, have you ever been married?"

"Uh, no, not yet."

After answering instinctively, Xiao Han noticed the looks in the eyes of those around him shift, and he realized he had said the wrong thing.

No idea who was heartless enough to shout that question, but the moment it was uttered, a group of shameless old-timers on the scene turned into Terminators, their eyes glowing red as they fixed Xiao Han with sinister smiles.

"Young Master Xiao Han, my granddaughter Qin'er is only seven years old, with an exquisite appearance—she's the perfect match for you!" A golden-haired old man led the charge, stepping forward to peddle his young girl.

Only seven? Do I really look that much like a lolicon?

Get lost! Lolicons deserve 4000+ slashes!

Xiao Han stood there dumbfounded, about to refuse, when the red-haired middle-aged man beside him started cursing.

"Get lost, get lost! Young Master Xiao Han, don't listen to this old fool's nonsense. My daughter Anbo is a rare beauty in Wind and Cloud City—she's the true match for you!"

"Bah! Old An, you shameless bastard! Your daughter is indeed beautiful, no lie, but she's already a woman over thirty and hasn't married out all these years. You're trying to dump her on Young Master Xiao Han—what's your intention?"

"On the other hand, my Lisa has long been a renowned cultivation prodigy far and wide. Her Lightning Attribute Dou Qi is exceptionally impressive—she's the right match!" A brown-haired middle-aged man beside the red-haired one didn't hesitate to expose the other's shortcomings.

"Heh, are you talking about that Lisa of yours, the daughter who spends all day holed up in her room tinkering with who knows what? Isn't she the famous weirdo around here? How do you have the nerve to bring her up?!"

"Alright, alright, stop arguing. I'm not targeting anyone—I'm saying everyone here is trash!

My 17-year-old daughter Keli is a famous beautiful girl for a hundred miles around. Her Fire Attribute Dou Qi is full of power, leaving nothing but scorched earth wherever she goes. Since Young Master Xiao Han is also fire-attributed, they should get along perfectly.

Though she's a bit older than Young Master Xiao Han, as the saying goes: 'A wife three years older brings gold bricks to the door.' My daughter happens to be three years older than Young Master Xiao Han—she's the perfect match!" A young woman who looked to be in her twenties smiled slightly, directly firing off a map-wide attack.

The crowd paused for a moment, then started bickering again in a cacophony of voices. Xiao Han couldn't take it anymore. With a loud shout, he steeled himself and charged into Wutan City, leaving behind a group of old guys staring at each other in bewilderment.