Old Yao

As the door opened, a faint, elusive fragrance drifted toward him.

Xiao Yan paused, then walked into the guest room and skillfully shut the door behind him.

A bright candle flame soon lit up the room, dispelling the darkness within.

Under cover of the night, the slender figure silently put on a Bamboo Hat before the candlelight could illuminate the entire room, concealing her face.

"Although I guessed that you must have something urgent to come looking for me at this hour, why do you always like coming to see me in the middle of the night?"

Yao Wan could not help complaining, "If someone saw us, there would probably be all sorts of pointless gossip."

"Gossip?"

Xiao Yan froze. He had not expected Miss Wan to care about something like that... No, ordinary girls would care about it, wouldn't they?

The only question was, could Miss Wan really be considered an ordinary girl?

"Forget it. Let's not talk about that. Tell me why you came to see me."

"Mm."

Xiao Yan nodded, then called out, "Hey, old man, stop hiding."

"You little brat, I only absorbed your Dou Qi for a few years. Do you have to be so angry about it?"

Before Yao Wan's eyes, an elderly figure drifted out of the black ring on Xiao Yan's finger like mist.

She was not particularly surprised. If there was anything surprising, it was that Xiao Yan had discovered him so quickly.

After the old man appeared, grumbling and cursing, his gaze naturally fell upon Yao Wan.

"When I was bathing, this old man suddenly popped out. He even told me that he was behind the Dou Qi I'd lost over the past two years."

Perhaps because Miss Wan was there to back him up, Xiao Yan spoke with much more confidence.

"Hehe..."

Instead, the elderly figure smiled when he saw Yao Wan.

"What a fine young lady... Your talent is truly extraordinary."

"You flatter me, sir."

"Then Xiao Yan..."

Yao Wan turned her gaze back to Xiao Yan.

"This brat is far too stingy."

The old man snorted, then said, "Still, I do owe him a favor..."

"Are you planning to take him as your disciple, sir?"

Yao Wan asked.

"He is a decent seedling, after all. Of course, young lady, your talent is even better. But since you started halfway through, you may not be willing to submit to an old man like me."

The old man stroked his beard and smiled at Yao Wan.

"That is true. Everyone has their own way of living, and I have my own path as well. I won't go clinging to a higher branch."

Yao Wan gently shook her head. She saw things clearly. In the end, she might not possess Xiao Yan's talent or luck. So what if her starting point was a little higher? If she could not reach the Dou Emperor realm, it would all amount to nothing anyway.

Rather than trying to become a genius she might not be able to succeed as, she might as well place her bet from the beginning on someone who was already almost certain to make it.

As soon as she finished speaking, Yao Wan could not help looking at Xiao Yan.

"Xiao Yan is indeed more suitable than I am. I think it's quite good."

Xiao Yan was stunned. From Miss Wan's conversation with that old man, the other party seemed to be quite an impressive figure.

Yet Miss Wan seemed to have given him the chance to become his disciple...

"Hehe... Did you hear that? You little brat, did you really think I was freeloading at your side?"

The old man laughed. "If I had not seen that you were kind by nature and steadfast in heart, do you think just anyone could catch my eye?"

"Besides, what could you possibly be dissatisfied with about taking an alchemist as your master?"

"Alchemists aren't that impressive. Even without you, I still have Miss Wan..."

Xiao Yan was indeed tempted, but as he patted his sleeve, he could not help muttering under his breath.

"..."

The old man said nothing, but the other two present had undoubtedly heard Xiao Yan's muttering perfectly clearly.

Feeling the old man's gaze, Yao Wan's face beneath the Bamboo Hat became a little awkward.

"Don't expect me to help you too much. At most, I can refine a few Spiritual Medicines for you. I have no experience teaching others..."

Yao Wan could not help saying.

She was truly afraid that if this old grandfather in the ring was angered and simply left, they would really be in trouble.

"...Miss Wan wants me to take him as my master?"

Rather than answering directly, Xiao Yan raised his head and asked instinctively.

"My wishes have no necessary connection to your choice. This concerns your future, and I only hope you will not act on impulse."

Yao Wan sighed softly, embarrassed to make it too obvious.

Xiao Yan fell silent for a moment, then nodded gently before turning to the old man.

"Alright. I am willing to become your disciple."

He was not someone who liked to drag things out. Since he had already made up his mind, there was naturally no reason to delay any longer.

Before the old man, Xiao Yan performed the formal ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows, officially becoming his disciple.

"Good. My name is Old Yao. As for my origins, it would be better to tell you later so that you are not distracted."

Seeing that his newly acknowledged master had immediately become cryptic, Xiao Yan was no longer angry. Instead, he smiled and asked, "Teacher, then when will you make me an alchemist?"

"There is no rush to become an alchemist."

Yao Wan interjected from the side, saying, "Want to Become an Alchemist requires quite a few conditions. Xiao Yan should first reach the Dou Zhe realm as soon as possible."

"Dou Zhe?"

Out of trust in Miss Wan, Xiao Yan did not press further about becoming an alchemist, though he was still somewhat doubtful. Instead, he asked, "Then, Teacher, how long will it take for me to reach Dou Zhe?"

"With your talent, at not even fifteen years old, and with my help, you naturally need not worry."

Xiao Yan remained half-convinced by Old Yao's promise, which was no different from an empty assurance. Clearly, he did not trust him as much as he trusted Miss Wan.

Though he was somewhat wary of the old man hiding in the ring, no matter what, he had no other choice now.

Old Yao's first task for Xiao Yan was to buy herbs so that he could refine pills to help Xiao Yan improve his cultivation.

But while alchemy was an extremely profitable profession, it was also an extremely costly one.

The medicinal ingredients Old Yao required, along with the magic cores, could not be obtained without several thousand gold coins.

Xiao Yan had only a little over four hundred gold coins saved through thrift. If he had to solve this himself, even selling him would not fetch that much money.

Fortunately, although Xiao Yan himself had no money, the mysterious young alchemist beside him had plenty.

Or rather, the gold coins used as currency on the Dou Qi Continent were merely the least valuable things in Yao Wan's Storage Ring.

When Xiao Yan was stumped by Old Yao's demands, he instinctively looked toward Miss Wan beside him, who seemed to be listening quietly and had no intention of avoiding the matter.