An Oath on Sugar Pills

"Then, Sister Xiao Yu, why are you crying?"

"Wuwu, I don't know."

Xiao Yu's image was completely ruined. At that moment, she was covered in tears and snot, with no regard for her appearance whatsoever.

Xiao Yu was just a little girl too. She had also suffered grievances, and the emotions she had bottled up over the past few days had finally erupted.

"Xiao Fan, you've been ignoring me lately. A few days ago, it was Sister Ya Fei, and today it's another little girl who's even cuter than me. Wuwu."

Perhaps Xiao Yu did not yet understand the feelings between men and women, but she knew that being with Xiao Fan made her happy. She would be sad if Xiao Fan left or was taken away by someone else.

"You even call her Xiao Yan'er. You've never called me that!"

"Wuwuwu..."

Xiao Fan was no fool. He could tell that Xiao Yu was jealous.

"Yu'er?"

"Mm." Xiao Yu's expression improved somewhat.

But when she saw Xiao Fan stop moving again, she started crying once more.

"Yu'er!"

"Say it again. You called her three times just now!"

Xiao Fan thought to himself that she had even remembered that. She really was jealous.

"Yu'er, stop crying."

Xiao Yu wiped the tears from her face and forced out a smile.

"Mm-hmm, Xiao Fan, I'm not crying anymore."

Xiao Yu took out a pink letter from her clothes and handed it to Xiao Fan.

"Hmm? This couldn't be..."

"This is a letter Sister Ya Fei asked me to give you. She couldn't wait for you, so she had me pass it on."

"Phew, I thought it was..."

"What was it?" Xiao Yu asked in return.

"N-Nothing."

Xiao Fan tucked the letter into his clothes. It still carried a faint warmth.

"Xiao Fan!"

"Hmm?"

"Have a safe journey!"

Xiao Yu knew that she would not be seeing Xiao Fan for a long time. Today was likely their last meeting.

Xiao Fan was slightly stunned. He had not expected Xiao Yu to be worried about him.

He nodded and said seriously, "Mm, I will. Xiao Yu... Yu'er, you should cultivate diligently too."

Xiao Yu immediately broke into a radiant smile. "Goodbye, Xiao Fan."

"Goodbye." Xiao Fan waved as he watched Xiao Yu leave.

"Hehe, Xiao Fan called me Yu'er four times. I won today."

"Little girls are so easy to coax."

Pushing open the door, Xiao Fan found a certain purple-haired Little Dragon Maiden sprawled in all directions, monopolizing her dog bed.

Looking at the carefree Zi Yan before him, Xiao Fan's heart was filled with boundless tenderness.

"Xiao Fan, smells good, hehe."

Xiao Fan had no idea what the defenseless Little Dragon Maiden was dreaming about, but her peaceful and tranquil expression did not seem fake.

"Xiao Fan, it's too much, too much, it won't fit!"

"..." Xiao Fan suddenly did not know what to say. It felt like she was saying something rather suggestive, yet he had no proof.

To be honest, he was rather curious about what this Little Dragon Maiden was dreaming of.

"If only I'd learned the Soul Clan's secret art for probing memories..."

Xiao Fan tucked Zi Yan's blanket around her and wiped away the drool at the corner of her mouth.

Watching the drool seep out again just after he had wiped it away, Xiao Fan frowned. "My blanket won't get soaked through with her drool, will it..."

Xiao Fan took out Ya Fei's letter. Though he had left it untouched for a while, it still carried Ya Fei's distinctive fragrance.

The contents were simple: "Stinky little brother, your sister will be waiting for you in the Imperial Capital."

"The Imperial Capital? I'll go."

Xiao Fan put away the Mite'er Family token enclosed in the letter along with the letter itself.

"Forget it, no more overthinking. Get the pot going, boil the water."

"Ahem, no, light the furnace and refine pills!"

Xiao Fan not only needed to refine more Sugar Pills for Zi Yan, but also prepare Qi Recovery Pills and Healing Pills for the journey ahead.

"Oh, and Detoxification Pills."

Fortunately, Xiao Fan possessed far more Dou Qi than an ordinary Dou Master, and he could refine multiple pills in a single batch. Such an enormous demand for pills was likely beyond the capabilities of most people.

Gurgle, gurgle...

Zi Yan woke in the middle of the night from hunger. Xiao Fan looked irritably at Zi Yan, who was squatting halfway down with her hands supporting her little head as she waited for the pills to come out of the furnace.

"Xiao Fan, are they ready yet?"

"Xiao Fan, how much longer?"

"Xiao Fan, can you even do this?"

"Xiao Fan, they should be ready, right..."

"Xiao Fan..."

Bang.

A Nine-Rank Golden Pill Alchemist had blown up his furnace while refining second-rank pills.

Xiao Fan choked on the smoke, his face covered in soot. He took a deep breath. "Don't get angry. If I hit her, it'll hurt me too. I can't hit her..."

Seeing that things were going badly, Zi Yan turned and ran.

Xiao Fan grabbed this mischievous purple-haired dragon girl and warned her, "You're not allowed to disturb me while I'm refining pills again!"

"Wuwuwu..." Zi Yan immediately put on an act, tears welling up in her eyes.

Xiao Fan's heart instantly softened. I raised this Little Dragon Maiden myself. This suffering was my own choice. I can't get angry.

"Fine, fine. Eat some Sugar Pills first. Some of the medicinal ingredients you gave me still can't be refined yet, so make do with these for now."

"Hehe." Zi Yan cradled the Sugar Pills and obediently ran to one side. Her two round, fair little legs swung back and forth, and she did not look guilty in the slightest.

"You heartless little thing," Xiao Fan complained.

Still, he was happy for Zi Yan to remain like this forever.

Zi Yan suddenly said, "Xiao Fan, the Sugar Pills you make are especially delicious."

"What, trying to freeload?"

"No way!"

"Hmph." Zi Yan puffed out her little cheeks and ignored Xiao Fan.

"Fine. If you like them, I'll make them for you for the rest of your life," Xiao Fan said casually.

"Really?"

Zi Yan suddenly leaped off the bed, startling Xiao Fan so badly that he nearly blew up the furnace again.

"Of course it's true. I wouldn't lie to you."

"You're lying..." Zi Yan muttered quietly.

"Hmm? What did you say?"

"Nothing... Then I'm going to cling to you."

"Xiao Fan, swear on Sugar Pills that you'll make Sugar Pills for me for the rest of your life!"

Xiao Fan happily raised four fingers. "I swear on Sugar Pills."

"I won't be able to afford you anymore..."

"Xiao Fan, then I'll keep you!"

"Tch. With the things you stole, I wouldn't even dare take them out."

"How is that stealing? It's called pilfering!"

"..."

"Xiao Fan, I'll leave Zi Yan in your care."

"Hey, old man, who are you looking down on?" Zi Yan immediately entered her furious twin-tailed battle dragon girl state, her twin ponytails rising with her anger.

"You heartless little thing. Xiao Fan, this old man will wait for you in Jia Nan Academy."

"Take care, Elder Su." Xiao Fan watched him leave.

Xiao Fan watched Jia Nan Academy's flock of Griffins fly away before taking Zi Yan by the hand and heading toward the Magical Beast Mountain Range. His first destination—Green Mountain Town!

He had already informed the Great Elder that he intended to leave. The Great Elder had repeatedly cautioned him, and only after endless persuasion had he allowed Xiao Fan to depart.

Before leaving, Zi Yan wrinkled her delicate little nose.

Noticing that something was wrong with Zi Yan, Xiao Fan asked, "What is it, Zi Yan?"

Zi Yan shook her head and answered carelessly, "Nothing. I smelled something disgusting."

"Then let's leave quickly." Xiao Fan quickened his pace. A new future, a new journey, the same people.

"People always regret things only at the very end."

"Why is she by Xiao Fan's side!"

Gu Xun'er watched the two of them leave hand in hand, her eyes filled with resentment...

"You won't get your way! You Ancient Void Dragon!"