"What did that matter?"
Facing Xun'er's question, Zhang Yuan's smile remained unchanged as he explained, "I often hear people talk about borrowing a tiger's hide to raise a banner—using some lofty name to intimidate, deceive, and bully others. Since Brother Yan truly has an Alchemist master, why should our Xiao Clan hide it?"
"Although that person will not openly support the Xiao Clan before Brother Yan becomes a Second-grade Alchemist, what harm is there in letting outsiders know he exists?"
They were merely invoking a nonexistent Fourth-grade Alchemist. It would not attract too much attention.
And would those who did pay attention dare risk offending a Fourth-grade Alchemist just to test whether it was true?
Zhang Yuan turned to Xiao Yan and said, "In order to refine Foundation Building Spirit Liquid, as well as all the pills you will need to practice with in the future, our Xiao Clan needs to regularly purchase certain medicinal ingredients. Some pills will also be sold for profit."
"In the early stages, we may be able to hide this from the Jia Lie Clan and the Ao Ba Clan, but it will be difficult to hide from the Mittel Auction House. We might as well propose cooperation directly."
"I originally intended to delay for a while and let the Mittel Auction House come begging for cooperation themselves. Ideally, after you became a First-grade Alchemist, the story about you taking a master would be more convincing. Then Uncle could discuss cooperation with Ya Fei. We are merely moving the plan forward now."
"From now on, you need to cultivate even harder and strive to become an Alchemist sooner."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded solemnly. He finally understood why Yao Chen had said Zhang Yuan was cunning enough to be almost demonic.
Zhang Yuan's initial plan had been to simply buy two Fourth-tier Wind Elemental Cores with money.
If there were any obstacles, he would use Mu Zhan's matter to lightly threaten Mittel Ya Fei.
If things could end at that stage, Zhang Yuan would not rush to raise the matter of cooperation. Instead, he would wait until the Mittel Auction House discovered the Xiao Clan's Foundation Building Spirit Liquid, or until Xiao Yan became an Alchemist, before discussing cooperation. That would allow them to seize as much initiative as possible.
But if Ya Fei refused to be threatened, they would lay their cards on the table early and discuss cooperation. They would also use the insights of a Third-grade Alchemist that Old Yao had written to win over Master Gu Ni, making Ya Fei believe a little more in their claim that the Xiao Clan had the backing of a Fourth-grade Alchemist.
In Zhang Yuan's plan, the Fourth-tier Wind Elemental Cores were actually the most basic matter.
Xiao Yan even felt that Zhang Yuan had further plans. If Ya Fei refused to cooperate or tried to seize the initiative in their partnership, she might help count the money after being sold.
"Brother Zhang Yuan, Xun'er thinks you did not need to make things so complicated when dealing with Ya Fei," Xun'er suddenly said.
"How so?" Zhang Yuan looked at the girl with a gentle smile.
"A honey trap?" Xiao Yan guessed from the side.
Bang!
Zhang Yuan gave Xiao Yan a heavy punch on the head.
"Give you three days without a beating and you'll start tearing down the roof." Zhang Yuan rubbed his fist.
Xiao Yan hissed and clutched his head. "Cousin, you'd better stay stronger than me forever, otherwise—"
"Otherwise what?" Zhang Yuan raised his fist.
"Otherwise you won't be able to protect me. I'll have to protect you instead," Xiao Yan said obediently.
Zhang Yuan gave a derisive snort. "Never mind me. You should first work hard to become stronger than Xun'er."
Before becoming a Dou Saint, Xiao Yan's cultivation had always lagged behind Xun'er's.
Now that Zhang Yuan was here, he might never surpass her in his lifetime.
"Will there be a reward if I surpass her?" Xiao Yan's heart stirred.
Many people had given him things since childhood, but the gifts that suited him best had always come from Zhang Yuan.
"Yes. When you surpass Xun'er, come ask me for it. I guarantee you'll be satisfied," Zhang Yuan said with a smile.
"Then if Xun'er is never surpassed, can she receive a reward too?" Xun'er suddenly asked.
"She can." Zhang Yuan nodded. "Let's set the first goal at Dou Emperor. After that, you can compete at every realm. Whoever reaches it first wins, and I'll prepare a surprise gift for each of you."
"Alright!" Xiao Yan and Xun'er looked at each other, their gazes brimming with competitive spirit.
Zhang Yuan's gift had to belong to him or her.
Neither of them believed they would be unable to break through to Dou Zun in the future. One was the disciple of the continent's greatest Alchemist and a Peak Dou Zun, while the other was a young lady of the Emperor Clan.
Xun'er quickly withdrew her gaze and said, "Brother Zhang Yuan, when I said there was no need to make things complicated, I meant that you only needed to reveal your talent and strength for Miss Ya Fei to agree to cooperate."
Zhang Yuan revealed an expression of knowing it all along. "Xun'er thinks I did not do that?"
Upon hearing this, Xun'er and Xiao Yan suddenly recalled the contest of speed between Zhang Yuan and Master Gu Ni.
So he had already been adding weight to the scales back then!
"Xun'er was being presumptuous." A trace of grievance surfaced in Xun'er's eyes.
"I did not mean that." Zhang Yuan shook his head. "It is simply because of Mu Zhan that I know rather a lot about Ya Fei. I know how to prescribe the right medicine for her ailment."
"Prescribe the right medicine?" Xun'er composed herself, then suddenly smiled and asked, "Brother Zhang Yuan, why have you stopped calling her Sister Ya Fei?"
Zhang Yuan's lips twitched slightly as he explained softly, "Xun'er, Ya Fei and I have no relationship. That form of address was merely using her own methods against her."
"Heh heh." Xiao Yan wore a meaningful smile.
There might be nothing between them now, but that did not mean there would be nothing in the future.
However, sensing Zhang Yuan's gaze, his rationality kept him from saying anything reckless.
"Then what about Xiao Yi Xian?" Xun'er caught Zhang Yuan completely off guard.
"Ahahaha!" Zhang Yuan did not dare answer that directly. He hooked an arm around Xiao Yan's shoulders and stiffly changed the subject. "Brother Yan, isn't this our Xiao Clan's marketplace?"
"That's right, it is—" Xiao Yan immediately played along, though he silently remembered the name Xiao Yi Xian.
If nothing unexpected happened, this Xiao Yi Xian was definitely a romantic debt his cousin had left behind outside.
Sigh, his cousin was good in every way, except he attracted women too easily and was not very good at refusing them.
"Eh, isn't this Miss Xun'er? I didn't expect to run into you just while strolling around. What a coincidence."
As the three chatted idly, a clear laugh suddenly came from ahead.
Following the sound, they saw a richly dressed young man standing before a street stall, surrounded by many people.
He appeared to be around twenty years old. Though far inferior to Zhang Yuan in appearance, he was still fairly handsome. His skin had an unhealthy pallor, and he was currently staring at Xun'er with burning eyes filled with intense desire.
"A coincidence?" Xun'er's smile faded as she said blandly, "Galen, running into you only makes me feel unlucky."
"Don't say that." The young man stepped forward and smiled. "Xun'er remembers my name. Wutan City is so large, and chance encounters while shopping are not easy. Speaking of which, I recently acquired a rather nice necklace. If Miss Xun'er likes it, I'll give it to you. How about it?"
The young man took out a necklace inlaid with a Magic Core.
Xun'er frowned and said nothing.
"A beauty brings disaster," Xiao Yan sighed.
Zhang Yuan glanced at him without speaking, then suddenly turned into an afterimage.
The next instant, Zhang Yuan appeared before Galen and threw a punch.
Boom!
A thunderous roar erupted as silver-purple lightning flashed, making many people instinctively shut their eyes.
Only Galen widened his eyes. He felt time around him slowing down, watching the fist grow larger while being unable to do anything.
Just as he cried out inwardly that things were bad, a figure appeared behind him. Dou Qi Gauze covered the figure's body as he threw out a punch as well.
Bang!
The two fists collided, and the figure behind Galen was sent flying backward. After flying more than a dozen yards, he crashed into a wall and was buried in rubble and dust.
The Dou Qi on Zhang Yuan's fist dissipated, but the force of his punch did not weaken. It struck Galen directly in the stomach.
Pfft!
Galen spat out a mouthful of blood and dropped to his knees.
"I—"
Galen raised his head, intending to say something, but the moment he clearly saw Zhang Yuan's face, his pupils abruptly shrank.
"It seems you still remember me." Zhang Yuan looked down at Galen and said flatly, "Two years ago, I saw you harassing Xiao Yu. I warned you then not to sweet-talk any woman of my Xiao Clan. Otherwise, I would beat you every time I saw you. It seems you did not take that warning to heart."
Galen swallowed hard.
He had not seen Zhang Yuan for two years and had thought the latter had long since died outside. Combined with Xun'er being too pure and beautiful, he had indeed forgotten Zhang Yuan's warning from back then.
He had not expected Zhang Yuan to be alive, much less so powerful that he could defeat the Four-star Dou Master protecting him with a single punch. What the hell was this?
"Brother Yan, take this. You can trade it for some spending money."
Zhang Yuan reached out, snatched the necklace from Galen's hand, and casually tossed it to Xiao Yan behind him.
"Thanks, Cousin." Xiao Yan weighed the necklace in his hand.
For the next while, he could go to Jun Ya Pavilion, Wutan City's finest restaurant, and enjoy several good meals.
"Scram!"
Zhang Yuan casually kicked Galen away as though kicking aside a piece of trash.
Then he strode back to Xun'er, took her hand on his own initiative, and said indulgently, "In the future, say my name when you're outside. It will save some flies without any self-awareness from sticking to you."
Xun'er froze for a moment. Then her cheeks flushed, and a smile bloomed across her face, brighter than ever before.
Xiao Yan: ""
Damn it, I shouldn't be here. I should be under the car!
(End of Chapter)
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