Did He Seriously Not Take Pill King Me Seriously? What? A Dou Huang? Forget I Said Anything

Just as Xiao Ze and Xiao Yan were immersed in the joy of their improved cultivation,

in another residence of the Xiao Clan,

a peerlessly beautiful young woman sat on a wooden chair, brows furrowed as she pondered.

"Xiao Clan ancestor, Xiao Clan ancestor..."

"Where did this ancestor come from?"

"No, I still can't let my guard down. I need to investigate this carefully."

The more Xiao Xun'er thought about it, the more suspicious she found the sudden appearance of Xiao Ze, this Xiao Clan ancestor. Even with the Ancient Clan's influence, they had never gathered any information about him before.

That was impossible!

After all, a thousand years ago, when the Xiao Clan's ancestor Xiao Xuan had failed in his attempt to break through that realm, he had struck a deal with his own father, the current Ancient Clan Chief.

The deal was simple: Xiao Xuan hoped the Ancient Clan would look after the Xiao Tribe.

A thousand years had passed since then.

Although the Xiao Tribe had gradually declined and even moved from the Central Plains to the northwestern region,

the Ancient Clan had never stopped keeping watch over them. Nearly every member of the Xiao Clan was under the Ancient Clan's surveillance.

So here was the question: who exactly was this Xiao Clan ancestor named Xiao Ze?

Why was there no information about him in the Ancient Clan's records?

At that thought,

Xiao Xun'er didn't hesitate. She immediately called out to the empty room, "Ling Ying!"

Whoosh—

The light in the room flickered.

A figure suddenly appeared before Xiao Xun'er. Clad in a black robe, he knelt on one knee and spoke in a low voice, his words full of deference. "What are your orders, Miss?"

"Investigate whether there was ever an ancestor of the Xiao Clan named Xiao Ze."

"If there was, bring me his records!"

Xiao Xun'er gave her instructions with a grave expression.

"Yes, Miss!"

Ling Ying had arrived quickly, and he left just as quickly.

As a cultivator of dark-attribute Dou Qi, he was a master of concealment.

What was more, he was a genuine Dou Huang expert.

In the Xiao Clan of today, he could come and go as he pleased.

After receiving Xiao Xun'er's orders, he immediately melted into the shadows and sped away from the Xiao Clan, heading for a nearby outpost the Ancient Clan had secretly established.

Once Ling Ying was gone,

Xiao Xun'er furrowed her delicate brows and gazed at the wavering candle flame, lost in thought.

I hope I'm just overthinking this...

"Hm?"

"This aura..."

"It came from Xiao Xun'er's residence."

"Could it be her Dou Huang bodyguard?"

In his room,

Xiao Ze, who had been cultivating, suddenly sensed a ripple appear above the Xiao Clan.

He opened his eyes at once and looked toward the residence where Xiao Xun'er lived.

As someone who knew the story, he immediately guessed who was responsible.

But he didn't act or draw attention to himself. He merely curled his lips into a faint smile, closed his eyes again, and returned to his cultivation.

The Misty Cloud Sect.

"This is outrageous! The Xiao Clan has gone too far!"

"Twenty Qi Gathering Pills and one Fifth-grade Pill..."

"And they even want them delivered every month!"

"Why don't they just rob us?"

"Sect Master Yun Yun, what do you think we should do? The Xiao Clan has shown complete disregard for our Misty Cloud Sect!"

In the main hall atop the peak,

Pill King Gu He had shed his usual debonair air. Standing in the white-jade hall, he ranted like an old woman in the street.

Twenty Qi Gathering Pills and one Fifth-grade Pill every month.

What a joke!

He might as well be killed outright!

Outrageous!

They were showing utter contempt for him, the Pill King, one of the Ten Great Experts of the Jia Ma Empire and a Peak Dou Wang!

At the front of the hall,

Yun Yun sat on the sect master's seat.

Her plain white dress traced her graceful figure, while her features were as lovely as a painting. Her skin was as smooth as jade, and an air of noble elegance surrounded her.

Her delicate, flawless face was clouded by a deep frown.

Looking at Ge Ye below, she asked softly, "Ge Ye, based on what you saw, how strong is that Xiao Clan ancestor who appeared so suddenly?"

"Does he truly have the confidence to stand against our Misty Cloud Sect?"

Elder Ge Ye recalled what had happened that day, his body trembling slightly. His face pale, he replied, "Sect Master, that Xiao Clan ancestor's strength is unfathomable."

"From what I felt firsthand, he may already have reached the Dou Huang realm!"

At those words,

the few people in the hall fell silent.

Pill King Gu He, who had been shouting the loudest, was especially quick to shut his mouth.

Damn!

He'd thought the man was some nobody, daring to threaten him, a sixth-grade alchemist and Peak Dou Wang.

Who knew he was a Dou Huang expert?

In that case, no problem...

Everything he'd just said could be treated as hot air!

Wasn't it just twenty Qi Gathering Pills?

He'd refine them!

He'd refine them, all right!

"A Dou Huang..." Yun Yun murmured. A trace of surprise flickered in her clear eyes. She hadn't expected the Xiao Clan to have such a powerful expert.

In that case, perhaps she would have to ease tensions between the Misty Cloud Sect and the Xiao Clan.

"Enough. Let's leave this matter here for now."

"Didn't that Xiao Clan ancestor agree to a Three-Year Agreement with our Misty Cloud Sect?"

"Then we'll deal with it three years from now."

"Ge Ye, go remind Yanran. Tell her not to bring shame upon our Misty Cloud Sect in the competition three years from now..."

"Yes, Sect Master." Elder Ge Ye accepted the order and turned to leave the hall.

"Elder Gu He, do you have anything else?" Yun Yun asked, her voice a little cool as she looked at Pill King Gu He.

"No..." Pill King Gu He had originally wanted to ask Yun Yun to help smooth things over between him and that Dou Huang expert.

But when he saw her cool expression, he abandoned the idea.

He gave Yun Yun a bitter smile and cupped his hands. "Sect... Sect Master, I'll take my leave."

With Pill King Gu He gone as well,

the entire hall returned to silence.

Yun Yun sat on the sect master's seat, her gaze seeming to pierce through the void as she looked in the direction of Wutan City. At the same time, she murmured to herself.

"The Jia Ma Empire isn't that big. The emergence of any Dou Huang expert is bound to stir up a storm."

"I wonder what this Xiao Clan ancestor plans to do next..."

"The Xiao Clan originated in the imperial capital. I wonder if he intends to lead them back there."

"If he really does, those old fellows in the capital probably won't be able to sleep..."

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.

The Xiao Clan had gone about its days as usual during that time.

Xiao Ze's arrival had caused not the slightest stir.

Although the Xiao Clan as a whole remained peaceful, one person had changed more than anyone else.

That person was Xiao Yan.

Ever since he had been able to cultivate again, his progress with Elder Yao's help had been astonishing. In just half a month, he had risen from the Three-Stage Dou Qi he'd had before to the fifth stage.

At this rate, perhaps it wouldn't even take a year

for him to reach Ninth Stage Dou Qi, or even return to the ranks of the Dou Zhe!

But his progress was easy to miss. Only Xiao Ze, who had been keeping a close eye on him, noticed.

Even his father, Xiao Zhan, had no idea that his son had already shaken off the label of a good-for-nothing and was now charging headlong down the path of cultivation!