Master and Disciple Speak from the Heart

Yao Lao smiled as he watched Xiao Yan, sighing inwardly.

My disciple has excellent talent and temperament. Sadly, his horizons are a little too narrow.

There was nothing to be done about that. He had lived in Wu Tan City since childhood and knew little of the outside world. He had no idea just how vast the Dou Qi Continent was.

"Let me ask you a question first," Yao Lao said.

Xiao Yan sat up straight in confusion, his expression turning serious.

Yao Lao said, "If you were an alchemist with two disciples, Liu Xi and Wang Teng, and one day those two disciples died in Wu Tan City, how would you feel?"

Xiao Yan was taken aback. He gave Yao Lao a strange look, but instead of answering at once, he considered the question carefully.

After a moment, he replied, "If Liu Xi died, I would only find it strange and wouldn't take it to heart. But if Wang Teng died, I would definitely fly into a rage."

Liu Xi's alchemy skills were mediocre. He was obsessed with women and acted without restraint or principles.

But Wang Teng was different. The Return Spring Powder he had refined—I showed it to Teacher at the time, and even Teacher praised it as not bad.

That showed Wang Teng's alchemy skills surpassed Liu Xi's, perhaps even exceeding many first-tier alchemists.

Realizing this, Xiao Yan broke out in a cold sweat. "I nearly made a terrible mistake. Teacher, I understand now."

Yao Lao asked with a smile, "Tell me."

"Nothing can happen to Wang Teng. If something happens to him, his teacher will definitely seek revenge." Xiao Yan looked at Yao Lao with deep gratitude.

The Xiao Clan did not have the strength to contend with a third-tier alchemist.

What made an alchemist frightening and troublesome was not their own strength, but their intricate network of connections.

The reason the Xiao Clan could currently suppress the Jia Lie Clan was largely because of Teacher's influence.

Otherwise, Liu Xi alone would have been enough to deal the Xiao Clan a devastating blow.

Besides, I still carried the agreement with Nalan Yanran. I had to leave home to gain experience and could not protect the Xiao Clan forever.

Xiao Yan frowned deeply, troubled. Once he left, the Xiao Clan's supply of Blood-Clotting Powder would stop. It would only be a matter of time before the Jia Lie Clan squeezed them out of the market.

They could not kill him, but they could not leave him alone either. What should they do?

"Hehe." Yao Lao smiled and shook his head.

Xiao Yan asked blankly, "Teacher, what are you laughing at?"

"You're still too young and inexperienced," Yao Lao said bluntly.

Xiao Yan looked a little embarrassed.

Between my two lives, I'm at least forty or fifty years old, all right?

"Just from the Return Spring Powder you showed me, I could tell that Wang Teng's alchemy foundation is extremely solid. At least at the level of a first-tier alchemist, reaching his standard requires tremendous effort," Yao Lao said.

Uh, what did that have to do with the Xiao Clan's predicament?

Xiao Yan could not understand.

Yao Lao said helplessly, "Use your head. Would an alchemist with talent and diligence be willing to keep refining pills for the Jia Lie Clan forever? If he really needed money, what city in the Jia Ma Empire could he not earn it in? Why would he stay cooped up in Wu Tan City?"

That was true. Back when I thought I had a little talent, I had wanted to go out and make my way in the world.

"But Teacher, Wang Teng is Liu Xi's junior brother. What if he wants to avenge his senior brother and refuses to leave until he destroys the Xiao Clan?" Xiao Yan asked worriedly.

Yao Lao said irritably, "After Liu Xi was killed that day, did you write the Xiao Clan's name at the scene?"

"Of course not." Xiao Yan rubbed his nose. You were the one who acted that time, Teacher. I couldn't even control my own body.

"There is no concrete evidence in this matter." Yao Lao paused. "And besides, Wang Teng probably has no such intention."

Xiao Yan asked curiously, "Why, Teacher?"

"It's a guess." Yao Lao said calmly, "He has been in Wu Tan City for so long, yet he has stayed within the Jia Lie Clan the entire time. If he and Liu Xi were truly close as fellow disciples, would he not use his identity as an alchemist to support the Jia Lie Clan's market?"

Since arriving in Wu Tan City, he had only refined medicine and done nothing else.

His actions seemed more like he was completing a task his senior brother had left unfinished.

"That's true." Xiao Yan nodded. The entire Xiao Clan only knew that the Jia Lie Clan had acquired a new alchemist named Wang Teng.

But no one in the Xiao Clan could say what Wang Teng looked like.

He said earnestly, "Teacher, please teach me. How should the Xiao Clan respond?"

"Kid, remember this: a person cannot only fight for what lies right before their eyes," Yao Lao said.

Xiao Yan sank into thought.

Seeing that he remained unresponsive for a long while, Yao Lao said, "You have not left yet, so you can refine more Blood-Clotting Powder and leave it for the Xiao Clan to sell later. The Jia Lie Clan cannot keep Wang Teng forever."

In truth, Yao Lao did not say the truly cruel part.

Given the Xiao Clan's situation, their strongest expert was merely a Da Dou Shi. Even if they destroyed the Jia Lie Clan, could the Xiao Clan truly sit securely as the ruler of Wu Tan City?

Not necessarily!

As long as there was profit to be made, once the Jia Lie Clan was gone, other clans and forces would emerge.

This world was, in the end, one where strength spoke.

What Xiao Yan could do now was try his best to ensure the Xiao Clan did not fall. But if he wanted the Xiao Clan to rise and grow strong, he first had to become strong himself.

For example, he could defeat Nalan Yanran at the Cloud Sect.

With that alone, other forces in the Jia Ma Empire would take the initiative to befriend the Xiao Clan. When that time came, what did it matter if the Xiao Clan's strongest expert was only a Da Dou Shi?

Kid, think it over carefully.

Yao Lao thought to himself before returning to the pitch-black ring.

Unfortunately, Yao Lao did not know the future. If he had known that Wang Teng's teacher had been unable to spare the time, only going to the Xiao Clan to seek revenge after Xiao Yan returned from the Cloud Sect with Queen Medusa, he certainly would not have said these things to Xiao Yan.

He would have acted and dealt with Wang Teng instead.

As for why a third-tier alchemist waited until then?

Don't worry about that for now.

Jia Lie Clan, main hall.

Jia Lie Bi sat in the seat of honor, his bloodshot eyes slowly sweeping across everyone present.

"Everyone, I am sure you all know what happened to the clan late last night. It was originally just business competition, yet the Xiao Clan wanted to resolve it through force. They have gone too far!" Jia Lie Bi's face was filled with fury.

"Clan Head, let's fight them!" someone sprang to his feet and shouted angrily.

Quite a few people echoed him.

Jia Lie Ku looked anxious and was about to speak.

"Quiet!" Jia Lie Bi gestured for that clan member to sit down. "Fighting and killing are the lowest forms of means. What does the Xiao Clan's decision to act like this show? Do you know?"

Without waiting for anyone to answer, he laughed to himself. "It shows that they are desperate! They have witnessed the terror of Master Wang Teng! They are panicking!"

His voice rose, carrying the exhilaration of finally venting resentment that had built up for far too long. "Listen closely. The Jia Lie Clan has only two tasks now. First, ensure Master Wang Teng's safety. Second, put the Blood Surge Pill on the market immediately."

He looked at Jia Lie Ku. "Elder Ku, you have always been in charge of the market. I want the name Blood Surge Pill to spread throughout Wu Tan City today. Can you do it?"

"No problem!" Jia Lie Ku replied confidently. His round face beamed, his eyes squeezed into narrow slits.

Ever since learning of the Blood Surge Pill's effects, I had been planning for this. I already had several ideas for demonstrating its effects.

Besides, the Blood Surge Pills they had refined were even better than I had expected.

With such excellent pills at such affordable prices, why would they not sell well?