One Step from the Goal

Li Hu's reaction exceeded Jia Lie Bi's expectations. He froze for a moment before asking, "Elder Li, do you know Master Wang Teng?"

Wang Teng was eating. Hearing that the conversation concerned him, he slowed down and turned to study Li Hu.

I don't remember this guy.

"Master Wang Teng, your teacher, Liu Jiang, visited the Li Clan three months ago," Li Hu said.

As Wang Teng swallowed the food in his mouth, he pondered, "The Li Clan of Telan City, famous for its medicinal herbs?"

"That's right. I was there as well, though you may not have noticed me." Li Hu smiled.

Jia Lie Bi introduced Li Hu's identity to Wang Teng.

Wang Teng nodded indifferently, taking it as a greeting.

To the Jia Lie Clan, the Li Clan of Telan City was indeed a formidable name. But to Wang Teng, it was merely a relatively well-known family.

After all, his teacher Liu Jiang's reputation spoke for itself. As a third-tier alchemist, Liu Jiang held a lofty status in the regions near the Jia Ma Empire's borderlands.

Previously, Jia Lie Bi had used his connections to seek out his teacher, hoping to have medicine refined for him. His teacher had simply sent Senior Brother Liu Xi alone to Wu Tan City.

That was the value of an alchemist's status. Unless there was a deep-seated grudge, ordinary families and city guards would not take the initiative to provoke an alchemist.

Li Hu had originally prepared a whole speech to poach Jia Lie Bi's talent.

But after realizing Wang Teng was someone he knew, he suddenly was no longer in a hurry.

After eating his fill, Wang Teng did not waste words with them. He rose and returned to his quarters, washed up, and went to bed.

Jia Lie Bi entered the medicine room to count the Blood Surge Pills Wang Teng had refined. This was an important matter, as the marketplace shops were waiting to open with the pills tomorrow.

The moment he entered and saw the number of jade bottles on the floor, Jia Lie Bi let out a soft sound of surprise.

"Clan Head Jia Lie, is something wrong?" Li Hu followed behind him and asked curiously.

Jia Lie Bi explained, "Master Wang Teng only refined six bottles yesterday, but there are four more today."

Li Hu smiled. "Master Liu Jiang has praised Master Wang Teng's diligence and hard work more than once."

Jia Lie Bi said nothing. He put away the ten jade bottles, made the excuse that he needed to arrange tomorrow's business, and hurried away.

Meanwhile, Xiao Zhan and the three elders waited until late at night, yet Xiao Yan still had not returned. They had no choice but to postpone their discussion of countermeasures.

Afterward, Xiao Zhan headed alone to the back mountain.

Reminded by Yao Lao while refining medicine, Xiao Yan took the initiative to show himself.

"Father, why are you here?" Xiao Yan asked.

"Yan'er, don't exhaust yourself." Seeing Xiao Yan's haggard face, Xiao Zhan's heart ached.

Xiao Yan smiled. "I'll be leaving soon, so I want to refine more Blood-Clotting Powder for the family."

Xiao Zhan asked in surprise, "Yan'er, you refined the Blood-Clotting Powder?"

Oh no, I let it slip.

Xiao Yan rubbed his nose. "Yes. Blood-Clotting Powder isn't too complicated, and Teacher helped me a great deal."

Upon hearing Xiao Yan admit it, Xiao Zhan suddenly felt his eyes sting.

During the three years my son lost his Dou Qi, I, as his father, gave him far too little help. I let him endure the family's cold stares and mockery, and then Nalan Yanran came to annul the engagement.

After everything he had gone through, not only did he bear no resentment toward the Xiao Clan, but when the Xiao Clan faced a crisis, he took the initiative to shoulder responsibility and refined medicine to support the family's marketplace business.

"You've worked hard, Yan'er." Xiao Zhan pulled his son tightly into his embrace.

Xiao Yan was stunned for several seconds, then felt helpless. Dad was getting emotional again.

"Father, you still haven't told me why you came looking for me." Xiao Yan deliberately changed the subject.

"I..." Xiao Zhan had just wanted to mention the Jia Lie Clan marketplace, but his gaze fell upon Xiao Yan's youthful face, and he changed his words. "I heard you hadn't returned home, and I was worried something might have happened, so I came to check on you."

Yan'er is still so young, yet he already carries enough burdens. I can't pile everything onto him alone.

"Father, if you have something to say, just say it. Otherwise, once I return home, the three elders will definitely tell me anyway," Xiao Yan said.

Those three pompous old bastards.

At Xiao Yan's mention of them, Xiao Zhan's teeth itched with hatred.

When Yan'er had fallen on hard times, the three of them had done plenty to kick him while he was down. Now that Yan'er was doing well, they had placed all the family's hopes on him.

Not one of them acted like an elder.

Left with no choice, Xiao Zhan told his son about what had happened at the marketplace during the day.

"I understand, Father. Go back and rest first." Unable to make up his mind, Xiao Yan planned to ask Yao Lao for advice later.

Xiao Zhan said worriedly, "It's already so late. Are you still going to continue refining medicine?"

"Don't worry, Father. This is cultivation too," Xiao Yan said.

Standing atop the mountain, Xiao Yan looked down at the figure walking away beneath the moonlight, watching until Xiao Zhan entered the Xiao Clan.

"Teacher, the Jia Lie Clan has begun selling other pills," Xiao Yan said.

A phantom figure floated beside him.

Yao Lao murmured, "I've never heard of Blood Surge Pills before. A first-tier pill that can temporarily grant a nine-star Dou Practitioner the strength of a one-star Dou Master... this formula is far from simple."

Even Teacher was surprised?

Xiao Yan was shocked. This Wang Teng was even harder to deal with than his Senior Brother Liu Xi.

He asked anxiously, "Teacher, do you have any other pill formulas?"

"Of course I do, but there isn't enough time. Are you prepared to give up the three-year agreement?" Yao Lao asked.

Xiao Yan's expression froze. Before his eyes, the scene of Nalan Yanran annulling the engagement that day seemed to emerge once more.

She had been proud and arrogant, trampling his dignity, his father's dignity, and even the dignity of the entire Xiao Clan into the dirt with an attitude that treated it all as only natural.

"Little Yan, reality is like this. Nalan Yanran's annulment of the engagement was like this, and the Jia Lie Clan hiring an alchemist to suppress the Xiao Clan's business is also like this." Yao Lao sighed softly.

He turned to look at Xiao Yan's tightly pursed lips and unwilling expression. "When you lack sufficient strength, there will be many times when you have no choice but to submit to circumstances."

"Teacher, I will definitely go to the Cloud Sect!" Xiao Yan declared resolutely.

"Good. Go back and continue refining medicine. We do not have much time left in Wu Tan City." Yao Lao nodded in satisfaction, a trace of relief secretly flashing through his eyes.

My hope of resurrection rests entirely on this little fellow. I must make him learn to look further ahead.

Otherwise, if he keeps guarding Wu Tan City, who knows how long I'll have to wait before I can be resurrected.

Xiao Yan followed Yao Lao back into the cave and continued refining Blood-Clotting Powder.

During that time, he occasionally pondered ways to help the family as well.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

With the Blood Surge Pills bolstering the Jia Lie Clan's marketplace, business remained booming. Not only did it attract mercenaries from Wu Tan City, but even mercenaries from nearby areas intended to make purchases.

The only shortcoming was that too few Blood Surge Pills were sold each day.

Seeing the Xiao Clan and Oba Clan marketplaces deserted and desolate, the Jia Lie Clan members could not have been happier.

They became even more attentive toward Wang Teng, carefully preparing all kinds of fresh delicacies for him every day.

It could not be helped. Aside from eating, Wang Teng spent most of his time refining pills.

On Wang Teng's side, his speed in refining Blood Surge Pills continued to improve. On his latest day, he had already refined fourteen bottles.

The Jia Lie Clan's prepared ingredients were rapidly dwindling.

Looking at the main quest's progress, Wang Teng hesitated over whether to have Jia Lie Bi purchase more medicinal herbs.

[Main Quest: Legend of the Medicine God—Make a Name in Wu Tan City! Current Progress: 99%]

"The increase has been so great these past two days. Why did it suddenly stop moving when I'm just one step from the goal?" Wang Teng could not understand.