Meeting His Future Sister-in-Law, Returning to Wutan City

"Brat, where are we going next?" Yao Lao's voice drifted from the ring.

In the past, planning their travels would have fallen to him as the teacher. But after seeing Xiao Yan's seemingly endless tricks, Yao Lao had given up on that entirely. He would just let the boy lead.

"First, we'll return to Stone Desert City and bring Qing Lin, her mother, and my brothers back to Wutan City." As Xiao Yan rode the wind, he calmly laid out the plan he had already made.

"Back to Wutan City? Could it be..." Yao Lao pondered for a moment, then understood what Xiao Yan intended to do next.

Xiao Yan said nothing more. He merely smiled and nodded, confirming Yao Lao's guess.

Once they left the Snake-People Tribe's territory, master and disciple traveled at full speed, retracing their route straight back to Stone Desert City.

During Xiao Yan's absence, Hai Bodong had not forgotten his duty for a moment. He remained at the Desert Iron Mercenary Group's headquarters almost constantly.

Fortunately, things had been peaceful. No one foolish enough to cause trouble had come knocking, and all was well with the Desert Iron Mercenary Group.

Then one day, while meditating in his room, Hai Bodong suddenly sensed an unmistakably familiar presence.

His eyes snapped open. In a flash, he vanished from the room and appeared above the Desert Iron Mercenary Group's headquarters.

"Young Master! You're finally back. Did anything happen?" The moment Hai Bodong saw Xiao Yan, he hurriedly bowed, then could not help looking him over from head to toe.

Only after confirming that Xiao Yan was completely unhurt did he let out a long breath, relief plain on his face.

Ever since Xiao Yan had ventured alone into the Snake-People Tribe's territory, Hai Bodong had been on edge.

He had no idea how many trump cards his young master held, and his fear of Medusa and the Snake-People Tribe had never quite faded.

Now that Xiao Yan had returned unharmed, the weight on his chest finally lifted.

At the same time, his regard for Xiao Yan rose even higher.

"Sorry to have worried you, Elder Hai. I'm fine." Xiao Yan smiled and waved a hand, then asked whether anything had happened while he was away.

Only after Hai Bodong assured him that all was well did he fully relax.

The two entered the Desert Iron Mercenary Group's headquarters, one behind the other.

The headquarters was no longer as lively as it once had been. Only Qing Lin and her mother, along with a few veteran members of the mercenary group, still lived there.

Since they had decided to move back to Wutan City, there was no reason to keep the group running here. Xiao Ding had dismissed its members in advance: anyone who wished to leave could do so, while those who wanted to stay could return home with them.

Over the past few days, everyone had packed almost everything that needed packing. They had only been waiting for Xiao Yan to return before setting off.

Xiao Yan walked up to the hall's entrance.

Only a few veterans who had followed Xiao Ding from the beginning remained inside, handling the group's final affairs. They did not seem particularly busy.

Xiao Yan glanced around. Some were young Dou Zhe, while others were grizzled men in their fifties still training at the Dou Qi stage.

As his gaze moved deeper into the hall, he noticed a striking woman standing beside his eldest brother. The two chatted and laughed with an easy familiarity.

Keeping his suspicions to himself, Xiao Yan stepped into the hall and greeted them with a smile. "Big Brother! Second Brother!"

Both turned toward him.

"Little Yanzi!"

"There you are, you brat. You're finally back."

Xiao Li reached Xiao Yan in two quick strides and, following their childhood custom, grinned as he punched him in the chest.

Xiao Ding came over as well. He calmly looked his third brother up and down, a gentle smile on his face.

"Little Yanzi, you weren't hurt out there, were you?" Xiao Ding asked softly.

Xiao Yan turned in a circle with a grin. "Don't worry, Big Brother. Good as new."

Xiao Ding nodded, satisfaction filling his eyes.

Of the three brothers, Xiao Ding's temperament was the most like their father Xiao Zhan's.

Ever since they were young, whenever their father was too busy to tend to matters at home, Xiao Ding had taken it upon himself to look after his younger brothers.

After the three exchanged a few words, Xiao Yan's gaze naturally shifted to the woman behind Xiao Ding.

He had seen the way she and his eldest brother looked at each other while they talked. He was fairly sure he knew what was going on.

Xiao Yan's eyes gleamed as he asked a question he already knew the answer to. "Big Brother, who is this...?"

"Ah, this is Xue Lan, one of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group's key members. She's a very good... friend of mine." Xiao Ding's expression turned awkward, and he stumbled through the introduction.

A trace of reproach flickered in Xue Lan's eyes at his words. Still, she stepped forward with a bright smile and introduced herself to Xiao Yan, her manner open and assured.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Li exchanged a knowing look, then glanced back and forth between Xiao Ding and Xue Lan with meaningful smiles.

If they were right, Xue Lan would likely be their sister-in-law someday.

Xue Lan remained perfectly composed under the brothers' scrutiny. It was the usually steady Xiao Ding who grew uncomfortable and hastily changed the subject, much to his younger brothers' amusement.

Xiao Yan came away with an excellent impression of his prospective sister-in-law. She carried herself well in every respect.

He had not expected his eldest brother, known for being calm and dependable, to be so slow on the uptake when it came to love—or so shy.

Xiao Yan suspected Xue Lan was probably the one taking the initiative most of the time.

As the three brothers bantered, time slipped by unnoticed.

Xiao Yan also went to see Qing Lin and her mother.

During his absence, Qing Lin had trained diligently and successfully begun cultivating Dou Qi.

Qing Mian was less gifted, but she treasured this hard-won opportunity. She practiced Dou Qi every day without fail and never slacked off.

The next day, everyone had finished packing and was ready to leave.

Xiao Yan led them to an open area outside the headquarters.

Before long, a massive dark shape appeared in the distant sky. As it drew closer, everyone saw that it was a giant Flying Magical Beast used to carry passengers.

The Flying Magical Beast slowly landed before them, and a hatch along its belly opened. Hai Bodong stepped out, approached Xiao Yan, and bowed. "Young Master, everything is ready. We can depart at any time."

Xiao Yan had sent Elder Hai out the day before to find suitable transport for the whole group's return to Wutan City.

"Thank you for the effort, Elder Hai." Xiao Yan smiled and patted Hai Bodong on the shoulder.

He had every confidence in Hai Bodong's ability to get things done. In just one night, he had made all the arrangements.

Xiao Ding then began organizing everyone's boarding in an orderly fashion.

Once everyone was aboard, the Flying Magical Beast slowly beat its wings and rose smoothly into the air, with barely a jolt.

Its enormous wings adjusted slightly, and it carried its cabin full of homeward-bound travelers steadily toward Wutan City.