Meeting the Eldest Sister-in-Law for the First Time, Returning to Wutan City

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

In the past, it should have been his responsibility as the teacher to plan their route. But ever since he had seen Xiao Yan's seemingly endless array of abilities, Yao Lao had simply given up on that altogether. He would just let the boy call the shots.

"First, we'll head back to Stone Desert City and bring Qing Lin and her mother, along with my elder brothers, back to Wutan City." Xiao Yan flew on the wind as he unhurriedly laid out the plan he had already worked out.

"Back to Wutan City? Could it be..." Yao Lao mused briefly, then suddenly understood. He had roughly guessed what Xiao Yan intended to do next.

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

After leaving Snake-People Tribe territory, master and disciple hurried back at full speed, retracing their route straight to Stone Desert City.

During Xiao Yan's absence, Hai Bodong had never once forgotten the duty on his shoulders, guarding the Desert Iron Mercenary Group almost without leaving its side.

Fortunately, things had been peaceful enough during that time. No troublemakers had come knocking, and everything was well with the Desert Iron Mercenary Group.

Until one day, Hai Bodong was meditating in his room when he suddenly sensed an exceptionally familiar aura.

He abruptly opened his eyes. His figure flashed, vanishing from where he stood, and in the next instant he appeared above the Desert Iron Mercenary Group.

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

After a careful inspection confirmed Xiao Yan had not suffered so much as a scratch, Hai Bodong finally let out a long breath, his expression one of relief.

Ever since Xiao Yan had gone alone into Snake-People Tribe territory, Hai Bodong's heart had been on tenterhooks.

Partly because he had no idea how many trump cards this Young Master had, and partly because he still felt apprehensive about Medusa and the Snake-People Tribe.

Now that Xiao Yan had returned safe and sound, the heavy stone in his chest had finally settled firmly to the ground.

At the same time, Xiao Yan's place in his heart had grown even heavier.

"Sorry for the trouble, Elder Hai. I'm fine." Xiao Yan smiled and waved a hand, then asked whether anything had happened while he was away.

After Hai Bodong assured him that all was well, he finally relaxed completely.

The two entered the Desert Iron Mercenary Group's grounds, one after the other.

The camp was no longer as lively as it had once been. It was deserted, with only Qing Lin and her mother, along with a few veteran members of the mercenary group, still living there.

Since they had decided to move back to Wutan City, there was naturally no need to keep the mercenary group here going. Xiao Ding had dismissed his subordinates in advance. Those who wanted to leave could go, while those who wished to stay could remain and return home with them.

Over the past few days, everyone had taken care of nearly everything that needed packing. They were just waiting for Xiao Yan to return so they could set out.

Xiao Yan walked to the entrance of the hall.

Only a few old hands who had followed Xiao Ding from the very beginning remained inside, handling the mercenary group's final affairs. They were not particularly busy.

Xiao Yan glanced around. There were young people at the Dou Zhe level, as well as half-century-old veterans still laboring away at the Dou Qi stage.

Looking farther into the hall, he suddenly noticed a rather striking woman. She was standing beside his eldest brother, chatting and laughing with him, the two of them seeming very much in sync.

Setting aside his suspicions, Xiao Yan stepped into the hall and greeted them with a smile. "Eldest Brother! Second Brother!"

At the sound of his voice, both men looked over.

"Little Yanzi!"

"You brat, you're finally back."

Xiao Li bounded over to Xiao Yan in just two steps. Following their old childhood custom, he grinned and punched Xiao Yan in the chest.

Xiao Ding came over too, calmly looking his youngest brother up and down, a gentle, warm smile on his face.

"Little Yanzi, did you get hurt while you were away?" Xiao Ding asked softly.

Xiao Yan grinned and spun around on the spot. "Don't worry, Eldest Brother. Brand-new, no wear and tear."

Xiao Ding nodded, his eyes full of satisfaction.

Of the three brothers, only he had a temperament most like their father, Xiao Zhan.

From childhood to adulthood, whenever their father was busy and couldn't attend to household matters, it was always him, the eldest brother, who worried about his younger brothers.

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

He had seen the expressions between her and his eldest brother while they were talking just now, and had already guessed most of the story.

Xiao Yan's eyes rolled as he asked, feigning ignorance, "Eldest Brother, who is this...?"

"Uh, this is Xue Lan, one of the core members of our Desert Iron Mercenary Group. She's a very good... friend of mine." Xiao Ding's face grew a little awkward, and his introduction came out haltingly.

A trace of reproach flashed through Xue Lan's eyes at his words, but she still stepped forward with a beaming smile to meet Xiao Yan. Her manner was poised and open, cheerful and frank.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Li exchanged a glance, meaningful smiles in their eyes as their gazes shifted back and forth between Xiao Ding and Xue Lan.

If they had guessed right, this Xue Lan would probably be their eldest sister-in-law in the future.

Faced with the two brothers' scrutiny, Xue Lan remained composed. It was the usually steady Xiao Ding who felt utterly ill at ease under their gazes. He hurriedly changed the subject, making Xiao Yan and Xiao Li laugh.

Xiao Yan had a very good impression of his future sister-in-law. She was thoughtful and proper in every way.

He hadn't expected that his eldest brother, who had always been known for his steadiness and sense of responsibility, would be not only remarkably slow when it came to romance, but also so shy.

Xiao Yan guessed that most of the time, it was probably his future sister-in-law who took the initiative.

As the three brothers joked around, time slipped quietly by without them noticing.

Xiao Yan went to see Qing Lin and her mother as well.

During the days he had been away, Qing Lin had trained extremely hard and had successfully entered the ranks of those cultivating Dou Qi.

Though Qing Mian's talent was somewhat inferior, she treasured this hard-won opportunity greatly. She trained in Dou Qi every day without fail and never slacked off.

The next day, everyone was packed and ready to go.

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

Before long, a huge black shadow slowly appeared in the distant sky. As it drew closer, everyone could see that it was a giant Flying Magical Beast specially used to carry passengers through the air.

The Flying Magical Beast slowly landed in front of them, and the hatch on its side gradually opened. Hai Bodong stepped out steadily, walked over to Xiao Yan, and bowed. "Young Master, everything is ready. We can leave at any time."

The day before, Xiao Yan had sent Elder Hai out to find a suitable means of transport that could carry all these people back to Wutan City.

"Thanks for your hard work, Elder Hai." Xiao Yan smiled and patted Hai Bodong on the shoulder.

He had great confidence in Hai Bodong's ability to get things done. In just one night, he had arranged everything perfectly.

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 made a slight adjustment, then carried the people in its cabin, bound for home, steadily toward Wutan City.