The Many Uses of the Tiger Talisman

Following Yao Lao's instructions, Xiao Yan left the Xiao Clan and headed straight for a market in the city.

The market specialized in Medicinal Herbs and healing Pills. People came and went, and the place was bustling.

Along the way, Yao Lao pointed out many Medicinal Herbs to Xiao Yan, giving him his first taste of their medicinal properties.

After making a circuit of the market, Xiao Yan bought a batch of Medicinal Herbs to practice with, as Yao Lao had instructed.

Once he had the Medicinal Herbs, he visited the Mittel Auction House and picked out an unremarkable Medicine Cauldron.

Xiao Yan had been known as a genius since childhood and had always had money to spare. His savings over the years were considerable, so a Medicine Cauldron and some Medicinal Herbs were well within his means.

With everything ready, Xiao Yan found a secluded cave in the Back Mountain behind the clan estate.

Under Yao Lao's guidance, he was finally about to try refining medicine for the first time.

"Teacher, what do I do next?" Xiao Yan asked, staring blankly at the Medicine Cauldron and Medicinal Herbs before him.

"Get a feel for the Medicine Cauldron first. Place a hand over the fire vent, then circulate the Dou Qi in your body and channel it inside." Yao Lao sat cross-legged in the cave, directing him at an unhurried pace.

Xiao Yan nodded and placed both hands against the fire vent, slowly feeding in his Dou Qi.

The pale yellow current passed through the vent and abruptly turned into real flames of the same color, churning and burning inside the Medicine Cauldron.

"Not bad. You managed to produce a flame on your first try." Yao Lao nodded slightly as he watched the fire dance within the cauldron.

He reached out and touched Xiao Yan's forehead with a finger. Information immediately flooded Xiao Yan's mind:

"This is a healing medicine formula I devised myself. Try refining it. I'll remind you when to adjust the flame's temperature and how long to heat the Medicinal Herbs."

"Understood." Xiao Yan nodded, his expression turning solemn.

With Yao Lao guiding him, Xiao Yan began his first attempt.

His movements were unfamiliar and his control of the heat was poor. The Medicinal Herbs burned straight to ash.

Xiao Yan felt a little embarrassed by his first failure. He also understood now that refining medicine was far harder than he had imagined, and certainly not something just anyone could do.

He did not lose heart. After a moment's reflection, he threw himself into a second attempt.

Another failure.

After failing several more times, an idea suddenly occurred to Xiao Yan.

What would happen if I used the Tiger Talisman's power while refining?

Once the thought took hold, he could not resist trying it. Xiao Yan immediately put it into action.

When he fired up the cauldron again, he drew on the Tiger Talisman's power to balance everything within it.

He added the Medicinal Herbs one by one. This time, none of them burned to ash.

Xiao Yan's excitement surged. He tried several more batches in quick succession, and every one turned out perfectly.

"You little brat, what... what on earth did you just do?" Yao Lao's eyelids twitched. Xiao Yan's feat had left him utterly stunned.

"Call it a natural talent of mine." Xiao Yan gave him a casual answer without explaining further.

Now that he had grasped this method, Xiao Yan could barely keep his grin from reaching his ears.

With the Tiger Talisman, he would never botch another batch. His success rate in refining medicine had shot straight to one hundred percent.

Eager to keep going, Xiao Yan refined several other kinds of Medicinal Herbs under Yao Lao's continued guidance. Without exception, every attempt succeeded.

Watching from the side, Yao Lao was dumbfounded. What he had seen overturned everything he knew, and he could not make sense of it.

Could this brat be a reincarnated Dou Di? Yao Lao muttered to himself.

Clearly, Yao Lao had filed Xiao Yan's miraculous abilities under "Dou Di methods." It was the only explanation he could bring himself to accept.

And so Xiao Yan officially became a First-Rank Alchemist.

For some time afterward, Xiao Yan's days consisted mostly of cultivation, refining medicine, practicing Dou Techniques, and accompanying Xun'er on shopping trips.

No one foolish enough to provoke him appeared, and life was pleasantly peaceful.

After refining Pills for a while, Xiao Yan brought the finished products to Xiao Zhan.

"What? Yan'er, you've become an Alchemist?" Xiao Zhan's mouth fell open at the news.

"Yes, Father. An Alchemist passed through Wutan City a while ago. He saw that I had some talent for refining medicine and took me as his disciple." Xiao Yan scratched his head and delivered the explanation he had prepared.

"Good! That's wonderful!" Xiao Zhan looked at Xiao Yan with admiration shining in his eyes.

"May I ask where that esteemed Alchemist is now?" Xiao Zhan asked cautiously.

"Teacher doesn't care for social obligations, Father. You needn't worry about him." Xiao Yan waved a hand, then passed Xiao Zhan the Storage Ring containing the Pills. "You should worry about how to sell these instead."

"All right, then." Since Xiao Yan had put it that way, Xiao Zhan let the matter drop. He took the Storage Ring to discuss it with several Elders.

The next day, the Xiao Family Market introduced a First-Rank healing medicine.

It worked remarkably well and was inexpensive. The mercenaries flocked to buy it as soon as it went on sale.

Each batch sold out the moment it was put on display. Anyone who arrived late could not even catch a whiff of it.

News quickly reached the other two major families, as well as Ya Fei.

While the other two families were furious, Ya Fei sensed a business opportunity.

A First-Rank Alchemist... Could it be Xiao Yan? Or is it someone else? Ya Fei sat in her chair, deep in thought.

As the person in charge of the Auction House, she oversaw everything that happened there, large or small.

She remembered perfectly well that Xiao Yan had come to the Auction House only days earlier to buy a Medicine Cauldron and a batch of Medicinal Herbs.

"Either way, it's time I paid the Xiao Clan a visit." Ya Fei rose gracefully, her full breasts trembling slightly with the movement.

That afternoon, Xiao Zhan found Xiao Yan, unable to contain his excitement. "Yan'er, the Pills you provided sold like crazy yesterday!"

"It'll get even better, Father." Xiao Yan had expected as much and remained calm.

Xiao Zhan was about to say more when a servant came over to report, "Clan Leader, Miss Ya Fei from the Mittel Auction House is here to visit. An Elder has shown her into the Meeting Hall."

"Ya Fei?" Surprise crossed Xiao Zhan's face.

He had dealt with Ya Fei a few times recently. She had struck him as a meticulous businesswoman with a keen talent for trade.

"Yan'er, I'm afraid Miss Ya Fei has come for you," Xiao Zhan said, understanding dawning on his face.

"She's the one I've been waiting for." The corners of Xiao Yan's mouth lifted slightly.

The father and son then headed to the Xiao Clan's Meeting Hall together.

Inside the Meeting Hall, Ya Fei was speaking with the Xiao Clan's Grand Elder, glancing toward the door now and then.

Xiao Zhan and Xiao Yan entered the Meeting Hall together.

The moment he saw Ya Fei, Xiao Zhan put on a smile. "Haha, Miss Ya Fei, what an honor for the Xiao Clan to have you visit."

Ya Fei answered each greeting with a perfectly measured smile of her own.

As she exchanged pleasantries with Xiao Zhan, she became keenly aware of someone watching her.

There was no greed or possessiveness in that gaze, nor any invasive scrutiny. It held only genuine appreciation.

She followed it to Xiao Yan, who stood behind Xiao Zhan.

Ya Fei's eyes settled on the young man behind Xiao Zhan, and her red lips parted. "Clan Leader Xiao Zhan, this handsome young man must be Young Master Xiao Yan, yes?"