Send Mu She to Join His Son, Settle Down Together in a Mountain Valley

"Let's make another trip to the Wolf Head Mercenary Group. We can't let the son enjoy himself all alone. A family should stay together, after all," Xiao Yan muttered.

"You little brat. You're far more ruthless than I was back in the day," Yao Lao said.

"Teacher, I understand that if you don't pull out the roots, the weeds will grow back," Xiao Yan replied calmly.

"Indeed." Yao Lao agreed wholeheartedly.

There was nothing more to say. Once a grudge had formed, you had to eliminate it at the root. That was simply how survival worked in this world.

Xiao Yan then borrowed a flame from Yao Lao and burned every corpse at the scene to ashes.

After that, he used his Flying Dou Technique to make a trip to the Wolf Head Mercenary Group.

Mu She was still fooling around with a concubine at the group's headquarters when Xiao Yan burst in and killed him with a single punch, sending him off to join his son.

Mu She never knew why he had died. If he had known Mu Li was to blame, he would have regretted not throwing that wretched son of his straight into a wall.

After that brief detour, Xiao Yan changed his clothes and returned to Xiao Yi Xian's courtyard.

Xiao Yi Xian had nearly finished packing, but she had far too much luggage. She wanted to bring everything and couldn't carry it all, leaving her at a loss.

"Here, use this to pack your things." Xiao Yan took out a Storage Ring and handed it to her.

"Thank you." Xiao Yi Xian held the Storage Ring, her face full of gratitude.

Storage Rings were precious. In the entire Myriad Medicine Pavilion, only Mr. Yao owned one.

"No need to thank me. You're mine anyway, so what's yours is mine." Xiao Yan waved a hand, that wicked grin returning to his face.

Xiao Yi Xian couldn't bear such a shameless remark. Blushing and annoyed, she gave him a thump, then turned back to her packing.

Once she was ready, Xiao Yan took her out of Qingshan Town.

"Where are we going now?" Xiao Yi Xian asked.

"Have you ever been to Small Mountain Valley?" Xiao Yan asked bluntly.

Xiao Yi Xian looked surprised. "How did you know? I stumbled into that place while gathering medicinal herbs once."

"Let's go there first. I still have a few things to do in the Magical Beast Mountain Range." Rather than answer her question, Xiao Yan wrapped an arm around her slender waist and activated his Flying Dou Technique, soaring into the air.

"Ah!" Startled by their sudden ascent, Xiao Yi Xian squeezed her eyes shut and cried out.

"Y-you're a Dou Wang expert!" Xiao Yi Xian's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Not yet. This is a Flying Dou Technique," Xiao Yan explained with a smile.

"A Flying Dou Technique? What's that?" Xiao Yi Xian asked, forgetting entirely that Xiao Yan's arm was around her waist and that they were pressed close together.

"A Dou Technique that lets you fly once you've mastered it. That's why it's called a Flying Dou Technique," Xiao Yan replied as they flew.

With Xiao Yi Xian guiding him, the two finally reached the vicinity of Small Mountain Valley.

The valley was well hidden. Without directions, its entrance would have been difficult to find.

As soon as Xiao Yan approached, he felt how abundant the energy was here. Compared with the outside, it was like another world.

"To think a place like this existed in the little Magical Beast Mountain Range," Yao Lao said, sounding astonished.

"Teacher, can you tell what's unusual about Small Mountain Valley?" Xiao Yan asked Yao Lao in his mind.

"I'm not sure, but this place is hiding a secret," Yao Lao said thoughtfully. Then curiosity crept into his voice. "Even you don't know?"

"I'm not all-knowing. There are plenty of ways I fall short of you," Xiao Yan said, flattering him.

"Well, of course!" Yao Lao sounded pleased at once.

He knew Xiao Yan was flattering him, but the praise had hit just the right spot.

Once they entered the valley, Xiao Yi Xian could no longer contain her embarrassment. Face red, she slipped out of Xiao Yan's arms.

His hand suddenly felt empty, and he found himself missing the soft warmth he had just held.

He had only made it this far thanks to the Dog Talisman and Horse Talisman restoring him along the way. With the meager Dou Qi stored by his Low Yellow Tier cultivation method, flying here alone would have been hard enough, let alone carrying Xiao Yi Xian.

The moment Xiao Yi Xian entered the valley, she headed straight for a simple wooden cabin as though returning home.

Clearly, she had lived here for a while before.

"How did you get here in the first place?" Xiao Yan asked curiously.

"I have a good friend. His name is Little Blue, and he's a Blue Eagle..." Xiao Yi Xian began explaining with a smile.

"I see." Xiao Yan nodded, his question answered.

Afterward, he and Xiao Yi Xian repaired the cabin together and settled in.

Xiao Yan took the opportunity to study Alchemy in earnest.

"Y-you're an Alchemist too?" Xiao Yi Xian stared in astonishment when she saw Xiao Yan take out a Medicine Cauldron.

Xiao Yan smiled. "What, don't I look like one?"

"You do! You really do! Can you teach me Alchemy?" Xiao Yi Xian's eyes shone with hope.

"You don't have the talent for it," Xiao Yan told her plainly.

Better to be honest than let Xiao Yi Xian cling to false hope.

For now, there was nothing he could do about it. Talent was something you were born with.

"Oh..." Xiao Yi Xian's spirits sank when she learned she had no talent for Alchemy.

She had dreamed of becoming an Alchemist since childhood and had always worked toward it. Now that hope had been dashed. How could she not feel disappointed?

"Don't worry. If you can't be an Alchemist, you can become a Poison Master. In fact, that path suits you better." Seeing how downcast she was, Xiao Yan stroked her head and comforted her gently.

"Really?" Xiao Yi Xian lifted her slightly flushed face, warmth spreading through her chest.

"Of course. But I don't know enough about poisons to teach you yet. Once we make our way into Chu Yun Empire, I'll find you a complete set of teachings."

Seeing Xiao Yi Xian perk up again, Xiao Yan relaxed. He spoke while sorting through the medicinal herbs.

"Thank you, Xiao Yan." Hearing him make plans with her in mind moved Xiao Yi Xian deeply, and her thanks were especially sincere.

"Hey, it's nothing. We're on the same side." Xiao Yan waved a hand as though it were no big deal.

With that, he went back to practicing Alchemy.

Xiao Yi Xian did not disturb him. She simply sat nearby and watched him work.

Her clear, beautiful eyes reflected nothing but the boy's focused figure.

For some time afterward, Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian lived together in Small Mountain Valley.

By day, Xiao Yan practiced Alchemy and cultivated, occasionally going out to gain experience.

Whenever he returned to the cabin, Xiao Yi Xian had a hot meal ready, and he could dig in without a care.

Life in Small Mountain Valley was wonderfully comfortable, and Xiao Yi Xian enjoyed it too.

Even years later, after Xiao Yi Xian had become a mother, she would often look back fondly on those days in Small Mountain Valley.

When Xiao Yan felt the time was right, he prepared to put the next part of his plan into action.

He looked toward the depths of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, his expression turning serious. "Teacher, it's time we went and gave the Amethyst Winged Lion King some trouble."