Big Brother, Second Brother, Here I Come!

Traveling on the Blue Eagle was indeed far easier than taking mountain trails.

The woods and villages below kept slipping behind them. Rivers and slopes that would have required long detours took only moments to cross from the air.

Still, Xiao Lan was only a rank-one Magical Beast, after all.

After each stretch of flight, Xiao Yi Xian had it land and rest, fed it some food, and found somewhere with water to replenish their supplies.

Xiao Yan did not rush it either, using the time to practice his swordsmanship and breathing exercises. Whenever he happened upon medicinal ingredients he needed, he gathered them along the way. Within two days, several more Wooden Boxes filled with herbs had appeared in his Storage Ring.

Watching him, Xiao Yi Xian could not resist teasing him.

"Before we left, who said he had to see his brothers first and couldn't spend the whole journey digging up herbs?"

Xiao Yan closed the lid of the box with a perfectly straight face.

"This is called letting Xiao Lan rest its feet and gathering herbs while we're at it."

Beside him, the Blue Eagle lowered its head to preen its feathers, not even sparing him a glance.

The girl shook her head with a smile and did not call him out.

Several days later, the scenery beneath them gradually changed.

The lush woodlands grew increasingly sparse, and a dry heat crept into the wind. In the distance, rolling yellow sands gleamed beneath the sunlight, and a city finally appeared at the edge of their vision.

Xiao Yan unfolded his map and checked it against the roads below. A smile immediately spread across his face.

"Stone Desert City. We're here."

Xiao Yi Xian patted Xiao Lan and had it land in an open space outside the city.

The two climbed off the eagle's back and gave it plenty of water and food before following the road toward the City Gate.

Xiao Lan spread its wings and flew up to the nearby rocky hills to find somewhere to rest. Before leaving, Xiao Yi Xian made a point of blowing her Bamboo Whistle twice to signal to it.

Once they entered the city, the bustle swept over them.

There were even more mercenaries on the streets than in Qingshan Town. Most wore lightweight clothes, with weapons and waterskins hanging at their waists. The shops displayed plenty of medicinal ingredients Xiao Yan had never seen, and people stood outside loudly hawking things gathered from the desert.

This time, however, he did not stop outside the herb shops.

"Sir, could you give me directions? How do I get to the Desert Iron Mercenary Group?"

The man selling water looked up at him and pointed toward the other end of the street.

"Go straight, then turn left at the second intersection. It's the large compound with a flag hanging out front."

"Thank you."

Xiao Yan cupped his hands in thanks, his steps quickening despite himself.

The Desert Iron Mercenary Group.

Two mercenaries guarding the entrance were chatting. Seeing a young man and woman approach, one of them stepped forward.

"What brings you two here?"

"I'm looking for your leader."

Xiao Yan smiled. "Could you let him know Xiao Yan is here? Sorry for the trouble."

The mercenary froze for a moment, then seemed to remember something and gave him another careful look.

"Xiao Yan? You're the two leaders'..."

"Little Yanzi?!"

Before he could finish, a voice rang out from inside the courtyard, full of delighted surprise.

A tall, straight-backed young man strode out. His gaze landed on Xiao Yan's face, and he stood stunned for a moment before coming forward with a hearty laugh.

"It really is you!"

"Second Brother."

Xiao Yan had barely spoken when a hand landed heavily on his shoulder.

Xiao Li looked him up and down, unable to hide the joy in his eyes.

"You little rascal! You came without telling us beforehand! We could've gone out to meet you."

"It's not as though I couldn't find the entrance."

"Always have an answer, don't you? Come on, let's get inside!"

Xiao Li pulled him toward the courtyard. After just two steps, he suddenly noticed Xiao Yi Xian beside them and hurriedly stopped.

"Look at me, getting carried away with excitement. Who might this young lady be?"

"A friend I met in Qingshan Town, Xiao Yi Xian. We came all this way on her Blue Eagle. It saved us quite a bit of time."

Xiao Yan turned to introduce them.

"This is my second brother, Xiao Li."

Xiao Yi Xian greeted him with a smile, and Xiao Li nodded warmly in return.

"Thanks for your efforts on the journey. Come in and take a seat."

With that, he turned and shouted inside:

"Big Brother! Stop poring over those ledgers! Little Yanzi is here!"

His voice was still echoing through the courtyard when the sound of a chair shifting came from the main hall.

A young man in green robes walked out. His normally composed expression could not help filling with excitement at the sight of Xiao Yan.

"Big Brother."

Looking at that familiar face, Xiao Yan felt a gentle warmth in his heart.

In his memories, his eldest brother always cleaned up the mess after he got into trouble, while his second brother joined him in his antics first, then took their father's scolding alongside him afterward.

Now that he saw them in person, those scattered memories suddenly became clear.

Xiao Ding came up to him, first checking his complexion, then his sleeves, shoulders, and back. Only after confirming that he was unhurt did he smile and nod.

"You've grown taller, and you look more spirited."

"Is Father well?"

"He's doing well. Let's go inside and talk."

The three brothers entered the main hall, and Xiao Yi Xian took a seat nearby. Xiao Li had someone bring fresh water and instructed the kitchen to prepare more dishes before pulling up a chair beside Xiao Yan.

"The letters from home said you'd taken an extraordinary teacher and were advancing very quickly in your cultivation. Just how far have you gotten now?"

"Six-Star Dou Shi."

Xiao Yan answered casually.

Xiao Li, however, nearly set the teacup he had just picked up down crookedly.

"What was that?"

Even Xiao Ding raised his head, a flash of astonishment crossing his eyes.

Xiao Yan could only release a trace of his aura. Dense Dou Qi appeared in his palm before he drew it back in.

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Xiao Li stared at him, then finally raised a hand to rub his brow.

"I was thinking I could give you a few pointers once you got here. Now look at this—you'll have to be the one teaching me?"

Xiao Yan smiled. "If you don't mind, Second Brother, of course I can."

"You actually took me up on that!"

Xiao Li laughed and scolded him, but the delight in his eyes only deepened.

Xiao Ding smiled as well, though he was more concerned about home than his younger brother's cultivation.

So Xiao Yan recounted the important details of the changes in Wutan City and the clan's arrangements for refining medicine.

Hearing that Xiao Zhan was already a nine-star Da Dou Shi left both brothers astonished once more.

"Before I left, I also gave Father a pill Teacher refined to help him break through to Dou Ling. As for whether he's succeeded yet, we'll have to wait for news from home."

Xiao Ding slowly let out a breath.

Their father's cultivation had risen, and the clan had secured its footing. As they made their way in the world, they finally no longer had to constantly worry about trouble breaking out in Wutan City.

"That teacher of yours has done the Xiao Clan a great kindness."

Looking at Xiao Yan, he said earnestly, "Make sure you never neglect your manners around your teacher."

"Don't worry, Big Brother."

Xiao Yan nodded, then briefly told them about his trip to the Misty Cloud Sect to break off the engagement.

This time, even the teacup in Xiao Ding's hand stopped moving.

When they heard that the engagement had been dissolved and Nalan Yanran would come to the Xiao Clan to challenge him in three years, Xiao Li's expression changed again and again.

"So on this trip, you broke off your engagement first, then made a detour to Qingshan Town, and only came to see us last?"

"What else?"

Xiao Yan spread his hands.

Xiao Li looked at him for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing.

"You little rascal, you really do have guts!"

Xiao Ding did not press him for the details of the match. He merely patted Xiao Yan's shoulder.

"If you thought it through before making your decision, we won't say anything more. Now that you're here, settle in and stay a few days."

"If anything comes up, talk it over with us."

Xiao Yan nodded, warmth spreading through his heart. Then he took two Wooden Boxes he had prepared earlier out of his Storage Ring.

"As it happens, I brought you both a few things."

The lids opened, revealing a row of Jade Bottles before them, with slips of paper explaining their use placed alongside them.

"These restore Dou Qi, these treat injuries, and these help with cultivation. I've sorted them all out."

"I refined these myself."

The hand Xiao Li had just reached out froze in midair.

Xiao Ding slowly raised his head.

Seeing both of them turn to stare at Xiao Yan, Xiao Yi Xian finally could not help laughing softly as she held her teacup.

At last, someone else had experienced the same astonishment she had felt before.