Xiao Mo already knew what had happened.
"It must be about the Rejuvenation Powder."
According to the plot, this should have been when the Jia Lie Family began flooding the market with cheap Rejuvenation Powder.
The Xiao Clan's Market had suffered a tremendous blow. Even some of the pills and medicines they offered could no longer find buyers, and the clan itself had been affected as well.
"This is no small disaster. It's also a very important turning point."
Xiao Mo turned around, stepped forward, and pulled up Xiao Yan's sleeve.
His sudden movement startled Xiao Yan.
"Senior Brother, what are you doing?"
Xiao Mo did not answer. He merely gave the ring on Xiao Yan's hand a few quick taps.
"Come out, old man."
As he spoke, he dragged Xiao Yan into a secluded corner.
A cloud of thick smoke materialized before them, and Yao Lao soon appeared in front of the two.
"You brat, show some respect. Call me Master."
Xiao Mo ignored the complaint entirely and immediately stepped forward to grab Yao Lao's arm.
"Now that Xiao Yan has advanced to Dou Zhe, shouldn't you teach him how to refine pills?"
At those words, Yao Lao nearly choked to death on a mouthful of his own blood.
His beard bristled, and his eyes bulged with anger.
"Y-you-you brat! Are you a roundworm in my belly?"
Xiao Mo froze, but quickly realized what had happened. Had he spoken a little too soon? Had he stolen Yao Lao's line?
Yao Lao inwardly unleashed a torrent of complaints.
What on earth was wrong with this disciple of mine?
He had originally planned to find an opportunity that evening to tell Xiao Yan that he could start looking for an Alchemy Furnace and prepare to refine medicine.
Yet before he could even open his mouth, Xiao Mo had cut him off again. He was beginning to suspect the brat could read minds.
Watching Yao Lao's ever-changing expression, Xiao Mo did not know whether to laugh or cry, but he had already worked out what had happened.
Just as he had expected, Yao Lao had been planning to bring up medicine refining within the next couple of days. He simply had not expected Xiao Mo to let it slip first.
"Ahem."
"Master, doesn't this just mean our hearts beat as one? Didn't you take me as your disciple so I could help Junior Brother refine pills?"
"That's why I thought I'd ask you about alchemy. Who knew we'd be thinking the same thing? It only proves how deep the bond between master and disciple runs."
Yao Lao snorted. This disciple of his was smooth on every side and far more calculating than the straightforward Xiao Yan.
Sometimes, he even felt that Xiao Mo was less like a teenager and more like an adult in his twenties or thirties who had weathered the vicissitudes of life.
"All right, all right. You two go buy an Alchemy Furnace first. Once you have a suitable one, I can teach you to refine medicine tonight."
After speaking, his gaze settled on Xiao Mo's face again.
"Brat, we may call you an assistant, but your role is extremely important. In fact, I think that if you could cultivate another wood-type technique and combine it with a water-type technique..."
"With both techniques aiding the refining process, you'd get twice the result with half the effort. What a pity, though."
Yao Lao sighed.
Unfortunately, Xiao Mo practiced an ice-type technique. It could indeed help Xiao Yan with temperature control and a few other aspects during pill refining.
But that was all. If he had a wood-type technique to regulate the process, the pills they refined would be even purer.
Xiao Mo paused. After hesitating for a moment, he looked at Yao Lao.
"Master, I can start learning now. Do you think my constitution would allow me to cultivate a wood-type technique as well?"
Yao Lao shot him a look, then shook his head with a wry smile.
"I examined your foundation the very first day we met. If you really had that ability, I would have put you to work long ago. Why would I have let you lounge around until now?"
Oh, so I'm not suited for it.
Xiao Mo sighed. Everyone's talent had its limits. Some people could cultivate two techniques, but most of them ran into barriers.
With limited energy, they could not devote themselves fully to a single technique. On top of that, techniques could either complement or counteract one another, so most dual-technique cultivators struggled to achieve complete mastery.
Thus, even those with special constitutions that allowed them to cultivate two techniques generally chose to cultivate only one.
That amounted to abandoning the other technique outright.
Still, as the strongest support, the more he could cultivate, the better. Metal, wood, water, fire, earth-the more numerous and varied his techniques, the better he could help Xiao Yan refine stronger pills.
"A wood-type technique?"
But his current constitution was only suited to ice-type techniques. Was there any way to open up the possibility of cultivating a wood-type technique as well?
He thought of the System Shop and immediately searched through it carefully. To his surprise, he actually found several pills.
Wood-Type Spiritual Root Pill, price: 100,000 points. Earth-Type Spiritual Root Pill, price: 100,000 points.
Xiao Mo stood rooted to the spot.
"They have what I need, but isn't this way too expensive?"
He currently had only thirty thousand points-not even half the price.
As expected, pills that opened up spiritual roots did not come cheap.
He checked his points, but in the end, he could only give up completely.
"Forget it. Why humiliate myself?"
With his current abilities, even completing another dozen or so missions might not earn him that many points.
It seemed he would have to wait a while before he could afford to exchange his points for that wood-type spiritual root.
Xiao Mo sighed softly. Just as he was about to give up, a startled cry suddenly rang out from the woods behind them.
Yao Lao swiftly flashed back into the ring.
At that moment, a petite figure darted out of the woods and soon appeared behind them.
"Brother Xiao Yan, there you are."
Xiao Xun'er gazed at Xiao Yan with a beaming smile, but when she turned toward Xiao Mo, her expression had already grown cold again.
"Oh, you're here too."
To hell with their lovey-dovey display. Weren't Xiao Xun'er's double standards a little too blatant?
She looked at him as though he were some random passerby-no, more like a romantic rival.
He had no idea how a grown man like him had ended up being singled out by Xiao Xun'er as a romantic rival.
Before he could snap back, Xiao Xun'er grabbed Xiao Yan.
"Brother Xiao Yan, I'll take you somewhere. The Xiao Clan is about to be in serious trouble."
At those words, both of them looked at Xiao Xun'er in surprise.
She immediately turned, pulling Xiao Yan up onto a tree trunk and simply ignoring Xiao Mo.
He sighed and silently followed.
As they drew closer to their destination, Xiao Mo already knew where Xiao Xun'er was taking them.
The Xiao Clan's Market!
The place was sparsely populated. A few customers picked up some pills, compared them carefully, then tossed them straight back.
"Your stuff is far too expensive. No good, no good. The Jia Lie Family's Market offers the same quality as yours, but their prices are less than half what you charge."
With that, the customer turned and left, leaving the shopkeeper standing in the shop with a face full of worry.
Before you continue