Xiao Yan had never expected so many people to suddenly surround him. For a moment, he was dumbstruck.
He immediately reached for his medicine pouch, quickly took out the pills, and began recording the people's information in a little notebook.
Meanwhile, the crowd began scrambling madly for them.
He immediately formed a protective layer of Dou Qi around himself to keep them from getting close and snatching everything away.
Before handing out the medicine, he looked up and warned the customers.
"Each person gets only one. Anyone who tries to take more won't get even a single pill."
With the center of the grounds as the dividing line, two very different scenes unfolded.
On the left, all was peaceful and pleasant as Xiao Yan busily registered the customers' information and handed out pills.
On the right, Xiao Mo and the shopkeeper were locked in a life-and-death struggle. Xiao Mo wasn't using his full strength, instead toying with the Jia Lie Family's shopkeeper like a cat playing with a mouse.
The shopkeeper fought himself to exhaustion, cold sweat covering his entire body, yet he still couldn't turn defeat into victory.
He had become a complete laughingstock to everyone around him.
Xiao Mo waved the rejuvenation powder in his hand.
"Are you sure you want to keep going?"
The shopkeeper wrestled with himself for a moment. He knew that continuing would only bring him more humiliation.
He could only tuck his tail between his legs and slink away.
The Market was bustling, with people coming and going everywhere, all drawn over by the rejuvenation powder.
Some even asked on the spot how much the rejuvenation powder would cost, saying they could purchase it in bulk.
The two maintained the same stance from beginning to end.
"Anyone who wants to buy rejuvenation powder, please wait for news from our Xiao Family Market. You should hear something within a few days."
After staying in the Market a while longer, the two quickly cleared out all the rejuvenation powder they had brought.
When they returned to the sect, Xiao Clan disciples immediately came over to meet them.
"Xiao Yan, Xiao Mo, where have you two been?"
"Did you two go out to distribute rejuvenation powder? What a criminal waste of something precious!"
"Junior brothers, this stuff is so valuable. Why didn't you leave more for the sect? How could you give it all away for free?"
Quite a few people walked up and immediately began condemning the two for their wastefulness.
Xiao Yan opened his mouth to explain, but Xiao Mo raised a hand and patted the back of his hand.
"There's no need to explain."
After saying that, he swept his gaze over everyone around them.
"Fellow disciples, if you need any, you can ask the Xiao Clan Leader for rejuvenation powder. We went to the Market on his instructions."
"We followed our superior's orders in everything. How could that possibly count as acting on our own?"
He immediately bowed deeply to everyone around them.
"Fellow disciples, we're already tired. May we go back and rest first?"
He had invoked the Xiao Clan Leader to put pressure on them, and the disciples who had been criticizing them immediately shut their mouths.
Since this was the Xiao Clan Leader's decision, they could only obey. There was no room for questioning it.
The disciples reluctantly stepped aside.
Xiao Mo pulled Xiao Yan along, and the two quickly reached the Back Mountain.
"Why did you drag me here in such a hurry?"
Xiao Yan yawned. He was truly exhausted, especially after being mobbed by those people scrambling for rejuvenation powder. They had nearly torn his clothes off and stripped him naked, and he had only just managed to preserve his modesty.
Now, he really had no energy left to go along with Xiao Mo's antics.
Chuckling, Xiao Mo dragged him into the Back Mountain, then rubbed his ring.
"Yao Lao, come out."
Yao Lao soon appeared. He yawned and glared at him.
"Xiao Mo, do you ever have any real business? You keep bothering me every day when you have nothing better to do. You're really something."
Seeing Yao Lao's angry expression, he took out the High-Grade Alchemy Furnace he had just obtained and placed it directly before the old man.
"Save the grumbling for later. If you want to sleep, you can do it in a moment."
He forcefully turned both their heads, making them look at the Alchemy Furnace before them.
"Look. I got myself a fine treasure today."
Xiao Yan's eyes immediately lit up as he looked at the Alchemy Furnace.
Even though he was only a beginner, he could tell it was something good.
Beside him, Yao Lao was already rubbing his hands together in excitement.
He looked up at the two, then suddenly snatched the Alchemy Furnace into his arms.
"My disciples, look, I've had you under my tutelage for so long, and I haven't asked you for any benefits, have I?"
Xiao Mo was instantly stunned by the fellow's shamelessness.
He stepped forward, ready to snatch the Alchemy Furnace back.
"Master, is this how you fleece your disciples? And what do you mean you haven't benefited? You drained three years' worth of Xiao Yan's Dou Qi!"
"What more do you want? I brought this specifically so we could refine pills for the two of us. Why are you snatching it?"
Yao Lao looked at him with a pleading expression.
"My eldest disciple, just give this to your master. I'll trade you something for it."
With that, Yao Lao took out a large pile of manuals and tossed them into the cave.
These were all ordinary cultivation methods. In short, neither of the two would ever take a fancy to them.
Yao Lao could see their dissatisfaction too. Pained at having to part with his treasures, he felt around in his pocket and finally took out several prized possessions.
"I really do need a good Alchemy Furnace. Why don't you see whether you need any of these?"
Seeing Yao Lao's heartbroken expression, Xiao Mo found himself growing somewhat interested in these items.
He reached down and picked up the items on the ground.
"The Flame Sword! A high-grade treasured sword."
He tossed it lightly in his hand. He already had the Ice Sword, so this was completely useless to him.
He glanced back at Xiao Yan behind him. Although Xiao Yan would have a weapon of his own in the future, right now...
In any case, there was no way Yao Lao would return the Alchemy Furnace he had taken. Even if they tried to seize it by force, the fellow certainly wouldn't give it up.
Since that was the case, they might as well squeeze a few more benefits out of him.
He examined the other things on the ground. Only the High-Grade Alchemy Technique was of any use to him. Everything else was a fire-element cultivation method, making it worthless to him.
After some thought, he tossed the Fire Sword to Xiao Yan behind him.
"This is for you."
Then he turned back and pointed at the High-Grade Alchemy Technique manual.
"Master, you took such a good Alchemy Furnace from me. Shouldn't you give each of us a treasure?"
He waved the High-Grade Alchemy Technique in his hand, then pointed at the Fire Sword in Xiao Yan's hands behind him.
"We'll take these two. Agree, and you can take the Alchemy Furnace today. If you don't agree, hand it back immediately."
As he spoke, he raised his hand and started stepping forward to snatch the Alchemy Furnace.
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