Each with her own worries

"Teacher, are you saying this is fifth-tier beast fire?"

After returning to her room, Xiao Yan stared at the jade bottle in her hand, her face full of astonishment.

"Mmm..." Apothecary lay flat beside her, her voice sounding rather listless. "Guess where it came from..."

Apothecary had always been able to tell that the power behind Xun'er did not care all that much about the Xiao Clan.

Moreover, she had always felt that, although Xiao Yan and Xun'er were inseparably close now, they would definitely belong to two different worlds in the future.

After all, how could childhood affection withstand the enormous gulf carved out by time, status, and the like?

Once Xun'er "went home" and the two parted, the gap between them would only grow wider. By the time they met again, a sorrowful, thick barrier would stand between them.

But now, Apothecary had to put a question mark next to that assumption.

Perhaps friendships that truly "crossed class boundaries" did exist?

Friendship was a wondrous thing, after all. It was not something easily explained!

If... Xun'er "took charge" one day, wouldn't the Xiao Clan soar straight into the sky?

"She opens with fifth-tier beast fire. Tsk, tsk. Girl, honestly, if she weren't a girl herself, I'd be wondering whether she had some improper designs on you," Apothecary said.

"Hiss..." Xiao Yan could not help sucking in a cold breath.

Handing out fifth-tier beast fire right off the bat-classic Xun'er.

And being able to casually give away fifth-tier beast fire meant that the power behind Xun'er had, at the very least, experts above the Dou Wang level.

Even a Dou Emperor probably would not casually give someone fifth-tier beast fire, would they?

This was simply... terrifying beyond belief.

Apothecary continued muttering beside her. "To her, this is just one hair off nine oxen. But she still took your needs into account and chose the gentlest one, peach blossom flame..."

She sat upright and looked at Xiao Yan with a face full of "solemnity." "Seriously, girl, why don't you just give yourself to her? Your big sis means it."

Xiao Yan raised a hand to her forehead. "Teacher, some things shouldn't be said carelessly."

"Heh." Apothecary answered with a "smile"-message read, no reply.

Of course, she had only been making an offhand remark.

Vast as the continent was, with all manner of wonders, most things still followed the basic rules.

Besides, who didn't have a close friend?

It was just that she had never had a "rich lady" friend back then, nor experienced the feeling of being "kept."

Of course, it was only a tiny little wisp of fifth-tier beast fire, so she was not the least bit jeal... ous.

As the saying went, without comparison, there was no hurt.

Fifth-tier beast fire naturally meant little to Apothecary now, but if she suddenly looked back, she would find the past too painful to revisit.

When she had been a Dou Zhe, who had ever given her fifth-tier beast fire?!

Sob.

"Teacher, just how powerful is Xun'er's background?" Xiao Yan could not help asking.

"..." Apothecary fell silent.

"Let me put it another way. If I wanted to 'marry into' her family, what level would I need to reach?" Xiao Yan joked.

That question could also be understood as, "What level do I need to reach to keep calling Xun'er my sister in the future?"

"..." Apothecary remained silent.

"All right, Teacher. Get some rest." Xiao Yan stopped asking and gave the "sorrow-stricken" Apothecary some space.

Not answering was itself an answer. Silence was an answer, too.

Xiao Yan considered her talent quite good, and Apothecary had also said that, if her cultivation method did not hold her back, reaching Dou Zong would be no problem at all.

Then, taking the ideal scenario-

With Apothecary as her teacher, she would never lack pills and such. If she got lucky, found a wild heavenly flame or two, and then met a benefactor willing to lift her up, even Dou Zun was not beyond hope.

Add in her identity as an Alchemist, and at the Dou Zun level... perhaps she could even hold a lofty position?

And that still wasn't enough for her to go to Xun'er's home and "live off her"... no, to keep calling Xun'er her "sister" in the future?

Xiao Yan grimaced, beginning to question her life.

Even a Dou Zun didn't count for much... was there a Dou Sheng family behind Xun'er?

Seriously, she had known that girl had a powerful background, but she had never imagined it was this powerful!

Goddammit, the Xiao Clan was only a Da Dou Shi family, with barely a handful of cats, big and small. What merit did it have to make a young lady like that stoop to coming here?

Just as Xiao Yan sank into withdrawal and doubt, Apothecary suddenly offered a few words of explanation.

"Over these past few days, I've taught you some things about Alchemists. You know that my heavenly flame is the eleventh-ranked bone spirit cold flame."

"But in front of that little girl, the bone spirit cold flame felt nothing but fear. She carried the aura of a heavenly flame far beyond it."

"Though the bone spirit cold flame ranks eleventh, even a Dou Zun would cast an interested eye at it and be unable to resist joining the fight for it. Understand?"

Xiao Yan nodded listlessly. "Thank you for the guidance, Teacher."

Discovering all at once that the sister beside her had gone from a "little rich girl" to a "top-tier heir," Xiao Yan found herself somewhat... questioning her life.

Now Xiao Yan finally put the pieces together-the mysterious power previously suspected of "monitoring" the Xiao Clan was probably Xun'er's!

Tsk. The "hidden threat" might be gone, but why didn't that feel particularly good...?

Actually, Xun'er's powerful background was not necessarily a bad thing. As long as Xiao Yan maintained a good relationship with her, once Xun'er "took power," the most casual helping hand could send the Xiao Clan soaring.

Still, helping was a kindness, not helping was no breach of duty.

It wasn't as though someone being rich while you were poor, with a little connection between you, meant they were obliged to pay your way. That made no sense, did it?

Xiao Yan had always been quite clear-eyed about that, and she had never entertained any thoughts of "living off someone."

Nor was Xiao Yan's low mood a case of "fearing her sister would suffer, yet fearing her sister would drive a Land Rover." She was not the jealous sort.

What hurt was that, while she had no such designs on Xun'er, Xun'er was still her "only" friend.

Her ties with the other Xiao Clan youngsters had fallen apart during those years when she became "trash," and now she had no desire to interact much with them.

As her "first friend in another world," Xun'er held a very important place in Xiao Yan's heart.

Previously, Xiao Yan had thought Xun'er's family was merely a Dou Emperor or Dou Zong power. With her talent, their "friendship could last forever."

But with a Dou Sheng family behind Xun'er, things were different.

Once Xun'er returned to "inherit the family business" and broadened her hor... ahem, gained the knowledge and experience she should have had, the gap between them would grow wider-in every respect.

Then this "only" friend would probably, inevitably, "drift farther and farther away" from her.

At that thought, Xiao Yan still felt a faint ache in her heart.

But this was not something her will could change.

Fuck. I finally found one close friend on this continent, someone I could actually talk to, and you had to make me lose so utterly.

But feelings could not be forced, and neither could friendship, especially when the gap between the two sides' "classes" was enormous.

So even if she and Xun'er became "the most familiar strangers" someday, she would only feel a little regret.

Of course, if Xun'er did not care about any of that in the future, it would naturally be a good thing for her.

After all, she did not have many friends in this world...

With a sigh, Xiao Yan shook her head, stopped letting her thoughts wander, and sat cross-legged to cultivate, preparing to devour the peach blossom flame.

Why think so far ahead? Just make the most of the present.

Everything else... could wait.