The old man serving as the "head of security" at the entrance had realized the visitor was no ordinary person the moment he saw the carriage.
He immediately came out to welcome her. "Young... miss, what brings you here?"
When an honored guest arrived, ordinary "gatekeepers" were not qualified to escort them inside. Nor would it do to leave an honored guest standing at the entrance while waiting for someone of sufficient status to come out.
That was why an old man like him was tasked with receiving distinguished visitors.
The "head of security" had his uses, though not many. After all, he spent most of his time idle.
Xiao Yan spoke casually. "Sorry for the trouble, but please announce me."
"Xiao Yan of the Xiao Clan has come to visit."
The Xiao Clan. Xiao Yan!
The old man immediately perked up at her words. Anyone in his line of work had to be well informed, or they could easily offend the wrong person.
Even without the Imperial Family or the Alchemist Association secretly building her reputation, being a fifteen-year-old Second-Rank Alchemist was enough to have her name passed from mouth to mouth throughout the imperial capital.
After all, quite a few "pure bystanders" had witnessed that scene.
Xiao Yan's name had already spread throughout the imperial capital over the past few days. How could someone working at the entrance to the Nalan Mansion not know it?
The old man immediately nodded respectfully, bending a little lower. "Certainly, Miss Xiao. Please follow me."
With that, he turned and led the way into the mansion.
Meanwhile, someone had already hurried off to inform the Nalan Family Leaders.
Xiao Yan followed the old man inside. Someone else escorted the elderly woman assigned by the Imperial Family away to receive her, while the driver and carriage were also taken away and accommodated.
Ta-da! Is my carriage safe parked outside your place... ahem, wrong channel.
Before long, a middle-aged man approached Xiao Yan with a welcoming smile.
He was Nalan Su, Nalan Jie's son and Nalan Yan's father.
He was also the Nalan Family's Acting Family Head.
After all, Nalan Jie had been afflicted with brand poison and frequently had to enter seclusion to suppress it;
Nalan Yan, meanwhile, was the Misty Cloud Sect's head disciple. Since the sect operated under "semi-closed management," he spent most of the year away from home, only returning a handful of times.
As a result, Nalan Su now handled most of the Nalan Family's affairs.
Xiao Yan was a junior visiting their home. Having Nalan Su, the Acting Family Head, personally welcome her already showed her plenty of respect.
After all, no matter how talented Xiao Yan was, she had yet to mature, while Nalan Jie was, at the very least, a Dou Wang.
It was not as though he could not appear personally, but... there was "no need."
"Hehe, my dear niece, what brings you to the imperial capital all of a sudden? You should have let your uncle know beforehand," Nalan Su said with a smile.
Xiao Yan gave an inward chuckle. That "niece" certainly sounded affectionate, as though their families had been on wonderfully close terms all along.
She showed none of it on her face, however. "Uncle Nalan, please forgive me for dropping by unannounced."
Xiao Yan responded to Nalan Su's greeting with a smile. She was still a junior, after all, so it would hardly do to abandon her manners now.
But that was as far as it went.
Although she had never been one to assume the worst of others, when it came to the Nalan Family... well, not the entire family, really;
She genuinely could not muster any "fondness" for those involved in the "broken engagement" that had slapped the Xiao Clan in the face.
As the saying went, if the upper beam was crooked, how could the lower beam be straight?
Nalan Su had also tacitly approved of that "broken engagement," to some extent.
After all, when an avalanche struck, every snowflake had bravely ventured to the ends of the earth!... ahem.
Nalan Su sensed the faint distance beneath Xiao Yan's polite smile, but he merely smiled with a hint of embarrassment and said nothing more.
After showing Xiao Yan to a seat, Nalan Su made some small talk and showered her with praise, carefully avoiding certain awkward subjects.
Nalan Yan did not appear either. Perhaps he happened to be cultivating at the Misty Cloud Sect. That suited Xiao Yan just fine, sparing her the awkwardness of meeting him.
"Uncle Nalan, I did come here today for a particular matter."
Once the pleasantries were over, Xiao Yan went straight to the point.
"I came to treat Old Master Nalan's brand poison."
Nalan Su paused, clearly not expecting those words from Xiao Yan.
Nalan Jie's affliction was no longer a secret, but Xiao Yan was the first person to come straight to their door offering to treat the brand poison.
After all, even the Sixth-Rank Alchemist, Pill King Gu He, had been helpless against it. The only solution he had proposed was to use heavenly flames.
No matter how heaven-defying Xiao Yan's talent was, she was only a mere Second-Rank Alchemist. Could she possibly be better than Pill King Gu He?
Still, out of "politeness," Nalan Su did not mock her or anything of the sort. "Oh? What method do you have in mind, my niece?"
"Hehe, Uncle Nalan, forgive my boldness," Xiao Yan said with a smile. "I would like to exchange this method for the seven illusory azure spirit saliva."
Nalan Su's brows furrowed slightly.
What the hell... had she come to snare a white wolf with her bare hands?
Xiao Yan had made it clear that she would only provide a method, with no "after-sales service" whatsoever.
That meant that if they refused to hear it, they would never know whether it worked. But if they heard it, they would have to "pay," whether it worked or not...
Just... brilliant!
And was Xiao Yan really not here to pick a fight?!
Nalan Su asked with a frown, "How confident are you in this method, my niece? And how long would it take to show results?"
"As things stand, completely confident, and it would only take a moment," Xiao Yan replied with a smile. "But if you wait another few years for the brand poison to spread, I could no longer say how confident I would be."
"Uncle Nalan, why not inform Old Master Nalan and let him decide?"
"After all, I'm sure you know just how difficult it would be to find an Alchemist who possesses heavenly flames and is willing to help..."
Nalan Su fell silent. Xiao Yan, however, remained as steady as an angler on his fishing platform, in no hurry whatsoever. She was not the one who needed to worry.
How many heavenly flames were there on the entire continent? There were probably fewer than ten people across the whole continent who both possessed heavenly flames and were Alchemists.
Every one of them occupied a lofty position and enjoyed an immensely distinguished status.
And one of those few people would just happen to pass through the Northwest Continent, then deign to purge Nalan Jie's poison for something a Dou Wang could offer?
Well, fancy that, there really was one-Apothecary fit the bill.
But Xiao Yan certainly would not let Apothecary act. It was not worth it.
Nalan Jie could currently suppress the brand poison with his cultivation, but unless it was completely eradicated, the danger of an outbreak would always remain.
Nalan Jie could still hold it down now, but what happened when he no longer could?
Now that there was a way to "eradicate" it, Nalan Jie and the others would certainly seize the opportunity. After all, the odds were better than "meeting an Alchemist who possessed heavenly flames and was willing to help."
Unless Nalan Jie no longer wanted to live. In that case, Xiao Yan would not mind letting him and the brand poison compete to see which was more stubborn.
"Hmm... my niece, please wait a moment. I need to discuss this with the old master," Nalan Su said after a moment's hesitation.
Xiao Yan nodded. "It's fine, Uncle. I'm in no hurry."
Even if you don't choose now, I have plenty of ways to get my hands on that seven illusory azure spirit saliva.
Of course, now that she had visited, going back to "steal" it would easily draw suspicion. She would have to log in as "White Robe" and give Nalan Jie a roasting with bone spirit cold flame.
Naturally, that would be far more troublesome. Getting it directly was still the safest option.
Honestly, purging Nalan Jie's poison and saving his life for just one stalk of seven illusory azure spirit saliva was already as cheap as it could possibly get, okay?!
After all, she was not some bad person.
Before you continue