NOVEL NEXT Chapter 358 Preparations before Leaving
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With Yao Chen's help, Xiao Yan assumed the role of an elderly Alchemist who wanted to take him as a disciple. He provided the Xiao Family with "Blood Coagulation Powder," attracting all the customers who had been taken by the Jia Lie Family back to the Xiao Family Market.
The Jia Lie Family, it seemed, had no desire to continue fighting with the Xiao Family. They ceased their activities and even proactively sold one of their markets to the Xiao Family, offering an apology.
Facing the Jia Lie Family's submission, Xiao Zhan decided to accept the favorable outcome, as he was unsure of the Alchemist's true attitude.
After all, even refining low-grade medicines required effort. If the other party felt that the Xiao Family was too greedy and didn't know when to stop, leading to dissatisfaction with Xiao Yan, then it would be a losing proposition.
Upon learning of Xiao Zhan's attitude, Xiao Yan was slightly touched; his father always thought of him.
He did not interfere with Xiao Zhan's decision, only refining as much "Blood Coagulation Powder" as possible to ensure the Xiao Family had sufficient stock, so that even after he left, the Xiao Family could still sell "Blood Coagulation Powder" and attract mercenaries. This was his repayment to his father and the Xiao Family.
Yao Chen looked at Xiao Yan's actions with a sense of relief.
This time, he should not have misjudged him; he was a good child who knew how to repay kindness. Xiao Yan could consider his family, not just himself, which indicated that he would not be another Han Feng.
His perception of Xiao Yan was also quietly changing. Affection is cultivated through long-term interaction. Having been betrayed by Han Feng, Yao Chen approached this apprenticeship with caution, not pouring out his heart from the beginning.
Xiao Yan, through his actual performance, deepened Yao Chen's trust and goodwill towards him.
When Yao Chen saw Xiao Yan spending all his time, except for eating and sleeping, helping the Xiao Family refine "Blood Coagulation Powder," to the point of his eyes being bloodshot, he couldn't help but lend a hand, personally refining a large batch of "Blood Coagulation Powder" for him.
"Hehe... Thank you, Teacher." Xiao Yan rubbed the low-grade naring in his hand, and through his spiritual sense, he "saw" the densely packed small jade bottles filled with "Blood Coagulation Powder" inside, grinning like a 200-pound child.
"You, ah..." Yao Chen's illusory soul body poked Xiao Yan's forehead with his index finger, shaking his head with a wry smile, a hint of helplessness in his expression.
...
The elderly gentleman Xiao Yan was impersonating reappeared before the members of the Xiao Family.
With a wave of his hand, the "Blood Coagulation Powder" spread across the room, shocking everyone present.
Xiao Zhan's breathing quickened, but he still maintained the demeanor of a clan leader, while the three Elders seemed somewhat flustered, their eyes wide with astonishment.
Seeing the three old fellows who had once been at odds with him show such expressions, Xiao Yan secretly felt a sense of satisfaction.
After handing over the "Blood Coagulation Powder" to Xiao Zhan, the "elderly gentleman" also stated that Xiao Yan would subsequently travel with him and would not return to Wu Tan City for some time.
While happy for Xiao Yan, Xiao Zhan also felt a slight sense of loss at the impending separation.
However, Xiao Zhan immediately thought of a question and asked the "elderly gentleman" how the profits from this batch of "Blood Coagulation Powder" should be handled.
Yao Chen, controlling Xiao Yan's body, replied that they could simply save it, and if the Xiao Family urgently needed funds, they could use it at any time.
Xiao Zhan was well aware of the "elderly gentleman's" obvious assistance and thanked him repeatedly.
The "elderly gentleman" declined the enthusiastic retention of the Xiao Family members, walked out of the Xiao Family, and disappeared into the crowd.
After resolving the issue of the Xiao Family Market's competitiveness, a huge weight was lifted from Xiao Yan's heart, and he finally turned his attention back to his own cultivation.
"Teacher, when are we leaving for our training?" Xiao Yan asked with a hint of anticipation.
"No rush," Yao Chen said with a smile. "Didn't your cousin say that the Jia Nan Academy's enrollment is about to begin? Wait a few days, register first... then take a leave of absence. Otherwise, if you want to scheme for the Fallen Heart Flame later, and it's not the Jia Nan Academy's enrollment season, you'd have to wait another year, wouldn't that be a waste of time?"
"Teacher is right." Xiao Yan nodded.
Yao Chen stroked his chin and suddenly said:
"Oh, right, I'll tell you the itinerary I've planned. In the next few days, you should think carefully about what you need to prepare."
"Hehe, training isn't just about refining your Dou Qi cultivation... It also includes how to interact with strangers, how to open up opportunities in unfamiliar places, how to Exploit your strengths, wilderness survival, identifying Magical Beasts, dealing with various emergencies... Anyway, all sorts of miscellaneous knowledge and experiences will become your gains during your training."
"Back then, when I traveled the Continent alone, I also suffered quite a few setbacks at first due to lack of experience..."
"Except in moments of crisis, I won't intervene, otherwise, the training would lose its meaning. So, Xiao Yanzi, be prepared to endure hardships... Hmm, you can also use these next few days to think about how to make yourself suffer less."
Three years of tempering his character had made Xiao Yan fearless of the foreseeable hardships ahead. He wasn't afraid of suffering, only of insufficient strength and the shame of being ridiculed and mocked. He never wanted to experience that feeling of powerlessness again, where he found it difficult to accept but couldn't change what had happened.
"Teacher, just tell me, tell me the itinerary, and I will walk it myself." Xiao Yan smiled confidently.
"Hmm, you've got the drive of a young man... I hope you can maintain it then." Yao Chen's smile held a hint of cunning.
In the next few days, Xiao Yan relaxed a lot. Cultivation also required a balance of exertion and rest; no one could endure constant tension. He spent time chatting and shopping with Xun Er and Xiao Meng, fully alleviating his mental fatigue, and the exhaustion accumulated from days of continuous alchemy dissipated completely.
After waiting for a few days, the Jia Nan Academy's enrollment team finally arrived.
Xiao Yu took Xiao Ning, Xiao Mei, Xiao Yan, Xiao Meng, and Xun Er to register.
On the way, she suddenly looked at Xiao Yan with some suspicion: "The whole family is saying you're going to study with an Alchemist? Why are you coming along?"
Xiao Yan's eyebrow twitched: "There's no rule that says having a teacher means you can't go to Jia Nan Academy, right?"
"That's true, but the academy doesn't teach in the same way as a personal master, nor is it individual instruction, so generally, it can't compare to the dedicated teaching of a teacher like yours, unless you can gain the favor of some powerful individuals in the Inner Courtyard," Xiao Yu explained.
"My teacher said to let me interact more with my peers, not to be blindly arrogant, and to let me know that there's always someone better out there," Xiao Yan replied.
"Heh, it's rare for you to have such an understanding!" Xiao Yu, still somewhat at odds with him, almost habitually retorted.
"Young Master Xiao Yan must be the best in the world!" Xiao Meng interjected.
This made Xiao Yan a bit awkward. He had confidence in himself, but saying he was the best in the world was going too far. The Dou Qi Continent was vast and boundless, and the Jia Ma Empire was just a medium-sized country in the Northwest corner of the Continent. How many heroes were there in the world?
Xiao Yu looked at Xiao Meng speechlessly, thinking there must be something wrong with her brain... You're just blindly praising your Young Master, aren't you?
"Ah haha... Xiao Meng, I'm not that amazing yet, what you're saying is a bit too..." Xiao Yan scratched his cheek with his index finger.
"But in Xiao Meng's heart, Young Master Xiao Yan is that amazing!" Xiao Meng responded without hesitation.
"Xun Er also believes that Brother Xiao Yan is the best." Xun Er said with a smile.
"I can't stand you guys..." Xiao Yu grumbled, quickening her pace.
"Sister..." Xiao Ning quickly chased after her.
Although the enrollment team was stationed in Wu Tan City, their enrollment scope actually included several surrounding cities, so many people came from other places.
Looking at the long queue, the members of the Xiao Family felt their scalps tingle.
"See? This is the immense influence of Jia Nan Academy. Who knows how many people are breaking their heads trying to get in," Xiao Yu said with pride.
Xiao Yan rubbed his nose, sighing inwardly. If he didn't already have a teacher, he would probably be one of the many, having to expend who knows how much effort to compete for a spot.
"Sister, what should we do? Should we queue?" Xiao Ning asked with a bitter face.
"Heh, the one recruiting this time happens to be my mentor, so why queue...? Follow me!" She waved her hand, saying with a hint of triumph.
With that, she lifted her long legs and walked towards the other side of the square.
Because the Academy's control over students was very minimal, unlike a Sect, most students eventually chose to return to their own countries.
Those not cultivated by a Sect rarely returned to stricter Sects; a large portion preferred to serve the Royal Family. Therefore, the Royal Family of the Jia Ma Empire supported Jia Nan Academy's recruitment.
A group of soldiers had strictly cordoned off the area behind the square where the recruitment team was located, and they were responsible for maintaining order.
These soldiers exuded a chilling aura, and the scent of iron and blood made Xiao Yan, Xiao Ning, and Xiao Mei feel immense pressure.
"They truly are the elite of the army..." Xiao Yan praised.
Xiao Ning and Xiao Mei even felt their legs go a bit weak.
Xiao Yan noticed Xun Er and Xiao Meng, whose expressions were normal, and raised an eyebrow.
"Xiao Yanzi, don't mind these too much... In front of true powerhouses, numbers are meaningless." Yao Chen's voice resonated in Xiao Yan's mind.
Xiao Yu spoke a few words with the leading officer, showed a jade green waist token as proof, and then led the group inside.
As they passed through the two neat rows of soldiers, the aura emanating from the surrounding soldiers suddenly grew stronger. The momentum among them subtly connected into a single entity, causing even Xiao Yu's face to pale slightly.
Xiao Ning and Xiao Mei, following behind her, found it even more difficult.
"You're deliberately making things hard for us, aren't you?" After passing through the ranks, Xiao Yu rolled her eyes at the leading officer, annoyed.
"Heh heh, taking the back door still requires something, right? My mentor ordered it." This officer also came from Jia Nan Academy and was quite familiar with Xiao Yu.
"Let's go." Xiao Yu waved her hand casually, leading the Xiao Family group towards the tents further back.
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