"I can step in to treat Xiao Yan... but what can you offer in return?"
Chen Mo shifted his gaze toward Xiao Zhan, smiling faintly as he spoke.
Xiao Zhan was at a loss for words.
Indeed, what could he possibly offer that would interest a tier-three alchemist?
After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Might Master Chen Mo still be interested in that ring on my son’s finger?"
At those words, the surrounding Xiao Clan elders and clansmen immediately fell silent. After all, the rift between Chen Mo and the Xiao Clan had started over that very ring.
"That ring? I only took an interest in it on a whim back then. It just seemed novel. It’s been a long time since then—naturally, I’ve lost interest. Besides, a mere ordinary ring like that isn’t nearly enough..."
Chen Mo stroked his chin with a soft smile, hiding his true thoughts.
"I’ll throw in the Xiao Clan’s market district in Wu Tan City," Xiao Zhan said through clenched teeth.
The marketplace was already operating at a loss and would likely collapse soon anyway. He might as well give it away.
"Clan Leader, you mustn’t!"
The First and Second Elders behind Xiao Zhan immediately voiced their objection. Although the marketplace had been struggling, it still represented the foundation of the Xiao Clan. If they ceded control of it, they would be cutting off their last hope of revival.
The First Elder stepped forward and said bluntly, "Xiao Zhan, the Xiao Clan doesn’t belong to you alone. I do not agree to giving away the marketplace."
"Nor do I," the Second and Third Elders quickly echoed.
Xiao Zhan’s face darkened, clearly frustrated and helpless.
Chen Mo shook his head and chuckled. "I’m not interested in worldly things like your marketplace. I prefer rare and strange items—the more worthless they appear, the more I like them. Does your Xiao Clan have any ancient artifacts or heirlooms passed down through the generations? If you can bring me something like that—along with the ring—I’ll agree to treat Xiao Yan."
Chen Mo already knew the Xiao Clan possessed a jade fragment, which was part of the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor’s Jade, but he couldn’t be too obvious.
"Ancient artifacts? Heirlooms?"
The Xiao Clan members exchanged confused looks and fell into thought. Moments later, their expressions changed.
Coveting another clan’s heirlooms... what kind of twisted hobby was that? Wasn’t it shameless?
Still... it was true—they did have something like that. A jade fragment.
Only the First Elder and Xiao Zhan were truly aware of its significance.
Seeing everyone fall silent, Chen Mo said no more. Speaking further would only expose him. Instead, he said calmly, "I’ll be leaving Wu Tan City tomorrow. If you do have an heirloom, bring it—and the ring—to the Miteer Auction House. If you miss the deadline, I won’t wait."
With that, Chen Mo turned to Ya Fei to discuss where to temporarily house the Amethyst Winged Lion King for the night.
Xiao Zhan and the First Elder exchanged glances. Xiao Zhan finally said, "Let’s return to the clan and discuss this."
The First Elder nodded.
"Clan Leader, we can’t do this. That jade fragment was left by our ancestors, along with a strict family edict. All descendants of the Xiao Clan are to guard it carefully. We can’t just hand it over to an outsider."
In the large main hall, only Xiao Zhan and the First Elder were present. The latter immediately voiced his strong disapproval.
"But Yan’er is the future of our clan. Seeing him —I’m his father. I can’t just stand by and do nothing," Xiao Zhan said heavily.
"That may be so, but we cannot trade our ancestral heirloom for one person, not even for Xiao Yan," the First Elder said, stroking his white beard. "Besides, Chen Mo only asked for an heirloom—he never specified which one. Let’s just find something that looks like an ancient artifact and give him that."
"Will that really work?" Xiao Zhan was hesitant.
"It’s worth a try," the First Elder replied. But deep down, he didn’t place as much importance on Xiao Yan. Risking the entire clan for one person wasn’t worth it in his eyes.
"Alright then. You look for an artifact, and I’ll go talk to Yan’er."
The moon hung like a silver hook, and the sky was dotted with stars.
Atop a cliff, Xiao Yan lay on the back of a large tree trunk, a blade of grass in his mouth. He chewed it slowly, letting its faint bitterness spread across his tongue.
He raised his fair hand and stared at the ancient, black ring on his finger. His mind was still preoccupied with what had happened with Xun’er a few days prior. He was hesitating—should he go apologize tomorrow?
Suddenly, Xiao Yan’s ears twitched. He heard movement behind him.
Spitting out the grass, he turned around and smiled at the figure emerging from the darkness.
"Father, you’re here."
"Yan’er, it’s late. Why are you still out here in the back mountains?"
Xiao Zhan emerged from the shadows, dressed in a luxurious gray robe. He walked up with his hands behind his back, smiling faintly—but that smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.
"Is there something you need to talk to me about?" Xiao Yan asked, noticing his father’s unusual expression.
Looking at his son’s young, tender face, Xiao Zhan sighed and told him everything that had happened earlier that day.
As soon as he finished, Xiao Yan’s mood changed drastically. He sprang to his feet, his expression furious.
"Father, I don’t agree with this! That ring is my mother’s keepsake! How could we give it to someone else—especially Chen Mo?"
"I know the ring was left to you by your mother. But a keepsake is still just that—a reminder. It can’t replace a living person. Right now, your cultivation has reached a bottleneck. That’s the real issue. We need to fix it before it’s too late," Xiao Zhan said earnestly, trying to persuade him.
But Xiao Yan shook his head firmly. "There’s no need to say more, Father. I won’t give him the ring. And even if we did, there’s no guarantee he could cure my condition."
"But..." Xiao Zhan still wanted to say more, but Xiao Yan cut him off without another word.
"Alright then..." Xiao Zhan sighed deeply. He had no choice but to respect Xiao Yan’s decision.
As for the ring—while Yao Lao would be a significant asset to Chen Mo—it wasn’t absolutely necessary.
With the resources he had now, and given enough time, Chen Mo was confident he could break through to the Dou Di realm on his own.
Not to mention, he still had the system on his side.
So when it came to Xiao Yan’s ring, Chen Mo wasn’t obsessed. He’d accept it if they brought it. If they didn’t, it wasn’t a big deal.
If they delivered the ring tomorrow, he’d take it, give Xiao Zhan a random pill with a flashy name, and pretend it could cure Xiao Yan’s cultivation defect.
If they didn’t, he’d simply return to the imperial capital with Ya Fei and help her solidify her position in her clan—then move on to "harvesting" from Yun Yun.
In a secluded bamboo courtyard, Gu Xun’er sat listlessly, plucking at bamboo leaves.
Her thoughts had wandered far away.
Moments later, a shadowy figure cloaked in black energy appeared behind her and dropped to one knee.
Thanks to the Gu Clan’s vast resources, Ling Ying had already fully recovered from the severe injuries he’d sustained earlier.
Xun’er glanced at him and said softly, "Elder Ling, the Xiao Clan doesn’t possess the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor’s Jade. Inform the clan. I want to go spend some time at Jia Nan Academy."
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