Chapter 227 Xiao Yan’s plan
Medusa felt the sincerity and concern in Xiao Ling's words, and a trace of gratitude flashed in her eyes: "Master Xiao Ling, I will keep your reminder in mind. I will naturally weigh the pros and cons and will not let the tribe fall into danger because of my momentary impulse."
Even Medusa herself did not notice that there was an indescribable meaning in her eyes when she looked at Xiao Ling.
"Okay, let's talk about the matter of the Heavenly Demon Puppet later." Xiao Ling nodded slightly and gave Medusa a faint smile. Then he turned his gaze to Xiao Yixian, Qinglin and Ziyan, and said with a hint of lightness in his tone, "I will go to the clan leader now to tell him some matters. If there is nothing else, we will set off for Luoyan Empire soon. You should also prepare and pack your luggage."
Then, Xiao Ling's eyes gently fell on Xiao Yixian, and he added: "Xian'er, my precious medicinal herbs are all planted in the medicine garden outside the alchemy room. Please help me sort them out. You know, those medicinal herbs are extremely important to me and need to be carefully packed."
Hearing this, Little Medical Fairy nodded in agreement. Her voice was soft and ethereal: "Xiao Ling, don't worry, I will carefully organize your herbs and help you pack up your things."
Zi Yan and Qing Lin also said that they would pack their belongings and make sure everything was ready so that they could set off at any time.
Xiao Ling nodded gently and waved goodbye to them. With a gentle wave of his hand, the Earth Demon Puppet that had been standing quietly beside him turned into a silver light and was taken back into his ring.
Then, he walked at a leisurely pace towards Xiao Zhan's residence, ready to report to him his decision to set off.
Xiao Ling's figure gradually walked away, and the Xiao Yixian, Qing Lin and Zi Yan who were left behind also started to get busy, each preparing everything they needed for the journey.
The Little Medical Fairy walked towards her medicine garden, where various rare medicinal herbs and poisons were planted. She carefully picked these herbs one by one, transplanted them into special pots, or carefully stored them in containers. Although the ring could not store living things, these specially treated medicinal herbs could be stored in it safely.
Qinglin was busy gathering his pet snakes that were playing in the yard. He called softly, and the pet snakes seemed to understand his call and swam to his side.
Qinglin smiled slightly, activated the pupil space in his Green Snake Three Flower Pupil, and collected the snake pets one by one. Afterwards, he sorted out some of his miscellaneous items, put them into the storage ring, and then went to the backyard, intending to take Tianhuo Zun and Yao Chen with him on the journey.
Zi Yan was relatively relaxed, as most of her belongings were stored in her ring and could be used at any time. She simply packed up some small toys and personal belongings in her bedroom, which she bought while shopping in the Jiama Empire and the Serpent Tribe Holy City. They were considered souvenirs.
After packing, she walked into the courtyard and chatted with Medusa. As they talked and laughed, they not only expressed their longing for the future, but also their reluctance to leave.
……
Xiao Ling gently pushed open the door of his courtyard, stepped onto the winding bluestone path, and walked slowly towards Xiao Zhan's residence.
As the patriarch of the clan, Xiao Zhan's residence was naturally located deep in the Xiao family's backyard. Therefore, Xiao Ling did not walk far before arriving at the door of Xiao Zhan's residence.
In the courtyard, ancient trees are towering and green shade is canopy. The chirping of birds echoes in the quiet air, adding a bit of vitality to this peaceful afternoon.
Standing outside Xiao Zhan's residence, Xiao Ling sensed something and found that the room was empty and Xiao Zhan did not seem to be in the room.
Xiao Ling couldn't help but twitch his lips. He sighed softly and said to himself helplessly, "Why isn't Xiao Zhan at home? If I had known earlier, I would have released my soul perception to investigate the situation in advance."
Just as Xiao Ling was about to turn around and leave, the sound of footsteps suddenly broke the tranquility of the courtyard, coming from far away and getting closer, announcing that someone was walking towards this side.
Xiao Ling stopped and turned to look at the source of the sound. He saw a tall figure in black clothes walking steadily from the corner of the corridor in the distance, with a calm and firm step and extraordinary momentum.
Looking closely, the man was Xiao Yan.
Since Xiao Yan's residence was right next to Xiao Zhan's, he often walked along the road in front of Xiao Zhan's yard. He had just walked out of his own yard and was planning to go to the martial arts field for daily martial arts training. Unexpectedly, he ran into Xiao Ling on the road.
Xiao Yan quickened his pace, walked up to Xiao Ling, and greeted him with a friendly smile: "Cousin."
As Xiao Yan approached, Xiao Ling saw his changes more clearly. This was the first time Xiao Ling saw him since he gave the Earth Core Tempering Milk to Xiao Yan last time. Compared with the appearance in his memory, Xiao Yan in front of him had changed significantly.
Compared with before, Xiao Yan has grown significantly taller and his figure is no longer as thin as before. He looks more upright and strong. His skin, which used to be a healthy wheat color, now looks whiter, as if it has undergone some kind of baptism, making the skin texture more delicate. The contours of his face are also clearer, with firm lines, revealing a mature temperament.
Xiao Ling carefully sensed and found that Xiao Yan's aura had reached the Dou Ling level. Obviously, after receiving the Earth Core Tempering Body Milk from Xiao Ling, with the help of the Earth Core Tempering Body Milk, Xiao Yan had successfully broken through his own cultivation limit and was now a Dou Ling with considerable strength.
Xiao Yan came to Xiao Lingjin, and then his eyes turned to the courtyard behind Xiao Ling, which was Xiao Zhan's residence. So he asked with some curiosity: "Cousin, are you here to discuss something with my father?"
Xiao Ling nodded slightly and replied, "Yes, Xiao Yan. I was just planning to discuss something with the clan leader."
After hearing Xiao Ling's words, Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment, then said: "Father should not be in the yard at this time. He should be dealing with some clan affairs. But it doesn't matter. I'll take you there, cousin."
Xiao Ling approved of Xiao Yan's proposal, nodded, and said, "Okay, then please take me there."
Xiao Yan smiled and said he didn't mind, then led Xiao Ling along the bluestone path towards the meeting room where Xiao Zhan might be.
The two walked side by side along the winding bluestone path, occasionally exchanging a few words along the way. Although they did not come into contact frequently on weekdays, perhaps because they were both time travelers, although Xiao Yan did not know Xiao Ling's background, he did not feel any estrangement during the conversation.
During the conversation, Xiao Yan mentioned: "Cousin, I heard that you are leaving the Xiao family today, right?"
Xiao Ling nodded slightly and answered calmly: "Yes, I have some things to deal with outside, so I have to go out." After listening, Xiao Yan did not delve into the specific reason why Xiao Ling went out, but changed the subject and continued to ask with a hint of curiosity: "Cousin, is it true that the three-nation coalition may attack the Jia Ma Empire?"
As the third young master of the Xiao family, although Xiao Yan was not informed of the entire situation, he had heard some rumors and could not help feeling a little worried.
Nodding, Xiao Ling responded affirmatively: "Indeed, the conflict between the Three Kingdoms' Allied Forces and the Gama Empire is probably unavoidable, but this collision will not happen immediately. It is estimated that we have to wait for some time, at least about a year."
As soon as Xiao Ling finished speaking, he turned his gaze to Xiao Yan and asked in a probing tone, "After hearing about this rumor, what are you going to do? Stay in the Jia Ma Empire, or go back to Canaan Academy to take shelter?"
After hearing this, Xiao Yan thought for a moment and then said, "Although it may be dangerous to stay, I still want to stay in the Xiao family. Although my strength may not be of much use now, I can still help a little."
Although Xiao Yan did not have many emotional ties to the Jia Ma Empire or even many members of the Xiao family, he always had a deep respect for his father Xiao Zhan in this life.
As the leader of the family, Xiao Zhan shouldered a heavy responsibility and naturally would not choose to escape in times of crisis. Therefore, Xiao Yan also stood firm in his position and naturally could not leave when the family needed him.
He paused for a moment and continued, "Besides, if the situation is really bad, I will naturally arrange for the clan members to evacuate. I believe that you, cousin, must have prepared a way out for the Xiao family."
In Xiao Yan's heart, although Xiao Ling did not seem to have deep feelings for the Jia Ma Empire and the Xiao family, he firmly believed that once the Xiao family faced a real crisis, Xiao Ling would definitely lend a helping hand within his ability. Xiao Yan knew Xiao Ling's temperament to some extent. He knew that this cousin was not an indifferent person, and he would not sit idly by and watch the safety of the family.
After hearing this, Xiao Ling's lips slightly raised, revealing a smile of approval. His voice was a little relaxed, but also serious: "Your guess is indeed close to the truth. This time I came to the clan leader to discuss some coping strategies to ensure that the Xiao family can be prepared even if faced with a storm. After all, no one wants to see the Xiao family's mansion turned into a ruin when we return again."
Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan walked slowly side by side. Along the way, the number of Xiao family members gradually increased. As soon as they saw Xiao Yan and Xiao Ling, they stopped, saluted respectfully and greeted them.
Along the way, Xiao Ling noticed many familiar faces. He vaguely remembered some of these tribesmen. They seemed to be orphans with whom he had lived in the Xiao family when he was a child.
Xiao Ling's eyes inadvertently swept across the faces, and one of the tribesmen caught his attention. He was a young man named Xiao Bai. As far as he could remember, he was one of the first tribesmen Xiao Ling saw after awakening his memory.
As time goes by, the once green boy has grown into a young man. His talent for cultivation is not outstanding, and he is currently only a fighting master.
When Xiao Bai's eyes met Xiao Ling's, he did not show any special emotions. He just bowed respectfully like the other tribesmen, and then silently stepped aside without any extra words or excessive actions.
Xiao Ling nodded slightly in response, without much emotion towards this tribesman. After all, the two of them were no longer from the same world.
Recalling that time, Xiao Ling couldn't help but smile nostalgically.
At that time, before he showed his talent, he was always busy studying and had little time to play with the kids in the same dormitory.
Despite this, the lively children always seemed happy to find opportunities to spend time with him, although the successes were rare.
However, time flies, and the current situation is very different from before. Except for those tribesmen who are close to him and some innocent children, other tribesmen who know the world seem a little restrained in front of Xiao Ling.
This may be because he has been away from his family for a long time, or it may be related to his current unfathomable strength, and the tribesmen naturally feel awe in front of him.
Although Xiao Ling felt a little emotional, he did not have deep feelings for the Xiao family, and only had some blood ties. If it were not for the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade given to him by Xiao Zhan, which allowed him to gain many benefits from the ancient clan, his concern for the Xiao family might have been even more indifferent.
However, even so, Xiao Ling's return to the Xiao family was enough. After all, although the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade was precious, it was not certain whether it was a blessing or a curse for the Xiao family.
The Earth Demon Puppet with Dou Zong strength that he was going to give to the Xiao family was his last gift. From now on, the fate of the Xiao family would be in their own hands. Whether it would prosper or decline would depend on their own efforts and luck.
On the quaint and solemn stone pavement of the Xiao family, Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan walked side by side. They passed through several winding corridors, walked through several quiet courtyards, and finally arrived at the door of the meeting hall.
Here, the guards' eyes were piercing. When they saw the two people coming, they immediately stood up in awe and saluted: "Master Xiao Ling, Master Xiao Yan."
Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan just nodded slightly, responding to the guard's courtesy in the most concise way.
Xiao Yan stepped forward and knocked on the door of the meeting room. At the same time, he turned to Xiao Ling and said, "Cousin, we are here. Father should be inside getting ready."
A moment later, a calm and powerful voice came from the conference room: "Come in." This was Xiao Zhan's voice.
Xiao Yan gently pushed open the heavy wooden door and politely made a gesture to invite Xiao Ling in. Xiao Ling nodded slightly to express his gratitude, and then walked into the meeting room with firm steps.
After watching Xiao Ling walk in, Xiao Yan did not stay here for long. He turned around and left, walking towards the training ground, intending to practice some fighting skills.
His plan today was to focus on improving his proficiency in the Flame Devouring Wave Ruler. Since he had broken through to the Douling realm, the power of this martial art had far exceeded that of the Great Dou Master, so he planned to hone it.
In the conference room, Xiao Zhan was sitting in the main seat, his eyes focused on a scroll in his hand, as if he was studying some important information.
(End of this chapter)