Chapter 303 The Han Sisters
Yao Chen listened to Xiao Ling's introduction while flipping through the map in his hand. He nodded slightly and said, "You are right. If you are just practicing the Burning Technique, it is okay to swallow this Netherworld Poison Fire. However, since you are an alchemist, before your cultivation reaches a certain level, absorbing this Netherworld Poison Fire may change the nature of your flame and may have an adverse effect on alchemy. This flame is indeed suitable for Xian'er. If she absorbs it, it will surely bring many benefits."
"As for the Netherworld Poison Dragon Scorpion, it is indeed a higher-level magical beast than the Sky Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast. Using the magic core of this magical beast to condense the poison pill for the girl Xian'er will definitely have a better effect. Although I can't tell the age of the map, the strength of the Netherworld Poison Dragon Scorpion must have increased. Coupled with its racial talent, this guy is not so easy to deal with. If you plan to deal with it, you must be fully prepared."
There was a hint of seriousness in Yao Chen's words, and he could obviously see that this mission would not be easy.
Yao Chen's reminder made Xiao Ling realize that this map of the Netherworld Poison Fire was already a few years old, and no one knew how much the Netherworld Poison Dragon Scorpion had grown during this period of time. After all, relying on the Netherworld Poison Fire to continuously absorb poison gas, even if the speed of magic beasts' cultivation was usually not as fast as that of humans, it must have accumulated considerable strength over the years.
But soon, Xiao Ling's eyes quickly became firm. He reached out and held Xiao Yixian's weak hand, and said solemnly: "Since we already know this information, there is no reason to let go of this opportunity. This will be of great benefit to Xian'er in condensing the poison pill, so I will naturally not let it go easily. No matter how many difficulties and obstacles there are ahead, I will fight for it."
Xiao Yixian felt the warmth of Xiao Ling's palm, and looking at his determined eyes, her heart softened. As a woman, having such a solid support by her side also made her feel extremely at ease and warm.
Yao Chen looked at the intimate interaction between Xiao Ling and Xiao Yixian and couldn't help but feel a little funny, with the corners of his mouth twitching slightly. Thinking back to the past, he was also a romantic man, never trapped by love, and countless women in Zhongzhou were conquered by him. He really had been through thousands of flowers without getting a single leaf on him. Now, watching his two juniors showing off their affection here, he couldn't help but feel mixed emotions.
However, Yao Chen is an older man after all, so he didn't care too much about it.
He coughed twice, adjusted his mood, and then regained his usual composure and said, "Since you are so determined, I will certainly support you. If you really encounter any difficult problems, I will do my best to help."
Yao Tianhuo also nodded to show his agreement: "If you need my help, just tell me, and I will do my best."
After Yao Chen finished looking through the map, he handed it back to Xiao Ling and added, "This place called Poison Mist Valley, I have heard of it a little bit when I was in Zhongzhou, but as an alchemist, I am not very interested in this kind of place, so I didn't learn much about it. I don't know the exact location, you have to ask around for yourself."
Xiao Ling nodded and responded, "Master Yao, I understand. I have a senior sister whose family is in the Northern Region of Zhongzhou, not far from Xingyao City. We can stay with her temporarily and find out the news about the Poison Mist Valley so that we can make some preparations to deal with the Netherworld Poison Dragon Scorpion."
After hearing this, Yao Chen smiled slightly and expressed his agreement: "This is good. Having someone familiar with the local situation to help will save a lot of trouble."
When Xiao Ling mentioned "senior sister", Xiao Yixian immediately guessed who he was referring to, that is, the senior sister Han Yue who had had physical contact with Xiao Ling. She couldn't help but cast a slightly resentful eye roll at Xiao Ling.
Zi Yan seemed very interested. She asked curiously, "Are we going to Han Yue's place? I haven't seen her for a long time."
Xiao Ling gently rubbed Zi Yan's hair and confirmed with a smile: "Yes, we are going to Tianbei City where Han Yue's family is. It has been many years since we last met, so we have to get together this time."
There was a hint of anticipation in his words, and he was clearly excited about the upcoming reunion.
Although Xiao Yixiang was a little dissatisfied, she was also attracted by the journey that was about to begin, and the little emotion in her heart soon disappeared.
After enjoying a sumptuous meal, Xiao Ling took the three girls for a leisurely stroll in Xingyao City. Xiao Yixian and Zi Yan both seemed particularly excited.
Especially Zi Yan, whose lively and active personality had been suppressed in the space wormhole for so long that she could no longer hold back. If someone proposed to go through the space wormhole again, she would definitely be the first to object.
The prosperity of Xingyao City is indeed impressive. Although it is not the most prosperous city in the center of Zhongzhou, its prosperity has far surpassed that of Tianya City, a well-developed city in the northwest continent.
Moreover, the overall strength of the cultivators in Xingyao City is indeed much higher than that in the Northwest Continent. Here, almost everyone is at least at the level of a Grand Fighter. A few years ago, such strength was enough to compete with the patriarch of one of the eight ancient clans.
Although Douhuang and Douwang-level warriors, who are rarely seen in the Jia Ma Empire, are not everywhere here, one or two can be seen occasionally on the streets.
Today was not a special day. Although there was an auction at the auction house, after some inquiries, they learned that there would not be any precious treasures. The finale of the auction today was just a low-level earth-level fighting technique.
Despite this, Xiao Ling and his group still attended the auction out of curiosity. Zi Yan seemed particularly excited throughout the entire process, and she happily participated in the bidding. Even though the prices of some items were raised far higher than their actual value, Xiao Ling did not stop her.
For Xiao Ling, money no longer has much meaning. As long as Zi Yan is happy, it doesn't matter how much money is spent. Moreover, those truly precious treasures are usually not traded with money, but exchanged by barter.
After the auction, Xiao Ling took the three girls to continue strolling in Xingyao City, experiencing the customs and culture here which were completely different from those in the Northwest Continent.
As night fell, the moonlight sprinkled on the streets, casting a mysterious veil over this bustling city. They booked several luxurious rooms in the inn and prepared to have a good rest here for the night.
After saying good night to each other, everyone returned to their rooms, ready to enjoy a peaceful and comfortable sleep on this night in Star City.
As soon as the first ray of sunlight in the morning shone on the earth, Xiao Ling couldn't wait to take the three girls and set off on the journey to Tianbei City.
……
Tianbei City is located outside the northern desert of the northern region of Zhongzhou. It is considered a corner of Zhongzhou. There are not many special outputs around the entire city, but there are no powerful monsters entrenched there either. It can be said to be a relatively safe area.
Tianbei City is not small in scale. It is definitely a giant city in the Northwest Continent, but in Zhongzhou, it is just a small city.
The whole city gives people a majestic feeling. The spacious streets are filled with people, revealing the city's considerable popularity.
The Han family is located in the south of Tianbei City, and opposite to it is the Hong family that occupies the north. These two families are like the two masters of this city. They divide the city into two distinct halves and each controls and divides the interests in the city.
Of course, there are some other small forces in Tianbei City, but compared with the Han and Hong families, they are insignificant and can only survive in the cracks, like floating, looking up at the two behemoths in the city.
……
"Father, I noticed that you were in a bad mood these days. Is it because the Hong family is looking for trouble again?" Han Yue asked with concern while wiping her father Han Chi's face with a wet towel in the patriarch's house of the Han family manor. When Han Xue, who was standing by, heard this, an indignant expression immediately appeared on her face.
"Ugh!!!"
Han Chi sighed, with a bit of helplessness in his tone: "In Tianbei City, the Hong family is always stronger than our Han family. They have always been ambitious and want to monopolize Tianbei City. They always pick on our Han family. In the past, our strength was similar, so they didn't dare to go too far."
"But the situation has changed in recent years. Ever since Hong Chen, the kid from the Hong family, broke through to the Dou Wang realm and joined the Fenglei North Pavilion, the Hong family has become even more arrogant. A few days ago, they openly intercepted our caravan outside the city. If Han Lin hadn't led people there in time..."
Han Yue's brows slightly frowned, her voice still calm and cold: "Fenglei North Pavilion! Hong Chen has not yet reached the Douhuang realm, he is just an ordinary outer pavilion disciple. Fenglei North Pavilion can't take such a big risk for them. Where does the Hong family get the courage to be so arrogant?"
She and Hong Chen are of the same age, but Hong Chen is still at the Dou Wang stage, while she herself is already a Dou Huang two-star powerhouse.
Han Yue thought that if she wanted, it would be easy for her to join a force that was no less powerful than Fenglei Pavilion. If she really joined, the Hong family would definitely not dare to act as recklessly as they do now.
Among the four pavilions, Fenglei Pavilion has been at its peak in recent years. It is divided into four branch pavilions, namely East, West, South and North, which are located in the four corners of the northern region of Zhongzhou, while the East Pavilion is the location of the main pavilion.
The Pavilion Master of the East Pavilion, the helmsman of the Wind and Thunder Pavilion, is one of the four great masters of the Four Square Pavilion, known as the Thunder Master. As for the Wind and Thunder North Pavilion, it is located on the Qifeng Mountain on the edge of the northern region of Zhongzhou, about a thousand miles away from Tianbei City. Although the Pavilion Master of the North Pavilion has not yet reached the realm of Dou Zun, he is also a famous high-level Dou Zong. With the strength of the Wind and Thunder North Pavilion, it is indeed not something that the Han family can easily provoke.
Han Chi had a bitter smile on his face. He shook his head, but his eyes revealed a determined cold light: "The Hong family is probably used to being arrogant. They always think that their strength is superior to ours. Now they are eager to control the entire Tianbei City."
"But if they think that our Han family is easy to bully, then they are very wrong. Our Han family doesn't like to cause trouble, but we will never let others bully us. If the Hong family really dares to take action against us, I will not stand idly by."
Han Yue, who was standing aside, saw her father's resolute attitude and a trace of worry flashed across her face. She did have a powerful trump card in her hand, a Dou Zong-level puppet.
Despite this, she still remembered Xiao Ling's instructions and never displayed this power in front of outsiders. She only occasionally used the puppet to go to the nearby Monster Mountain Range to collect some resources needed for cultivation.
She knew in her heart that if it really came to a head-on conflict with the Hong family, she would not hesitate to use this last trump card.
At this moment, Han Yue's thoughts couldn't help but drift away, and that familiar figure appeared in her mind.
I thought silently in my heart: "I wonder what realm Xiao Ling has reached now. With his ability, it should be no problem for him to handle these things. I really hope we can meet again soon..."
……
After a long journey, Xiao Ling and his companions finally arrived at Tianbei City. After asking around in the city, they soon found their destination and slowly stopped in front of a magnificent manor.
The manor covers a very large area, and from the outside, one can feel the owner's prominent status here.
There were several guards standing on both sides of the manor's gate. They were all energetic and their eyes were alert.
Xiao Ling took a quick look and found that these guards were at least at the Dou Ling level of strength. It was obvious that the security measures here were quite strict.
When the guards saw Xiao Ling and the other young men stop in front of the gate, they immediately became alert and looked at them with sharp eyes.
One of them, who looked like the captain of the security team, stepped forward and asked politely but with a bit of scrutiny, "Excuse me, what can I do for you?"
Xiao Ling stepped forward and walked towards the leader of the group of guards.
He smiled and said in a friendly tone: "Hello, my name is Xiao Ling. I used to study in the inner courtyard of Canaan College and I have a friendship with Senior Sister Han Yue. I came here specially this time, hoping to visit her family."
During the conversation, Xiao Ling casually took out four bottles of elixirs from his storage ring and handed them to the guard leader. He knew that these people all worked for the Han family, so his attitude was a little friendlier.
The guard leader took the pill from Xiao Ling, and his original vigilance decreased a lot. He looked at Xiao Ling with a kinder look.
Despite this, he still looked at Xiao Ling and the other three people carefully to confirm their identities and purpose.
After looking at Xiao Ling and the others for a few seconds, the guard commander discovered that these visitors were all young people, and he began to trust Xiao Ling's previous words a little more.
"Since you are an old acquaintance of the eldest lady, please wait in the reception room and I will inform you immediately." The guard commander nodded with a hint of smile in his tone.
Then, he turned around and gave a few instructions to a guard next to him, asking him to lead Xiao Ling and the other three to the reception room. He then left quickly, apparently to report the situation to the clan leader.
Led by the guards, Xiao Ling and his companions walked into an elegantly decorated reception room. The maids quickly brought tea, and Xiao Ling and his companions sat down on the sofa, sipping tea while waiting.
Soon, light footsteps were heard outside the reception room. The door of the reception room was pushed open, and the figures of two women appeared in everyone's sight.
The leading woman had a slim figure, fair skin, and long silver hair tied into a ponytail that swayed gently in the wind. She had a cool temperament, like a fairy who was not in touch with the mundane world. She was none other than Han Yue, Xiao Ling's senior schoolmate whom he had not seen for two years.
Behind Han Yue was a young woman who looked quite similar to her. She was Han Yue’s sister, Han Xue, the second daughter of the Han family.
Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her skin was like cream, she was tall, and she wore a purple dress with a curvy figure. There was a hint of indifference in her eyes, but at the same time there was a kind of cuteness that could not be ignored.
The two of them standing together formed a beautiful landscape. If they appeared in the outside world, they would definitely attract countless eyes.
As soon as Han Yue entered the reception room, her eyes fell directly on Xiao Ling, and Xiao Ling did the same.
Their eyes met in the air, as if thousands of words were conveyed in this look. They did not speak immediately, but communicated through their eyes, and each other's eyes revealed deep thoughts and warm smiles.
Xiao Ling looked at Han Yue. She was still as cool and elegant as ever. Time seemed to have left no trace on her, but instead added a bit of mature charm.
And in Han Yue's eyes, Xiao Ling is no longer the young boy he used to be. His eyes are more determined and his appearance is more mature than before. He exudes a reassuring power from the inside out.
"Senior Han Yue, long time no see." Just when the scene was a little cold, Xiao Ling's voice broke the silence, with a barely perceptible joy in his tone.
"Xiao Ling, you are finally here. It's been two years since we last met." Han Yue smiled and nodded. Her voice was soft, like the spring breeze blowing across the lake, making people feel comfortable and happy.
Then she turned her gaze to Xiao Yixian, Qinglin, and Ziyan, and greeted them warmly: "Xiao Yixian, Qinglin, Ziyan, long time no see."
Hearing Han Yue's greeting, Xiao Yixiang and others smiled and responded.
They established a deep friendship during their time in the inner courtyard of Canaan College, and now that they are reunited, everyone's face is filled with joy and excitement.
While the few people were greeting each other, Han Xue behind Han Yue kept looking at Xiao Ling with curiosity, thinking to herself: "Is this the Xiao Ling that my sister often mentioned? My sister always said that he was an amazing genius. I really want to know what kind of person he is that my sister praised him so much."
Han Xue was not unfamiliar with Xiao Ling's deeds because Han Yue often mentioned him.
However, Han Yue had not told anyone in detail about the deep relationship between her and Xiao Ling, so Han Xue only knew that they were very good friends.
Because of this, although she had never met Xiao Ling, Han Xue already had a stereotype of him in her mind and developed a strong interest in him.
But she may not realize that curiosity about a man can sometimes slowly evolve into deeper emotions...
(End of this chapter)