Chapter 66: Reunion with Xiao Yan
"Greetings, Master." Seeing Lu Bu approach, the middle aged man hurriedly stood to greet him. Though Lu Bu appeared young, the Tier 1 alchemist robe he wore was enough to command respect.
"Do you want to trade or sell this?" Lu Bu asked directly, picking up the tattered black jade fragment. The man had a hunched back, weathered features, and wore a faded apprentice alchemist's uniform. His swollen knuckles resembled those of a farmer more than an alchemist. Seeing his worn and humble appearance, Lu Bu couldn't bring himself to take advantage of the man.
"Well… I was hoping to trade it for a Tier 3 pill," the middle aged man said sheepishly. The dirty, black jade fragment was clearly not worth a Tier 3 pill.
"Two Revitalization Pills," Lu Bu offered, producing a jade bottle containing two emerald green pills.
Revitalization Pills were potent for healing injuries and restoring Dou Qi. Although they were Tier 3 like Qi Recovery Pills, their effects were notably superior.
"Ah, thank you, Master!" The man's face lit up, looking years younger as joy swept over his weary expression. He had a family to support, and these two pills were a lifesaver.
Lu Bu took Qing Lin's hand and left, casually rubbing the fragment between his fingers.
"Young master, what's this?" Qing Lin asked curiously. She knew her young master never made unprofitable deals, and this time would be no exception.
"A secret technique that can temporarily boost strength," Lu Bu said with a smile. "Unfortunately, it's only useful for fire attribute cultivators."
This was the incomplete Three Mysterious Transformations of Heavenly Flame, a secret technique created by Xiao Xuan to boost strength temporarily.
"Oh." Qing Lin nodded, not fully understanding. As long as her young master was happy, that was enough.
The two turned to leave the Alchemist Guild.
"Qing Lin, let's grab some good food before heading back to the Mitel family," Lu Bu said. Cultivation required balance; staying tense all the time wasn't ideal.
"Mm, whatever young master says!" Qing Lin replied eagerly, her youthful excitement shining through as she nodded repeatedly.
As they walked, Qing Lin began daydreaming about what fun awaited. However, she suddenly noticed her young master stopping in his tracks.
Puzzled, Qing Lin looked up and saw Lu Bu staring at a pair of people approaching from the opposite direction. Specifically, he was focused on the young man in the pair.
It was a duo around Lu Bu's age. The girl had silver hair and an attractive appearance, though she wasn't the focus. The boy beside her had black hair and black eyes, his aura suggesting a cultivation level around a five or six star Dou Zhe. Subtle waves of heat emanated from him, but what caught Lu Bu's attention was the faint tremor from the Green Lotus Core Flame within his body.
This boy carried a Heavenly Flame!
Lu Bu's eyes gleamed. Though he didn't recognize the boy's face, he could tell the boy was wearing a disguise. At this age and with a Heavenly Flame, it could only be Xiao Yan. No one else fit the description.
In the same instant Lu Bu noticed Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan's gaze locked onto Lu Bu as well. His Flame of Ten Thousand Beasts had reacted to the presence of Lu Bu's Heavenly Flame.
The two pairs of black eyes stared at each other, and for a moment, silence fell.
"Lu Bu…?" Xiao Yan thought. He had sensed the other's Heavenly Flame. A youth possessing such power apart from Lu Bu, who else could it be? Xiao Yan didn't count himself, of course. His achievements were due to a mix of luck and Yao Lao's help, while Lu Bu seemed like a cheat who always had an edge.
"Yan Xiao, what's wrong…?" the silver haired girl, Xue Mei, asked, puzzled.
Her words shattered the silence between the two. Lu Bu raised an eyebrow and stepped forward, raising a hand and gathering a small ball of azure flame in his palm.
"Crap!" Xiao Yan's eyes widened in shock. He instinctively retaliated, summoning crimson flames in his palm, which morphed into the shape of a wolf's head.
Boom!
Azure and crimson flames collided, sending waves of heat through the air. Xiao Yan staggered back, his face flushed as his right hand turned bright red from the impact.
Meanwhile, Lu Bu remained motionless, standing firmly in place. He clicked his tongue with mild disappointment. "Well, it's definitely you."
"What happened to your face?" Lu Bu asked, noticing Xiao Yan's disguise.
Xue Mei quickly infused Dou Qi into Xiao Yan, helping him stabilize himself as he struggled to stand.
"Damn it… Of course it's you, you bastard!" Xiao Yan grimaced, his right hand still tingling as he enveloped it in crimson flames to dispel the traces of azure fire. It took him a while to completely neutralize the lingering flames.
"You… Why would you just attack someone like that?!" Xue Mei exclaimed, glaring at Lu Bu.
"So, it really is you," Lu Bu said, ignoring her as he raised an eyebrow at Xiao Yan.
"Yeah, it's me, damn it," Xiao Yan grumbled.
"Hm?" Lu Bu let out a light hum in mock displeasure.
"…Ahem. Next time, warn me before you attack," Xiao Yan muttered, coughing lightly to cover his frustration.
"And you're the one who…" Lu Bu began but then coughed awkwardly, realizing Xiao Yan had derailed his thoughts.
Xue Mei looked between the two of them, confused. "Wait… You two know each other?"
"Yes, yes, we know each other," Xiao Yan said quickly, nodding.
Lu Bu swept his gaze around but didn't spot Ling Ying. It seemed Xiao Yan's protector was likely hiding outside to avoid detection by the Alchemist Guild's higher ups. No wonder Lu Bu hadn't noticed Xiao Yan earlier. It was all Ling Ying's fault!
"Shall we find somewhere to talk?" Lu Bu suggested with a smile. He wanted to coordinate with Xiao Yan about their next steps, especially regarding his plan for dealing with Protector Wu. Yao Lao's involvement was crucial.
"Sure. I was planning to contact you in the next couple of days anyway," Xiao Yan said, relieved he wouldn't have to use the child parent communication talisman for now.
In the Jia Ma Holy City's northwest stood a mountain range. Once nameless, it had come to be known as Yun Lan Mountain, home to the Jia Ma Empire's most powerful faction: the Yun Lan Sect.
In a pavilion atop the mountain, Yun Yun sat on a bed, holding a man's robe. Her soft lips pressed together as she gazed at it in a daze.
The robe belonged to Lu Bu. Back in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, when her Dou Qi had been sealed and her storage ring rendered useless, she'd been forced to wear his robe.
Lu Bu had long forgotten the incident, but Yun Yun had kept the robe ever since.
"Teacher, are you cultivating?" a soft voice called from outside the door. It was Nalan Yanran. Yun Yun's expression shifted, and she quickly stashed the robe back into her storage ring.
Just as Nalan Yanran opened the door, she caught a glimpse of her teacher hurriedly hiding… clothing?
"Teacher, is something wrong?" Nalan Yanran asked, puzzled.
"Nothing," Yun Yun replied with a light cough, mimicking Lu Bu's mannerisms. "Yanran, why are you here?"
"My father sent a letter. Grandfather is ill, so they need me to return home," Nalan Yanran explained, her gaze still tinged with curiosity.
"Then go. Take good care of your grandfather," Yun Yun said with a nod.
After bidding her teacher farewell, Nalan Yanran closed the door behind her but couldn't shake her suspicions. It was the first time she had seen Yun Yun so flustered.
"How strange…"
Elsewhere, in the Yun Lan Sect's elder hall, Grand Elder Yun Leng sat in the main seat, frowning at two pieces of paper in his hand. One was a drawing, and the other contained a few lines of text.
"Find these people a young man and an ice attribute expert… That's all the information I get? How am I supposed to find them?" Yun Leng grumbled, rubbing his temples. Nonetheless, he ordered his subordinates to begin the search.
Unbeknownst to Yun Yun, this task had not come from her but from someone far more powerful.
"Wait… This boy looks familiar…" Yun Leng muttered, his eyes briefly flashing with a strange black light before returning to their usual calm demeanor.
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