Breaking the Masked Man

The old man looked troubled, then looked up at Yao Yan, only to find that the spot was already empty. He was stunned and instinctively looked around, but Yao Yan was nowhere to be seen on the entire street.

……

Yao Yan naturally slipped away, even tucking Ling'er into his arms. He hadn't expected that even though he was being so low-key, he would still attract a lot of attention. Moreover, Ling'er was quite attractive to children and women, which gave him a headache. The only option was to leave.

Fortunately, once we left the bustling streets, there were far fewer pedestrians around.

Yao Yan reached out and rubbed Ling'er's chin, looking into her emerald green eyes, smiled, and said softly, "I almost forgot, girls all like cute little guys... and big guys too."

Ling'er tilted her head, her big, furry ears twitching slightly, not understanding what she meant.

Yao Yan didn't explain anything to her. It was better for the innocent little one to be a bit naive. He pressed Ling'er's head back into his clothes and then strode towards home. Soon, he arrived at the gate of the small courtyard where he used to live. The gate was not closed tightly, and through the slightly open gap, he could clearly see everything inside.

It was still that simple courtyard, and everything inside seemed unchanged.

"squeak~"

Yao Yan stood there in silence for a moment before pushing open the door and slowly walking inside. Everything he saw was extremely familiar, yet despite being so close, there was an indescribable sense of unfamiliarity. It seemed as if he was getting further and further away from that little courtyard he once knew.

In the past four years, he has changed a lot, both in his mindset and in other ways.

"嘤嘤~"

Ling'er poked her head out of Yao Yan's arms, tilted her head back, and called out to him with her big, droopy ears.

"This is my old home."

Yao Yan snapped out of his reverie, looked down at the little guy who had asked him a question, and gave a soft explanation. Then he took Ling'er out of his arms and began cleaning the entire courtyard. He would need to stay here for a few more days. According to the herbalist, Yao Ding would come back to visit relatives at the end of this year, and that would be his opportunity.

Yao Ding is twenty-four years old this year. He is a seven-star Dou Wang, a fifth-grade alchemist, and has a sixth-grade bloodline. His talent is quite outstanding among the core members of the Yao Clan.

His parents were ordinary members of a branch of the clan, just like Yao Yan's parents in this life. However, because Yao Ding was incorporated into the core of the Yao clan, their status in Dan Ding City was greatly improved, and their residence changed from a small courtyard to a luxurious mansion.

And this is just the most basic benefit; there are many more other advantages.

It can be said that when one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs benefit from it.

It all started with that one Purple Gold Spirit King Ginseng!

According to Hun Xuzi, his father obtained the Purple Gold Spirit King Ginseng from the Shennong Mountains after much effort. He was seriously injured while trying to get it and was later robbed by Yao Ding's father and his men. He eventually died from his injuries. Yao Yan's mother also tried to reason with them about this, but no one stood up for her and she eventually died in despair.

This is most likely true.

Yao Yan believed that Hun Xuzi wouldn't lie about such a thing. As for whether Hun Xuzi had set a trap, only he himself knew. However, he didn't harbor any resentment towards the Yao Clan about this matter.

The Medicine Clan has its own rules. Within the Medicine Realm, the Medicine Clan will protect the safety of everyone, even those descendants of branch lineages who lack cultivation talent.

However, this rule does not exist outside the pharmaceutical industry.

Since they have chosen to go out, they must naturally bear the risks involved; the medicine clan cannot be everyone's babysitter.

It's impossible for the Yao family to be such an exception.

Moreover, his father was a pawn arranged by Hun Xuzi, an undercover agent planted by the Hun Clan in the Medicine Clan.

To become an exception, you must first have value that makes the Medicine Clan make an exception for you. At that time, the Yao family obviously did not have such value. What qualifications did an ordinary branch of the family have to make the Medicine Clan uphold justice for them? Moreover, the Medicine Cauldron had already consumed the Purple Gold Spirit King Ginseng. In terms of value, its value was obviously higher!

Once you understand the intricacies of the medicine, you won't blame or resent anyone, including Hun Xuzi.

The weak will be bullied; this has been a truth since ancient times.

same.

Yao Yan also hoped that if he killed Yao Ding's family, they wouldn't hold a grudge!

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 37 Night Deepens

Yao Yan's return to the courtyard did not cause any trouble. He was not a big shot and was usually a low-key nobody. If it weren't for the controversy caused by his "apprenticeship" to the herbalist more than three years ago, perhaps no one in the surrounding streets would know who he was.

He used to do nothing but cultivate and refine pills, spending his days either at home or at the clan school, living a very monotonous life, and rarely interacting with others.

As a time traveler, Yao Yan, who knew the future, was very aware of the crisis. He also knew very well that the comfortable life in the medicine world was just a castle in the air and that its destruction was imminent. Especially after learning that Yao Chen had died from the backlash of alchemy, he dared not slack off for even a day.

Only in the last few days has Yao Yan gradually regained some semblance of life.

……

In the kitchen, which hadn't been used for many years, Yao Yan was cooking. The air was thick with smoke and the aroma was enticing. As for starting the fire... for an alchemist, it was a piece of cake, and he could even perfectly control the heat.

Before long, three dishes and a soup were ready, a bucket of rice was placed on the table, and there was also a pot of unknown wine from the mercenary's storage ring.

"It has a perfect color, aroma, and taste; my cooking skills haven't declined."

Yao Yan looked at the dish she had cooked, gave a satisfied review, and then plopped down on the stone bench under the tree.

Ling'er leaped down from the tree and landed skillfully on Yao Yan's shoulder. She looked curiously at the dishes on the table. Having lived in the Shennong Mountains for many years, she had never seen these things before. She couldn't help but let out a coquettish sound at Yao Yan: "Eek~"

"Taste it?"

Yao Yan clearly understood what she meant, picked up a piece of braised pork and handed it over, a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

Ling'er sniffed it, a hint of hesitation flashing in her emerald green eyes, because this thing did not contain the essence of herbs and trees, and was completely different from the pills she usually ate. She hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Yao Yan. Perhaps out of trust in Yao Yan, she carefully took a bite, and then her eyes brightened slightly as she swallowed it in one gulp.

That strange taste was different from the essence of herbs and plants; it was a novel flavor that she, as a little foodie, found hard to resist.

"She actually ate it..."

Yao Yan couldn't help but laugh when she saw this, then handed over the chopsticks she had prepared and said, "Eat by yourself, use chopsticks like this."

Ling'er jumped onto the table, her little paws struggling to hold two chopsticks, and tried to pick up food with them. The chopsticks fell to the ground, and her silly and cute appearance made Yao Yan laugh out loud. He mischievously ignored her and let her study the chopsticks while he poured himself some wine to taste.

This was Yao Yan's first time drinking alcohol in this world. The taste was not bad, spicy with a unique fruity aroma.

Ling'er has a very keen nose; she smelled the alcohol and immediately asked for some, whimpering.

Yao Yan hesitated for a moment, but still poured Ling'er a glass of wine.

Ling'er imitated Yao Yan's manner, picked up the wine cup, sniffed the aroma, and then, finding it pleasant, downed it in one gulp. Immediately, her whole body trembled, her large, furry ears stood up straight, and her bright green eyes stared at Yao Yan, seemingly quite fond of the taste.

She held up her wine glass and cheerfully called out to Yao Yan, "Aww~"

"..."

Yao Yan was taken aback, but simply handed over a pot.

Ling'er accepted all offers without hesitation, immediately picking up the wine jug and downing it in one gulp; the 'glug' sound of swallowing the wine could be clearly heard.

"Drinking straight from the bottle, impressive!"

Yao Yan laughed and gave Ling'er a thumbs up.

However, he clearly underestimated Ling'er's alcohol tolerance. This little one's alcohol tolerance was like the amount of drugs she took, like a bottomless pit. She drank five bottles and didn't get drunk at all. In fact, she became more and more energetic as she drank, and her eyes were so bright that she almost pounced on Yao Yan.

"Okay, okay, you can have them all."

Yao Yan doted on the little one, so he simply took out all the wine from his storage ring. He wasn't worried about her getting a stomachache from drinking too much. As Ling'er was a spirit of a different kind of fire, even if Yao Yan drank himself to death, she wouldn't have any problems.

Ling'er accepted everything offered and drank one bottle after another.

Yao Yan sipped his drinks from small cups, watching Ling'er drink with a smile. He was very curious whether Ling'er would get drunk, which was a very interesting topic for an alchemist.

The answer to this question was quickly found, because Ling'er got drunk. After drinking dozens of bottles, she finally collapsed on the table, curled up in a ball, hugged her tail, and fell into a deep sleep. Her big ears drooped on both sides, making her look somewhat silly and cute.

"Really drunk?"

Yao Yan looked puzzled. Then, he swept his soul power over Ling'er's entire body and found that there was nothing unusual about her. He was relieved, but he still felt it was strange. It was quite a peculiar thing for a spirit of a different kind of fire to get drunk from drinking.

However, this also illustrates a problem: Ling'er cannot use the power of different flames while maintaining this form.

Yao Yan picked up Ling'er and put her in his arms, whispering, "What an amazing little thing."

Sensing the familiar presence, Ling'er shifted her body, nestled her head against Yao Yan's chest, and rubbed against him before quieting down.

"Whoo~"

The night breeze was cool, causing the withered leaves on the branches to fall.

The night is getting darker.

Yao Yan lay on the rooftop with Ling'er in his arms, gently stroking her soft fur. He quietly gazed at the starry sky of the Medicine Realm, feeling as if he were in a galaxy. This was a scene he had seen every day before, but he had never paid attention to it before.

Perhaps it was his changed state of mind that made him notice the scenery beyond cultivation.

He may have missed out on a lot over the years.

"Wow~"

Suddenly, ripples appeared in the space beside him, and the herbalist's figure appeared in Yao Yan's field of vision.

The herbalist looked at Yao Yan and transmitted his voice with his soul power: "Young master, Yao Ding will return home tomorrow. At that time, this old servant will seal off the space around his mansion. However, it will only take the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Once that time is exceeded, the elders of Dan Ding City will notice and arrive within a few breaths."

"Where is the strength?"

Yao Yan's expression remained unchanged as he asked the most crucial question.

"When Yao Ding returns home tomorrow, given his parents' personalities, they will definitely host a banquet for relatives and friends. Many of them are accomplices who once harmed the young master's parents. Most of them are Dou Wang, and the weakest are only Dou Ling. With the young master's strength, he can easily handle them. The only one to worry about is Yao Ding's former mentor in the clan school, who is a six-star Dou Huang."

The herbalist continued to communicate telepathically, and then took out a jade bottle from his storage ring and handed it over.

"This is the Thunderfire Pill, made with the power of thunder and fire generated during the refining of seventh-grade pills. It contains extremely strong destructive power. Even a Dou Zong would be seriously injured if he is not careful. It is enough to deal with him."

What are your plans afterward?

Yao Yan accepted the Thunderfire Pill, remained silent for a moment, and then transmitted his voice.