The night was cool, and a bright moon hung high.
Xiao Yan lay on the rafters of a room in the Alchemist Tower, his right hand under his head, his left hand holding a jug of clear wine as he quietly gazed at the bright, round moon in the sky.
In the Xiao Realm, he had spent fifteen years watching the moon formed by the Void Swallowing Flame. The Starfall Pavilion was located within the Star Realm, making it difficult to see the outside world. Tonight, however, he could enjoy the moonlit scenery.
"When will the bright moon appear? I raise my cup to ask the heavens. I don't know in the celestial palaces above, what year is tonight?" Xiao Yan held the wine jug, facing the huge round moon, a hint of loneliness, not of this world, emanating from him.
"Ugh, ah!" In the dim room, a suggestive light burned. Old Yao sat in a chair, panting, while Xuan Yi straddled his lap.
"Whew." Old Yao wiped the sweat from his brow, looking at Xuan Yi and saying, "Let's take a break."
"Already can't do it?" Xuan Yi revealed a hint of disdain on her face.
Facing his old lover's expression, Old Yao remained composed, saying, "It's been three hours since we returned this afternoon. Three hours, even a seventh-grade medicinal pill should be finished."
"Hmph, you, the number one alchemist on the Dou Qi Continent, and it takes three hours to refine a medicinal pill?" Xuan Yi sneered.
"Heh heh, let's take a break, take a break." Old Yao's skin seemed even thicker than Xiao Yan's at this moment.
Xuan Yi rolled her eyes at Old Yao, stood up, and used her clothes to wrap her body, which was full of mature charm. She said faintly, "Do you think we in the Alchemist Tower can take this opportunity to gather these young alchemists and give them some good training?"
"That's your Alchemist Tower's business, I'm not one of you," Old Yao shook his head and smiled.
"With your strength, you're more than qualified to be the fourth pillar of the Alchemist Tower, and even if you're willing, Xuan Kongzi would be willing to give you the position of chief chairman of the Alchemist Tower," Xuan Yi looked at Old Yao with a complex expression.
"Hehe, I'm used to being free and unfettered. Taking on too much responsibility in an organization is too much for me, so I won't participate," Old Yao still shook his head and smiled.
"Old geezer!" Xuan Yi glared at him, then lay on the bed in anger, not speaking, her back facing Old Yao.
Old Yao chuckled, and without even bothering to pull up his pants, walked to the bedside.
"Don't be angry."
"Little Yi Yi."
"My darling."
While coaxing her, his hand slid inside Xuan Yi's qipao.
"Old geezer!" Xuan Yi suddenly turned and glared at Old Yao.
"Even if you don't join the Alchemist Tower, you still need to guide the youth class this time."
"I'm going back to the Starfall Pavilion in a couple of days," Old Yao declined. "My disciple still needs to travel the Northwest Continent."
"What's so great about the Northwest Continent? Don't you want him to interact with the high-level alchemists of the Alchemist Tower?" Xuan Yi suddenly smiled.
"Interact with the high-level alchemists of the Alchemist Tower..." Old Yao hesitated for a moment. Although he was implicitly revered as the number one alchemist on the continent, it didn't mean he knew everything.
Even the Medicine Emperor back then would occasionally seek guidance.
Alchemy has levels, but no alchemist is perfect. As the holy land of alchemy on the continent, the Alchemist Tower's countless years of inherited experience is undoubtedly a huge temptation for every alchemist.
"I'm just worried this kid won't be willing," Old Yao said, shaking his head helplessly.
"What wouldn't he be willing to do? Your disciple is just like you, a refined beast. Looks like a gentleman, but is actually quite the lecher."
Xuan Yi sneered, "This afternoon he specifically went to visit my Ying'er. I'm afraid he had lecherous intentions, and it seems he also has designs on that little girl from the Dan Clan.
Young in age, but his ambitions are not small."
"His ambitions are far more than just not small," Old Yao sighed inwardly, and then said righteously, "Nonsense, how can my disciple be described as a refined beast?"
He paused and then said seriously, "He's not refined at all!"
In the Dan Clan's mansion, Dan Chen sat before a mirror, looking dazed. A sprig of purple jasmine, speckled with starlight, adorned her dark hair.
"Do I really have to be his concubine?" The young girl's face suddenly crumpled.
"He's so bad, will he bully me?"
A girl like her, who had been sheltered since childhood and was introverted, was like those well-behaved girls in school, often easily caught by a guy like Xiao Yan, who was a bit of a rogue.
Many honest guys always think about things from a student's perspective. Why would these quiet, beautiful girls like such a jerk?
Actually, they don't understand that these girls might not necessarily like the jerk.
Perhaps they just like that ray of light that bursts into their hearts when they first experience the flutter of young love. Unfortunately, that light is often not a good one.
It's a pity that these introverted and innocent girls are not good at refusing. As time goes by, they often fall into the trap.
In fact, if those boys had been a little bolder back then, maybe they could have hoped to pursue their own ideal girl.
At the Cao family, Cao Ying woke up in the middle of the night and lay quietly on her bed. According to her usual habits, she should have been cultivating or refining pills at this moment. The reason she was so strong, besides her incredible talent, was also because she was very hardworking.
Just tonight, Cao Ying was unusually languid, lying down.
The moment she closed her eyes, the handsome face with a hint of roguishness appeared in her mind.
Thinking of how Xiao Yan had defeated her twice and his domineering behavior this afternoon, Cao Ying's exquisitely beautiful face, capable of bringing disaster to a nation, couldn't help but curve into a slight smile.
"Bastard!" she cursed, though she didn't know what she was thinking.
Girls like her often have a special fondness for the gentleness hidden within a man's domineering actions. Of course, this is only after they have been subdued by the other party.
If Xiao Yan hadn't subdued Cao Ying and played the role of a domineering president, even if he were Old Yao's direct disciple, he would probably have been slapped away.
The sun rose in the east and set in the west. The long night passed, and it slowly rose again from the east.
The world continued to turn as usual, but today, there were two girls with complicated thoughts and a young man who had just shaken off the lingering effects of homesickness.
"Phew!" Xiao Yan woke up to find it was already morning. He stood up and stretched his limbs, circulating his Dou Qi slightly to evaporate the alcohol from the night before.
He unfurled his Dou Qi wings and flew towards the Starfall Pavilion's residence.
"Hmm?" Old Yao wasn't there? "Off to find his old flame again?" Xiao Yan frowned slightly, then dismissed it and returned to his room to consider what he should do next.
According to the original story, going to the Jia Ma Empire right now isn't the best time to pursue girls. I'd miss out on many opportunities and chance encounters. Besides, I've only just started to make progress with Cao Ying and Dan Chen.
Xiao Yan's original plan was to stay at the Alchemist Tower a while longer, but one problem had always bothered him: Heavenly Flame!
Without Heavenly Flame, he would always be restricted by the Burning诀, and his cultivation speed would be far slower than it was in the Xiao Clan. That wasn't even the main issue; the key was that awful feeling of... weakness.
Furthermore, with Heavenly Flame, his alchemy skills could also reach a new level, giving him a chance to advance to a Grade 7 Alchemist sooner.
Just as Xiao Yan was thinking, he suddenly saw an old man with a weak constitution walk in.
"Teacher! What happened to you?!" Xiao Yan was shocked.
Although this chapter doesn't advance the plot significantly, it represents the author's accumulated experience over many years. If you think it's not good, feel free to offer suggestions. All advice is welcome.
Also, those of you who have read this far are considered old fans. Please make sure to turn to the last page and give it a read.
Whether or not it gets recommended next week depends on your support, dear readers!
(End of Chapter)