"Young Master, is Jia Nan Academy very far?"
"Yes, very, very far."
"Then can Qing Lin still follow Young Master?"
"Of course."
Standing on the second floor of the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion, the Little Fairy Doctor watched the two gradually walk away, their conversation growing softer and softer until it could no longer be heard.
Withdrawing her gaze, a hint of confusion flickered in the Little Fairy Doctor's eyes.
After leaving Green Mountain Town, where should she go?
...
On the other side.
Chen Xiao led Qing Lin, stopping and going, not neglecting his cultivation while traveling.
Although it took two extra days to return to Wu Tan City, it allowed his strength to grow day by day. With the assistance of the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, the Dou Ling realm was finally within reach.
Walking through the market, Chen Xiao paid attention to the conversations of the surrounding crowd. He had expected to hear some discussions about Xiao Yan, but from beginning to end, no one mentioned him.
Could it be that the genius hasn't fallen yet?
Suspicion arose in Chen Xiao's heart. According to the timeline, Xiao Yan's strength decline should have started this year.
With doubts, Chen Xiao arrived at the Xiao Family compound.
The guards at the entrance still remembered him. They seemed unaware that the changes in Wu Tan City's structure were due to Chen Xiao. Seeing Chen Xiao enter with Qing Lin, they nodded and greeted him as warmly as before.
"Uncle Liu, Uncle Wang, nothing major has happened to the Xiao Family during this time, right?"
Chen Xiao returned a smile and casually inquired.
The two guards shook their heads.
"It's been great. Since the Oba Family is gone, the Xiao Family has subtly become the overlord of Wu Tan City. The Gale Family can't compare. Even our monthly pay as guards who just make a living has increased."
"If you have to say something strange, it might be the Third Young Master, Xiao Yan. He used to go out with people every day, but during this time, if you count carefully, I haven't seen him for over ten days."
The two guards didn't hide anything. In their hearts, Chen Xiao was also one of their own, from the same circle, unlike the young masters and ladies of the Xiao Family.
Chen Xiao nodded slightly, waved his hand, and left with Qing Lin.
It seemed that Xiao Yan had indeed encountered some problems, but perhaps they were just beginning to show and were well hidden.
He wound his way back to the small house he used to live in.
Even though Chen Xiao had been away for quite some time, the small house remained untouched. Even the furnishings and bedding inside were exactly as they were, neat and tidy.
Chen Xiao could enjoy comfort and endure hardship. He had originally thought there was no need to bother changing residences, but a sentence from Qing Lin made him realize the problem.
"Young Master, will we live here from now on?"
Qing Lin didn't mind. In fact, because this small house was not large and was similar to her previous living environment, she felt even closer to Chen Xiao.
However, there was only one bed inside.
This was a small problem.
Girls were generally more precocious. Looking at the only bed, Qing Lin's small face turned red.
"No, this is where I used to live. We just came to take a look. Let's go find Elder Xiao Shi Yi. The Xiao Family isn't so short on guest rooms."
Chen Xiao denied it with a normal expression, absolutely refusing to admit that he hadn't considered it thoroughly.
The simple Qing Lin chose to believe him and silently breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.
...
In the backyard of the Xiao Family, the most central living area.
A young girl in a purple dress sat on a stone stool in the courtyard, holding an ancient book and reading it carefully.
This ancient book recorded many anecdotes and interesting stories. Although she had read it once, reading it again from the beginning was still enjoyable.
In this large Xiao Family, her status was special, and she had no close friends, so she could only pass the time by reading.
Day after day, day after day.
Occasionally, seeing her peers from the Xiao Family playing and laughing in groups, she would also miss the young man who grew up in the Xiao Family but was not a Xiao Family member.
When he was here, she would also be like those peers, taking two days each month to join the fun at the Mitre Auction House, leaving with the morning sun and returning with the evening breeze, strolling on the streets, carefree, leisurely, and pleasant.
When he was cultivating Dou Skills in the back mountain, she could also watch from the side like a teacher. A word of encouragement, a word of praise, could make the young man, who was slightly older than her, smile.
Sometimes, she would spot wild fruits growing high up. Although she could get them by simply whispering softly into the shadows, she preferred to rely on that young man, watching his slightly raised mouth in deliberate suppression of his small pride when he successfully retrieved them...
The pieces of memory were scattered, but when gathered together, they formed a torrent strong enough to affect her mood.
Hiss~
Suddenly, a ripple appeared in the shadows of the corner, and a ghost-like figure walked out from within.
The footsteps were very light, but they still startled the girl who was immersed in the sea of books.
"Miss, when I came out of the Xiao Family's treasury just now, I saw Chen Xiao had returned."
Hearing this, the calm-faced young girl immediately looked up, put down the ancient book in her hand, and a hint of joy appeared on her pretty face. After calming down slightly, she gently nodded.
"Young Master Chen Xiao's trip away this time has indeed taken quite a while."
"Miss, actually, the last time he went out for training, it took even longer."
"Did it?"
Xun Er was slightly taken aback. She clearly felt that Chen Xiao had been away longer this time.
Ling Ying nodded affirmatively. As a guard and errand runner, his sense of time was very strong.
Xun Er paused slightly, accepting this undeniable fact, and picked up the ancient book again to play with it in her hand, as if thinking about how she could make such a low-level mistake.
"How is Young Master Chen Xiao's strength progressing?"
"He's just one step away from Dou Ling. Looking at his state, he could break through at any time."
"I remember when Young Master Chen Xiao left, he was only a Seven Star Da Dou Shi, right? He's going to challenge Dou Ling so quickly. It seems this long journey has brought him considerable gains," Xun Er said with a contented smile.
Ling Ying nodded, "Indeed, his growth rate has far exceeded this old servant's expectations."
"Oh, there's one more thing I need to inform Miss about. Chen Xiao brought back a girl. From her appearance, she seems younger than Miss. Listening to Chen Xiao's address, her name seems to be Qing Lin."
The young girl who was playing with the ancient book paused slightly, then quickly returned to normal.
"That's a nice name. I'll go see her tomorrow. To be brought along by Young Master Chen Xiao, she must have some extraordinary qualities."
...
Two flowers bloom, each telling its own story.
While Ling Ying was reporting to Xun Er, Chen Xiao and Qing Lin had already been personally led by Elder Xiao Shi Yi to their guest room.
From the attitude of this Elder, it could be seen that he likely knew some inside information.
After seeing off this familiar Elder, Chen Xiao was about to go greet Xun Er and check on Xiao Yan's condition there.
Unfortunately, plans couldn't keep up with changes. Just as he stood up, Chen Xiao felt the Dou Qi in his body suddenly accelerate its circulation, as if it were out of control.
When water is full, it overflows. This was a sign of a breakthrough!
Chen Xiao's face lit up with joy. He immediately flicked his sleeve to tightly close the door, took out the last bit of Ice Spirit Cold Spring from his Storage Ring, and poured it into his mouth.
Breakthrough!
Breakthrough first!
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