While Xiao Feng was speaking with the clansmen inside the Xiao Family residence, the news of his return had already begun spreading rapidly throughout Wutan City. Before long, it was being discussed in every street and alley.
On a busy street, a middle-aged man secretly pulled aside an acquaintance and spoke in a mysterious tone.
"Hey, Old Wang… have you heard the news?"
"News? What news?" Old Wang asked curiously.
"The Xiao Family genius Xiao Feng has returned!"
"What?! Are you talking about that young Dou Grandmaster expert and alchemist the Xiao Family mentioned last year? He's back already? When did this happen?"
"Hehe, just today. Didn't you see the Flying Magical Beast that passed over Wutan City earlier? That beast was carrying him."
"Ah, I saw it! Tsk tsk… riding a Flying Magical Beast. What a grand entrance. As expected of a powerful expert. I heard he's only in his teens. If nothing happens to him in the future, his achievements will be unimaginable."
Old Wang paused before asking again.
"But how do you know all of this so clearly?"
The man puffed his chest proudly.
"Hehe… my great-uncle's cousin's nephew works as a guard for the Xiao Family. This news is already spreading everywhere inside the Xiao residence!"
Old Wang's eyes lit up immediately.
"I didn't expect you to have such connections with the Xiao Family! Then could you help me ask that guard relative of yours whether the Xiao Family is still recruiting guards? The salary isn't important… I mainly just admire the profession."
Jia Lie Family
Inside the Jia Lie Family's main hall, the atmosphere was extremely heavy.
The spacious hall was filled with clan members, yet no one dared to speak loudly.
At the head of the hall sat Clan Chief Jia Lie Bi, his expression dark.
"Is the information confirmed?" he asked in a low voice."Is it really Xiao Feng who has returned?"
A young clan member wearing Jia Lie family clothing stepped forward respectfully.
"Yes, Clan Chief. The news has been confirmed. It is indeed Xiao Feng. The person who returned with him is also Xiao chen, the Peak Dou Master expert who suppressed our young family members last year who is also an 2 nd Rank alchemist now . Now the entire Wutan City already knows about it."
As soon as these words were spoken, a wave of commotion erupted in the hall.
Jia Lie Bi's face became even uglier.
With a loud bang, he slammed his palm on the table, instantly shattering the thick wooden table into pieces.
"Damn it!" he roared.
"For years our Jia Lie Family has already been suppressed by the Xiao Family until we can barely breathe. Now that Xiao Feng has returned, what are we supposed to do? Are we supposed to bow our heads and become their servants?!"
The Jia Lie Family and Xiao Family had always competed in market businesses, and conflicts between them were common.
During the last conflict, Xiao Chen had returned home, and the Xiao Family directly retaliated by attacking Jia Lie Family markets.
The losses suffered by the Jia Lie Family during that incident were enormous. Since then, their territories had been gradually encroached upon by the Xiao Family.
Now their market share had already been reduced by half.
However, the most terrifying thing was not Xiao Shan.
It was Xiao Feng.
Not only was he a powerful cultivator, but he was also a high-rank alchemist.
If they angered someone like that, the Jia Lie Family might disappear overnight.
After a long silence, the young clansman who reported earlier cautiously spoke again.
"Clan Chief… perhaps we should consider submitting to the Xiao Family. The Xiao Family is holding a family feast tonight. Maybe we could go and test the waters."
"If this continues, our family's businesses may completely collapse."
Jia Lie Bi snorted coldly.
"And after submitting? Will they return the market territories they have taken?"
He paused before continuing angrily.
"We should have sent someone to assassinate that Xiao Feng back then!"
The hall fell silent again.
After a moment, Jia Lie Bi spoke again.
"The market business can no longer support us. From now on, we will start preparing casino businesses."
The clan members exchanged looks.
This meant that the Jia Lie Family planned to compete with the Oba Family, since gambling houses in Wutan City had always been controlled by them.
Still, many members felt this was better than provoking the Xiao Family.
After all, offending the Oba Family was far safer than offending Xiao Feng.
Finally, Jia Lie Bi added,
"Prepare generous gifts. Tonight we will still visit the Xiao Family."
"We will first test their attitude."
"Yes, Clan Chief!"
Oba Family
Inside the Oba Family, one of the former three great families of Wutan City, a similar discussion was happening.
"Quickly prepare gifts," the Oba Clan Chief ordered.
"Tonight we will personally visit the Xiao Family."
Unlike the Jia Lie Family, the Oba Family's tone carried even more caution.
After all, offending an alchemist with powerful cultivation was something no family in Wutan City could afford.
Mittel Auction House
Inside the luxurious hall of the Mittel Auction House, a beautiful woman wearing a red dress leaned lazily against her chair.
Her voice was soft and charming.
"Is the news true?" she asked gently. "The Xiao Family genius Xiao Feng has returned?"
The maid standing beside her bowed respectfully.
"Yes, Young Miss Ya Fei. The news has been confirmed."
"Alright, you may leave."
"Yes."
After the maid left, Ya Fei turned toward the old man sitting beside her and smiled.
"Uncle Gu Ni, the Xiao Family truly has good fortune. First there was Xiao Yan, and now there is Xiao Feng… a genius even more terrifying."
"A Dou Grandmaster and an alchemist at such a young age."
Her voice carried a hint of admiration.
"If someone like him continues to grow, the Xiao Family's future will be unimaginable."
The old man beside her wore simple green robes, but faint light occasionally flickered across them, showing that they were enhanced with magical protection.
This man was Gu Ni, the alchemist of the Mittel Auction House.
Hearing her words, Gu Ni sighed helplessly.
"The Xiao Family truly has good luck," he said bitterly.
"That Xiao Feng is not only strong in cultivation, but he is also a high-level alchemist."
He shook his head.
"I heard that over the years he has personally guided some members of the Xiao Family in alchemy."
"Now one of their clan members has already reached the same alchemist rank as me."
At this point, Gu Ni could not help sighing again.
"At my age, I am only a Second-Tier Alchemist… yet that young man has already surpassed me in both cultivation and alchemy."
After a moment of silence, Ya Fei smiled.
"In that case, Uncle Gu Ni, how about we visit the Xiao Family tonight?"
"I would also like to meet this legendary Xiao Feng myself."
Gu Ni nodded slowly.
"Very well. I would also like to see just how extraordinary this young genius truly is… and what level of alchemist he has become now."
..Night soon fell, eagerly anticipated by many. Tonight the Xiao Family blazed with lights, echoing with laughter everywhere.
At an hour when the gates would usually be shut tight, the Xiao manor was now thronged with visitors; clamor rose without cease.
Important figures who ordinarily ranked as big shots in Wutan City arrived bearing gifts, vying to smile ingratiatingly at the guards.
A portly middle-aged man hefted a crimson, razor-sharp longsword and called out,
"I am Dali of the Dali Weapons Firm. Hearing that the Xiao Family's Grand Elder has returned, I've come to pay my respects. This third-tier Demonic-Beast-crystal sword is but a token of my esteem—please accept it."
His words drew gasps from onlookers: a third-tier Demonic-Beast-crystal sword wasn't cheap—some minor clans in Wutan City counted a year's revenue as less. Dali was really willing to part with it.
The moment the man finished, before the guard could respond, a yellow-robed old man elbowed him aside.
In his hands he cradled a crystal box; inside, a palm-sized, scarlet, lustrous medicinal mushroom glimmered in the night.
"The Herbal Firm's Huang Zhong pays his respects to the Xiao Family. Hearing the Grand Elder is of the fire attribute, here is a thousand-year Fire Spirit Fungus I have treasured for many years—please don't disdain it."
"thousand-year Fire Spirit Fungus!"
The name provoked another outcry. This fungus absorbed copious fire-attribute energy and could raise one's Realm; it was extremely precious.
While "thousand-year" wasn't literal, the size of Huang Zhong's specimen showed considerable age and was clearly worth several times the sword just presented.
Spectators glanced at the pretty, timid girl in yellow beside Huang Zhong and instantly guessed his deeper purpose.
"Yun-Yan Tea House..."
The excitement continued, yet the crowd at the gate never thinned, for the Xiao guards neither let anyone in nor accepted gifts.
Only when a clansman inside nodded to them did the guards begin taking presents and allowing entry.
In a rush the crowd poured through the gates. Fearing the Xiao Family's might, they moved swiftly yet with surprising orderliness.
"Ya Fei of the Mittel Auction House and Great Master Gu Ni are here to visit the Xiao Family."
A bewitching, honeyed voice halted many in their tracks; they turned to see the speaker, and blood surged, mouths turning dry.
Tonight Ya Fei wore her habitual red, though the cheongsam had been replaced by a sumptuous gown. Beneath the red silk her voluptuous, graceful figure showed faintly, alluring beyond measure.
A light cosmetic touch enhanced her already flawless face, making it even more breathtaking—clearly she had put considerable effort into tonight's appearance.
Beside her, Great Master Gu Ni wore the robes of a Jiama Empire Alchemist, a badge on his chest; the pride usually glued to his face had vanished completely.
Ya Fei had long grown used to such gazes; ignoring the burning stares around her, she and Gu Ni handed their gifts to the Xiao Family guards and stepped through the gate.
Once inside, an escort led the guests to a spacious hall filled with banquet tables laden with food and drink.
Serving girls threaded through the crowd carrying trays.
The moment Ya Fei and Great Master Gu Ni entered, they spotted several familiar faces.
"Huang Zhong, Wutan City's top medicinal material merchant, and Dali, who monopolizes the city's arms trade… It seems Xiao Ming's return has given these former big shots quite a shock." Ya Fei covered her red lips and laughed softly.
Great Master Gu Ni glanced at the crowd and nodded. "Even the Jia Lie Family—usually at odds with the Xiao—has come to beg for mercy. Hard to blame them: a Dou King expert…"
When Ya Fei and Gu Ni saw them, the reverse was equally true; today Ya Fei looked dazzling, impossible to overlook.
Many hurried over to curry favor the instant they saw her.
The Mittel Auction House was now Wutan's second-largest power after the Xiao Family, so good relations were essential.
Ya Fei greeted them with the practiced smile she kept for such occasions.
She had barely finished when noisy voices came from outside.
Clan Chief Xiao Zhan and a group of Elders walked in.
Seeing them, the people chatting with Ya Fei offered hurried excuses and crowded around Xiao Zhan.
They vied to speak first, their faces flickering with fawning smiles.
Gu Ni and Ya Fei stared in surprise, then shook their heads. Gu Ni muttered, "How shamelessly sycophantic. Xiao Zhan's only a Great Dou Master like them—couldn't they tone it down?"
Had the flatterers heard, they'd have cried injustice.
In truth, Xiao Zhan was indeed just a Great Dou Master, but the Xiao Family now had a 4th
Grade Alchemist.
With Xiao Feng absent , Xiao Zhan—current Clan Chief—was the man to court.
Not just Xiao Zhan; even the Grand Elder and other Xiao members were being fawned over… In a quiet rear courtyard, Xiao Feng handed the freshly refined pill and place it in the jade bottle .