Gazing upon the black-robed figure who had just entered, Xiao Zhan and the three elders hastily rose from their seats and strode forward, greeting with respectful smiles. "Elder, our clan has been preoccupied with affairs, and Xiao Zhan failed to come out and welcome you properly. Please forgive our shortcomings."
"Hehe, no need for such formalities." From beneath the black robe, a aged voice chuckled lightly.
Xiao Zhan nodded eagerly and exchanged a glance with the three elders, quickly making way. "Elder, please take the seat of honor."
The black-robed figure smiled and nodded, not standing on ceremony. He strode directly forward and seated himself in the position of honor beside the head of the table.
Watching Xiao Zhan and the others treat this black-robed figure with such reverence, the younger generation clan members could not help but whisper amongst themselves. Curious gazes swept repeatedly over the black-robed figure, and upon hearing the elders nearby reveal that this person was an alchemist, their eyes immediately blazed with fervor and... worship. Regardless of where one went, alchemists were invariably the most awe-inspiring profession.
"Sister, is that person not the mysterious alchemist we saw at the auction house the other day?" Xiao Ning tugged at Xiao Yu's sleeve, his eyes shining with intensity as he fixed his gaze upon the black-robed figure.
"Mm." Xiao Yu gave a slight nod, her lovely eyes also lingering on the black-robed figure, a touch of surprise and delight coloring her fair face. "I never expected this elder would actually come to our Xiao Clan. It seems his words about cooperation last time were not merely idle talk... If he lends his aid, our Xiao Clan's current predicament should be resolved smoothly."
Listening to the whispered chatter of the clan members nearby, Xun'er's delicate brows furrowed slightly. Her autumn-water eyes were fixed intently upon the bulky black-robed figure. For some reason, she seemed to always faintly sense that the movements and speech of the black-robed figure before her carried a certain... incongruity...
Frowning in deep contemplation, after fruitless pondering for some time, Xun'er had no choice but to abandon her idle musings with a helpless sigh. "Hehe, Elder, may I ask what brings you to the Xiao Clan today?" Xiao Zhan personally carried over a cup of warm tea and inquired with a smile.
"Just passing through, and thought I would come and see the genius young man of your clan who leaped several levels with just a bit of my Foundation Liquid." From beneath the black robe, the aged voice chuckled lightly.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhan hurriedly scanned the great hall, but failed to catch sight of Xiao Yan. A wry smile escaped his lips.
"Hehe, Clan Leader Xiao, no need to summon him. I have already met your young master. A fine lad, very much to this old man's liking..." Waving his hand to stop Xiao Zhan from sending someone to fetch him, the black-robed figure laughed. The admiration in his tone was undisguised, which caused a certain youth hiding beneath the black robe to feel somewhat embarrassed.
Hearing the black-robed figure's words of praise, the eyes of everyone in the hall could not help but reveal a trace of envy. To receive such high regard from an alchemist of no insignificant rank was no easy feat.
"That fellow gets all the good things." Xiao Ning pursed his lips in unwillingness, his tone tinged with envy.
Xiao Yu also let out a helpless sigh, resting her delicate chin in her palm as she murmured softly, "Is that fellow really that good? How come I never noticed?"
Hearing the black-robed figure's words, the smile on Xiao Zhan's face grew even broader, a hint of pride shimmering in his eyes.
"Hehe, Clan Leader Xiao, the Xiao Clan seems to be in rather dire straits these days, is it not?" Before the smile on Xiao Zhan's face could fully spread, the aged voice's words brought it crashing down into a somber mood once more.
Nodding with a heavy heart, Xiao Zhan smiled bitterly. "Elder should already be aware of the Xiao Clan's current situation, I presume?"
"Mm, I know something of it." The black-robed figure nodded and spoke with a smile.
"Alas, the Xiao Clan today has had nearly half of its businesses suppressed by the Jie Lie family. If this continues for much longer, I fear we too will be relegated to a second-rate power in Wutan City." Xiao Zhan sighed with a heavy heart, his furrowed brow making him appear several years older.
"Hehe, though I have no deep ties with the Xiao Clan, I have had quite pleasant conversations with your young master. If Clan Leader Xiao has no objection to this old man harboring any ulterior motives, perhaps we might consider cooperation?" The black-robed figure spoke with a light chuckle.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhan was first taken aback, then his face was flooded with elation. Was this not precisely what he had been burning to hear? Excitedly exchanging glances with the three elders, he nodded without hesitation. "Elder, to have the opportunity to cooperate with you is something the Xiao Clan could only dream of!"
A Second-Rank Alchemist or higher was someone their clan could rarely even invite on a normal day. Moreover, Xiao Zhan did not believe his clan possessed anything that could impress a Second-Rank Alchemist. Judging by how this elder spoke, his cooperation with the Xiao Clan seemed to be mostly due to Xiao Yan. Such an opportunity—as the clan leader, how could Xiao Zhan possibly let it slip away?
Seeing Xiao Zhan's willingness, the black-robed figure smiled and nodded. A pale, slender hand emerged from the black robe, a faintly reddish ring adorning one of its fingers. The fingertips lightly tapped the ring, and suddenly, light flickered...
Gazing upon that hand, as pale and smooth as a youth's, Xiao Zhan felt a momentary daze. This hand gave him a sensation... of faint familiarity.
Before Xiao Zhan could ponder the source of that familiar feeling, he was immediately stunned into silence by the massive pile of jade bottles that had abruptly appeared on the table.
In the blink of an eye, the enormous conference table's surface was completely covered with neatly arranged small jade bottles, leaving not a single gap.
Staring at the countless small jade bottles that had appeared from thin air, everyone in the great hall, save for the blue-robed young woman by the window, drew in a sharp breath of cold air, awestruck by the staggering quantity of pills.
"Here are one thousand two hundred and eighty-three bottles of healing medicine, named 'Blood-Staunching Powder.' I dare not claim it is the finest among healing medicines, but compared to the Jie Lie family's 'Rejuvenation Powder,' its healing effects are considerably more potent." Gazing upon the awestruck expressions in the hall, the black-robed figure introduced the items with his usual nonchalant air.
Xiao Zhan's mouth twitched as he drew in a deep, frigid breath. "Now this is truly a grand gesture!"