ETR | Chapter 55

But Xiao Xueman and Shen Guan couldn't figure it out. What good would it do for Feng Yiyan to play tricks on such a matter? Most of the pill recipes were correct, only missing one ingredient.

Why would he deliberately hide this from him? What was his motive?

Xiao Xueman frowned, suppressing his anger as he looked at the medicine he had refined, and then he recalled something.

Back then, when Yu Zhengrong heard that Feng Yiyan was going to give him the pill recipe, his expression was a bit strange.

He clearly didn’t want him to go.

Xiao Xueman initially thought it was because Yu Zhengrong was worried about him getting into trouble fighting people in the First Heaven. But he knew his own strength well and knew that Feng Yiyan was definitely not a match for him.

It was strange for Yu Zhengrong to stop him under such circumstances.

From Yu Zhengrong’s standpoint, he had no reason to block him from getting the pill recipe. He should be happy instead.

Because he was worried that if something unexpected happened to Xiao Wan in the mine, there would be no one to take care of him, Yu Zhengrong was left in the Twelfth Heaven by Xiao Xueman.

For Xiao Wan’s sake, he probably wouldn’t leave there for a few days, so it was too late to go back and ask him now.

The recipe had issues, so it was faster to go to the First Heaven and ask Feng Yiyan.

Xiao Xueman had spent some time refining medicine in the Fox Clan, after all, it required repeated experiments.

By the time he went back to find Feng Yiyan, he couldn’t find him.

A vice president from the Mercenary Guild came out to receive him, and his attitude was impeccable.

He respectfully explained to Xiao Xueman, “Your excellency, we truly apologize. Our president fought with you earlier and sustained some internal injuries.

Thanks to your guidance, he gained some new insights on the path of cultivation and has just gone into seclusion to heal.

It will take at least half a month for him to come out.”

Xiao Xueman: “…”

Getting injured in a fight is inevitable, but Xiao Xueman knew better than anyone what he had done.

Feng Yiyan’s injuries weren’t that severe.

If he said he went into seclusion for cultivation, it was too hasty.

Just when he discovered the pill recipe was wrong and chased after him, he disappeared.

It was too coincidental.

He already felt like he was being played, and now he was even more convinced that Feng Yiyan was up to tricks.

“The recipe your president promised me is incorrect. If I can’t get the correct recipe, I won’t leave today,” Xiao Xueman sat down in the hall.

“My patience is limited. I don’t care what Feng Yiyan is doing. Even if he really is in seclusion, he needs to come out and explain to me. If he can’t come out, then let the alchemist who originally made this medicine come out. I need a satisfactory answer.”

This transaction was proposed by him, and he should keep his word. I'm not unreasonable. I'll finish this pot of tea, and if I still haven't seen him, your Mercenary Guild will bear the consequences."

Xiao Xueman had traveled all the way to the First Heaven, and after a sleepless night of refining medicine, he was dissatisfied with the result. Naturally, he wouldn't just leave like that.

On the surface, it didn't show, but his anger had already reached its peak.

The vice president was perceptive; otherwise, Feng Yiyan wouldn't have entrusted him with these matters. He even knew who won the fight between the two yesterday. The person in front of him was a big shot, and he didn't dare to neglect Xiao Xueman.

As soon as Xiao Xueman spoke, cold sweat started to form on his forehead.

The big shot in front of him seemed to have a good temper now, but how could someone who could defeat their crazy president really have a good temper?

He was naturally distressed, but he became even more respectful on the surface. "Your excellency, please wait a moment. I'll report to the president immediately. Please calm down, calm down..."

The vice president hurriedly retreated and instructed the people in the hall to serve carefully, dragging it out as long as possible. He used his spiritual power to rush to the president's usual residence as quickly as possible.

Feng Yiyan didn't live in the main hall. His residence was closest to the guild's simulated training ground. It looked very simple from the outside, but he didn't mind as long as it was convenient for him.

Today, the Mercenary Guild had more than just Xiao Xueman as a guest. There was another troublesome big shot at Feng Yiyan's residence, which was the main reason Feng Yiyan didn't dare to leave to see Xiao Xueman.

When the vice president entered, he immediately heard the voices of two people talking inside.

"...I told you he'd come back sooner or later," it was Feng Yiyan's voice. "You know his personality better than I do, don't you?"

The vice president kept his head down as he entered and spoke very cautiously, “Reporting to the president, Your Excellency Xiao Xueman is waiting in the hall.

He said there’s a problem with the pill recipe, and if he doesn’t get an explanation by the time he finishes a pot of tea, he told us… to bear the consequences.”

Upon hearing this, Feng Yiyan felt his wounds hurt even more.

Although he was usually obsessed with fighting, he still managed the guild's affairs. Now that his own base was about to be smashed, this matter was naturally more important than fighting.

"If the excuse of seclusion could appease him, he wouldn't be Xiao Xueman," Feng Yiyan sighed and glanced at the person standing beside him. "I'll go now."

"What do you plan to say to him?"

The other person in the room finally spoke, dressed in black with a deep voice.

“Naturally, I’ll tell him the missing ingredient,” Feng Yiyan said honestly.

“And I didn’t lie. The recipe I gave him is the one I usually use, and it’s not wrong. His son is using a slightly modified version. As for how it was modified, there’s no need to ask our Mercenary Guild. Just go to Wangtian Immortal Gate and ask.”

"Don't say anything."

"What good does it do to make things difficult for me?" Feng Yiyan didn't dare to confront this person too much, muttering in a voice neither too loud nor too soft, "Can't handle your own wife, and you're using me as a scapegoat."

The person next to him was Qin Lou.

Upon hearing this, he glanced at Feng Yiyan and said, “I’m making things difficult for you? If you hadn’t run to the Twelfth Heaven to find him, none of this would have happened. If I had known you were going to find him, I should have broken your legs in advance, so there wouldn’t be so much trouble.”

Feng Yiyan: “…”

How was he supposed to know the situation between Xiao Xueman and Qin Lou was so complicated and deep?

“Xiao Xueman only gave me the time it takes to finish a pot of tea,” Feng Yiyan simply sat down beside him, looking resigned. “Either I go out now and explain, or I wait until he smashes the Mercenary Guild and then go out to explain. Your Excellency, you choose.”

Qin Lou didn't want to choose.

"Even if the Mercenary Guild gets smashed, it's your own doing. Now you want me to come up with an excuse for you?" Qin Lou said, "I haven't even settled accounts with you yet. Where do you get the nerve to threaten me?"

Qin Lou's spiritual power surged, and Feng Yiyan didn't dare to make a sound.

After his fight with Xiao Xueman, his injuries weren't severe. He was always restrained by Xiao Xueman and couldn't fight back. But after Xiao Xueman left, the person he always wanted to fight came.

And indeed, as Xiao Xueman said, he was no match for the Spirit God Tier 9 Qin Lou.

As a result, he got beaten up again and had another chance to reflect on life.

Feng Yiyan couldn't tell who was stronger between Qin Lou and Xiao Xueman, but they both hit equally hard.

"Who told you to bet the pill recipe with him?" Qin Lou said. "Everything was fine, and you're the only one causing trouble here."

Regarding the pill recipe, Feng Yiyan hadn't thought it through at the time.

Over three years ago, Yu Zhengrong asked to borrow the recipe, but the alchemist, whose secret it was, refused to give it.

Feng Yiyan hadn’t studied the recipe carefully at that time, so he wasn’t sure.

Moreover, the alchemist was a guest of the Mercenary Guild, and it wasn’t good to offend him.

Forcing him to hand over the recipe was quite difficult.

Later, Yu Zhengrong didn’t press too hard and settled for borrowing the alchemist for a short time.

It was just borrowing a person. The Mercenary Guild and the arena had that kind of relationship. The alchemist returned shortly after and didn’t explain anything about it.

Yu Zhengrong didn’t seem to have any connection.

Feng Yiyan became interested in this matter, and later, Yu Zhengrong often disappeared, and no one knew where he went.

When he investigated, he discovered many things—especially that Yu Zhengrong sometimes went to Wangtian Immortal Gate and mostly traveled to the Middle Realm.

When he found out he was looking for Xiao Xueman, he understood even more.

In their small circle in the First Heaven, it was rumored that when Xiao Xueman returned, he brought a child with him. The child inherited the wood and fire dual attributes from Qin Lou and Xiao Xueman, which explained why Yu Zhengrong needed that pill.

Or rather, it was Qin Lou who wanted to use that pill.

The alchemist refused to disclose anything, but Feng Yiyan obtained a pill used by Yu Zhengrong. By comparing the two, he realized there was a difference. To find out exactly what the difference was, he needed to ask Qin Lou what he had done.

When Feng Yiyan used the pill recipe to lure Xiao Xueman, he had a little scheme in mind, hoping to use this matter to draw Qin Lou out as well. That way, he could fight the two people he most wanted to.

Now, he got what he wanted. He did fight both of them, but he was beaten up both times, beaten until his bones were about to fall apart. Now, even his sect was being threatened, and Feng Yiyan couldn’t act crazy anymore.

“Aren’t you two a couple? You even have a child. What are you fighting about?” Feng Yiyan, a lifelong bachelor, couldn’t understand.

“The pill worked well for him; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been attracted by the recipe. It means you and Yu Zhengrong’s improvement of the recipe was successful. That’s a good thing. Why don’t you want to tell him?”

Qin Lou had no reason to hide the improvement method of a six-star pill, especially from his own wife.

As long as Xiao Xueman wasn’t provoked, he had a pretty good temper. As long as things were explained clearly, he wouldn’t get angry. Besides, there wasn’t anything worth getting angry about in this matter.

“My matters with Xueman have nothing to do with you. This is your own mess, and the Mercenary Guild should handle it. No matter what, you can’t reveal anything about me,” Qin Lou was not as gentle with outsiders as he was with Xiao Xueman, always firm.

“And you can’t mention a single word about me.”

If he could really not hide it and just tell Xiao Xueman about it, Qin Lou would be more than happy.

Now that the two of them were in such a mess, even if the pill was really good for Xiao Wan and absolutely necessary, he wouldn’t accept it.

Not to mention that the necklace and spirit instruments he sent before were all returned.

Last time at Wangtian Immortal Gate, after a few conversations, Qin Lou understood Xiao Xueman’s attitude.

He had already tried not to disturb him, but since Xiao Wan needed it for cultivation, Qin Lou could only do it secretly, and he absolutely couldn’t let Xiao Xueman find out.