"Xu Ran is so formidable, I'm afraid Father knew about it long ago, and I was the only one left in the dark." Han Xue thought of her father's fearless demeanor from before and complained in a disgruntled voice.
If it really came down to the life and death of the clan, Father should have at least made arrangements to protect some of the outstanding Han Family disciples and had them leave the Han Family first.
Fortunately, she hadn't found out too late; otherwise, it really would have been a laughing stock and utterly embarrassing.
"Haha. Who says you're a simple sweetie? When you were at Canaan Academy, you were sold out by your elder sister," Xin Lan giggled as she looked at Han Xue, but inside she couldn't help but sigh.
"What do you mean?" Han Xue puffed up with anger, staring with those flawless, big eyes. She knew it—why else would her sister come back and keep telling her all the good things about Xu Ran? It was because she wanted... hmph, who does that to their own sister?
Although it wasn't that she disliked Xu Ran.
"What else could I mean? Of course, it means Han Yue thought that I, her elder sister, was too beautiful and was afraid that I would completely ensnare Xu Ran's heart, so she employed her strategy," Xin Lan said, all the while squeezing the young girl's cheeks and waist.
"Xin Lan, what are you doing? Don't do that." Han Xue, completely unprepared for Xin Lan's sudden attack, could only guard her vital parts with her hands, her little face blushing furiously as she glared pitifully at Xin Lan.
She had realized now; this woman was definitely a female wolf in sheep's clothing.
"I'm just doing a preliminary check for your Brother Xu Ran," Xin Lan laughed heartily, but she didn't dare to bully Han Xue too harshly. If she made Han Xue cry, with Xu Ran's protective nature, she couldn't avoid punishment herself.
"You!"
Han Xue tilted her head, presenting only her immaculate profile to Xin Lan.
"Your sister used to bully me quite a bit in the academy, so now that I've bullied her little sister thoroughly, we're even," Xin Lan coughed lightly, releasing Han Xue from her grasp.
"What does that have to do with me?" Han Xue felt very innocent. However, she did believe what Xin Lan said. She still remembered the other day in the carriage with her elder sister, Han Yue, who had nothing but curses for Xin Lan. Especially when she saw Xin Lan riding merrily with Xu Ran, her face was full of envy and jealousy.
"Women vying for attention are truly frightening."
This phrase suddenly popped into Han Yue's mind.
"Pfft. Haha, who would have thought you knew about vying for attention, little sister Snow?"
"I'm not oblivious to the facts, of course, I understand," Han Xue didn't like Xin Lan speaking to her in such a condescending tone; after all, Xin Lan was only a few years older than she was.
"Forget it, I'm not going to talk to you anymore, I'm off to cultivate. If I don't practice diligently, I'll definitely fall behind them," Xin Lan climbed down from the eaves and took a deep breath.
Ever since she received the Alchemy inheritance from Xu Ran, her Alchemy had improved by leaps and bounds, and with her current skills, she had already reached the level of a Sixth Grade Alchemist.
And the only thing holding her back from making further breakthroughs now was her "Cultivation Level".
She planned to settle herself for a while and then ask Xu Ran for an Elixir to directly break through to Douhuang or Douzong. With that, she could ascend to the rank of a Seventh Grade Alchemist at the fastest speed. Perhaps, she might even rely on her own abilities to bring her family back to the Pill Tower. Her vision had already risen to a higher level with Xu Ran's early influence, but returning to the Pill Tower was, after all, the longstanding wish of her family for so many years.
"What a strange person. Aren't you strong enough already?"
In Han Xue's eyes, Xin Lan was already a monstrous talent among Genius Alchemists.
Countless Alchemists spend their entire lives without reaching Xin Lan's heights, yet Xin Lan still felt it was not enough.
"What's my strength worth? Besides, it's all thanks to Xu Ran. Wait until you're with Xu Ran, ask him for more Elixirs, and you'll realize that all your prior Cultivation was in vain."
"Alright," Han Xue watched Xin Lan walk away, then she sat alone on the rooftop, quietly watching the gathering and dispersing clouds in the distance.
...
With Han Xue's talent, it was estimated that she would struggle to break through to Douzong in her lifetime with normal Cultivation, but if she took one of Xu Ran's Elixirs, she could instantly breakthrough to Douhuang. Wouldn't that mean her previous Cultivation was all for naught?
Han Chi and the others cleaned up the remnants of the Hong Family without any resistance with their strength, resolving everything effortlessly.
"Big brother, what's the background of this Young Master Xu Ran? Why do I feel like he's even more powerful than you described? If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe that a young man could kill people like Hong Tianxiao and Shen Yun."
"Yeah, big brother, when you explained it to us before, I thought you were consoling us. I didn't expect that what you said was true. Our Han Family really found a noble savior this time," said the Elders of the Han Family who were cleaning up the battlefield, unable to contain their joy.
Previously, when they heard that Han Chi was treating a young man as a savior, their hearts almost sank, thinking that Han Chi was merely grasping at straws. To their amazement, the young and handsome Xu Ran truly resolved the crisis of their Han Family, which shocked them immensely.
When Xu Ran made his move previously, they hardly dared to speak up, fearful of distracting him. Now, as they cleaned up the remnants of the Hong Family, they dared to discuss Xu Ran.
Undoubtedly, Xu Ran's methods had completely conquered them.
Having such a formidable star on their side, they could imagine just how powerful their Han Family would be in the future.
"Do you guys really see me this way? When have I, Han Chi, ever deceived you? Furthermore, Young Master Xu Ran is not just our guest, hehe, Yue'er has already been betrothed to him for life, and this time Young Master Xu Ran is here to form a marriage alliance with our Han Family," said Han Chi, lifting his head with great pride.
His daughter had found a good match, and it was also of great assistance to the family—such good news would make anyone boast. Moreover, Xu Ran had just arrived at the Han Family and had already helped them deal with the archenemy, the Hong Family.
"Yue'er has always been decisive. When she wanted to leave the family, we were worried she might encounter accidents outside, but she has brought us such a pleasant surprise."
"Children and grandchildren bring their own blessings."
"I wonder if Young Master Xu Ran likes beautiful slaves. Should we select some of these women from the Hong Family and send them over to Young Master Xu Ran?" several people discussed excitedly. They were nearly envious to death of Han Chi; how come they couldn't be as fortunate in progeny? Now, Han Chi's position in the Han Family could never be shaken again by anyone.
"Get lost! How could Young Master Xu Ran fancy such vulgar trinkets? And wouldn't that harm Yue'er if you sent them?" Han Chi fiercely kicked the one who made the suggestion. He could never do something like sending rivals in love to his own daughter.