After Han Feng left the Library Pavilion, he flew straight towards the Inner Academy.
The space jade slip that Su Qian had given him could sense the space gate.
In fact, Han Feng could also sense it himself, but there was no need to show off now. Acting too powerful would, on the contrary, make Su Qian anxious.
The moment he passed through the space gate, Su Qian in the elder's courtyard sensed it. However, he did not go to look for Han Feng but said to the purple-haired girl beside him, "Elder Han has returned. You can go and find him."
This girl had been bothering him for a long time, insisting on finding Han Feng to help refine pills.
Zi Yan's eyes lit up. She said thanks to the old man Su and ran off.
Su Qian sighed sullenly.
"How did I end up bringing back a girl like you!"
———
When Han Feng returned to the Inner Academy, he first went to the medicine management repository, gave a Six Jia Strength Recovery Pill to Elder Hao to settle the cost of the ingredients, and only then did he return to his own courtyard.
But halfway there, he was stopped by Zi Yan, who suddenly jumped out.
"Uncle, you're finally back!"
"Zi Yan?"
Han Feng stopped and looked at the purple-haired girl in front of him, who was only as tall as his thigh.
She was currently looking at him with a pitiful and expectant gaze.
"Are the pills all gone?"
"Mhm, mhm, mhm!" Zi Yan nodded repeatedly.
"Come with me first. I'll refine them for you later."
Han Feng shook his head. This girl was indeed an Ancient Void Dragon; she sure ate fast.
Zi Yan followed behind Han Feng gleefully, and the two of them returned to the private courtyard.
As soon as they entered the door, before they could even sit down, Medusa ran over.
"Han Feng, I've found the Blood Python Branch. When will you refine a pill for me?"
"Refine a pill? Uncle has to refine pills for me first!"
Zi Yan, not caring about the details, heard someone trying to steal her business and immediately stood up to argue.
"Who are you?" Medusa glanced at Zi Yan and said with displeasure.
Seeing that the two little girls were about to quarrel, Han Feng interrupted them in time.
"Alright, I'll refine them for both of you."
Ye Qingyun brought tea for Han Feng and at the same time looked at Zi Yan, asking curiously, "Master, who is this little girl?"
Han Feng sat down comfortably in his chair, drank the new tea, and said, "A little girl from the Inner Academy. Her true form is a magical beast."
"My name is Zi Yan!"
Ye Qingyun smiled and nodded at Zi Yan, then served her a cup of tea.
"Thank you."
Zi Yan took the tea, sat down on the armrest of the chair, her tender little legs dangling and swaying as she looked around curiously.
"Speaking of which, you two are quite alike," Han Feng said with a smile, looking at Medusa and Zi Yan.
When Medusa heard that Zi Yan was also a magical beast, she was curiously staring at her.
"What do you mean?"
Before Han Feng could speak, Zi Yan asked, "Did you also eat a Shape-shifting Grass and can't grow up?"
Medusa crossed her arms, looking like a little adult.
"Shape-shifting Grass? What's that? This Queen transformed completely on her own."
Medusa looked at Zi Yan and suddenly smiled. "What, you can't grow up?"
Zi Yan sensed the malice from the girl in front of her.
"What do you mean! I will definitely grow up!"
"Hmph."
Medusa walked to Han Feng's side in a cheerful mood and took out the Blood Python Branch.
"Here, for you."
After Han Feng took it, he took out all the ingredients needed for the Dou Spirit Pill and placed them on the table.
"They're almost all here. I'll refine it for you later. How about it?"
"Deal!"
The corners of Medusa's mouth curved up slightly. She was satisfied that Han Feng had not postponed the matter until tomorrow.
Little did she know, Han Feng had already calculated that if he refined the Dou Spirit Pill tonight, Medusa could use the whole night to absorb its medicinal power. That way, she could go out and look for ingredients again tomorrow, without delaying either matter.
Both of them were very satisfied. Only Zi Yan on the side was staring at the many precious medicinal ingredients on the table, her mouth watering crazily.
"So many..."
Han Feng knocked on the back of the chair. "Zi Yan, all these ingredients were found by Medusa herself in the mountain range of magical beasts."
Zi Yan came to her senses and looked at Han Feng and Medusa.
"If you have time, you can follow Medusa into the forest to look for ingredients."
Zi Yan swallowed.
"If I find ingredients, will you also refine pills for me?"
"Of course."
Han Feng had always been a fair person.
Zi Yan thought that she hadn't seemed to have given Han Feng any ingredients yet, and felt a little embarrassed for a moment.
"Then, then when I find the ingredients, you must refine pills for me!"
Han Feng smiled and nodded.
Medusa, who was on the side, saw this scene and, for some reason, felt that something was strange.
Having successfully tricked Zi Yan into joining the treasure hunting team, Han Feng did not delay and directly began to refine the Dou Spirit Pill.
After two hours, the sky had already darkened. Han Feng walked out of the alchemy room with a Dou Spirit Pill in his hand.
Medusa came over impatiently.
Zi Yan also stared blankly at the pill in Han Feng's hand.
I want to eat it so badly, I want to eat it in one bite!
Medusa noticed Zi Yan's eager gaze, snatched the Dou Spirit Pill, and stuffed it into her mouth.
"Ah!"
Zi Yan let out a tragic cry.
Medusa snorted, turned her head, and left, returning to her room to begin her seclusion.
"Stop looking. This is yours."
Han Feng placed a few pills made from leftover materials into Zi Yan's hand.
Zi Yan looked at the few pills in her hand, and her wounded heart was slightly comforted.
But now her mind was full of that sixth-grade Dou Spirit Pill from just now, with its rich fragrance and potent energy.
Zi Yan chewed the pills silently, feeling that they were far less sweet than what she had eaten before.
No!
I must find lots and lots of ingredients, and then have Han Feng help me refine such good pills too!
———
At dinner time, Han Feng formally introduced Zi Yan to everyone.
He had finally found a child of a suitable age in the academy, and she didn't seem too bright.
She was just right to be Lin Xian'er's friend.
When Lin Xian'er and Qing Lin met Zi Yan for the first time, they both welcomed her warmly.
After hearing that she was a magical beast, they showed no fear or disgust.
Perhaps because they had the precedent of Medusa, when Zi Yan saw their friendly attitude, she was both happy and moved.
What Han Feng didn't know was that Zi Yan had always been wandering around the academy alone before. The people around her were all adult students, and they had little in common. Even if she wanted to fit in, she couldn't find a way.
Su Qian had brought her out of the magical beast forest where the strong preyed on the weak, but he had neglected the difficulty of her integrating into human society.
So Zi Yan was actually quite eager for friendship.
One of her wishes to grow up was to be able to make friends with others.
If she remained a child forever, she would probably be friendless for a lifetime in this Inner Academy.
Lin Xian'er was a very sensible girl. Although she would sometimes act spoiled with Han Feng, most of the time she was like a gentle and kind big sister.
Perhaps her affinity was too strong. In a short while, Lin Xian'er was living a life with an armful on each side.
She sat on a long bench, with Qing Lin in one arm and Zi Yan in the other, as if she were the winner of life.