Gazing at the black-robed visitor entering the hall, Xiao Zhan and the three elders quickly stepped away from their seats and hurried forward, bowing respectfully and smiling warmly, "Master, the affairs of the clan have been bustling, and Xiao Zhan has not had the chance to welcome you personally. We kindly ask for your indulgence." "Sister, that man—wasn't he the mysterious alchemist we saw at the auction hall that day?" Xiāo Níng's eyes sparkled as he held tightly onto Xiāo Yù's sleeve, eager to ask. "Indeed," Xiāo Yù nodded slightly, her gaze fixed on the black-robed man, a touch of surprise brightening her delicate features. "I didn't expect this elder gentleman to actually come to our Xiao family. It seems his mention of collaboration last time wasn't just idle talk. With his assistance, our family's current difficulties should surely be resolved." "I personally carried a cup of warm tea over. Xiao Zhan smiled and asked. "I happened to pass by here, so I thought I'd drop in to see your esteemed young prodigy—thanks to a little foundational elixir I provided, he's been jumping around with excitement, like a spring-loaded boy." The voice beneath the black robe was calm and gentle, speaking with quiet amusement. "Unhappy, she gave a slight撇 of her lips, her tone laced with admiration and envy. Xiao Yu sighed wearily, her jade hand resting on her cheek, softly murmuring, "Is he really that good? I just never noticed!" Hearing the black-robed man's words, Xiao Zhan's smile brightened even more, a touch of pride gleaming in his eyes. "Heh, Xiao Clan Head, I wonder if the situation at the Xiao family has recently been rather difficult?" Yet even as his smile began to spread, it was momentarily dampened by the weight of the elder's voice. Nodding slowly, Xiao Zhan offered a wry smile. "I'm sure you must have some awareness of the current state of affairs at the Xiao family, sir?" "Ah, I have a fair understanding," the black-robed man replied, smiling gently. "Ah, the current Xiao family has been squeezed by the Jialie clan, with nearly half of its assets extracted. If this continues for much longer, we may well end up as a secondary force in Wutan City." Xiao Zhan sighed deeply, his furrowed brows deepening with the weight of the words. "Heh, though I don't have a deep connection with the Xiao family, I've found that I get along very well with your honorable young lord. If the family head doesn't mind me plotting something behind the scenes, why not collaborate with one another?" The man in black smiled lightly. Upon seeing Xiao Zhan express his stance, the black-robed figure smiled and nodded. A slender, pale hand emerged from within the robe, adorned with a delicate red ring on the finger. With a light tap of the fingertip against the ring, a shimmer of light instantly radiated out. Gazing at that hand—so youthful and pale—Xiao Zhan was momentarily struck dumb. There was a sense of familiarity about it, as though he had seen it before. Before he could ponder the origin of this sense of familiarity, he was suddenly stunned by the sudden proliferation of jade vases that materialized on the table. In the span of a breath, the vast conference table was completely covered by an orderly array of small jade bottles, leaving not a single gap. Staring at these countless vases that appeared out of nowhere, everyone in the hall—except the young green-robed girl by the window—was visibly awed, drawing in a quiet breath of astonishment. "Here are one thousand two hundred and eighty-three bottles of healing medicine, named 'Blood-Clotting Powder.' While we can't claim it to be the absolute finest among healing remedies, it certainly outperforms the 'Revival Powder' from the Jialie family in terms of healing effectiveness." Gazing at the stunned expressions in the hall, the cloaked figure calmly and quietly introduced the medicine. Xiao Zhan drew in a deep breath of cool air, his mouth twitching slightly. "This truly is a generous gesture!"