Before reaching the street of the Na Lan family, Xiao Yan parted ways with Hai Bo Dong and slowly made his way toward the grand manor nearby. As he approached the imposing manor, Xiao Yan was astonished to see a group of people gathered at the entrance—all dressed in robes of a pharmacist, their chests adorned with radiant silver waves that proudly displayed their status and rank. On the bustling street, every passerby cast eyes of admiration and reverence upon the pharmacists, who were quietly conversing among themselves. In their hearts, pharmacists were seen as a noble profession, akin to the aristocracy. As for these highly capable alchemists, the Na Lan family clearly couldn't afford to be careless. At the entrance, some servants were respectfully conversing with alchemists waiting outside, only allowing them to pass once they confirmed the alchemists possessed sufficient strength to enter. Those alchemists whose qualifications were less solid were politely turned away, even though this caused some dissatisfaction among the ones who were thus delayed. Nevertheless, considering the Na Lan family's influence and their close relationship with Yunlan Sect, these alchemists had to tolerate their mild displeasure and gracefully depart. Staring at the entrance for a while, Xiao Yan noticed that the herbalists allowed to enter were mostly Three-Rank Herbalists, while those rejected were mostly Two-Rank Herbalists, and even some One-Rank Herbalists who had come merely to watch. Glancing down at the Two-Rank Herbalist badge on his chest, Xiao Yan shook his head in resignation and stepped forward toward the Naslan family's well-defended gate. Pushing through the crowd, he took a step forward. An elderly man, appearing to be a house steward, hurried to meet him. Yet upon seeing Xiao Yan's youthful appearance and the Two-Rank Herbalist badge on his chest, a subtle sense of disappointment flickered in the man's cloudy eyes. While Xiao Yan's age was indeed surprising, his rank fell short of the expected standard. Though he felt a little disappointed, the elderly man who had served as the family's housekeeper for several decades would never be foolish enough to display such emotions on his face. He smiled gently, warmly, and said, "Young sir, I'm the housekeeper of the Na Lan family. I assume you've come to see if you can heal our esteemed elder, Na Lan Jie?" Xiao Yan nodded silently, without speaking. His plain face, veiled by the icy silken skin of the ice silk, appeared somewhat cold. Xiao Yan's nearly detached demeanor surprised the elder slightly—this was quite different from that of other alchemists. After a brief pause, he sighed and said, "I'm sorry, young sir. Our current requirement is for an alchemist of at least Third Rank or above. It seems you haven't yet met that standard." "Rank doesn't define everything," Xiao Yan said, his voice slightly hoarse from being suppressed. The calm tone caused the elder to furrow his brows slightly. Seeing the elder's helpless expression, Xiao Yan shook his head, retrieved the recommendation letter from Lady Ya from his storage ring, and handed it to him. With both hands inserted into his sleeves, he spoke softly, "Don't let your presence erase the last chances your father has. Rank doesn't mean everything—Ancient He, the King of Herbs, didn't heal your father either." Xiao Yan's words caused the elder's face to slightly change, and upon receiving the letter and glancing at the recommender, he looked at Xiao Yan with a surprised expression. After a moment of thoughtful silence, he clenched his teeth, stepped aside, and shouted to the guards at the entrance, "Make way!" "Sir, please proceed. I hope you truly heal our elder. Then, you will be our Lan family's forever friend," the elder bowed slightly to Xiao Yan, his voice now carrying a tone of respect, earned from Xiao Yan's earlier demeanor. Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan's face remained expressionless, saying little more, and slowly stepped into the grand gate, vanishing from the astonished gaze of the onlookers. As soon as he entered, a graceful attendant hurried forward and gently spoke a few words to him before taking the lead ahead. Following the attendant at a steady pace, Xiao Yan surveyed the opulent manor. The lofty and imposing buildings prompted him to give a quiet nod of approval. Aside from the impressive stature of the family, the Nalan clan truly lived up to its reputation as one of the three most prominent families in the Jima Empire—such wealth and influence were beyond anything the Xiao family could hope to match. Walking along a path paved with green stones, Xiao Yan's eyes suddenly slightly narrowed. In his perception, as he moved deeper into the Nalan family's domain, a series of subtle glances and soul-based senses began emanating from hidden corners, steadily observing every movement of his. A casual glance upward, his eyes drifting over a section of eaves, revealed dark shadows concealed within the shadows. Blackened by paint, the sharp, sun-reflecting tips of the arrows were now softened, moving slowly through the manor. Even the slightest breeze or movement would cause them to launch their attacks instantly. "The defenses are indeed formidable," Xiao Yan murmured, furrowing his brows, shaking his head in resignation, and lifting his gaze toward a grand hall appearing at the end of the path. Through the slightly ajar door, he could faintly see several figures standing within. Moving slowly through the hall, where a soft murmur of low conversations could be heard, he gently pushed open the door. The hushed voices instantly ceased, and a series of eyes turned toward the entrance. As the gaze settled upon the second-rank alchemy physician insignia on Xiao Yan's chest, everyone paused, their expressions filled with surprise—clearly, they found it unusual that a second-rank alchemy physician should be granted such an honor. Xiao Yan's eyes slowly swept across the hall. There, seated in a spacious room, were about a dozen alchemy physicians dressed in robes of the same hue, each wearing insignias of third-rank alchemy physicians. However, most of these third-rank physicians were of middle age, and among them, two even had white hair. Ignoring the astonished glances, Xiao Yan slowly directed his gaze to a middle-aged man seated at the head of the hall. This man was not wearing the traditional apothecary robe; instead, he sat with a commanding presence, his fierce eyes conveying an aura of quiet authority without needing to speak. As Xiao Yan's gaze shifted past the middle-aged man, it finally settled with a slightly furrowed brow on the graceful figure of a beautiful woman beside him. This woman, though not entirely unfamiliar to Xiao Yan, brought him a sense of calm—he slowly exhaled in relief. "As soon as the name entered his ears, Xiao Yan's hands, resting in the folds of his sleeves, subtly trembled, and his eyes involuntarily flickered with interest, fixed intently on the sturdy middle-aged man. This man—wasn't he precisely Lan Yanran's father, the one who had nearly become Xiao Yan's father-in-law? Sitting in the chair, Xiao Yan fell into silence, yet he could still clearly feel that Nalan Yanran's gaze had lingered on him for a considerable time. Frowning slightly, he murmured to himself, "Recognized? How could that be?" "This man seems familiar to me," Nalan Yanran observed the black-robed man seated in the corner, her dark brows furrowed as she whispered softly to herself. "Hehe, I'm sure all of you are aware of the challenges our Nalan family has faced. My father was once struck by the renowned and deadly 'Seared Poison,' and now the toxicity has fully erupted, finally overwhelming him. Although Master Gǔhé visited once and suggested that only the unique 'Ethereal Fire' could expel the poison from his body, the number of alchemists possessing such fire is exceedingly rare—finding them is no easy task. Thus, we have to try alternative methods. As all of you are among the top alchemical masters in the Jiaema Empire, each with your own distinct expertise, I would like to kindly ask you to attempt various approaches and see if any other solutions emerge," said Nalan Su, his voice low and warm as he glanced around. "I won't waste any time—once you successfully heal my father, you will be generously rewarded!" With a sweeping gesture, he pointed to a side door. "My father is inside. Please go in and begin your treatments one by one." "Heard this, the about ten herbalists in the hall exchanged glances. Then, an elderly man with white hair rose smoothly, smiled, and stepped forward to the side chamber. However, after fifteen minutes, he shook his head and came out, returning to his seat, offering a polite smile to Nalan Su: 'I'm sorry, Nalan Chief, the烙toxin is simply too tenacious. All the ten formulations I prepared for detoxification proved ineffective.' Upon hearing this, both Nalan Su and Nalan Yanran sighed in disappointment, exchanged glances, and shook their heads in mutual resignation. Following him, the other herbalists one after another entered the side chamber. Yet after fifteen minutes each, they all emerged with a sense of embarrassment—clearly, even for a toxin that even the ancient river could not overcome, they had no effective means." As one after another of the alchemists stepped out, looking deeply embarrassed, the disappointment on Nalan Su and Nalan Yanran's faces grew stronger. When the last alchemist emerged, their mood finally settled into a quiet resignation; Nalan Yanran's eyes were slightly glistening with emotion. In the hall, the dozen or so third-rank alchemists, who had previously carried themselves with pride and confidence, now looked embarrassed, their faces flushed, remaining silent. As the silence spread, the atmosphere in the hall grew steadily more subdued. After a while, Nalan Su sighed, offering a forced smile, "Thank you all for your efforts. It seems the elder truly has faced this trial. Though the attempt has fallen short, I will personally ensure that the household staff provides each of you with a generous compensation." Hearing this, which sounded like a polite dismissal, the guests exchanged weary smiles, shook their heads, and rose to leave. In this atmosphere, they simply could not face receiving their payments. "I'll give it a try..." The quiet words suddenly broke the stillness, as the young second-rank alchemist, expression composed, stepped forward with a calm demeanor, drawing the attention of everyone in the hall.