Gazing at the figure sent flying by a single sweep from the two elders, Xiao Yan gave a slight frown. Indeed, these two old fellows had been quite unscrupulous. But since the other party had already yielded, he had no desire to further argue with them in this setting. The main event—the auction—was what mattered most, and the impact he had sought through this incident had already been perfectly achieved. From now on, he expected no more impertinent interruptions... "Both of you," Xiao Yan said with a calm smile, "if you have no objections to my 'Xiao Clan's' stewardship of Feng City, then please settle down. The auction is about to begin." Hearing Xiao Yan's words, the two elders felt their faces grow taut. Today, their dignity had truly been compromised. Yet, there was little they could do. With a quiet sigh, they glanced apprehensively at the cold, composed Medusa seated beside Xiao Yan, and then managed a forced, polite smile before settling back into their seats. "Ladies and gentlemen, what happened earlier was merely a farce—please don't mind it. From now on, we'll move into the main event: the herbal medicine auction." Shifting his gaze from the two elder masters, Xiao Yan smiled warmly and greeted the countless attendees in the hall. As soon as he finished speaking, a moment of silence fell across the lower section, followed immediately by a wave of enthusiastic approval. Having witnessed the earlier scene, even the most unassuming attendees now realized that the strength of the "Xiao Sect" far exceeded their expectations. Naturally, no one dared to challenge them anymore—instead, a continuous stream of supportive murmurs and affirmations rose up. In the Black Angle region, many were equally adept at adapting to the situation. Ignoring the overwhelming chorus of praise and deference, Xiao Yan turned to Xiao Li, who had also exhaled in relief, and said, "From here on, it's up to you, second brother. Today's auction should proceed smoothly." Xiao Li nodded with a smile—after having been brushed aside by the two elder masters, who were themselves so formidable, how could anyone else dare to cause trouble? Seeing Xiao Li nod, Xiao Yan finally took a step forward toward the backstage area, with Meidusa closely following in his wake, eventually fading into the crowd of eyes watching them… Watching Xiao Yan and Meidusa depart, Xiao Li smiled gently, then waved his hand, and several maids stepped onto the stage with silver trays in hand. On each tray stood a delicate jade bottle, particularly striking. "Ah, here comes our first offering for auction—our first type of medicine..." … In the backstage lounge, Xiao Yan sat quietly on a cushion, holding a warm cup of tea, occasionally sipping gently. He could faintly hear the lively bidding sounds coming from the auction hall, suggesting the medicines were proving quite popular. "This time, thank you," Xiao Yan said, suddenly turning to face Meidusa, who remained cold-faced beside him. Despite Xiang Yan's thanks, Medusa remained as cold as ever, her slender figure subtly revealing alluring curves beneath her gown, evoking an irresistible urge to draw her into arms and caress her. At this moment, Medusa was deeply conflicted—by nature, she would have simply ignored Xiang Yan when he had come to ask for a small favor. Yet, upon seeing the earnest hope reflected in his young face, an unusual emotion stirred deep within her, causing her to silently swallow the words she had intended to utter. Though she knew that the unusual emotion must surely stem from the fusion of the Tian-Long Serpent's soul, the subtle, insidious influence still irritated her deeply. On one hand, she longed to slap this audacious intruder senseless; on the other, the deep-seated influence pulled her irresistibly toward him, creating a constant inner conflict. This contradiction left the renowned, fiercely decisive Queen Medusa constantly struggling and hesitating. Back in the underground... cough, I was completely at the mercy of the situation—everything was due to that damned Falling Heart Flame. "Back when I successfully evolved, if you hadn't taken the Tian-Tian Python that I had transformed into, I would have had absolutely no connection with you. And given enough time, I would eventually merge with the Python's soul—after all, it was born from my very evolution. In a way, we were one and the same." Hearing Xiang Yan now attempting to shift all the blame, Medusa raised her brows sharply, clenched her teeth, and said, "If you hadn't taken the Tian-Tian Python, you wouldn't have all these complications now. I wouldn't have been dragged down there either. Now, dare you tell me you don't harbor much resentment?" Xiang Yan sighed again, tapping his aching head, and said, "At the time, I didn't know the Tian-Tian Python was actually you transformed. And you yourself mentioned that we were one and the same. So, could I have possibly neglected that little one in any way?" "You always say I treat that little one like a pet, making your Majesty—the Queen—feel embarrassed. But heaven witness it! I treat him like a precious ancestor every day. I even go so far as to give him my most precious 'Amethyst Companion Source,' which I myself would never touch, just as if it were water. How could that be any worse?" Xiao Yan loudly defended himself. Hearing Xiao Yan's passionate rebuttal, which painted such a grand injustice, Medusa was momentarily stunned. While she wasn't entirely sure whether Xiao Yan truly regarded the Tian-Shun Dragon as a cherished ancestor, she did know for certain that the precious 'Amethyst Companion Source' was regularly served to the Tian-Shun Dragon—something she was very well aware of. As thoughts stirred within him, Medusa's otherwise cold features slightly thawed, yet before Xuāo Yīn had even noticed this development, she suddenly remembered something, her face instantly growing colder and she coldly stated, "Even if I no longer hold those matters against you, the dishonorable things you've done while I was weak cannot be denied. According to our serpent-people customs, if one's body is violated against their will, the violator must have their head taken and cast into the 'Sacred Pool' of our clan, where it will be gradually corrupted and dissolved." Upon hearing this, Xuān's face went rigid, and he suddenly felt a chill run down his neck—was this woman really planning to take his head back and handle it? With his mouth twitching, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel a strong urge to appeal his case. Back in the underground, he had been entirely controlled by the fervor of the fading heart flame, his rational mind completely overridden. As a result, he could only recall fragments of events afterward, and at the time, he had felt absolutely nothing—after all, that had also been his very first time. "Once I fulfill my promise, you must prepare the 'Fused-Soul Pill' for me. Then, I will settle all these grievances myself," Medusa said, paying no attention to Xiao Yan's stiff expression, and merely chuckled coldly. "And don't think you can delay me—when the one-year period arrives, if I don't see the pill, your fate won't be any better!" As she finished speaking, Medusa's figure trembled slightly and then slowly faded away from the chair. Staring at the fading figure of Medusa, Xiao Yan shook his head in resignation. Indeed, this woman was not easy to persuade—so he would have to take things slowly. Fortunately, there was still ample time before the agreed-upon date, giving him enough room to gradually improve her impression of him. "Ugh, my head's pounding..." With his fingers massaging his temples, Xiao Yan still couldn't come up with a single solution after a while and finally lifted his head, letting out a long, weary cry. Of course, as the three major powers who had contributed significantly to this auction, knowing that their support would be needed in the future, Xiao Yan not only did not hesitate but actually set aside a substantial sum from his proceeds, distributing it equally among the three. Observing their stunned expressions, Xiao Yan knew that the impact of this gesture had been achieved—merely wielding force was not enough to win over people. Moreover, the successful hosting of this auction not only brought substantial gains to the "Xiao Clan," but also revitalized Feng City, which had previously experienced a slight downturn following the dissolution of the "Black Alliance." In fact, its recovery surpassed even Xiao Yan and Xiao Li's expectations. The very next day after the auction concluded, Xiao Li dispatched personnel at the fastest possible speed to retrieve all the costly medicinal herbs that had been previously reserved at various locations. And when Xiao Yan received the pills from Xiao Li, preserved in exceptional condition, his joy was unmistakable. He knew that with these herbs, the day the Medicine Elder would awaken was drawing near... And once the Medicine Elder awakened, the day they returned to the Jia Ma Empire would surely follow soon after. All their grievances would then be settled finally!