Gazing at the blue-robed woman whose cool, piercing gaze had fixed upon him, and then glancing at the steady stream of eyes from the others around him, Xiao Yan felt a slight embarrassment. He cleared his throat and smiled, saying, "If only the flame control during the alchemy process were a bit more precise, and if the incubation period were a little longer, the quality of this Weather Pill would have been even better. That's why I couldn't help but express my regret." Seeing Xiao Yan so direct and unyielding—offering a subtle reprimand to the blue-robed woman—everyone present was taken aback. They stared in astonishment at this bold young man. In the inner courtyard, there were barely five people qualified to offer such critiques on alchemy techniques, and most of them were senior elders from the Herbal Medicine division. This young man in the black robe clearly didn't belong among them. The blue-robed woman on the platform also paused, slightly startled by Xiao Yan's words. Though she intuitively felt that, according to Xiao Yan's explanation, the quality of the medicine might be better, her nature was notably cold and reserved. If the person making the suggestion were a senior from the Alchemy Department, she would have been willing to listen attentively. But considering Xiao Yan's age—clearly comparable to her own—it made her feel rather uncomfortable, and her expression grew less favorable. "Who are you?" she asked. "Do I have to be someone special to be heard? If you find my remarks unsound, simply treat them as mere wind passing by." Xiao Yan smiled gently and spoke with quiet ease. Stunned by Xiao Yan's calm words, Xinlan paused—rarely had anyone spoken to her in such a manner within the inner courtyard. Gritting her silver teeth, she said, "This is the headquarters of Pan Gate. Only Pan Gate members are allowed entry. I notice you're not even wearing your badge, yet you're moving about freely. That's against protocol. Which department do you belong to?" Upon hearing Xinlan's words, the surrounding Pan Gate members also noticed that Xiao Yan wasn't wearing a badge. Their eyes immediately grew more watchful. The Pan Gate maintained strict rules: all members were expected to wear their badges while moving about. This rule was well-known to nearly every member, so cases like Xiao Yan's were uncommon. After all, the Pan Gate had grown far less loose than it once had. "I'm looking for someone," Xiao Yan replied, feeling a bit helpless under the watchful glances. Two years had passed since his last visit to the inner courtyard, and he hadn't expected to face such an awkward inquiry upon his return. "Looking for someone?" If outsiders wish to enter the Panmen to search for someone, they must be guided—they can't just stumble in blindly, for that would not be advisable." Xinlan slowly descended from the elevated platform, her gentle fragrance drifting into Xiao Yan's presence. As her gaze swept over his face, the familiar sensation grew stronger, softening the slightly cool tone of her voice a little: "Next time, be a bit more careful. Who are you looking for?" "Hugua and Wu Hao. Let them meet me." Xiao Yan tilted his head slightly, smiling. At these words, the expressions of Xinlan and those around her grew somewhat unusual. Wu Hao and Hugua were no ordinary figures within the inner courtyard—indeed, even among Panmen members, they were rarely seen. Yet here stood this young man in black robes, simply requesting that these two appear to meet him? "Hugua and Wu Hao are both very busy with their daily duties, so it's no easy matter to arrange a meeting with them. And, quite frankly, there aren't many people in the inner courtyard who have managed to secure an audience with either of them." Xinlan shook her head, gently brushing a strand of dark hair from her forehead. Her tone remained calm and composed, as if she had already regarded Xiao Yan as just another ordinary student who had quietly slipped into Panmen—something that wasn't uncommon at all. Hearing this, Xiao Yan smiled faintly, then lifted his foot and walked forward through the crowd. As the people parted, a red-dressed girl stood motionless, her large, luminous eyes fixed intently on the black-robed young man approaching slowly. Xiao Yan's steps halted before the red-dressed maiden, gazing at her face, which had remained stunned since he first appeared. A gentle smile broke upon his lips. Then, amid the astonishment of the onlookers, he reached out and gently tapped her head,笑着说, "It's been two years—you've grown quite a bit taller." Startled by Xiao Yan's unexpectedly warm gesture, the maiden, her large, luminous eyes now glistening with mist, saw tears well up and roll down her cheeks. Since that incident years ago, no one had ever approached her with such closeness and familiarity as he had just done. The moment her eyes clouded over, the surrounding flower protectors immediately grew incensed, their angry glares directed straight at Xiao Yan. "Xiao Mei, what's wrong? Are you all right?" A blue figure swiftly appeared beside the red-dressed maiden, who looked so delicate and poignant, as if weeping gently. Upon seeing her, she immediately asked a question, her slender brows slightly raised and fixed on Xiao Yan as she prepared to scold him. But just as she was about to speak, Xiao Yan gently pulled her back, and then a timid voice came from behind. "Xiao... Xiao Yan, cousin? Is it really you?" Held by Xiao Mai, Xin Lan furrowed her brows, ready to speak, only for her expression to gradually freeze. Her clear, bright eyes widened in astonishment, fixed on the black-robed young man before her: "Xiao... Xiao Yan?" Cousin Xiao Yan? Everyone present knew that Xiao Mai was the younger sister of the founder of Pan Gate. And among those who could be called cousin and named Xiao Yan—only the founder of Pan Gate, renowned throughout the Gan Nan Academy, could possibly be the one. On the noisy courtyard, sudden and complete silence fell. Sunlight poured down from the horizon, bathing the young faces wide-eyed with astonishment. In that moment, a strange, surreal sense of wonder and disbelief filled every heart—how could it be that the founder of Panmen, long only a figure in legend, had appeared before them, seemingly out of nowhere? Gazing at the smiling face, everyone knew that Panmen would surely be electrified today. Xiao Mei stood quietly beside Xiao Yan, carefully pouring a steady stream of tea into his cup with a teapot that gently overflowed. As she slightly bent forward, a delicate, alluring whiteness subtly emerged, catching the eye. Xiao Yan kept his gaze fixed ahead. Only after Xiao Mei finished pouring and straightened up did he gently smile at her, then glanced around the hall, smiling, "Everyone, please sit down. We're all family—there's no need to be so formal." "Hehe, boss, finally you've returned! Now those folks outside are all going wild..." A sturdy man waved his head, smiling warmly. Xiao Yan remembered him—Atai, a simple and straightforward name. Back in the day, it was this very man who first encouraged the founding of the Pan Sect. But perhaps due to years of separation, the man now seemed a bit reserved. With so many stories about Xiao Yan circulating over the years, the sense of distance between them had quietly grown. The old friendship had taken on a touch of reverence. As Xiao Yan smiled gently, a quiet sense of nostalgia stirred within him—so many years had passed since his last visit, and it truly felt as though things had changed beyond recognition. "Wait—really? You're the Sect Master?" At the very moment Xiao Yan was reflecting, the woman from the Pan Sect, Xinglan, who had been staring at him with a slightly different gaze, finally couldn't hold back and asked. "Not like what I expected?" Xiao Yan glanced at her, the woman who was a skilled alchemist in the Pan Sect, and gave a teasing smile. Xinlan's cheeks flushed slightly, then her gaze remained neither overly shy nor hesitant as she carefully studied Xiao Yan again, speaking with composed grace, "The statue is far more impressive—so I didn't recognize you at first. You can't blame me for that." Hearing this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but smile and shake his head. As he was about to speak, the heavily closed door suddenly burst open with a loud thud, and a bright, youthful voice, full of scolding, echoed throughout the hall. "Hmph! You finally made it back—gone for two years now, and you've been nothing but a hands-off manager. Isn't that just splendid?" Upon hearing the familiar voice, Xiao Yan smiled and lifted his head. Sunlight poured in from the doorway, casting a clear, bright glow. Standing there, the graceful, short-haired woman in a sleek martial attire stood with regal poise, her bright, determined eyes fixed firmly on him, glaring with quiet intensity. Standing beside the woman was a man bearing a heavy sword of blood-red hue; the usually stern face, now radiating genuine joy and warmth. As he gazed at the familiar pair at the door, a gentle, heartfelt smile began to spread across Xiao Yan's face.