The Fortune Finally Flows!

"Cancel the engagement?!"

Xiao Yan stared at the conversation in shock, surprise, and disbelief. He knew something was fishy, as he did not expect a marriage cermony happen today as Mark deducted.

Dai-Er looked at the conversation in surprise. She had been mistakened as she misunderstood that this was good news to Xiao Yan Ge-Ge.

Mark... Said nothing, as he wasn't there in the first place. He remembered his earlier experiments in the lab/workshop could've caused any unnecessary damage to the lab, as that would've been disastrous, and ran back to his lab in preventing mass chaos to his hard work.

"Xiao Yan Ge-Ge..." Dai-Er spoke softly to Yan. She knew that Xiao Yan's reputation as a failure had shamed him, but the rejection might've shattered his only good news after 3 years...

"Patriarch, we know that the request was rash. The sect leader is willing to gave anything as compensation, but all you have to do is ask!" The Yun Lan Sect Elder spoke a bit loudly.

Xiao Zhan could not believe his ears. "You must be joking, this marriage is arranged by-"

Elder Ge Ye was growing impatient. "Whatever you want, just ask for it, and it shall be fulfilled! But as for the arranged marriage, it must be cancelled!" He flared his Dou-Qi.

Xiao Zhan glared. "Yun Lan Sect, do not force my hand!" He warned, flaring his fiery Dou-Qi in response.

"We're not here to discuss this matter, just to inform you of our decision!" The elder's Dou-Qi grew bigger.

Both respectively flared their Dou-Qi. Xiao Zhan was called the Lion's Fury, a middle-level xuan rank. Elder Ge Ye was called the Greenwood Blade, a lower-level xuan rank. The two auras burned brightly.

As the rest readied themselves from an incoming battle, the young Xiao member acted to prevent the fight.

"STOP!" Xiao Yan shouted, as he entered inside the room.

"Yan-Er!" Xiao Zhan said, shocked as his son had secretly listened to their whole entire conversation.

"Miss Na-Lan, have you received permission from your grandfather on this matter?" Xiao Yan asked/shouted at Na-Lan. She simply huffed in response.

"My own fate should be decided by me alone! I don't want my life decided for me!" She stated confidently, yet so much arrogantly. Something snapped inside Xiao Yan.

'... My own fate, huh... Well said, Xiao Yan you loser... CAN YOU EVEN DECIDE YOUR FATE?!' He thought to himself as he smiled darkly. The irony was thick, as Xiao Yan did not decide his fate on his own as misfortune struck him, and Na-Lan arrogantly believed that her life is decided on her own. Here, she was. Thinking that she can even decide her own fate while he didn't. It infuriated him.

He held a mask of calmness as the elder spoke. "Patriarch, we did not mean to insult... Na-Lan is our leader's favoured disciple and she has a bright future. On the other hand your son..." He glanced at Yan. He knew that look as they were the same look as from the many bastards they had insulted him.

Xiao Yan cracked his knuckles in anger. "Do you mean that I'm not worthy of miss Na-Lan?" He said, already knowing the answer.

"Exactly! Even though you were once a genius, you are now nothing more than a pile of living trash!" Elder Ge Ye stated loudly.

Yan grit his teeth in anger. He saw a flicker when suddenly, Na-Lan sheathed her Dou-Qi sword from existence and hoistered the blade close at Xiao Yan's chest.

Xiao Yan did not became shocked, just widened his eyes in surprise. The force of the blade came to pierce the chest, but suddenly stopped as the force blew air from the energy.

'Was it just me, or was it her attack was... Somehow slower?... Mark's attacks were faster, I guess... But...' He wondered curiously as he remembered when he accidently woke Mark from a prank. He mentally shuddered at the memories.

When Mark was going to wake up from a really cold wet shower, Xiao Yan somehow mistook it for boiling water (though he sweared to God it was cold water) and poured down the boiling water at the peacefully resting Mark.

When the unfortunate man woke up, he was livid. He trashed almost half of the Xiao Sect in his anger, and Xiao Yan was unlucky enough to meet the attack in full force. It took him more than 3 weeks to fully heal from an enraged Second Ranking 16 year-old (he later learnt this). It took his own father, Xiao Zhan, and even Dai-Er, to even calm him down from his rage.

#Flashback Starts#

[AN: "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - OST: Darth Vader Theme" plays on Mark's phone from the background]

"Where is he?!" A random member from the Xiao Sect shouts in fear, panic, and despair and curses to Xiao Yan had potentially unleashed a demonic god from its slumber.

"I don't know! I saw him in the 5th corridor a second ago!" Another random member from the Xiao Sect replies back in fear. They were all sweating heavily in fear from the-

*Kuush Puhhrrrr*

Everyone went silent as a mechanical like breathing, so dark, so twisted, and so terrifying shivered a deathly chill to their spines. No one had knew where it came from. Nobody wanted to know.

...

[AN: Hey, F. Have you seen my phone? I finished downloading the Darth Vader breathing.mp3 and the Darth Vader theme, have you seen it?]

*Uh.... I may have gave to Mark, and programed it to activate in a CERTAIN situation. I thought it was his... Though this'll be interesting in the future.*

[AN: Really?...]

...

There, standing in the dark, was Mark.

[AN: I decided to remotely activate my phone and turn on the perfect music for this, so why not?]

With one glowing blood red burning eye in hatred...

More than anything, that made him more terrifying when it burned menacingly in the darkness.

Their blood froze when IT SPOKE.

"aLl i SEnSe... iS fEaR, AnD dEaD mEN..."

They screamed.

...

Xiao Yan had an ugly bruise on his face. What happened? All he could remember was-

*Kuush Puhhrrrr*

He froze. He slowly turned to his younger brother. He had a burning red eye glowing in the darkness, and it made him soil his pants.

"Hello brother. Mind if I know why did you poured down boiling hot water when I was sleeping?..." He smiled sooooo sadiscally. Xiao Yan was convinced that Mark was the scariest motherfucker alive in the world as he whimpered in complete terror.

He mustered up his remaining courage to speak. "I-I swear, I didn't mean to- Hghrk!" He felt his windpipes forcibly closed, and hanged by an unknown force pulling him up. His feet struggled around aimlessly as his feet did not meet the ground.

"You didn't mean to, but you STILL DID IT ANYWAYS." It spoke.

Xiao Yan screamed as much remaining air he'd like to wake up from the nightmare.

#Flashback Ends#

Everyone in the Xiao Sect knew to never wake a dragon's peaceful slumber very forcibly. Even when pouring LITERALLY boiling water when they were sleeping.

Mark soon forgave Xiao Yan from his actions as he did with the other members, (As it took Mark's past experiences of cooking, kindness, and massages to even warm up to him) and that cold water would've just made him slightly annoyed, (though Xiao Yan called bullshit on that) and that somehow the boiling water was not Yan's fault, as it was impossible to even dedicate on waiting the water to even boil, as the person should've timed the exact moment on the water to boil to start the prank.

Xiao Yan wasn't stupid, but he knew he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed to even thought out plans like that... He wasn't Sherlock Holmes, for goodness sake!

Plus, as to attempt a prank that everyone thought it was humorously bad, it didn't match up to Xiao Yan's style, as Mark knew that Xiao Yan had meaningful, purposed and thought out planning to make a decent prank.

And so, Xiao Yan was judged: Not Guilty. Though, it begged the question: How did the cold water that Xiao Yan had earlier, had suddenly turned into boiling hot water, and how did a Second Ranking 16 year-old gain supernatural powers?

As that was the unsolved mystery of the Xiao Sect on the case. Everyone who were curious about this mystery (that included Xiao Yan, Dai-Er, Xiao Zhan, and others) turned to Mark, as the most observant and most deductive member in the family, simply muttered by cursing the 'author' or 'F'.

[AN: *Whistles innocently*]

*cue the innocent whistling from F*

This did not gave any definite answers to the mystery, as Mark eventually answered: That he didn't know. He also didn't know how he got his powers, and said that he couldn't use it, as it was simply impossible to 'be terrifying as hell' when he had Second Ranking Dou-Qi. Many believed in this case and thought that Mark was possessed by a vengful spirit.

Though, Xiao Yan did not believe him. As he knew Mark was lying, he was the only person that knew Mark's powers. He kept it a secret as Mark wanted him to, as it would be too troublesome for his life. Yan respected this, and didn't tell anyone of his powers as he would respect that his older/younger brother wanted a peaceful life.

As they were all confused by the mystery, this gave Mark a reputation of the 'Small Dragon' in the Xiao Sect. A small dragon, but a deadly dragon nonetheless. Some exaggerated that Mark was the most powerful than the Xiao Sect combined...

Only using a Second Rank Dou-Qi at his side, he beat almost the whole entire Xiao Sect in his rage. Though, almost of all of the people didn't believe in the rumor, as a Second Rank had the capablity to beat almost half of Xiao Sect made it unbelievable and it was simply crackpot nonsense. Only who saw the wrath of the 'Small Dragon' believed of the legend.

He soon snapped from his thoughts of Mark. How did he get along with them and himself as if they were friends anyways?... He didn't really answer that question. Kindness, Food, Massages, and the hoping of the development of the modern technologies was obvious to treat him fairly once more.

Though, Dai-Er's face darkened as there was a blade pointed to Xiao Yan's chest.

'Oh yeah, the blade.' He thought in realisation. His face morphed into a shade of darkness.

"Hah! You can't even dodge my attack, you have no right to be in my presence!" She insulted arrogantly. Xiao Yan's face darkened.

"Na-Lan Yan-Ran, what are you doing?!" Xiao Zhan came to his son's side.

But, a dark laugh coming from the young Xiao member shocked all of the members present in the room.

"Laughed at my own family, insulted by own fiancee, teased and threatened to the public, beaten by monsters... How interesting." He smiled darkly. His eyes were full of irony and amusement. Soon, his eyes gleamed into determination and pride.

"A man may be killed, but never humiliated! Come at me! Na-Lan Yan-Ran!" He stated loudly and grasped the blade with his hand and pierced it through his chest.

SPLLINRT!

"Y-you-" Na-Lan let go her blade in shock, guilt, and surprise as she couldn't believe what she had done.

"YAN-ER!" Xiao Zhan shouted in concern. The boy had willingly pierced his own chest!

"Huff... Huff... The sword missed my heart, guess I wasn't meant to die today!" He smiled smugly as his chest bled from the blade.

"W-why are you doing this? Why didn't you just agree? I never wanted to hurt you!" She confessed. Xiao Yan simply 'heh'-ed.

"Or do you mean... You'd rather die than cancel our engagement?" She soon realised the intended actions of Xiao Yan.

"Do you what would happen if I'd just simply agree? The whole Xiao Family would be a laughing stock of everyone in the area!" He explained, as blood dripped from his mouth.

"If I die and at least uphold the Xiao Family honor, I'll do so gladly!" He stated with determination.

"Yan-Er..." Xiao Zhan watched his son.

Na-Lan composed her calm facade. "... Alright, you win this time. I can take back what I said, but on one condition!" She gave Xiao Yan an ultimatum.

"What condition?" He asked.

"Three years from today, I'll await your challenge atop Mount. Yun Lan! If you lose, then you will publicly announce the cancelling of the engagement." She stated. He grinned.

"The wheel of fortune never rests, all will be favoured eventually!" He quoted, as he glared determinedly.

"NEVER LAUGH UPON AT A MAN DOWN ON HIS LUCK!" He warned.

"Alright, I'll wait for three years, hopefully you can be as confident then! If you really do win, even though it's impossible, I'll do whatever you want!" She arrogantly raised the stakes.

"Hah! As if I really want you!" He taunted in response.

Clenching his bloodied hands on the blade, he pulled the blade free from his chest with a sickening squelch as his blood flew.

"Xiao Yan Ge-Ge!" Dai-Er shouted in concern.

He later wrote on the clothes that he wore with his own blood. "A woman like you... Can never be fit to be a part of this family!" He spat out.

"This is not a cancelation of our engagement, BUT A BILL OF DIVORCE! I SHALL NOW DIVORCE YOU!" He exclaimed loudly. Na-Lan was shocked as her pride was wounded.

"How... How dare you divorce me!" She later spoke from the shock that Xiao Yan just insulted her.

He kneeled in front of his father as he tired out from blood loss. "Father, three years from now on, I will go to Yun Lan and uphold our family honor!" He stated determinedly.

"Yan-Er..." Xiao Zhan saw his proud son would even die to uphold the family honor.

"Yan-Er, you are a true son of the Xiao Family. I am proud of you." He spoke with pride at his son. The son he had loved was a man now.

"Mr. Ge, be on your way! And take your stuff with you! Farewell!" Xiao Zhan said without looking back at the elder.

"As you say, Patriarch, we'll take our leave." Elder Ge Ye respectfully acknowledged. Na-Lan did not say anthing as she had already left the gates. She glared back at Xiao Yan with hate.

'Damn you, Xiao Yan! I'll make you eat your words in three years' time!' She vowed in her mind.

As she went passed Dai-Er, her eyes turned gold. "For your sake, you'd better not regret what you did today... If something should happen to Xiao Yan Ge-Ge, I will destroy Yun Lan Sect!" She glared as she warned to Na-Lan.

She simply stared back at the girl who had threatened her.

"We've far overstayed our welcome, let's make ourselves scarce!" Elder Ge Ye said to her, but she ignored him.

'That girl...' She thought. Who was she, that could have the confidence to say that she could destroy the Yun Lan Sect? She brushed off that thought and walked.

Not paying attention to her surroundings, she accidently hit someone's shoulders while she wasn't looking.

"Sorry!" A boy, a tad bit older than Xiao Yan, apologied and ran passed her to the room. She mentally accepted the apology and raised an eyebrow.

Who was he? His appearance did not look like he came from the Xiao Family. A servant, perhaps? He looked foreign, and he wore such type of clothes that she had not seen before.

She later didn't care, as she left the Xiao Sect.

Not even realising she had met the rumored 'Small Dragon' from the Xiao Sect.

...

She's the future leader of the Yun Lan Sect, huh? I saw her earlier, but I sensed damaged pride and arrogance within her Dou-Qi.

I frowned as I thought she was a typical sheltered girl born in nobility, in an area full of arrogance and stupidity. I slide away from that thought with a sigh and saw Yan laid on the ground, bleeding severely.

What the hell just happened here when I was gone?

Yan coughed blood as he laid down from a stab wound from someone's blade. It was the same Dou-Qi that the future leader of the Yun Lan Sect. I knew this, because I saw residue Dou-Qi on his body.

I scanned his body. No vital organs were lost, but he lost a lot of blood.

"Go get a doctor!" A random voice shouted.

"Xiao Yan Ge-Ge!" Dai-Er shouted concern, horrified at the sight of Yan.

I saw Xiao Yan's consciousness passed out.

...

"He may be worthless, but at least he has courage!" "As if that'll do anything for him when he gets his ass kicked in three years!" An unknown voice spoke inside Yan's mind.

'Ouch.' He thought, as his chest had hurt. Though, not much when he had suffered FAR worse.

He woke up lying on the medical bed, sweating heavily. He remembered what happened before. The declaration, the divorce, the three year duel...

"Just die already, it'll save me trouble of standing guard here..." "Stinking piece of trash..." He heard murmurs from the guards. He clenched his fist. He sighed.

'No strength means no respect, I'd never thought one day I would fall so far... That even servants make fun of me...' He thought. He held up the ring necklace that he had.

'As I am now, the only thing left that I can truly call my own is this old ring my mother left me...' He thought sadly.

'Are you giving in to despair, kiddo?' The unknown voice he'd heard came back again.

"Eh?" He intelligently spoke, as his ring suddenly levitated upwards and shone brightly, blinding his senses as he covered the light with his arms.

"What the-" He said, confused on what the hell was happening.

"With every locked door, there is an open window! Stand up, as there is always hope!" The unknown voice called out from the ring, as the ring emitted aura blue Dou-Qi.

"Someone... Someone is talking from inside the ring?!" He said out loud in shock, as he saw an old, yet youthful man appear before him.

"Everything can be overcome by something, for there is reason behind all things! So, kid! Do you want power?" He said.

And everything went black for Xiao Yan.

...

Was it just me, or did I just sense a different Dou-Qi signature from Yan?

I wondered, thinking that he might've met the spirit inside the ring. I sensed faint traces of another's Dou-Qi in the ring 5 months ago, but only faint...

I slide over that thought as I shrugged and continued to work in my lab room. Now, where was that palladium ring that I casted earlier?... I swear I'd put that there earlier...

I also noticed that my makeshift car battery had depleted the electricity inside.

'Goddamnit.' I facepalmed myself in displeasure.

"Master, you must sleep! You've been poisoning yourself with that disgusting, filthy, bitter, boiled bean water! I will poison you to sleep if I have to!" A female snake-like voice hissed out. I sighed.

Indeed, there were bags under my eyes from the constant working and researching I'd spent most of my days on. Since I was accepted to the Xiao Family, I'd created a makeshift battery from the scraps I found laying around. Uncultured swines, leaving precious metal behind... Through this, I had re-invented electricity through my past-knowledge from the multiverse.

There were several pinned lightbulbs on my workshop tied up into another makeshift battery. Though I'll get to the part on how I built my batteries later.

"Em, it's called coffee. Coffee IS bitter, just like how it is SUPPOSED to be. Why do you think I willingly poison myself to constantly wake up?.." I replied sarcastically to the huffing resident Mysterious Poisonous Jade Snake with parseltongue.

During my time in the Xiao Family, I met the Mysterious Poisonous- You know what? I'mma gonna stick with Emerald...- when she apologied me on her behaviour on her behalf.

She thought I was a descendent of the Legendary Ancient Serpentine Beasts of the Old Ages of the Dou Qi Continent, due to my ability of talking to snakes with Parseltongue that I learnt from the Harry Potter universe.

To her disappointment, I told her that I wasn't blood-related to any of the 'Legendary Snake Gods' she had mentioned earlier.

Still, I told her to kindly leave me be. But however, since it was nighttime, she rudely slept on my body when she was suddenly tired and rested on my body. I didn't care as I was getting tired too, and when I woke up...

Emerald had said I was somehow her master for unknown reasons when we woke up. It was cleared that if a Dou Qi beast was willingly agree to anything to the person has said, they would very rarely (extremely rarely, one-in-a-million chance) make a bond with their new master as a contact was formed. I accepted on the way and adopted Emerald as my own pet snake.

Though, I kept insisting her to stop calling me 'master', but she ignored me otherwise as she grew respect for me as I had the ability to speak Parseltongue. I also knew she was very old, but she spoke like if she was a child.

"Emerald is mad now! Emerald will not rest until she finally makes Master sleep with any means necessary!" She pouted in anger. A snake pouted so adorably, even the coldest of hearts would even melt at the sight. Yet, it didn't even made me smile, as I was too tired and concentrated to even care. I rolled my eyes instead.

"Like what?" I replied. Although she was a snake, I could tell she had a smirk on her face. Why is it everyone I meet unconsciously learn how to smirk like that? That obvious smirk of scheming something!

"Like getting Sis Dai-Er to make you go to sleep! Emerald knows that you wouldn't like it, would you Master?" She threatened me with that goddang smirk. Little brat... She later met Dai-Er and Yan by any chance she entered my workshop, and she said that Emerald was a 'very adorable snake' when she first saw her. I revealed to both of them I had the ability to speak to snakes, though that didn't matter anyways.

I sighed. "You win, Em. I'll go to sleep." I gave up as she cheered by hissing in victory.

I turned on the 3rd makeshift battery and turned the heater on in Em's bed. She hissed in joy as she blissed as she felt the artifical heat warming her up. I adjusted the heat so it wouldn't fry her when she slept.

Although Em was a Dou-Qi beast and a cold-blooded reptile, I wasn't taking any chances that I potentially would've fried Em.

She would've bitten me again, something that I wasn't looking forward to find out.

And so, I drifted off to dreamless sleep.

...

Xiao Yan's eyes snapped open. He stood up from the medical bed and shook his head for any flouting rings. It was morning.

"Huh? Was that just a dream? It seemed so real..." He muttered to himself.

The door suddenly opened inside the medical room and Yan stared at who he saw.

It was Mark.

And he did not look amused.

...

I frowned as I heard Yan did something VERY stupid for some reason. "While I having terrible time turning off my stove, you picked a fight with the Nut?" I joked. Yan raised an eyebrow confusion when he failed to understand the joke. I sighed.

"Nut is an egyptian sky goddess... You know, because her Sect is literally called Misty Cloud Sect, and clouds are found from the sky?... Even you didn't understand that part, you would've laughed because her name is 'Nut'." I raised an eyebrow in obviousness. Yan adopted my deadpan and used it against me.

"You had the most lamest jokes of all time..." He mused, and I frowned in displeasure. I did not have the lamest jokes of all time! I had the decent!

"You don't have the 'modern' humor these days..." I scoffed. Yan heh-ed.

"Even after 5 Billion years, you still don't know how to make a proper joke... In the right era or in the right world..." He joked/teased at me.

"Oof. That was a good burn." I put my palm on my mouth from the good roast.

Yan: 1, Mark: 0

"Did you seriously, willingly, stabbed yourself in the chest?" I asked incrediously. I knew he stabbed himself that he would rather die to prevent the Xiao Sect to a laughing stock.

"I had a lot in my mind. I didn't think..." He confessed.

"Though, I think it was unnecessary for to it to begin with. Don't get cocky, just because you're the MC." I warned.

"And what does that make you?..." He asked genuinely.

"The 'big brother' role that has to carry your ass from unfortunate situations." I smirked. His temple ticked in irritation.

Yan: 1, Mark: 1

"Bull. You totally left me to fend myself with them. Some 'big brother' you are, huh?" He smirked back, fading my own smirk.

Yan: 2, Mark: 1

"Says the guy would even tease his own not-really sister. Are you deseparate that you would resolve to incest much?" I smirked back.

Yan: 2, Mark: 2

"Jeez, Mark! I know she's like my never-had sister, but I wouldn't do it to my blood related family members if she was! I AM NOT INTO INCEST." He exclaimed, digusted at the law of marrying your own family members to 'purify' the noble blood.

I laughed as he ranted in rage how bad of a big brother I was. Soon, we both his a a small smile of challenge in roasting rivalry. Both points were tied.

...

#Flashback Starts#

"Mummy, I've beaten the 7th stage already!" A young Xiao Yan called out to his mother.

The mother smiled as she rubbed her son's head. "Good job, Yan-Er! You will become very strong when you get older!" She praised.

Xiao Yan's eyes gleamed in joy. "Of course Yan-Er will!" He said.

"Yan-Er will become a Saint, no, an Emperor, and bring honour to the Xiao Family name!" He exclaimed positively.

His mother giggled at the adorable sight. "He he! You silly boy..." She smiled in kindred.

#Flashback Ends#

Yan and I were standing next to his mother (and adopted mother-in-law) in the Xiao Family Cemetery.

Yan dropped to his knees in front of his mother's grave. "Sorry for not coming to see you sooner, mother..." He whispered.

"I was... a bit shameful to... Your 'Yan-Er' is a loser now... A laughing stock for the people of the city..." He sadly whispered. I stared in sympathy at my brother, Yan. I knew that his mother was a touchy subject to him, how he loved her greatly.

Through reincarnation from my past experiences, I had multiple different mothers. Some left me to die, some cared for me, some misunderstood, and some really did care for me. I knew the parental love of mothers and how it can impact someone.

"Sorry... Yan-Er has disappointed you... Mother..." His eyes dropped tears at the unfortunate fate. He breathed a heavy breath for a loud shout of declaration.

"I WILL NOT FACE THE HUMILIATION THAT I FELT ONCE AGAIN! THERE WILL NOT BE A SECOND TIME! NO MORE!" He shouted through the heavens as I resisted the urge to block my ears, as that would be disrespectful.

"Matters of life are decided by fate! Kiddo, it seems you need help!" Both Yan and I heard the unknown voice. It had the same signature of the Dou-Qi I had felt yesterday.

"What was that?!" He turned around to see nothing. I just pointed at the ring, as it was the source of the voice. Yan looked down.

"What you search for is more closer than you percieve it to be!" The ring called out, and levitated in front of us and glowed.

"You?! Why are you inside my ring?! Who are you?!" He demanded.

"Relax, I will not harm you. After all these years, there was someone capable enough to wake me from my deep slumber. By the way, thanks for the 3 years' worth of Dou-Qi supply! I would've been in a more deep slumber!" The ring exclaimed. Yan realised something crucial.

"3 years' worth of Dou-Qi supply?... Don't tell me you're the reason that my Dou-Qi was depleted in the past 3 years!?" Yan enraged. The ring awkwardly chuckled.

"Hehe, I didn't really have a choice..." "Bullshit! So it was your fault!" Yan pointed at the flouting ring in anger.

In his anger, he grabbed the flouting ring and threw it off the mountain side. "It's all because of you!" He shouted. He widened his eyes in shock.

"Aw crap!" He realised, as threw the only thing that his mother left behind. I facepalmed. Right, forgot that Yan was a bit of an idiot...

"Xiao Yan, you idiot!" He called himself an idiot. Suddenly, a youthful looking man stared back at me as if Yan was a bit weird. I shrugged in agreement as I was much calm to any surprising appearances. Or disappearances...

"Such a large temper for such a young age!" He called out to Yan. Yan turned around to face both of us. Weeeelll... He is in his second life, and he is a bit mature...

The man smiled. "Kiddo, we meet again." He replied as he manifested from the ring that Yan threw suddenly came back to here. I knew he met Xiao Yan from yesterday, as the same Dou-Qi was exactly the same.

"You? So it wasn't just a dream? You... who are you?" Yan asked. The man smiled.

"Why the long face? All I did was suck 3 years' worth of Dou-Qi from you!" He replied as Yan tightened his fists and threw a right hook at the man.

"Don't you know what I've been through the past 3 years?!" He said as his right hook went through. The man was a spirit.

'It went through?' I imagined Yan's thoughts, but unfortunately, the right hook accidently contacted to me as I was caught off guard for some unknown reason regard with the auth-

SMARCK!

My face! OW!

"THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" I shouted, rubbing my stinging jaw from the pain. Yan immediately apologied, and the spirit laughed at us. That made us both scowl.

"Didn't you moved on from the 3 years of being laughed at?" He said. Yan grit his teeth.

"Oh, so does that mean I should thank you instead?!" He sarcastically quipped as I said nothing but rubbing my jaw in pain.

The spirit chuckled. "I would advise you not to be so active, or your wounds might have opened up again." He advised. Yan's fist tightened.

"Too active?! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been like this in the first place!" He spat back. He threw his arm back in an another hook.

"And I wouldn't have suffer the humilation of my own 'fiancee' cancelling our engagement!" He aimed a hook intended on the spirit's head even though it would just phase through.

"I can give you back your powers." He stopped the fist in mid-air.

"What did you say?..." Yan asked again, not believing his ears.

"I said, I can make you strong again-" "GO F**K YOURSELF!" He dropped kicked the spirit as the spirit was shocked and surprised.

"What the hell?!" The spirit spoke as he was stunned at Yan's actions.

He turns to the spirit. "I already know my Dou-Qi has been depleted. With my talent, do you think that I'll need you?" He said as he... sparkled? What the fuck?...

"That Na-Lan girl's talent level is the same as yours. To beat her in three years will be a challenge." 'No shit.' I commented. "You know that as well as I do!" He reminded Yan.

"Also, you can't beat me... So give up, kiddo." He pointed smugly at Yan, who grunted in discomfort. He turned to me.

"Do you know any exorcism that I can get him to go away? You do, right?" He asked me in hope. The spirit widened his eyes in fear as he would've possibly be exorcised today. I shook my head.

"Nah, not much I can do without other power sources. Can't do exorcism with Dou-Qi, sorry..." I answered. The spirit let out a sigh as he wasn't going to be exorcised. Yan groaned.

"Wait. You have an idea?..." Yan suddenly turned at the spirit mischievously. The spirit was surprised at the sudden mischievousness, but rolled with it.

"I might!" The spirit spoke with the same mischievousness. I looked at both of them weirdly. I have a bad feeling about this...

"Just talk! How do I know that you're telling the truth?" He asked the spirit with sass. The spirit smirked at the sass. I simply raised an eyebrow.

"Hmph, cheeky little brat, if you want proof, here it is!" The spirit burned the area we stood on with blue, icy fire.

"Wha! Playing with fire is dangerous!" He covered from the flames. I looked at the flames with little concern and curiousity.

The spirit's hand held the icy fire. Yan shivered from the cold that flame was emiting.

"Even though it is fire, why is it so cold?! This flame..." He exclaimed in confusion.

The spirit smirked as the flame he held levitated in the air and enveloped the area with blue fire.

"This isn't just any normal fire, this an essence flame!" He explained.

The area burned with icy blue flames, as the flames flared brightly next to the spirit. "When an Essence Flame is present, all other flames follow." He explained as both of us were in awe.

"This is the symbol of fire. All other flames naturally serve it!" The spirit stated, as he clenched his hands to extinguish the icy blue flame. There were perfectly shaped burn markings made from flames underneath us.

"Now do you believe me?" The spirit said to Yan. He had 'game' face on.

"If you help me break the 7th stage of practitioner, everything that has happened in the past 3 years will be forgotten. How about it?" Yan negotiated with the spirit.

"Hey kiddo, to promise such a thing doesn't mean..." "Then we don't have a deal!" He acted as if he was uninterested. I sweatdropped as he was acting... so out of tune. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

"From where I see it, you should find another ring or necklace to cling on to! Farewell!" He walked away.

"Wait, wait!" The spirit immediately stopped Yan from going away. He tooked the bait. The spirit thought and decided what to do with Xiao Yan, as he gave a very difficult deal.

"Do you want to be a receptarier?" The spirit suddenly asked as Yan stopped.

"Re.. receptarier?" He asked in shock.

In the Dou-Qi Continent, there is a profession that is a league over a Quo-Qi fighter, people call them receptariers. They can fabricate different elixirs. Each one in different use and strength. Some so rare that they are worth cities, as they were basically power-up pills to make a person stronger.

"Are you kidding? Everyone wants to be a receptarier! But you have to achieve abnormal criteria in order to become one..." He muttered.

"Don't tell me... I've already achieved it?!" "Don't be cocky!" The spirit said in denial. I slapped my face with my hand. How arrogant was he?

"I've just snuck past! But it's still far from standard!" The spirit told him.

"It's not a problem of being below average. It is said that to be a receptatier, one must have a teacher to guide their every steps..." He wondered. He realised as he widened his eyes.

"AH! Don't tell me that you..." "That's right! I am a receptatier! I can teach you, kiddo!" The spirit receptatier revealed his status. I raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"You're lying! The numbers of receptatiers are in tens! How could someone like you be one? Everyone knows that receptatiers have stages! From weakest to strongest, starting from stage 9 to stage 1... What stage are you?" He asked. The spirit put a hand in his chin in thought.

"What stage?... I forgot. But, are you going to learn?" He asked Yan.

"Yes, yes! Apprentice Xiao Yan greets his master!" With a determinated look, he respectfully greeted his new master. Well, that's was an interesting turn of events...

"Okay! My name is Yao Lao. From now on, we are teacher and student!" The spirit known as Yao Lao introduced himself. I hmm-ed.

"Okay! Now that you are my master, teach me how to make elixirs! I can't wait!" Yan impatiently demanded to learn. I sweatdropped. Yan, you have three years to train. That doesn't mean you have to be on a hurry...

"Even if I wanted to teach, I could not! To become a receptatier, you need to be at least a master, and also have a fire type Quo-Qi skill!" Yao Lao explained.

"Fire type skill..." Yan wondered as he tried to remember what it was. I thought as I remembered from what I learnt.

Dou Qi skill ranking is separated into 4 classes. The higher the level, the stronger the skill. Huang (Yellow), The first rank skill class, Xuan (Black), The second rank skill category, Di (Earth), The third rank skill class, and Tian (Heaven), The fourth rank skill class.

[AN: In which I got the information from some help. This is just a fanfic. Nothing else.]

"Hehe! Then just give me any old Tian skill and let me try it out!" Yan asked as his eye sparked. Yao Lao formed a tick on his head and swung his fist at Yan who dodged it in response.

"You think Tian class skills grows on trees?!" Yao Lao said as he was annoyed. Honestly, Xiao Yan's stupidity would've made me groan...

"You're not teaching me any skills, nor how to make elixirs! Stingy old man!" He said back.

"I don't have Tian class skills, but I have a skill that is more special than a Tian class skill! Do you want it?" Yao Lan said. Yan's eyes sparkled. Special than a Tian class skill?...

"Ah? Then what level is it?! It must be super strong, right?" He asked as he couldn't wait to learn it.

"Huang Class Lower Level..." Yao Lan replied in a monotone.

"Huang..." Yan's face paled from disbelief.

"ARE YOU F^%$ING PLAYING WITH ME?! WHAT'S THE POINT OF LEARNING SO WEAK?!" He shouted so loudly that I blocked my ears with my fingers with a deadpan.

"Hehehe... Don't you want to know what makes this skill so special?" Yao Lan smirked. Yan crossed his arms in ignorance.

"Why? Because it sucks so much?" He sarcastically commented. I knew the answer why it was so special.

"Because it can evolve..." Yao Lao replied in the same monotone.

"Evolve? Don't lie to me, I never heard that a skill can evolve!" Yan said.

"Oh, kiddo, the world is filled strange and new things!" Yao Lao answered. "I second that." I added.

"Did you learn it?" He asked.

"No."

"Did anyone else?" He asked again.

"No."

I saw Yan tried not to break his anger, but it lasted for 2 seconds. I blocked my ears again.

"YOU BLOODY LIAR!!!" He shouted so loud, the heavens could've heard it.

"Every word is true, but skills aren't important right now... Your first task is buy every thing on this list!" Yao Lao held a list made of Dou-Qi. Yan calmed down and looked at the list. I looked at it too.

"What?! These things... Are you kidding me?!" He shouted in an outrage.

Yan, what's even the fuss about? Your luck just finally broken from the dam, and here you're worried about money?...

[AN: Please review. I did the chapter a bit longer. Doesn't mean that I'll make something very long like this...]