"I don't care about you all. Anyway, I'll do whatever I like." Xiaoyao said indifferently. "Going to sleep!"

"Wait!" Third Master spoke.

"What now? Can't you say everything at once?" Xiaoyao frowned.

"I've been wanting to speak for a while, but you didn't give me a chance. Sigh, as a father, I have so little status. How pitiful, how lamentable..." Third Master began to feel sorry for himself.

"..." Xiaoyao looked at Third Master, then silently turned and walked away.

"..., Stop right there! This is serious business. Come with me to see the family head." Third Master could only become serious.

Xiaoyao stopped and looked at Third Master, asking, "What's the matter?"

"I'm not entirely clear, but it seems someone needs you to treat them. The family head only recently learned that you cultivate the Divine Farmer's Art. Why didn't you mention before that you cultivate the Divine Farmer's Art?" After explaining the matter, Third Master casually asked.

...

...

"What's there to say about that? Saying it would only cause trouble. Look, now trouble has already come knocking. Besides, they didn't ask either." Xiaoyao replied.

"..."

Indeed, this kid deliberately didn't say anything, letting people mistakenly think he was just an ordinary martial artist, naturally not alarming the family head.

Of course, Xiaoyao was also innocent. This couldn't really be called deliberately not saying—when those people didn't ask, he was too lazy to say more to avoid trouble.

"Come, go with me to see the family head." Third Master pulled Xiaoyao along, not caring whether Xiaoyao was willing or not—dragging him away first.

"Can we go tomorrow instead? I don't have much energy today." Xiaoyao asked, though knowing this possibility was very small, asking at least gave him a chance.

"Go now. Do you think the family head is someone you can meet whenever you want?" Third Master said irritably.

"What does that have to do with me? He wants to see me, not the other way around." Xiaoyao replied directly.

"..."

This statement seemed correct. Now it was the family head who wanted to see Xiaoyao, not Xiaoyao wanting to see the family head. The initiative was in Xiaoyao's hands.

But the problem was, being able to meet the family head could increase one's status in the family head's heart and get better treatment. Who would refuse to meet the family head? Usually, after being summoned by the family head, people would immediately drop everything to see him. Even if they had no energy, they would immediately perk up.

"Don't tell me you don't want to go?" Third Master said irritably.

"Yes, preferably not!" Xiaoyao nodded very naturally. His purpose for coming here wasn't to contribute to the family or for status within the Luo family—it was merely to verify his background.

Now that his background was confirmed through Yinping's appearance, he had verified his origins. What remained were just some questions and details. He no longer had urgent feelings about approaching Luo Yuntian.

Originally, Xiaoyao's attitude toward his background was just that if he could find it, he would; if he found it, he would continue searching. But if there were other matters, he would do other things instead of prioritizing finding his background.

This had always been Xiaoyao's way—it hadn't changed.

"..."

Third Master hadn't expected Xiaoyao to refuse so straightforwardly. He thought it was good he came this time, otherwise Lingjiu and the others probably couldn't handle this kid either.

"It's better to go once. Don't slight the family head—that's not good for you or us. Besides, calling you there is also a good thing. You can get some rewards." Third Master said. Although he didn't know who needed treatment, whoever it was, the family head would definitely reward Xiaoyao.

"Calling me there means there's something for me to do. What reward is that? It's what I should get." Xiaoyao said directly.

"You talk too much. Fine, just don't speak carelessly when we get there, or even I can't protect you." Third Master said irritably.

"No need. At worst I'll leave. If this place won't keep me, there are places that will!" Xiaoyao still had a nonchalant attitude, making Third Master furious.

If he could, he really wanted to kick Xiaoyao a few times. But he couldn't—their relationship wasn't good yet. If he kicked now, wouldn't that make their relationship even worse?

Forget it, endure for now. There would be chances to get even!

"You're Third Brother's son Xiaoyao?" When the family head saw Xiaoyao, he asked a question he already knew the answer to. This was just an opening line, but he didn't expect someone wouldn't cooperate.

"No!" Xiaoyao shook his head, denying it.

"No? Your name isn't Xiaoyao?" The family head was stunned, thinking he had the wrong person. Maybe this was someone Third Master brought to discuss other matters.

"My name is Xiaoyao." Xiaoyao shook his head.

"Then what do you mean by 'no'?" The family head frowned. Are you mocking me, kid? Do you know you're offending the most powerful person in the Luo family? Be careful I trip you up.

"I am Xiaoyao, that's correct, but I'm not your third brother's son. This point must be made clear." Xiaoyao said seriously.

"Third Brother, what's the situation?" The family head was stunned again and asked Third Master.

"He still doesn't acknowledge me. There's nothing I can do." Third Master said with a bitter smile.

"I see. No wonder the child doesn't acknowledge you—what you did back then was indeed despicable." The family head understood. He knew his third brother well. Although they weren't blood brothers, they had grown up together and their feelings were like real brothers.

This family head and Third Master didn't have the same father. The situation was similar to Luo Yuntian—they were cousins with the same grandfather. Luo Yuntian and the family head were also cousins.

"Child, you've suffered all these years. Tell your uncle what you need—if uncle can do it, he'll definitely satisfy you." The family head said with a smile, very kindly.

"I want to refine pills and forge weapons, and be able to use any of the Luo family's materials. Of course, I'll provide things of at least equal value in return." Xiaoyao straightforwardly stated his idea. This was what he wanted.

The family head looked at Xiaoyao strangely. Why would Xiaoyao propose such conditions? And it seemed these conditions weren't profitable for him—he just wanted materials to refine pills and forge weapons, and would give back things of equal value. This actually wasn't a very difficult problem.

However, the family head was afraid that if he agreed, and Xiaoyao wasted those precious materials, it wouldn't be worth it. The Luo family didn't collect materials for people to waste, and some things would be very hard to find again if lost.

The family head hesitated. After all, he had heard about Xiaoyao's medical skills, but not his pill refining skills. As for forging, he also hadn't heard about that. If he agreed directly now, he wouldn't be sitting in this family head position.

"Big Brother, I can vouch for this kid. This will only benefit our Luo family, not harm it!" Third Master spoke up. At this moment, he took the opportunity to support Xiaoyao to gain some goodwill.

Besides, he had witnessed Xiaoyao's pill refining skills and naturally didn't think there would be problems.

"How so?" The family head asked Third Master.

"Xiaoyao can refine high-level pills, and can even refine high-grade ones." Third Master said. He believed this one sentence would make the family head immediately agree.

"What?! You're not joking with me, are you? He can actually refine high-level pills, and high-grade ones too?" The family head was surprised. The Luo family wasn't without people who could refine high-level pills, but there were only one or two such people. Having one more would immediately add much more.

"Yes, how could I joke with you? Wasn't he recently in seclusion refining pills? Initially I thought he was casually refining some pills, but I didn't expect he was actually refining High-Grade Essence Cultivation Pills, and quite a few of them, with high-grade ones too." Third Master said.

"High-Grade Essence Cultivation Pills? These are much harder to refine than Qi Gathering Pills. Even our pill refiners don't have much confidence refining them—they only have some every so often. You also said he refined quite a few. Where are the pills?" The family head immediately forgot about other matters, only wanting to see the pills.

It seemed these Essence Cultivation Pills were even more difficult, further demonstrating the rarity of Xiaoyao's pill refining skills.

"They're all at my place. This kid planned to sell them for money to continue collecting materials. These materials were all purchased by him, so however he wants to handle them is his business—I can't stop him either. Here's a bottle of pills this kid gave me—they're middle-grade." Third Master explained while recounting how Xiaoyao had purchased materials himself. This way, the family head would have no right to reclaim the things in others' hands, because they weren't Luo family property.

He had to consider his daughters. He wasn't so great as to contribute even his daughters' things to the family.

At the same time, he took out his own. Since they were his own, surely the family head wouldn't force him—he needed these pills to accelerate his cultivation too.

"Indeed Essence Cultivation Pills. The grade seems better than low-grade—should be middle-grade." The family head was indeed well-informed, quickly seeing what was inside and even determining some of the grade. Of course, if they were high-grade, he would say the same thing.

Because he couldn't tell the difference between high-grade and middle-grade. He had never seen high-grade High-Level Essence Cultivation Pills, so how could he judge the difference between the two?

He had seen quite a few high-grade High-Level Qi Gathering Pills, but for High-Level Essence Cultivation Pills, at most he had seen middle-level ones. Generally, people who could refine High-Level Essence Cultivation Pills went on to refine top-level pills.

The Luo family still didn't have anyone who could refine top-level pills. All top-level pills needed to be purchased, and such top-level pill refiners existed only in a few major pill refining sects—just one or two even within their own sects. They were treasures within their sects, let alone outside.

The Luo family being able to find one or two pill refiners who could refine high-level pills was already quite good—no worse than the Xuanwu family.

"Did you refine this?"

"Yes!" Xiaoyao nodded.

"Good, I allow you to use those materials, as long as you can provide corresponding pills. Remember, don't take too much for yourself—leave more for the family as contributions. The family really needs these." The family head made this decision, and he also understood that Xiaoyao would definitely take some for himself.

(End of Chapter)