In Battle Through the Heavens, lying down makes you stronger.

Chapter 30 Yao Lao: Have I been exposed?

Xiao Ran smiled and shook his head, saying,

"Godfather, what are you saying? No matter what, I, Xiao Ran, am still a member of the Xiao family."

Xiao Zhan nodded in satisfaction, then said solemnly,

"I'm quite excited about this matter, so let's do it your way."

"I will keep this a secret and not tell anyone."

Xiao Ran breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing this.

Fortunately, we managed to calm my godfather down.

He had promised Yao Lao that he would keep Xiao Yan's secret.

However, in his opinion, Xiao Yan had undergone such a significant change in such a short period of time.

How could Xiao Zhan, Xiao Yan's father, not have noticed?

In the original story, Xiao Yan is all alone and his personality appears somewhat aloof.

I can't connect with other kids my age.

In addition, Xiao Yan is Xiao Zhan's son, so there are some things he can't say.

However, he is now around, has a close relationship with Xiao Yan, and is also Xiao Zhan's trusted adopted son.

When it comes to matters concerning Xiao Yan, Xiao Zhan will naturally consult with Xiao Ran.

He didn't want Xiao Yan to be labeled as possessed by a ghost by his own father before he even achieved his goal.

That wouldn't be fun.

Then Xiao Ran nodded and said to Xiao Zhan,

"However, Emperor Yan once asked me to keep this secret for him as well."

"Therefore, I hope that you, my godfather, can continue as before and not interfere too much with Emperor Yan's cultivation or other matters."

Xiao Zhanlu pondered for a moment, then nodded solemnly and said,

"Alright! In that case, Ran'er, from now on, you'll keep a close eye on Xiao Yan for your father."

"Although he has become an apprentice of a high-level alchemist, he must not be arrogant or complacent, nor should he underestimate himself."

"Yes, Godfather!" Xiao Ran said respectfully.

"Okay, sure." Xiao Zhan nodded slightly.

"Now that we've talked things out, I won't interfere with your cultivation... Go ahead and do your work."

"Yes, Godfather." Xiao Ran cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to Xiao Zhan and said with a smile.

Xiao Ran rose to take his leave, and then added,

"By the way, Godfather, I'm planning to go out for a few days starting tomorrow."

"Where are you going? Would you like me to arrange guards for you?"

Xiao Ran shook his head and smiled.

"No need, Godfather."

"I'm just going to look for something in the surrounding villages and towns. There's nothing dangerous about it, and I'll be back soon."

"Yes, Father understands."

Xiao Zhan nodded and did not ask any further questions.

Everyone has their own secrets, and he also knew that his adopted son had even more secrets than his own son.

But after all, no one who is neither deaf nor blind is fit to be in charge, so as long as it benefits the Xiao family, that's fine.

After thinking for a moment, Xiao Zhan added,

"Ran'er, be careful when you're out and about."

"If you encounter any unresolved matters, you can return to the Xiao family. As your father, the Xiao family will make the decision for you."

"Thank you, godfather," Xiao Ran said gratefully, cupping his hands in greeting.

This is not just for show. From childhood to adulthood, Xiao Zhan's nurturing and care for Xiao Ran are exactly the same as Xiao Yan's.

Moreover, regardless of anything else, Xiao Zhan, as an elder and godfather, took great care of him and Xiao Yan.

This strengthened Xiao Ran's resolve to improve himself as soon as possible and fulfill his responsibility to protect the Xiao family.

After leaving Xiao Zhan's place, Xiao Ran thought for a moment and then headed towards the back mountain.

……

After Xiao Yan left the martial arts arena,

He went straight to the back mountain, sat cross-legged on a large rock, and began to practice the Xuan-level cultivation technique he had picked up yesterday.

Xiao Yan had only just reached the pinnacle of his cultivation.

Suddenly, I heard the old doctor's voice.

"Little Yanzi, your sworn brother is here."

Xiao Yan suddenly opened his eyes and regained his composure.

Looking at the piece of iron in his hand, he instinctively wanted to hide it in his storage ring.

The old doctor's mocking voice rang in my ears.

"He's got nothing but this piece of junk. Even if you gave it to him, he might not want it. He'd be so secretive about it."

Xiao Yan paused in his movements and gave an awkward laugh.

"Hehe, it's just that I couldn't help myself, I just couldn't help myself."

A Xuan-level cultivation technique is worth at least tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of gold coins on the market.

For ordinary people, it is naturally extremely precious.

However, Xiao Yan also knew that this thing might be somewhat valuable to him, but to the wealthy and powerful Ran Ge, it was probably no different from garbage in a latrine.

Xiao Yan then casually tossed the iron sheet aside and jumped off the large rock.

Seeing Xiao Ran leisurely walking up the mountain, she couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly. He was being way too relaxed!

Xiao Yan had no interest in continuing to cultivate his skills, so he simply started practicing his fist and foot techniques in the open space in front of the big rock.

Before long, Xiao Ran appeared in front of Xiao Yan.

Watching Xiao Yan demonstrate his fist and foot techniques, with gusts of wind emanating from his punches, he greeted him with a smile.

"Practicing your martial arts again? Do you want me to keep you company?"

Xiao Yan's previous serious demeanor immediately deflated, and he quickly looked at Xiao Ran, smiling shyly.

"Brother Ran, what are you saying? I was just engrossed in my practice."

"By the way, Brother Ran, what brings you here? What can I do for you?"

Xiao Ran ignored Xiao Yan and then focused his gaze on the black iron plate on the large rock.

"What is this?"

Xiao Yan was slightly startled.

It just slipped out unconsciously.

"No, it's nothing, just a piece of metal. I picked it up to use as a table leg."

Xiao Ran rolled his eyes, picked up the black iron piece, and threw it directly at Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan quickly caught it with both hands.

Xiao Ran scolded irritably.

"You little brat, do you think I'd keep things from Ran-ge?"

"You use a Xuan-rank martial arts mat to support your table legs? Even your godfather's study isn't that luxurious, is it?"

Xiao Yan was startled. He hadn't expected Ran Ge to have such a sharp eye, seeing through the secret of the iron piece at a glance.

He then touched his nose somewhat awkwardly.

"Hehe, Ran-ge, don't misunderstand!"

"I'm just so afraid of being poor, I always try to hide things from others."

"It's a conditioned reflex, Ran-ge, please don't take offense."

Xiao Ran waved his hand dismissively and said,

"Listen, I'm here to tell you two things."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan immediately stood at attention, straightened his chest, raised his head, lifted his buttocks, tucked in his hips, and pulled in his stomach.

Xiao Ran said,

"First of all, I was the one who told your godfather that you had a teacher."

"What?!"

Two surprised voices rang out simultaneously.

The surprised exclamation came from Xiao Yan.

The other voice was that of the old medicine master, who suddenly appeared out of thin air.

The old apothecary looked at Xiao Ran helplessly and said,

"Xiao Ranzi, didn't I already tell you?"

"It's not that I'm afraid of people finding out, it's just that there are some things that neither you nor the Xiao family have the strength to get involved in right now. And it's best if we don't get involved."

"I cannot tell you my identity yet."

"But you should know that if my identity is leaked, it will definitely be a big problem."

"When that time comes, it will be a disaster not only for you and your Xiao family, but also for the entire Wutan City Jiama Empire, and even for the entire Northwest Continent."

(End of this chapter)