"Tell me, little girl, what is it that you require?"
Gu Yuan smiled, appearing like an approachable elder.
Hearing this question, Xiao Xue couldn't help but twitch her lips.
"What do I need? Seriously, will you give me anything I ask for?"
"If I were to ask for Xun'er and the Gu Clan's Golden Emperor Burning Heavenly Flame, I wonder how you would handle that?"
However, standing before a peak nine-star Dou Sheng, Xiao Xue naturally wouldn't be so impolite.
Since Gu Yuan was willing to invest in her, she could indeed ask him for some benefits.
However, it would certainly be inappropriate if she were to make an exorbitant demand right now.
As only a Dou Wang now, even with her talent, she was merely worth investing in.
In the eyes of these ancient clans, anyone below the Dou Zong rank was essentially still in the "growth stage."
Had she not displayed exceptional talent, a mere Dou Wang like her wouldn't even be qualified to meet an old powerhouse like Gu Yuan.
Only upon reaching the Dou Zun or even the Dou Sheng rank might she gain some right to speak.
Xiao Xue considered this briefly; as long as the request wasn't too excessive, Gu Yuan should agree to it.
Since that was the case, she naturally had to maximize her benefits.
"...I hope Senior can help establish a spatial wormhole leading from the Pill Tower's territory directly to the Xiao Clan."
Xiao Xue spoke after a brief silence.
"Oh? Is this for your teacher?" Gu Yuan asked. "If it is for him, you might as well open the wormhole from the Falling Star Pavilion."
"The Falling Star Pavilion is the faction your teacher established back then, and the Pavilion Master, Venerable Feng, has never stopped searching for your teacher these past years."
Hearing this, Xiao Xue couldn't help but twitch her lips again.
It seemed Gu Yuan had jumped to conclusions and assumed Yao Lao was her teacher.
Furthermore, it appeared the Gu Clan was aware of many things but simply chose not to interfere.
After all, why would they help someone they had no familial connection to?
However, the reason she wanted a wormhole from the Pill Tower wasn't for Yao Lao—or rather... not entirely.
What Xiao Xue truly intended was to move the Xiao Clan into the Pill Tower's sphere of influence.
That way, the Xiao Clan would be right under the Pill Tower's nose.
Then, she would hand over the Tou She Ancient God Jade and find a way to spread the word.
This way, unless the Hall of Souls was completely insane, they wouldn't attack the Xiao Clan prematurely.
By the time they completely tore off the mask later on, she and her brother would have already reached the Dou Sheng level and could easily ensure the Xiao Clan's safety.
After all, the Gu Clan wouldn't care about the Xiao Clan's fate.
In the original novel, the Xiao Clan was nearly wiped out by the Hall of Souls, and the Clan Head Xiao Zhan was captured, yet the Gu Clan didn't lift a finger.
Gu Yuan's goal in sending Xun'er to the Xiao Clan was undoubtedly the Tou She Ancient God Jade—what else could it be, if not to give away his daughter?
When Gu Yuan promised to help block the Soul Clan and protect Xiao Xuan during his breakthrough to Dou Di, the reward Xiao Xuan offered was the Tou She Ancient God Jade.
However, Gu Yuan failed to stop the Soul Clan later on, and the Tou She Ancient God Jade ultimately never fell into his hands.
Yet, since a mere Dou Wang like Xiao Xue could now become the next head of the Xiao Clan...
Gu Yuan could easily dispatch a random Dou Zun to seize the Xiao Clan's Tou She Ancient God Jade.
Gu Yuan's awkward behavior seemed to stem from his embarrassment over failing to stop the Soul Clan, making him hesitant to claim the Tou She Ancient God Jade.
He was too embarrassed to take it but still wanted it, leading to immense internal conflict and a moment of confusion, which resulted in him timing the birth of his daughter and sending her to the Xiao Clan.
Therefore, relying on the Gu Clan for protection was completely unreliable for the Xiao Clan.
What the Gu Clan needed was a powerful ally capable of jointly resisting the Soul Clan, not a family so weak they could be crushed with a single hand.
If the Xiao Clan perished, Gu Yuan would, at most, sigh, take Xun'er back, and carry on as usual; it wouldn't even cause a ripple.
If she wanted to protect the Xiao Clan, she had to figure out a way herself.
If she relied entirely on the Gu Clan or other outsiders, her cheap father, Xiao Zhan, would probably end up'studying' at the Hall of Souls again within a few years.
Leaning on the Pill Tower was clearly the simplest solution for now.
Her current soul strength had already reached the peak of the seventh rank, and reaching the eighth rank wouldn't take much longer.
Coupled with Yao Lao's relationship with the Pill Tower, settling the Xiao Clan there wouldn't be difficult.
She had originally planned to find a way to contact the Pill Tower when she eventually traveled to the Central Plains.
Now that she had a useful person of Gu Yuan's caliber, failing to utilize him would be a waste.
"Hmm... Senior, I am still more inclined toward the Pill Tower," Xiao Xue said after a moment of hesitation.
"Oh? Why?" Gu Yuan asked.
Xiao Xue: "..."
Xiao Xue was curious whether Gu Yuan genuinely didn't know or if he was feigning ignorance, hoping she would back down.
He might simply not want to interact with the Pill Tower.
After all, the Pill Tower was considered a first-rate power.
Establishing a wormhole within its territory would require the Gu Clan to negotiate with the Pill Tower and obtain their consent.
While the Gu Clan's power could achieve this, it would still be troublesome.
In comparison, establishing a wormhole directly from the Falling Star Pavilion would be much simpler, practically requiring only a single word.
Xiao Xue didn't believe Gu Yuan couldn't understand the complexities involved.
But she couldn't exactly say, 'Hey old man, I'm worried about the Xiao Clan's safety and don't trust your Gu Clan, so I plan to take them to hide under the Pill Tower.'
Since the safety of the Xiao Clan was at stake, she naturally wouldn't back down on this matter.
"Senior, the resources and influence of an eighth-rank alchemist in the Pill Tower far exceed those of an ordinary Dou Zun."
Xiao Xue paused, choosing not to refute Gu Yuan's assumption that Yao Lao was her teacher.
After all, she had received guidance from Yao Lao and could be considered half a registered disciple of his.
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