After Xu Ran displayed his strength, everyone in the caravan developed a certain sense of awe and admiration towards him. However, they never dared to speak casually with Xu Ran; in the eyes of people like Han Chong, a powerful figure like Xu Ran was simply too unreachable...
Xu Ran, with his arms around Xin Lan, followed the speed of the caravan, and as evening approached, the vague outline of a massive city began to emerge into the field of view of Xu Ran and the others.
Looking at the city that was now in sight, people like Han Chong exhaled in relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. This was Tianbei City, where the Han Family resided. However, what made Xu Ran both amused and frustrated was that Xin Lan also revealed a relieved smile.
Han Chong and the others had faced a life and death crisis, so naturally, they felt like they had survived a great calamity upon safely returning home. But what about this girl, Xin Lan? Did she want to escape from him that badly?
"What are you looking at? It's all because you've been too presumptuous along the way, I, I, I... Humph, which girl could tolerate such rudeness?" Xin Lan, seeing the teasing smile in Xu Ran's eyes, suddenly became dissatisfied and turned to pound his chest with force.
If it hadn't been completely impossible to find other means of transportation on the road, she definitely wouldn't have chosen to travel with Xu Ran!
Xu Ran, that bastard, had simply too much energy.
At first, she hadn't felt anything amiss, but now she only felt more tired than the horses they rode.
"Pfft."
"Alright, alright. My fault, my fault."
Xu Ran hugged Xin Lan tightly and moved his face close to hers, rubbing their cheeks together firmly.
"You scoundrel. We're about to enter the city now; behave yourself," Xin Lan quickly pushed Xu Ran away. Indeed, after being with Xu Ran, she had become much more open, yet she was still afraid of being seen by others in intimate moments with him.
The level of openness of Xu Ran, this child from another world, was indeed something the girls of this world could hardly cope with.
But actually, compared to most other people from his world, Xu Ran was very conservative. He truly didn't count as open—hugging and embracing in the street didn't count as being too open, right?
It seems there was a philosopher who said that the shorter the skirts of the female community, the higher their social status.
During the height of the Tang Dynasty, low-cut dresses seemed popular, and in later generations, even shorter skirts, stockings, and so on came into fashion. When most women could casually wear breezy clothes without worrying about being censured by mainstream society, doesn't that mean their status had greatly increased?
"What a flirtatious woman, how did I not notice this before!"
Han Yue was fuming with envy. She had been paying attention to Xin Lan and Xu Ran feeding each other dog food and was nearly dying of jealousy.
If Han Xue hadn't been there, she might not have been able to control herself from rushing over and snatching Xu Ran back. Jealousy is a woman's nature; although it hadn't reached the point of fighting, the sight of another woman flirting with the man she fancied made Han Yue's heart itch unbearably.
And at this moment, Han Xue was even more desperate.
She had witnessed Han Yue's obsessed state all the way and was almost driven mad.
She knew that Han Yue had already fallen deep into the trap of Xu Ran's love, but she hadn't expected Han Yue to go this crazy. Those jealous expressions made her retreat to a corner, trembling, for fear that Han Yue's rage would explode and inadvertently hurt her own people.
She had intended to distance herself from Xu Ran and not think about him anymore, but Han Yue kept mentioning Xu Ran by her side, filling her head with his image.
"I really want to see what kind of magic you possess that could make my sister like this," Han Yue sighed again as she glimpsed Han Xue lifting the curtain to look outside. She resolved to get to the bottom of this.
Xu Ran might have been a bit handsome, and his strength was very impressive, but...
Okay, she admitted that these two points were enough to make countless women infatuated.
However... she would definitely not be so superficial as to like Xu Ran just for these external qualities.
"Lord Xu Ran, we're about to reach the clan soon. We will never forget your life-saving grace," Han Chong, riding a horse, caught up to Xu Ran and said respectfully, bowing with fist in palm.
Although they envied the fortunate romances Xu Ran managed to have, they harbored no jealousy. These men may not have been powerful, and all had robust and straightforward natures, but they were all grateful and knew to repay kindness.
"No need for such formalities, from now on, we are family. Just call me 'Son-in-law,'" Xu Ran said with a chuckle.
There was something shameless about the way Xu Ran, cuddling with another girl, still identified himself as the son-in-law of the Han Family.
"Pfft."
Even Xin Lan couldn't help but laugh at this point.
When Xu Ran said these words, had he been holding Han Yue's hand, it might have seemed at least a bit more proper.
He didn't seem to hide his philandering nature at all, not afraid of the Han Family causing him trouble later.
"Laugh again and you'll face severe punishment," Xu Ran warned without any good humor.
"Yes, Son-in-law. The Clan Leader will definitely be happy with your arrival. With your strength and being such a fine figure of a man, you're perfectly matched with the two young ladies," said Han Chong excitedly, seizing the opportunity to heap on extravagant flattery. Being a match for the two young ladies… It was a good thing Han Xue couldn't hear these words inside the carriage, or Han Chong would have been in danger.
"Hmm, I think what you're saying makes a lot of sense," Xu Ran said, deeply pleased. Flattery always works wonders on people, at any time, even Xu Ran himself was not immune.
With a flick of his finger, Xu Ran discreetly dropped an elixir into Han Chong's hand, whispering casually, "Take good care of the elixir. Your strength is too weak; how can you serve the Han Family with that level of power? This elixir will help you break through to Douhuang, and for now, it'll be strong enough to use."
At those words, Han Chong's body shook vehemently, excitement gleaming in his eyes. He had been stuck as a Dou Spirit for many years without a breakthrough. He knew that some high-level elixirs had miraculous effects for helping breakthroughs, but such elixirs were incredibly expensive, and with his financial means, he could never afford them.
"Son-in-law… This gift, it's too much…" Overcome with emotion, Han Chong's eyes reddened as he spoke with a trembling voice.
Douhuang? Damn, he wasn't even a Douhuang yet, and now he was on the verge of coveting that position? That was the level of power held by the Elders in the clan.
Though he suspected that Xu Ran was likely bragging, even if the elixir could help him advance by a minor rank, he would be immensely grateful. Their low status meant their talents were not outstanding, and any breakthrough was incredibly hard-won.
"If you find it valuable, then just focus on your cultivation and serve the Han Family loyally in the future. Let me see your dedication, and your loyalty will bring you even more rewards," Xu Ran said indifferently. Naturally, he wished for the clan of the Han sisters to grow stronger and stronger.