The news of the disappearance of the patriarch of the Xiao clan had already spread within the clan. Ling Ying looked at Xuner in front of him and smiled bitterly, “Now, the clan is in a bit of chaos. The disappearance of Xiao Zhan might also mean that the part of the ‘key’ held by the Xiao family has vanished as well. Miss, you know how much the clan values it.”
“Has the clan sent anyone to investigate Uncle Xiao’s whereabouts?” Xuner furrowed her delicate brows and asked suddenly after a moment.
“They have started to investigate, but there’s no news yet. The only one who might know about Xiao Zhan’s disappearance is probably the Grand Elder of the Yunlan Sect who was pursuing him. Unfortunately, Xiao Yan, in a fit of rage, killed him,” Ling Ying shook his head and said.
“Brother Xiao Yan values Uncle Xiao very much. Since Uncle Xiao was pursued to the point of disappearance, he naturally became enraged to the point of losing his mind.” Xuner sighed, then returned to the topic, “Tell me Father’s orders first.”
“The patriarch said that if Miss cannot find that part of the key, then she should return immediately. Since the key has disappeared with Xiao Zhan, there’s no need to waste time on Young Master Xiao Yan anymore,” Ling Ying said in a low voice, “Miss, your reluctance to return and your constant presence with Young Master Xiao Yan may have hinted to the patriarch something. He seems very dissatisfied with this. Some elders in the clan also share this view; they believe that Young Master Xiao Yan is not good enough for you.”
Xuner’s face remained calm, showing no sign of being moved. After a long while, she said lightly, “Whether he is good enough or not, they will know in the future.”
“But we can’t wait until then. Miss, you should have returned when Young Master Xiao Yan left Utan City. But now, three years have passed, and the dissatisfaction within the clan has grown. After all, Miss, your importance to the clan is not comparable to other collateral branches’ children.” Ling Ying said softly, “So this time, the patriarch gave a strict order. If you do not return within a month, someone from the clan may come personally. Miss, you wouldn’t want Young Master Xiao Yan to come into contact with the clan, would you? You know that his current strength is not worthy of the clan’s attention.”
Biting her red lips, Xuner clenched her slender hands. After a moment, she nodded slightly, “Yes, I understand.”
Although she knew where the so-called ‘key’ of the Xiao family was, she did not reveal it because she knew that if the news got back to the clan, Xiao Yan would definitely go.
Looking at Xuner’s beautiful, calm face, Ling Ying sighed helplessly, then twisted his body and transformed into a blurry black shadow, disappearing into the darkness.
After Ling Ying disappeared, Xuner slowly walked to the window and gazed at the vast night sky. Her face couldn’t help but show a faint bitterness. She had never doubted Xiao Yan’s potential, even when he fell from a genius to a talentless person. She still believed that he would eventually stand at the peak again, admired by all. However, in the face of that vast, terrifying power, a genius was merely a drop in the ocean, drawing little attention. Countless years of inheritance had made that ancient power witness the rise and fall of countless geniuses, so the word ‘genius’ would not surprise them. What they cared about was what achievements one had!
Xiao Yan, at present, was only a Spirit Fighter. Though he was under twenty, it didn’t mean much. After all, the path of cultivation was fraught with danger. No one could be sure that Xiao Yan could truly reach the pinnacle and stand above all. That ancient power was too vast, so unless he reached that peak, there was no significant difference between fifty and a hundred steps.
“They don’t believe…” A faintly mocking smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as Xuner murmured, “I believe, and that’s enough.”
…
The next day, after a night’s rest, Xiao Yan felt refreshed. He spent half an hour refining Zi Yan’s “Fire Spirit Root” upon waking up. As for the “Dragon Strength Pill” requested by Elder Liu, since no specific time was mentioned, he wasn’t in a hurry to refine it.
Walking out of the room, he just entered the hall when Zi Yan’s figure appeared like a ghost, her big black eyes blinking at Xiao Yan. Seeing her like this, Xiao Yan, half-laughing and half-crying, handed the jade bottle to her. Looking at her joy, he couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. Although this little girl was strong, her mental age was not much different from her actual age.
With the delicious and energy-rich pill, Zi Yan finally stopped bothering Xiao Yan. However, having just received the item, she felt a bit embarrassed to leave right away, so she obediently sat by, her cute and adorable appearance making Han Xue wish she could rush over and pinch her cheeks.
In the hall, Xuner, Han Xue, and Wu Hao were all present. Today, Wu Hao didn’t rush to the arena, and even Xiao Yan and the others found it hard to fathom this guy’s passion for fighting.
During breakfast, Xiao Yan asked Xuner and the others about the recent situation of the Pan Gate. After confirming everything was fine, he let out a sigh of relief. No matter what, he was always the leader of the Pan Gate, even though he was somewhat irresponsible.
After breakfast, Xiao Yan was about to get up when the tightly closed door was suddenly pushed open. Lin Yan’s loud voice resounded through the hall.
“Xiao Yan, I heard you’re back? Haha, do you have time for a sparring match today? The fights in the arena these past few days weren’t satisfying. Those cowards ran away when they saw me.”
Dressed casually, Lin Yan swaggered in, ignoring the exasperated expressions of Xiao Yan and the others. He came to the table, grabbed a bun, and took a big bite, mumbling, “Eh, who’s this little girl… pfft…”
While chewing, Lin Yan’s gaze suddenly turned to Zi Yan, who was sitting by. Just as he started to ask, his face froze in astonishment, and the chewed bun spewed out of his mouth. In a moment, he retreated in shock, looking like he’d been electrocuted.
“Y-You… Why are you here?”
Seeing Lin Yan’s sudden change, Xuner, Han Xue, and Wu Hao were confused. Only Xiao Yan understood that Lin Yan had recognized Zi Yan.
“What are you shouting for?” Zi Yan, covering her ears, snapped at the shocked Lin Yan.
Swallowing, Lin Yan, seeing no special reaction from Zi Yan, calmed down a bit. He circled around the table, carefully coming behind Xiao Yan, and whispered, “Damn, why is she here? Are you guys okay?”
“Fine,” Xiao Yan shrugged, smiling.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s casual demeanor, Lin Yan glared, “Do you know who she is?”
“Mm-hmm,” Xiao Yan smiled, walking to Zi Yan and patting her head, “She’s a very cute little girl.”
“Cute…” Lin Yan’s mouth twitched. He thought, if you had seen the last Strong Rank Tournament, where this little girl kicked everyone off the stage, you wouldn’t think so.
“I’m done, hmm, I’m leaving.” Zi Yan stuffed the breakfast into her mouth, shook her head, and threw off Xiao Yan’s hand, then hopped towards the door. Before leaving, she turned back and said, “Remember our deal, and if anyone bullies you, come find me. I’ll punch those guys like the one beside you one by one.”
Saying this, the little girl proudly raised her small fist, then bounced away, her purple ponytail swinging, disappearing from their sight.
“Damn, Xiao Yan, when did you get to know this brute?” Lin Yan, regaining his composure, punched Xiao Yan’s shoulder, surprised.
“Didn’t expect the ‘Strong Rank’ number one, whom you feared so much, to be such a little girl,” Xiao Yan laughed and teased.
Being mocked by Xiao Yan, Lin Yan’s face turned red. He grumbled, “With this monster protecting you, what are you afraid of? That Liang Qian guy will only run away when he sees her.”
“Relying on a little girl to support me?” Xiao Yan shook his head, smiling. He didn’t want to rely on a little girl to show off.
Patted Lin Yan’s shoulder, Xiao Yan was about to speak when there was another urgent knock at the door. Then, under Xuner’s light voice, a figure rushed in.
“A Tai? What’s wrong?” Xiao Yan stared at the breathless man who burst in.
“Hehe, boss, there’s something about you,” A Tai scratched his head, “Yesterday, I took leave to go to the outer courtyard and heard someone was urgently looking for you.”
“Oh? Who?”
“A girl named Xiao Yu, she says she’s your sister,” A Tai continued, “She seemed really worried. The inner courtyard doesn’t allow outer courtyard students, so she asked me to inform you that you must go to the outer courtyard.”
Xiao Yan’s face changed slightly. He knew Xiao Yu well; if nothing serious happened, she wouldn’t be this anxious. But what could happen in the outer courtyard?
Pacing back and forth, Xiao Yan finally turned and headed for the door, saying firmly, “Let’s go!”
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