“Since Xian’er is my woman, I naturally have to abide by the ancestral rules. Besides, even if I refused, what difference would it make!”
A faint smile played across his face as Xiao Yufan’s gaze swept across the stands, his eyes glinting subtly. Except for Huangpu Xian’er, he held absolutely no goodwill towards the hidden Huangpu family.
Upon hearing Xiao Yufan’s words, Huangpu Xian’er’s delicate frame quivered slightly, then the blush on her face spread once more. This time, however, it carried a hint of tenderness slowly rising from the depths of her heart.
“Giggles, I thought my charm wasn’t enough. Turns out someone’s heart has already been swayed. Good thing, good thing…”
Huangpu Xian’er secretly mused, her alluring red lips curling into a pleasing arc. Of course, if Xiao Yufan knew what she was thinking, he would probably feel quite speechless.
“Haha, no wonder you’re the grandson of Silver Fox Lingyu—bold enough! If anyone else spoke like that under these circumstances, they wouldn’t even have the privilege of leaving the Huangpu family!”
Huangpu Yi could sense Xiao Yufan’s disdain, but he himself was even more displeased—whom else could he vent his anger on if not this young man? Naturally, he intended to give the boy a taste of his authority.
“I’ve already experienced the Huangpu family’s domineering nature!”
His jaw stiffened, twitching violently. This old man was quite something too—this was clearly an outright threat, though such intimidation held no sway over him…
“Good to know! Even if Silver Fox Lingyu himself came here, I might not grant him face, let alone a brat like you!”
After Xiao Yufan spoke, Huangpu Yi’s aged face turned even grimmer, though the words sounded more like self-deception. If Situ Lingyu stood here right now, he definitely wouldn’t dare utter such nonsense…
“I understand, I understand!” Seeing Huangpu Yi’s expression, Xiao Yufan nearly burst out laughing but managed to suppress it. Just how formidable was his grandfather that he could leave even the old Huangpu so flustered?
“The time isn’t getting any earlier. The coldness from the Coldwater Gully reaches its weakest point now, so it’s better to enter at this moment…”
Huangpu Yi grumbled. If he had known this kid would nearly make him lose face, he wouldn’t have chosen this timing. He could’ve just tossed Xiao Yufan in at night, where the cold alone would have been more than enough to deal with him.
“Mm!” Xiao Yufan nodded, relatively satisfied. At least the old man had some consideration—he could sense that Situ Yi also harbored some concern…
“If I emerge successfully, from this day forth, you, Huangpu Xian’er, shall be my woman!”
Glancing back at the breathtaking beauty, Xiao Yufan’s gaze carried a trace of flirtation. Darn it, he was risking his life, so naturally he should gain some advantage in return.
Before Huangpu Xian’er could react, Xiao Yufan had already strode toward the entrance of Coldwater Gully. As he sensed the bone-piercing chill emanating from within, he involuntarily shivered.
The thrill of teasing her quickly faded, and Xiao Yufan’s lips twitched violently. This Coldwater Gully was truly living up to its name—the frigid air was not something ordinary people could withstand.
“Why be so domineering? I never said I would refuse. As long as you care, what’s wrong with being your woman? I, Huangpu Xian’er, am certainly no worse than your other women. If they can accept one another, naturally, I can too!”
As Huangpu Xian’er thought this, her face flushed hotly. As a daughter of the Huangpu family, she was inherently more traditional. Yet, this tradition did not oppose the idea of her man having other women—such a woman was undoubtedly every man’s ultimate dream.
Huangpu Hanyue watched Xiao Yufan walk away without even glancing back, her eyes brimming with admiration. After all, a man should always be ruthless to himself.
Other members of the Huangpu family watched Xiao Yufan disappear into Coldwater Gully, secretly delighted. In their eyes, almost no one who entered the Coldwater Gully ever came back out…
As for these twisted thoughts, Xiao Yufan naturally had no time to concern himself. Approaching the entrance, he focused entirely on resisting the piercing chill. This icy force seemed omnipresent, seeping gradually into his body.
“Good thing I’ve reached the Condensed Force Stage; otherwise, this cold would have frozen me solid!”
Xiao Yufan mused inwardly. His decision to enter Coldwater Gully wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment whim, nor was it solely for Huangpu Xian’er. He had an instinctive feeling that coming here would benefit him with no harm involved.
As he gradually activated the Dragon-Taming True Art, Xiao Yufan found it bore a striking resemblance to Tai Chi—equally profound and intricate. He could feel a warm current circulating within his body, yet remained unable to fully grasp it…
Nonetheless, it proved beneficial. The warmth generated by the Dragon-Taming True Art mingled with the frigid chill seeping from his skin, slightly alleviating the biting cold.
“It seems even Heaven is on my side. If I hadn’t suddenly acquired the Dragon-Taming True Art, things wouldn’t have gone this smoothly. Could it be that some extraordinary fate awaits me?”
Although Xiao Yufan didn’t believe in miracles falling from the sky, one had already struck him, convincing him of his own luck. In this era of martial arts revival, strange occurrences no longer seemed so implausible—at least that’s what Xiao Yufan firmly believed.
After entering the cave, the light dimmed progressively. Fortunately, the passage remained clearly visible. This forbidden area of the Huangpu family surprisingly appeared so clean. Had Huangpu Xian’er not told him that no one had entered Coldwater Gully for decades, he might have thought someone actually lived inside.
At this thought, Xiao Yufan’s heart skipped a beat. Oh my, could there really be someone inside? If so, it probably wouldn’t even qualify as human…
Xiao Yufan was extremely knowledgeable in geomancy and mysticism, not easily believing in ghosts and deities. Yet, some things couldn’t be ignored—especially after witnessing those ancient elders of the Huangpu family. He became even more convinced: the Huangpu family members were indeed long-lived, some elders likely over a hundred years old.
Therefore, even if no one had entered Coldwater Gully in decades, that didn’t necessarily mean it was unoccupied.
“Whoa, since when did I start scaring myself? Nonsense, nonsense—blow it away with a strong wind…”
A sudden chill ran down his spine as he glanced around, finding nothing. His heart steadied slightly, yet a strong sense of unease persisted, as if something lay ahead. Could it be that the Huangpu family had some hidden treasure here…
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