“Brother Xiao Yan.” The young maiden stood gracefully in front of Xiao Yan, her delicate and fair hands clasped behind her back, her body slightly leaning forward. Her beautiful, large eyes curved into a crescent moon, filled with mirth, and on her charming little face, dimples appeared, making her look adorable.
Xiao Yan’s gaze moved from the scroll, and he smiled as he looked at the maiden in front of him. Then, he glanced around the hall, noting the intense stares, and said somewhat helplessly, “Girl, I know you have quite the charm, but did you really need to push me out as a shield?”
“Giggle,” she giggled, pursing her lips, and sat down beside Xiao Yan, lazily stretching, her slender figure becoming more prominent under her tight dress. She casually took a scroll from the bookshelf behind her, and her gaze lingered on Xiao Yan for a moment. With a lazy smile, she asked, “Brother Xiao Yan has reached the fourth stage of Dou Qi?”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan, who was engrossed in the scroll, raised an eyebrow. At the initial stage, the ten stages of Dou Qi were quite subtle and weak, and it was hard to detect them without using Dou Qi or a testing stone. Yet, with just a few glances, Xun’er had accurately guessed his current stage, which made him feel a bit surprised.
“What is this girl’s true identity? From the Dou Technique she used against Xiao Ning earlier, it was clearly a high-level technique. This kind of gold-light Dou Technique is not something the Xiao family possesses…”
A few thoughts flashed through his mind, and Xiao Yan turned his head to give a deep glance at the smiling maiden, then shrugged slightly and nodded, “Fourth stage.”
Seeing Xiao Yan nod, Xun’er’s smile broadened, and she said playfully, “I guess it has something to do with Brother Xiao Yan’s half-month of seclusion and hard training?”
“Yep,” Xiao Yan nodded lightly, not denying it. He turned his gaze back to the scroll and asked casually, “Why did you have the time to compete with them today?”
“Boredom,” Xun’er mimicked Xiao Yan’s shrug, smiling, and her gaze turned to the young man, a hint of resentment in her eyes, “Since last time, Brother Xiao Yan hasn’t come to see Xun’er for half a month. Do you still fear that Xun’er will come to collect the debt?”
Xiao Yan was taken aback, feeling a bit awkward, and said with a wry smile, “The coming-of-age ceremony is next year. Can I afford not to train hard?”
He lifted his head, looking at the slight frown on the maiden’s delicate nose, and could only reach out and pat Xun’er’s head affectionately, soothing her softly, “I’ll make sure to spend more time with Xun’er in the future.”
Hearing Xiao Yan’s promise, Xun’er’s face relaxed slightly, and she kept whispering and laughing in Xiao Yan’s ear. The intimacy between them made all the other youths in the hall jealous, their eyes turning red.
From afar, Xiao Ning watched the two chatting and laughing, his lips twitching and his face turning sour. His fists clenched and unclenched…
As the grandson of the clan’s elder, Xiao Ning had always felt superior. In his heart, he had already firmly decided that Xun’er would be his wife, even though it was just his wishful thinking. Now, seeing his chosen wife chatting and laughing intimately with someone else, it was hard for him not to be consumed by jealousy. Moreover, what was most important, the one chatting and laughing with Xun’er was the most useless waste in the clan.
Anger welled up in his eyes, and after a moment, Xiao Ning slowly exhaled, a warm smile once again appearing on his face. He straightened his slightly disheveled clothes and walked briskly towards the two by the bookshelf under the watchful eyes of everyone.
In the hall, everyone watching Xiao Ning approach the two couldn’t help but laugh, not at Xiao Ning, but at the seemingly oblivious Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan’s gaze swept over the human meridians on the scroll, secretly memorizing the pressure points and meridian paths of the Shattered Stone Palm. He sighed lightly and suddenly frowned, his keen soul perception allowing him to clearly sense the movements of everyone in the hall, including Xiao Ning approaching.
“This girl is also a troublemaker,” he sighed, and slowly put away the scroll.
“Hehe, Cousin Xiao Yan, here to learn Dou Techniques? Do you need me to find some high-level ones for you? Some things might be beyond your reach,” Xiao Ning said with a smile, standing in front of Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan rolled up the scroll and placed it gently on the bookshelf, shaking his head slightly and saying blandly, “Thanks for the concern, but I don’t need it right now.”
“Oh, hehe, I almost forgot… Cousin Xiao Yan is still only at the third stage of Dou Qi. High-level techniques would indeed be difficult to learn,” Xiao Ning rubbed his forehead, seemingly realizing and smiling, though the mockery on his face was not well hidden.
Xiao Yan sighed, feeling that he had brought this on himself. A cruel smile slowly formed on his lips, and he said with some reluctance, “I know you’re just trying to get Xun’er’s attention, but I have to say, you’re very immature…”
Xiao Ning’s smile gradually faded as he heard Xiao Yan’s merciless sarcasm. He hadn’t expected the usually reticent Xiao Yan to suddenly have the courage to stand up to him. His face darkened, and he sneered, “It seems my cousin holds a grudge against me. How about a match? Let’s see how much you’ve improved in these years.”
“Do you need me to match with you?” Xun’er put down the scroll, raising her small face, her beautiful, large eyes filled with a hint of coldness.
Xiao Ning’s eyes twitched, and his jealousy intensified as he saw Xun’er standing up for Xiao Yan. He glared at Xiao Yan, sarcastically, “You know how to hide behind a woman?”
“Why didn’t you dare talk to me like this three years ago?” Xiao Yan, standing on his tiptoes, took another bundle of scrolls, blew off the dust, and said calmly.
Xiao Yan’s calm and composed demeanor was truly stifling to those who disliked him.
His teeth clenched, grinding together, and though he was furious, Xiao Ning didn’t dare to actually attack Xiao Yan. After all, no matter how poor Xiao Yan’s cultivation talent, he was still the son of the clan leader.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Ning gave Xiao Yan a cold glance, leaned in, and hissed in his ear, “Xiao Yan, you are no longer the cultivation genius you were three years ago. Now, you are just a waste. Xun’er is not someone you can match. Be wise, and leave her as soon as possible. Otherwise, hehe, although I can’t do anything to you now, at next year’s coming-of-age ceremony, you will have to accept a challenge from a clan member. If you don’t want to become disabled, I advise you to leave and hide in a remote place to live out the rest of your life in peace!”
Hearing this threat, Xiao Yan’s lips curled slightly, and he tilted his head, giving Xiao Ning a very strange look. Then, he rolled his eyes, picked up the scroll, and turned to leave.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s actions, Xiao Ning thought he had surrendered, but before he could feel any joy, the young man’s casual words made his face turn ashen.
“Alright, one year from now… I’ll wait for you to disable me.”
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