In the grand hall, Xiao Zhan and the three elders were engaged in a rather enthusiastic conversation with the unfamiliar elder. However, it seemed as if the elder had something difficult to say; every time he was about to speak, he would reluctantly swallow his words back. At such moments, the dainty young girl beside him couldn’t help but shoot a glance at the elder. After listening for a while, Xiao Yan shook his head in boredom…
“Xiao Yan gege, do you know their identities?” Just as Xiao Yan was about to doze off, Xuner, beside him, flipped through the ancient book again and smiled without averting her gaze.
“You know?” Xiao Yan turned curiously and asked in surprise.
“Did you see the silver sword-shaped clouds on their sleeves?” Xuner smiled and replied.
“Oh?” Xiao Yan’s heart stirred, and he glanced at the three men’s sleeves, indeed finding a silver sword shaped like a cloud.
“Are they from the Yunlan Sect?” Xiao Yan whispered in surprise.
Although he had not ventured out to train, Xiao Yan had read about this sect in some books. The city where the Xiao family resided was named Utarn City, which belonged to the Gamma Empire. Despite its advantageous location near the Monster Beast Mountains, allowing it to be among the empire’s major cities, it was still only at the bottom of the list. The Xiao family held considerable influence in Utarn City, but they were not the only ones. There were two other powerful families in the city, and all three had been vying for power for decades without a clear winner… If the Xiao family was a force in Utarn City, then the Yunlan Sect, which Xiao Yan mentioned, might well be considered a force throughout the entire Gamma Empire!
The gap between them was as vast as a chasm, no wonder even his usually stern father showed great respect in his words.
“What do they want from our family?” Xiao Yan asked in a low, puzzled voice.
Xuner’s slender fingers paused briefly, and she fell silent for a moment before saying, “Perhaps it has something to do with Xiao Yan gege…”
“Me? I’ve never had any dealings with them!” Xiao Yan was taken aback and denied it with a shake of his head.
“Do you know the name of that young lady?” Xuner glanced indifferently at the dainty young girl across the room.
“What?” Xiao Yan frowned and asked.
“Nalan Yanran!” Xuner’s face showed a trace of oddness, and she glanced sideways at Xiao Yan, who had stiffened slightly.
“Nalan Yanran? Nalan Jie’s granddaughter, Nalan Yanran? That… that fiancée I was betrothed to before birth?” Xiao Yan’s face froze.
“Xixi, Grandfather and Nalan Jie were sworn brothers. When you and Nalan Yanran were born at the same time, the two old men decided on this marriage. But unfortunately, three years after your birth, Grandfather died from a severe injury in a battle with an enemy. Over time, the relationship between the Xiao and Nalan families gradually faded…” Xuner paused and looked at Xiao Yan’s wide eyes, unable to suppress a light laugh. She continued, “Nalan Jie is not only stubborn but also very serious about his promises. He personally agreed to the engagement, so even though your reputation in recent years has been poor, he hasn’t sent anyone to annul the engagement…”
“This old man is indeed charmingly stubborn…” Hearing this, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but smile and shake his head.
“Nalan Jie has absolute authority in the family. No one dares to oppose him. Although he dotes on his granddaughter Nalan Yanran, it would be difficult for him to agree to annul the engagement…” Xuner’s beautiful eyes curved playfully, “But five years ago, Nalan Yanran was personally taken as a disciple by Yun Yun, the sect leader of Yunlan Sect. In these five years, Nalan Yanran has shown exceptional talent in cultivation, and Yun Yun has become extremely fond of her… When someone gains the power to change their fate, they will do everything in their power to eliminate what they dislike… Unfortunately, Xiao Yan gege’s engagement to her is her most unsatisfactory aspect!”
“You mean, she’s here to annul the engagement?” Xiao Yan’s face changed, and a surge of anger rose in his heart. This anger wasn’t due to Nalan Yanran’s discrimination against him. To be honest, although the young lady opposite was beautiful, Xiao Yan was not a lecher ruled by his desires. Even if he couldn’t form a union with her, he would, at most, feel a man’s habitual regret. But if she really requested to annul the engagement in front of everyone, it would be a total loss of face for his father, the clan leader! Nalan Yanran was not only beautiful and of high status but also extraordinarily talented. Anyone talking about this would think that Xiao Yan was a toad lusting after a swan, only to be trampled underfoot… Such a thing would make not only Xiao Yan but also his father a laughingstock, and their dignity would be severely damaged.
Taking a deep breath of the cold air, Xiao Yan’s hand, hidden in his sleeve, clenched tightly. “If I were a Dou Shi now, who would dare to trample on me?”
Indeed, if Xiao Yan had the strength of a Dou Shi, even with the support of Yunlan Sect, Nalan Yanran would not have dared to act in such a manner. A fifteen-year-old Dou Shi, hey, in the history of the Dou Qi Continent, there have only been a few, and they had long since become the pillars of the Dou Qi cultivation world!
A delicate little hand quietly slipped through his sleeve and gently placed itself on Xiao Yan’s tightly clenched hand. Xuner softly said, “Xiao Yan gege, if she really acts this way, it’s her loss. Xuner believes that one day, she will regret her short-sightedness today!”
“Regret?” Xiao Yan sneered, his face full of self-derision. “Do I have the qualifications now?”
“Xuner, you seem to know them very well? Some of the things you mentioned earlier, even my father might not know. How did you find out?” Xiao Yan waved his hand and suddenly asked.
Xuner was startled but remained silent with a smile.
Seeing Xuner’s evasive behavior, Xiao Yan could only shrug helplessly. Although Xuner also bore the surname Xiao, she had no blood relation to him. Moreover, he had never met Xuner’s parents. Whenever he asked his father, the smiling father would immediately fall silent, clearly wary, or even… afraid of Xuner’s parents!
In Xiao Yan’s heart, Xuner’s identity was extremely mysterious. No matter how he probed, this little minx would cleverly meet his questions with silence, leaving Xiao Yan with no recourse.
“Ahh, forget it, I’m too lazy to care. If you won’t say, then don’t say…” Shaking his head, Xiao Yan’s face suddenly darkened because the elder, under the constant urging of Nalan Yanran’s glances, finally stood up…
“Heh, using the Yunlan Sect to intimidate Father? Nalan Yanran, what a clever move…” Xiao Yan’s heart echoed with a cold, angry laugh.
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