What Do You Call a Benevolent and Reasonable Person in Xianxia? An Impossibility!

[Zaztra Vandesh]

Cultivation Level

1. Dou Zhi (Battle [Dou] Disciple [Zhi]) : 1-9 Star

2. Dou Zhe (Battle [Dou] Practitioner [Zhe]) : 1-9 Star

3. Dou Shi (Battle [Dou] Master [Shi]: 1-9 Star

4. Da Dou Shi (Grand [Da] Battle [Dou] Master [Shi]): 1-9 Star

5. Dou Ling (Battle [Dou] Spirit [Ling]): 1-9 Star

6. Dou Wang (Battle [Dou] King [Wang]): 1-9 Star

7. Dou Huang (Battle [Dou] Emperor [Huang]): 1-9 Star

8. Dou Zong (Battle [Dou] Ancestor [Zong]): 1-9 Star

9. Dou Zun (Battle [Dou] Venerate [Zun]): 1-9 Star

10. Ban Sheng (Half [Ban] Saint [Sheng]): Lower, Middle, High

11. Dou Sheng (Battle [Dou] Saint [Sheng]): 1-9 Star

12. Dou Di (Battle [Dou] God [Di]): Spirit, Immortal, Saint, Each one divided into 3 level (Initiate, Middle, Late)

12. Dou Tian (Battle [Dou] Heaven [Tian]): There is no smaller realm in this level.

13. Dou Shen (Battle [Dou] God [Shen]): There is no smaller realm in this level.



Pill Level

1. 1st Tiers Pills

2. 2nd Tiers Pills

3. 3rd Tiers Pills

4. 4th Tiers Pills

5. 5th Tiers Pills

6. 6th Tiers Pills

7. 7th Tiers Pills: Pill at this level cause natural disasters upon their creation

8. 8th Tiers Pills: Pill at this level is sentient, they have a mind of their own, no different from a human mind.

9. 9th Tiers Pills: Divided into Treasure, Xuan, and Golden, Pill at this level have mind smarter than a normal human, and each 9th Tier Pills are something that can be called as a special existence.



Technique Level

1. Huang (Yellow): This is the first rank skill class and within each skill there is a further subclass, called as Low, Middle, and High.

2. Xuan (Black): This is the second rank skill category, and are divided into Low, Middle, and High.

3. Di (Earth): This is the third rank skill class, divided into Low, Middle, and High Subclass, Though Di Level was only one grade better than High Xuan Level, the distance between the two was as wide as the grand canyon. With enough wealth and a bit of luck, one could occasionally obtain a High Xuan Dou Technique from a high-ranking auction. Yet a Di Level Dou Technique could be said to be priced beyond the market, as the cheapest Di Ranked Technique cost as much as an Empire.

4. Tian (Heaven): This is the fourth rank skill class, it is the highest and most powerful skill class and as with each skill class there is a further subclass as Low, Middle, and High, Only those from the Ancient Clan and it's associate is able to learn Technique of this Level.

 

[Zaztra Vandesh]

"Dou Zhi (Battle Disciple, 1st Level), 3 Star!"

Next to the magic stone tablet that are used to test the cultivation realm of those who placed their hand to it, a middle-aged man slowly announced the result, his eyes revealing deep regret and sadness.

The crowd below the stage also began to whisper amongst each other, all of their tones are filled with regret and sadness.

"He's still at the same level as last year…"

"How unfortunate, He was once a genius..."

"Sheesh, so it's true of the saying that heaven is jealous of talented individuals..."

The audience murmured and discussed among themselves, while the three elders sitting on the high platform also looked at Xiao Yan in front of the magic stone tablet with regret and sadness.

"What on earth has happened to this child..."

The elder sighed deeply. Xiao Yan, who was once a genius young man, was admired by the entire Xiao clan, but for some unknown reason, he had fallen into this predicament.

Xiao Zhan, his father and also the clan leader, who is sitting on the side, also looked sad.

His son, Xiao Yan, not only had the talent that made the entire Wutan City envious of, he also had an excellent personality that made many people like him, he was humble, sincere, and had excellent interpersonal skills. He treated everyone equally and kindly. He could have been a rising star in Wutan City.

Compared to the regret that is shown by the people around him, Xiao Yan, the person in question, was not too discouraged, but only frowned slightly.

What was wrong with his body?

At this moment, someone suddenly hugged Xiao Yan and comforted him with a smile.

"Don't be sad, Xiao Yan~ Believe in yourself, I'm sure you will find a way to solve this predicament in the future."

Xiao Yan turned his head to see a young man who was the same age as him standing beside him, with deep concern in his eyes.

This person is Xiao Ning, the son of Xiao clan oldest elders, and is also one of his cousins.

"Well~ I'm not that sad about it myself~" Xiao Yan shrugged lightly, revealing his own nonchalance. Seeing this, Xiao Ning also let go of his worry and patted Xiao Yan heavily on the shoulder.

"That's right~ A man should always be calm and be calm to overcome many difficulties." Xiao Ning leaned into Xiao Yan's ear and grinned. "Come on, my dearest cousin, let's go have fun at Ningchun Tower (Name of a brothel), I heard they have some new girls, the cost is in my tab."

"Um... Xiao Ning, I'm still underage."

"What's wrong with being underage? Can't we have fun at this age? Let me tell you, in life, we should enjoy it while we can and not care about those old rules..."

"Xiao Ning~"

Suddenly, two cold and eerie voices came from behind Xiao Ning, causing him to shiver. He quickly turned around and saw two young girls with a dangerous smile on their faces, staring at him with black expressions.

They were Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er, Xiao Ning's cousins who were from the same family as Xiao Yan.

Looking at the terrifying appearance of the two despite their beauty, Xiao Ning instantly became afraid and quickly let go of Xiao Yan, waving his hand in panic.

"Uh, well! My test is already over! I'll go down first!"

After speaking, Xiao Ning quickly jumped down from the testing platform and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Xiao Yan speechless.

Seeing Xiao Ning leave, the expressions of Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er softened. Xiao Mei stood with her hands on her hips, pointing at Xiao Yan with dissatisfaction.

"Cousin Xiao Yan! Stay away from that guy Xiao Ning in the future! He's always up to something bad!"

However, Xiao Xun'er didn't warn Xiao Yan about anything and just smiled while asking in a low voice.

"Brother Xiao Yan, have you been to that place called the 'Ningchun Tower'?"

Dangerous!

Very dangerous!!!

Seeing Xiao Xun'er's expression, Xiao Yan quickly shook his head and denied it.

"No! Absolutely not! I don't even have enough time to finish my exercise every day, how could I have the time to go to a place like that?!"

After speaking, Xiao Yan quickly jumped down from the testing platform and left them with a parting remark.

"You two continue with the test! I'm leaving first!"

Disappearing like a wisp of smoke, Xiao Yan ran out of the courtyard with cold sweat all over his back. Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er looked at his departing figure, feeling helpless, and turned around to continue their Dou Qi test.

"Dou Zhi, 7 Star!"

"Dou Zhi, 9 Star!"

Just as Xiao Yan had stepped out of the courtyard, he heard the announcement from behind, and his expression fell slightly.

Sometimes, no matter how open-minded you are, there are things that you just can't get over in your heart.

"Phew~ Those two girls are really scary."

Just then, Xiao Ning, who had just left, appeared next to Xiao Yan again and glanced at Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun Er on the testing platform with lingering fear.

It seems that in the future, when hanging out with Xiao Yan, he will have to be more careful.

"Ah~ Popular people are always more troublesome, don't you think so, Cousin Xiao Yan~" Xiao Ning patted Xiao Yan's back and then hugged his neck, "Let's go! While they're not looking, Cousin will take you to the Ning Chun Tower!"

Without waiting for Xiao Yan to object, Xiao Ning took him away from the Xiao family courtyard and headed towards Ning Chun Tower.

Xiao Yan didn't resist too much because he knew that his cousin was trying to make him happy, and he didn't want to refuse this kindness. Moreover, he was actually quite interested in the Ning Chun Tower that he had never been to before.

Crossing the bustling streets, Xiao Ning brought Xiao Yan to the city center of WWutan City and arrived at the Ning Chun Tower he had mentioned.

As soon as they stepped through the door, a mature and beautiful woman greeted them, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Xiao Ning, and her tone becoming very warm.

"Yo~~~ Xiao Ning, the young master, has come to grace us again." The mature woman then raised her eyebrows slightly when she saw Xiao Yan next to Xiao Ning, "And who is this?"

"This is my brother, call him Little Yanzi." Xiao Ning laughed and asked, "I heard that there are some new girls at Ning Chun Tower?"

"Oh yes, and no sooner had they arrived than you got the news." The mature woman waved her handkerchief and teased.

"All those girls are as beautiful as a celestial beings, and they haven't had a chance to receive any guests yet~ so they are still pure"

"Well then, that's perfect, I'll book them all for today!"

Xiao Ning waved his hand grandly and the mature woman laughed with joy.

"As expected of Young Master Xiao Ning, you are as generous as ever!" The mature woman then called out, "Girls~ Come out and welcome the guests~"

As the mature woman finished speaking, several beautiful women walked out from the backstage. Xiao Ning's eyes widened at the sight of them.

All of them are as beautiful as a goddess, this saying is not an exaggeration.

But then, Xiao Ning quickly came back to his senses and realized why he was here today. He pushed Xiao Yan, who was beside him, into the center of several beautiful women.

Xiao Yan had never been to a place like this before, and his face turned red instantly. Although he was usually surrounded by celestial beauties like Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er, the charm of these mature women was incomparable.

"Today, please treat my brother well, he's still underage, so don't expect too much from him, as long as he has fun, money won't be a problem!"

After speaking, Xiao Ning directly took out a purse from his pocket and threw it to the mature woman. The smile on her face became even more beautiful.

"I will definitely make sure these young ladies take good care of this young master," the mature woman said. Then she hesitated and asked, "Are these two young ladies following you coming with you as well?"

"Huh? What ladies?"

Hearing the word of the lady, Xiao Ning tilted his head in confusion before he stiffened, and then he turned his head to look behind him.

What he saw was the chilling smiles of Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er, and a faint black aura around the two that could even make their clan patriarch tremble in fear.

In that instant, Xiao Ning had already thought about his own funeral.

"My dear sisters! Have you two finished taking your test?"

Xiao Ning's face was dripping with sweat, and he forced a smile while slowly backing away from the dangerous pack of tigress.

But every time he took a step back, Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er would also take a step forward, and their terrifying smiles didn't fade away in the slightest.

"Xiao Ning, if you came to play here by yourself, we can't control that, and we wouldn't restrict you at all."

"But it's not a good thing to drag someone like Big Brother Xiao Yan over here, is it?"

As Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er's faces got closer and closer, Xiao Ning's heart became colder and colder, and despair flooded over him.

He's dead!

====== Translator Note ======​

Do you like how the story goes so far? If yes, please consider supporting me here (It's my Patreon Account, and I put this story Advanced Chapters in there), even if it's only a little a month or even for a whole year, it would mean a world to me.

Also, if it's not a bother, can you please leave some comments after reading each chapter? Something like about how you like the story, or about how awful the chapter is if you don't like it, is more than enough (Though, if you can write more it would be appreciated), it kept me engaged into posting more chapters, since now I'm sure that the story I posted is not a dead one that no one wanted to read.

 

[Zaztra Vandesh]

"Hey! Have you heard about the recent news? There was a big commotion at the Ning Chun Tower yesterday!"

"What happened?"

"I heard that it was Xiao Ning, the grandson of the Xiao Clan first elder was beaten at the Ning Chun Tower! Both of his legs were even crippled!"

"What? Who would dare to do such a thing? That's the Xiao Clan!"

"Who did it?"

"I heard... it was two little girls from the Xiao Clan?"

In the bustling city of Wutan, several residents gathered together to drink tea and chat about yesterday's interesting events.

Meanwhile, in the Xiao Clan's training ground, Xiao Yan was leading the young members of the family in physical training as usual.

During this process, Xiao Yan frequently looked over at his cousin, Xiao Ning, who was lying on a wooden chair next to him.

The young man has a brace on his neck, one of his arms was wrapped in bandages hanging in front of his chest, one of his legs is in a cast suspended on a support, and numerous bruises of all sizes on his face, there was no doubt that he was in a miserable state.

"Um... cousin," Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Ning's miserable appearance and weakly asked with concern, "Are you really okay?"

After all, Xiao Ning ended up in such a miserable state because of him. Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel guilty.

"It's nothing, it's nothing~ It's just a few small injuries- Ouch!" Xiao Ning waved his hand with a carefree attitude, but the way he waved his hand caused a spurt of pain from his wound, causing the corners of his mouth to twitch and making Xiao Yan feel apprehensive.

At this moment, Xiao Yan heard Xiao Ning's murmuring to himself.

"These two little girls are really watching me like a hawk lately, looks like i need to be more careful when trying to bring Xiao Yan along next time."

Well, he had worried about this cousin of his condition for nothing.

Xiao Yan's guilt towards Xiao Ning vanished instantly.

Despite being beaten by the two lioness this hard, he still hasn't learned his lesson yet, he clearly deserved the beating.

Ignoring his murmuring cousin, Xiao Yan turned around and went back to the group of Xiao Clan member around them who are still engorsed in their daily physical training, and clapped his hands heavily.

"Alright, all of you, this much is enough for now. It's time for some real combat training."

Watching Xiao Yan's back as he helped the younger generation of the Xiao Clan in their combat training, Xiao Ning sighed deeply in his heart while leaning on the recliner.

The heavens are truly unfair...

When Xiao Yan cultivation progress and talent was not yet in decline, he actively requested his father to give him the permission to help the Xiao Clan juniors in their training to improve their strength.

Every time, he led each one of them person by person, striving to find and improve the strengths and fix the weaknesses of each clan member, never giving up on anyone no matter how weak their talent and how bad their fighting aptitude are.

At the same time, he also taught them what it means to be a family, and what it means to have human virtue and emotions.

As a result, the overall strength of the Xiao Clan juniors was incomparable to the other two major families combined, and their family cohesion was several times stronger than the other two families combined.

After Xiao Yan encountered his setback, he realized that his abilities and strength were no longer sufficient to be the teacher of the younger generation and was ready to resign from his position as coach to his father, but stayed on after being requested by the Xiao Clan juniors.

In their hearts, Xiao Yan was the backbone of their younger generation! No one else, not even the clan patriarch, could replace him!

Since then, Xiao Yan's supervised training became even more serious, and he worked harder than anyone else in his physical training.

If he couldn't use Dou Qi, then he would train his body instead!

With this determination, although Xiao Yan was only at the level of 3 star Dou Zhi (Battle Practitioner), amongst the younger generation of the Xiao Clan, even Xiao Ning could barely turn their fight into a draw despite having a higher cultivation level, among the younger generation. Only Xiao Xun'er, the most outstanding figure among the younger generation, could beat him, and that's barely.

If Xiao Yan's Dou Qi recovered, not even Xiao Xun'er would be able to match him.

Thinking of this, Xiao Ning felt a little sad.

Although Xiao Yan really worked hard to train his body, the body itself still had limits. Without the boost of Dou Qi, Xiao Yan would always be inferior to others, and this was an undeniable fact.

As everyone's strength gradually improved, this gap would become even more apparent.

Now, Xiao Yan could still rely on his strong body to compete against those whose Dou Qi wasn't too powerful. But what about in the future?

When his peers' Dou Qi grew to a level that Xiao Yan could no longer compensate for with physical training, he would really be nothing.

Although the Xiao Clan wouldn't look down on him because of this, they would gradually distance themselves from him until Xiao Yan became a complete outsider.

Xiao Ning's sister, Xiao Yu, worked hard to gain admission to the Jia Nan Academy, hoping to find clues about Xiao Yan's loss of Dou Qi in the academy.

However, there has been no news so far.

Perhaps...this was fate.

The heavens gave Xiao Yan fleeting talent, but took it away when he was most expected to deliver. If it were someone else facing this gap, they might have been unable to bear it and committed suicide long ago.

'Now that I think about it, where did those two girls go?'

Xiao Ning didn't see the figures of Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er among the Xiao Clan's younger generation, which made him wonder.

These two little girls would love to tie themself to Xiao Yan every day. Xiao Ning was very certain that if not for the strict rules of the clan, these two little girls would dare to climb onto Xiao Yan's bed in the middle of the night!

And how could these two little girls not come to the daily training supervised by Xiao Yan?

Are they too embarrassed to participate in the training because of his bruised appearance from having beaten him up?

Don't be ridiculous~

Xiao Ning knew very well the character of Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er.

Regarding taking Xiao Yan to the Ning Chun Tower, far from feeling guilty, they would only regret not being harsher on him!

'Maybe they're plotting somewhere, thinking about how to get back at me...'

Xiao Ning speculated, then leaned on his crutch and stood up from the recliner, saying to Xiao Yan:

"Xiao Yan, I'm going back now."

"Okay, be careful on your way."

Xiao Yan instructed, and Xiao Ning waved his hand lightly before hobbling away from the training ground on his crutch.

However, as soon as he left the training ground and arrived at the Xiao Clan's courtyard, Xiao Ning heard a loud noise of drums, gongs, firecrackers, and celebrations outside the Xiao Clan's gates, which made him raise an eyebrow in confusion.

What's going on?

Is there a festival today?

Hobbling on his crutch, Xiao Ning arrived at the gate of the Xiao Clan and immediately saw a long procession outside, carrying a large flag with the word "Yun" engraved on it.

The Yun Lan Sect! (Misty Cloud Sect)

As the most powerful sect in the Jia Ma Empire, everyone in the Jia Ma Empire was familiar with this sect.

But why would the number one Sect come to their small Wutan City?

At this point, Xiao Ning noticed an old man leading the procession, the old man was being followed by a young pink-haired girl.

Although the young girl was beautiful, she faintly exuded an aura of haughtiness, and it was easy to see that she wasn't easy to get along with.

Then Xiao Zhan and three elders came out to greet the old man and the young girl, welcoming them into the reception hall. Xiao Ning also sneakily listened at the door, overhearing their conversation.

"Hey! Xiao Ning!"

Hearing this greeting, Xiao Ning's body instinctively trembled, and he turned his head around abruptly, seeing Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er standing behind her, though she didn't know when they had arrived.

"Ah- Aren't these my two beloved younger sisters..."

Seeing these two little devils, all of Xiao Ning's wounds suddenly throbbed with pain, and his body instinctively moved away from them.

"Hmph~ remember today's pain very well, next time I won't let you off so easily."

Xiao Mei looked at the fearful Xiao Ning with a cold smile, causing him to nod repeatedly. Xiao Mei smiled satisfactorily and then looked towards the reception hall.

"There are guests today?"

"Ah–it's people from the Yun Lan Sect." Xiao Ning replied solemnly, glancing slightly at the reception hall. "I just don't know why the renowned Yun Lan Sect would come to our Xiao Clan."

Although he had heard from the elders about how glorious the Xiao Clan used to be, their current power was not even worthy of carrying the Yun Lan Sect's shoes. The two should not have any intersection.

At this moment, Xiao Xun'er's face became somewhat unpleasant for some unknown reason as she gazed at the spoiled young lady in the reception hall and slowly spoke.

"I have heard from Uncle Xiao before that Grandfather and the Head of the Nalan family were sworn brothers on the battlefield. It so happened that when Xiao Yan and Nalan Family Head granddaughter were born, the two grandfathers arranged for them to be engaged."

"And that young lady is the fiancée that Xiao Yan had a betrothal with. She is the young mistress of the Nalan family who was taken as a direct disciple by the Yun Lan Sect's Sect leader."

Upon hearing Xiao Xun'er's words, Xiao Ning was slightly taken aback, while Xiao Mei immediately shouted in a hurry.

"Fiancée?!"

But then it seemed like she realized her voice was too loud and covered her mouth hastily. Seeing that no one in the reception hall had noticed, she let out a sigh of relief and looked at Xiao Xun'er anxiously.

"Could it be that they came this time to complete the marriage contract with Cousin Xiao Yan?!"

"That's impossible..." Xiao Ning's face also darkened, showing some anger in his eyes. "The basic rule on this continent is survival of the fittest. We are kind to Xiao Yan because we understand his every bit of accumulation and his excellent personality besides his Dou Qi. But outsiders only view him as a useless waste. "

Hearing Xiao Ning's words, Xiao Mei gradually understood and her face became even uglier.

"Is she trying to break off the engagement?!"

======== Translator Note ========​

Do you like how the story goes so far? If yes, please consider supporting me here (It's my Patreon Account, and I put this story Advanced Chapters in there), even if it's only a little a month or even for a whole year, it would mean a world to me.

Also, if it's not a bother, can you please leave some comments after reading each chapter? Something like about how you like the story, or about how awful the chapter is if you don't like it, is more than enough (Though, if you can write more it would be appreciated), it kept me engaged into posting more chapters, since now I'm sure that the story I posted is not a dead one that no one wanted to read.

 

[Zaztra Vandesh]

Certainly, upon learning that Nalan Yanran was Xiao Yan's fiancée, Xiao Mei's first reaction was to cause a scene and drive Nalan Yanran away, so that the vixen never to set foot in the Xiao Clan's door again!

However, upon hearing Xiao Ning's suspicion that the other party had come to break off the engagement, Xiao Mei glanced at the grandeur outside the Xiao Clan's door and became increasingly displeased.

She agreed with matter about the other party breaking off the engagement with Xiao Yan's, but Nalan Yanran should not have come with such a high-handed attitude, almost forcing them to agree to the breakup!

Everyone in Wutan City could see Nalan Yanran's grand entrance today, and if the engagement were to be broken, where would Xiao Yan's face go? Where would Xiao Zhan's face go? Where would the face of the entire Xiao Clan go?!

Although Xiao Mei was extremely angry, she was helpless. They were only the clan juniors, and no matter how angry they were, they had no right to interfere in this matter.

"Xiao Mei, go to the training ground and bring Xiao Yan over. He has the right to know about this matter," Xiao Ning instructed Xiao Mei.

If the other party really broke off the engagement, it was bad enough, but if Xiao Yan, the party concerned, found out about the fact and were not involved in the matter, that would be even more tragic.

"Okay!"

Xiao Mei nodded heavily and turned to the training ground to find Xiao Yan.

After Xiao Mei left, Xiao Ning turned to look at Xiao Xun'er and whispered, "Xun'er, you should have a way to resolve this, right?"

From a long time ago, Xiao Ning had sensed that Xiao Yan's little sister was not an ordinary person. Many times, even their own grandfather, the Xiao Clan's elder, had to act according to Xiao Xun'er's wishes, which was enough to prove the power behind her.

"This is Big Brother Xiao Yan business, I won't interfere," Xiao Xun'er said, with a hint of killing intent in her eyes. "But the premise is that Nalan Yanran doesn't go too far."

In the end, it was a marriage arranged by the two elderly men without the knowledge of Nalan Yanran and Xiao Yan. It was not unreasonable for Nalan Yanran to come to cancel the engagement.

But she chose to do it when Xiao Yan had lost his talent and was taken as a personal disciple by the Yun Lan Sect's Sect Master. This would not have been a problem if it weren't for the fact that it was a marriage arranged by their elders, and Xiao Zhan wouldn't be unreasonable. After all, the Xiao Clan and the Nalan Family were not a good match, and canceling the engagement was understandable.

The problem was that Nalan Yanran made a big scene out of canceling the engagement, letting everyone in Wutan City know about it. She was trying to make it so that Xiao Yan could never lift his head in front of anyone in Wutan City again!

Even the younger generation such as Xiao Ning and Xiao Xun'er could see this, so how could Xiao Zhan and the three elders not see it?

But even if they understood, what could they do?

The Xiao Clan's power was not even comparable to the Nalan family, let alone the Yun Lan Sect!

If Nalan Yanran really wanted to cancel the engagement today, the Xiao Clan could only grit their teeth and swallow it, even if the other side slapped them in the face and smiled while presenting the other cheek!

The Yun Lan Sect elder, Ge Ye, who came with Nalan Yanran, talked to Xiao Zhan for a long time, but never got to the point, which made Nalan Yanran a little impatient. She gave Ge Ye a slight glare.

Ge Ye sighed deeply in his heart.

It was not easy to offend someone, no matter who they were.

But there was no choice. Nalan Yanran was the Sect Master's personal disciple, the future Sect Master of the Yun Lan Sect. This matter had to be discussed even if it was difficult to broach.

"Clan Patriarch Xiao." Ge Ye slightly bowed his fist to Xiao Zhan and spoke slowly, "Actually, we came this time to discuss an important matter with you."

Here it comes!

Xiao Zhan and the three elders felt a chill in their hearts, and their eyes also showed a hint of anger, mixed with a deep sense of powerlessness.

This was the current state of the Xiao Clan, when facing such a behemoth like the Yun Lan Sect, even if they were insulted and pressed down on the ground, they could only bear it.

Might makes right, and that's how cruel this continent is.

No matter how angry he was in his heart, he still had to do his job.

"Hehe... Our Xiao Clan is weak and powerless, but if there is anything we can do to help, Elder Ge Ye can just ask."

Xiao Zhan bowed to Ge Ye and Ge Ye spoke up.

"As you may have heard, Yanran has already become the personal disciple of our Yun Lan Sect's Sect Master. She will inevitably take over the entire Yun Lan Sect in the future. However, we recently discovered that Yanran hasn't been focusing on her cultivation, and after inquiring about it, we found out that she is troubled by the engagement arranged by her grandfather."

"So what?"

Xiao Zhan suppressed his anger, feigning ignorance and absentmindedly clenching his fist on the armrest.

Ge Ye naturally saw through Xiao Zhan's thoughts and, feeling a headache coming on, reluctantly spoke up under the urging gaze of Nalan Yanran.

"So regarding Yanran's engagement to the young master, we hope..."

Ge Ye hadn't finished speaking when a boy's voice suddenly came from outside the reception hall.

"Father, did you call for me?"

Xiao Yan stood at the door of the reception hall and looked at his father, Xiao Zhan. Xiao Zhan was about to speak when Nalan Yanran suddenly stood up from her seat, staring in shock at Xiao Yan.

"You- You're Xiao Yan?!"

"Who are you?"

Xiao Yan looked at the familiar girl and after pondering for a moment, he suddenly realized and pointed his finger at her.

"Little Glutton!!!"

"Stop calling me that!!!"

Hearing Xiao Yan's nickname for her, Nalan Yanran's face instantly turned red with embarrassment and anger.

Everyone in the reception hall, both inside and outside, was stunned by this scene.

Looking at their reaction... Do these two young people know each other?

Just as everyone was wondering, the redness on Nalan Yanran's face faded, and her expression became extremely serious. She turned to Xiao Zhan, bowed with her fists in her hands, and said firmly.

"Uncle! Yanran came here today with only one purpose!"

Upon hearing Nalan Yanran speak, Ge Ye immediately reacted and motioned to the servant to bring out the pre-prepared medicine as an apology, while also preparing to step in to save the situation at any time.

But what Nalan Yanran said next made him suddenly freeze in place.

"I hope to immediately marry into the Xiao Clan!"

???

For a moment, the entire reception hall fell silent, and Ge Ye's face was full of question marks as he stared at Nalan Yanran in a daze.

Et to, Young mistress?

Didn't we come here to cancel your engagement?

How did it become a marriage proposal instead???

======== Translator Note ========​

Do you like how the story goes so far? If yes, please consider supporting me here (It's my Patreon Account, and I put this story Advanced Chapters in there), even if it's only a little a month or even for a whole year, it would mean a world to me.

Also, if it's not a bother, can you please leave some comments after reading each chapter? Something like about how you like the story, or about how awful the chapter is if you don't like it, is more than enough (Though, if you can write more it would be appreciated), it kept me engaged into posting more chapters, since now I'm sure that the story I posted is not a dead one that no one wanted to read.

 

[Zaztra Vandesh]

In the reception hall of the Xiao Clan, there was dead silence.

Ge Ye stared at Nalan Yanran with a dumbfounded expression on his face, unable to process what was happening.

You see, originally, Yun Yun, the Sect Master of the Yun Lan Sect was very against Nalan Yanran's decision to break off the engagement. and if it weren't for Nalan Yanran's constant persuasion, Yun Yun would not have sent Ge Ye to support her.

But now that they were already here, Nalan Yanran suddenly changed her mind.

Young Mistress? I've prepared the compensation gift. I'm also prepared to throw away my face for you

But now you're changing your mind at the last second!?

Not only was Ge Ye stunned, but so were Xiao Zhan and the three elders.

Anyone could see that Nalan Yanran's original intention in coming here was to break off the engagement. That was beyond doubt.

But upon seeing Xiao Yan, her attitude took a 180-degree turn, leaving everyone's heads spinning.

Not only did she not mention breaking off the engagement, she also demanded that the wedding be held immediately?

Meanwhile, outside the hall, Xiao Ning and the others saw what was happening. Xiao Ning slowly came to his senses.

"It seems that Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran know each other beforehand. After seeing him, she didn't say a word about breaking off the engagement and instead demanded that the wedding take place immediately. Hey Xun'er, Xiao Yan really is amazing…."

Xiao Ning's voice suddenly trailed off, looking at Xiao Xun'er with a look of horror.

"Hm... Big Brother Xiao Yan is really popular, isn't he?"

As she listened to Xiao Xun'er's extremely gloomy words, Xiao Ning's body trembled uncontrollably and he couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

Obviously, Nalan Yanran's words had touched on Xiao Xun'er's sore spot!

However, while Xiao Xun'er could barely maintain her composure, Xiao Mei couldn't take it anymore and barged into the reception hall.

"I object!"

Xiao Mei's objection brought the stunned crowd in the hall back to their senses. The second elder immediately glared at his own granddaughter.

"Mei'er, back down! This has nothing to do with you!"

"How does it have nothing to do with me? Xiao Yan's business is my business!" Xiao Mei then turned her head to glare at Nalan Yanran, pointing at her without any reservations, "I say, you're originally coming here to break off the engagement, aren't you? I fully support you breaking off the engagement! Our Xiao Clan is not worthy of your Nalan family! Xiao Yan is not worthy of you! After you break off the engagement, go back and focus on being the next Sect Master of the mighty Yun Lan Sect! No one is stopping you!"

After Xiao Mei finished speaking, Xiao Zhan and the three elders' faces turned particularly ugly.

Although it is an objective fact that the Xiao Clan cannot compare to the Nalan family, and that it is also an objective fact that Xiao Yan is currently not worthy of Nalan Yanran.

But as someone from the Xiao Clan, you can't say that. Isn't this slapping your own face?

Although they know what Xiao Mei is trying to achieve, her words undoubtedly greatly insulted the reputation of the Xiao Clan.

Especially for the Second Elder, if there were no outsiders present, he really wanted to rush up and give his granddaughter a good spanking for saying such things!

Meanwhile, outside the door, Xiao Ning was holding his head in pain.

Oh my cousin Xiao Mei, even though I understand your feelings, you're just belittling the Xiao Clan and Xiao Yan to the extreme out of nowhere like that.

Just then, Xiao Xun'er also entered the meeting hall.

Keenly aware, Ge Ye noticed that when Xiao Xun'er entered, the anger of the three elders, including Xiao Zhan, instantly disappeared, and there was even a deep sense of awe in the patriach eyes, which deeply furrowed Ge Ye's brow.

Who exactly is Xiao Xun'er?

Standing in front of Xiao Mei, Xiao Xun'er gently placed her hand that was pointing at Nalan Yanran back down and bowed to Xiao Zhan.

"Clan Patriach, three elders." Xiao Xun'er's face remained calm, and her ethereal voice reached the ears of everyone in the hall. "Although Xiao Mei's words were too rude, there is no problem with the reasoning behind them. Nowadays, marriage should be based on matching families."

"As Nalan's family is flourishing, and Miss Nalan is also intelligent and has been accepted as the direct disciple of the esteemed Sect Master of the Yun Lan Sect, I believe that forcing the two families to intermarry may not be a good choice for both sides."

"Originally, this engagement was a decision made by the two family ancestor without considering the feelings of them both. Now, it would be more reasonable to cancel this engagement."

"We would withdraw from the marriage ourselves, but we dare not to accept any gifts. I hope that after today, Miss Nalan will try to avoid any entanglements with the Xiao Clan and pursue a more outstanding future, which is what you deserve."

Xiao Xun'er's speech was neither humble nor overbearing, and she had sound arguments and a clear message.

If you don't cancel this engagement today, we will cancel it ourselves! Don't even think about entering the Xiao Clan as a daughter-in-law!

"I never said that I came here to cancel the engagement."

Regarding Xiao Xun'er's words, Nalan Yanran's face was cold, and she looked down on Xiao Xun'er from her high position.

"You're right, the engagement was made by our grandfathers and could have been disregarded by us. However, it just so happens that I am very satisfied with Xiao Yan and believe that he is worthy of being my husband. So I have decided on this engagement!"

Nalan Yanran wouldn't budge, but Xiao Xun'er looked at her with slightly narrowed eyes, showing a smile that was not very friendly.

"So you're saying that Miss Nalan is really fixated on Big Brother Xiao Yan?"

"I am already Xiao Yan's fiancée, so where does the fixation come from?" Nalan Yanran frowned slightly, staring fiercely at Xiao Xun'er, "In my opinion, it's you who's clinging to my fiancé, isn't it?"

Boom!!!

Golden Dou Qi suddenly burst out from Xiao Xun'er's body, while Nalan Yanran also didn't hold back, as her Dou Qi burst out to counter Xiao Xun'er's.

Things have really become troublesome now!

Seeing this scene, whether it was Xiao Zhan, the Patriach of the Xiao clan, or Ge Ye, the elder of the Yun Lan Sect, they didn't know how to resolve the situation.

But between the two, Ge Ye was undoubtedly more conflicted than Xiao Zhan.

Should they still cancel the marriage or not?

"Xun'er, calm down."

Xiao Yan lightly patted Xiao Xun'er's shoulder, then looked towards Nalan Yanran.

"Little Glutton, put away your Dou Qi, the elders are all present, we can't be rude."

"Stop calling me Little Glutton!!!"

Hearing Xiao Yan's address, Nalan Yanran's face turned even redder, and she stamped her foot fiercely while scolding.

"Okay, okay~ I won't call you that anymore."

Xiao Yan smiled and waved his hand, then solemnly bowed to Nalan Yanran.

"Xiao Yan is honored by Miss Nalan's favor, but as my little sister said, there is a considerable gap in our status and strength. If Miss Nalan insists on marrying me, I'm afraid it would bring shame to Miss Nalan and even the entire Nalan Family."

After hearing these words, Ge Ye actually felt a hint of goodwill towards Xiao Yan.

The boy is both modest and steady, he is neither arrogant nor impatient. If it weren't for his lack of progress in cultivation, he would undoubtedly become someone great in the future.

"I am who I am! I will decide my own life! It has nothing to do with the Nalan Family!" Just as Xiao Yan finished speaking, Nalan Yanran gently stroked her chest and declared in a stern voice, "I have already decided on you! You are the only man I will marry in this life! I will not recognize anyone else!"

Nalan Yanran was extremely determined today. She absolutely would not cancel the marriage!

At this point, Ge Ye could no longer sit still. If he allowed Young Mistress to continue to cause a commotion, this matter would never end.

"Miss Nalan, how about this..."

Ge Ye leaned in and whispered in Nalan Yanran's ear, and her emotions visibly calmed down.

After Ge Ye finished speaking, Nalan Yanran took a deep breath.

"Fine, let's do it according to Elder Ge's plan." Then she pointed at Xiao Yan and declared, "Xiao Yan! I propose a three-year bet to you! After three years, we will fight at the Yun Lan Sect. If I win, we will get married immediately! If I lose, our engagement will be officially canceled!"

"So I ask you, do you dare to accept this bet?!"

======== Translator Note ========
​

Do you like how the story goes so far? If yes, please consider supporting me here (It's my Patreon Account, and I put this story Advanced Chapters in there), even if it's only a little a month or even for a whole year, it would mean a world to me.

Also, if it's not a bother, can you please leave some comments after reading each chapter? Something like about how you like the story, or about how awful the chapter is if you don't like it, is more than enough (Though, if you can write more it would be appreciated), it kept me engaged into posting more chapters, since now I'm sure that the story I posted is not a dead one that no one wanted to read.

 

[Zaztra Vandesh]

Nalan Yanran proposed this three-year bet, which was naturally the idea of Ge Ye.

If Xiao Yan couldn't defeat Nalan Yanran after three years, then Nalan Yanran's wish would be fulfilled and she could marry Xiao Yan.

If Nalan Yanran lost to Xiao Yan, the engagement would be canceled, but it would also prove that Xiao Yan was worthy of Nalan Yanran. If Nalan Yanran pursued him again at that time, Xiao Yan could not use this as an excuse to refuse.

In other words, Nalan Yanran would not lose in any case.

Moreover, in order to ensure that she could marry Xiao Yan, Nalan Yanran would certainly practice harder to ensure that she could defeat Xiao Yan, which was also a good thing for the Yun Lan Sect.

Everyone understood the reason.

But why did it feel strange?

Xiao Zhan and the three elders frowned, showing suspicion between their brows.

There was nothing wrong with the logic, but why did it feel... weird?

Did Nalan Yanran really fall in love with Xiao Yan?

Xiao Zhan, who was Xiao Yan's father, frowned. He knew his son was excellent, but was he really so excellent that the future Sect Master of the Yun Lan Sect would marry him no matter what?

Moreover, Xiao Yan's Dao Qi had been stagnating for some reason, and no one could guarantee that they could solve this problem. If Xiao Yan really lost to Nalan Yanran, she would end up marrying a useless husband. Did she not care about that?

Xiao Yan quietly looked at Nalan Yanran, feeling slightly uneasy.

After weighing the pros and cons, Xiao Yan once again clasped his fists and solemnly replied, "I accept this three-year bet."

"What?! Why did you accept it?!" As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, Xiao Mei exploded. "She's the one who begged and pleaded to marry you, why—wah wah wah!!!"

"Can you please keep your mouth shut?!"

Xiao Ning quickly came behind Xiao Mei with his crutch and covered her mouth with one hand to prevent her from speaking recklessly.

Nalan Yanran ignored Xiao Mei and looked at Ge Ye.

"Elder Ge, please put the gift down, Xiao Yan may need it in the future."

After speaking, Nalan Yanran turned and left the reception hall, glancing at Xiao Xun'er deeply before departing.

Both of them saw the flames of a formidable rival in each other's gaze.

Nalan Yanran knew that the impulsive and brainless little girl, Xiao Mei, was not her true enemy, but rather Xiao Xun'er with her cold calculation was.

"Niece Nalan, Elder Ge Ye, please take care on your way back!"

Xiao Zhan and the three elders stood up to see their guests off. And so, Yun Lan Sect left Wutan City in a grand and imposing manner, leaving the city to return to its former calmness.

After Yun Lan Sect had left, everyone returned to the reception hall. Xiao Ning also released his hand covering Xiao Mei's mouth, only to be met with a hard heel stomp on his foot.

"Xiao Ning! Have you no manners?! How dare you stop me?!"

Xiao Mei grabbed Xiao Ning's collar and angrily reprimanded him. The second elder, who was standing by, couldn't bear to watch any longer.

"Let go! Do you know how much disgrace you have done?!!"

"Tsk!"

Seeing her grandfather really getting angry, Xiao Mei let go of Xiao Ning, who was grinning awkwardly, and came to Xiao Yan's side, scolding him.

"Cousin Xiao Yan! How could you agree to her bet? You won't be able to beat her in three years looking like this!"

"Can't you be silent like a mute for a minute!"

Xiao Xun'er finally couldn't hold it in any longer and hit Xiao Mei on the head with a hammer. This little girl spoke whatever was on her mind, wasn't she just saying that Xiao Yan was useless?

"But, but..." Xiao Mei covered her head and looked aggrieved. "If cousin Xiao Yan really loses in three years, he'll be taken away by Nalan Yanran!"

After speaking, Xiao Mei ran straight into Xiao Yan's arms and hugged him tightly like a koala, crying.

"Waaaaa!!! Don't go! I don't want cousin Xiao Yan to leave!!!"

"Ahaha..."

Looking at Xiao Mei clinging to him like this, Xiao Yan smiled wryly and lifted her off of him, while Xiao Zhan looked at his son with guilt.

Regardless of Xiao Yan's own wishes, whether it was breaking off the engagement or getting married, it was all up to the other party's whim. This made Xiao Zhan, as a father, feel extremely uncomfortable.

It was true that Nalan Yanran wanted to marry Xiao Yan, and it sounded like a happy occasion with the Xiao Clan making a great match.

But Nalan Yanran's attitude undoubtedly metaphorized that the will of the Xiao Clan is insignificant, even if that's not her intention.

"Sorry, Yan'er." Xiao Zhan's hand under his sleeve tightened into a fist. "If the Xiao Clan wasn't so down and weak, you wouldn't have been forced to agree."

Just now, Nalan Yanran asked if Xiao Yan dared to accept, but could he refuse?

It was no longer a matter of whether Xiao Yan wanted to accept it or not, but he had to accept it.

The three-year agreement was the result of Nalan Yanran taking the initiative to compromise.

If Xiao Yan didn't accept it, Nalan Yanran would definitely stay here and force him to marry her.

Such a situation would be detrimental to both the Xiao Clan and the Yun Lan Sect.

As the pride of the Nalan family and the Young Mistress of the Yun Lan Sect, being trapped in a small Xiao Clan in Wutan City and forced to marry a waste would damage both families' reputation.

If this news spread, the Nalan family would be fine, as they had a marriage contract with the Xiao Clan. However, the Yun Lan Sect's reputation would be ruined.

It would be even worse for the Xiao Clan. Those who knew the inside story would think that the Xiao Clan didn't know how to behave, while those who didn't would think that they lacked self-awareness.

Nalan Yanran's three-year agreement left no room for Xiao Yan to choose.

"Cousin Xiao Yan, I shouldn't have interrupted earlier, but I think you can accept it," Xiao Ning said, laughing as he approached and put his arm around Xiao Yan's shoulder. "The Nalan family is wealthy, and Nalan Yanran herself is beautiful, and she's the future Sect Master of the Yun Lan Sect. It's a win-win situation, don't you think?"

"Well, I think Cousin Xiao Ning makes a good point."

Xiao Yan nodded seriously, then turned and grabbed Xiao Ning's shoulders with both hands, turning him around to face Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er, who were black-faced and emanating Dou Qi.

"So now, you have to face the wrath of your two sisters."

Ignoring Xiao Ning's screams of pain, Xiao Yan turned to Xiao Zhan again.

He clasped his hands together and spoke solemnly.

"Father, please don't blame yourself. The decline of our Clan is not a one-day event. It's normal for a Clan to rise and fall. Moreover, including me, the Xiao Clan's descendants have already received so much kindness from the Clan, far better than ordinary families. Why should you feel guilty about this?"

After hearing Xiao Yan's comforting words, the three elders nodded repeatedly, and Xiao Zhan's eyes were filled with deep relief.

His son was really sensible.

Sensible people are heart-wrenching.

At this point, Xiao Zhan looked at the gifts left by Nalan Yanran and Ge Ye when they left, one of which was a small box that caught his eye. He took it and opened it, then took a deep breath.

"This is—Qi Gathering Pill?!"

As the three elders looked at the emerald-sized pill in the box, their eyes widened in amazement.

In their small Xiao Clan, it would take years to come across a genuine pill, let alone a pill as precious as this.

"As expected of the Yun Lan Sect. They sure know how to make a grand gesture," said the elder stroking his beard, while the second elder spoke softly.

"Since it was given to Xiao Yan, let the clan leader keep it for now."

Upon hearing the second elder's words, both the elder and the second elder nodded in agreement.

Years ago, when Xiao Yan's talent had yet to fall, he often taught the Xiao Clan's children about the many principles that were completely opposite to the law of the jungle in the training room.

Gradually, these teachings also reached the ears of the three elders.

At first, the three elders dismissed Xiao Yan's teachings, but he was still the genius youth of the Clan at that time, and they didn't want to argue with him, allowing him to advocate his own ideas.

During this period, as the cohesion of the clan grew stronger and the relationships between Xiao Clan's children improved, the three elders' thinking was gradually transformed.

Eventually, they became more open-minded.

It's true, a person only lives for so long, and if you spend all your time fighting with your family, what's the point?

Isn't it better to live in harmony, helping and respecting each other like they do now, generation after generation?

Moreover, with their talents, they knew that they could not climb high, and if they are not careful, they could even be someone else's stepping stone.

Although the Xiao Clan is not a major force, they are comfortable in the small Wutan City. What's wrong with being happy with just that?

Since then, the three elders' desire for gain has greatly decreased, and their approach to dealing with people has become more focused on human relationships. They often feel the warmth brought by their family members, even after Xiao Yan's downfall.

As the saying goes, a harmonious family leads to everything prospering.

And all of this is thanks to Xiao Yan.

"Elders, now that Xiao Yan is like this, such a valuable item should be given to the new talents in the Clan. It wouldn't be fair if I receive special treatment just because I'm the son of the Xiao Clan Patriach. This would inevitably cause dissatisfaction among other Xiao Clan members and create disharmony in the Clan."

However, Xiao Yan sternly declined, making the three elders slightly stunned, showing a hint of helplessness on their faces.

"I think other people should not have any objections."

That's right, other people surely won't have any objections.

All of the Xiao Clan members consider Xiao Yan as their leader, and even if he monopolizes favoritism, no one will feel dissatisfied.

Moreover, this was originally a gift given to Xiao Yan, and he has the right to have exclusive access to it.

"Everyone's lack of objections comes from their tolerant and magnanimous hearts. However, I cannot be arrogant and greedy, and take advantage of others. Therefore, this Qi Gathering Pill is too precious for me to accept." Xiao Yan didn't give the three elders a chance to argue, and continued, "Father, elders, the training of the Clan members is not yet over. Xiao Yan will take his leave first and go supervise them."

"Xiao Yan! Wait for me!"

After speaking, Xiao Yan turned and left the meeting hall, with Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er quickly following.

Looking at Xiao Yan's departure, the three elders all let out a long sigh.

"The heavens... are truly unfair..."

Xiao Zhan tightly clenched his fists, with infinite sadness in his eyes.

However, everyone ignored the sight of Xiao Ning, who was miserably beaten up by Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er in front of the meeting hall.

Well, he deserved it for talking too much!

======== Translator Note ========​

Do you like how the story goes so far? If yes, please consider supporting me here (It's my Patreon Account, and I put this story Advanced Chapters in there), even if it's only a little a month or even for a whole year, it would mean a world to me.

Also, if it's not a bother, can you please leave some comments after reading each chapter? Something like about how you like the story, or about how awful the chapter is if you don't like it, is more than enough (Though, if you can write more it would be appreciated), it kept me engaged into posting more chapters, since now I'm sure that the story I posted is not a dead one that no one wanted to read.

 

[Zaztra Vandesh]

"Everyone, that's enough, training ends here for today, now go back and take a rest."

In the evening, Xiao Yan dismissed the Xiao Clan's younger generation who trained together with him and bid farewell to everyone one by one, and soon, only a few people were left in the spacious training ground.

"Cousin Xiao Yan! Let's go back too!"

Xiao Mei jumped excitedly onto Xiao Yan's back, but he gently loosened her arms around his neck and smiled at her.

"You all go first, I'll take a walk in the back of the mountain alone."

"Huh? Why-"

Xiao Mei's question was not finished yet when Xiao Xun'er reached out and held her back, smiling at Xiao Yan.

"Big brother Xiao Yan, take care."

"You too."

Xiao Yan nodded lightly and slowly left the training ground.

Watching his lonely figure who left the training ground, Xiao Xun'er's eyes revealed a hint of heartache.

Xiao Mei was always a carefree kid and did not notice anything unusual about her cousin, but Xiao Xun'er could see clearly the deep bitterness contained in Xiao Yan's smile just now.

Admittedly, no one in the Xiao Clan had ever underestimated Xiao Yan, and he had always had a high position among them.

However, the more this was the case, the more uncomfortable Xiao Yan felt in his heart.

The better the Xiao Clan treated him, the more useless he felt.

As a waste, how could he be trusted by so many people?

In the dim moonlight, Xiao Yan came to an empty space in the back mountain of the Xiao Clan.

If someone were to observe carefully, they will find scattered pieces of shattered stones around this empty space.

This is Xiao Yan's personal training ground.

But today, Xiao Yan is not here to train.

He just found a relatively intact large rock to lie on, feeling the hard and cold surface of the rock, and quietly looking at the crescent moon with a dazed look on his face.

His eyes reveal infinite sadness, and he can't help but recall the past.

He doesn't know why, but Xiao Yan has always despised the law of the strong preying on the weak in this world since as far as he could remember.

For some reason, everyone tacitly accepts this unspoken rule, and everyone believes that this rule is absolutely correct.

This made Xiao Yan feel very distraught and disgusted.

Can strength really override everything? Do the weak really deserve to die not because they did something wrong, but just because?

But at the same time, Xiao Yan was also very clear about one single thing.

This world is just like this.

The concept of the strong preying on the weak is deeply ingrained in everyone's hearts and cannot be changed by just saying it.

Therefore, Xiao Yan worked hard to cultivate and became a talented genius praised by others with his talent and extraordinary efforts.

At the same time, Xiao Yan never forgot the other members of his Clan. No matter how poor their talent was, he did not give up and encouraged them to work hard and not give up on themselves, letting them understand that being strong is not everything.

Being kind to others and strict with oneself is the fundamental way for Xiao Yan to gain recognition from all members of the Xiao Clan.

During this period, Xiao Yan also spread the concept of abandoning the idea of the strong preying on the weak with the prestige brought by being the most outstanding member of the Xiao Clan.

It's ironic. Clearly, he hated the idea of the strong preying on the weak, but in order to promote this idea, he had to follow the law of the strong preying on the weak.

In this world, if you have no strength, you would have no right to speak.

Finally, after years of Xiao Yan's hard work, the worldview of all members of the Xiao Clan, including the three elders, was successfully changed, and Xiao Yan became the backbone of the Xiao Clan members.

However, the heavens seem to dislike Xiao Yan's rebellious worldview, it dislikes his desire to change the rules of the entire continent, and let him lose all his Dou Qi three years ago, becoming the waste he is today.

After Xiao Yan became a waste, the worldview of the Xiao Clan members did not revert back to the law of the strong preying on the weak, but rather followed the principles that Xiao Yan had taught them.

This made Xiao Yan feel extremely gratified in his heart, he felt relieved at the fact that his previous efforts were not in vain.

However, after that, Xiao Yan never talked about his ideas to anyone again.

He believed that should a loser like the current him say such a thing, they would only make people feel disgusted.

It's fortunate enough that every Xiao Clan member still recognizes his previous beliefs despite his current state, Xiao Yan was deeply moved. How could he ask for more?

Looking at the starry sky, a tear slid down Xiao Yan's cheek.

He did not want only the Xiao Clan to abandon the "survival of the fittest" mindset.

He dreamed of the righteous path that he believed in being recognized by everyone on this continent, and that had always been his dream.

But pursuing a dream required a qualification to pursue it in the first place.

And right now, Xiao Yan did not possess that qualification.

The words of a weak person, no matter how reasonable they were, in the end, were meaningless. The words of a strong person, even if they are full of nonsense, would still be considered as the truth!

"Oi, kid, are you unwilling to live on like this?"

?!

The sudden voice startled Xiao Yan, who immediately stood up on the boulder with an alarmed depression on his face, furrowing his brow as he scanned the dark forest.

He had never heard that voice before, so it couldn't be someone from the Xiao Clan.

But this is the back mountain of the Xiao Clan.

"Who is it?!"

"Oho? You weren't scared of me? To be honest, that's a bit of a disappointment."

The voice rang out again, and a deep fear gripped Xiao Yan's heart.

A fear that came from his soul!

This was something Xiao Yan had never experienced before, even the power of Elder Ge Ye who came from the Yun Lan Sect couldn't reach this level!

The owner of this voice was definitely an unfathomable powerhouse!

Realizing this, Xiao Yan breathed a deep sigh of relief.

He clasped his hands and bowed to the empty space in front of him.

"The name of this junior is Xiao Yan, I sincerely greet senior"

"Oh?" Seeing Xiao Yan's reaction, the voice expressed some surprise, "To think you would be able to stabilize your mind so quickly. It seems you are not an ordinary kid after all."

In the face of this questioning voice, Xiao Yan replied calmly.

"Although my strength is weak, I believe that my intuition is sharp. From your voice alone, I can tell that senior is someone whose power is unmatched not only in the Xiao Clan, but in the entire Wutan City. It is meaningless for me to panic in the face of such a person. Instead, It's better for me to ask senior intention directly with a determined heart."

"Hahaha! Good! No wonder you are respected by everyone in the Clan. Even many famous and powerful people can't match your mental fortitude." The voice laughed loudly, "I was originally planning to test your mental fortitude, but it seems that it's unneeded."

Then a white light flashed in front of Xiao Yan, making it impossible for him to open his eyes.

When his vision cleared, a semi-transparent figure appeared in front of him. A woman with an extraordinary aura was sitting cross-legged in mid-air, reclining and looking at the shocked Xiao Yan.

She was a woman with silver hair, ruby-like eyes, and a wild and carefree smile on her face.

"Nice to meet you, Xiao Yan~" said the woman, looking at the stunned Xiao Yan.

Spoiler: ? ? ?

======== Translator Note ========​

Do you like how the story goes so far? If yes, please consider supporting me here (It's my Patreon Account, and I put this story Advanced Chapters in there), even if it's only a little a month or even for a whole year, it would mean a world to me.

Also, if it's not a bother, can you please leave some comments after reading each chapter? Something like about how you like the story, or about how awful the chapter is if you don't like it, is more than enough (Though, if you can write more it would be appreciated), it kept me engaged into posting more chapters, since now I'm sure that the story I posted is not a dead one that no one wanted to read.

 

[Zaztra Vandesh]

Xiao Yan considered himself as one of the people who does not covet earthly beauty.

Even if it was someone as beautiful as Xiao Mei, Xiao Xun'er, or that girl Nalan Yanran from yesterday, or even those stunning women he saw at Ning Chun Tower when he was taken there by Xiao Ning, Xiao Yan had never felt a hint of lust toward any of them in his heart.

But this ethereal female figure in front of him made Xiao Yan sigh deeply in his heart for the first time.

How could there be a woman with such a perfect and flawless figure in this world?

After being stunned for a moment, Xiao Yan realized how rude it is for him to stare at the woman figure in silence, he then quickly clasped his fists and bowed his head.

"I have offended you! Please forgive me!"

"It's okay, it's okay~ All men react this way when they see me~" The ethereal woman didn't mind Xiao Yan's offensive gaze and waved her hand with a smile. "It's better to say that if you didn't react like this, I would feel sad~"

It could be heard that the ethereal woman was very confident in her appearance, to the point that she can be said to be narcissistic, but, what she said was really the truth.

The appearance of the ethereal woman absolutely had the capital to make her have so much self-confidence!

At this point, Xiao Yan dared not look at the ethereal woman's stunning face again, afraid that he would fall into it again. He respectfully asked,

"May I ask why seniors appear in front of this lowly junior?"

"Aren't you a little too serious, kid? No little girl will like you if you always act formally like this~" The ethereal woman seemed a bit dissatisfied with Xiao Yan's respectfulness and teased him softly.

Hearing her words, Xiao Yan just calmly replied, "Perhaps that is true, but proper etiquette must not be lost under any circumstance."

"......"

Now, the ethereal woman was left speechless upon hearing his words.

She had never seen Xiao Yan act so stiff before, she had observed him before from the ring and he didn't seem this rigid.

'It seems that he is treating me as an outsider.' the ethereal woman thought to herself.

Xiao Yan was generally quite casual when it came to treating those that he considered as his acquaintances, friends, and family, although not to the point of being reckless. However, when dealing with strangers, he always maintained a serious attitude that made it difficult for others to start troubles with him, in short, he's so polite and respectful to strangers, even to potential enemies, that only those who doesn't care at all about their reputation would dare to start trouble.

"Let's put this matter aside for now," the ethereal woman shrugged and looked at Xiao Yan. "Do you know where I came from?"

"This junior speculates that senior appeared from the ring that belonged to this junior mother," Xiao Yan replied firmly, having noticed the same aura from the woman and the ring around his neck.

"You have quite an impressive spiritual strength to be able to feel that," the ethereal woman was genuinely surprised by Xiao Yan's answer. She didn't believe that he was just guessing, but must have sensed the aura on the ring to answer so confidently.

At that moment, the ethereal woman became genuinely interested in Xiao Yan.

"Then try to guess again, why did I come out now?" she asked.

"If my guess is correct, then senior must have just awakened and deliberately appeared in front of me while I was alone," Xiao Yan answered, making the woman frown slightly.

"Since you can guess that, you must also know the reason behind your Dao Qi regression problem," she said.

Xiao Yan fell silent. He knew the answer to the question, but he couldn't reveal it because he didn't know what kind of person this senior was. If he answered too meekly, it could offend the woman and lead to her displeasure.

Therefore, Xiao Yan remained silent, unable to answer the woman's question.

This kid is soo composed and steadfast, it is a truly admirable trait to have, he is much better compared to the strong cultivator that she has met before. If it weren't for the fact that she has observed Xiao Yan's for some time, the ethereal woman could hardly believe that he was just an underage child.

Of course, Xiao Yan could choose to answer with 'I don't know.'

But the ethereal woman, who had been observing Xiao Yan secretly for many days, knew clearly that he would never lie, no matter who he was facing.

This kid, not only does he promotes his own belief in righteousness to the outside world, but also strictly adheres to it himself.

If he were to go against his own righteousness, then this so-called righteousness would be a falsehood and would not deserve to be believed in.

It was something that truly came from the depth of his heart, this kid really wanted to spread his own righteous ideology to the world.

'Encountering a child like you makes me feel even more guilty for what I had done you know…'

The ethereal woman sighed deeply, taking without asking is stealing, and she had been constantly stealing Xiao Yan's Dou Qi over the past three years. Xiao Yan had every right to demand an explanation from her, even to be angry at her.

But Xiao Yan did not do either of those, which was one of the reasons why the ethereal woman felt even more guilty.

On the other hand, the ethereal woman was also more willing to put his future in Xiao Yan's hand!

"I'm not interested in playing guessing games anymore." The ethereal woman said softly, and then her expression turned serious as she looked at Xiao Yan and said, "Xiao Yan, I can help you regain your strength back in no time, but in return, I hope you can agree to a condition of mine."

Upon hearing the ethereal woman's words, Xiao Yan's heart couldn't help but be excited.

He wanted to promote his own righteous ideology, and the main foundation that is required to do that was strength!

In this world, no matter what you want to do, having sufficient strength was essential!

"Please, senior, speak of your condition!"

"You need to learn alchemy from me."

!!!

As soon as the ethereal woman's words fell, Xiao Yan's heart suddenly shook.

This senior is an Alchemist!

That's the most prestigious profession in the Douqi Continent!

"Senior, are you an alchemist?!"

"That's right~ as for which rank... Well, it's been too long and I've forgotten about it." The ethereal woman shrugged and continued, "Anyway, as long as you promise to learn alchemy from me, I will definitely help you regain your strength and even assist you on your future cultivation path."

"Would you be willing?"

The ethereal woman's question was completely unnecessary.

Who would refuse an alchemist who personally chased after you to teach you alchemy?

Unless that person's brain was malfunctioning, no one would!

Immediately, Xiao Yan kneeled on one knee and respectfully saluted the ethereal woman.

"This disciple pays respect to teacher!"

"Hmm~ very good." Seeing Xiao Yan's decisiveness, the ethereal woman nodded in satisfaction, but then showed a bit of dissatisfaction on her face. "But don't call me teacher, it sounds like I'm very old."

Although she was indeed not young, the ethereal woman couldn't stand any words related to aging being associated with herself, even the respectful term "Teacher."

And this made Xiao Yan a little embarrassed.

If not "Teacher," then what should he call her?

The ethereal woman also noticed Xiao Yan's confusion and took the initiative to speak.

"My surname is Yao and my single name is Chen. You can call me Sister Chen, which sounds younger, and I'm not too concerned about those respectful titles."

"This..." Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment, then asked uneasily, "Isn't this too disrespectful?"

"Stop! If you want to learn alchemy from me, you have to follow my rules!" Yao Chen interrupted Xiao Yan. Although she really appreciated Xiao Yan's respect for teachers and emphasis on principles and formalities, it was really annoying in some situations.

After thinking for a moment, Xiao Yan asked.

"For my future teacher, Xiao Yan really cannot use such disrespectful titles. Can I respectfully call you Senior Yao?"

"Well... fine, at least there's no 'old' in it."

After thinking for a moment, Yao Chen nodded slightly, agreeing to Xiao Yan's respectful title.

After all, with Xiao Yan's personality, this was already his final concession on this matter.

======== Translator Note ========​

Do you like how the story goes so far? If yes, please consider supporting me here (It's my Patreon Account, and I put this story Advanced Chapters in there), even if it's only a little a month or even for a whole year, it would mean a world to me.

Also, if it's not a bother, can you please leave some comments after reading each chapter? Something like about how you like the story, or about how awful the chapter is if you don't like it, is more than enough (Though, if you can write more it would be appreciated), it kept me engaged into posting more chapters, since now I'm sure that the story I posted is not a dead one that no one wanted to read.

 

[Zaztra Vandesh]

"Now that you have become my disciple, I should teach you something right away," said Yao Chen, and Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback upon hearing that.

"Is it alchemy?"

"You're thinking too much, kid," Yao Chen shook her head slightly, "To be an alchemist, it would require the support of Dou Qi, and with your current level of Dou Qi, you probably can't even light up the pill furnace."

After saying that, Yao Chen floated in front of Xiao Yan and lightly tapped his forehead with her slender finger.

"I'll teach you a Dou Technique now. This Dou Technique doesn't require too much support from Dou Qi and is completely suitable for your current situation."

In an instant, Xiao Yan felt something rush into his mind, and his pupil suddenly dilated.

A high-level Earth-grade Dou Technique: Octadic Smash!

It should be noted that the highest level of Dou Technique in the current Xiao clan is only a high-level Earth-grade Dou Technique!

Moreover, according to the description of the Dou Technique, if it is perfected, its power is comparable to a low-level Heaven-grade Dou Technique!

"Thank you, Senior Yao!" Xiao Yan said gratefully.

"Get up, get up, there's no need for all those formalities," Yao Chen raised her hand impatiently, and her eyes showed a hint of sadness, "Formalities are just formalities after all..."

Xiao Yan looked at the sad looking Yao Chen and furrowed his brows tightly.

This teacher of his seems to have a past that she doesn't want to talk about...

Then, Xiao Yan focused his attention on the Octadic Smash Dou Technique again and murmured slowly.

"Eight layers of Dou Qi, eight layers of accumulation..."

At this point, Yao Chen also snapped out of her melancholy moment and reminded Xiao Yan.

"By the way, although this Dou Technique doesn't require too much support from Dou Qi, it has extremely harsh requirements for the body, so don't try to rush to learn it, if you aren't careful, it can break your bod-"

Bang!!!

Yao Chen's words were cut off abruptly as she stared dumbfoundedly at Xiao Yan, who had smashed a two-meter-long giant stone boulder into pieces, and she was stunned for a long time.

What the hell is this?

It's not even a minute yet, and this kid is already using it?

Unnoticed by Xiao Yan, Yao Chen's face was full of shock while looking at the remnant of the giant boulders.

"Just as Senior Yao said! The power of this Dou Technique is terrifying!"

Before he got this Dou Technique, Xiao Yan had to work hard to smash giant stones just like this one, but now he can easily shatter one in just a single blow!

Xiao Yan then turned to Yao Chen and thanked her again with clasped hands.

"Your disciple Xiao Yan, sincerely thanks Senior Yao for th-"

"Stop, stop, stop!!!"

Yao Chen interrupted Xiao Yan's expression of gratitude, floating around him and occasionally touching his body with an extremely intense look in her eyes.

"You... clearly only have the strength of a 3 Star Dou Zhi (Battle Disciple, 1st Realm), but your physique is comparable to a Dou Shi (Battle Master, 3rd Realm)!"

Dou Qi can enhance a cultivator's physical strength, this is something that everyone knows, however, although physical strength can also enhance Dou Qi, the effect is minimal.

Therefore, everyone is trying their best to study Dou Qi because the benefits of practicing Dou Qi are much greater than those of physical training.

However, physical training has an absolute advantage over practicing Dou Qi, and that is the foundation of a cultivator.

Using Dou Qi can indeed grant a cultivator a strong and tough physique, but conversely, when their Dou Qi is insufficient or even exhausted, their body will become extremely weak and vulnerable.

But cultivators who also do physical training have no such worries. The basic strength of the body is there, and even without Dou Qi, their strength will not decrease in the slightest.

"Before meeting senior Yao, Xiao Yan could make no progress in cultivating the Dou Qi in his body at all and could only focus on training his physique, that's why my body has become as strong as this, It was because this is the last choice left for me if I want to become stronger-"

"Okay, okay! The more you talk about it, the more guilty I feel!"

Yao Chen quickly waved her hand, indicating that Xiao Yan should not continue.

Why did Xiao Yan make no progress in cultivating his Dou Qi? Wasn't it because she had been secretly sucking it off from him?

Although Xiao Yan did not mention anything about her sucking off his Dou Qi, it was evident in his words and actions. Even though the kid did not blame Yao Chen at all for it.

"However, this makes it easier for you to restore your strength," Yao Chen said, raising a finger. "Physical strength and Dou Qi are actually complementary. Although everyone is practicing Dou Qi, if you can train your physical strength to exceed the limit that Dou Qi can contain, it will be relatively easy for their Dou Qi to catch up."

"...... Senior Yao, forgive this Xiao Yan's ignorance, but I don't understand."

Xiao Yan looked puzzled at her words, and Yao Chen patiently explained, "In short, I originally expected you to return to the level of a 7 Star Dou Zhi in a year, but now you can reach it in at most 3 months. And in half a year, it would be no hassle at all for you to reach Dou Zhe (Battle Practitioner, 2nd Realm)!

Yao Chen spoke confidently, and Xiao Yan's face also showed excitement hearing his new teacher's words.

He just practiced hard for half a year to return to the level of a Dou Zhe!

Just as Xiao Yan was feeling excited, Yao Chen spoke again.

"Of course, you have to get these things on the list for me first."

Yao Chen took out paper with some word listed on it from a void, and looking at the items on the list, Xiao Yan frowned and looked at it for a moment before nodding.

"Tomorrow, Xiao Yan will immediately go to buy the items on the list."

"Well, let's leave it at that today," Yao Chen looked up at the stars in the sky. "It's late, and you should go back to rest so that your family won't worry about you."

During the time when Yao Chen was already awake but chose to not show herself to the world, she had deeply understood Xiao Yan's Clan condition through the ring.

This continent has long been corroded by the belief in the law of the jungle.

Everyone, since birth, has believed in this idea.

But the Xiao Clan is different. They do not pursue power and strength as much as they value familial bonds. Although the Xiao Clan may be weak in their strength and influence, their cohesion is so strong that it terrifies even Yao Chen.

And this is all because of the presence of Xiao Yan.

Yao Chen looked down at Xiao Yan, and the ruby-like eyes of the ethereal woman sparkled with shimmering light.

Can this child really change the entire continent?

With this question in mind, Yao Chen returned to the ring on Xiao Yan's chest, and Xiao Yan slowly left the mountains and headed towards the Xiao Clan.

Along the way, Xiao Yan seemed to remember something and asked Yao Chen about the Octadic Smash that she had taught him.

"Senior Yao, may I pass on the Octadic Smash that you have taught me to other people?"

Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, Yao Chen immediately understood his intentions.

"Sure, it's not that big of a deal."

"Thank you very much, Senior Yao!"

"Can you not be so respectful towards me?"

"Facing a senior as generous as Senior Yao, how can I not show respect?!"

"..."

After returning to the Xiao Clan, as Yao Chen had predicted, Xiao Yan found a scroll in his room and wrote down the training essentials and usage conditions of the Octadic Smash without reservation, except for the level of the Octadic Smash Dou Technique.

Regarding this, Xiao Yan also gave an explanation.

"Perhaps for Senior Yao, Dou Technique of this level is not a rare thing." After writing it down, Xiao Yan put the scroll away and said slowly, "But in our Wutan City, a high-level Xuan Grade Dou Technique is enough to make people jealous, and even do things that are not beneficial to the Xiao Clan. Therefore, Xiao Yan must try his best to avoid this."

"You little brat..."

Yao Chen felt thoroughly shocked in her heart, and her evaluation of Xiao Yan went up another level.

This kid did his best to not keep secrets from his Clan members and made adequate preparations to avoid causing harm to the Clan due to his contributions.

For others, it is already difficult enough for them to teach such a precious thing to someone else, let alone consider whether it will bring disaster to others.

From a normal person's perspective, providing favors is already a great kindness, and other subsequent negative consequences that their favors brought down are none of their concern.

'Maybe...I have really found a good disciple this time...'

In Yao Chen's heart, she thought so.

======== Translator Note ========​

Do you like how the story goes so far? If yes, please consider supporting me here (It's my Patreon Account, and I put this story Advanced Chapters in there), even if it's only a little a month or even for a whole year, it would mean a world to me.

Also, if it's not a bother, can you please leave some comments after reading each chapter? Something like about how you like the story, or about how awful the chapter is if you don't like it, is more than enough (Though, if you can write more it would be appreciated), it kept me engaged into posting more chapters, since now I'm sure that the story I posted is not a dead one that no one wanted to read.

 

[Zaztra Vandesh]

The next morning, sunlight spilled into the room through the window as Xiao Yan woke up and stared blankly at the ring hanging from his chest, not moving for a long time.

(Hey kid, what's wrong? Still feeling groggy from your sleep?) A sudden voice in his head brought Xiao Yan back to his senses, and he laughed embarrassedly.

"No, I just thought last night's events were just a dream."

Indeed, no one would have believed what happened last night was real.

At the lowest point of his life, a woman as beautiful as a goddess suddenly appeared and took him as her disciple, helping him improve his strength and preparing to teach him alchemy. It was impossible not to feel unreal.

(Hmph~) Yao Chen snorted lightly, urging him, (Since you're awake, go buy some medicinal materials.)

"Yes!"

Xiao Yan responded and got up to get dressed.

As he was getting dressed, Xiao Yan seemed to remember something and asked awkwardly, "Um... Senior Yao, can you see the outside world when you're in the ring?"

(Oh yes~ I can see everything clearly, including the fact that your cousin took you to Ning Chun Tower the day before yesterday.) Yao Chen suddenly became interested and teased him in with her words. (It seems that you're still inexperienced? How can that work? If you're not familiar with women, you might be left with nothing but your underwear in the future~)

"Uh-"

Xiao Yan's face turned slightly red, and he asked back in embarrassment, "What about you, Senior Yao?"

(At that time, there were many men who wanted to pursue me, but I didn't like any of them.) Yao Chen said very proudly, and Xiao Yan didn't think she was lying.

With her appearance that are no less than a goddess and her status as an alchemist, her strength should be good, and she must have had many suitors.

Although her character was indeed difficult to describe... She's almost like a female hooligan.

But what Xiao Yan wanted to ask wasn't that.

"To be honest, I was wondering if Senior Yao was... never mind, forget it."

Shaking his head to dispel any impolite thoughts, Xiao Yan left the room with the scroll he had finished writing the previous day. He happened to bump into Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er in the hallway, who had come to wake him up.

"Cousin Xiao Yan!"

Upon seeing Xiao Yan, Xiao Mei immediately ran towards him with excitement. Xiao Yan didn't run away from her and petted his little sister with affection.

"Good morning, Xiao Mei." Then he turned to Xiao Xun'er. "Good morning to you too, Xun'er."

"Um, good morning, Big brother Xiao Yan."

Xiao Xun'er smiled and nodded, then Xiao Yan pulled Xiao Mei out of his embrace and waved at the two girls.

"I have something to do at the conference hall. Could you both ask for a day off on my behalf? I need to go shopping today."

"Sure thing, Brother Xiao Yan. Have a safe trip."

Xiao Xun'er smiled and waved goodbye, and Xiao Mei followed suit. As soon as Xiao Yan had left, the two girls looked at each other with a knowing look.

"Go shopping?!"

Without further ado, they returned to their own room.

Xiao Yan usually trained the young members of the Xiao Clan at home and rarely went out to wander the streets.

How could they miss out such a rare opportunity?!

On the other side, Xiao Yan also arrived at the conference hall and greeted the three elders and Xiao Zhan.

"Father, three elders."

"Ah, Yan-er." Xiao Zhan smiled and asked, "What's the matter?"

"Xiao Yan wants to contribute a Dou Technique to the clan for the use of the other clan members."

Xiao Yan held the scroll in his hands and bowed respectfully toward them.

In fact, this was not the first time that Xiao Yan had contributed a Dou Technique. However, most of the skills were focused on assisting in cultivating strength and body movements, which were something he had thought of during his own physical training.

They were useful for the younger generation of the Xiao Clan, but not so much for those at higher levels.

Even so, these skills were still collected in the Xiao Clan's Dou Technique Hall by Xiao Zhan and the three elders.

In fact, even if the contents were all nonsense, they would still do it because it was Xiao Yan who was bringing them.

"Let me see."

Xiao Zhan reached out his hand, and Xiao Yan stepped forward to hand over the scroll.

Xiao Zhan then unfurled it.

However, as time passed, Xiao Zhan's expression gradually became serious, eventually turning into one of shock.

"Clan Patriach, is there a problem with this Dou Technique?"


"... " Xiao Zhan did not answer, but instead handed the scroll to the other three elders.

"Elders, please take a look."

The three elders took the scroll and examined it. After a moment, they too showed the same seriousness as Xiao Zhan, they were in shock.

What a terrifying Dou Technique!

Even without practical experience on the Dou Technique, the three elders could clearly discern how frightening the Octadic Smash was.

"Yan-er, where did this Dou Technique come from?"

Xiao Zhan looked at Xiao Yan and asked in a serious tone.

"The Octadic Smash" is different from the combat skills that Xiao Yan contributed in the past. Even those at the level of a Da Dou Shi (Battle Grandmaster, 4th Realm) can greatly enhance their combat power after learning it.

As the saying goes, "Like father, like son." Although Xiao Zhan has always been satisfied with Xiao Yan, he never thought that this combat skill could be created by his son.

"Father, I went to meditate in the rear mountains last night and met a senior. Xiao Yan and that senior had a pleasant conversation, and the senior gave me this combat skill as a gift."

"This..."

Xiao Zhan was somewhat surprised. He naturally believed his son's words, but he never expected that his son would have such a fortuitous encounter.

"Son, did that senior tell you the level of this combat skill?"

Xiao Zhan asked with a furrowed brow, and Xiao Yan clasped his fists and lowered his head.

"Father, I apologize, as for this matter, i cannot say."

!!!!

As soon as this was said, the expressions of Xiao Zhan and the three elders changed suddenly.

It was not that Xiao Yan did not know about it, but rather, he could not say it.

This proved that Xiao Yan knew the level of this combat skill, but he could not tell them.

There could only be one reason for this: the level of this combat skill was a rare and precious treasure in the Wutan City. If outsiders knew about it, it would bring huge trouble to the Xiao Clan!

"I understand." Xiao Zhan regained his composure and said softly, "The matter of this combat skill, I will discuss with the three elders on how to handle it. You can go about your business."

"Yes, Father."

Xiao Yan turned and left the conference hall. Seeing his departing figure, Xiao Zhan and the three elders remained speechless for a long time.

Although Xiao Yan had obtained such a rare and precious treasure, he could have kept it to himself without anyone knowing. Instead, he willingly contributed it for the use of his family's disciples.

This kind of broad-mindedness was truly rare.

"It seems that even if Xiao Yan becomes the Clan Patriach in the future, no one will feel dissatisfied," the three elders evaluated. Xiao Zhan looked at the scroll that the three elders had put aside on the table and smiled faintly.

"No," Xiao Zhan picked up the scroll and said in a slow voice, "I have a feeling that Yan'er will not be willing to stay in the small Wutan City in the future."

"His future will undoubtedly be even brighter than any of us!"

======== Translator Note ========​

Do you like how the story goes so far? If yes, please consider supporting me here (It's my Patreon Account, and I put this story Advanced Chapters in there), even if it's only a little a month or even for a whole year, it would mean a world to me.

Also, if it's not a bother, can you please leave some comments after reading each chapter? Something like about how you like the story, or about how awful the chapter is if you don't like it, is more than enough (Though, if you can write more it would be appreciated), it kept me engaged into posting more chapters, since now I'm sure that the story I posted is not a dead one that no one wanted to read.

 

[Zaztra Vandesh]

After leaving the Xiao Clan, Xiao Yan went to the market managed by the Xiao Clan, wandering around and looking for the items on the medicinal list.

"20 years old purple leaf orchid, 5 years old bone-washing flower..."

After wandering around for a while, Xiao Yan bought these two things at a suitable price.

Gold coins, - 900.

Goodness, his live savings have been reduced by half.

Xiao Yan covered his head with a headache.

(Is this how Alchemists spend their money?)

(What do you think? Let me remind you, these are just the most basic materials. Slightly higher-level medicinal herbs will cost more than you can make by selling the entire small Wutan City. You can see how much it costs to cultivate an Alchemist.)

Thinking about this, Xiao Yan was left speechless.

It is said that Alchemists are so precious, and today he has personally experienced it.

Not to mention the qualifications and necessary mentors that any Alchemist needs, just the cost of these materials is not something that ordinary people can afford. Therefore, it can be seen that it takes a huge cost to cultivate an Alchemist.

Changing the topic, Xiao Yan still frowned.

How can he make up for the missing money?

"Get lost!"

Just as Xiao Yan was at a loss, he suddenly heard a familiar voice in the bustling crowd ahead.

Isn't that Xiao Mei?

And judging from her tone, she seems to be very angry?

Xiao Yan's eyes lit up, and he crossed the crowd and walked towards the direction of the sound. He found that there was already a circle of people around there. Xiao Yan squeezed in with great effort and saw Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er confronting a young man with several servants around him.

Upon seeing the man, Xiao Yan's face slightly darkened.

The man was Jia Lie Ao, the son of the Jia Lie Clan patriarch, and one of the three major Clan of Wutan City, along with the Xiao Clan.

"It's rare for me to be able to meet with Xun'er today. Would Xun'er be willing to stroll around the market with me?" Jia Lie Ao flashed what he thought as a handsome smile and leered at Xiao Xun'er, causing her to frown in disgust.

Upon learning that Xiao Yan was going to the market to shop today, Xiao Xun'er and Xiao Mei hastily changed their clothes and came to the market. However, with so many people in the market, how could they easily find Xiao Yan?

As a result, before they could find Xiao Yan, they were approached by Jia Lie Ao.

More accurately, only Xiao Xun'er was approached by the man.

Faced with this repulsive man who she wanted to punch in the face, Xiao Xun'er truly wished she could strike him. However, Jia Lie Ao was the young master of the Jia Lie Clan, and attacking him would inevitably cause unnecessary trouble for the Xiao Clan. Xiao Xun'er didn't want to make things worse for big brother Xiao Yan, so she forced herself to control her impulses.

However, while Xiao Xun'er may keep her hand out of this out of consideration to Xiao Yan, Xiao Mei, as a member of the Xiao Clan, didn't care as much.

Seeing Jia Lie Ao's lustfull gaze, her temper flared up, and she didn't hesitate to point at him and curse him.

"Get lost! Did you think someone like you deserves to call for Xun'er ? Go home and take a look at yourself in the mirror and see what kind of person you are! Just seeing you makes me sick! And you have the nerve to invite us from the Xiao Clan to go shopping? Fuck you!"

Well, Xiao Mei's temper and mouth were basically the same, it's poisonous, and she scolded Jia Lie Ao until his face turned ugly both from embarrassment and anger.

In contrast, Xiao Xun'er's expression eased up a bit, and she even smiled slightly upon seeing Jia Lie Ao's embarrassed appearance.

And with that smile, Jia Lie Ao's ugly expression instantly eased up, and the resentment he directed towards Xiao Mei dissipated in an instant. In his eyes, there was an undisguised possessive desire towards Xiao Xun'er.

"Come on, don't reject me so quickly~" Jia Lie Ao said as he pulled out a string bracelet from his pocket. "I just bought this bracelet with a wood-type Monster Core embedded in it, which has great restorative effects on Dou Qi. As Xun'er is about to become a Dou Zhe, this would be a perfect match for your jewelry. I hope Xun'er can accept it."

Jia Lie Ao's persistent attitude finally made Xiao Xun'er unable to bear it any longer. Her previously eased expression was replaced with a hint of anger.

Xiao Mei, who had never seen someone being insulted to their face yet is able to keep smiling, felt even more angry inside. She was about to start scolding Jia Lie Ao again when someone suddenly stood in front of them.

The person was none other than Xiao Yan.

"Cousin Xiao Yan!"

"Big Brother Xiao Yan!"

Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er both showed joy upon seeing Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan handed the herbs he had just bought to Xiao Xun'er to hold and then turned to face Jia Lie Ao. He clasped his hands and said solemnly, "Mr. Jia Lie Ao, my two sisters have already shown signs of displeasure. I hope you can stop bothering them."

Compared to Xiao Mei's merciless scolding, although Xiao Yan's words were slightly aggressive, they were still quite polite.

Jia Lie Ao's face changed as he looked at Xiao Yan who suddenly appeared. Then he smiled.

"Oh, i thought it's someone, turns out it's just merely the Xiao Clan Patriach's crippled son."

""You!!!""

Jia Lie Ao's words immediately made the two girls behind Xiao Yan angry. Xiao Mei was about to speak, but was stopped by Xiao Yan's hand. Xiao Xun'er was also restrained by Xiao Yan's sidelong glance.

After calming down the two little girls behind him, Xiao Yan looked back at Jia Lie Ao and responded confidently, "I will admit to being called a waste, but I hope Mr. Jia Lie Ao will not implicate my father."

As he spoke, there was a hint of anger in Xiao Yan's tone.

It is an objective fact that he is a waste now, and the entire Wutan City even knows about it. Xiao Yan won't argue with that.

But being a waste has nothing to do with my father.

I can be insulted as a waste, since that's the truth, but my father should not also be implicated.

Filial piety comes first, and especially for Xiao Zhan, his father, who values filial piety the most!

However, Jia Lie Ao just coldly snorted and said, "His son is a waste, so what's wrong with me scolding him?'

As soon as Jia Lie Ao said this, Xiao Yan's aura suddenly changed and his eyes became cold.

Xiao Yan despised the law of the jungle where the strong prey on the weak, so he didn't want to engage in a needless conflict with others using force. But at the same time, Xiao Yan was more aware than anyone else that there were always some people in the world who would only learn their lesson after being beaten!

"Jia Lie Ao," Xiao Yan looked at Jia Lie Ao with a deep gaze without using honorifics. "I challenge you to a life-and-death fight. Regardless of the consequences, let fate decide!"

As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, the whole scene fell silent, and even the onlookers were stunned in their tracks, including Jia Lie Ao.

What's going on?

Xiao Yan, a 3 Star Dou Zhi, voluntarily challenged Ji Lie ao, a Dou Zhe?

"Cousin Xiao Yan!"

Xiao Mei was suddenly shocked and was about to step forward to stop him, but was held back by Xiao Xun'er.

"Xiao Mei, let's put our trust in big brother Xiao Yan."

Seeing the serious look in Xiao Xun'er's eyes, Xiao Mei also suppressed her inner anxiety and quietly watched Xiao Yan's back.

However, Xiao Mei did not see that Xiao Xun'er's hand was quietly placed behind her, and her palm was shining with a golden light.

At this point, Jia Lie Ao also came to his senses and gradually put on an arrogant smile.

"Great! Great!" Jia Lie Ao raised one arm and slowly clenched his fist. "I've been waiting for this day! I'm going to knock you down and let Xun'er see your pathetic figure! I never thought you would come to me willingly today!"

If Jia Lie Ao and Xiao Yan are in the same realm, he would never participate in a life-and-death duel like this. But now that he has become a 1 Star Dou Zhe, he had no reason not to respond to the provocation of a waste with 3 Star Dou Zhi cultivation level!

"I, Jia Lie Ao, will beat you to the ground like a dog today!!!"

"Well then, you just agreed, didn't you?"

Xiao Yan slowly took a fighting stance, while Jia Lie Ao just stood there casually, looking at Xiao Yan with contempt clear on his face.

"I don't want others to say that I'm bullying you, so why don't you go first~"

Jia Lie Ao beckoned to Xiao Yan arrogantly, not taking him seriously at all.

A waste with a 3-Star Dou Shi Qi cultivation realm can only dream of beating him!

As soon as Jia Lie Ao finished speaking, Xiao Yan's figure disappeared in an instant and reappeared in front of Jia Lie Ao. His clenched fist stopped at Jia Lie Ao's face, scaring him so much that he sat on the ground and looked at Xiao Yan in disbelief, his mind in chaos.

How could it be possible?!

How could a waste with 3 Star Dou Shi QI cultivation realm be so fast?!

But Xiao Yan didn't care how shocked Jia Lie Ao was. He stared down at Jia Lie Ao, who was sitting on the ground in an ugly posture.

"Jia Lie Ao, this is a life-and-death duel. Don't take your life lightly."

"You!!!"

Seeing Xiao Yan's indifferent gaze, Jia Lie Ao was driven mad.

'Damn it!!

I, a one-star Dou Zhe, are being looked down upon by a mere waste with 3 star Dou Shi Qi cultivation strength!

This is a great insult!

With the help of his servants, Jia Lie Ao stood up and glared at Xiao Yan with eyes full of resentment and anger as he returned to his original position.

'I'll kill you!'

"I absolutely have to kill you in this battle!!!" As Jia Lie Ao clung to his determination to kill Xiao Yan, the latter heard the voice of Yao Chen in his mind, reproaching him for not using the Octadic Smash to directly kill Jia Lie Ao when he had the chance.

(Hey! Xiao Yan, you could have killed that brat with the Octadic Smash just now! Why did you stop?!) Yao Chen complained.

(Because, this disciple wants to defeat him fairly and squarely, not take advantage of him when he is completely defenseless,) Xiao Yan replied.

(You're so stubborn!!!) Yao Chen was about to lose her mind. She knew that Xiao Yan was a determined person, but she didn't expect him to be so stubborn! In a life-or-death battle, who cares about fairness and means?! Only the winner is everything! If you lose, you have nothing!

However, Xiao Yan calmly responded to Yao Chen's reprimand. (This is not stubbornness, Senior Yao. I want to defeat him fairly and squarely, I want to make him and everyone else have no excuses, and I want to make him lose- to the point where he can't deny that fact!)

If he wanted to fight using underhanded tactics, Xiao Yan had plenty of options to use from. However, he had never resorted to them. Fairness and squareness were not just about tactics, but also about one's own heart. He wanted everyone to truly recognize that he, Xiao Yan, was on the righteous path, and his beliefs were also the righteous one!

Xiao Yan knew that if he ever engaged in any despicable acts, no matter how small, it would make everything he said a lie! He hoped that in the future, he could stand at the top of the world and declare to everyone on this continent without any hesitation, "I, Xiao Yan, are on the righteous path!!!"

======== Translator Note ========​

Do you like how the story goes so far? If yes, please consider supporting me here (It's my Patreon Account, and I put this story Advanced Chapters in there), even if it's only a little a month or even for a whole year, it would mean a world to me.

Also, if it's not a bother, can you please leave some comments after reading each chapter? Something like about how you like the story, or about how awful the chapter is if you don't like it, is more than enough (Though, if you can write more it would be appreciated), it kept me engaged into posting more chapters, since now I'm sure that the story I posted is not a dead one that no one wanted to read.