Chapter 8: Stop Provoking Him!

In the courtyard of the Elder's residence, Xiao Ning was awakened by the pain.

"Hiss!"

Xiao Ning sat up abruptly, looking around in confusion.

His memory was fragmented.

The last thing he remembered was being ridden and brutally beaten by someone.

The following scenes were too gruesome, making him feel somewhat unreal, as if he were dreaming.

Creak!

The Elder entered with a box of ointment, and Xiao Ning couldn't tell if it was his imagination, but he felt the Elder's complexion was unusually pale!

"Grandpa... Hiss!"

Just as Xiao Ning was about to speak, the pain in his head made him involuntarily gasp, tears almost welling up.

"Don't speak yet, so as not to aggravate your head injury."

The Elder applied the ointment to Xiao Ning's head, easing his discomfort.

Although Xiao Ze had caused Xiao Ning to be covered in bruises with his Dou Qi, he hadn't intended to harm him seriously.

However, a little intimidation and lesson were necessary!

Xiao Ze deliberately used his Dou Qi to create these bruises, which were difficult to heal and particularly painful.

Even with medication, Xiao Ning would still feel the pain for the next few days, living with a bruised head resembling that of a pig's.

"Grandpa, what happened? That person who beat me... Did Xiao Ze face any consequences?"

Having just applied the ointment, Xiao Ning couldn't wait to ask.

This prompted an odd look from the Elder.

"Don't you remember what happened at the Martial Arts Pavilion?"

Xiao Ning paused, then began searching his memory.

"I remember being pinned down and beaten by him. I don't know if it was too painful, but I had hallucinations. I even saw you fighting with the clan leader..."

"It wasn't a hallucination!"

The Elder interrupted Xiao Ning, who looked at him with a hint of bewilderment, somewhat worried.

"Grandpa, you're not injured, are you? The clan leader is a Five-Star Dou Master!"

"I'm fine." The Elder shook his head.

"Then... Grandpa, why haven't you told me if Xiao Ze faced any consequences?"

Despite the ointment applied by the Elder, Xiao Ning could still feel the pain in his head.

Without needing to look in the mirror, Xiao Ning knew how his head looked, surely like that of a pig's.

It was impossible for Xiao Ning not to resent Xiao Ze.

Upon hearing this, the Elder sat up straight, looking at Xiao Ning, and said solemnly, "He faced no consequences, and you should stop provoking him in the future!"

"What? Why? Grandpa, you're the Elder. You must seek revenge for me!"

Xiao Ning found it hard to believe; usually, the Elder was very protective of him.

How could he say such things now and even ask him not to provoke Xiao Ze?

"I have temporarily resigned from the position of Elder... Sigh, Xiao Ning, you need to grow up."

The Elder sighed, his words carrying weight.

During Xiao Ning's coma, the Elder had been preparing the ointment, watching over him in bed, feeling immense heartache.

But he also understood.

With Xiao Ze, the prodigious son, in the clan, he held considerable sway, and there was no point in challenging him for power anymore.

Since he had been deprived of the position of Elder, he might as well behave himself and avoid stirring up trouble.

Given some time and a couple of accomplishments for the Xiao family, he could reclaim his position as Elder.

But if he continued to oppose Xiao Ze, he might end up being stripped of his cultivation and expelled from the Xiao family, and that would probably be the least of his punishments.

Xiao Ning was unaware of the Elder's psychological shift.

When he heard that his grandfather was no longer the Elder, he felt as if lightning had struck him, leaving him stunned.

"How is that possible? The clan leader wouldn't easily strip you of the position of Elder, would he?"

Xiao Ning exclaimed in shock, and the Elder patted his shoulder, urging him to calm down.

Then, he slowly recounted what had happened at the Martial Arts Pavilion since Xiao Ning fell unconscious.

"Xiao Ze is a Nine-Star Dou Practitioner!!!"

Xiao Ning exclaimed, unable to help but touch his head.

He had actually survived under the fists of a Nine-Star Dou Practitioner?

As Xiao Ning regained his senses, he began to understand.

It wasn't that Xiao Ze couldn't do it; it was just that Xiao Ze was merely teaching him a lesson and didn't intend to take his life.

Xiao Ning felt incredibly fortunate; Xiao Ze still considered the bond between them!

Otherwise, he might not have seen his grandfather now!

Any resentment towards Xiao Ze for turning him into a pig's head quickly dissipated.

"I can't afford to provoke him, really can't!"

Xiao Ning couldn't help muttering, and the Elder, hearing this, looked relieved.

The Elder was now afraid that his grandson would act recklessly and oppose Xiao Ze.

"That's right, you absolutely can't afford to provoke Xiao Ze. Right now, I've only temporarily lost the position of Elder."

The Elder earnestly advised.

"In the future, as long as I perform well, I might be able to regain the position of Elder."

"In the future, as Xiao Ze grows, our Xiao family will surely gain more development."

"When that time comes, with the position of Elder, I'll be able to secure more cultivation resources for you."

"You also need to work hard, focus on your cultivation, and stop idling around."

Xiao Ning looked at the Elder, whose face seemed to have aged a few years, his eyes slightly moist, feeling a lump in his throat.

His grandfather had sacrificed so much for him, endured humiliation, and even had to curry favor with Xiao Ze!

He couldn't act recklessly now and had to listen to his grandfather!

"I understand, Grandpa. I will never provoke Xiao Ze again, and when I get the chance, I'll apologize to Xiao Yan!"

The Elder said in agreement, "If you can get Xiao Yan to help speak a few good words for you and improve your image in Xiao Ze's eyes, that would be even better."

"Yeah yeah!" Xiao Ning nodded solemnly.

After his grandfather's guidance, he also understood that Xiao Ze was the hope for the future prosperity of the Xiao family.

It was absolutely right to cling to this big thigh!

"Alright, rest for a while longer. You're not allowed to go out until the injury on your head heals!"

The Elder helped Xiao Ning lie down, and Xiao Ning seemed to grow up a bit from this incident.

He obediently nodded, lying on the bed.

...

Back mountain.

Xiao Ze dodged Xiao Xun'er's attacks with a flash of his figure.

"Alright, let's call it a day. Too much of anything is not good."

Hearing Xiao Ze's words, Xiao Xun'er also heaved a sigh of relief. After a fierce fight, she was now covered in sweat.

"Brother Xiao Ze, I feel like I've improved a lot in my proficiency with the Swallow Return Palm."

"Good, strive to master the Swallow Return Palm to perfection as soon as possible. It's better to master one thing than to be a jack of all trades. As an advanced martial art at the Profound Stage, the Swallow Return Palm is enough to challenge opponents of higher levels, even across tiers."

After Xiao Ze finished speaking, he took out a box from a hidden corner. Inside were some ingredients for grilling meat.

"Shall we have grilled meat today?"

"Yes, Xun'er, go and see if that nest of rabbits nearby has given birth again. Catch one or two."

"Got it!"

Xiao Xun'er said playfully. Like a nimble butterfly, she leaped towards the other end of the forest.

Xiao Ze stayed behind, preparing to grill the rabbit.

Rabbits in the back mountain of the Xiao family often became a nuisance, sometimes requiring the family's disciples to come and clear them out.

After all, rabbits gave birth to large litters with short gestation periods. Without natural predators, their population could easily explode.

Xiao Ze often took Xiao Xun'er to catch rabbits and grill them in the back mountain.

It was a way to reduce the burden on the Xiao family's disciples.

Before long, Xiao Xun'er returned with a rabbit in each hand.

One rabbit struggled, while the other had a dazed look.

Seeing this scene, Xiao Ze couldn't help but laugh, recalling a familiar poem.

Male rabbits often have confused feet, while female rabbits have bewildered eyes.

Of course, whether a rabbit was male or female couldn't be determined by this alone.

Xiao Ze took a look and discerned that both were female rabbits.

He was very skilled in handling rabbits.

In no time, both skinned rabbits were skewered over the fire.

As the flames roasted them, a layer of golden fat seeped out of their skins, dripping onto the flames, making a sizzling sound.

As dusk approached, the light in the forest dimmed, leaving only the glow of the fire reflecting on the faces of the two.

Xiao Ze focused on grilling the rabbits, while Xiao Xun'er sat quietly beside him, her eyes slightly squinted, watching him.

The only sounds around them were the chirping of insects and birds, along with the crackling of the firewood.

It was a bit noisy, but it made the two feel warm.