12 12 - Letter from Xiao Sect

When Itachi had woken up it was already dawn. He looked around and to find Xia Qingyue already awake as she sat on the bed dressed, eyes as calm as water as she watched him.

"Hn... you are awake" Itachi said as he got up began to calmy stretching his body.

" You aren't going to tell me what you were doing last night? " Xia Qingyue spoke as she narrowed her eyes.

" No, as said before. This marriage is only a facade to satisfy our guardians. Besides why the need to tell you of my personal matters" He said coolly before he went to get a change of clothes.

" ..."

Quickly finding a change of clothes. He went to to find a place to change but not before talking to Xia Qingyue. " Today is the first morning of the day, we will have to pay respect to my grandfather. Does this work for you" Itachi spoke without turning around as he was half way out the door.

"Yes" Was all he heard before he stepped out and began to change his clothes.

...

While that was going on, another event was taking place

It was early morning. The sky had barely begun to brighten when the master of the Xiao Clan, Xiao Yunhai, was woken from his deep sleep by the sound of urgent knocking on his door. "Clan master! Clan master, are you awake?"

Xiao Yunhai opened his eyes, took a glance at the light outside and then asked, with a frown: "This early in the morning, what happened?"

"It's… it's the Xiao… Xiao Sect! A letter from the Xiao Sect!" From outside the door came this excited, trembling voice.

"What? The Xiao Sect?!"

This master of the Xiao Clan, one of the most powerful people in Floating Cloud City, sprung up from his bed as if stabbed by a dagger on the butt. He haphazardly threw on his clothes and, not even bothering to straighten his hair, threw open the door hastily, grabbing the Xiao Clan disciple that was outside. He bellowed with wide eyes: "You said the Xiao Sect? The Xiao Sect?!"

"Yes! It's definitely the Xiao Sect!" That Xiao Clan disciple swallowed with great difficulty, nodded with all his strength, and then presented the letter in his hand to Xiao Yunhai. "This letter has the eagle seal of the Xiao Sect! In this Blue Wind Empire, no one would dare to forge the Xiao Sect's insignia."

As soon as he saw the sky hawk seal on the letter, Xiao Yunhai's entire body shook. He fiercely grabbed the letter, then, with violently shaking hands, quickly but carefully tore it open to reveal the paper within.

Although the Xiao Sect's name had only one word of difference if compared to his Xiao Clan, that one word was like the difference between the clouds and mud! The Xiao Clan barely counted as the leading presence in Floating Cloud City, but on the Profound Sky Continent as a whole, it was simply a nameless existence. However the Xiao Sect is one of the four strongest sects in the Blue Wind Empire! They have the same level of prestige as the Heavenly Sword Villa, Frozen Cloud Asgard, and the Burning Heaven Clan. They were an existence that the Xiao Clan could not even hope to look up to.

To put it bluntly, a useless servant in the Xiao Sect would not even find it necessary to respect the Xiao Clan's master.

However, there was a connection between the Xiao Clan and the Xiao Sect. That is because the person that founded Floating Cloud City's Xiao Clan one hundred and sixty years ago, Xiao Bieli, was at the time a person from the Xiao Sect… To be more precise, he was an abandoned disciple, and, as rumor had it, the son of one of the elders at the time. However, Xiao Bieli was the result of that elder raping one of the Xiao Sect's serving girls while drunk. Since childhood, his appearance was ordinary and his talent was lacking.

Furthermore he attracted a large amount of gossip, causing that elder a great amount of displeasure. Upon reaching adulthood, his profound strength was the lowest among all of his peers. To let him remain at the Xiao Sect would only cause that elder more humiliation so he found an opportunity to send him to that piece of shit place, the rural Floating Cloud City and helped him establish the Xiao Clan. From then on he paid no more attention to Xiao Bieli and cut off all contact between them and the Xiao Sect.

But Xiao Bieli nevertheless was born in the proud Xiao Sect. He spent his entire life painstakingly cultivating his profound strength, hoping to gain recognition, and thus one day earn their approval and one day return to Xiao Sect. After he died, this desire was passed down through the Xiao Clan from one generation to the next, and became ultimate goal of every generation of the Xiao Clan. Especially among each generation's clan master, all without exception hoped that they could rely on the tiny bit of Xiao Sect blood in them to establish a relationship, no matter how fragile, with the Xiao Sect. But after all these years, the Xiao Clan never produced a person that could fulfill this wish. Talk of the Xiao Sect to them was like that of the Celestial Palace, something that they couldn't even hope to reach.

However, today, the Xiao Sect had taken the initiative to send a letter! This couldn't fail to send Xiao Yunhai into joyful hysteria, the excitement making him feel as if he was in a dream.

After reading the letter's contents word by word, Xiao Yunhai's face was completely red, his breathing erratic. He pointed a trembling finger outside, hoarsely saying: "Quickly… quickly inform the elders to immediately gather at the main hall! Tell them we need to discuss big news concerning the future of our Xiao Clan… Go quick!"

"Ah… Yes!" The Xiao Clan disciple immediately answered and ran off in a panic.

...

After changing his clothes and straightening his hair to a low ponytail, he once again returned to his 'pretty boy' look.

After that he waited by the door and said " I'm done changing, I'm ready when you are"

Xia Qingyue stood without a word and stepped out of the door ahead of him. Itachi didn't bother replying and followed behind.

Xiao Lie woke up early every day, and today was no exception. Upon entering Xiao Lie's courtyard, the first thing they saw was him watering his flowers and plants. As he saw Itachi and Xia Qingyue enter, he gently smiled. "You came."

Itachi inwardly sighed to himself. Everytime he saw this grandfather of his he felt a prick in his heart. His grandfather was now in the 10th of Spirit Profound, so he wanted to unlock his profound entrances maybe enabling him to breakthrough into Earth profound. Maybe then his grandfather would not look as haggard as he did.

"Grandfather, as always you're up early" Itachi said as he greeted Xiao Lie.

"Qingyue pays her respects to grandfather." Qingyue lightly curtsied, her posture gentle and dignified. Her father was always very respectful towards Xiao Lie and she was no different.

"Haha, you two also woke up very early." Seeing how both had come together, Xiao Lie's face revealed a cheerful expression. "Che Er, Qingyue, even though the age of sixteen is a bit early to get married, it also set a part of my heart at ease. Qingyue, you should already know about Che Er's condition. Frankly speaking, this wedding honestly was not fair to you. But our family will spare no expense to make it up to you. Right now, my greatest wish is to see the two of you peacefully live your lives"

" And we will do just that, live our lives " Itachi said before Xia Qinyue could answer. Hearing his answer she couldn't help but find the underlining meaning. Once her one month stay here is done, they would do just as he said. They would act normal and go on with their daily lives, though they may never meet again.

"Hahahaha." Xiao Lie burst into laughter, helplessly shaking his head. He looked at Xiao Che with a pampering look. " Good good, You two should not have eaten this early right? Knowing that the two of you would come, old Hong already had the kitchen send over breakfast. Come, let's eat together."

" Hn... but should we also invite little aunt, Grandfather? " Itachi questioned

"She had always loved to sleep since she was young. Since it's still early, let's not bother her."

The dining table inside the house was indeed already ladened with three just-cooked portions of breakfast. Itachi had led Xia Qinyue to the table as they had to sit shoulder by shoulder on one side of the table since his grandfather was watching. Xiao Lie began to take his seat opposite them. He had only touched his his seat when the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside, accompanied by a coarse voice:

"Fifth Elder! Is the Fifth Elder here?"

"What is it?" Xiao Lie stood up and slightly wrinkled his brow.

"Clan… Clan master's order. All elders are to immediately go to the main hall to discuss news concerning the future of the Xiao Clan. You must immediately go!"

"…" Xiao Lie stood up, grabbed the jacket offered to him by Xiao Hong and then spoke to Itachi and Xia Qingyue: "Looks like it's an emergency. You two eat first. There's no need to wait for me."

There wasn't a single time in Xiao Lie's memory where an such urgent summon came so early in the morning. He draped his jacket over his body, then quickly left.

As soon as Xiao Lie left, Itachi had instantly moved back. He knew the girl next to him did not like to be touched, so he immediately left he side. He also wasn't hungry so he didn't feel like eating.

" Please refrain from coming to close to me " Xia Qingyue said coldly

" I wouldn't do so if I wanted to, but my grandfather was also here. Don't think I would do so of my own accord " Itachi said his voice equally cold. He hadn't met such an unreasonable person after all, their shoulders merely touched.

"..."

Itachi's temperament was getting Xia Qinyue more and more intrigued. The first time she saw him, she felt that he was cold and proud. Gradually, she also felt that his disposition was not ordinary, and even held a touch of mystery. Many times, he gave her the feeling that this wasn't in fact a sixteen year old, but rather an adult man with many years of experience

It was her first time meeting a man, who would talk to her as coldly and uncaring as he did. He was cold and always seemed to guess what was in her mind. He was also smart enough to guess first try that she was higher than Elementary profound realm and the fact that she was a disciple of the second ranked sect.

"Forget it, let's sit and eat." Xia Qingyue said

" Hn... I don't feel like eating " Itachi said " You can go ahead without me " Itachi said as he sat down on a chair in the room. He went into deep thought as to figure out what the commotion might have been for most of the elders to be called. Such an even was quite rare for all elders to be called to one meeting.