Chapter 8: Stop Provoking Him!

Chapter 8: Stop Provoking Him!

In the courtyard of the Grand Elder, Xiao Ning woke up in pain.

"Hiss!"

Xiao Ning sat up abruptly, looking around in confusion.

His memory was fragmented.

The last thing he remembered was being beaten by someone riding on top of him.

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

Squeak!

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

"Grandpa... Hiss!"

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

"Don't speak for now, so as not to aggravate the injury on your head."

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

Although Xiao Ze had used Dou Qi to give Xiao Ning a head full of bumps, he hadn't intended to seriously injure him.

But a little intimidation and lesson were necessary!

Xiao Ze intentionally used Dou Qi to create these painful and hard-to-heal bumps on Xiao Ning's head.

Even with medical treatment, Xiao Ning would have to endure the pain and live with a head full of bumps like a pig's head for the next few days.

"What happened, Grandpa? What about the person who attacked me... Did Xiao Ze receive any punishment?"

Just after the ointment was applied, Xiao Ning couldn't wait to ask.

This prompted an odd look from the Grand Elder.

"Don't you remember what happened in the Martial Skills Pavilion?"

Xiao Ning was momentarily stunned, 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 hallucinated seeing you fighting with the Clan Chief..."

"Not a hallucination!"

The Grand Elder interrupted Xiao Ning, who looked at him with a mixture of astonishment and concern.

"Grandpa, you're not injured, are you? The Clan Chief is a Five-Star Battle Master!"

"No harm done." The Grand Elder shook his head.

"Then... Grandpa, you still haven't told me if Xiao Ze received any punishment?"

Xiao Ning's resentment towards Xiao Ze lingered, despite the ointment applied by his grandfather. He could still feel the pain in his head.

Without looking in the mirror, Xiao Ning knew what his head looked like, definitely like a big pig's head.

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

Hearing this, the Grand Elder sat up straight, looking at Xiao Ning with seriousness. "He didn't receive any punishment. And from now on, you must not provoke him anymore!"

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

Xiao Ning was incredulous. Normally, the Grand Elder was very protective of him.

How could he say something like this now, asking him not to provoke Xiao Ze?

"I have temporarily resigned from the position of Grand Elder... Sigh, Xiao Ning, you're growing up."

The Grand Elder sighed and spoke earnestly to Xiao Ning.

During Xiao Ning's unconsciousness, the Grand Elder had prepared the ointment and watched over him lying in bed, feeling heartache.

But he had also come to a realization.

With Xiao Ze, a prodigious son, in the family, Xiao Zhan's influence in the clan was extremely high. There was no point in contending with him for power and profit anymore.

Since he had been stripped of the position of Grand Elder, it was best to be obedient and not stir up trouble anymore.

In some time, after accomplishing one or two more things for the Xiao family, he could possibly regain his position as Grand Elder.

But if he continued to oppose Xiao Zhan, he might be stripped of his cultivation and expelled from the Xiao family, which would probably be the least severe punishment.

Xiao Ning was unaware of the Grand Elder's psychological changes.

When he heard that his grandfather was no longer the Grand Elder, he felt as if the sky were falling on him, completely stunned.

"How is that possible? The Clan Chief wouldn't easily strip the Grand Elder of his position, right?"

Xiao Ning exclaimed in surprise. The Grand Elder patted Xiao Ning's shoulder, urging him to calm down.

Then he slowly recounted what had happened in the Martial Skills Pavilion after Xiao Ning fell unconscious.

"Xiao Ze is a Nine-Star Fighter!!!"

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

He actually survived under the fists of a Nine-Star Fighter?

After coming to his senses, Xiao Ning gained some insight.

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

Xiao Ning felt extremely fortunate that Xiao Ze still cared about the kinship between them!

Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have seen his grandfather by now!

His resentment towards Xiao Ze, who had turned him into a big pig's head, quickly dissipated.

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

Xiao Ning couldn't help muttering to himself, and the Grand Elder, upon hearing this, looked pleased.

The Grand Elder now feared that his grandson might act recklessly and oppose Xiao Ze.

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

The Grand Elder advised earnestly.

"As long as you perform well in the future, it's not impossible for me to regain the position of Grand Elder."

"In the future, when Xiao Ze grows up, our Xiao family will definitely gain more development."

"By then, with the position of Grand Elder, I will definitely be able to secure more resources for your cultivation."

"You also need to work hard, focus on your practice, and not be idle anymore."

Xiao Ning looked at the Grand Elder, whose face seemed to have aged a few years, his eyes moist, feeling a tinge of sadness in his nose.

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

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

"I understand, Grandpa. I absolutely won't provoke Xiao Ze again. When I get the chance, I'll apologize to Xiao Yan again!"

The Grand Elder nodded. "If you can ask Xiao Yan to help speak a few words on your behalf to improve your image in Xiao Ze's eyes, that would be even better."

"Yes, yes!" Xiao Ning nodded solemnly.

After being enlightened by his grandfather, Xiao Ning now understood that Xiao Ze was the hope for the future prosperity of the Xiao family.

Holding onto this big thigh was definitely the right choice!

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

The Grand Elder helped Xiao Ning lie down, and Xiao Ning seemed to be growing up through this experience.

He obediently nodded, lying quietly on the bed.

...

Back mountain.

Xiao Ze dodged Xiao Xun'er's attack with a swift movement.

"Alright, let's call it a day. Too much is as bad as too little."

Hearing Xiao Ze's words, Xiao Xun'er also breathed a sigh of relief. After a fierce battle, she was already sweating profusely.

"Big Brother Xiao Ze, I feel like my proficiency in the Swallow Counterattack has improved a lot."

"Yeah, strive to master the Swallow Counterattack to perfection as soon as possible. It's better to be skilled in one move than to be mediocre in a hundred. As an advanced mysterious-ranked martial skill, the Swallow Counterattack is enough to challenge opponents of higher levels."

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

"Shall we have grilled meat today?"

"Yes, Xun'er, could you see if there's another nest of rabbits nearby? Catch one or two and bring them back."

"Got it!" Xiao Xun'er said playfully. Like a nimble butterfly, she leaped to the other end of the forest.

Xiao Ze stayed behind, preparing to roast the rabbits.

Rabbits in the Xiao family's back mountain often multiplied uncontrollably, sometimes requiring the clan's disciples to clear them out.

After all, rabbits had large litters and short gestation periods. Without natural predators, their population could easily swell.

Xiao Ze often brought 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.

Soon, Xiao Xun'er returned, each hand carrying a rabbit by its ears.

One rabbit struggled, while the other looked dazed.

Seeing this scene, Xiao Ze couldn't help but laugh, recalling the familiar lines of poetry.

"The male rabbit's hind legs thump, the female rabbit's eyes are misty."

Of course, whether it was a male or female rabbit, both would thump their hind legs and have misty eyes. This couldn't be used to judge their genders.

After taking a look, Xiao Ze confirmed that both were female rabbits.

He was very skilled at handling rabbits.

Before long, the two skinned rabbits were skewered over the fire.

As the flames roasted them, a layer of golden fat oozed from the skin, dripping onto the flames and sizzling.

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

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

Apart from the chirping of insects and the calls of birds, the only sound around was the crackling of the firewood burning, making the atmosphere warm and cozy.

...

Dear readers, please continue reading. Now it's recommended to advance to the end and keep reading. Thank you!

(End of Chapter)