Chapter 39: Misunderstanding, Pretending to be Bad!

"Third Young Master, we have an important guest visiting today, please pay attention."

The Old Housekeeper persuasively said with a gentle expression.

"Sigh~ I understand."

Xiao Yan sighed with the frustration in his heart, but his fist under his sleeve tightened.

Just because the little bit of Dou Qi he had just cultivated with great difficulty disappeared inexplicably.

"Ah."

Looking at the young and tender face in front of him, the Old Housekeeper's murky old eyes flashed a subtle and imperceptible sigh. In his heart, he thought, "If Young Master had cultivated according to his previous talent, he would probably be at least a 6 or 7 Star Dou Practitioner by now, right? Unfortunately, envy of his talent led to becoming a waste."

Following the Old Housekeeper through the backyard, arriving at the door of the hall, Xiao Yan's expression changed, showing a mix of emotions. In the end, he restrained the frustration in his heart, tried to appear calm, and pushed open the door.

The hall was already filled with members of the Xiao Family, including his own father and the Three Elders. Xiao Yan was secretly surprised. What kind of distinguished guest required the entire Xiao Family to greet them?

His gaze shifted to the three strangers sitting on the other side, dressed in distinctive moon-white robes. Xiao Yan, with a hint of confusion in his eyes, swept his gaze over the three. The leading elderly man stroked his white beard, looking quite vigorous. His slightly small eyes sparkled, and there seemed to be something hidden in his words. Moving his gaze slightly downward, it fell on the badge on the old man's chest. Suddenly, his heart trembled as he saw a silver crescent depicted on the badge, surrounded by seven shining golden stars.

This old man is actually a 7 Star Dou Grandmaster? Looks can indeed be deceiving!

Xiao Yan felt greatly astonished; the strength of the old man in front of him surpassed his father, Xiao Zhan, by two stars! A Dou Grandmaster-level powerhouse is sufficient to uphold the influence of a Family in a region. For example, in Wu Tan City, the three major Families—Xiao Family, Jia Lie Family, and Ao Ba Family—all have a Dou Grandmaster in charge.

Beside the old man, a young man and woman were seated. Their ages were approximately similar to his, and their appearance could be described as handsome and beautiful. However, more than their looks, Xiao Yan paid attention to the badges they wore on their chests.

A 9 Star Dou Practitioner!

A 7 Star Dou Practitioner!

"Hiss~"

Xiao Yan couldn't help but inhale a cold breath. Inevitably, a strong sense of psychological disparity arose within him. He clenched his fists tightly, thinking to himself, "If my talent were still intact, how could I fall behind them?"

No wonder the members of the Xiao Family were enchanted by these two individuals.

Xiao Yan's gaze swept over the people around him and noticed that even Xiao Mei was actively casting flirtatious glances at the young man. A complex emotion arose in his heart.

There was a time when Xiao Mei used to look at him with such eyes.

Humph! Such a superficial woman!

But I still have Xun'er!

Xiao Yan smiled knowingly.

Xun'er, in his heart, was the only moonlight in his two lives!

Regardless of when or where, would Xun'er always look at him?

Suddenly, Xiao Yan's face stiffened, then he widened his eyes abruptly, as if witnessing a scene from the apocalypse!

Ah?

Ah, ah?

Ah, ah, ah?

That was the girl illuminated by moonlight, gazing fixedly at another man.

"Xun'er, you..."

Xiao Yan's voice trembled. He could control the frustration of losing his cultivated Dou Qi, but he couldn't bear to see his moonlight shining on someone else!

"Uh, Brother Xiao Yan?"

Xiao Xun'er snapped back to reality, ceasing the Soul Power confrontation with Yun Tianming.

"Phew~"

A bead of sweat appeared on Yun Tianming's forehead, and he secretly sighed in relief. Though both he and Xiao Xun'er were in the Mortal Realm later stage in terms of Soul Realm, the latter's Soul Power carried an incredibly intense and aggressive aura. If she were to forcefully engage, it would be challenging for him to completely shield against her Soul Perception. Unless... he used Soul Technique!

However, his current level of proficiency in Soul Technique was just scratching the surface, and it was uncertain whether he could execute it.

"Finally, Xiao Yan shows up," Yun Tianming observed curiously. The tall and slender youth before him, with regular features that might not stand out at first glance, appeared to be a quietly attractive young man. However, Xiao Yan at this moment seemed quite dispirited, with dull and lifeless eyes.

On the side, Nalan Yanran didn't seem to notice the appearance of this dispirited youth. Instead, she kept a vigilant gaze on Xiao Xun'er across from her. Then, unable to resist, she lightly kicked Yun Tianming under the chair.

"Tianming Senior Brother, is the girl from the Xiao Family very pretty?"

"Beautiful, but I think you... and your teacher are even more beautiful!"

Yun Tianming's face showed sincerity as he spoke these insincere words. Truth be told, in terms of appearance, Xiao Xun'er did indeed surpass Nalan Yanran.

However, the attraction the girl held for him was limited, and Yun Tianming personally leaned more towards mature and beautiful elder sisters. Of course, some things couldn't be too explicit, so he casually mentioned Nalan Yanran while trying to play along.

"Really? Hm-hmm~"

"Tianming Senior Brother is good at coaxing girls."

Nalan Yanran gave a light hum, but her lips involuntarily curled upward. Girls are like that; even if they know the other person is just saying flattering words, they still find it pleasing.

Although she was a bit puzzled about why Tianming Senior Brother, while praising her, also brought up the teacher, she presumed it was probably due to the admiration Misty Cloud Sect disciples had for their Sect Master. That made sense!

"Xun'er, what you just did..."

Xiao Yan's lips moved, hesitating to speak.

"What's wrong, Brother Xiao Yan?"

Xiao Xun'er tilted her head. She had been focused on manipulating Soul Power just now and hadn't noticed anything else.

"No, it's nothing."

Xiao Yan's cheek twitched. Surprisingly, Xun'er, who usually had keen perception, hadn't sensed his arrival. He had half a mind to dig deeper, but then he thought, who was he to inquire? What qualifications did he have to ask about Xun'er's affairs? Feeling disheartened, he shifted his gaze and awkwardly realized that there was no seat for him at the scene.

Oh, it seems my status in this family is getting lower and lower. In the past, it was fine, but now, embarrassingly, I'm being made a spectacle in front of guests. With a self-deprecating smile, Xiao Yan shook his head inwardly.

Seeing Xiao Yan standing still, the surrounding members of the Xiao Family couldn't help but burst into mocking laughter. Clearly, they enjoyed seeing him embarrassed. Talents always face jealousy, especially when a genius falls; it tends to attract more scorn from others!

At this moment, seated at the main seat, Xiao Zhan also noticed Xiao Yan's awkward situation. A trace of anger flashed across his face, and he frowned at the elder beside him, saying, "Second Elder, you!"

"Cough, cough~ I sincerely apologize. It's all because of my poor memory. I actually forgot about the Third Young Master!"

"Hehe, I'll immediately have someone prepare another chair!"

The Second Elder, stared at by Xiao Zhan, performed a show of "self-blame," patting his forehead. However, the hint of mockery in his eyes was not concealed.

"Tsk, tsk~"

Ge Ye watched with interest, showing disdain towards the Xiao Family. In the past, the Xiao Family was a well-known and respected major family in the Jia Ma Empire. The former family head, Xiao Lin, was even a Dou King powerhouse with a life-and-death bond with Nalan Jie, leading to the engagement between the two families. However, who would have thought that today's Xiao Family, with its most powerful member being Xiao Zhan, a 5 Star Dou Grandmaster, had fallen into such a state. Not only were they in decline, but internal disunity also made them a laughingstock!

Alone in the middle of the hall, Xiao Yan appeared utterly at a loss and embarrassed. Just then, a gentle voice echoed in the hall.

"Brother Xiao Yan, come sit over here!"

Xiao Xun'er shifted half of her body towards one side of the chair, trying to make space. The petite girl leaned against the armrest, making just enough room for one more person.

The Three Elders of the Xiao Family looked slightly stunned, their gazes shifting to the quiet and obedient Xiao Xun'er in the corner. However, none of them dared to speak up.

"Xun'er."

Xiao Yan's dim eyes seemed to regain a glimmer of light. Just as he was about to take a step forward, he heard a muttered complaint from a nearby Xiao Family disciple.

"Damn!"

"Goddess Xun'er choosing a handsome genius from the Misty Cloud Sect is one thing."

"But how is Xiao Yan, this waste, worthy!"

Normally, Xiao Yan would have ignored these jealous remarks. However, thinking back to when he entered and saw Xun'er gazing fixedly at another man, he couldn't help but feel a twisting pain in his heart, coupled with a sense of self-doubt.

Yes! They are all right!

Xun'er is a good girl, deserving of a more outstanding man.

I'm just a waste, how can I be worthy of her?

With these thoughts, Xiao Yan halted his steps.

"Brother Xiao Yan?"

Seeing Xiao Yan stopping, Xiao Xun'er widened her eyes, feeling a sudden pang in her heart.

She couldn't understand why he would reject her.

"No need, Xun'er."

"I'll just sit here!"

Xiao Yan forced a somewhat awkward smile at her, then walked towards the Three Elders, and with a determined heart, he sat directly on the ground!

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