Misty Cloud Sect

"Hey! Did you hear? There was a huge commotion at Ningchun Tower yesterday!"

"What happened?"

"I heard Xiao Ning, the Xiao Family Great Elder's grandson, got beaten up at Ningchun Tower! They even crippled his leg!"

"What? Someone dared to do that? That's the Xiao Family!"

"Who did it?"

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

In Wutan City's busy market, several residents gathered together, drinking tea and chatting about yesterday's excitement.

Meanwhile, at the Xiao Family Training Ground, Xiao Yan was leading the Xiao Family Disciples through physical training as usual.

During the process, Xiao Yan repeatedly looked towards Xiao Ning, who was lying on a wooden chair beside him.

His neck was braced, one arm wrapped in bandages and hanging against his chest, one leg in a cast suspended from the brace, while his face was covered in wounds large and small. No single word could describe how miserable he looked.

"Um, Cousin Xiao Yan." Looking at Xiao Ning's miserable state, Xiao Yan leaned closer and asked timidly, "Are you really okay?"

After all, Xiao Ning had ended up like this because of him. Xiao Yan felt deeply guilty.

"I'm fine, I'm fine~ It's just a few minor injuries—hiss!"

Xiao Ning open-mindedly waved a hand, but suddenly tugged at his wounds, making the corner of his mouth twitch sharply. Even Xiao Yan could not help feeling intimidated.

Those two Little Girls... he was their cousin, after all. They had really been merciless!

Then Xiao Yan heard Xiao Ning mutter under his breath.

"Those two little girls are watching you way too closely. Looks like I'll have to be more careful when I take you there next time."

Well, he had worried about this cousin for nothing.

Xiao Yan's guilt towards Xiao Ning instantly vanished without a trace.

He had been beaten into this state and still refused to learn his lesson. He was still thinking about a next time, having learned not half a bit from his miserable condition.

If he got beaten to death like this, he would deserve it.

Xiao Yan then turned back towards the Xiao Family Disciples and clapped his hands heavily.

"Alright~ Stop now. It's time for practical combat~"

Watching Xiao Yan's back view as he directed the Xiao Family Disciples' training, Xiao Ning, leaning against the lounge chair, sighed deeply for Xiao Yan in his heart.

Heaven was truly unfair.

Back when Xiao Yan had not yet declined, he had voluntarily asked his father to let him lead the Xiao Family Disciples in training and improve their strength.

Every time, he led by example, doing his best to identify everyone's strengths and weaknesses and help them improve. No matter how weak someone's talent was, he never gave up on them.

At the same time, he taught everyone what a clan was, and what human affection was.

Because of this, the Xiao Family Disciples' overall strength was beyond comparison with the other two great clans combined, while their unity surpassed those other two great clans several times over.

And after Xiao Yan suffered his misfortune, fully aware that his abilities were no longer sufficient, he had intended to resign from his position as trainer to his father. Yet after the Xiao Family Disciples jointly pleaded with him, he stayed.

In their hearts, Xiao Yan was the backbone of their younger generation! No one could replace him!

And Xiao Yan, too, felt profound warmth from these brothers of his clan.

From then on, Xiao Yan became even more serious in overseeing their training, while he himself trained harder than anyone else.

If his Dou Qi would not rise, then he would train his body!

With that determination, although Xiao Yan possessed only Three Stages of Dou Power, even Xiao Ning could only barely fight him to a draw in combat among the younger generation. Only Xiao Xun'er, the standout of their generation, could suppress him.

If Xiao Yan's Dou Qi recovered, even Xiao Xun'er would definitely not be his match.

Thinking of this, Xiao Ning felt a little sad.

Although Xiao Yan had truly worked hard to train his body.

The body itself, however, ultimately had limits.

Without the support of Dou Qi, Xiao Yan would forever be pressed down by others. This was an undeniable fact.

And as everyone's strength gradually rose, that gap would only become more obvious.

For now, Xiao Yan could still rely on his tough body to contend with Dou Qi that was not especially powerful.

But what about later?

Once people his age developed their Dou Qi to the point where Xiao Yan could no longer make up for it through physical training, he truly would become nothing.

Although the Xiao Family would not look down on him because of this, they would eventually grow distant from him, until Xiao Yan completely became a stranger.

Xiao Ning's Sister, Xiao Yu, had gone to great lengths to enter Jia Nan Academy precisely because she wanted to find clues within the academy regarding Xiao Yan's loss of Dou Qi.

Yet even now, there had been no news at all.

Perhaps this was fate.

Heaven had given Xiao Yan talent that bloomed only briefly, only to take it away when everyone's expectations of him were at their highest.

If not for Xiao Yan, if anyone else had faced such a disparity, they might have been unable to endure it and killed themselves long ago.

Come to think of it, where did those two girls go?

Xiao Ning did not see Xiao Mei or Xiao Xun'er among the Xiao Family Disciples, which left him rather puzzled.

Those two little girls practically wanted to stay tied to Xiao Yan every day. Xiao Ning was absolutely certain that if not for the clan rules being strict, they would dare to crawl to Xiao Yan's bed in the middle of the night!

And how could those two little girls possibly miss this daily training supervised by Xiao Yan?

Were they too embarrassed to attend training because they had beaten him into this state?

Give him a break~

Xiao Ning knew Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er's temperaments well.

As for taking Xiao Yan to Ningchun Tower, let alone feeling guilty, they would only regret not hitting him harder!

They're probably plotting how to deal with me in some corner again.

Xiao Ning guessed, then used the crutch beside him to rise from the lounge chair and spoke to Xiao Yan.

"Xiao Yan, I'm heading back first today."

"Alright. Be careful on the way."

Xiao Yan reminded him. Xiao Ning lightly waved a hand, then limped away from the Training Ground with his crutch.

However, the moment he left the Training Ground and entered the Xiao Family Courtyard, Xiao Ning heard the sound of gongs, drums, and firecrackers outside the Xiao Family. He Raised an Eyebrow in confusion.

What was going on?

Was there some festival today?

Xiao Ning made his way to the Xiao Family gates with his crutch and immediately saw a very long procession outside. A huge banner was raised within the group, bearing a massive character for "cloud."

Misty Cloud Sect!

As the most powerful sect in the Jia Ma Empire, everyone in the Jia Ma Empire knew of it.

But why would such a major sect come to their tiny Wutan City?

At that moment, Xiao Ning noticed an Old Man at the front, as well as a young girl following behind him.

Though the girl was strikingly beautiful, she faintly exuded an arrogant and willful air. One could tell at a glance that she was not easy to get along with.

Xiao Zhan and the Three Elders then came forward, welcoming the Old Man and the girl into the reception hall. Xiao Ning also quietly slipped to the doorway and listened to the conversation inside.

"Hey! Xiao Ning!"

Hearing the greeting, Xiao Ning's body instinctively trembled. He abruptly turned around and saw that Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er had somehow appeared behind him.

"Ah, aren't these my two Sisters?"

Seeing these two Little Ancestors, every wound on Xiao Ning's body began to throb, and he instinctively moved a little farther away from them.

"Hmph, hmph~ Learn your lesson properly. Next time, we won't let you off so easily."

Xiao Mei sneered at the frightened Xiao Ning, making him nod repeatedly. Xiao Mei smiled in satisfaction, then Looked Towards the reception hall.

"Guests came today?"

"Ah, they're from the Misty Cloud Sect." Xiao Ning's expression turned serious as he glanced at the reception hall. "I just don't know what the famous Misty Cloud Sect wants with our Xiao Family."

Although he had heard the elders mention how glorious the Xiao Family had once been, with the Xiao Family's current strength, to put it bluntly, they were not even worthy of carrying shoes for the Misty Cloud Sect. The two should not have had any dealings whatsoever.

At that moment, Xiao Xun'er's expression became inexplicably grim. Looking at the arrogant girl inside the reception hall, she slowly said,

"I once heard Uncle Xiao mention that Brother Xiao Yan's Grandfather and the Nalan Family Patriarch were close friends on the battlefield. Brother Xiao Yan and the patriarch's granddaughter happened to be born around that time, so the two old men arranged a childhood betrothal for them."

"And that girl is Brother Xiao Yan's betrothed fiancée, Nalan Yanran, the Young Sect Master who was accepted as a Personal Disciple by Misty Cloud Sect Leader Yun Yun."

Hearing Xiao Xun'er's words, Xiao Ning froze slightly, while Xiao Mei immediately shouted anxiously.

"Fiancée?!"

Then, As If realizing her voice was too loud, she hurriedly covered her mouth. Only after seeing that no one in the reception hall had noticed did she Breathe a Sigh of Relief, looking anxiously at Xiao Xun'er.

"Could it be that they came This Time to fulfill the marriage agreement with Cousin Xiao Yan?!"

"That can't be."

Xiao Ning's expression darkened as well, and a trace of anger appeared in his eyes.

"The fundamental Rules of this continent are the Law of the Jungle. We take good care of Xiao Yan because of everything he has accumulated over the years and our daily interactions with him. We know full well how outstanding Xiao Yan is apart from his Dou Qi, but outsiders would only crudely regard him as a useless piece of trash good for nothing."

Listening to Xiao Ning, Xiao Mei gradually understood, and her expression grew increasingly ugly.

"She came to break off the engagement?!"