Phantom Woman

Phantom Woman

"Training ends here for today. Everyone, go back and get some rest."

At dusk, Xiao Yan dismissed the Xiao Family Disciples and bid each of them farewell. Only a handful of people remained in the vast Training Ground.

"Cousin Xiao Yan! Let's go back too!"

Xiao Mei excitedly jumped onto Xiao Yan's back, but Xiao Yan gently removed her hands from around his neck and smiled at her.

"You all go ahead. I'm going to take a walk around the Back Mountain by myself."

"Eh? Why?"

Before Xiao Mei could finish asking, Xiao Xun'er reached out and pulled her back, smiling at Xiao Yan.

"Brother Xiao Yan, be careful."

"Mm."

Xiao Yan nodded lightly and slowly left the Training Ground.

Gazing At Xiao Yan's lonely Back View, a trace of heartache appeared in Xiao Xun'er's eyes.

Xiao Mei was naturally careless, so it was only natural that she had not noticed.

But Xiao Xun'er had seen it clearly: the deep bitterness Contained within Xiao Yan's smile just now.

Indeed, no one in the Xiao Family looked down on Xiao Yan now. His standing among them had always remained exceptionally high.

Yet the more that was the case, the more miserable Xiao Yan felt inside.

The better the Xiao Family treated him, the more Xiao Yan felt his own uselessness.

How could a cripple be worthy of so many people's trust?

Under the dim moonlight, Xiao Yan arrived at an open patch on the Xiao Family's Back Mountain.

Upon closer inspection, one could see shattered stones scattered all around the clearing.

This was Xiao Yan's personal Training Ground.

But today, Xiao Yan had not come here to train.

He merely found a relatively intact boulder and lay down on it. Feeling the hard, cold stone beneath him, he quietly watched the incomplete crescent moon.

His eyes revealed boundless sorrow.

His mother's former love and teachings had planted a seed called righteousness and kindness within Xiao Yan's heart.

Yet this world was completely contrary to what his mother had taught him.

The strong were without fault, while the weak were guilty by nature. Even trust was built upon strength. The strong relied on their power to wantonly deprive weak people who had no ability to resist, all according to their own whims.

They deprived them of their efforts, deprived them of their dignity, and even deprived them of their lives.

As long as the thought occurred to them, the strong needed no reason to do anything to the weak. Most people did not become strong to protect themselves, but so they could stand in the strong's position and tread on the weak's heads.

A kind heart had become a luxury. This was the greatest tragedy, and it was the mindset of the entire continent.

Strength was justice.

Xiao Yan deeply despised this.

Yet this mindset was deeply engraved In Their Hearts. It could never be changed with mere words.

He had to fight it. He had to fight this mindset through action.

Thus, Xiao Yan cultivated diligently. With his talent and efforts far surpassing those of ordinary people, he became a genius people never tired of talking about.

At the same time, Xiao Yan had never forgotten the others in his family. No matter how poor a Xiao Family Disciple's talent was, he never gave up on them. He encouraged them to improve, to never give up on themselves, and Made People understand that Dou Qi was not everything—that there were many things in the world more important than pursuing power.

Being lenient toward others and strict with oneself was the foundation of Xiao Yan's recognition by everyone in the Xiao Family.

During this time, Xiao Yan also used the prestige he had gained as the Xiao Family's outstanding talent to spread his ideals.

How ironic. I clearly hated those strong people who bullied the weak, yet in order to promote this belief, I had to constantly bring my own strength closer to theirs.

Without strength, no one would listen to you.

In the end, through Xiao Yan's efforts, he successfully persuaded the Xiao Family Disciples, including the Three Elders, to embrace his ideals. Xiao Yan also became the pillar of the Xiao Family Disciples.

However, As If the heavens could not tolerate Xiao Yan's defiance, could not tolerate his desire to fight against the Rules of the entire continent, they caused him to lose all his Dou Qi three years ago and fall into the cripple he was today.

Yet after Xiao Yan became a cripple, the Xiao Family did not return to that detestable mindset. Instead, they followed the principles he had once taught them even more faithfully.

This gave Xiao Yan immense comfort deep inside.

His previous efforts had not been in vain.

But from that point onward, Xiao Yan never spoke of his ideals to anyone again.

Words spoken by a cripple would only make everyone impatient, even disgusted.

The fact that everyone could still accept the ideals he had once held, even after seeing him in his current state, already Moved Xiao Yan deeply. How could he ask for more?

But Xiao Yan was unwilling to accept this in his heart.

He did not want only the Xiao Family to change.

He hoped the Righteous Path he believed in could be accepted by everyone on this continent. He wanted everyone to know that this world could become better.

A gentle world where strength did not matter, where people respected one another, where weakness could be accepted and acknowledged, and where no one would regret being born into it.

But to achieve such an ideal, one needed the qualifications to do so.

And Xiao Yan clearly did not possess those qualifications now.

In the future, perhaps he never would...

"Yo, Kid. Are you unwilling to accept it?"

?!!

The sudden voice interrupted Xiao Yan's thoughts. He abruptly flipped over and stood atop the boulder, frowning as he scanned the pitch-black forest.

He had never heard that voice before.

Which meant it definitely did not belong to anyone from the Xiao Family. But this was the Xiao Family's Back Mountain.

"Who is it?!"

"You weren't even frightened. That makes me a little sad."

The voice sounded again, and Xiao Yan's heart trembled violently.

Fear from the soul itself!

Xiao Yan had never experienced anything like this before. Even Ge Ye, the Elder from the Misty Cloud Sect he had met today, could not compare to this!

The owner of this voice was undoubtedly an unfathomably powerful expert!

Once Xiao Yan understood this, he instead Breathed a Sigh of Relief.

He clasped his hands and bowed toward the open ground In Front of him.

"This junior is Xiao Yan. Greetings, Senior."

"Oh?" Seeing Xiao Yan's reaction, the voice revealed a trace of surprise. "You steadied yourself so quickly. You're quite remarkable, Kid."

Facing the voice's astonishment, Xiao Yan answered neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Though Xiao Yan's strength is meager, I consider my instincts keen. From your voice alone, Senior's strength is evident. Not to mention the Xiao Family—even in all of Wutan City, there could not possibly be an expert equal to you. No matter how panicked Xiao Yan became before such a person, it would be meaningless. It would be better to face you openly and ask your purpose with the resolve to die."

"Hahaha! Good! No wonder everyone in the Xiao Family respects you. Even many famous experts who have been renowned for years do not possess such temperament." The voice burst into booming laughter. "I originally wanted to test your character a little longer, but it seems I'm the immature one here."

Then white light flickered In Front of Xiao Yan, forcing him to shut his eyes.

When his vision cleared, a translucent phantom had already appeared In Front of him. She sat cross-legged in Mid-air, reclining lazily as she looked at the astonished Xiao Yan.

She was a Woman of extraordinary bearing, with snow-white hair, ruby-like Pupils, and a bold, uninhibited smile on her face.

"Nice to meet you for the first time, Xiao Yan, Kid~"

The Phantom Woman looked at the stunned Xiao Yan and spoke thus.