Conflict with Jia Lie'ao

After leaving Ruyi Zhai, Xiao Yan went to a shop to buy medicinal ingredients.

At that moment, Xiao Xun'er came over to Xiao Yan with a cheerful smile.

"Xiao Yan-gege, I'm here."

Seeing Xun'er catch up, he asked curiously.

"What did you say to the shopkeeper?"

Xiao Xun'er smiled and told a lie.

"Nothing much. We just chatted about this and that."

Although Xiao Yan could not be sure what Xun'er and Xiao Cheng had discussed, it had to be something unpleasant that they were hiding from him.

Since he could not be bothered to ask, Xiao Yan prepared to return to the Xiao Clan with Xiao Xun'er. But from not far away, a burning gaze had been fixed tightly on Xiao Xun'er.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er noticed the young man as well and could not help frowning.

Xiao Xun'er took Xiao Yan's hand and turned to leave, ignoring the man's calls.

"Miss Xun'er!"

The young man had no choice but to quicken his pace and block their way. The meaning in his eyes was obvious.

Stared at by Xiao Xun'er's icy expression, the young man found himself unable to say what he had planned. The words caught in his throat.

"Young Master Jia Lie'ao, if there is nothing else, please move aside. Don't block the road."

Xiao Xun'er did not have the slightest favorable impression of Jia Lie'ao. Instead, she felt nothing but disgust toward him.

Jia Lie'ao's expression darkened after being rebuked by Xiao Xun'er, but he forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart. Replacing it with a gentle smile, he stopped them again.

"I wonder whether I might be fortunate enough to invite Miss Xun'er for a stroll?"

"Young Master Jia Lie'ao, did you not hear what I just said? If you have nothing to say, please move aside."

Xiao Xun'er repeated herself. Though her tone was calm, her face was covered in frost. She was clearly beginning to grow angry at Jia Lie'ao's behavior.

Seeing that Xiao Xun'er was about to lose her temper, Jia Lie'ao gave an awkward smile.

"Since Miss Xun'er has business to attend to, we can talk another time. Another time."

"Oh? Isn't this the Xiao Clan's genius, Xiao Yan?"

Jia Lie'ao put on a look of great surprise, as if he were seeing Xiao Yan for the first time. He deliberately raised his voice as he spoke. Anyone with eyes could tell he had no good intentions.

Xiao Yan stood silently beside Xiao Xun'er, but that did not mean he would simply tolerate this.

"Jia Lie'ao, instead of staying at your own family's market, you came to the Xiao Family Market. Could it be that something happened to your family's market?"

Xiao Yan spoke with a trace of mockery.

"Humph! I, Jia Lie'ao, do not need to report to the Xiao Clan just because I came to the Xiao Family Market. Isn't that right, you trash who doesn't even have the Seventh Stage of Dou Qi?"

Jia Lie'ao openly began mocking Xiao Yan.

Even after hearing those words, Xiao Yan's expression remained calm, as though the matter had nothing to do with him.

Beside him, Xiao Xun'er could barely restrain her suppressed anger. But seeing that her Xiao Yan-gege showed no unusual reaction, she secretly relaxed.

"Jia Lie'ao, everyone knows what kind of person you are. Stop pretending to be some kind of good man."

With one sentence, Xiao Yan exposed Jia Lie'ao's dirty deeds.

Hearing Xiao Yan say this, Jia Lie'ao flew into a rage. Pointing at Xiao Yan, he gritted his teeth and shouted angrily.

"Xiao Yan, do you dare to spar with me? Oh, I almost forgot. You don't even have the Seventh Stage of Dou Qi now. Hahaha!"

After saying that, Jia Lie'ao burst into wild laughter, his voice full of ridicule for Xiao Yan.

Yet at that moment, Xiao Yan let out an exaggerated cry.

"Oh my, Young Master Jia Lie'ao, how can you bully an underage child like me? I'm only fifteen, while you're already twenty-one. You want someone who hasn't even undergone the Coming-of-Age Ceremony to duel you? What kind of intentions are those? People truly aren't what they used to be."

Xiao Xun'er and several bystanders around them all burst into laughter.

Xiao Xun'er even covered her mouth as she secretly giggled.

Xiao Yan-gege was really too wicked.

Only then did Jia Lie'ao remember that Xiao Yan had not yet come of age.

He pointed at Xiao Yan and sneered.

"In one more year, you'll be driven out of the clan. I hope you won't be assigned to some godforsaken backwater where you won't even qualify to enter Wutan City. Hahaha!"

Laughing loudly, Jia Lie'ao turned and left.

Just then, the patrol guards of the Xiao Family Market heard that the clan leader's son had run into trouble and hurried over. The leader was Payne, who had visited Ruyi Zhai once before.

"Young Master, are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Thank you for coming to help me."

"It's nothing. This is our duty."

Seeing Jia Lie'ao leave, Payne sighed in relief. Fortunately, nothing serious had happened.

Xiao Xun'er pursed her lips.

"Xiao Yan-gege, you're just letting him off that easily?"

"Let him off? Hehe, there will be a chance to deal with him."

A cold glint flashed through Xiao Yan's eyes. Payne, who happened to see that look, involuntarily shuddered all over. That gaze was far too terrifying.

"All right, Xiao Yan-gege, let's return to the Xiao Clan. It's getting late."

"Mm."

It truly was getting late. It was already noon, nearly afternoon.

News of Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er clashing with Jia Lie'ao at the market also reached Xiao Cheng at Ruyi Zhai.

"I didn't expect the scene where Xiao Yan and Jia Lie'ao clashed in the original plot to undergo such a slight change. It seems I've still altered some of the original plot's course."

However, the general direction of the plot still remained similar.

Rubbing his chin, Xiao Cheng considered what came next in the story of Battle Through the Heavens. Xiao Yan was supposed to participate in the clan's Dou Qi Test again, then stun everyone with his performance and shock the entire clan.

But with him as an uncertain factor, he did not know whether the plot would undergo some uncontrollable changes.

"All right, there's no use thinking so much about it now. I should finish the task Xiao Dian assigned first."

In the original plot, Payne seemed to be a Six-star Dou Zhe. But now, after eating the Peach Pastry from Ruyi Zhai, the Dou Qi in Payne's body had already accelerated his path toward becoming a Dou Master.

Before long, a Dou Master would likely appear in the Xiao Family Market. Perhaps even two or three.

As long as Ruyi Zhai remained, there would be limitless possibilities.

After Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er returned to the Xiao Clan, they parted ways. Xiao Yan returned to his room alone, took out three pieces of Peach Pastry, and put the rest back in the cabinet.

After eating the three pieces of Peach Pastry, he soaked his body in Spiritual Liquid. Then, after forming a strange hand seal, he began cultivating Dou Qi.

At that moment, while Xiao Yan had his eyes closed in cultivation, Old Yao drifted out. He glanced at the cabinet where Xiao Yan had stored the Peach Pastry, then returned to the ring.