Letter of Divorce

Ge Ye and Nalan Yanran froze. While they were wondering what this meant, they saw Xiao Zhan carefully remove the seal from the warm Jade Bottle.

As a breeze swept through the hall, an elegant Pill Fragrance far surpassing the Qi Gathering Powder on the table spread throughout the entire Guest Hall.

Unlike the rich scent of the Qi Gathering Powder, which instantly refreshed the mind, this Pill Fragrance was far more delicate, drifting in and out as if it had melted into the wind. At first, it gave no particular sensation, but after a moment, everyone felt as though merely smelling it had caused the Dou Qi within their bodies to begin circulating.

Ge Ye and Nalan Yanran's eyes widened at once.

This was no treasure a clan like the Xiao Clan could possess.

Compared to it, the Qi Gathering Powder they had brought was not even close, let alone ten or twenty pills—even hundreds or thousands would fall far short of the thing inside the Jade Bottle in Xiao Zhan's hand.

But compared to this sudden exotic treasure, what Nalan Yanran cared about more was still her own marriage.

"Why?"

The moment she heard Xiao Yan refuse, Nalan Yanran could no longer sit still. Could it be that he was the kind who liked to cling stubbornly and refuse to let go?

Xiao Yan calmly asked, "Miss Nalan, may I ask, regarding today's matter of breaking off the engagement, did Old Master Nalan ever agree to it?"

Rising to her feet, she stared at the Young Man before her, the one who should have become her husband. Nalan Yanran's tone was flat and soft. "Grandfather did not agree, but this is my matter. It has nothing to do with him."

"Since the old master has not spoken, then forgive me. My Father will not agree to your request either. Back then, this marriage was personally arranged by the old masters of both families. Now that they have not spoken to dissolve it, no one dares to dissolve this marriage."

Xiao Yan said coldly.

"You..." After Xiao Yan cut her off in a rush of words, Nalan Yanran was stunned, yet could find no words to refute him. Her small face immediately turned somewhat ashen with anger, and she stamped her foot hard.

She drew in a breath. The Young Miss temper that had been indulged in her for years was also provoked, and she stared at the Young Man before her with some disgust.

Irritated, she simply laid everything bare. "What exactly do you want before you'll agree to dissolve the engagement? You think the compensation is too little? Fine. Forget Qi Gathering Powder—even pills better than the one in your clan are things our Yun Lan Sect can provide!"

"Also, if you're willing, I can even let you enter the Yun Lan Sect to study profound Dou Qi techniques. How about it? Is that enough now?"

Nalan Yanran had thought that Xiao Yan's refusal was only because he felt she had offered too little. Then she could just offer more.

Only, Nalan Yanran did not know, and it was somewhat different from what she had expected. After her words came out, the Young Man before her suddenly began trembling violently. He slowly raised his head, and those black eyes faintly tinged with red were filled with ferocity in an instant.

Two years of silence, and then his return in a single day. Now Xiao Yan's talent had come back. Although he had suffered endless ridicule over those two years, he had still endured it.

But now Nalan Yanran's lofty, condescending actions, as if handing out charity, happened to stomp hard on the last bottom line Xiao Yan had hidden in his heart.

Nalan Yanran was immediately startled by the ferocity in Xiao Yan's eyes and retreated half a step.

Ge Ye also shot to his feet with a swish, because he had sensed the Dou Qi fluctuations Xiao Yan was releasing at that moment.

This was... the aura of a Dou Zhe!

At the very least, he was a One-Star Dou Zhe!

Wait, what was going on? Had it not long been rumored that Xiao Yan's cultivation was stuck at Dou Qi Stage 3 and could not advance an inch?

Why was he a Dou Zhe upon meeting him today?

Realizing that the situation was gradually exceeding his expectations, Ge Ye hurriedly looked toward Nalan Yanran, but how could the current Nalan Yanran still notice the look in his eyes?

This was bad, bad.

As an deacon of the Yun Lan Sect, Ge Ye immediately felt that something was wrong.

For someone who could break through to Dou Zhe at such a young age in an environment like the Xiao Clan, how terrifying would his abilities be in the future?

Only, neither Nalan Yanran nor the young man following behind her noticed this point.

That young man even drew his longsword, its tip pointed straight at Xiao Yan.

"Miss Nalan Yanran, you really make it sound easy."

"Xiao Yan, although I don't know why my actions have made you so angry, you should still dissolve the engagement!"

Nalan Yanran gently let out a breath. Having recovered from her earlier fright, her expression darkened slightly as she spoke.

"Please remember, this visit of mine to the Xiao Clan was personally approved by my teacher, the Yun Lan Sect Master!"

Pressing her small mouth together, Nalan Yanran tilted her head slightly and said somewhat helplessly, "You can take this as coercion, but you should also understand that reality is like this. Nothing is absolutely fair."

"You still don't understand why I'm so angry, Nalan Yanran."

Xiao Yan sneered. What he could not stand most was that lofty attitude of hers, as if she were judging others from above.

"Miss Nalan, you should know that on the Dou Qi Continent, if the woman breaks off an engagement, it will leave the other party in an extremely embarrassing position. Heh, I have thick skin, so it doesn't matter much to me, but my Father! He is the head of a clan. If he truly agreed to your request today, how would he manage the Xiao Clan in the future? How would he maintain his footing in Wutan City?"

"Today's matter was indeed somewhat rash of Yanran. Today, I can temporarily withdraw the request to dissolve the engagement. However, I need you to agree to a pact with me!"

"Speak."

"I can delay today's request by three years. Three years from now, come to the Yun Lan Sect and challenge me. If you lose, I will publicly dissolve the engagement. By then, I imagine you will also have undergone your clan's coming-of-age ceremony, so even if you lose, Uncle Xiao's dignity will not be too badly damaged. Do you dare accept?"

"What would I not dare?!"

Xiao Yan stirred his Dou Qi, and the aura belonging to a Dou Zhe immediately filled the entire Guest Hall.

Nalan Yanran's expression changed slightly. Why was this different from the information she had known before? Was Xiao Yan not currently stopped at Dou Qi Stage 3?

Or were the rumors false?

"I first became a Dou Zhe at twelve, then fell silent for two years, and then spent another year becoming a Dou Zhe again."

Xiao Yan's gaze burned bright. The meaning behind his words was self-evident.

"Hmph, then we'll speak again three years from now. If you lose, hand over the marriage contract to me!"

"Heh, there's no need for three years at all. I don't have much interest in you either."

Xiao Yan sneered, then bent over the table and wrote furiously, writing a Letter of Divorce. Afterward, he drew a short blade, cut open his palm, and left a bloody handprint on the white paper.

Lightly pinching up this contract, Xiao Yan let out a cold laugh. As he passed before Nalan Yanran, his hand slammed it heavily onto the tabletop.

"Don't think that I, Xiao Yan, care so much about you, some so-called genius wife. This contract is not a contract to dissolve the engagement. It is a divorce certificate from this young master expelling you from the Xiao Clan!"

"Thirty years west of the river, thirty years east of the river—do not bully a Young Man because he is poor!"