"You're not planning to steal something, are you?"
Xiao Ming smiled. As expected of a transmigrator—any other child would probably have been scared out of their wits in this situation. Google Search Reading
Only Xiao Yan could remain calm and turn the tables on him.
Unfortunately, Xiao Ming had long prepared an answer for that question.
"I appeared here because I fell asleep while soaking in a hot spring on the back mountain and only just woke up. The Back Courtyard is close to the back mountain, so of course I had to pass through here on my way back. You, on the other hand, are the strange one. I remember your little courtyard is over there, isn't it?"
Xiao Ming shook his still-damp hair, proving the truth of his words as he looked at Xiao Yan teasingly.
"Hurry up and tell me what you're here for, or I'll call the Law Enforcement Hall."
"Th-this, I..."
Creak.
The courtyard gate opened, interrupting Xiao Yan.
Gu Xun'er appeared at the doorway in green sleepwear, her expression blank.
Gu Xun'er's face was pale at the moment, lacking the rosy complexion she had when Xiao Ming first met her that day. Her body trembled slightly, as though she were enduring something.
"What are my two cousins doing here?"
Looking at Gu Xun'er, whose temperament was cool and detached yet carried an extra hint of sickly beauty compared to usual, Xiao Ming knew that the side effects of the Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame had flared up.
The Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame ranked fourth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. Gu Xun'er had subdued it when she was only a few years old. Even though she had only subdued a Subflame, it was still incredibly formidable.
Although Gu Xun'er had subdued the Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame, she was still young and weak, so it had been rather forced.
As a result, her constitution was extremely poor. It would only gradually improve once she grew older.
Under Gu Xun'er's indifferent gaze, Xiao Yan felt even more inexplicably flustered.
"Th-this... I came here... uh... because..."
Xiao Yan's face reddened as he stammered for a long while without managing to say a single proper word. Finally, under Xiao Ming's astonished gaze, he actually turned and ran.
Watching Xiao Yan's retreating figure flee faster than a rabbit, Xiao Ming, who had originally wanted to watch a good show, fell silent.
He had not expected Xiao Yan to pull something like this.
Brother, could running away actually solve the problem?
Whatever, he had run away, so be it.
"Cousin Xiao Ming, what did you come here for?"
Since the main culprit had already run away, Xiao Ming could not be bothered to say more. He waved his hand. "Nothing, I was merely passing by. Still, you're so young and living alone, so be more careful. Lock your door properly from now on. If you encounter someone dangerous, call for help immediately. The Law Enforcement Hall personnel on night duty will arrive very quickly."
After saying that, he turned and left without the slightest hesitation, having no intention whatsoever of chatting with her, cozying up to her, or deepening their relationship.
Gu Xun'er seemed like someone who could greet anyone and was easy to get along with, but she was actually cold inside. Talking to her more was just a waste of time.
If he had not disliked Xiao Yan sneaking into a little girl's room in the middle of the night, he would not have appeared here at all.
Tsk, it was so late. He should hurry back and sleep.
After yawning, Xiao Ming quickened his pace.
Gu Xun'er returned to her room with a cold expression and called softly.
"Elder Ling."
As soon as she spoke, a shadow silently appeared and knelt on one knee before her. If Xiao Ming had been present, he would definitely have recognized him as Ling Ying, one of Gu Xun'er's guards when she came to the Xiao Family.
"Miss."
"Elder Ling, explain what just happened in detail."
"Yes..."
Ling Ying swiftly explained the entire sequence of events, including how Xiao Ming had indeed overslept on the back mountain and how, after coming down, he had passed by Xiao Yan's courtyard and lingered by the corner of the wall for a while.
The Xiao Family was only so large. Naturally, none of this could escape the eyes and ears of Ling Ying, a Seven-Star Dou Emperor.
After Ling Ying finished his report, Gu Xun'er thought of how Xiao Yan, with that lecherous grin, had nearly slipped into her room. Her little face immediately frosted over.
"Ling Ying, I hope there won't be a next time."
"It was this old servant's negligence."
Elder Ling, still half-kneeling, broke out in cold sweat. He knew what Miss Xun'er meant—she did not want anyone climbing over her wall in the middle of the night again.
Come to think of it, Ling Ying also found it rather strange. With his temperament, if he encountered someone like Xiao Yan climbing his young mistress's wall in the middle of the night, he would have long since gone over and slapped him hard across the face.
Even if someone else were nearby, he could at least arrange a little accident for him. With his Dou Emperor strength, that would have been effortless.
Yet for some reason, he had remained completely unmoved this time and had nearly allowed the Third Young Master of the Xiao Family to slip inside. Fortunately, Xiao Yan had been stopped by Xiao Ming. Otherwise, he would have committed a grave mistake!
The consequences...
At that thought, Ling Ying could not help shuddering. Xiao Yan's once fairly cute face now seemed utterly detestable to him.
If that brat dared come again, he would see how Ling Ying broke his dog legs. How could the young mistress possibly be defiled by him? And not just him—anyone else would be the same.
Gu Xun'er did not notice the fierce glint in Ling Ying's eyes. She waved her hand. "Enough. You may leave."
"Yes." With a whoosh, Ling Ying vanished from where he stood.
"Xiao Ming... he was rather strange."
The next day.
Xiao Yan got up trembling with fear. He had thought he would be scolded by his father, but Xiao Zhan behaved as though he knew nothing.
After asking around, he learned that Xiao Ming and Xiao Xun'er had not spread yesterday's events around, and he could not help sighing in relief.
At the same time as he felt fortunate, he no longer had any desire to experiment with Dou Qi.
This left Ling Ying, who had been prepared to give Xiao Yan a thorough beating, with nothing to do.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was time to begin the second Life Simulation.
Xiao Ming once again went to the back mountain.
There were too many people in the Xiao Family, while the back mountain was incomparably quiet. Xiao Ming found that he liked coming here more and more.
At the same secluded spot as last time, Xiao Ming sat down cross-legged and called out in his mind, "Life Simulator, begin the Life Simulation."
[Ding, current number of simulations: one.] [Simulation Start—] [Day One: You got up early to cultivate and cultivated for the entire day.] [Day Two: You got up early to cultivate. On the Xiao Family's back mountain, you were bitten by a snake. You killed it and discovered that it was nonvenomous.] [Day Three: You went to the Xiao Family Marketplace to buy Snake-Repelling Powder and insect repellent. As a member of the Xiao Family, you received a twenty percent discount on the medicine. You returned home in a good mood and cultivated for a day.] ... [Day Twenty-Two: You cultivated diligently and broke through to Dou Qi Power Stage Three.] [Day Twenty-Three: During the clan's Dou Qi test, you watched fellow transmigrator Xiao Yan steal the spotlight, but remained unmoved.] [Day Twenty-Four: You wandered around the Marketplace and discovered a Yellow Rank Mid Grade Dou Technique, Shattering Stele Hand. However, because your pockets were empty, you watched someone else buy it.] ... [Day Eighty-Seven: You got up early to cultivate and broke through to Dou Qi Power Stage Four...] ... [Day Ninety-Seven: You went to the Xiao Family's Dou Technique Hall. By then, most of your peers had already cultivated Dou Qi. You entered smoothly and learned the Yellow Rank Low Grade Tiger Strength Fist. You were extremely dissatisfied at only being able to learn such a common low-grade Dou Technique, but there was nothing you could do.] [Day Ninety-Eight: You got up and went to the back mountain to practice Dou Skills.]
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