Xiao Mei

The next day, the morning sun shone brightly.

"According to the original storyline, today was the day Xiao Yan went out to buy medicinal ingredients and began refining Foundation Establishment Spiritual Liquid."

Xiao Han lay in bed at a rather inappropriate time, pondering a few matters.

By this time, the other disciples of the Xiao Clan had long since risen to cultivate. But Xiao Han, who possessed the system, had no need to do so.

"Now that Yao Lao no longer has the Bone Spirit Cold Fire, I wonder whether it will affect the later storyline."

Xiao Han had been here for some time and had already gained several tangible benefits. While secretly delighted, he also felt somewhat uneasy.

After all, once the original storyline diverged, it would become difficult for him to continue using God's Perspective to keep track of Xiao Yan and Yao Chen's every move.

"Whatever happens, I should go take a look first! Today, Xiao Yan will gain a fortuitous opportunity while shopping in town. It's also an opportunity for me!"

With that in mind, Xiao Han got up, washed up, and had a simple breakfast. The moment he stepped out of the Courtyard House, he bumped into someone who had just entered.

"Ow!"

A voice as pleasant as an oriole's song reached Xiao Han's ears.

Xiao Han raised his head and looked the other person over.

The newcomer wore a long red gauze robe adorned with peonies and trimmed in gold thread, giving her an air of wealth and alluring beauty.

Combined with her pair of captivatingly charming eyes, that aura gained an indescribable elegance.

"You are... Xiao Mei?"

Information related to the young woman immediately flooded into Xiao Han's mind.

Xiao Han considered himself someone who had seen plenty of goddesses in his previous life and had strong resistance to beauty. Yet this woman's carefully dressed appearance truly made one's heart stir.

"Mm."

Her naturally long eyelashes fluttered slightly like the wings of a dancing cicada, breathtakingly beautiful.

Xiao Mei!

The corners of Xiao Han's lips lifted slightly. With God's Perspective, he knew that although the woman before him was charming and alluring, she was also thoroughly opportunistic.

Back when there had been no problems with Xiao Yan's cultivation, Xiao Mei had been very close to him.

After Xiao Yan's cultivation encountered problems, Xiao Mei chose to distance herself from Xiao Yan, the protagonist of Battle Through the Heavens. When Xiao Yan's cultivation later recovered, she even took the initiative to invite him to the Dou Skills Pavilion so her father could guide them in Dou Skills.

Now, Xiao Mei, who had never even spared Xiao Han a proper glance before, had suddenly come to visit him. In an instant, Xiao Han seemed to understand her purpose.

Although he had already guessed it, Xiao Han still asked, "Cousin Xiao Mei, did you come to see me?"

"Mm."

Xiao Mei blinked her proud, long eyelashes and nodded slightly.

"Oh."

Unfortunately, Xiao Han remained unmoved. He said calmly, "Then... what do you need from me?"

"Xiao Han-gege!"

Xiao Mei's face reddened slightly. She looked up at Xiao Han, then shyly lowered her head again and said softly, "Auntie said you've just recovered from a serious illness, so she asked me to accompany you outside for a walk!"

"Auntie? And just recovered from a serious illness?"

Xiao Han furrowed his brow and asked, "You mean my mother sent you here?"

"Mm." Xiao Mei nodded.

"My mother..."

Xiao Han sighed helplessly. After thinking for a moment, he understood his mother's intentions.

Needless to say, Xiao Han's mother must have taken a liking to Xiao Mei. Or perhaps she had been unable to withstand the Second Elder's persuasion and agreed to let him and Xiao Mei spend some time together.

Xiao Mei was the biological granddaughter of the Xiao Clan's Second Elder. If she and Xiao Han were to become husband and wife, it would greatly benefit Xiao Han's future succession as the Xiao Clan's patriarch.

Of course, that was merely Xiao Han's own speculation.

Though the Xiao Clan appeared peaceful on the surface, there was no lack of covert competition and struggle beneath it. It was no wonder Xiao Han thought this way.

The facts proved that Xiao Han's guess was correct. His mother had indeed taken a liking to Xiao Mei and was creating opportunities for the two of them.

"Xiao Han-gege, do you not want to go shopping?" Xiao Mei was no fool. Noticing Xiao Han's expression, she asked self-consciously, "Do you think... I'm not worthy of going out with you?"

Xiao Mei lowered her head. She truly had been somewhat opportunistic before, and because of Xiao Han's talent, she had never bothered to interact with him.

Now, Xiao Han had condensed a Dou Qi Cyclone and raised his cultivation to the realm of a Two Star Dou Zhe. Meanwhile, she, Xiao Mei, was still only at the advanced seventh stage of Dou Qi. Compared with Xiao Han, she was far inferior.

And now she wanted to get close to him. Anyone would feel deeply resistant to that.

"What are you talking about!"

Xiao Han pursed his lips. In the end, the words of refusal in his heart never left his mouth.

Although Xiao Mei was opportunistic, she was still a beauty. Having a beautiful woman accompany him while shopping was far more interesting than walking alone.

Thump.

Xiao Han affectionately flicked Xiao Mei on the forehead with his finger and scolded with a smile, "Silly girl, what are you thinking? Cultivation is merely an external thing. With your talent, becoming some Dou Ling, Dou Wang, Dou Huang, or Dou Zong won't be a problem at all."

"Xiao Han-gege!"

Xiao Mei looked at Xiao Han with hazy eyes, deeply moved.

"Come on, let's take a walk around town!"

Xiao Han called out and took the lead out of his Courtyard House.

As he walked along the streets, Xiao Han truly got a taste of the classical atmosphere.

Moving through the streets, if not for the Dou Qi drifting within his Dantian reminding him, Xiao Han would have thought he was filming some ancient costume drama.

"Huh, Xiao Han-gege, that's Xiao Yan!"

While walking, Xiao Mei suddenly pointed in a certain direction. A young man and woman happened to be walking there.

"It really is Xiao Yan! And Xiao Xun'er!"

Xiao Han was slightly taken aback, delight flashing in his eyes.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er appearing here also meant that some things had not deviated from the original storyline. In other words, Xiao Han could continue using God's Perspective to keep track of Xiao Yan's every move.

Of course, while delighted, Xiao Yan was also somewhat anxious.

Xiao Yan had come out to buy the medicinal ingredients for Foundation Establishment Spiritual Liquid. This also showed that even after losing the Bone Spirit Cold Fire, Yao Lao still possessed the ability to refine pills, even if he was now only a Soul Body.

"Haha, it looks like I'll have quite a good haul today. I might even be able to raise my cultivation by another level!"

According to the original storyline, Xiao Yan would obtain a small opportunity from a stall today.

For four hundred and seventy Gold Coins, Xiao Yan would obtain a Mysterious Low-Rank Dou Skill—Absorption Palm—from a Black Iron Shard.

Wutan City was vast, and the Xiao Clan's Street Market was equally large. Without Xiao Yan, it would not have been easy for Xiao Han to find that Black Iron Shard containing the Dou Skill.

Now that Xiao Yan had appeared, he only needed to follow him.

Xiao Han would not remain in the Doupo World forever. Before heading to other worlds, gaining another trump card for survival was certainly a good thing.

Sure enough, Xiao Yan eventually stopped deep within the Street Market.