Thirty Years East of the River, Thirty Years West—Do Not Bully the Poor Young!

"It's for the best that Cousin Xiao Yan has been able to come to terms with this."

"Rest assured, I am not a harsh man. Calling off the engagement is truly unavoidable, and I hope you can understand."

"As for the harm this has caused you, I will give you appropriate compensation."

Xiao Cang wore a gentle smile on the surface.

In truth, he did not care in the slightest how Xiao Yan reacted, just as an elephant would never concern itself with an ant's thoughts.

With his current strength, crushing Xiao Yan to death would not be much harder than crushing an ant.

The reason he was willing to sit here calmly and discuss calling off the engagement with Xiao Zhan, even offering compensation to Xiao Yan so pleasantly, was not merely out of consideration for their kinship. There was an even more important reason—

He still wanted the fragment of the Tou She Ancient God Jade held by the Xiao Family!

Xiao Cang knew that, because the current Dou Qi Continent no longer possessed Dou Emperor Origin Qi, there were only two ways left to advance to Dou Emperor.

The first was to scheme for a thousand years like Hun Tiandi, ultimately slaughtering tens of millions of living beings to refine the Emperor Grade Nascent Pill to completion.

The second was to inherit the Tou She Ancient God's source inheritance.

Yet both methods required entering the cave mansion left behind by the Tou She Ancient God.

Therefore, Xiao Cang had long been planning to gather all the Tou She Ancient God Jade, so that he could enter the Tou She Ancient God's Cave Mansion in the future and seek an opportunity to become a Dou Emperor.

And only Xiao Zhan knew the whereabouts of the Xiao Family's fragment of the Tou She Ancient God Jade.

If he offended Xiao Zhan too deeply now, he would never learn where that fragment of the Ancient Emperor Jade was.

"No need!"

Xiao Yan's expression darkened as he refused on the spot.

The reason he had stepped forward and agreed to call off the engagement was not because he wanted benefits from Xiao Cang.

Rather, having lived two lives, he could see just how unfavorable the situation was for him.

Not to mention that Xiao Cang was a Dou Wang, with the absolute strength to force him to agree and dissolve the Marriage Contract.

Even under the current circumstances, the Three Elders had been swayed by Xiao Cang's Qi Gathering Powder and were urging his father to agree. And as clan leader, after weighing the pros and cons, his father would most likely agree to call off the engagement for the sake of the Xiao Family.

When that happened, he would still have to bear this humiliation alone.

Rather than wait for others to trample on his dignity, he might as well stand up and preserve the last shred of his pride.

"Cousin Xiao Yan, you're being quite decisive. Don't you intend to hear how I plan to compensate you?" Xiao Cang smiled teasingly.

He was certain that the terms he offered would be impossible for Xiao Yan to refuse.

"No need!"

"Though Xiao Yan's talent may be mediocre, I still have some backbone!"

Stubbornness flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes.

Although reason told him that accepting Xiao Cang's compensation was the wisest and most rational choice for him.

His inner resistance toward Xiao Cang made him unwilling to accept that compensation.

That resistance did not come solely from the broken engagement, but also from the intimate relationship between Xiao Cang and Xun'er.

When Xiao Cang had first returned to the Xiao Family several days ago, Xiao Yan had secretly hoped that Xiao Cang could help him find the reason he had become useless.

But when he saw Xiao Cang and Xun'er acting intimately, seemingly even staying alone in the same room for several days without coming out, the jealousy in his heart began to ferment uncontrollably, filling him with immense envy toward Xiao Cang!

At this moment, that envy erupted alongside the humiliation he had just suffered.

Thus, even though he understood that, from Xiao Cang and Nalan Yanran's perspectives, calling off the engagement was entirely understandable.

He simply did not want to accept Xiao Cang's compensation!

"Yan'er."

Xiao Zhan looked at Xiao Yan, his eyes filled with pity.

His son had once been so outstanding, his talent second only to Xiao Cang's. How had he fallen to such a state?

"Father, you need not blame yourself. This was my own choice; it has nothing to do with you!"

"And Cousin Xiao Cang, today it was not you who called off my engagement with Nalan Yanran. It was I, Xiao Yan, who took the initiative to call off the engagement and cast aside Nalan Yanran!"

"There is something I hope Cousin Xiao Cang will remember: thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river—do not bully the poor young!"

Xiao Yan spoke in a resounding voice, neither humble nor overbearing.

His words filled everyone with surprise. Even the younger members of the Xiao Family outside, who had been mocking Xiao Yan moments ago, were intimidated by his imposing bearing.

"Good! As expected of my, Xiao Zhan's, son!" Xiao Zhan could not help slapping the table in praise.

Immediately afterward, Xiao Yan suddenly dropped to his knees. "Father, please forgive your son's recklessness today. But please believe in me. The dignity I lost today, I will surely reclaim in the future."

With that, he kowtowed to Xiao Zhan.

Watching this fine show, Xiao Cang was just short of applauding.

What a proud and unyielding display of manly spirit.

Interesting!

Interesting!

But...

Xiao Cang looked at Xiao Yan, who was bowing three times to Xiao Zhan, and spoke with a hint of mockery. "Cousin Xiao Yan, the compensation I mentioned just now was to restore your former talent. Do you truly not want it?"

Xiao Yan's body instantly stiffened, and even his kowtowing stopped.

"Re... restore my talent?"

Still in his kowtowing posture, Xiao Yan murmured those four words. His eyes overflowed with disbelief, while his body began to tremble involuntarily.

Ever since he had fallen from the altar of genius overnight three years ago, he had been waiting for this day to come.

Under normal circumstances, he would have eagerly risen to his feet and begged Xiao Cang to restore his talent.

But now...

He had only just said that he did not want compensation. He was caught in an awkward position.

He could not possibly go back on his word less than ten breaths later, could he?

That would be far too embarrassing...

Xiao Yan's stubbornness and pride wanted him to ignore Xiao Cang's words, but the longing in his heart urged him to accept Xiao Cang's compensation!

"Cousin Xiao Yan, I'll ask you one last time. Do you truly not want it?"

Xiao Cang looked at Xiao Yan with a half-smile. He did not believe Xiao Yan could withstand the temptation of having his talent restored.

"Yan'er..."

Xiao Zhan clenched his fists anxiously on Xiao Yan's behalf.

Xiao Yan's next decision would affect the course of his entire life!

Xiao Yan's body trembled as a fierce battle raged within him.

One voice told him that he could not accept Xiao Cang's compensation for the sake of his pride, or he would be slapping himself in the face.

Another voice told him,

To hell with pride!

Without strength, who would give you any face?

Only by restoring your talent could you become stronger and earn back your pride with your own hands.

If you could not restore your talent, then all that grand talk you just spouted—thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river—would be nothing but bullshit!

In the end, Xiao Yan was persuaded.

He slowly rose to his feet, took a deep breath, and said, feeling his face burn with shame, "Cousin Xiao Cang... please restore my talent..."

The corners of Xiao Cang's lips curled upward.

He gave in so quickly?

Hadn't he just said that although he had no talent, he still had some backbone?

Where was that backbone now?

Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan, I still preferred that unruly look you had just now.

"Cousin Xiao Yan, I am very pleased that you can accept my compensation. But I really did not like your attitude just now." Smiling, Xiao Cang slowly shook his head.

PS: Xiao Yan is a transmigrator; some readers may have forgotten. This was mentioned in the original work.

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