Departure

Xiao Kun rolled his eyes at Xiao Yan and said irritably, "Judging by that silly grin on your face just now, you must have just come back from Xiao Xun'er's place."

In truth, Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er's rooms were not far apart, and Xiao Kun had guessed it from the direction Xiao Yan had come from.

Hearing Xiao Kun describe him that way, Xiao Yan immediately grew embarrassed and could only continue with an awkward laugh. "It's not that exaggerated. Third Brother, don't make fun of me!"

Seeing Xiao Yan like this, Xiao Kun smiled and stopped teasing him. "We haven't seen each other for a few months. How has your cultivation progressed?"

At the mention of this, Xiao Yan's face lit up with excitement. "Thanks to Third Brother's medicinal pills, I broke through to Dou Master two days ago."

"Mm, not bad. At this rate, you'll have a good chance with the Three-Year Agreement."

"Yes, I'll definitely win the Three-Year Agreement and restore the family's honor." Xiao Yan spoke with a determined expression.

"I believe in you!" Xiao Kun affirmed in response to Xiao Yan's promise.

After chatting for a few more moments, Xiao Kun waved his hand and left.

Watching Xiao Kun's receding figure, Xiao Yan could not help asking Yao Lao, "Teacher, can you tell what realm Third Brother is at now?"

"I'm not sure. But the aura of the Dou Wang expert who wiped out the Ao Ba Family and Jia Lie Family a few months ago was very similar to your Third Brother's!" Yao Lao replied, equally puzzled.

Xiao Yan was greatly shocked by Yao Lao's answer. "What? Third Brother is already that powerful? Looks like I need to work harder!"

"It's only a guess, but it's probably close to the truth. You really do need to work harder. After all, you and Xiao Kun are the same age!"

"I will." Xiao Yan's resolute reply echoed along the empty road.

Xiao Kun, meanwhile, knew nothing of what happened after he left. He did not know that his strength had given Xiao Yan even greater motivation to cultivate.

Xiao Kun merely wandered around for a while longer before returning to his room.

Morning sunlight streamed through the window, making the room rather bright. On the bed, the young man sat up with bleary eyes. After staring blankly for a moment, he finally got up to wash.

Casually wiping the water from his face, Xiao Kun thought that he needed to prepare some things before heading out to train.

He already had medicinal pills for healing and restoring qi. He still needed to prepare fresh water, dry rations, a tent, insect repellent, seasonings, and the like. Besides, his Storage Ring was large enough that he could bring more, just in case.

Before long, Xiao Kun looked at the bustling streets and slowly made his way toward the auction house in the city center.

Looking at the familiar streets and the people rushing about their lives as usual, Xiao Kun could not help feeling a trace of unease at the thought of leaving the place where he had lived for more than ten years.

But in order to grow stronger and see the wider world outside, Xiao Kun had to leave. Before long, having sorted through his thoughts, he headed straight for the auction house.

Upon arriving at the auction house, Xiao Kun saw Ya Fei giving instructions to a manager. He simply stood nearby and waited.

Watching Ya Fei's stern expression, Xiao Kun could not help sighing inwardly. As expected of Wu Tan City's famed beauty—even when scolding someone, she had a unique charm.

After a while, Ya Fei noticed Xiao Kun waiting beside her and quickly waved her hand. "You may leave first. I'll let it go this time."

After Ya Fei dismissed the manager, Xiao Kun stepped forward and gently wrapped an arm around her alluring, slender waist. He casually asked, "What happened? Did someone below make another mistake?"

Seeing Xiao Kun act improperly the moment they met, Ya Fei rolled her eyes. "Nothing much. He skipped work for two days without cause. But you—you finally remembered me again."

"Not at all. I've been working hard at cultivation lately, so I didn't have much time to come by." Sensing the dissatisfaction in Ya Fei's voice, Xiao Kun hurriedly comforted her.

Just as Ya Fei wanted to hear Xiao Kun say a few more sweet words, she discovered that he had fallen silent for quite some time.

At that moment, Xiao Kun stood behind Ya Fei with his eyes closed. His hands continued to embrace the perfect waist coveted by countless men in Wu Tan City, while he inhaled the fragrance of her hair, utterly intoxicated.

He knew that after this parting, they would not meet again for a year. He wanted to remember this scent.

Before long, Ya Fei seemed to sense what Xiao Kun was doing. A tempting flush immediately spread across her pretty face, and she stood there without moving.

After a long while, Xiao Kun felt it was about enough and opened his eyes. "I plan to head out for training within the next couple of days. Once I leave, it will probably be a year and a half before we meet again. Take good care of yourself!"

"Don't worry. I'm already at the peak of Dou Master. I'll take care of myself. You're the one who needs to be careful." Ya Fei replied reluctantly.

"Mm, I will. There are some medicinal pills in here—ones to improve cultivation and heal injuries. They're enough for you to break through to Dou Emperor. The Storage Ring also contains instructions for their use. You can look through them slowly later."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Kun took out a Storage Ring containing thirty fourth- and fifth-grade medicinal pills and handed it to Ya Fei.

Seeing this, Ya Fei slowly accepted the Storage Ring from Xiao Kun and gripped it tightly in her hand.

"I'll make good use of these medicinal pills. When we meet again, you'll be in for a surprise."

"I believe in you!" Another silence followed.

Seeing the atmosphere grow heavy, Xiao Kun took out the list of supplies he had prepared earlier and smiled. "These are some things I need to prepare for this trip. Help me get them ready. My safety depends on you!"

Seeing that she could finally help Xiao Kun with something, Ya Fei's face brightened with joy. She immediately said solemnly, "Leave it to me!" Then she personally went to gather the items.

A quarter of an hour later, Ya Fei returned. She directly took out a Storage Ring and handed it to Xiao Kun. "Everything is ready."

Xiao Kun smiled and accepted the Storage Ring. As for money, there was no need to mention it between them.

Until evening, Xiao Kun remained at the auction house. He did not cultivate, merely keeping Ya Fei company and chatting with her.

Only after night fell did Xiao Kun part with Ya Fei and return to the Xiao Family.

Lying on his bed, Xiao Kun thought about how he would set out to train after saying goodbye to his father tomorrow, and he found himself unable to sleep. After letting his thoughts run wild for a while, he finally drifted off slowly late into the night.

In the morning, thinking about how he had acted the night before, Xiao Kun suddenly felt that he still lacked experience. Simply going out to train had made him so unsettled.

Walking along a small path in the Xiao Family compound, Xiao Kun stretched lazily. Today was the day he would leave. He had already seen his father earlier and told him that he was going out to train.

When Xiao Zhan heard that Xiao Kun intended to set off today, he too felt a wave of reluctance.

But he knew that, with Xiao Kun's talent, he could not remain confined to Wu Tan City. Only the vast skies beyond could allow this eagle, Xiao Kun, to truly spread his wings and soar.

Recalling his father's warm words, Xiao Kun smiled faintly and followed the path back to his room to pack his things.

He did not have much to pack. He simply placed everything into his Storage Ring. Before long, the packed Xiao Kun stood at the doorway, looking at the somewhat empty room. With a faint smile, and the soft creak of the door, the young man finished all his preparations.

At last, Xiao Kun stepped out through the main gate. Under the respectful gazes of the family guards, he gradually disappeared at the end of the street.

If you think it's decent, please vote with a free recommendation ticket. Thank you!