Slap in the Face

Just as Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er were whispering among themselves, the elder from the Yunlan Sect, dressed in a moon-white robe and possessing the cultivation of a Seven Star Great Dou Master, rose to his feet under Nalan Yanran's repeated urging.

Xiao Yan's face immediately darkened. "Heh, heh, Nalan Yanran, what a clever move. Using the Yunlan Sect to pressure my father—you really are vicious."

It seemed Nalan Yanran had made up her mind to use the Yunlan Sect's power to rid herself of this marriage contract. Judging by how impatient she was, she was not even willing to wait another minute.

Such behavior had utterly crossed the basic moral line of being human. For the sake of satisfying her own desires, she did not care in the slightest whether others could accept it. Such selfish conduct coming from a girl beautiful beyond belief truly made one see her in a new light.

"Ahem!" The moon-robed elder coughed, then spoke with a smile. "Xiao Clan Leader, we have come to your esteemed clan today because we have a favor to ask."

"Heh, heh, Mister Ge Ye, you are too polite. Please, say whatever it is. So long as my Xiao Clan can manage it, we will never refuse." Xiao Zhan did not dare put on airs and hurriedly rose to his feet, speaking courteously. However, since he did not know what the other party wanted, he did not dare make an absolute promise.

"Xiao Clan Leader, do you recognize her?" The moon-robed elder, Ge Ye, pointed at the girl beside him.

"Uh... forgive Xiao Zhan for being blind, but who might this young lady be?" Xiao Zhan felt that Nalan Yanran looked somewhat familiar, yet he did not dare say for certain that he had truly met her before.

When Nalan Yanran had been ten years old, she had caught the Yunlan Sect's eye and been brought into the sect to cultivate. She had now trained there for five years.

As the saying went, girls changed greatly as they grew. After many years apart, Nalan Yanran had fully blossomed, her appearance completely different from before. Thus, Xiao Zhan had not recognized that the person before him was actually his future daughter-in-law.

"Her name is Nalan Yanran." Seeing that Xiao Zhan had not recognized the girl's identity, Ge Ye could only remind him again.

"Nalan Yanran? Nalan Yanran, Old Master Nalan Jie's granddaughter?" Xiao Zhan was first taken aback, then suddenly recalled something. His face immediately lit up with delight.

"So it is Niece Nalan. We have not seen each other for so many years. Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, you have grown so much? Girls truly change as they grow. Uncle Xiao could not even recognize you. Do not blame your uncle."

"What are you saying, Uncle Xiao? Yanran was previously studying under her master and had never come to pay respects to Uncle Xiao. I only hope Uncle Xiao will not blame Yanran. How could I possibly blame Uncle Xiao?" A sweet smile bloomed across Nalan Yanran's face.

"This is bad. How did Xiao Zhan establish ties with the Yunlan Sect's favored daughter? What are we supposed to do now?" Seeing this remarkably harmonious scene, the Three Great Elders were shaken. They exchanged looks, each seeing worry in the others' eyes.

Clearly, Xiao Zhan's connection to the Yunlan Sect had taken the Three Great Elders by surprise, instinctively giving them an ominous feeling.

Yet the three could only watch helplessly. They would never dare stop the two sides from building rapport. Not everyone could bear the Yunlan Sect's wrath. If they provoked them, a single slap could kill them, and they would have died for nothing.

Xiao Zhan knew nothing of the Three Great Elders' inner thoughts. At this moment, hearing Nalan Yanran's name filled him with immense joy, and the smile on his face simply would not fade.

"Heh, heh, Niece Yanran, you are too modest. I heard that Lady Yun Yun of the Yunlan Sect took you as her disciple. I had always thought it was merely a rumor, but I never expected it to be true. Niece, your talent is truly outstanding." Xiao Zhan praised her with unconcealed envy.

The Yunlan Sect was a sect with a Dou Huang Expert. Anyone who could catch a Dou Huang Expert's eye and be personally accepted as a disciple could not possibly be ordinary.

"You flatter me, Uncle Xiao. Yanran was merely fortunate enough to catch Master's eye." Nalan Yanran was finding it difficult to bear Xiao Zhan's enthusiasm. Several times, she wanted to speak and explain why she had come, but each time she swallowed the words at the last moment.

Left with no choice, she discreetly poked Ge Ye beside her, pushing him forward as a shield.

Ge Ye cursed inwardly, but he had no choice but to step forward. "Heh, heh, Xiao Clan Leader, what I have come to request today concerns Yanran, and it was personally instructed by the Sect Leader."

When Ge Ye mentioned Yunlan Sect Leader Yun Yun, reverence involuntarily appeared on his face. Clearly, he held his own Sect Leader in great respect.

"It concerns Nalan Yanran, and it was personally instructed by Yun Yun?" Xiao Zhan instinctively felt that something was wrong.

The Yunlan Sect had gone to such lengths, so what they wanted could not possibly be simple. Otherwise, there would have been no need to make such a grand display. They only needed to send a disciple to notify them, and the Xiao Clan would never dare refuse. There was no need for an elder with real authority to come to their door in person.

A powerful sense of foreboding rose in Xiao Zhan's heart. He had vaguely guessed something, but he still clung to his final hope. "Mister Ge Ye, please speak."

No one noticed that when Xiao Zhan spoke those words, his left hand beneath his sleeve had clenched into a fist. His intense rage had driven his nails deep into his flesh.

Ge Ye felt awkward to the extreme, but recalling Yun Yun's affection for Nalan Yanran, he could only force himself to continue. "Yanran's talent is exceptional, and the Sect Leader values her greatly. She is essentially being raised as the future successor. Due to certain special rules, before becoming Sect Leader, the heir to the position may not have any involvement with any man. After the Sect Leader asked Yanran about it, she learned that Yanran had a marriage contract in the secular world. Therefore, the Sect Leader hopes... hopes that Xiao Clan Leader, you... you can dissolve this marriage."

After stammering his way through it, Ge Ye's old face had turned bright red. He wished he could cover his face and flee. He knew perfectly well that, for the man, this was an enormous humiliation. To disgrace a clan like this was truly not something a righteous sect like the Yunlan Sect ought to do.

If the matter had not yet been resolved, Ge Ye likely would have already covered his face and fled.

Crack!

Xiao Zhan finally could no longer suppress the fury in his heart. He crushed the teacup in his hand, veins bulging wildly on his face.

What was a reversal of fortune?

The gloom on the Three Great Elders' faces instantly turned to sunshine. They looked at one another and saw undisguised glee in each other's eyes.

To have someone come to your door to annul a marriage—and for the woman to be the one to bring it up first—was an unparalleled humiliation. If Xiao Zhan agreed, then both father and son would likely be unable to hold their heads up in the Xiao Clan ever again. Xiao Zhan's time as Clan Leader would also be over.

No one wanted their Clan Leader to be a coward, and even fewer could tolerate someone with such a stain continuing to occupy the position of Clan Leader. Stepping down would be inevitable.

Compared to the three old men, who could at least keep up appearances—though they were delighted to death inside, they did not openly show it on their faces—the younger members of Xiao Yan's generation below had far less restraint. One after another, they looked at Xiao Yan with mocking eyes, as though they could not wait to go over and stomp on him as well.