Xun'er's Little Happiness

"Sure enough, that rotten temper of yours hasn't changed at all."

Looking at Xiao Yu's displeased expression, Xiao Yan did not feel annoyed in the slightest. He simply found it rather interesting.

"I heard your cultivation has fallen to Dou Qi Level 3."

Xiao Yu walked toward him. Though her face was not as Beauty That Topples Nations as Xun'er's, and she lacked even a trace of Xiao Mei's feminine charm, she possessed a distinctive heroic air.

Combined with her tall figure and those exceptionally long legs, she could still be considered a true beauty.

However, the way she looked at Xiao Yan was tinged with schadenfreude. Taking advantage of her early growth, she could not help looking down at Xiao Yan, who was half a head shorter than her.

She, Xiao Yu, had not the slightest respect for this future Young Clan Leader of the family.

"That's right. I have indeed fallen to Dou Qi Level 3."

Xiao Yan's smile remained unchanged, and even his gaze was gentle.

This made Xiao Yu, who had always been used to bickering with Xiao Yan, suddenly feel uncomfortable, as though her fist had struck cotton. She felt a stifling frustration with nowhere to vent.

"Hmph, serves you right for acting like a hooligan back then. For you to end up like this, the heavens truly have eyes. It's karma."

Perhaps because she had not gotten her fill of arguing with Xiao Yan, Xiao Yu not only failed to leave, but instead pressed her advantage.

"You woman..."

Even Xiao Yan could not help choking at her words.

He waved his hand helplessly. "Sister Yu, didn't I just accidentally touch your leg? It's been so many years already. Don't be so petty, all right?"

"So many years? I'm petty?"

Xiao Yu's eyes widened at once, as though she wanted to devour Xiao Yan alive.

It had only been two years.

"Fine, fine, I'm petty. Then today, I'll be even pettier. While you're down, I'll finish you off!"

Xiao Yu snorted and reached out to grab Xiao Yan by the collar.

"Xiao Yan, so you have a day like this too. Today, I'm going to teach you a proper lesson."

A smile of vengeance appeared on Xiao Yu's lips. For some reason, whenever she argued with this brat, she was always full of energy.

Although she had always been much taller than Xiao Yan, her cultivation had been inferior to his, so there had been nothing she could do to him.

Now that Xiao Yan's cultivation had finally dropped, Xiao Yu intended to vent her resentment properly.

"Yu'er, stop!"

An aged voice rang out. Xiao Yu and Xiao Yan turned to see the Third Elder walking over.

The family test was an important matter. Every year, the clan leader and the three elders had to personally oversee it. Since it concerned his own granddaughter and grandson, the Third Elder had arrived early today.

"Grandfather!"

After being stopped by the Third Elder, Xiao Yu shot Xiao Yan an unwilling glance. Yet under the Third Elder's glaring stare, she ultimately did not make a move.

"You little bastard, just you wait. This isn't over between us!"

Even as she left, Xiao Yu did not forget to whisper a threat in Xiao Yan's ear.

"Sure. But next time I touch your leg, it won't be by accident."

A teasing smile curled Xiao Yan's lips, making Xiao Yu stumble and nearly fall.

"Heh, keep talking tough. Once today's test is over, I'll block your way in the little woods!"

Xiao Yu sneered before returning to the Third Elder's side.

"This woman..."

Watching Xiao Yu's departing back, Xiao Yan gently shook his head. In that case, I suppose I'll have to touch it once more.

As the sunlight grew increasingly blinding, Xiao Zhan and the younger members of the family gradually arrived at the square over the next half hour.

Many youths wore eager expressions, clearly having made breakthroughs in their cultivation over the past year. Others looked gloomy; they were presumably those with poorer cultivation talent.

By then, Xun'er had already come to Xiao Yan's side, chirping softly around him like a lark.

In truth, among the girls in the family who were not particularly introverted, nearly all of them except Xiao Yu liked gathering around Xiao Yan.

After all, Xiao Yan not only had outstanding talent and a boundless future, but was also handsome and pleasant to listen to. It was hard for girls not to like him.

Xiao Mei was among the crowd as well, but today, she keenly noticed that Xiao Yan's attitude toward her had suddenly become somewhat perfunctory.

In the past, although Xiao Yan had been more enthusiastic toward Xun'er, he had still treated Xiao Mei and the others very well.

"Cousin Xiao Yan... why has he become like this?"

Xiao Mei racked her brains but could not understand why Xiao Yan no longer showed the slightest interest in her. In fact, the other girls in the family could not understand it either.

It was not because Xiao Yan held grudges or anything of the sort. He simply found these girls far too childish.

How could the things a bunch of twelve- and thirteen-year-old girls chattered about all day possibly interest an old Dou Emperor who had lived for tens of thousands of years?

Only Xun'er, his future wife, was the treasure of Xiao Yan's heart. That was why he was willing to patiently chat with the little girl.

As for everyone else...

Sorry, he truly had no extra emotional energy to spare.

Though Xun'er was still young, perhaps because she was naturally intelligent, she clearly noticed how differently Xiao Yan now treated her compared to the other girls.

This change made her beautiful eyes curve into crescents, and her gaze at Xiao Yan seemed to sparkle.

"Xiao Yan, you really deserve to die!"

In the distance, Xiao Ning watched Xiao Yan surrounded by beautiful girls and hogging them all to himself. His jealousy was so intense that he nearly ground his back teeth to pieces.

"Next, Xiao Ning!"

Before he could recover, the test official had already called his name.

"Hmph, today I'll let you all know that I, Xiao Ning, am no pushover either."

Xiao Ning hurriedly composed himself, then jogged to the Testing Stone Tablet and poured his Dou Qi into it.

As Dou Qi flowed into the tablet, five large, glittering golden words appeared.

"Dou Qi, Level 6!"

As those words appeared, the surrounding test square erupted in discussion among the clansmen.

"That kid is only thirteen, right? At thirteen, he's already at Dou Qi Level 6. It seems he has a good chance of becoming a Dou Zhe before he turns twenty."

"Indeed. If he can become a Dou Zhe before twenty, then with the family's resources, becoming a Dou Shi should not be a problem.

If he is lucky, even becoming a Da Dou Shi would not be difficult. The Third Elder truly has a worthy successor."

Hearing the surrounding discussions, an excited smile appeared on Xiao Ning's face. He looked toward Xiao Yan and saw that the girls had turned their gazes toward him as well.

Their eyes did not hold the same admiration they showed Xiao Yan, but their attention was enough to satisfy Xiao Ning.

Yet when he saw the girl standing at the center of the crowd like a green lotus, all his joy shattered in that instant.

Because from beginning to end, the girl had never once looked in Xiao Ning's direction.

Within that delicate little face brimming with happiness, those limpid autumn eyes reflected only the black-clothed youth. There was nothing else.

"Next, Xiao Yan!"