Visiting the Xiao Family

The buzz surrounding the Jia Nan Academy admissions hasn't entirely faded, and Mo Lin's name has already spread throughout Wutan City's upper circles.

This morning, after a brief preparation, he set out for the Xiao Family.

Nominally, he was visiting a prominent local clan to exchange cultivation insights; in reality, he harbored two objectives: first, to search for any trace of "Xiao Yan" and Old Yao, who might exist but seemed to have been quietly erased from the worldline; second, to personally witness the Ancient Clan's young lady hidden within a small family—Xiao Xun'er.

The Xiao Family mansion was located in the eastern district of Wutan City, with its blue bricks, black tiles, and ornate, upturned eaves.

While not as resplendent as the Gale Family's estate, nor as ostentatiously flashy as the Ouba Family's, it possessed an ancient and profound aura, a dignified presence that had weathered the years and commanded respect.

Upon hearing of the recent visit by the highly acclaimed Mo Lin, the patriarch, Xiao Zhan, personally came out to greet him, his face adorned with a perfectly fitting, warm smile.

"Young friend Mo Lin's esteemed visit truly brings glory to my Xiao Family! Please, come in, come in!"

Xiao Zhan, dressed in a brocade robe, had a refined appearance. His gentle eyes held a shrewdness honed by navigating the ups and downs of the business world. His words were both courteous and subtly conveyed a desire for alliance.

Mo Lin clasped his hands in return, his demeanor composed. "Patriarch Xiao is too kind. This junior's visit is presumptuous and has surely caused a disturbance."

The two entered the living room and took their seats as host and guest. A maid served fragrant, steaming hot tea.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the conversation naturally turned to cultivation.

Xiao Zhan praised Mo Lin's strength displayed during the admissions event, his words filled with admiration for the young talent.

Mo Lin responded appropriately, neither arrogant nor excessively humble, maintaining a harmonious atmosphere.

After chatting for a while, Mo Lin seized the opportunity. "I've long heard that the Xiao Family is a century-old clan in Wutan City with profound heritage. May I ask if this junior could wander around freely to experience the atmosphere of such a distinguished family?"

This request was reasonable, expressing respect while providing him with an excuse for independent investigation.

Xiao Zhan readily agreed, smiling. "If young friend has such refined taste, you are most welcome."

He then summoned a young man who appeared steady and capable. "Xiao Dou, accompany young friend Mo Lin on a tour. Ensure he is well taken care of."

The youth named Xiao Dou respectfully accepted the order and gestured for Mo Lin to follow.

Mo Lin rose and strolled through the Xiao Family courtyard with Xiao Dou.

He appeared to be leisurely admiring the sights of pavilions, towers, small bridges, and flowing water. In reality, his powerful soul perception had already spread out like countless fine, invisible tendrils, silently sweeping through every corner he passed.

From the youths sweating it out in the training grounds to the children playing under the corridors, even some secluded residences, none escaped his scrutiny.

He paid particular attention to youths with weak auras, dejected expressions, or those who seemed out of place among the other disciples, attempting to find any who might fit the profile of "declining talent," "subjected to ridicule," or "having a pre-arranged marriage."

However, after this seemingly casual tour, Mo Lin's heart gradually sank.

Among the younger generation of the Xiao Family, despite variations in talent and temperament, none matched the image of the ill-fated "Xiao Yan" from his memory.

What further solidified his conviction was that his soul perception had not detected any trace of an unusually powerful, hidden fluctuation belonging to an ancient soul entity.

"It seems... the trajectory of this world has indeed shifted due to my arrival," Mo Lin mused inwardly. While there was some regret, he wasn't overly surprised.

Under the butterfly effect, it was normal for some predetermined fates to be rewritten. His plan to find the Medicine Venerable would require a different approach.

After wandering for a while longer, his gaze inadvertently swept across a corner of the courtyard.

There, beneath an ancient ginkgo tree, a young girl in a light green dress stood quietly, holding an ancient book and reading intently.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches, casting dappled light upon her, as if draping her in a sacred halo.

The girl appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen years old. Her figure was beginning to show its graceful curves. Although her clothing was simple and she wore no makeup, it couldn't conceal her innate, natural elegance.

Her skin was as fair as jade, her features exquisitely delicate like a fairy from a painting. Especially her eyes, clear as autumn water, yet so deep they seemed capable of reflecting one's very soul.

Though young, she was already an undeniable beauty in the making, destined to possess world-shattering allure in time.

What stirred Mo Lin's heart even more was the extremely restrained, yet astonishingly high-quality energy fluctuation he sensed from her, like a deep ocean current, harboring terrifying power beneath its calm surface.

"Who might this be...?" Mo Lin stopped at an opportune moment, his gaze still fixed on the girl under the ginkgo tree, and asked Xiao Dou beside him with a hint of curiosity.

Xiao Dou followed his gaze, a subtle hint of respect appearing on his face as he replied in a low voice, "Replying to Young Master Mo Lin, that is Miss Xun'er."

Xiao Xun'er! It was indeed her!

A flicker of understanding flashed in Mo Lin's eyes.

He slowly walked forward, stopping a few steps away from the girl. He smiled slightly and said in a calm tone, "I am Mo Lin. Forgive my intrusion. Miss Xun'er has a refined interest."

Hearing his voice, Xiao Xun'er looked up, her gaze calmly meeting Mo Lin's.

Her eyes were crystal clear, devoid of any impurities, yet held a natural sense of detachment, as if nothing in the world could stir her heart.

She nodded slightly, her voice cool and pleasant. "Young Master Mo Lin, I have heard much of your name." Her manners were impeccable, yet carried a faint distance.

Mo Lin was unfazed by this coolness, becoming even more intrigued as he observed the orchid hidden within the Xiao Family.

He suddenly spoke, his voice still calm, but the content of his words carried a subtle sharpness. "Miss Xun'er's aura is as solid as a mountain, her brilliance contained like uncarved jade. While seemingly no different from an ordinary young lady of a noble family, in reality... you are unfathomable. This control over your own power, to wield it so freely, truly earns my admiration." These words were no longer mere flattery but carried a clear probing intent.

The slender fingers holding the book trembled almost imperceptibly. A fleeting, almost imperceptible trace of surprise flashed in her autumn-water eyes, but it instantly returned to a state of serene tranquility, like a still ancient well.

She gently closed the book in her hands, her gaze meeting Mo Lin's. Her clear eyes now held a hint of gentle scrutiny. "Young Master Mo Lin overpraises me. Xun'er's aptitude is mediocre; I merely follow my family's teachings and diligently cultivate daily."

She neither directly admitted nor outright denied, her words perfectly measured, her response watertight.

However, Mo Lin's soul perception, honed by two otherworldly experts and far surpassing his peers, accurately captured the minuscule shift in her internal energy flow that occurred the moment she was exposed.

He smiled inwardly, his expression unchanged. He lowered his voice further, as if whispering, yet each word was clear and struck at the core. "A 'mediocre' young lady like yourself might not even be comparable to the direct descendants of those ancient, millennia-old clans of the Central Continent. The bloodline of the Ancient Clan is indeed extraordinary."

The words "Ancient Clan" struck like two thunderclaps, exploding in the quiet corner of the courtyard!

The air seemed to completely freeze at that moment!

For the first time, a clearly visible ripple appeared on Xiao Xun'er's usually calm and serene, stunningly beautiful face!

The fingers holding the scroll tightened abruptly, her knuckles turning slightly white as she suddenly raised her head!

In her eyes, like autumn water, first flashed a trace of disbelief and shock, which was then replaced by a sharpness like ice, filled with vigilance and a hint of chilling killing intent!

Although her aura was suppressed with all her might, there was still a momentary fluctuation, causing the surrounding air to tremble slightly.

At this moment, she was no longer the quiet girl next door reading a book, but like a peerless divine weapon that had been accidentally disturbed and suddenly unsheathed half an inch!

"You, who exactly are you? What do you know?" Her voice remained crisp, but her tone had completely changed, filled with icy questioning and undeniable authority. The polite veil of distance from before was completely torn away.

Facing the sudden pressure of the aura, which could make ordinary Dou Grandmasters lose their composure, Mo Lin's expression remained as calm as ever, as if he had long anticipated it.

He calmly met the other party's gaze, which was as sharp as a knife, and said calmly, "Who I am is not important. What's important is that what I know may be a little more than what Miss currently guesses, but it may not be everything. This place,"

His gaze swept over a servant occasionally passing by not far away, "is definitely not a place for deep conversation, nor is it a suitable place to verify what's in your heart. The back mountain of your mansion must have a secluded, uninhabited spot. I wonder if Miss Xun'er would be willing to move, so that Mo can have the honor to truly experience what the astonishing martial arts of the Ancient Clan are like?"

His proposal was both a direct challenge and provided an excellent private space for both parties to avoid all eyes and ears. His words even carried a hint of consideration for the other party.

Xiao Xun'er's deep eyes locked onto Mo Lin, her icy gaze seeming to pierce through his flesh and blood, directly probing the deepest secrets of his soul.

A brief, suffocating silence spread between the two.

A moment later, the sharp glint in her eyes, like a knife, slightly receded, but her scrutiny intensified. She completely closed the scroll in her hand and concisely uttered a single word:

"Okay."

They understood each other without words. Avoiding the sight of others, their figures flickered a few times, and they silently disappeared into the dense forest sea of the Xiao Family's back mountain.