When Golden Wind Meets Jade Dew

The moon hung like a silver disk, and the heavens were full of stars.

At the peak of a cliff on the Xiao Family's Back Mountain, Xiao Yan reclined against a rise in the grass. A blade of grass rested between his lips as he chewed it lightly, its root juice mingling with the bitter taste of dirt and slowly spreading through his mouth.

He raised his pale hand above his head, blocking the enormous Silver Moon in the sky, then made a grasping motion as though he wanted to hold the bright moon in his palm.

"Alas."

Realizing how ridiculous his actions were, Xiao Yan let out a soft sigh and lazily placed his hand back beneath his head. His gaze became somewhat unfocused.

"Fifteen years already."

The youth's murmur drifted through the air, calm yet laced with an unshakable confusion.

"Fifteen years already~"

A sudden, sweet voice shattered the melancholy atmosphere of the youth's private sorrow.

Xiao Yan was so startled by the abrupt voice that he coughed violently several times, spitting out the grass root in his mouth as he looked toward his side with a chill running down his spine—

A Girl in a black robe had somehow lain down beside Xiao Yan. Her pose, with her head resting on her arms, was exactly like his own from moments ago.

Xiao Yan's voice even cracked as he urgently said, "You... you!"

"Oh? Does the Third Young Master know me?"

"During the afternoon test, was it you who imitated the way I spoke?!"

"Imitated the way you spoke?" The Black Robe Girl did not change her posture, but her tone became despondent and sorrowful. "After all, this world never belonged to me in the first place."

"So it was you!" Xiao Yan forcibly suppressed the fear in his heart and snapped, "Why did you imitate me? If it weren't for you, how could I have—"

"Oh my, Third Young Master, you have truly wronged me."

The black robe concealed the Girl's face, but her voice alone made it sound as though she had suffered an enormous injustice. "I simply didn't understand what that sentence of yours meant, so I repeated it without thinking. What exactly do you mean by saying this world doesn't belong to you?"

"Th-this..."

Xiao Yan stiffened, stammering without being able to speak. The anger that had risen within him was thoroughly doused by a chill.

After all, being a transmigrator was his greatest secret. He absolutely could not speak of it.

After waiting a long time without receiving an answer, the Black Robe Girl tilted her head, her tone carrying a hint of sympathy.

"That makes sense. After all, the Third Young Master fell from such a high position. It is only natural that you would feel a sense of loss."

"You know about my past?"

"You are quite the famous figure in Wutan City. Even in the Imperial Capital, I could hear of your reputation."

"...The Imperial Capital. Then, Miss truly isn't from Wutan City. No wonder you possess such strength." Xiao Yan paused, his tone turning bitter. "As for that reputation, it is nothing but infamy. Three years have passed, and I have gradually grown used to it."

"After seeing you today, I think your bearing remains as splendid as ever." As she spoke, the Girl stood and stretched lazily. Her black robe snapped in the mountain wind at the cliff's edge.

"Third Young Master, do you want to become stronger?"

The upward-blowing mountain wind grew fiercer. The hood of the Girl's black robe slipped off inadvertently, and her waist-length Blue Long Hair swayed like Sea Waves in the wind. Her flawless, breathtaking face gained a trace of carefree elegance as her crimson lips curved upward, revealing a smile that even the moonlight seemed intoxicated by.

The Silver Moon, the Star River, even every blade of grass and tree upon the cliff, all seemed to become mere backdrops for her.

Her deep eyes silently gazed at the entranced youth opposite her, allowing time to pass unnoticed.

Who knew how long had passed before Xiao Yan finally came back to his senses. Realizing his earlier lapse in manners, the youth's face carried embarrassment and apology. He took several deep breaths and answered honestly.

"I do!"

"I will help you. How about it?"

Hearing this, Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment before gently shaking his head. "When you asked me earlier, I had already begun to suspect something. I truly do want to become stronger, but... I will not trouble Miss with it. I do not believe there is anything about me worth your help."

In his eyes, the Mysterious Girl who had appeared so suddenly before him was full of suspicious points. Leaving aside why she had come to a small place like Wutan City, that single remark about his bearing remaining as splendid as ever made Xiao Yan feel uncomfortable all over.

He was only at the Third Stage Dou Qi, yet someone was praising him for retaining his former bearing. Wasn't that simply speaking nonsense with her eyes open?

Therefore, even though she was indeed powerful and the offer she made was extremely tempting, Xiao Yan still forced himself to refuse. After all, he did not want to fall into the hands of a powerhouse like her and become her plaything.

Seeing the wariness in Xiao Yan's eyes, the Girl placed her little hands behind her back and looked him up and down for a while before smiling sweetly. "Does the Third Young Master think what I said sounds too fake?"

"..." Xiao Yan remained silent, but his somewhat cold attitude clearly showed that he tacitly agreed.

"Such a cold attitude truly breaks my heart." The Girl's gaze became slightly resentful, and she pouted, making her look pitiful.

"Third Young Master, others may not be able to see it, but have even you not noticed what makes you special?"

"What is special about me? What could possibly be special about me?"

"Hehe... Your Soul Force seems to differ from that of ordinary people. I noticed it the moment I entered Wutan City."

Soul Force!

As a transmigrator who had lived two lives, Xiao Yan's soul was far stronger than that of ordinary people. This also meant that he possessed extraordinary perception and cultivation talent.

In his understanding, there seemed to be no cultivation method specifically capable of assisting in the cultivation of Soul Force. Not even a Heaven-tier cultivation method could achieve such an effect. Thus, it was precisely the support of his Soul Force that had earned Xiao Yan his former reputation as a genius.

It could be said that this Soul Force, so far beyond that of ordinary people, was essentially Xiao Yan's greatest secret apart from his identity as a transmigrator. Now that she had exposed it, the unease in his heart grew even stronger. If the gap between their strengths had not been so vast, he might even have turned and fled.

"I see."

He took a deep breath and said, "I did not expect Miss to possess a method for detecting Soul Force. In that case, I was indeed judging you with a petty heart earlier."

"However, I still feel that accepting help with my cultivation would be somewhat inappropriate."

The Girl said nothing. Her deep eyes, like the Sea Tide, quietly watched him. Just as Xiao Yan's scalp began to tingle under her gaze, she suddenly smiled. "Third Young Master, it is still too early to say such things. Why not give me your answer tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?"

A fragrant breeze swept over him as the Girl abruptly leaned close to Xiao Yan. Her fair, delicate fingertips intentionally—or perhaps unintentionally—brushed over his knuckles, soft and cool.

"Yes, tomorrow."

Before her words had even faded, she had already vanished.

Xiao Yan stared blankly at the spot on his knuckles that she had touched. A pitch-black, ancient Storage Ring lay there, giving off a faint gleam beneath the moonlight.

"This woman really knows something."

His expression shifted several times before Xiao Yan softly sighed. He turned his head and forced a smile. "Father, you have come."

The moment he spoke, a middle-aged man slowly emerged from between the branches of the trees, his face full of concern and fatherly affection.

"Yan'er, why are you still not resting so late at night? Are you still thinking about this afternoon's test?"

Even Father failed to notice her.

Muttering to himself inwardly, Xiao Yan did not rush to answer. Instead, he suddenly asked an inexplicable question. "Father, is there anything special happening tomorrow?"

"Something special? Now that you mention it, I was just about to remind you. We will have an honored guest at home tomorrow, so do not be discourteous."

Just as I thought.

"Haha, Yan'er, what are you muttering about? Tell your father as well."

"...Ah, nothing!"

"You brat."