The Reasonable Xiao Yan

Looking at the young man's immature face, the old man in a green robe nodded kindly. "Young Clan Leader, your Cultivation Level seems to have grown a little stronger again."

Xiao Yan smiled faintly. "Steward Mo, I only took the test yesterday. How could I have improved that quickly?"

"Hahaha, perhaps the Young Clan Leader simply gives people the feeling that he's always forging ahead."

Xiao Yan followed Old Butler through the rear courtyard and finally stopped outside the solemn reception hall. He knocked respectfully before gently pushing the door open and entering.

The hall was very spacious, and there were quite a few people inside. Seated at the very top were Xiao Zhan and the three clan elders. The authority of the three of them was no less than that of the clan leader.

Below the four of them on the left sat some senior members of the clan who had a voice in its affairs and were not weak in strength. Beside them were also some younger members of the clan who had performed outstandingly.

When Xiao Yan arrived, all the younger generation greeted him with smiling faces.

"Hello, Young Clan Leader."

"Morning, Young Clan Leader."

"Young Clan Leader, your Cultivation Level has improved again."

"Hehe, Yan'er, you're here. Hurry and sit." Seeing Xiao Yan arrive, Xiao Zhan nodded at him and waved.

Xiao Yan nodded with a smile and walked straight to the seat below the Third Elder. Xiao Yan's current status was actually already about the same as an elder's. It could be said that he was on equal footing with them, and seated beside Xiao Yan's place was Xun'er.

Xun'er's status in the Xiao Clan was very unusual. Although she held no authority in the clan, even the clan leader Xiao Zhan was very polite to Xun'er. It could be said that she could do whatever she wanted.

What surprised Xiao Yan a little, however, was that the honored guests Xiao Zhan had mentioned were actually two old men and a young girl about his age.

The young girl's appearance was unexpectedly even a little more beautiful than Xiao Mei's. In this clan, perhaps only Xiao Xun'er, who was like a Green Lotus, could compare with her.

From the young girl's delicate earlobes hung green jade pendants. As they swayed slightly, they made a crisp jade chime, abruptly revealing a hint of precious elegance. In addition, beside the young girl's dainty little chest, which had already begun to develop, three golden stars were embroidered.

Xiao Yan frowned and thought, A Three-Star Dou Zhe. If this girl didn't rely on external objects to stimulate her strength, then she's an absolute genius. She's actually on par with me in Cultivation Level.

As expected of someone from the Misty Cloud Sect.

Xiao Yan's eyes were sharp. When he saw the cloud and silver sword at the cuff of the young girl's robe, he knew she came from the Misty Cloud Sect.

If the Xiao Family was a local tyrant of Wutan City, then the Misty Cloud Sect could perhaps be called the tyrant of the entire Jia Ma Empire.

In that case, the name of the young girl before him was already obvious.

Nalan Yanran.

To put it simply, she was Xiao Yan's betrothed since childhood.

"What is she doing here?"

Xiao Yan scratched his head raw and still could not understand why Nalan Yanran would come all the way from the Misty Cloud Sect to this remote region for no reason.

He had not even reached adulthood yet. No matter what, the marriage agreement should not be brought up now.

Nalan Yanran also saw Xiao Yan arrive. What surprised Xiao Yan was that Nalan Yanran's eyes actually carried stubbornness, as if she had come with some kind of determination.

Nalan Yanran stood up and said in an incomparably serious tone, "Clan Leader Xiao, I came to the Xiao Family today to annul the engagement!"

!!!!!!!!?? Everyone present froze on the spot. Forget the younger generation who were listening in being dumbfounded—even the three elders and Xiao Zhan were stunned.

Why were you doing this?

A childhood betrothal was naturally something arranged by the elders of both sides. It was the betrothal arranged in earlier years by Xiao Yan's deceased grandfather Xiao Lin and Nalan Yanran's grandfather Nalan Jie.

Some time ago, Xiao Zhan had exchanged letters with Nalan Jie, and both sides had been very satisfied with the other's child.

Xiao Zhan had known last night that Nalan Yanran was coming, which was why he had gone to the cliff to tell Xiao Yan to rest early. Perhaps there might be good news.

He had not expected reality to be the exact opposite.

Xiao Zhan and the elders looked at one another, unable to understand where something had gone wrong. He asked in confusion, "Niece Nalan, are you mistaken? I only exchanged letters with your grandfather some time ago, and I heard nothing about annulling the engagement."

Facing the questioning, Nalan Yanran did not shrink back in the slightest and said resolutely, "This is something I decided myself. It has nothing to do with my grandfather or the Nalan Family."

Good heavens. No wonder Nalan Yanran had only dragged two old men from the Misty Cloud Sect here to discuss the matter. So this was just like running away from home—it was her own decision, and she had grabbed a few confidants and slipped out.

"Ahem." Seeing the atmosphere become so bewildering, the old man beside Nalan Yanran stood up and cupped his hands toward Xiao Zhan. "Hehe, Clan Leader Xiao, Yanran joined the Misty Cloud Sect five years ago and displayed exceptional cultivation talent. The Sect Master is extremely fond of her. The Sect Master once said that cultivation is also cultivating the heart, and for a cultivator, the most important thing is to have no regrets in one's heart. Therefore, we would like to ask Clan Leader Xiao to... annul this marriage agreement."

Crack! The jade cup in Xiao Zhan's hand instantly turned into a cloud of powder.

The atmosphere in the hall fell somewhat silent. If Nalan Yanran could still be acting on impulse, then Ge Ye absolutely could not be. This had clearly been discussed beforehand.

But after a moment, countless man-eating gazes locked fiercely onto Ge Ye and the other two. Forget Da Dou Shi like Xiao Zhan and the elders—even some of the younger generation in the clan who were only at the fourth or fifth stage of Dou Qi let out waves of teeth-grinding sounds.

Humiliation!

Xiao Yan was their Young Clan Leader, the future light of their clan, and their pride. Now someone had actually annulled his engagement in public! This slap had undoubtedly landed viciously on the faces of every member of the Xiao Clan.

At this moment, Ge Ye and the other two felt as if they had fallen into a wolf den, watched by packs of vicious wolves. As long as the wolf king gave the order, no one would care whether they were from the Misty Cloud Sect or not; they would all pounce over and take a bite.

Xiao Yan possessed precisely that kind of charisma.

Ge Ye smiled apologetically and said, "Clan Leader Xiao, we also know that today's request is rather impolite, so we specially had me bring an item as an apology."

As he finished speaking, Ge Ye took out an ancient jade box that was green all over from his storage ring. A strange fragrance immediately filled the hall.

"This is Pill King Gu He—"

Before Ge Ye could finish speaking, Xiao Zhan clenched his fists. Faint green Dou Qi gradually covered his body, finally gathering into an illusory lion head.

This was the Xiao Family's top Cultivation Method: Furious Lion Vajra! Grade: Middle Xuan Rank!

Watching Xiao Zhan's reaction, Ge Ye was startled as well. His eagle-claw-like hands suddenly curled tight, and green Dou Qi gathered within them, giving off tiny yet razor-sharp sword energy.

A profound Cultivation Method of the Misty Cloud Sect, Azure Wood Swordplay! Rank: Mystic Low-Rank!

As the two men's auras collided, the wooden box in Ge Ye's hand also fell to the floor, and the longan-sized Medicinal Pill rolled out of the box and onto the ground.

But unexpectedly, everyone in the Xiao Clan did not even spare the Medicinal Pill on the floor a glance. The Xiao clansmen's anger even overpowered the pill's strange fragrance.

Ge Ye glanced at the Medicinal Pill on the ground, then looked at the eyes of everyone around him. Faced with such a rare treasure, not a single person showed greed in their eyes. All of them were filled with anger.

Finally, Ge Ye looked toward the young man sitting off to the side, who, like an outsider, had been drinking tea the entire time without saying a word.

He, Ge Ye, had misjudged him. This young man could actually unite an entire clan—what kind of ability was that? Even in the Misty Cloud Sect, the sect was divided into different factions, and not everyone completely obeyed the Sect Master.

"Yanran, why don't we return for now and discuss this properly?"

With a clap of her step, Nalan Yanran moved forward and said in a solemn tone, "I joined the Misty Cloud Sect five years ago, and cultivating under the Sect Master taught me one thing. I, Nalan Yanran, decide my own fate, and I, Nalan Yanran, decide whom I marry!"

The atmosphere in the hall instantly turned somewhat silent. Even Ge Ye was startled by Nalan Yanran's determination.

Clap, clap, clap. A burst of applause suddenly rang out in the hall. When everyone looked toward the sound, it was actually Xiao Yan clapping.

"Deciding your own fate for yourself—not bad. I, Xiao Yan, already have someone in my heart as well, so this marriage should indeed be annulled."

When Xun Er heard Xiao Yan say he already had someone in his heart, her cheeks flushed red at once, and her mind even began to run wild.

Xiao Yan still wore that confident smile that belonged to him. He rose from his seat, looked at this "fiancée," and said, "However, you brought up the request to dissolve the engagement to my father in front of everyone. That means my father, the Clan Leader, has completely lost face, and in the future he will become a laughingstock to others, his dignity greatly diminished."

Xiao Yan's tone suddenly sharpened, and his gaze turned frighteningly cold.

He did not care much about whether there was an engagement or not, but if an engagement both sides had agreed upon could simply be annulled today, how would the Xiao Clan establish itself in the future?

"I, Xiao Yan, am not an unreasonable person either. One move. If you can take one move from me, this marriage will be annulled."