Deciding to Leave

As the last youth returned below the stage, the retest portion of the ceremony was complete. Xiao Ying stepped forward to begin the next part.

"The ritual retest has concluded. Next comes the challenge segment. Does anyone wish to issue a challenge? Of course, your strength cannot exceed that of a Dou Zhe." Xiao Ying looked over the younger generation of the Xiao Family below the stage with some anticipation. He was not worried; given the strength Xiao Jin had displayed, no one should challenge him.

The boys and girls looked at one another, but no one stepped forward. Xiao Jin yawned, bored out of his mind. With the strength he had shown, no one should challenge him either. There was no point staying; he might as well go chat with Ya Fei. To him, these little ones who had not even become Dou Zhe were like children playing house.

At that moment, an ordinary-looking youth stood up. "I challenge Xiao Huohuo." It was Xiao Ning.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jin seemed to have triggered some sort of passive ability. He stopped walking, casually found a spot, took out a small stool from his Storage Ring, and sat down to enjoy the show.

"Cousin, you wouldn't refuse to show me some respect, would you?" Xiao Ning looked at Xiao Huohuo with a half-smile.

"Since Cousin is in the mood, I'll play with you." A cold glint flashed through Xiao Huohuo's eyes. It was time to settle the score between him and Xiao Ning.

"Go, Brother! Beat that hateful guy up properly!" Xiao Xun'er cheered for Xiao Huohuo. Xiao Ning's heart turned cold at her words, and his face fell. Seeing Xiao Ning's expression, Xiao Jin thought of a song from his previous life: "Snowflakes drift, the north wind howls..."

The two stepped onto the Training Ground together, and the people around them made space for them. The First Elder of the Xiao Family, seated on the platform, looked grim. "What is this idiot doing? Does he still think Xiao Huohuo is the useless trash he used to be? You're both at the eighth stage of Dou Qi—where does your confidence come from?"

The First Elder was somewhat worried. Although Xiao Ning knew a high-grade Yellow-tier Dou Skill, who knew whether Xiao Huohuo possessed an even higher-level Dou Skill?

Xiao Huohuo stood on the stage and looked speechlessly at Xiao Ning, who stood there in a daze with a defeated expression. "Are we fighting or not?"

Xiao Ning snapped back to his senses. Looking at Xiao Xun'er cheering for Xiao Huohuo below the stage, he sighed. "I concede." Then, looking utterly dejected, he left the Training Ground, leaving the Xiao Family members who had been waiting for a good show staring at one another.

Xiao Huohuo stood on the stage with a baffled look on his face. You were the one who challenged me. Now you're surrendering before we've even started? What the hell is this?

Xiao Jin, below the stage, also put away his stool with a disappointed expression.

Xiao Ying stepped forward and announced, "Xiao Huohuo versus Xiao Ning. The victor is Xiao Huohuo. Does anyone else wish to challenge?"

The younger members of the Xiao Family all shook their heads.

Seeing that no one else wished to challenge, Xiao Ying announced that the Coming of Age Ceremony had officially concluded.

The guests in the VIP seats also began leaving the Xiao Family. The Xiao Family Patriarch and several elders saw them out one by one.

Xiao Jin first found Xiao Yi Xian and told her to return to her room. Then he prepared to find Ya Fei. At the thought of Ya Fei, his head began to ache. He did not know how to explain things to her.

After searching for a while, Xiao Jin found Ya Fei at the entrance of the family estate. It seemed she had been waiting for him on purpose.

"Sister Ya Fei, you saw everything?" Xiao Jin asked nervously.

"Well, well, Little Brother. Since when did you have such a beautiful woman by your side? And you didn't even introduce her to your sister so I could get to know her." Ya Fei looked at Xiao Jin with a half-smile, though her jade-like hands clasped tightly behind her back.

"Sister Ya Fei, listen to my explanation." Xiao Jin told Ya Fei everything about how he and Xiao Yi Xian had met and how they had ended up together. Then he waited for Ya Fei's punishment like a child who had done something wrong.

"I see. Since it has already happened, what can I do? Should I make you drive that girl away?" Ya Fei asked helplessly.

"Then, Sister Ya Fei, what are you going to do?" Xiao Jin lowered his head, too afraid to look at her.

"What else can I do? Since a twist of fate brought you two together, it proves that you have a bond. I can't bear to leave you either. I can only hope that you won't help her bully your sister in the future." Ya Fei looked at Xiao Jin pitifully.

"I won't, Sister Ya Fei. You're the woman I love most. In my heart, other than Grandfather, you're the most important person to me. How could I possibly bully you? Besides, Xiao Yi Xian isn't that kind of person," Xiao Jin said firmly. As for whether Ya Fei or Xiao Yi Xian was more important, that depended on whom he was saying it to.

Ya Fei was deeply moved by Xiao Jin's words. Since her parents had passed away, Xiao Jin had also become the most important person in her life. Ya Fei stepped forward and hugged him, making the people nearby widen their eyes, especially the Xiao Family members.

"Xiao Jin really is scum. He already has Xiao Yi Xian, yet he's still embracing Miss Ya Fei from the Mite'er Auction House. He's not human," a Xiao Family youth said through gritted teeth, his eyes filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment.

"Yeah, he really is scum," another clansman echoed.

Feeling the gazes around them, Ya Fei's pretty face turned red. She grabbed Xiao Jin and fled toward the Mite'er Auction House as if escaping, while Xiao Jin did not resist and simply let her pull him along.

Before long, Ya Fei brought Xiao Jin to the Mite'er Auction House—to her office, once again. Ya Fei released his hand, seemingly unsure how to begin. Seeing her hesitate, Xiao Jin felt somewhat confused.

"Sister Ya Fei, just say what you want to say. Is there anything we can't talk about between us?" Xiao Jin stepped forward, hugged Ya Fei, and whispered softly in her ear.

After a while, Ya Fei gritted her teeth and slowly said, "I'm leaving."

Those words made Xiao Jin's entire body tremble. He became flustered, his heart overwhelmed by intense unease.

"Sister Ya Fei, where are you going? I was wrong. Please don't leave me, okay?" Xiao Jin's voice trembled. After all, neither in his previous life nor this one had he experienced what a breakup felt like. The moment he heard that Ya Fei was leaving, he lost all composure.

Seeing the flustered youth before her, Ya Fei laughed. "You're that worried about me? I'm only returning to the Imperial Capital. Didn't I tell you before? The family arranged for me to return and manage the Mite'er Auction House in the Imperial Capital. The clansmen sent to fetch me have already arrived in Wutan City, and I have to leave Wutan City tomorrow. I went to the Xiao Family today to watch your Coming of Age Ceremony because I wanted to say goodbye to you."

After hearing Ya Fei's words, Xiao Jin let out a breath of relief. The unease in his heart quickly faded, replaced by anger. He raised his hand and gave Ya Fei's shapely butt a heavy slap. "Smack!" "Ah!" Amid Ya Fei's cry, she covered her slightly reddened, swollen butt with both hands and glared at Xiao Jin angrily.

"You only said half of it. Were you trying to scare me to death?" Xiao Jin rolled his eyes at Ya Fei.

"Who told you not to listen to me? And then you bullied me too." Ya Fei looked at Xiao Jin with tearful eyes, aggrieved.

Xiao Jin felt a little awkward at the sight of Ya Fei's expression. He had used too much force just now. "Want me to rub it for you?" Xiao Jin looked at Ya Fei with a fawning smile.

"Cut it out. You just want to take advantage of me again." Ya Fei rolled her eyes at Xiao Jin.

Xiao Jin chuckled awkwardly, stepped forward, hugged Ya Fei, and sat down in the chair as he began to think.

Wutan City is just a beginner's village. Most of the gold coins in all of Wutan City have already fallen into my hands, so there's no need to stay any longer. If I want to rapidly increase my strength, I can only leave this beginner's village. Perfect—I can return to the Imperial Capital with Sister Ya Fei this time. There are far more experts there than in Wutan City. When the time comes, I can casually refine some high-tier medicinal pills and auction them off. Won't my strength soar like a rocket? Xiao Jin secretly nodded at the thought.

"I'll go with you."