The Girl Who Defied Fate

Standing by the window and gazing out, Xiao Han looked over Xiao Yi Xian's appearance and clicked his tongue in amazement.

Though Xiao Yi Xian was still very young, she was already a rare beauty in the making.

Like Xiao Xun'er, Xiao Yi Xian seemed pure, gentle, and kind on the surface, as though she bore goodwill toward everyone.

But in truth, that was merely a mask she wore. Because of her Disaster Poison Body, she had endured hardships since childhood beyond what most people could imagine.

Those hardships had also given her a maturity far beyond her peers.

Unless someone had earned her recognition, they would never get so much as a genuine smile from her.

No one would believe Xiao Han if he said he had no designs on Xiao Yi Xian.

But his "designs" didn't involve pawing at the young girl's snow-white body or doing the sorts of things men and women did together.

Rather, after spending quite some time thinking it over, an idea had taken shape in his mind.

After obtaining the system and spending over a month mulling things over at home, I, Xiao Han, made a decision that went against the original story.

That was, Xiao Han would start making plans to build a force of his own!

In the original story, there were only a few geniuses around Xiao Yan who could reach Dou Sheng: Xiao Yi Xian, Medusa, Xiao Xun'er, and Zi Yan. They were all stunning beauties, so gorgeous they seemed almost unreal. If he could win them over and bring them into his fold early, they would provide him with unimaginable support in the future.

His little maid Qinglin had the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, but her innate talent wasn't quite at the very top.

Still, Xiao Han already had a plan. Once he grew stronger, he would take Qinglin across the entire Douqi Continent to capture powerful snake-type magical beasts, giving her the means to reach Dou Sheng!

As for Xiao Xun'er, he had treated her well since they were children, but as the Gu Clan's Young Miss, she was simply too unpredictable. Unless she came to feel about him the way she had felt about Xiao Yan in the original story, she wasn't someone he could trust.

He would be able to meet Zi Yan once he reached Jia Nan Academy. He could start by feeding her, switch straight into caretaker mode, and then slowly build a bond with his pet as her owner. That ought to work.

Zi Yan wouldn't be difficult to handle. The hardest one to win over was Queen Meduza. She was not to be trifled with—proud and impossible to tame.

If an accident hadn't happened in the original story, causing the deed to be done before she could object, that proud woman probably wouldn't have lowered her head so easily.

But pride had its limits. Before evolving, Queen Meduza was a Dou Emperor, and her talent was above average. Even if she cultivated her whole life, reaching Dou Zong would be the best she could hope for.

That was why Queen Meduza was willing to risk being roasted into snake soup by the Green Lotus Core Flame in order to evolve with a Heavenly Flame.

But how could a Heavenly Flame's danger be something a mere Medusa could control? Unrestrained and violent, a Heavenly Flame without anyone controlling it was even more dangerous than those savage beasts that devoured people!

Back then, his teacher, Yao Chen, had nearly been killed by the Bone Spirit Cold Flame. They said that after that, Old Man Yao had developed a psychological shadow around the Flame Mantra and switched to cultivating another technique.

Ahem, that was beside the point.

Actually, Xiao Han had an even more devious plan for Queen Meduza.

If he could reach an agreement with her, he would use the Demonic Flame to help Queen Meduza evolve!

And after evolving, Queen Meduza would turn into an unbelievably adorable purple little loach!

Ahem!

He meant an unbelievably adorable Colorful Swallowing Python! A cute little creature that would make any girl squeal at the sight of her—Xiao Cai!

And what came next was obvious. Heh heh.

But even after watching Xiao Yi Xian's back disappear from view, Xiao Han still didn't go downstairs to approach the owner of the Disaster Poison Body.

First, offering help for no reason was suspicious. If Xiao Han walked right up to her like that, Xiao Yi Xian's strong wariness toward strangers could very well cause his attempt to recruit her to fail.

Second, Xiao Yi Xian's Disaster Poison Body was still dormant, so she wasn't yet consumed by a desperate craving for poison.

He would wait until her Disaster Poison Body left her in unbearable pain, then appear and give her a hand. Help in a time of need was worth more than adding flowers to brocade.

Then he could appeal to her emotions and reason, and offer to refine Poison Pills for her. That should be enough to bring her into his camp.

Taking a napkin, he wiped his mouth. Xiao Han stood up, paid the bill, and checked out of the room.

He had spent nearly a week in Green Mountain Town. His alchemist rank had advanced, and his swordsmanship had reached perfection; all he needed was a chance to break through to the pinnacle. In those ten or so days, Xiao Han had not only obtained three Dou Techniques but had also made considerable progress in strength. He was already quite satisfied.

"Homeward bound~"

Meanwhile... in a certain family in Jia Ma Holy City, an old man and a young girl stood facing off, both furious.

"I won't! I refuse to marry that good-for-nothing!"

The fourteen-year-old girl screamed at her grandfather, who had always doted on her and been proud of her.

"You... you ungrateful wretch!"

The old man was so enraged by his granddaughter's demand that his lips trembled. He raised his withered hand, about to slap the tearful girl across the face.

But for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to let the raised hand fall.

Looking at her furious grandfather, Nalan Yanran's face was full of hurt and sadness.

Nalan Yanran didn't understand. She truly couldn't understand why her grandfather insisted on making her marry that good-for-nothing from the Xiao Family. Was it really just because of some promise made years ago? Was he going to push his precious granddaughter into a pit of fire over it?!

If this had happened two years ago, when Nalan Yanran heard she was to marry a twelve-year-old genius who had already reached Dou Zhe, she might have been unwilling, but she would have had no choice but to accept her fate!

Because Xiao Yan had truly been a genius with a boundless future ahead of him!

A twelve-year-old Dou Zhe, with such a terrifying rate of cultivation, was unprecedented in the history of the entire Jia Ma Empire. It was easy to imagine that, barring any misfortune, Xiao Yan would surely become a Dou Huang expert one day!

Her father, mother, and grandparents had all hoped this Marriage Contract would be honored.

Whether one considered the deep friendship between her grandfather and the Xiao Family's old patriarch or the benefits it would bring, this Marriage Contract offered Nalan Family considerable advantages.

To draw a future Dou Huang, perhaps even Dou Zong, into their ranks with nothing more than a Marriage Contract—what a bargain.

Besides, their daughter was talented and beautiful. The Marriage Contract was no disgrace to a genius like Xiao Yan.

But fate was unpredictable.

Nalan Yanran had already accepted her fate when, two years ago, she heard the rumor that Xiao Yan had gone from a genius to a cripple. After using her connections in the Misty Cloud Sect, she confirmed the news through the sect's informants.

The twelve-year-old genius Dou Zhe had become a cripple. His Dou Qi had vanished overnight, and no matter how he cultivated, he could only remain at the Third Stage Dou Disciple. No doctor, no matter how skilled, could find anything wrong with him.

In other words, the genius Xiao Yan... was finished.

Though Nalan Yanran's talent wasn't as good as Xiao Yan's had been before he became a cripple, she had made rapid progress through years of effort. One month after celebrating her fourteenth birthday, she successfully reached Dou Zhe!

A fourteen-year-old Dou Zhe was already quite talented.

With such gifts, she had naturally been taken on as a disciple by Yun Yun, the Yunlan Sect Leader.

Now that she had become a Dou Zhe and had a Dou Huang expert as her teacher, Nalan Yanran finally had the means to resist her family, her grandfather, and the miserable fate of marrying a cripple!

When Nalan Yanran had happily told her grandfather she had reached Dou Zhe and wanted to break off the Marriage Contract with the Xiao Family's good-for-nothing, the old man who had loved her most had flatly refused!

In the end, he couldn't bring himself to punish his granddaughter. Nalan Jie truly felt that... this was too difficult.

"Get out!"

The old man took a deep breath and closed his eyes. With a sweep of his sleeve, he turned away, one hand clasped behind his back and the other pointing toward the door. "Get out! Go back to your room and reflect for three days! I don't want to hear you mention breaking off the Marriage Contract again!"

Even a man as headstrong as he was found the choice agonizing: his granddaughter on one side, and on the other a betrothal agreed upon when his old friend Xiao Lin, who had died for his sake, was still alive.

"Waaah—Grandpa, you big meanie!!!"

Tears streamed down like pearls from a broken string. Even though Nalan Yanran was strong-willed, after being misunderstood and betrayed by someone so dear to her, she couldn't help but burst into tears.

Weeping bitterly, Nalan Yanran kept wiping her tears with her sleeve. After tossing out a heartbroken outburst, she rushed from the room without looking back, then straight out the gates of the Nalan Family. She had run away from home...

After Nalan Yanran left, an unremarkable-looking middle-aged man entered Nalan Jie's room and knelt on one knee. "Master, should I follow Young Miss?"

"Leave it. Let Yanran clear her head. Besides, my Nalan Family is one of the great powers in the Jia Ma Empire. I doubt anyone would be foolish enough to provoke my granddaughter." Nalan Jie spoke with a commanding air, and the killing intent he had built up through years of military service was chilling.

"Besides, I heard that when the Yunlan Sect Leader took Yanran as her disciple, she gave her a treasure that can briefly withstand attacks from a Dou Huang expert. I doubt any Dou Huang expert would stoop so low as to attack a child.

"Besides, how many times has Yanran run away from home before? Didn't she always come running back obediently? Whatever else she may be, she's still my granddaughter. She's a little too proud, but she'd never do something so foolish as provoke an enemy she couldn't afford to offend."