Xiao Jiana

After crossing into the world of A Chinese Ghost Story, time had stopped across the entire Douqi Continent. So when he returned, it was still the exact moment he had left.

Pushing open the door, Xiao Han couldn't help taking a deep breath of the pure air of the Douqi Continent.

He spread his arms, closed his eyes, and tilted his head back, savoring the free-flowing, sweet Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi of the Douqi Continent.

The Swallowing Spirit Technique activated on its own, greedily absorbing the Spiritual Qi drifting through the air.

Sure enough, compared to the world of A Chinese Ghost Story, the quality of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi on the Douqi Continent was in a league of its own!

Behind Xiao Han stood a black-haired, red-eyed little girl, looking thoroughly aggrieved. She kept rubbing her bottom as if someone had given her a spanking.

"From now on, don't tug at my pants without my permission. Got it?" Xiao Han fixed Gatanothor with a frosty glare and began to lecture her. When dealing with a disobedient little thing like this, you had to be a bit fierce!

"Oh. Then I'll tug at your clothes."

"Clothes are off-limits too! From now on, don't touch me without my permission. Understood?!" Xiao Han curled his fingers around Gatanothor's adorable little head like a claw and glared at her menacingly.

"W-Waaah! Wh-why are you being so mean? I'll do as you say!"

After giving Gatanothor a good scare, Xiao Han felt a rush of satisfaction from bullying a little girl.

Good grief, had he awakened some strange new fetish?

"Ahem. Do you have any other names? Gatanothor doesn't exactly sound like a girl's name."

Xiao Han looked at Gatanothor tentatively as he asked.

"No. I've had this name for at least thirty million years." Gatanothor pouted adorably and turned away in a huff.

"Fine, then. I'll give you a new name. From today on, you'll be called Jana. And for your surname... You're my pet now, so you can take mine. Xiao Jiana it is."

It took Xiao Han less than ten seconds to steal a name from his memories.

But Gatanothor looked disgusted. "A foolish, lowly human name! I won't—"

"Hm?!"

Before she could finish, Gatanothor felt Xiao Han's big hand clamp around her head again. She looked up at his face, dark as charcoal, and trembled, tears nearly spilling from her eyes.

For some reason, Gatanothor, who had never feared anything before, now felt terrified whenever she saw Xiao Han.

"Fine! Jana! From today on, my name is Jana!"

Nodding like a pecking chicken, Xiao Jiana trembled. Her new master was terrifying!

Looking at Xiao Jiana, who seemed rebellious but obeyed as soon as he threatened her, Xiao Han nodded in satisfaction.

Whatever else you could say, a pet provided by the system was bound to be loyal.

"Come on. From today on, you're my personal maid No. 2! Put on this black robe. I'll take you to have some new clothes made. Your lace dress and little round-toed shoes look completely out of place in this world. They ruin the immersion."

Though Xiao Jiana was puzzled about why she was No. 2, she could only obediently put on the black robe and follow him.

With his hands behind his back and a whistle on his lips, Xiao Han walked out of the Separate Courtyard, which he hadn't seen in over three months. A familiar feeling washed over him.

Behind him, Xiao Jiana gazed curiously at this world of classical architecture and old-world charm.

Whether it was the architecture of modern humans or that of the super-ancient civilization from thirty million years ago, its style was different from the world of the Douqi Continent, which leaned toward a blend of Eastern and Western influences.

The little girl obediently followed Xiao Han out of the Separate Courtyard. Before long, they had reached the Xiao Family's Clan Territory.

"Good morning, Cousin Xiao Han!"

"Good morning, Cousin Xiao Han!"

"Cousin Xiao Han, you're looking even more handsome!"

"Cousin Xiao Han is truly the picture of talent!"

"Well, well, look who it is—our Alchemist Master! What brings you out today?"

"Young Patriarch Xiao Han, have you eaten yet?"

As soon as he entered the Clan Territory, the enthusiastic Xiao Clan Disciples swarmed around him to greet him.

They had learned from their fathers that the reason they could now enjoy cultivation resources in the form of Two-Grade Pills—something even other Dou Ling-level factions couldn't offer—was all thanks to Xiao Han, a Second Grade Alchemist.

Thanks to the hard work of Xiao Han, their fellow clansman and alchemist, their cultivation conditions had improved by leaps and bounds. Xiao Han had already been popular among the younger generation of the Xiao Family, and now his prestige had reached its peak.

"Hello, everyone."

He greeted his cousins, who were all related to him to one degree or another, then took several bottles of freshly refined pills from his Storage Ring and handed them out to the Xiao Clan Disciples present. Their cheers erupted once again.

Listening to the cheers of the Xiao Clan Disciples all around him, Xiao Han fell into thought...

People weren't made of grass and wood; how could they be without feelings?

After spending all these years with them, he had grown somewhat attached to the Xiao Family. Otherwise, why would he have gone to such lengths to think about the family's development?

The Xiao Family now controlled all of Wutan City and Shimo City in the Tagor Desert. Through its partnership with the Mittel Auction House, it had continued to grow stronger and was finally on the right track.

As for an attack by the Hun Clan, Xiao Han wasn't too worried.

There was still plenty of time. The Hun Clan wouldn't discover the Xiao Family for at least another four years, when Xiao Han turned eighteen. Still, given how frightening the butterfly effect could be, he had to consider whether the Hun Clan might discover the Xiao Family sooner.

If that happened, handing over the Tou She Ancient God Jade to Xiao Xun'er in exchange for the Gu Clan's protection wasn't out of the question.

After all, given Xiao Xun'er and Xiao Han's friendship, the thousand-year-old pact between the Gu Clan and Xiao Clan, and the old affection between Gu Yuan and Xiao Xuan, the Gu Clan would have little trouble holding off an attack by the Hun Clan.

Just as Xiao Han was considering what to do next, a short, black-robed girl hiding behind him caught the attention of a group of Xiao Family girls.

"What an adorable little girl!"

"Huh? Do we have such a cute little one in the Xiao Family?"

"What a Beauty Embryo! She looks like she came with the Young Patriarch. Could she be his friend?"

Having lost all her powers, Xiao Jiana couldn't resist when one of the girls quickly pulled down her hood. The Xiao Clan girls immediately crowded around her.

Like a doll, Xiao Jiana was fondled from head to toe by the group of Xiao Clan girls. Whether it was her silky hair, her beautiful ruby-red eyes, her face, more delicate than Xiao Xun'er's or Qinglin's, or her skin, smooth as Lard Jade, the onlookers couldn't get enough of her.

"Waaah! You foolish humans! I want you to worship me, not play with me!"

With a little whimper like a puppy, Xiao Jiana soon lost all chance to fight back. With nowhere left to turn, she could only look desperately to Xiao Han for help.

"Waaah! Master, come save Jana!"

"Master?"

The little girl's words immediately drew everyone's attention. In particular, the word "master," with its rather questionable implications, sent the Xiao Clan members' imaginations running wild.

They pictured things like training a little-girl slave, or a perverted young master and his little puppy.

No wonder Young Master Xiao Han never responded to the girls in the clan who showed interest in him. It turned out Young Master Xiao Han liked little girls!

At the thought, the others gave Xiao Han some very strange looks.

Xiao Han knew at once what those impure minds were thinking and hurried to explain.

"I forgot to introduce her earlier. This girl is someone I rescued while traveling. She was the young miss of a powerful faction, but her parents died in a power struggle. The day I met her, she was being hunted. I took pity on her and saved her.

"She looked so pitiful, so I brought her back to the family to serve as my maid. That's all."

Quickly putting the story together, he gave Xiao Jiana a tragic background, earning her the sympathy of the Xiao Family members.

Who would have thought that such an innocent, adorable little girl had been through so much?

Some of the girls who hadn't seen much of the world even began to cry.

They gathered around the utterly bewildered Xiao Jiana and comforted her.

When Xiao Han realized his made-up story had backfired, he grabbed Xiao Jiana by the scruff of her neck and fled the Xiao Family's Clan Territory.