"Am I still alive? Where is this?"
On the bed, Xiao Yi Xian slowly opened her eyes. Seeing everything around her, she froze for a moment.
Her last memory was of the moment the Amethyst Winged Lion King appeared.
When the overwhelming pressure of a Tier 6 Magical Beast bore down on her, she couldn't withstand it and fainted on the spot.
"You're awake? Have something to eat."
Just then, a gentle male voice came from nearby.
Xiao Yi Xian sat up and saw a familiar figure sitting by a table not far away.
"Xiao Yu? Did you save me?" Xiao Yi Xian was quite surprised, and her eyes showed a hint of emotion. She hadn't expected she would get to see him again.
As she drew closer, Xiao Yi Xian's gaze was quickly drawn to the child in Xiao Yu's arms.
The child looked to be less than a year old, tiny, with round eyes and plump little cheeks.
When the child saw Xiao Yi Xian, he reached out both hands and waved them wildly at her, babbling.
Xiao Yi Xian sat down, curious. "Whose child is this? He's so cute."
"Cute, isn't he? His name is Xiao Fan. He's my son." Hearing someone praise his son made Xiao Yu grin from ear to ear.
"Your son?"
Xiao Yi Xian looked surprised, but then her expression returned to normal.
She remembered that Xiao Yu had married quite young. Though he wasn't old, he had already been married for nearly two years.
Little Xiao Fan squirmed restlessly in Xiao Yu's arms, struggling nonstop.
"You little brat, keep acting up. Just wait until you're two years older—you'll get what's coming to you." Xiao Yu put on a fierce act.
"What kind of father says that?" Xiao Yi Xian gave him an exasperated glare, then took little Xiao Fan from his arms.
The child stopped crying at once.
Xiao Yi Xian couldn't help laughing. She hadn't spent much time around children, but she thought they were all adorable, innocent and pure.
Seeing his son stop crying and fussing, Xiao Yu gave up on the idea of sending him to the wet nurse.
To help care for the children, the Xiao Clan had hired several wet nurses.
Just then, a faint sound of pain came from the other bed.
"Who's that?" Xiao Yi Xian glanced over.
"The person who fought the Amethyst Winged Lion King," Xiao Yu said.
He rose and walked over. Yun Yun slowly opened her eyes, her pale face showing worry and unease.
Then Yun Yun asked the same question Xiao Yi Xian had.
Xiao Yu told them they were at his home.
Over the next two days, Yun Yun and Xiao Yi Xian stayed temporarily with the Xiao Clan.
Xiao Yi Xian had been worried about her Magical Beast, Xiao Lan, but when she saw it safe and sound in the courtyard, she breathed a small sigh of relief.
During that time, Ya Fei and Li Qian came by to see them.
As the Misty Cloud Sect Master, Yun Yun possessed an extraordinary bearing. Though injured, she still radiated a chill that kept people at arm's length.
However, her strength was sealed for now. Aside from Xiao Yi Xian, who knew she was powerful enough to fight the Amethyst Winged Lion King, the other two had no idea.
At dusk.
The four of them sat down in the pavilion in the courtyard.
Xiao Yi Xian held little Xiao Fan in her arms. Over the past two days, she had grown very fond of him.
Li Qian held her newborn daughter.
Xiao Clan servants came and went, hanging red lanterns beneath the eaves.
Everyone's face was lit with celebration.
"Li Qian, Sister Ya Fei, is someone in the Xiao Clan getting married?" Xiao Yi Xian looked away from the lanterns and turned to them curiously.
Beside her, Yun Yun—who had introduced herself as Yun Zhi—also looked interested, her cool face softening a little.
She had always cultivated at the Misty Cloud Sect and rarely took part in worldly celebrations. When families on good terms with the sect held birthday celebrations, she usually sent an elder or arranged for a disciple to attend in her place.
Because her seal hadn't been lifted over the past two days, she had no choice but to stay at the Xiao Clan for now.
Yun Yun was very surprised that Xiao Yu had managed to save her.
As far as she knew, Xiao Yu was only a Dou Master. How could he have rescued her from the Amethyst Winged Lion King?
Though she was very curious, Yun Yun hadn't asked him yet. She was waiting for her strength to recover.
This had to be a personal secret, and she worried that asking would offend Xiao Yu and put her in danger.
Ya Fei and Li Qian exchanged a glance.
Ya Fei looked at Xiao Yi Xian. "You don't know?"
Xiao Yi Xian looked bewildered and shook her head.
Li Qian turned to Yun Yun. "Miss Yun Zhi, you don't know either?"
"Why would I know?" Yun Yun paused, then asked in return.
Just then, several servants happened to walk toward the pavilion.
"Miss Yun Zhi, Miss Xiao Yi Xian, please come with us to get your measurements for your clothes."
The woman at the front, who looked a little older than the others, smiled as she spoke to them.
Xiao Yi Xian and Yun Yun stared at her blankly.
"Measurements for what clothes?" Yun Yun came back to her senses, completely confused. A growing sense of dread settled in her heart.
The servant explained, "Tomorrow is the wedding day for the two of you and the young clan leader. You'll both need wedding clothes, so we have to take your measurements now and have them made in time."
"W-what? A wedding? With the young clan leader—with Xiao Yu? How come I didn't know?"
At her words, Xiao Yi Xian sprang to her feet, flustered and at a loss.
Yun Yun beside her was just as taken aback. Her face turned frosty. "Where's Xiao Yu? I'm going to find him!"
The servant hadn't expected such a strong reaction from either of them.
Yun Yun's commanding presence, in particular, left her at a loss.
"The young clan leader should be at the back mountain," she said, reflexively pointing toward the distant peak.
Yun Yun shoved past the servant and hurried toward the back mountain.
"Sister Ya Fei, there must be some misunderstanding. I'll be back in a bit."
Xiao Yi Xian remembered to hand little Xiao Fan to Ya Fei before following after Yun Yun.
Before long, the two of them reached the back mountain and headed uphill along the path.
"Xiao Yu! Xiao Yu! Get out here!"
"Xiao Yu, get out here!"
Unlike Xiao Yi Xian, Yun Yun wasn't one to hold back.
She was the dignified Misty Cloud Sect Master. What was this nonsense about her marrying the young clan leader of the Xiao Clan in Wutan City out of nowhere?
Had she ever agreed to it?
If Xiao Yu couldn't give her a satisfactory answer today, then once her strength recovered, there would be no need for the Xiao Clan to exist!
Yun Yun's expression was icy, and a dense chill rolled off her.
Xiao Yi Xian couldn't help edging farther away from Yun Yun.
She was feeling a little hurt herself.
Marriage was such an important matter. How could Xiao Yu not even discuss it with her?
Xiao Yi Xian realized she didn't actually dislike Xiao Yu all that much. But making such a decision without consulting her was, to say the least, disrespectful.
"Ladies, what's got you so angry?"
Hearing the voice, the two women looked up and saw a figure seated beside a boulder above them.
Yun Yun darted up toward him.
"When did I ever say I'd marry you?" Yun Yun stared coldly at Xiao Yu, looking as if she was one sword away from pressing it to his throat.
Xiao Yu looked at her calmly. "I saved your life. You repay me by giving yourself to me. What's the problem?"
"Your little Xiao Clan thinks it's worthy of such a repayment from this sect master?" Yun Yun knitted her brows. If her strength hadn't been sealed, she would have wanted to slap the boy in front of her to death.
After all, the third brother of this boy was engaged to her disciple, Nalan Yanran.
I'm supposed to become the wife of my disciple's fiancé's younger brother? If that really happened, how would my disciple and I ever face each other again?
"Xiao Yi Xian, go back first. Be good." Xiao Yu didn't answer her right away. Instead, he spoke gently to Xiao Yi Xian.
"Oh." Xiao Yi Xian had a whole stomachful of questions ready, but seeing how things stood, she obediently turned and left.
Before you continue