Apology and VIP Card!

The bell for the Coming of Age Ceremony had just rung when Xiao Ze, Xiao Xun'er, and Ya Fei made their dazzling entrance.

It was as if they were the true protagonists of the ceremony, drawing the gazes of the vast majority of those present.

With a smile on his face, Xiao Ze quickly pulled Xiao Xun'er along and hurried over to the area designated for the underage members of the Xiao Clan.

Ya Fei, meanwhile, returned to the VIP seating area without a change in her expression.

She had seen such scenes of being the center of attention many times over the years.

Standing on the platform, Xiao Zhan coughed, drawing everyone's attention back to himself.

"I thank you all for gracing us with your presence to attend the Xiao Clan's Coming of Age Ceremony."

Hearing Xiao Zhan begin his long-winded speech, the smile on Xiao Ze's face stiffened slightly.

It seemed that no matter where one went, long-winded speeches were unavoidable.

The high platform was reserved for the core members of the Xiao Clan, including the Patriarch and the Elders.

As a member of the main branch, he was technically qualified to stand on that platform.

However, Xiao Ze wanted to stay with Xiao Xun'er, so he had come to the area where the underage members of the Xiao Clan were gathered.

As for the protagonists of the day—the Xiao Clan members coming of age this year—they were in a separate area, preparing to undergo their tests.

Xiao Ze looked left and right, spotting someone in the corner waving at him.

Xiao Ze pulled Xiao Xun'er over and saw Xiao Yan looking at him with a grin.

"Fourth Brother, you really saved my life!"

"Huh?" Xiao Ze was a bit confused and asked skeptically, "Third Brother, there's no one around here threatening your life, so why say such a thing?"

"You don't know—before you arrived, everyone was sizing me up."

"Especially those people in the VIP seats; their gazes were like physical blades, as if they wanted to see right through me!"

Xiao Yan said with lingering fear, "It's a good thing you came, Fourth Brother; you drew all their attention away at once."

"Haha, Third Brother, it's not that bad. Even if I hadn't come, once the ceremony officially started, they wouldn't have kept staring at you."

Xiao Ze laughed and offered a word of comfort, while Xiao Xun'er remained quietly by his side.

In front of Xiao Ze, she could be as lively as a girl next door, like a childhood sweetheart.

But in front of outsiders, Xiao Xun'er usually appeared cold and unapproachable.

Even if others tried to get close, they would be defeated by the coldness that lay behind her seemingly polite smile—a coldness that kept people at a distance of a thousand miles!

Xiao Ze chatted with Xiao Yan while watching the ceremony.

This year's proceedings were unremarkable; there were no unexpected dark horses and no geniuses with heaven-defying talent.

Throughout the testing process, everything appeared quite ordinary.

Some passed the Dou Qi test and were ecstatic, earning the right to continue their cultivation within the Xiao Clan.

Others failed by a narrow margin and walked off the stage in low spirits, preparing to accept the clan's arrangements to become peripheral stewards.

Xiao Ning, as the Grand Elder's grandson, had decent talent and barely managed to pass the test.

Ever since he had been beaten into a pig's head by Xiao Ze, he had been holed up in his room, neither going out nor causing trouble, and seemed to have matured quite a bit.

"Fourth Brother, tell me, has the Grand Elder or his kin come to apologize to you?"

"Huh? Where is this coming from? Has the Grand Elder offended me?"

Hearing Xiao Yan suddenly bring up this topic, Xiao Ze couldn't help but ask.

"Earlier, Xiao Ning came to me to apologize, and we buried the hatchet."

Xiao Yan thought for a moment, then decided to be honest and explained the whole story clearly.

"But in the end, he asked me to put in a good word for him with you. I refused; I told him to come and apologize to you himself."

"Then I have no idea. I've been staying in the back mountains for a while now, and I haven't even been home much."

"Ah, I see. It seems Xiao Ning couldn't track you down. I'm afraid he'll come looking for you once the ceremony ends."

No sooner had Xiao Yan finished speaking than he saw an elderly figure approaching them.

"Xiao Ze, do you have a moment? I would like to have a word with you."

"Grand Elder?"

Xiao Yan couldn't help but exclaim upon seeing the figure who had suddenly appeared.

"Heh, I am no longer the so-called Grand Elder, old man that I am."

"Fine! Let's find a secluded spot."

Xiao Ze was fearless; he could now trade blows with the Grand Elder, so he wasn't afraid of any tricks.

Upon arriving at a quiet spot, he found someone already waiting there.

Xiao Ze's expression turned subtle; it was none other than Xiao Ning!

"Xiao Ze, my grandson previously had a conflict with you, and in the heat of my anger, I laid hands on you. I ask that you please be magnanimous and forgive me!"

The Grand Elder spoke with genuine sincerity, his face filled with apology.

Xiao Ning followed suit, bowing repeatedly toward Xiao Ze.

"Hehe, Grand Elder, what are you saying? Although you have been temporarily stripped of your position as an elder, your contributions to the Xiao Clan cannot be erased."

Xiao Ze had anticipated this before arriving, but he had not expected the Grand Elder to be so straightforward.

Since everyone helps push the sedan chair, he would not be stingy with a few kind words.

They were all members of the same clan; surely any conflict, no matter how great, could be resolved?

"The conflict between Xiao Ning and me was because my third brother was insulted. Now that Third Brother has no objections, I naturally will not continue to dwell on this matter."

"Good, good, good! Xiao Ze, you truly have a broad mind! You are indeed the Qilin child who will lead the Xiao Clan toward glory in the future!"

The Grand Elder said, ecstatic, as he unleashed a barrage of flattery.

Xiao Ze felt a bit embarrassed hearing it; the Grand Elder usually maintained such a stern demeanor, and he had no idea the man possessed such a talent for sycophancy.

"Alright, Grand Elder. Since this matter is settled, I have other things to attend to, so I will take my leave first."

In the end, Xiao Ze simply could not stand competing in flattery with such an old fox.

He couldn't win; he absolutely couldn't win.

The man could find all sorts of tricky angles to shower Xiao Ze with praise.

If it weren't for the Grand Elder, he wouldn't even have known he possessed so many virtues!

Watching Xiao Ze depart, the Grand Elder finally let out a long sigh of relief, while Xiao Ning looked at the Grand Elder with eyes full of admiration.

"Grandfather, how come I never knew you were so good at praising people? Why have you never praised me like that?"

Hearing his grandson's question, a flash of anger crossed the Grand Elder's face, and he smacked Xiao Ning on the head.

"If you had even one-tenth of Xiao Ze's effort and achievements, I would praise you however you wanted me to!"

"The problem is that you're just not up to it. I gave you the chance, but you're useless!"

"Ow, ow, Grandfather, stop hitting me, stop hitting me! I'm already not a genius; if you keep hitting me, I'll become a fool!"

Xiao Ning scurried away, shielding his head as he spoke.

Hearing this, the Grand Elder finally stopped.

He really couldn't bear to beat his own grandson into a fool.

"Xiao Ning, you must work hard to become someone of worth!"

The farce between grandfather and grandson in this secluded corner finally came to an end.

When Xiao Ze returned, he found that the ceremony had already entered its next phase.

The newly matured clansmen were now accepting challenges from others.

"Where is my third brother?"

Xiao Ze returned to their original corner and found only Xiao Xun'er waiting there.

"Cousin Xiao Yan probably couldn't stand the stares of others and left early, right?"

Xiao Ze looked around, but no one was paying attention to this corner.

"Xun'er, did you not say a single word after I left?"

"That's right. I'm not close with Cousin Xiao Yan, so we didn't have anything to talk about."

Xiao Xun'er said as if it were only natural.

"Alright, I understand why my third brother left."

When Xiao Ze was present, he could chat with Xiao Yan, keeping the atmosphere from becoming too cold or awkward.

Once Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er were left alone, Xiao Xun'er's cold and detached temperament had simply frozen Xiao Yan away.

Xiao Xun'er wore a sweet smile; she naturally knew why Xiao Yan had left, as that was exactly the result she wanted.

Previously, Brother Xiao Ze was just chatting with Cousin Xiao Yan, leaving no room for me to interject!

Thinking of this, Xiao Xun'er moved closer to Xiao Ze and took his hand.

"Brother Xiao Ze, do you have any plans for the rest of the day?"

"After the coming-of-age ceremony ends, I plan to find Xiao Yu and ask about the specific enrollment dates for Jia Nan Academy."

"Then, after it's over, shall we go out for a meal?"

Xiao Xun'er suggested smoothly.

"That works, but this time, let me treat you."

The two chatted while watching the battles between the Xiao Clan disciples on the field.

To be honest, it was boring not only for Xiao Ze but also for Xiao Xun'er.

The two of them often sparred with each other, and their combat techniques were already quite advanced.

In the eyes of the two of them, the combat of those Xiao Clan disciples was, in terms of technique, no different from chickens pecking at each other.

Xiao Ze took this opportunity to test Xiao Xun'er, asking her to point out the flaws in their fighting process.

Xiao Xun'er quickly analyzed their technical vulnerabilities and timing based on her own understanding of combat.

It was fortunate they were staying in a corner; otherwise, anyone who heard them would surely be dumbfounded and shocked.

Because these two youths' understanding of combat was perhaps even higher than that of some seasoned veteran mercenaries!

"Ah, it's finally over. If Brother Xiao Ze hadn't asked me to analyze the fights halfway through, I'm afraid I would have been bored enough to walk away."

With the Adult Ceremony officially concluded by the announcement of Xiao Zhan, Xiao Xun'er finally spoke, stretching her body at the same time.

At this moment, a graceful figure walked over.

Seeing Xiao Ze, Ya Fei revealed a charming smile on her face.

With no one else around in this corner, Ya Fei felt at ease to speak boldly.

"Young Master Xiao Ze, thank you for your intervention earlier to save me."

"This is a VIP card of the Mite'er Family; you can receive special discounts when purchasing items at the Mite'er Auction House!"

Ya Fei took a crystal card from her inner lining, the card engraved with the exquisite emblem of the Mite'er Family.

Xiao Ze took the card, which still held a faint lingering warmth.

"If I have any needs, I will certainly patronize the Mite'er Auction House."

"Then Ya Fei will await Young Master Xiao Ze's visit. I shall take my leave now and stop disturbing the two of you."

Ya Fei said with a beaming smile, waving goodbye to the two of them.

Xiao Ze watched Ya Fei depart, preparing to take Xiao Xun'er to find Xiao Yu.

"Let's go, let's go find Cousin Xiao Yu."

"No rush, Brother Xiao Ze, give me that card first."

Xiao Xun'er said suddenly. Xiao Ze didn't think much of it and placed the card directly into her fair palm.

"Tsk, Miss Ya Fei truly understands men; this card even carries her lingering warmth."

Xiao Xun'er looked at Xiao Ze with a playful smile, and Xiao Ze shrugged his shoulders.

"Why look at me? I don't care, and besides, it's just a card with body heat—could it really make me let my imagination run wild?"

Xiao Ze rolled his eyes and said to Xiao Xun'er, "Let's go. Once I ask about the date, I still have things to do."

"Do what?"

"I plan to go on a long journey!"

I ask all my dear readers to please keep up with the latest chapters. My current recommendation ranking depends entirely on your follow-up reads. I beg everyone to move your hands and scroll to the very last page of the book. I am eternally grateful!