Xie Family.
After hearing the terrible news from her mother, Xie Lingxi hurriedly pulled a pink hoodie over her nightdress, slipped on sandals, and ran all the way to the courtyard where the family patriarch lived in seclusion. Sobbing, she begged him to save her Brother Yuanshi.
But the patriarch ignored her.
Xie Lingxi cried for nearly an hour before the patriarch's impatient voice finally came from inside the courtyard:
"This old man hates women sniveling and bawling. Little girls are no exception. Get lost."
Wiping away her tears, Xie Lingxi said, "Patriarch, please save him. He's a genius who can become a demigod. He's worth saving. I—I've looked at men for so long; he can't just be gone like this."
The Xie Family patriarch was a rough man with not the slightest patience for tender feelings. Even though she was of the direct bloodline, he snapped irritably:
"Save my ass! I gave him a choice. That brat knew full well it was a death trap and still charged in headfirst. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was a Fire Master. Let me tell you, the only people who can kill an official Sovereign in broad daylight and get away unscathed are demigods. There's no second possibility.
"You want this old man to go head-to-head with the authorities' laws for him? I'm not afraid, but I can't do it. The Five Elements Alliance has five demigods. Our Xie Family only has this old man."
Xie Lingxi burst into tears, crying so hard her face was streaked with tears.
A piercing ringtone jolted Zhao Chenghuang awake. He picked up the phone from his bedside table, its icy blue glow illuminating his stern face.
Caller: Sun Miaomiao.
It was six in the morning. The sun had only just peeked over