By now, Nalan Yanran had lost the haughtiness she'd shown at first and lowered her airs considerably.
She'd even used an honorific when speaking, which made her words much easier to hear.
So Xiao Zhan was willing to listen to what else Nalan Yanran had to say.
He nodded in agreement.
Nalan Yanran said respectfully:
"Uncle Xiao, on my way here, I heard that the Xiao Clan had produced two more geniuses. One is Miss Xiao Xun'er, and the other seems to be called Xiao Yuan."
"I understand that breaking off the engagement today will tarnish the Xiao Clan's reputation, but I also don't want my husband to have only the third segment of Dou Qi.
That is where Yanran and your esteemed family disagree.
So I thought, why not change the person named in the engagement to Xiao Yuan? The compensation Misty Cloud Sect offered your young master would still stand.
What do you think, Uncle Xiao?"
As soon as she finished speaking,
the hall fell silent once more.
Several elders sank into thought, and even Xiao Zhan couldn't find anything to say in rebuttal.
On the one hand, Nalan Yanran was right.
Xiao Yan was currently a good-for-nothing with only the third segment of Dou Qi. He truly wasn't a match for Nalan Yanran, the Young Sect Master of Misty Cloud Sect.
On the other hand, although Xiao Yuan was Xiao Zhan's adopted son, he did indeed have Xiao Clan blood flowing through his veins, and he was the clan's most outstanding genius.
He was indeed a suitable match for the Young Sect Master of Misty Cloud Sect.
That way, the Xiao Clan could save face.
The only one left disgraced would be Xiao Yan.
But Xiao Yuan was dumbfounded.
[Hey, lady, you really have your eye on me?]
[Weren't you supposed to follow the plot, make a Three-Year Agreement with Xiao Yan, and then have him deliver that line, "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river; never bully a young man for being poor"?!]
[I was just here to watch the show and eat my popcorn. How has the plot gone off the rails again and again?!]
[Ding, congratulations, you have obtained one Yin-Yang Joyous Union Powder.]
Nalan Yanran's words had instantly crushed his good mood.
Xiao Yuan decided he couldn't just sit back and do nothing, so he rose to his feet and said:
"Miss Nalan, isn't that a little inappropriate?"
"What's inappropriate?" Nalan Yanran asked in return, a hint of amusement glinting in her beautiful eyes.
"We don't even know each other. This is our first time meeting, isn't it?"
"I'm meeting Xiao Yan for the first time today too. I've never met him before... Could it be that you're already engaged?"
"Uh... no."
"Since you're unmarried and I'm unwed, what's wrong with it? Is it that I, Nalan Yanran, am not pretty enough or alluring enough for you? Or do you prefer men?"
Those words left Xiao Yuan speechless.
Beside him, Xun'er narrowed her eyes and stared fixedly at Nalan Yanran in her moon-white robe.
She'd already decided where to bury Misty Cloud Sect and the Nalan Family.
Seeing Xiao Yuan at a loss, Nalan Yanran smiled smugly.
That's what you get for cursing me in your heart!
But the idea of changing the person named in the engagement hadn't been a spur-of-the-moment blunder on Nalan Yanran's part.
When she arrived in Wutan City, she'd heard from passersby that the Xiao Clan had produced a monstrous genius: a fourteen-year-old Nine-Star Dou Shi.
So she'd thought of it right then.
If the Xiao Clan refused to dissolve the engagement, they could simply change the person named in it to this genius. That way, Misty Cloud Sect's reputation wouldn't be tarnished.
What she didn't know was that her words had just struck Xiao Yuan's sorest spot.
More than anything, Xiao Yuan hated men who preferred men!
And being falsely accused of such a thing was even worse!
Rage surged through him. As his fists clenched, the aura of a Three-Star Great Dou Shi erupted without restraint!
The moment Ge Ye sensed the Dou Qi, his expression changed. He hurriedly stepped in front of Nalan Yanran, his hands curling like eagle claws. Green Dou Qi gathered around his claws, giving off thin, razor-sharp sword qi.
The low-grade Black-Rank Green Wood Sword Art activated at once, blocking the aura Xiao Yuan had released.
Even so, Nalan Yanran's face turned pale. Her chest tightened, and her delicate body swayed, nearly toppling back into her chair.
Ge Ye's expression grew even more grave.
He had cultivated to the Three-Star Great Dou Shi level with no cultivation technique, relying solely on breathing exercises, and his Dou Qi was still so powerful and solid, without the slightest trace of instability. Just what kind of monstrous genius was this?
The Xiao Clan elders were even more astonished.
Yesterday, he'd still been a Nine-Star Dou Shi, and today he was already a Three-Star Great Dou Shi?!
His strength was already on par with theirs!
"Yuan'er, stop at once!"
Xiao Zhan snapped back to his senses and quickly shouted for him to stop.
Xiao Yuan gave a cold snort and withdrew his Dou Qi.
Though the clash of Dou Qi made the weaker Xiao Clan disciples feel quite uncomfortable, the eyes of the young men and women shone as they stared at Xiao Yuan.
Sitting beside her father, Xiao Mei lightly ran her pink tongue over her lips, her eyes fixed on Xiao Yuan without blinking.
They were the same age, yet he could stand up to an enforcer from Misty Cloud Sect with his own strength.
How could these hot-blooded youths not be excited?
Even Nalan Yanran felt a trace of fear well up inside her.
She hadn't expected Xiao Yuan to be this strong. Even her teacher, at the same age, probably couldn't compare to him in the slightest!
Just as she was steadying her breathing, that voice sounded again.
[Damn it, if it weren't for the fact that Yun Yun is a Dou Emperor, I'd slap you dead right here, you crazy woman!]
[Serves you right that your master lost her chastity in the Magical Beast Mountain Range because of you!]
Those words exploded in Nalan Yanran's heart like a thunderclap.
Teacher... lost her chastity... because of me?!
In the blink of an eye, Nalan Yanran's pale face turned furious. She glared at the young man opposite her, grinding her teeth.
"Xiao Yuan, you..."
Before Nalan Yanran could even finish saying, "Don't you dare spout nonsense," another voice suddenly rang out and cut her off.
"Miss Nalan, though you're the Young Sect Master of Misty Cloud Sect, don't think you can throw your weight around just because you have Misty Cloud Sect backing you. The Dou Qi Continent is vast, and there are plenty who are stronger than Yun Yun..."
The voice was light and clear, with a hint of cool indifference.
Looking toward the sound, they saw Xun'er, sitting beside Xiao Yuan, had spoken.
At some point, she had closed the thick, ancient-looking book. Her limpid eyes fixed on Nalan Yanran, and a tiny golden flame suddenly flickered within them.
Nalan Yanran refused to back down and glared right back at her.
Their gazes seemed to spark against each other.
An ominous air spread through the hall.
At the sight of the tiny golden flame in the girl's eyes, Ge Ye's body jolted. Terror instantly covered his aged face.
Just as he was about to take Nalan Yanran and leave, a sigh from Xiao Zhan broke the tense silence.
"That's enough, Xun'er."
"Uncle Xiao?"
Xun'er withdrew the flame and looked toward the man seated at the head of the hall, confused.
But Xiao Zhan didn't answer her. Instead, he looked at Nalan Yanran and the others, then sighed again, his expression despondent.
"...Niece Yanran, I'll agree to your request on Yuan'er's behalf."