A Heart-to-Heart Talk Between Father and Daughter

In the early morning, the mist had yet to disperse.

Xiao Le withdrew from his cultivation state, exhaled a breath of stale air, and murmured, "Three days have passed. The competition is finally starting. I hope the Miter Family won't disappoint me. Only the tempering of battle can reveal one's edge!"

Three days had passed since Ya Fei arranged for Xiao Le to stay here. During those three days, aside from a maid attending to him, no one else had come to see him.

"These three days must have been hard on you!" Ya Fei approached gracefully, seizing the initiative before adding, "Today, I'll take you to meet my father. The medicinal ingredients your Xiao Family needs have already been prepared!"

Xiao Le did not refuse. He was also curious about Ya Fei's identity. He had some vague guesses, but he was not certain.

They walked down a long stone path, passed through the front courtyard, and arrived at the Miter inner courtyard. As expected of the Miter Family, the scenery here was exceptionally beautiful. A delicate fragrance permeated the air, while flowers and plants lined the roadside. Yet these plants were no ordinary flowers—they were medicinal herbs. First-, second-, and even third-grade herbs could be found everywhere, making Xiao Le itch to rob the place clean.

Ya Fei noticed Xiao Le's frustration as well. A smile curled at her lips, carrying a captivating charm that left Xiao Le staring in a daze.

As they entered a courtyard, they saw a middle-aged man with thick brows and sharp features seated in the pavilion. He held an account book in one hand and flicked an abacus with the other.

Xiao Le did not rush forward. He also stopped Ya Fei when she tried to remind the man, silently waiting at the side. What the two did not know was that the man's eyes had already revealed a trace of approval.

In truth, he had sensed Ya Fei and Xiao Le's arrival long ago. He was merely observing Xiao Le.

After a long while, the man put down his work and stretched lazily.

"We've been here for a long time!" Ya Fei said with displeasure.

"Hm? Ya Fei? Oh, I didn't notice. You know how it is—I can't stop once I start using an abacus!" the man said with a grin, scratching his head.

Ya Fei tactfully did not expose him.

"This must be the young genius Ya Fei invited, yes? May I ask how I should address you, young friend?" The man shifted his attention to Xiao Le beside Ya Fei.

From the moment they entered, he had already noticed that Ya Fei treated Xiao Le differently.

Ya Fei wore an odd expression, as though she were thinking of something. She smiled mysteriously and said, "Father, I think you've heard his name before!"

Ya Fei had stirred the man's curiosity. He could not help examining Xiao Le, but no matter how hard he racked his brains, he could not think of anyone whose name he ought to remember.

Seeing his awkward look, Ya Fei could not help laughing softly. Xiao Le, watching the father and daughter, could only sigh inwardly.

"I won't keep you guessing. His name is Xiao Le!" Ya Fei raised her voice slightly. "One of the former Jia Ma Twin Stars!"

"The Jia Ma Twin Stars?"

The man's expression finally changed. A flash of shock vanished in an instant as he carefully sized Xiao Le up from the corner of his eye. Sensing the abundant Dou Qi within Xiao Le's body, he was greatly startled.

A four-star Dou Fighter? Hadn't the Twin Stars fallen? Was the information wrong?

"So it's you, worthy nephew. I have long admired you from afar, but worldly affairs kept me occupied, and we never had the chance to meet!" the man said with emotion.

Back then, the Jia Ma Twin Stars' reputation had resounded throughout the Jia Ma Empire. Eleven-year-old Dou Fighters—let alone the Miter Family, even the entire history of the Jia Ma Empire had never seen such a thing. Unfortunately, the Twin Stars had fallen overnight.

Remembering that he had yet to introduce himself, the man said, "I am Ya Fei's father, Mittel Tengshan. Has the other young friend among the Twin Stars arrived as well?"

Xiao Le was greatly surprised upon hearing the man's introduction. Even Xiao Le, who paid little attention to worldly affairs, knew of Mittel Tengshan, the patriarch of one of the Jia Ma Empire's three great families and the head of its wealthiest family.

Xiao Le glanced at Ya Fei in surprise. By coincidence, Ya Fei was looking at him as well, and there was an extra hint of playfulness in her gaze. It was the first time he had seen this side of Ya Fei. The unfamiliar feeling left him momentarily stunned.

Had Ya Fei not secretly pinched him, Xiao Le would not have snapped back to his senses.

"My brother and I only recovered recently. My brother is obsessed with cultivation, while I was invited by Sister Ya Fei to visit the Miter Family," Xiao Le said politely.

After some small talk, Mittel Tengshan had someone lead Xiao Le ahead to the martial arena to prepare for the competition.

"When did Xiao Le and the others recover? How did I receive no news of it?" Mittel Tengshan looked at Ya Fei after Xiao Le had left.

A trace of disappointment appeared in Ya Fei's eyes. She gave a cold laugh and said, "It seems Father only has eyes for profit after all!"

Mittel Tengshan had always found his daughter Ya Fei quite troublesome. The Miter Family was not a place where he, the patriarch, could have the final say alone.

The Miter Family was formed from the integration of many factions, unlike clans bound by bloodline. In such a family, rules and strength were especially important. Otherwise, as the patriarch, he would not have needed to send even his own daughter away to a small city.

"Ah, Ya Fei, Father has no choice either. You know my standing in the Miter Family. In the past, the Supreme Elder, the Ice Emperor Hai Bodong, held power. Now, the three founding elders oversee things as well."

The Miter Family patriarch, who appeared so honored in the eyes of outsiders, actually carried such bitterness. It was not that Ya Fei did not understand him; she was merely burdened by the resentment in her heart.

"They rose to prominence suddenly this past year. In less than a year, they advanced from the third stage of Dou Qi to four-star Dou Fighters. Both of them are alchemists, and even Mr. Gu Ni marvels at their talent. Especially this Xiao Le—he is an unheard-of lightning-element alchemist!" Ya Fei's eyes shone more brightly with every word.

"A lightning-element alchemist?"

"That's right!" Seeing Mittel Tengshan lose his composure, Ya Fei could not help feeling a little proud. She continued, "There should be a mysterious teacher behind them. His strength is unknown, but he is also an alchemist. So far, he has refined Qi Gathering Powder once. I estimate that someone capable of teaching a lightning-element alchemist must possess considerable strength and a high alchemist rank. He might even be a legendary Dou Zong!"

A Dou Zong—everyone in the Jia Ma Empire yearned for such a realm. Walking through the air, wielding supreme power, possessing strength far beyond a Dou Emperor.

Thinking over Ya Fei's words, Mittel Tengshan realized that even a Dou Emperor could not produce a lightning-element alchemist. Perhaps only a legendary Dou Zong truly could.

With that thought, Mittel Tengshan looked at Ya Fei, only to see her eyes gleaming brilliantly. This made him curious.

"Ya Fei, do you like this Xiao Le? Don't rush to deny it. I can tell that your feelings for him are different." Mittel Tengshan spoke earnestly. "Father isn't trying to sell his daughter off. I'm sincerely telling you that it isn't easy to meet a man you admire. And would a man as outstanding as him lack women by his side?"

Ya Fei walked out of the courtyard in a daze.

By then, the martial arena was already packed with people from the Miter Family.