Xiao Clan Square, the annual testing had begun once again.
"Xiao Yan, Dou Qi, Third Stage, rank: low." Beside the Testing Magic Stone Tablet, a middle-aged man glanced at the information displayed on the black monument, shook his head, and announced it indifferently.
Before the middle-aged man had even finished speaking, a tide of mockery swept through the square.
Facing those piercing words, Xiao Yan remained expressionless. His fists clenched tightly as he slowly stepped down from the stone platform.
"Next, Xiao Mei."
Hearing the middle-aged man call out, a young girl quickly ran out from the crowd, instantly drawing everyone's attention and silencing the entire square.
"Xiao Mei, Dou Qi, Seventh Stage, rank: high."
"Yes!" Hearing the tester announce her result, the young girl's face filled with excitement and pride.
Immediately afterward, another wave of discussion rose through the square—envy, flattery, admiration, and more.
Compared to before, Xiao Yan's face was full of bitterness. One was in the heavens, the other in the mud.
Next, Xiao Xun'er stepped forward. Dou Qi, Ninth Stage, rank: high. In an instant, the entire square fell utterly silent, so quiet that a needle dropping could be heard.
Everyone was petrified, their mouths slightly open and their faces filled with shock. The next moment, they unconsciously swallowed, their eyes brimming with reverence.
Among the Xiao Clan's younger generation, no one could rival her.
"Next, Xiao Meng!" The tester had also been stunned by Xiao Xun'er's result. It took him a long while to recover, and only after taking a deep breath did he call out the next participant's name.
However, after his voice fell, no one stepped forward. The middle-aged man frowned, swept his gaze across the crowd, and called again, "Next, Xiao Meng!"
The younger clan members below turned their heads and looked around, but Xiao Meng was nowhere to be seen. Then the entire square erupted.
"Where's Xiao Meng? Where's Xiao Meng? Where did that ultimate trash run off to?"
"Damn, that trash isn't hiding because he's afraid of embarrassing himself, is he?"
"Haha, hiding? Now that you mention it, that trash really might do that. We haven't even seen a trace of him these past few days, have we?"
"That's normal. The Xiao Clan's number one trash, even more useless than his younger brother Xiao Yan. If he still has the nerve to show up, I'll admit he's impressive."
"Do you think Xiao Yan got infected by Xiao Meng? Otherwise, how could someone as talented as he used to be suddenly become this useless?"
"I think that's very possible!"
"Ah! Two pieces of trash, disgracing the entire clan. If their father weren't the clan leader, they would've been expelled long ago instead of being allowed to bring shame upon the clan."
The middle-aged man standing beneath the Magic Stone Tablet furrowed his brows even more deeply.
Today was the Xiao Clan's annual testing day. Every minor had to be present, and not even the clan leader's sons were exceptions!
In the distance, Xiao Yan's expression turned incomparably cold, a frosty gleam flickering in his eyes.
"Brother Xiao Yan," Xiao Xun'er said. Sensing the hostility radiating from Xiao Yan, she was startled and grabbed his hand. At the same time, a chill, even killing intent, flashed through her eyes.
Xiao Yan took a deep breath. Without strength, rushing forward would only bring humiliation upon himself. That was how this world worked. Without strength, one was worth less than dog shit—at least no one dared step on dog shit.
"Where is Xiao Meng? Why hasn't Xiao Meng come?"
The middle-aged man looked at Xiao Yan and asked in a deep voice, "Xiao Yan, why hasn't your third brother come? Does he not know that no one is allowed to miss the annual test?"
Xiao Yan truly did not know how to answer. When he had gone to call Xiao Meng that morning, Xiao Meng had not been in his room. He had no idea where he had gone again.
Xiao Yan would never believe that Xiao Meng was afraid, even if beaten to death, because his third brother had never known what fear was.
But no matter how he answered, there would only be two outcomes. First, everyone would become even more convinced that Xiao Meng was scared and dared not attend the test. Second, Xiao Meng had violated the clan rules and would be punished.
"Am I not here already? Hurry up and make way," a bland voice suddenly sounded just as Xiao Yan was in a bind. Everyone turned their heads and swept their gazes over.
"Damn, that trash actually dared to come? Are my eyes playing tricks on me?"
Xiao Meng's arrival first plunged the square into silence, then buried him beneath a wave of mockery.
"Haha! That trash has a spatula tucked into his belt. Is he planning to become a cook?"
"He's even carrying a chair. What is that trash trying to do? Is he here to make everyone laugh?"
Xiao Meng's expression remained extremely calm in the face of those taunts, but inwardly, he had already greeted the ancestors of those little bastards ten-odd times over.
"Uh!"
"What is Third Brother trying to do?" Seeing Xiao Meng with a spatula tucked at his waist and a chair over his shoulder, Xiao Yan was utterly speechless and felt a headache coming on.
Clang!
Amid everyone's astonished gazes, Xiao Meng placed the chair on the ground, plopped down onto it, pulled a cucumber-like strip from his robes, and began chewing on it like a carrot, looking thoroughly at ease.
"What kind of stunt is this trash pulling? Damn it, he actually sat down."
"This trash is still the same as ever. He doesn't know the meaning of shame."
"Forget it, forget it. Stop talking. No matter how viciously you curse this trash, you're only wasting your breath."
"Because he has no sense of shame."
The middle-aged man's mouth twitched violently. When faced with this fellow, whether one was a celestial immortal or an ancient demon god, there was nothing one could do to him. Just as everyone said, he lacked any sense of shame. So what use was there in saying anything to him?
Not only was it useless, it would only fuel this fellow's arrogance. In the Xiao Clan, his head was always held the highest, wearing an arrogant look that said, I look down on all of you. I'm ashamed to associate with idiots like you.
And he had made a vow since childhood: "Cultivation is impossible. I'll never cultivate in this lifetime."
At the thought of those words, the middle-aged man could only collapse inwardly. In the entire Jia Ma Empire, there was only one person used as a negative example, with no successor in sight.
The middle-aged man took a deep breath and said expressionlessly, "Xiao Meng, hurry up and come test yourself. Is it proper to make so many people wait for you alone?"
"Wait until I've rested a while. I'm a bit tired right now."
Xiao Meng looked up at the sun and muttered to himself, Soon. Just wait another half an hour.
Everyone: "..."
"Hurry up and test yourself. Don't waste everyone's time," the middle-aged man snapped.
Xiao Meng raised his head, glanced at him, and said, "Keep yammering, and I'll leave right now. Believe it?"
As soon as those words came out, everyone froze.
"What did you say?" Flames seemed to shoot from the middle-aged man's eyes as the aura of a Dou Master burst forth.
Xiao Meng rolled his eyes. "Are you deaf? Do you need to find an alchemist to take a look at you?"
"Third Brother..." Xiao Yan was startled. Xiao Meng's words were undoubtedly disrespectful to an elder. Even if he were beaten up afterward, he would be the one in the wrong first.
"Damn it... this trash really is..." Everyone was completely convinced.
"You lawless bastard who has no respect for elders! Today, I'll properly teach you a lesson in your father's place!" The middle-aged man flew into a rage and strode toward Xiao Meng.
"My dad is Xiao Zhan. You dare hit me?" Xiao Meng stood up and confronted him head-on.
The middle-aged man, who had been striding over, nearly stumbled and fell flat on his face. He wanted to spit blood. So what if your father was Xiao Zhan?
Everyone felt dizzy, with an urge to faint. This trash was truly incredible at dragging his father into trouble.
Xiao Yan covered his face with one hand. His third brother... he truly did not know what the hell to say.
Xiao Xun'er made the exact same motion as Xiao Yan, black lines covering her forehead. She had personally experienced Xiao Meng's shamelessness.
Xiao Meng did not care what anyone else thought. He snorted coldly and said, "The clan said that no one was allowed to miss today's test, but it never said I had to come here early. Even if I took a nap, came in the afternoon, and tested then, that would still be perfectly reasonable and within the rules. Yet to save you time, I rushed here without even eating. What's wrong with wanting to rest for a while? Is that a crime?"
"Not only are you not grateful to me, you even dare to scold me. You're an ungrateful bastard!"
Xiao Meng continued roaring, "I was standing close to you, but you still couldn't hear me and asked what I said. As a junior concerned for an elder, I asked whether your ears had gone deaf and whether you needed to find an alchemist to examine you. Yet you called me lawless and disrespectful to elders. I just want to ask, is there an elder in the Xiao Clan as skilled as you at twisting right and wrong and playing with the truth?"
"Are you trying to bully me, Xiao Meng, or are you trying to bully my father?" Xiao Meng roared.
Everyone was completely petrified, standing there like wooden chickens.
"You... you..." The middle-aged man trembled all over, feeling as though everything was wrong with him. His eyes were so bloodshot with rage that he looked ready to pass out.
"This is Third Brother's style..." Xiao Xun'er's face twitched as her eyes widened.
"Who the hell is twisting right and wrong and playing with the truth here?"
Everyone felt somewhat dazed.
Xiao Meng sat back down in his chair and leisurely continued eating the strip in his hand, wearing an expression that said, You little punk, you think you can fight me?
"I want to see whether you can still test any Dou Qi after you've rested enough." The middle-aged man threw down that harsh remark and turned to walk back onto the platform. If he beat Xiao Meng now, it would be like smearing mud on his pants—whether it was shit or not, everyone would think it was shit.
Hehe!
Xiao Meng remained calm and did not care in the slightest.
Ding! Task completed. Reward: ten fishing attempts.
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