All the Clan Cultivates While I Slack Off; Cloud Mist Sect Breaks Off an Engagement? I Just Want a Front-Row Seat for the Show

The moment he stepped through the grand gates of the Xiao Household, a little maid in a green cloth dress came running toward him.

The little girl was panting, sweat beading on the tip of her nose. The moment she saw An Yi, her big eyes lit up, and she stamped her feet anxiously.

"Oh, Young Master An Yi! Where have you been running off to? How come no one's seen you for days?"

"You even missed yesterday's clan assessment! The clan leader sent people all over the city looking for you!"

An Yi scratched his soft white hair and gave an awkward laugh.

"Ah, don't even mention it. I went to play in the mountains outside the city and accidentally got lost."

He had left two days ago after sensing that the Qi within him had reached its limit, intending to find a quiet place outside the city to break through to Dou Master.

He had thought it would take only one night, but he ended up spending three whole days in a cave.

As for yesterday's clan assessment?

An Yi knew perfectly well what was going on.

To the Xiao Household elders, he was merely a nominal adopted son who only knew how to play in the dirt, an utter "outsider" with merely "average" talent. No one cared whether he attended the assessment, much less sent people throughout the city to look for him.

The little maid was only saying that to comfort him.

In the Xiao Household, those proper young masters and young ladies all thought highly of themselves and rarely bothered with a "slacker" like him.

An Yi was happy to have some peace and quiet, so he usually hung around with the servants, joking and fooling around with them.

On top of that, he had an exceptionally handsome face, white hair, and blue eyes, with the harmless, neighbor-boy charm that girls especially liked.

The little maids throughout the Xiao Household were all quite familiar with him.

Hearing An Yi's perfunctory excuse, the little maid rolled her eyes. Clearly, she had long grown used to his behavior.

"Alright, alright, Young Master, stop running around."

Lowering her voice, the little maid leaned closer and said mysteriously, "Important guests have arrived! I heard they're from the Cloud Mist Sect—real big shots! The elders are entertaining them in the reception hall right now. You should hurry over too!"

"Cloud Mist Sect?"

An Yi froze for a moment before suddenly realizing something.

Thinking about it, he was the same age as that kid Xiao Yan. This year, they were both exactly fifteen.

Fifteen years old, the Cloud Mist Sect...

Well, damn. Nalan Yanran had come to break off the engagement!

Was that famous "thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river" scene about to happen?

How could he possibly miss such prime gossip from the front row?

An Yi pulled out two candied fruits he had casually bought by the roadside. He stuffed one into the little maid's hand, tossed the other into his own mouth, and mumbled, "Let's go, let's go. I'm coming."

The little maid helplessly clutched the candied fruit as she pushed An Yi toward the reception hall.

"Oh, Young Master, stop eating already! Watch your image and hurry up!"

Before long, An Yi strolled into the reception hall.

This sort of grand occasion was also a rule among major clans. Whenever distinguished guests arrived, the core members and direct-line juniors of the clan had to be present to show their respect.

An Yi at least carried the title of "the clan leader's adopted son," so by the rules, he really ought to show his face.

The hall was bustling with people and noise.

The Xiao Household's three elders were chatting with a white-robed old man, their faces full of smiles.

However, after scanning the room, An Yi noticed that Xiao Zhan had not arrived yet. Nor did he see the supposedly pampered Nalan Yanran among the Cloud Mist Sect's people. The main figures were probably still behind.

The moment An Yi crossed the threshold, the First Elder, who had been exchanging pleasantries with the guests, spotted him sharply. His brows immediately furrowed, and his expression darkened.

"An Yi! Where have you been running off to this time?"

The First Elder's stern rebuke rang out abruptly through the hall. "You didn't even attend yesterday's annual assessment. You're becoming more and more outrageous!"

Every gaze in the hall immediately turned toward him.

An Yi remained unhurried. Spreading his hands, he blinked his pure blue eyes with an innocent expression.

"First Elder, I went to play in the mountains outside the city and got lost. I really didn't mean to miss it."

"Pfft—"

"Hahaha..."

The moment he said that, the Xiao Household juniors nearby burst into barely suppressed laughter.

He was already fifteen, yet he had managed to get lost for three days while playing in the dirt.

The First Elder's mouth twitched violently. Disappointed beyond words, he scolded, "Play, play, play! All you know how to do is play! Look how old you are! Xiao Mei is even a year younger than you, yet she reached the Sixth-Stage Qi Disciple in yesterday's test! What about you?!"

An Yi rubbed his chin. "Me? Probably... sixth stage?"

The First Elder's brows rose high. "Oh? You were at the fifth stage two years ago, and now you're at the sixth. One stage of Qi Disciple in two years. Your pace... is truly as steady as an old dog."

The Xiao Household juniors, who had been laughing moments ago, suddenly quieted considerably.

Fifteen years old, Sixth-Stage Qi Disciple.

While this result was not astonishing within the Xiao Household, it was definitely above average.

If An Yi could maintain this stable pace of "one stage every two years," breaking through to Dou Practitioner before turning twenty-five was practically guaranteed.

But that was exactly what made An Yi the most hated among the Xiao Household juniors.

Everyone else cultivated tirelessly from dawn to dusk, working themselves like dogs.

But what about this guy? He was nowhere to be seen all day, always running outside the city to slack off. No one ever saw him cultivate, yet his strength continued to rise steadily!

Every junior harbored the same frustrated thought.

If this guy just settled down and cultivated seriously, wouldn't he be on the same level as Xiao Mei and the others? Why did he get to have it so easy?!

The Xiao Household's three elders had actually paid attention to An Yi's unusual constitution a few years ago. But on second thought, he was ultimately an outsider and Xiao Zhan's nominal adopted son. If they nurtured him, wouldn't they simply be adding to Xiao Zhan's faction?

So they simply turned a blind eye and let him drift.

As for Xiao Zhan? His eyes were filled only with his precious son Xiao Yan, the "once-fallen genius." How could he spare any attention for An Yi, an adopted son he had picked up for free?

"Enough. Stop standing there and go find a seat," the First Elder said impatiently, waving his hand.

An Yi looked around the hall, pointed at the fully occupied chairs, and wore an innocent expression. "First Elder, there's no seat for me."

The Second Elder, who handled internal affairs, held a teacup and gave a light cough. In a strange tone, he said, "I thought you were still outside playing mountain savage, so I didn't have anyone prepare a seat for you."

An Yi merely shrugged indifferently. "No seat is fine. I can stand."

"Nonsense!" The First Elder slammed the table, his beard practically bristling with anger. "With distinguished guests from the Cloud Mist Sect here, what will it look like if the adopted son of the Xiao Household is left standing? People will think our Xiao Household mistreats a martyr's orphan!"

If Xiao Zhan had been present today, then An Yi standing would have been Xiao Zhan's failure as an adoptive father.

But with Xiao Zhan absent, it would instead reflect poorly on the three elders. The First Elder had no intention of taking the blame.

Just as the First Elder was about to put on a stern face and tell a servant to bring over a chair, a cool, pleasant young girl's voice suddenly rang out from a corner of the hall.

"Brother An Yi, sit here with me."

Everyone looked toward the voice.

The one who had spoken was none other than the Xiao Household's cherished jewel, Xiao Xun'er, who sat there as quietly as an orchid in a secluded valley.

Seeing that exquisitely beautiful face, An Yi's eyelid twitched. He hurriedly waved his hands and righteously refused.

"That won't do, that won't do! Cousin Xun'er, men and women should keep their distance! In front of everyone, how improper would it be for me to squeeze onto the same chair as you?"

As everyone stared in astonishment, An Yi directly took out a palm-sized wooden stool from the Storage Ring on his finger.

Then he swaggered over to Xiao Xun'er, set the little stool on the floor, pressed his knees together, placed his hands obediently on them, and sat down right beside Xiao Xun'er's chair like a kindergarten child.

Incidentally, the Storage Ring on his hand was the only relic left behind by his Dou Spirit parents.

Though its capacity was limited, it was still priceless.

An Yi wore it every day, and it had made quite a few people in the Xiao Household green with envy.

However, for the sake of the Xiao Household's reputation, and because An Yi was a martyr's orphan, no one dared to openly snatch it from him.