Chapter 32: Settling In the Mother and Daughter; Comforting His Girlfriend

Hai Bodong froze at the question. He glanced down at himself, then looked up and answered earnestly, "No, Young Master."

In his earlier years, cold energy had leaked from his body only because he had been suppressed by the Sealing and his aura had been unstable.

Now that his cultivation had fully recovered and he had returned to the Dou Emperor realm, he could control the cold energy within him at will. There was no way he would make such a mistake.

"All right. Maybe I imagined it." Xiao Yan scratched his head in puzzlement and put that faint, fleeting chill out of his mind.

The Flying Magical Beast slowly descended over the Xiao Clan.

Its enormous shadow swept across the Training Ground, drawing the attention of Xiao Zhan and several Elders.

Thinking some important figure had arrived, they hurried over to welcome the visitor.

But when the cabin door opened, Xiao Yan was the first to step out.

In that instant, the eyes of Xiao Zhan and every Xiao Clan member present lit up.

"It's the young Clan Leader! The young Clan Leader is back!"

Once they recognized Xiao Yan, excitement swept through the Xiao Clan.

They had never forgotten that the Xiao clan owed nearly all its present strength to the young Clan Leader, who had worked so hard behind the scenes.

Among the crowd, Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian looked past the shifting heads to the young man.

The moment they saw him, all their earlier resentment and displeasure vanished.

Unable to hold back their longing, they hurried forward, their faces bright with undisguised joy.

Xiao Yan strode up to Xiao Zhan and bowed. "Father."

After greeting his father and the Elders one by one, he turned and smiled at Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian.

"Well, look at you. A year has passed, and you've grown up and gotten taller, Yan'er." Xiao Zhan looked his third son up and down, nodding with pride.

Ever since Xiao Yan had gone out into the world alone, he and Su Wan had worried every day that something might happen to their son.

Now that he had returned safely, the two of them could finally set those worries aside, if only for a while.

"Father, look who I brought back with me." Smiling, Xiao Yan stepped aside and gestured toward the people behind him.

Xiao Zhan followed the direction of his hand.

Two figures stepped forward from the crowd and bowed to him together, their voices thick with emotion and excitement.

"Father, we're home."

"Ding'er! Li'er!" Xiao Zhan blinked, almost failing to recognize them.

Xiao Ding and Xiao Li had been away for several years. Though they had exchanged letters from time to time, he had not seen either of them once.

Now that both his sons stood before him in the flesh, Xiao Zhan felt his throat tighten with emotions he could not put into words.

"This is wonderful! Brother Xiao Ding and the others are back too!"

Many in the Xiao Clan recognized Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, and cheers rose on all sides.

Apart from prodigies like Xiao Yan and Xun'er, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li had been among the most talented of their generation. Many younger clan members had looked up to them as elder brothers.

But the two had left to train early, and Xiao Yan's later brilliance had overshadowed them, gradually pushing them out of everyone's thoughts.

With the Xiao Clan at the height of its power, the return of Xiao Ding and the others would only make it stronger.

"Good... good! All three of you brothers are home. Your mother will be happy for days!" Seeing his three sons grown and standing together before him, even Xiao Zhan, the head of the clan, could not keep his emotions from showing.

He took a deep breath and stepped aside to invite everyone in. "Don't stand around at the entrance. Come in, come in!"

Everyone followed Xiao Zhan into the Xiao Clan estate and took their seats in the Reception Hall.

As servants brought tea, Xiao Yan introduced Hai Bodong and Qing Lin and her mother. He took particular care to emphasize that Elder Hai was a Dou Huang expert and that Qing Lin and her mother were honored guests who must not be neglected.

Xiao Zhan made a mental note to remind the younger clan members of that several times later.

After they had chatted over tea, Xiao Zhan personally instructed the servants to arrange rooms for Hai Bodong, Qing Lin, and her mother, with attendants for each of them.

Hai Bodong had never cared for crowds. After saying a word to Xiao Yan, he followed a servant to his room to rest.

Qing Lin and her mother, meanwhile, were overwhelmed by the attention and remained cautious in everything they said and did.

"Young Master Xiao Yan, isn't this a little too much? Given where my daughter and I come from..." Qing Mian said quietly, looking embarrassed.

Mother and daughter were much alike. Even after spending some time with Xiao Yan, they still thought of themselves as lowly deep down.

Knowing they were bound to feel uneasy in a new place, Xiao Yan gave them a gentle look and reassured them. "Don't worry, Aunt Qing. You belong here. From now on, the Xiao Clan is your home."

He had long since decided that Qing Lin and her mother would stay with the Xiao Clan and make it their home.

With him there, they would not only be safe but could slowly come to feel that they truly belonged.

His words warmed Qing Mian's heart, bringing tears to her eyes. Qing Lin nodded firmly too.

Ever since Qing Mian had become pregnant with Qing Lin, mother and daughter had lived from day to day, constantly moving from place to place. To them, a "home" had seemed like an impossible dream.

But Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian, standing nearby, saw Xiao Yan gently comforting Qing Lin and her mother.

The two girls puffed out their cheeks and exchanged indignant looks.

They silently resolved to give Brother Xiao Yan a proper interrogation later about the girls he had been charming while he was away.

Once Qing Lin and her mother were settled, Xiao Yan finally had time to catch up with his two girlfriends.

Seeing Xiao Zhan chatting happily with his eldest and second brothers, he rose, scratched his head, and smiled. "Father, I'll leave you to it for now."

Xiao Zhan followed his gaze and saw Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian waiting nearby. Understanding at once, he waved a hand and smiled. "Go on. Just remember to come to dinner tonight."

Xiao Yan readily agreed.

He turned and tipped his head toward Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian, signaling for them to follow him outside to talk.

Delighted, the two girls hurried after him. As they walked, Xiao Yan could not help looking at them.

It had been so long since he had seen them. Both were taller now, their features more mature, with a budding beauty they had not possessed before.

"Brother Xiao Yan, are you done staring?" Xun'er asked, her cheeks pink as she felt his undisguised gaze.

She looked so sweet and bashful that there was no trace of her earlier anger.

Xiao Yi Xian hid a smile beside her.

Xiao Yan scratched his head awkwardly. The two girls exchanged a glance, then covered their mouths and giggled.

They reached a quiet Pavilion and sat down on the stone stools.

Xun'er spoke first. "Brother Xiao Yan, will you tell us about your travels? Sister Xiao Yi Xian and I both want to hear about them."

"Yes, we do," Xiao Yi Xian chimed in, her curiosity and concern plain on her face.

"Ahem! In that case, ladies, allow me to tell you the whole story..." Xiao Yan coughed twice and cleared his throat with exaggerated ceremony.