A letter of repudiation, a hidden edge

The aftermath of the broken engagement lingered in the Xiao Residence for two days.

During those two days, Xiao Yan almost never left his room. Aside from drinking his medicine, he spent each day "meditating and cultivating." Even when he occasionally took a slow walk through the courtyard, his head remained bowed, an unshakable gloom hanging between his brows. Most clansmen who saw him offered looks of sympathy or mockery, but few dared mention "Nalan Yanran" or call him "trash" to his face anymore—his ringing declaration that day, "Never bully a young man for being poor," had left a faint mark on their hearts after all.

Xiao Zhan visited him several times. Seeing that, though quiet and withdrawn, he had not sunk so low as to abandon cultivation, he felt somewhat reassured and merely reminded him again and again not to push beyond his limits. Xiao Ding and Xiao Li also visited often, bringing wound medicine or meat. Every word was meant to comfort him, lest he back himself into a dead end.

Xiao Yan responded to each of them, playing the role of "a dejected youth with stubbornness hidden beneath the surface" without a single crack in his performance.

[System notification: The impact of the broken engagement remains within controllable limits. No anomalies deviating from the worldline detected. Temporary quest progress: 90%.]

That afternoon, beneath pleasant sunshine, Xiao Yan was walking slowly through the courtyard, deliberately making his steps a little unsteady, as though weakened by depleted Dou Qi. Suddenly, Xiao Ding's voice came from beyond the gate, carrying an unusual urgency. "Second Brother, come out for a moment. The Misty Cloud Sect has sent someone again!"

Something stirred in Xiao Yan's heart.

They're here.

According to the original story's course, after breaking the engagement, the Misty Cloud Sect would send "compensation" to "restore" the Xiao Clan's dignity and eliminate any future trouble—a dose of Qi Gathering Powder and a letter subtly demanding that Xiao Yan stop pursuing Nalan Yanran.

It was both an insult and a test.

He stopped and turned, allowing just the right hint of confusion and wariness onto his face. "The Misty Cloud Sect? What do they want this time?"

"I'm not sure. They say they're delivering something." Xiao Ding entered the courtyard, his brows tightly furrowed. "Father wants you to come over. Apparently... that steward left a letter and specifically asked that you read it yourself."

Xiao Yan remained "silent" for a moment, clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white. His voice carried suppressed anger. "Fine. I'll take a look."

He followed Xiao Ding through the corridors. The clansmen they encountered cast curious looks their way, and whispers rose once more. Xiao Yan looked straight ahead, though his steps seemed heavier than usual, as if he bore an invisible burden.

In the main hall, Xiao Zhan sat in the seat of honor, his expression so dark it seemed water might drip from it. A young man wearing the outer disciple robes of the Misty Cloud Sect stood in the hall. He was about seventeen or eighteen, with Dou Zhe cultivation and an arrogant expression. When Xiao Yan entered, he merely gave him a contemptuous glance.

"You're here, Yan?" Xiao Zhan's voice was slightly hoarse. He pointed to a brocade box and a letter on the table. "The Misty Cloud Sect says these are for you."

The young man cupped his hands, though his tone held no respect. "You're Xiao Yan? I'm Lin Feng, an outer disciple of the Misty Cloud Sect. Steward Ge Ye told me to deliver these to you. He said it was... a small token of goodwill. As for the letter, you'll understand once you read it."

He deliberately emphasized "Steward Ge Ye," as though those words alone could crush Xiao Yan's spine.

Xiao Yan did not look at him. His gaze rested on the brocade box and the letter. He could sense faint Dou Qi fluctuations coming from the box—the aura of Qi Gathering Powder. It was a low-tier medicine that aided those in the Dou Zhe realm, but for someone at his supposed "Dou Qi Third Stage," it counted as a considerable "gift."

Besides Ge Ye's aura, the letter retained an extremely faint soul imprint, clearly intended to confirm whether he had actually read it and how he reacted.

"A token of goodwill?" Xiao Yan spoke slowly, his voice unnaturally calm. "I, Xiao Yan, have no need for the Misty Cloud Sect's 'goodwill.'"

Lin Feng's face darkened. "Xiao Yan, what do you mean by that? You dare reject Steward Ge Ye's kindness?"

"Kindness?" Xiao Yan raised his head and looked directly at Lin Feng. There was no anger in his gaze, only icy indifference. "'Kindness' bought with a letter of repudiation? Or a pacification fee sent because you're afraid this 'trash' might take revenge someday?"

His voice was quiet, yet it landed like a stone in a still lake, instantly freezing the atmosphere in the hall.

Xiao Zhan wanted to intervene, but a look from Xiao Yan stopped him.

Unnerved by that stare, Lin Feng blustered, fierce on the outside but hollow within. "Insolence!" "You're trash at the Dou Qi Third Stage, and you dare question the Misty Cloud Sect? If not for the Xiao Clan, do you think..."

"Think you could do what?" Xiao Yan stepped forward, lifting his chin slightly as he stared into Lin Feng's eyes. "Write another letter of repudiation? Or kill this 'ungrateful' piece of trash outright?"

His presence surged abruptly, yet he kept it precisely within the bounds of "an ordinary person driven to the height of rage." He released not a trace of Dou Qi, but Lin Feng still took an instinctive step back.

Only then did Lin Feng realize that "trash" had actually frightened him into retreating. Humiliation turned at once into anger. "You're asking for death!"

As he spoke, he began circulating his Dou Qi, clearly intending to teach Xiao Yan a lesson.

"Stop!" Xiao Zhan slammed his palm onto the table, unleashing the pressure of a Peak Dou Master. "Lin Feng! This is the Xiao Clan, not somewhere your Misty Cloud Sect can run wild!"

Pressed beneath Xiao Zhan's aura, Lin Feng regained some clarity. Remembering Ge Ye's instructions, he merely snorted and stepped aside. "Fine. I won't waste my time arguing with you. I've delivered the box and the letter. Whether you accept them or read them has nothing to do with me! Farewell!"

With that, he swept his sleeve and left, not bothering with another courtesy.

At last, the hall fell quiet.

Xiao Zhan looked at Xiao Yan, his brows tightly drawn. "Yan'er, you were too impulsive just now. The Misty Cloud Sect..."

"Father, I know what I'm doing." Xiao Yan interrupted him and walked to the table. He picked up the letter but did not open it immediately. "They haven't sent goodwill. They've sent a test and an insult. If I meekly accepted it, they really would treat me as trash they could twist around their fingers."

He paused, lightly brushing the writing on the envelope with his fingertips. "This letter will tell me to know my place and stop entertaining any thoughts about Nalan Yanran. It may even hint that, if I obey, the Misty Cloud Sect might offer me a little 'guidance.'"

Looking at the calm understanding in his son's eyes, Xiao Zhan suddenly found him somewhat unfamiliar. Those two days of seclusion seemed to have changed Xiao Yan into another person. Though still quiet, he now possessed an edge that was difficult to describe.

"Then this letter..."

"Of course I'll read it." Xiao Yan opened the envelope and took out the letter.

Its contents were exactly as he expected. Ge Ye's handwriting carried a lofty arrogance. First, he expressed "regret" over Xiao Yan's "fall," then changed tack, stressing that Nalan Yanran and Xiao Yan "had long since belonged to different worlds." He advised Xiao Yan to "face reality and cultivate quietly," and finally even implied that, if he could "know his place," he might receive "a little consideration" from the Misty Cloud Sect in the future.

Between every line lay alms and warnings for "trash at the Dou Qi Third Stage."

Xiao Yan skimmed it quickly, his eyes betraying no change.

But he knew the soul imprint attached to the letter was quietly recording his emotional fluctuations.

So he slowly tightened his grip on the paper, his knuckles whitening from "exertion." His breathing grew heavy, and humiliation, anger, resentment... all those emotions surfaced on his face, weaving together until they seemed about to drown him.

He abruptly crumpled the letter and hurled it to the floor, his chest heaving. "'Know my place,' is it? 'Consideration from the Misty Cloud Sect,' is it? Even if I remain at the Dou Qi Third Stage for the rest of my life, I don't need their charity!"

"Yan'er!" Xiao Zhan hurried forward and held him. "Don't make yourself ill with anger!"

"Father, look! Look at what they wrote!" Xiao Yan pointed at the crumpled paper, his voice shaking with "agitation," his eyes reddening right on cue. "They're treating me like a dog wagging its tail and begging for scraps!"

The performance was so utterly convincing that even he almost believed anger truly burned in his chest.

[System notification: Successfully triggered the emotional recording of the soul imprint on the letter. Performance matches character expectations. Temporary quest progress: 95%.]

Xiao Zhan picked up the crumpled letter. After reading it, his face turned livid, and he let out a heavy sigh. "Those bastards! They've gone too far!"

He tossed the paper back onto the floor. The sight of Xiao Yan's reddened eyes pierced his heart. "Yan'er, don't stoop to their level. Once your cultivation improves, you'll have plenty of chances to seek justice."

Xiao Yan drew a deep breath, as though struggling to steady his emotions. Only after a long while did he lift his head. The anger in his eyes had faded, leaving a resolve bordering on obsession. "Father, I've decided. I'm going to the Magical Beast Mountain Range."

"What?" Xiao Zhan froze. "What would you do there? It's too dangerous. With your current cultivation..."

"I know it's dangerous." Xiao Yan interrupted him, his tone unusually earnest. "But I can't keep going like this. We've almost run out of medicinal ingredients at home. I want to search the mountains myself and see whether I can gather some useful herbs to make Qi-Gathering Powder. Perhaps... perhaps it could help me achieve a breakthrough."

He deliberately let a hint of uncertainty enter his voice, as though this were merely an attempt made with nowhere left to turn.

"No! It's too dangerous!" Xiao Zhan refused without hesitation. "The outskirts are one thing, but go even a little deeper, and even a Dou Zhe could lose his life. You're only at the Dou Qi Third Stage..."

"Father, my mind is made up." Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Zhan, his eyes blazing. "I can't keep being trash! Even dying in the Magical Beast Mountain Range would be better than staying here while people point at my nose and laugh!"

His tone carried absolute determination, even a trace of the madness of someone smashing his cauldrons and sinking his boats.

This was precisely the effect he wanted. Only by appearing "provoked beyond reason" could his journey to the Magical Beast Mountain Range seem perfectly natural.

Seeing the madness in his son's eyes, Xiao Zhan's heart tightened. He knew the blow of the broken engagement and the Misty Cloud Sect's humiliation had fully ignited the fire within Xiao Yan. The more one tried to restrain a youth in this state, the more violently he would recoil.

He remained silent for a long time, worry almost spilling from his face. "You... have really thought this through?"

"Yes." Xiao Yan nodded firmly.

"Then... I'll have your eldest brother accompany you."

"No need." Xiao Yan shook his head. "Eldest Brother has his own cultivation to attend to. I can't hold him back because of me. Besides, I'm only going to try my luck on the outskirts. I won't go deeper."

He paused, then added, "Father, this is my own path. I want to walk it myself."

Looking at his son's stubborn profile, Xiao Zhan seemed to see his younger self. He struggled for a long time before finally nodding helplessly. "All right... but promise me you'll be careful. Stay at the very outer edge, return immediately if you encounter danger, and don't try to prove yourself. Understand?"

"I understand, Father." At last, a faint smile appeared on Xiao Yan's face. Though tinged with weariness, it looked much more genuine.

[System notification: Successfully established a reasonable motive for traveling to the Magical Beast Mountain Range, consistent with plot progression. Temporary quest progress: 100%.]

[Temporary quest "Perfectly Handle the Broken Engagement" completed!]

[Base rewards issued: Body Tempering Pill Formula x1, Dou Zhe-Level Dou Qi Recovery Art x1.]

[Perfect completion reward issued: Random Heavenly Flame Fragment x1 (automatically deposited in system storage).]

[Heavenly Flame Fragment identified as a "Green Lotus Core Flame" fragment. Can assist the host in locating the actual Heavenly Flame more precisely.]

A flicker of delight rose in Xiao Yan's heart.

A fragment of the Green Lotus Core Flame?

This was an unexpected boon. With this fragment, he could save himself considerable trouble in his search for the Green Lotus Core Flame.

He suppressed his emotions and said to Xiao Zhan, "Father, I'll go pack. I'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."

Watching his retreating back, Xiao Zhan opened his mouth, but in the end he merely said softly, "Go on... stay safe."

Xiao Yan returned to his room. The instant he closed the door, every emotion vanished from his face, leaving only calm.

He walked to the window and looked toward the Magical Beast Mountain Range beyond the city.

When he had "angrily" hurled the crumpled letter down, the soul imprint Ge Ye left behind had quietly recorded "satisfactory" emotional fluctuations before dissipating on its own—clearly, the Misty Cloud Sect was pleased with his "reaction," believing him nothing more than enraged but helpless trash.

As for the Qi Gathering Powder, naturally, he would not accept it. Xiao Zhan would have someone return it to the Misty Cloud Sect's outpost later. This was another silent contest, but it also neatly reinforced his character as someone who "would rather break than bend."

Everything was proceeding according to plan.

He dug a battered backpack out from beneath his bed, packed a few changes of clothes, and tucked the Basic Herbal Compendium inside. As for weapons, the original owner had possessed nothing decent, only a rust-covered iron sword. After a moment's thought, he took it along anyway—even if he never used it, it would help maintain appearances.

Once everything was done, he lay on the bed, but felt no trace of sleepiness.

His Emperor Realm Soul spread silently, enveloping all of Wutan City.

He "saw" Lin Feng return to the Misty Cloud Sect's outpost in Wutan City and report through a communication jade talisman, his words dripping with contempt for "that trash Xiao Yan." He "heard" the townspeople still discussing the broken engagement, most mocking the Xiao Clan for overestimating itself. He even "sensed" several concealed auras lurking near the Xiao Clan, seemingly waiting for something.

"Other clans' spies, or... people from the Soul Hall?" Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened slightly.

Given the Soul Hall's way of operating, it was unlikely to pay attention to "trash" at a time like this. They were more likely agents of other forces in Wutan City, such as the Ao Ba Family, which had long clashed with the Xiao Clan, hoping to watch its humiliation or even kick it while it was down.

"Just as well." A cold curve lifted the corner of Xiao Yan's mouth. "Before heading to the Magical Beast Mountain Range, I can clear away these irritating flies."

He did not need to act personally.

For the watchers hiding in the shadows, an "accidental" beast tide or a "chance" killing born of a feud would be enough to silence them forever.

And engineering an "accident" was as easy as turning over his palm for a Nine-Star Dou Sheng like him.

The night deepened, and Wutan City sank into sleep.

Xiao Yan rose soundlessly, walked to the window, and gazed at the pitch-black mountain forests beyond the city.

His fingertips moved slightly. A barely perceptible wisp of soul power drifted like a dandelion seed into the depths of the forests outside the city. It carried no aggression, yet could stir the vicious instincts of low-tier magical beasts, making them restless and frenzied.

Soon, several beast roars sounded from the forests beyond the city. Though faint, they carried unmistakable agitation.

Xiao Yan withdrew his gaze, lay back on the bed, and closed his eyes.

Tomorrow, when he left Wutan City, those hidden watchers might "just happen" to encounter a sudden beast tide.

And this was only the beginning.

The hunt in the Magical Beast Mountain Range had already raised its curtain tonight.