On the mountain behind the clan estate, he cultivated cross-legged until nightfall.
Suddenly, Xiao Yan sensed something and opened his eyes.
Someone was coming!
Through his Dou Qi perception, he detected Xiao Zhan in the woods not far away.
But Xiao Yan gave nothing away.
With his mere sixth-stage Dou Power, how could he possibly sense the aura of Xiao Zhan, a Da Dou Shi?
If he was going to put on an act, he had to see it through!
Pretending not to notice, Xiao Yan closed his eyes and continued cultivating.
Xiao Zhan watched his son cultivate for a while longer before finally stepping out, satisfied.
His son's talent might have been ordinary, but his diligence was beyond reproach!
As his father, he was deeply pleased.
Once Xiao Zhan appeared, Xiao Yan opened his eyes and looked at him with feigned delight and surprise.
"Father, what brings you here?"
Xiao Zhan chuckled. "I came to see my precious son. I haven't disturbed your cultivation, have I?"
Xiao Yan gave an honest, good-natured smile. "Of course not, Father."
Xiao Yan felt there were few people he could trust in this world, and in his heart, Xiao Zhan ranked even higher than Yao Lao!
After chatting warmly with Xiao Yan for a little while, Xiao Zhan changed the subject.
"Yan'er, come to the clan's council hall first thing tomorrow morning.
"We have several very important guests coming. These guests, haha... you must be there."
Xiao Yan frowned.
His sense of impending danger was through the roof, and he had no interest in socializing now. He only wanted to cultivate!
Keeping his expression neutral, Xiao Yan asked, "Father, what sort of guests require my presence?"
A mysterious, expectant smile appeared on Xiao Zhan's face.
"Haha, you'll find out tomorrow! Oh, and remember to make yourself look sharp and presentable!"
Xiao Zhan offered no explanation, merely departing with a smile.
Completely bewildered, Xiao Yan thought it over for a while. Finding no clues, he could only shake his head, sit down, and resume cultivating.
Early the next morning.
The steward arrived promptly to summon Xiao Yan to the council hall.
Following the steward all the way to the council hall, Xiao Yan pushed open the door and strolled inside.
The council hall was spacious, with Xiao Zhan and the three elders seated at its head.
Several other clan members sat to the left below them. Xiao Yan noticed that Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er were there too.
On the right sat three strangers.
Presumably, these were the honored guests Xiao Zhan had mentioned last night.
Without betraying anything, he swept his gaze over the three.
An old man occupied the foremost seat, his face wreathed in smiles and his spirits bright. Most eye-catching of all was the insignia on the chest of his robe.
One moon and seven stars!
He was actually a Seven-Star Great Dou Master!
Xiao Yan's heart tightened. That was enough strength to swagger unchallenged through Wutan City!
No wonder Father called him an honored guest! He certainly deserved respect!
His gaze shifted down. Behind the old man sat a young man and a young woman.
The man was older, around twenty, with an arrogant expression. As for his looks... he wasn't as handsome as Xiao Yan.
On the chest of the man's robe, however, were five embroidered stars.
He was a Five-Star Dou Zhe.
A Five-Star Dou Zhe at around twenty? Xiao Yan curled his lip. Nothing special!
Forget comparing him to me. This idiot wasn't even as good as Xiao Mei!
Xiao Mei had reached seventh-stage Dou Power at fourteen and would probably become a One-Star Dou Zhe by sixteen.
After becoming a Dou Zhe, gaining one star a year was the bare minimum.
With faster progress, even three or four stars a year were possible!
In other words, by the time Xiao Mei was around twenty, she would most likely be somewhat stronger than this idiot!
With talent of that caliber, what on earth was he so arrogant about?
Xiao Mei sat directly opposite the arrogant man.
At that moment, she was staring at him, her face blazing with fighting spirit.
As expected of a disciple from a great sect. His talent really was astonishing!
But I, Xiao Mei, was a prodigy of my generation too! I was no weaker than you!
Xiao Yan's gaze continued onward. Beside the arrogant man sat a young girl.
The girl... was rather pretty.
After glancing over her face, Xiao Yan fixed his eyes on her chest.
Ahem. He was looking at the stars.
There were stars on the girl's chest too. Three of them.
She was a Three-Star Dou Zhe.
Judging by her appearance, she was about his age, fourteen or fifteen.
A Three-Star Dou Zhe at fourteen or fifteen had some genuine merit.
At least among Wutan City's publicly known talents, she ranked first.
Yes, quite a bit better than Xiao Mei.
At that thought, Xiao Yan couldn't help turning to look at Xiao Mei.
He wanted to see how the usually arrogant Xiao Mei would react to someone more talented than herself.
But Xiao Mei merely stared unwaveringly at the arrogant five-star man, fire burning in her eyes, as though she had found her destined rival.
She hadn't spared the Three-Star Dou Zhe girl her own age a single glance.
Xiao Yan nearly laughed aloud.
Little sister, you really knew how to avoid tormenting yourself! You certainly knew how to pick someone to measure yourself against!
His gaze returned to the girl, and after looking her over a little more, Xiao Yan smacked his lips.
She might be pretty, but that expression, that manner... she was far too arrogant! I didn't like her!
Having quickly assessed the guests, Xiao Yan greeted his father and the elders, then quietly found an inconspicuous seat in the back.
After listening to their somewhat boring conversation for a while, Xiao Yan roughly worked out who they were.
They were from the Misty Cloud Sect!
The old man was an executive elder of the Misty Cloud Sect named Ge Ye. Xiao Yan hadn't caught the arrogant man's name, while the arrogant girl was called Nalan Yanran.
Nalan Yanran?
Hadn't Grandfather arranged a childhood betrothal for me when I was little, to a girl named Nalan Yanran?
The granddaughter of Nalan Jie, the imperial capital's Lionheart Marshal?
Had they come to discuss the marriage today?
Very likely!
Xiao Yan finally sat up straight and began studying Nalan Yanran again.
After watching her for a while, Xiao Yan shook his head once more.
Still too arrogant! I didn't like her!
Look at that expression. She practically wanted to announce to the whole world, "I'm amazing, so don't you dare underestimate me!"
Xiao Yan sneered inwardly.
So cocky? One encounter with Doctor Mo would teach you to behave!
Smacking his lips, Xiao Yan wasn't quite sure what to do.
How was someone as low-key and reserved as me supposed to get along with such a flashy, arrogant fiancée?
Our birth charts clashed. This would be tricky!
Sure enough, after a little longer, Ge Ye brought up the real business.
"Clan Leader Xiao, we have indeed come today to discuss an important matter with you."
Hearing this, Xiao Zhan chuckled. "Please speak freely, Elder Ge."
Xiao Zhan thought they were about to discuss the marriage, and his face was already covered in smiles.
Ge Ye, however, looked troubled. After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke.
"Clan Leader Xiao, this matter is rather difficult to bring up, but it is the sect master's wish. Please take no offense."
Xiao Zhan's expression darkened. "I don't quite understand what you mean, Elder Ge."
Ge Ye rubbed his hands together, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Here is the situation, Clan Leader Xiao. As you know, the Misty Cloud Sect has strict rules, and the sect master has high hopes for Yanran. She is being groomed as the next sect master of the Misty Cloud Sect.
"But the sect master's successor must not become entangled in romantic attachments. After learning of Yanran's marriage agreement with your esteemed clan, the sect master specifically sent me here in the hope that we could... dissolve this engagement."
The entire hall erupted in an uproar!
Everyone's eyes turned toward Xiao Yan!
Xiao Yan frowned as well.
On this first meeting, he hadn't formed any favorable impression of Nalan Yanran.
He could readily accept dissolving the engagement.
But wasn't the Misty Cloud Sect's way of handling this going far too far in bullying them?
This could clearly have been settled discreetly among a small group. Why insist on resolving it before a crowd?
Just look at the scene now!
Some were dumbstruck, some gloated, some whispered among themselves, and some seethed with righteous indignation. The whole place had become a boiling pot of chaos!
This Elder Ge might speak apologetically, but deep down, he didn't regard the Xiao Clan as worth a glance!
Otherwise, he would never have chosen this way to break off the engagement!
Xiao Yan himself didn't consider this sort of thing humiliating. He only cared about tangible benefits!
How much was face worth, anyway?
But he was a little worried about his father!
He feared his father would have no way to save face!
Sure enough, the very next moment, the cup in Xiao Zhan's hand at the head of the hall burst into a cloud of powder!
Xiao Zhan glared angrily at Ge Ye.
"Elder Ge, this is not how such matters are handled!"
Before you continue