Just as Xiao Zhan's heart pounded with fear, Ya Fei, who had been following Hai Bodong all along, finally stepped gracefully forward. With just the right measure of concern and apology on her enchanting face, she dipped into an elegant curtsy before Hai Bodong. Her voice was soft and soothing as water as she tried to thaw the icy deadlock.
"Sir, please don't be angry. This child merely has a fierce temper and was eager to defend his father. He never meant to offend you."
Yet, to everyone's surprise, Hai Bodong's icebound expression neither erupted into outright fury at Xiao Yan's defiance nor softened in the slightest at Ya Fei's persuasion.
From beginning to end, his gaze remained locked, as though drawn by a magnet, on the boy sheltered behind his father, who still stubbornly poked half his head out to glare at him with bright black eyes.
An unprecedented intuition, so powerful that it made his very soul tremble, swept through his mind like towering waves in a raging sea.
It's him! It's this little child! The greatest opportunity of my life actually lies with this seemingly ordinary boy before me! This feeling is clearer than any compass, any prophecy!
In an instant, the oppressive aura hanging over the Xiao Clan Courtyard quietly dispersed. The deadly frost on Hai Bodong's face melted away, replaced by a strange smile that nearly made everyone's eyes pop out of their heads. He waved a hand casually and gave a few low chuckles.
"No harm done, no harm done."
He looked Xiao Yan up and down with keen interest. His gaze was nothing like that of someone looking at an offender; instead, he seemed to be admiring an unparalleled piece of uncut jade.
"The moment I saw this child, I felt a strong