Wounded Pride

Two figures, one red and one blue, darted between the tree trunks. Flames intertwined with icy cold, instantly throwing the forest into chaos.

The surroundings were a complete mess. Hidden in the shadows, Yao Lao watched the Dou Qi in their palms, a keen gleam flashing in his eyes.

"These two brats are both far too steady."

He had never expected both of them to advance to Dou Zhe in just a few short days.

Yao Lao shook his head and looked at the pill in his hand.

"After all the trouble I went through to refine this pill, it looks like it's useless now."

A sense of helplessness gradually settled over Yao Lao. Every time he wanted to help, those two youngsters seemed to break through on their own before he even had a chance to act.

He felt increasingly useless.

Yao Lao scratched his head and casually tossed the pill into his backpack.

"I spent ten days refining that pill. I meant to use it to help Xiao Yan advance to Dou Zhe, but now all that effort has gone to waste."

With a flash, Yao Lao slipped into a cave deep in the forest. He had little interest in their fighting.

When the brothers had first started sparring every day, he had still been interested in offering a few pointers from the sidelines.

Later, however, he discovered that they grew more skilled with every sparring session, even developing their own ideas and considerations. His advice from the sidelines only amounted to meddling.

After that, Yao Lao had mostly left the pair to their own devices. Occasionally, he offered some guidance when they needed it, but most of the time, he could not be bothered to speak.

Xiao Yan's eyes were bloodshot. He stared at Xiao Mo before him and finally spoke.

"It was your pill that made me advance, wasn't it?"

Xiao Mo nodded, and an absurd thought suddenly rose in his mind.

Was this guy actually angry?

"Xiao Yan, don't tell me you're angry because I fed you a pill?"

Xiao Yan immediately faltered, unsure how to answer Xiao Mo's question.

In truth, frustration had been bottled up in his chest all along. They had started cultivating at the same time, and Xiao Mo had initially been weaker than him, with only second-stage Dou Qi.

Yet now, Xiao Mo had not only reached Dou Zhe before him but repeatedly outpaced him in cultivation.

That frustration remained trapped in his chest, with nowhere to vent. He had been cultivating diligently lately precisely so he could catch up to Xiao Mo as soon as possible.

But now Xiao Mo had fed him a pill. He felt terribly stifled inside. Was he really inferior to Xiao Mo in every single way?

Seeing the anger in Xiao Yan's eyes, Xiao Mo quickly understood what he was thinking.

He did not know whether to laugh or cry.

While fending off Xiao Yan's frenzied attacks, he explained his actions.

"Xiao Yan, don't think I'm insulting you. This is how I advanced myself, after all. Only an idiot would leave pills unused when he has them."

"What cultivator has climbed step by step through sheer ability without ever touching a pill? If there's a shortcut, why insist on taking the long way around?"

Those words left Xiao Yan speechless, but the frustration in his chest still refused to dissipate.

Seeing him like this, Xiao Mo could only explain again.

"I already told you I advanced this way too. So when you see me advancing quickly, it isn't all thanks to cultivation."

"I have my own channels for getting these pills. You're my junior brother, and I'm happy to share them with you. Is that wrong too?"

"If your competitiveness and pride are that strong, how can you even talk about cultivating? Getting angry with people every day would be enough to wear you out."

At those words, Xiao Yan's fury finally burned out.

His movements slowed, and Xiao Mo seized the opportunity to step forward and pin his limbs.

"Xiao Yan, if you really think I've humiliated you, you're free to stop using my pills from now on. I won't trouble myself over you again either."

With that, Xiao Mo turned and walked away.

Somehow, helping someone had landed me in trouble, and he even resented me for it. What kind of logic was that?

If the person I was helping didn't want it, why should I keep pressing my warm face against a cold backside?

Seeing him turn to leave, Xiao Yan hurried forward and caught his arm.

"Senior brother, don't go."

Xiao Yan raised his head. The hatred in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a measure of gratitude.

"I should be thanking you. I was in the wrong today. You were helping me, but I repaid your kindness with hostility. This was all my fault."

Smiling, Xiao Mo reached out and ruffled his hair.

He himself had lived for over twenty years, while the boy before him was still only in his teens.

A difference in maturity between them was only natural. Most children at this age were proud and headstrong.

They imagined themselves as high as the heavens. Falling short of someone beside them and then receiving that person's help would indeed leave them feeling uncomfortable.

But this young man had to grow up eventually. Little by little, he would realize that traveling on two legs was always much slower than taking a plane.

Since good resources were available, he should naturally make the fullest use of them.

"Xiao Yan, pills are very important to our cultivation too. I also had my own reasons for helping you today."

He waved the copy of the Ice-Fire Art in his hand.

"I wanted you to start cultivating this art as soon as possible, but you still hadn't reached Dou Zhe. I really couldn't wait any longer."

Xiao Yan nodded, his gaze turning exceptionally resolute.

"Senior brother, I'll work hard. I'll definitely catch up to you, and I won't make you keep worrying about me."

Hearing this, Xiao Mo nodded in satisfaction.

"Good, as long as you understand. Then all those points I spent weren't wasted."

Just then, a system notification suddenly sounded in his ears.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, on helping Xiao Yan successfully break through to Dou Zhe. You will receive a reward of 20,000 shop points and 10 good brother points.]

Xiao Mo's eyes immediately lit up. He had never expected to recover the points he had spent, much less receive double the amount as a reward.

"If I'd known, I would've exchanged for the pill sooner."

To think he had agonized over it for so long, constantly worrying that he would lose his entire investment. Now, it seemed every bit of it had been worthwhile.

He immediately grabbed Xiao Yan.

"Come on. Let's cultivate right now."

One blue figure and one red figure leaped up among the trees once more, and the two plunged back into battle.

Dappled shadows swayed, and their mastery of the art improved by the day. One day, after finishing their cultivation and setting off to rest, Xiao Yan ran into Xiao Zhan along the way, his face grave.

"Father, what's wrong?"

Xiao Zhan merely waved a hand at the two of them.

"Nothing. Just a few minor matters in the clan. Focus on your cultivation. You don't need to concern yourselves with these trifles."

With that, he hurried away, leaving the two staring at his retreating figure in surprise.

"How strange. My father has always stood tall enough to hold up the heavens. He rarely looks so flustered. What's happened to him?"

Xiao Yan rubbed his hair, his face full of confusion.

After pondering carefully for a moment, a thought stirred in Xiao Mo's mind.