My name is Xiao Xun'er

As everyone knew, high-grade ingredients often needed only the simplest cooking methods.

And high-level hunters often appeared before others in the guise of prey.

No matter how meticulously Chen Cang planned, as long as he tried to approach Gu Xun'er, he would inevitably arouse Ling Ying's suspicions. That was unavoidable.

So why not try a different approach and let the other party come to him?

Chen Cang was certain that once Ling Ying and Gu Xun'er learned about him and discovered the Void Pegasus Beast, they would inevitably grow suspicious of his origins.

Gu Xun'er might not be interested, but as her guard, Ling Ying was duty-bound to ensure his young mistress's absolute safety. That made a thorough investigation of Chen Cang necessary.

Yet most people in the Xiao Clan knew only that Chen Cang was an outsider, and that he had agreed to serve as a guest elder merely because he wanted to wait for someone in Wutan City.

They knew nothing else whatsoever.

In other words, the only way to uncover Chen Cang's origins was through Chen Cang himself: gather useful information from his scattered remarks, then follow the vine to the melon and uncover the truth.

Unfortunately, Ling Ying's task was to protect her from the shadows, which meant Gu Xun'er would have to act in person.

Without realizing it, they would play right into his hands!

As his thinking grew clearer, Chen Cang became less impatient instead.

The next day.

Chen Cang followed his usual routine, cultivating, walking his horse, and heading out for a stroll in his spare time to give the Xiao Clan's youngsters a chance to ask him for guidance.

From these little sprouts' memories, he learned that they had already heard about a distant relative coming to the Xiao Clan, but had yet to meet her. Even Xiao Yan and his two brothers were no exception.

Gu Xun'er did not go out that day.

The same held true for the next four or five days.

Aside from the servants delivering water and meals, no one caught sight of this young mistress.

With his plan settled, Chen Cang had patience to spare and felt no urgency at all. He figured Gu Xun'er and Ling Ying were probably investigating him these past few days. Once they had exhausted every lead, they would naturally take other action.

Just as Chen Cang had imagined, in the courtyard next door, Ling Ying, dressed in black robes, was reporting his findings.

"Young mistress, the investigation into Chen Cang has hit a bottleneck. I questioned dozens of people in Wutan City, and even disguised myself to ask quite a few members of the Xiao Clan, but the information I obtained was still scant."

"All we know at present is that Chen Cang came to Wutan City a little over a year ago. He displayed the strength of a Da Dou Shi at the time and was personally received by Xiao Zhan and several elders. Afterward, he used waiting for a friend as his excuse and remained in Wutan City right up to the present."

"Ever since Chen Cang arrived at the Xiao Clan, Xiao Zhan has attached great importance to him. He even arranged for him to live beside his three sons. His desire to draw him close couldn't be more obvious."

"Chen Cang is easygoing and generally puts on no airs. Aside from cultivating, he spends his days walking his horse-that Void Pegasus Beast. When he occasionally goes out and Xiao Clan disciples ask him questions, he answers them patiently. He neither takes the initiative nor refuses them. His conduct does fit the identity he has disclosed."

"However, in my opinion, Chen Cang is definitely hiding something. A sixteen-year-old five-star Da Dou Shi, accompanied by a Void Pegasus Beast-to be honest, someone like that being born in the northwest is almost impossible. I'd sooner believe he came from the Central Plains!"

"But that raises even more questions. Why would a genius like him come to this backwater where birds don't even shit? Is it really as simple as waiting for a friend?"

After sharing everything he had learned, Ling Ying also pointed out his doubts.

Opposite him, an exceptionally pretty, adorable little girl sat perched on a tall chair, her feet dangling in the air. She wore a thoughtful expression, but her affected pose looked utterly incongruous.

Although people said girls matured earlier than boys, Gu Xun'er was still only four years old. Even if she had spent four years immersed in the Gu Clan's environment and picked up a few things through exposure, asking her to handle matters alone was still far too much.

Gu Yuan really wasn't acting like a human being!

After hearing Ling Ying's report, Gu Xun'er nodded with an air of solemn authority.

"You're right, Elder Ling. There's definitely something suspicious about Chen Cang!"

"Young mistress, there's actually no need to take this so seriously. Whatever Chen Cang's purpose may be, it absolutely cannot be aimed at us. Very few people even know you came to Wutan City. Even the other clans couldn't stretch their hands this far."

"Still, we should investigate what needs investigating. Only when we know his roots and background can we interact with him without worry. So I'd like to ask you to take action yourself, young mistress!"

"You're living in the Xiao Clan now, and right next door to Chen Cang at that. You're bound to come into contact with him in the future, and that will be our opportunity. You can try drawing information out of him. The more he says, the more he'll reveal, and I can use that to follow the vine to the melon and uncover everything about him."

In Ling Ying's view, this would not be difficult.

After all, Chen Cang was so young that he could hardly have much worldly experience. Faced with a delicate, pretty little girl, he probably would not be on his guard. Drawing a little information out of him should be easy.

Under normal circumstances, that would indeed have been the case.

"I understand, Elder Ling. Doesn't he often guide the Xiao Clan's people in their cultivation? Then I'll find a chance to ask him for advice tomorrow." The clever little girl quickly thought of a workable method.

"Yes. When you first approach him, there's no need to rush into asking questions. Let him get familiar with your face first."

"I understand. Father said that when doing things, you have to learn to advance step by step, fortifying your position as you go!"

On that dark, windy night, mistress and servant quietly settled on their strategy for dealing with Chen Cang.

And Chen Cang knew nothing of it.

A new day dawned, and Chen Cang followed his routine as usual.

When he arrived at the square, he immediately noticed that quite a few Xiao Clan disciples seemed to have developed a squint, their gazes flicking sideways from time to time.

Following the direction of their furtive glances, Chen Cang soon spotted a little girl in a white dress sitting on a piece of training equipment at the edge of the square, watching everyone cultivate. She was all alone, clearly not yet part of the group.

As for the girl's appearance, pretty and delicate were the only appropriate descriptions for now. Anything more might be criminal.

Quietly withdrawing his appraising gaze, Chen Cang turned his attention to those who had come to ask him questions.

Only after he had been busy for over an hour did the area around him finally quiet down.

Just as he turned to leave, Gu Xun'er finally made her move, lifting her little skirt and running briskly over.

"Um, instructor, I have a question I'd like to ask you too. May I?"

"Of course. Why haven't I seen you before?" Chen Cang nodded slightly, then asked the question quite casually.

"I only arrived at the Xiao Clan a few days ago. My name is Xiao Xun'er."

Well-behaved, adorable, and seemingly without any ulterior motives.

"I see. Now I remember. You must be the Xun'er the clan leader mentioned. Do you live next door to me?"

"Yes, I do."

"Ha, just as I thought. Sorry, sorry. I'm usually busy cultivating and rarely have time to come out. You've been at the Xiao Clan for several days, but this is my first time seeing you, so I didn't recognize you. Oh, right, my name is Chen Cang. I'm a guest elder of the Xiao Clan. You can address me however you like, just as they do."

After they introduced themselves, the sense of unfamiliarity immediately vanished without a trace.

Both silently thought to themselves.

The first step of the plan was a success!