Xun'er

"How am I shameless? If I hadn't held you up, you'd probably be lying on the ground by now. Wouldn't that have been even more embarrassing?"

Faced with the girl's accusation, Xiao Yan shrugged helplessly. He hadn't been trying to cop a feel.

"You..."

The girl wanted to argue, but after thinking it over, she realized he had a point. In the end, she swallowed her words.

"Hehe, it seems you're quite popular, miss. You've already made a new friend here in Wutan City."

While the two were bickering, an old man slowly emerged. His strength was formidable; even Xiao Yan felt a faint pressure from him.

Xiao Yan had only ever felt such an aura from his father. Clearly, this man was a Da Dou Shi!

A gifted young Dou Zhe with a Da Dou Shi accompanying her-she was likely a high-ranking disciple of the Misty Cloud Sect or someone of similar standing.

"Old Ge, where did you go just now? Do you know what this guy..."

The girl frowned, intending to complain, but the thought of being held in his arms earlier left her both embarrassed and annoyed. Once again, she couldn't get the words out.

"Oh? Did this young man do something to you?"

Ge Ye smiled faintly. He had actually seen through everything long ago and was merely pretending not to know.

The reason he had left for a while was that he had detected a Dou Shi from the Shadow Tower lurking nearby.

Ge Ye's first thought had been that the man was targeting his young miss. After all, though she was exceptionally gifted, she was also proud.

Besides, with the open struggles and hidden schemes between the various families, it was hardly surprising that someone might want to eliminate her.

He had intercepted the Shadow Tower's Dou Shi. After they exchanged a single blow, the man had fled with severe injuries.

Upon returning, he had found the scene before him.

"Forget it, I'm not telling you. We still have something important to do today. We don't have time to waste here."

She had come to Wutan City in secret, keeping it from her family. If her grandfather found out, he would surely fly into a thunderous rage.

"Hmph."

The girl gave Xiao Yan one last glare, then disappeared from his sight along with the old man.

Xiao Yan glanced at the corpses around him, no longer in any mood to continue shopping.

"Brother Xiao Yan, you sneaked out to have fun without taking me along, didn't you? I'm going to get angry."

As soon as Xiao Yan returned to the Xiao Clan, Xiao Xun'er was waiting right on cue to block him at the entrance.

A little embarrassed, Xiao Yan chuckled. "Ah, nothing escapes your discerning eyes, little sister Xun'er."

Then Xiao Yan took out the Image-Reflecting Pearls and gave them to Xiao Xun'er.

"Xun'er, your birthday is coming up, isn't it? I realized I'd never really given you a present, so I made a special trip around Wutan City. This pair of pearls is for you."

Xiao Yan made no mention of the unpleasant incident in Wutan City. He didn't want it to spoil Xun'er's mood.

"What are these?"

Delighted, Xun'er accepted the Image-Reflecting Pearls and turned them over in her hands.

"These are Image-Reflecting Pearls. If someone pours their Dou Qi into one, it'll show their image."

As he spoke, Xiao Yan demonstrated by pouring his Dou Qi into the white pearl, and the image of the Dou Qi's owner appeared on it.

Xiao Xun'er followed his example and poured her own Dou Qi into the other pearl. Soon, her image appeared on its surface as well.

"Now I understand why these pearls come in pairs. In that case, I'll keep the one with Brother Xiao Yan, and give the one with me in it to you."

Xiao Xun'er truly loved this gift. With it, she could see her Brother Xiao Yan whenever she wished.

"All right, Xun'er, I still have some important things to do, so I can't stay with you."

Xiao Xun'er nodded obediently. "Go ahead, Brother Xiao Yan. I'll be fine."

Smiling, Xun'er watched Xiao Yan leave. Once he was gone, her expression immediately turned dark and icy.

"Master Ling, have you found out who's targeting Brother Xiao Yan?"

The shadows behind Xiao Xun'er twisted, and an old man emerged from them.

The old man's aura was terrifying, far surpassing anyone in Wutan City. Even across the entire Jia Ma Empire, few could compare to him.

Yet even someone like him was still only a servant before Xiao Xun'er.

"Reporting to you, miss: the assassination was ordered by the heads of Wutan City's other two major families, the Jia Lie Family and the Ao Ba Family. The assassin they hired came from the Shadow Tower. I've already killed him."

Only after hearing Ling Ying's reply did Xiao Xun'er's dark expression ease a little.

"The Shadow Tower... those rats in the gutters have been living comfortably for far too long. Find their headquarters. I'll make them understand that some people are beyond their reach!"

The Shadow Tower was an immensely powerful organization that had even assassinated Dou Wangs and Dou Huang experts before. Yet before Xiao Xun'er's family, it was still nothing more than a rat.

"Yes, miss. And what about the Jia Lie Family and the Ao Ba Family? At a single word from you, both families will vanish from Wutan City by tomorrow morning."

Unexpectedly, however, Xiao Xun'er had no intention of acting against the Jia Lie Family or the Ao Ba Family.

"You don't need to intervene in Wutan City's affairs. They're just two foul little bugs. Brother Xiao Yan can deal with them himself."

Master Ling never questioned Xiao Xun'er's plans. As a servant, he only needed to carry them out.

"All right, there's nothing more for you to do here for now. You may leave."

Xiao Xun'er waved a hand, signaling for Ling Ying to withdraw.

"Yes, miss. But before I go, this old servant would still like to ask something. You'll soon advance to Dou Zhe. According to the clan leader's wishes, when that happens, you must return to the family, whether or not you've found any news of the Ancient Jade."

At Ling Ying's words, Xiao Xun'er's expression changed again. All these years, she had almost never cultivated of her own accord.

She had even suppressed the growth of her Dou Qi, all to delay her advancement to Dou Zhe.

Yet even after dragging it out for ten years, she would finally have to take that step.

Xiao Xun'er also understood perfectly well that only within her family could she receive the best possible guidance for her growth.

After all, without sufficient strength, she would have no say within the family, nor would she be able to protect that person.

"I know. There's still some time left. Let me spend these last days with Brother Xiao Yan."

Xiao Xun'er had once dreaded the arrival of this day, but after what Xiao Yan had told her a few days earlier, that fear had dispersed like smoke and clouds.

After all, Brother Xiao Yan had never lied to her.

Even without this bloodline, Xiao Yan would surely be able to catch up to her.

"Oh, Master Ling, there's something I'd like to ask of you. Prepare an earth-tier fire cultivation method for me. I want to give Brother Xiao Yan a gift before I leave. Also, consider this a personal request. Don't tell anyone in the family."

Xiao Xun'er and Ling Ying were master and servant, but their bond also held something of the affection between an elder and a younger member of the family.

After all, Ling Ying had been secretly protecting Xiao Xun'er since she was four. Now that ten years had passed, it could be said that Master Ling had watched her grow up every step of the way.

"I understand, miss. I'll take care of it."

With that, Ling Ying's figure dissolved into thin air, as though he had never appeared at all.