Xiao Yan in Trouble

"You suspect my brother?"

Xiao Xun'er struggled to keep her gaze under control, then looked at Xiao Yu with a slight frown, a trace of displeasure in her eyes.

"What did the owner of that robe do to make you so angry?"

At those words, Xiao Yu's slender brows shot up, fury flashing in her eyes. She could not help spitting out bitterly, "I'd better not find that little thief, or I'll make him regret ever being born!" Her voice seethed with rage. Like an enraged lion, she wanted to tear the person who had offended her to pieces that very instant.

Xiao Qian acted as though he had heard nothing and continued eating his breakfast intently. Even the pace of his eating remained unchanged.

The Xiao Clan's breakfast contained a little magical beast meat. There was not much, but it was quite beneficial at his current stage. Every piece held abundant energy that could aid cultivation, and he would not pass up any opportunity that benefited his training.

As for Xiao Yu, even if she turned his room upside down, she would never find a single robe like that. He was quite confident of that.

"He's your brother?"

Xiao Yu finally turned her gaze toward Xiao Qian and abruptly stepped closer, a flicker of murderous intent crossing her brow. Her gaze was like a sharp blade, as though she meant to see straight through him. "You. Look up and let me see your face."

"You're going too far."

Before Xiao Qian could speak, Xiao Xun'er slapped her small hand against the table. The crisp sound seemed to carry an air of authority as it echoed through the room.

"Get out!"

Before Xiao Yu could react, a dark shadow flashed past. The world spun in an instant, and by the time Xiao Yu and the people she had brought regained their footing, they were already outside the courtyard gate.

"The young lady told you to leave. Please go."

Ling Ying did not show himself, but his voice reverberated through the air, low and powerful, with an authority that brooked no defiance.

"Who is that? His strength is terrifying. Even Grandfather couldn't..." Still shaken, Xiao Yu shook her head hard, her heart filled with shock.

She had never imagined that the Xiao Clan had such a formidable expert, much less one who obeyed Xiao Xun'er's orders.

"Let's go!" she called, leaving with her heart full of resentment.

"But we haven't searched inside yet..." one of her subordinates said timidly.

"No need. If we can't find it anywhere else, then he's the one!" Xiao Yu stalked away on her long legs, flames of anger burning in her eyes. In her heart, she had already decided that Xiao Qian was the one who had offended her.

At the dining table in the courtyard's main room, the girl's bright eyes remained fixed on the boy's face, as though she could make flowers bloom on Xiao Qian's face by staring hard enough.

"What did you do to her?" Xiao Xun'er's tone was distinctly unfriendly. Her brows creased slightly, doubt and a hint of displeasure glimmering in her eyes.

Without lifting his head, Xiao Qian concentrated on his food. "Nothing much. I just went into the wrong room. I was looking for Xiao Yan."

He had been wearing that robe last night, and Xiao Xun'er knew it perfectly well, so there was little point in hiding anything. If he had not wanted to avoid trouble, he would not even have bothered pinning it on Xiao Yan.

"Going into the wrong room alone wouldn't make her raise such a fuss." Xiao Xun'er kept staring at him. She did not believe it was as simple as entering the wrong room; Xiao Yu's reaction had been far too intense.

Xiao Qian swallowed the last bite of magical beast meat, leisurely set down his bowl and chopsticks, and wiped his mouth. "I didn't want her throwing the place into a chicken-flying, dog-leaping uproar in the middle of the night, so I gagged her and tied up her hands and feet." He spoke casually, as though describing something utterly trivial.

"No wonder..." Xiao Xun'er pursed her little lips, then pressed him further. "Then why were you looking for Xiao Yan?"

"To help nourish his meridians..."

"What did you say?!" Before Xiao Qian had finished speaking, the girl sprang up, nearly knocking over her chair. She leaned right into his face, pointing a small finger at the tip of his nose while planting her other hand on her hip. "How could you nourish someone else's meridians!"

Little flames of anger burned in her eyes, and her cheeks flushed faintly with rage. Like a little hedgehog whose food had been stolen, she bristled with spikes all over.

Xiao Qian was baffled. "What's wrong with that?"

To him, nourishing meridians was merely an experiment in cultivation.

"I don't care! You can only do it for me!"

The girl stood with her hands on her hips, her little cheeks puffed up in anger.

"Fine."

Xiao Qian agreed far more readily than she had expected.

"Uh, really?"

Xiao Xun'er could not help asking again to be sure.

After arguing with this fellow for so long, finding him so agreeable for once felt almost unreal.

"Really." Xiao Qian nodded.

Even if she refused, he would still come as promised every night from now on. No one could stop the meridian nourishment that lay ahead!

That was his hope of reaching Enlightenment!

"That's more like it." Xiao Xun'er nodded in satisfaction and could not help smiling with her lips pressed together. Her smile was like a flower blooming in spring, radiant and captivating. Her earlier anger had already vanished like smoke on the wind.

Just then, a chaotic commotion came from the center of the clan grounds.

"Stop right there! Xiao Yan! Explain yourself!"

"Only an idiot would stop! I already told you, that robe wasn't mine!"

"If it wasn't yours, why was it on your bed?!"

"How should I know? You crazy woman!"

"Try calling me that again!"

"Crazy woman! Crazy woman!"

"Aaaaaaah!"

The voices actually drew closer and closer.

Xiao Xun'er gave Xiao Qian a peculiar look.

"Stop looking at me. I took the robe off and left it on Xiao Yan's bed," Xiao Qian said with perfect self-assurance. "He ought to take some responsibility for sneaking into a girl's bedroom at night."

"But you sneaked into Xiao Yu's bedroom at night too," Xiao Xun'er said quietly.

The corner of Xiao Qian's mouth twitched. "That wasn't my intention."

Xiao Xun'er rolled her eyes, looking so charming that it was hard not to smile.

"Stop running! Xiao Yan, are you even a man!"

"You'll find out whether I'm a man someday!"

The voices suddenly reached their courtyard gate.

Xiao Qian and Xiao Xun'er looked over and saw Xiao Yan run inside sporting a black eye.

His hair was somewhat disheveled. Behind him, Xiao Yu hesitated because of what had happened earlier and did not dare follow.

"Hey, I took the blame for you this time, so we're even for last night." Xiao Yan plopped down without ceremony, panting heavily. "That damned woman. One day I'll make her pay. Throwing her weight around just because she has the Fourth Stage of Dou Qi! Two years at most, and I'll definitely surpass her!"

Xiao Qian could not help laughing. "Thanks."

"Shouldn't you ask me before deciding we're even?" Xiao Xun'er gave a soft huff.

Xiao Yan chuckled. "An elder brother is like a father. Xiao Qian's your brother, and he already agreed."

Xiao Xun'er wrinkled her nose. "If my father heard that, he'd definitely beat you to death."

Xiao Yan shrugged and casually picked up the teapot from the table, pouring tea into his mouth from above. He was clearly both exhausted and thirsty.

The tea formed an elegant arc through the air and landed precisely in Xiao Yan's mouth.

"Xun'er, I'm coming in to catch Xiao Yan this time. It has nothing to do with your brother." Seeing how relaxed he looked sent Xiao Yu's anger surging, and she actually ran inside.

"Pfft."

Xiao Yan failed to catch a mouthful of tea and sprayed it out, then grabbed Xiao Qian's shoulder. "Save me! Hurry, save me!" His eyes were filled with terror.

Xiao Qian: "..."

"Move aside. This has nothing to do with you." Xiao Yu stopped in front of Xiao Qian, a trace of stubbornness in her eyes.

Xiao Yan darted behind Xiao Qian, hooking a low stool up with one foot to shield himself as sweat beaded at his temples.

"How about this-" He abruptly poked half his face out. "If you can take one punch from Xiao Qian, you can skin me and rip out my tendons for all I care!" Before he had even finished speaking, he ducked behind Xiao Qian again.

Xiao Yu froze, casting a strange look at Xiao Qian. "I remember he only reached the First Stage of Dou Qi yesterday, didn't he? I'm at the Fourth Stage of Dou Qi. Are you sure?" She looked at Xiao Yan doubtfully, thinking he was joking.

"Sure, absolutely sure." Xiao Yan nodded repeatedly, a sly smile appearing on his face. He had an inexplicable confidence in Xiao Qian.

"Do you all agree?" Xiao Yu looked at Xiao Xun'er next.

Xiao Xun'er gave an indifferent nod, utterly unconcerned.

"You certainly found me a fine job." Xiao Qian stood up and shook his head helplessly.

Xiao Yan chuckled. "I'm helping you make a name for yourself! Don't hold back! Give her a good beating!" Excitement sparkled in his eyes.

Xiao Yu's expression turned icy, and she ground her teeth. "Xiao Yan, just wait until I cut it off!"

Xiao Yan's smile froze. Suddenly, he felt a chill down below and began to regret his suggestion.

"Isn't that Sister Xiao Yu? And the one opposite her—isn't that Xiao Qian, who supposedly reached the First Stage of Dou Qi just like Xiao Yan?"

"Why are they facing off?"

The early spring morning dew had condensed into a thin layer of frost on the blue bricks, crackling softly beneath Xiao Qian's cloth boots.

The spectators all took half a step back, their eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation as they waited to watch this battle between two vastly unequal opponents.

"I heard it's a one-punch agreement. As long as Xiao Yu takes one punch from Xiao Qian, she can do whatever she likes with Xiao Yan."

"Is this some kind of joke? Xiao Yu's already at the Fourth Stage of Dou Qi, isn't she? The other way around would make more sense."

Listening to the chatter, Xiao Xun'er suddenly found it unbearably grating.

Who did they think they were looking down on?!

She frowned, displeasure stirring in her heart.

"Hurry up. We still have to go out today." Her casual words stung Xiao Yu as well.

"Hmph. I'd like to see what makes you so confident that I can't take a single punch from him!"

Xiao Yu folded her arms across her chest, defiance showing in her eyes. She would show these people who underestimated her that her strength was no toothless tiger.