Overcome with emotion, Nalan Yanran rattled off the entire story to Xiao Qian like a barrage of gunfire.
From the sudden upheaval over who would receive the pills, to how the Hunting Tournament's rules deliberately targeted the Nalan Family, to the sickening, shameless conditions Liu Ling and Lin Ye had proposed, she spilled every detail like beans from a sack, leaving nothing out. Her words brimmed with indignation and hurt.
Xiao Qian sat in his chair, leaning slightly forward, his hands unconsciously tightening around his knees. As he listened, his brows drew together and his eyes fixed on the floor, as though he might find an answer there.
His mind raced, sorting through and analyzing each piece of information without overlooking a single detail.
Only after Nalan Yanran finished did he slowly speak. "That fellow Liu Ling pretended he was doing it for your sake, but he was probably just trying to get your attention and make you see him in a different light. As for Lin Ye, he simply wanted to suppress you. He's probably afraid you'll shine too brightly among the Imperial Capital's younger generation and threaten his standing in the Misty Cloud Sect. That's why he came up with those underhanded tricks."
"You see things pretty clearly. I always thought cultivation was the only thing on your mind." Hearing Xiao Qian's analysis, Nalan Yanran couldn't help smiling teasingly.
The frustration Liu Ling and Lin Ye's schemes had stirred in her eased considerably, as though a cool breeze had swept the dark clouds from her heart.
At that, Xiao Qian reached out and tugged her signature ponytail, laughing. "I just can't be bothered to think. Usually, I can settle things with a punch. That doesn't mean I'm brainless. When it's time to use my head, I don't mess