"As for you, Xiao Yan, if you win, you won't have to marry her," Old Master Nalan said with a smile.
"Old Master, this has put you in a difficult position," Xiao Zhan sighed.
"It's quite all right. Marriage is indeed a distant matter for children their age. It's only natural that they find it hard to accept." Nalan Jie smiled.
"What do you two think?"
Nalan Yanran clenched her little fists. She knew her grandfather had compromised, and the opportunity was in her hands.
"All right, Grandpa! That battle after we come of age! I'll definitely win!"
Xiao Yan said expressionlessly, "All right."
At that moment, Xiao Tian's heart raced. Oh my! How did the Three-Year Agreement turn into this?!
"Xiao Zhan, since both children have agreed, then it's settled. The Misty Cloud Sect will recruit disciples at the beginning of next spring. Do you have any thoughts on that? If you're interested, I can help you get the qualified members of your Xiao Clan into the sect to cultivate."
Xiao Zhan was inwardly ecstatic. The Misty Cloud Sect! That was the greatest sect in the Jia Ma Empire! Its sect master was the foremost Dou Emperor!
"Thank you, Old Master!"
"Ahaha! You're welcome! I'll return at the beginning of next spring."
"Old Master, let me see you out."
Before Little Yanran left, she glared fiercely at Xiao Tian and mouthed, "Xiao Tian! Just you wait! I'll definitely settle this score when the time comes!"
She had ignored Xiao Yan from beginning to end.
"Tsk, tsk. There's still plenty of spirit in those little eyes. Looks like the genjutsu wasn't strong enough," Xiao Tian muttered.
"Brother, I'll definitely win the duel after we turn eighteen." The voice that suddenly came from behind made Xiao Tian's heart jump. He nearly blurted out, My foolish little brother! Do you walk without making a sound?!
Wait! Why was his little brother Er Huo saying that to him?
A chill ran through Xiao Tian's entire body!
"I never expected it! So this is the kind of Er Huo you are!"
The moon was like a round platter. From that afternoon until now, Xiao Tian had been puzzled. Why hadn't his little brother Er Huo come to ask whether he was a transmigrator? Didn't he want to know about the Sharingan?
He'd been ready to lay his cards on the table! Yet the script had gone off course!
"Forget it. Since little brother Er Huo isn't asking, I won't say anything. A tacit understanding is all we need."
Suddenly, Xiao Tian sensed movement in the passage outside-a faint rustling. Had he not been a Five-Star Dou Master, a high-level expert even within the Xiao Clan, he would never have detected it; other Dou Zhe guards would have sensed nothing at all.
"Who could it be, tapping at my window!"
Xiao Tian quietly opened the door and followed. With the concealment ability built into the Immortal Heavenly Dao System, he was like an inanimate object and had no fear of being detected.
"There are actually two of them, and they don't seem to belong to our Xiao Clan. Sneaking into our Xiao Clan at night-are they planning some chicken-snatching, dog-stealing deed utterly devoid of conscience?"
The system scan revealed one Nine-Star Dou Zhe and one Eight-Star Dou Zhe!
Both wore night clothes. One even seemed to be a girl, with a full figure and a body as light as a swallow. They were heading toward Xiao Yan's place.
"Good grief, could they be planning to harm my foolish little brother Er Huo?"
But then Xiao Tian intercepted the two intruders' conversation with his spiritual sense and understood.
"Jia Lie Lan, I'll make a disturbance at Xiao Yan's residence. Make sure you sprinkle the potent crane's-crown red poison into their water sources."
"Yes! Once the Xiao Clan forms a marriage alliance with the Nalan princely household in the imperial capital, it'll truly be a devastating blow to our Jia Lie Family!"
Seeing the male and female intruders split up, Xiao Tian was about to act. But when he spotted a girl of around thirteen, whose figure had already developed graceful curves, in the shadows of a distant corner, he froze for a moment.
"Xiao Yu!"
"Intruders! What are you trying to do?!" Xiao Yu charged out like a valiant, spirited goddess of war.