"Haha, young friend Xiao Yan Xiao Yan, I really have to thank you for saving my daughter in Wuyou City last time. Otherwise, she wouldn't have survived."
Fang Cheng seemed genuinely drunk, his face flushed, a blurry smile on his face, his expression dazed. He put one hand on Xiao Yan's shoulder, and with the other hand, he held a wine glass to Xiao Yan's lips.
"Heh, it's nothing, just a trivial matter. What happened that day was merely something I did on the spur of the moment. Fang Clan Head, there's no need to be so polite."
Xiao Yan glanced calmly at the latter, then suddenly smiled, took the wine from the latter's hand, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Hahaha, good, young Xiao Yan, you have great spirit!"
Seeing this, Fang Cheng Cheng's smile widened even more. He grabbed Xiao Yan's shoulder and, taking advantage of his drunkenness, laughed loudly:
"Young friend Xiao Yan should also know that I, Fang Cheng, only have this one precious daughter. I cherish her like a precious gem, always taking meticulous care of her, afraid that something might happen to her."
"Over the years, the girl has grown up. This family will eventually be unable to keep her. The little one who used to need the protection of eagles to survive is now capable of standing on her own."
At this point, a look of satisfaction appeared on Fang Cheng's face.
"Logically speaking, given the great calamity our family has suffered, I don't want her to return. I don't want this girl to walk into the Jin Ge's Wuyou City, just as I feared. If it weren't for my young friend Xiao Yan, not only would my daughter have been in danger, but the Fang Clan would have ceased to exist!"
At this point, Fang Cheng seemed to instantly become much more sober, and the expression on his face became somewhat melancholy. Then, he put his arm around Xiao Yan's shoulder and started laughing incoherently, and his topic kept revolving around Xiao Yan and Fang Ruyan.
"Hehe, I wonder what my daughter's cultivation level is in your opinion, young friend Xiao Yan?"
Suddenly, Fang Cheng seemed to inadvertently ask about Fang Ruyan's cultivation level.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan paused for a moment, then smiled and said:
" For Miss Fang to reach the cultivation level of Seven-Star Half-Emperor at such a young age is extremely rare on the continent. It can be said that Miss Fang's cultivation speed is already astonishing. With such cultivation, if she were in the Western Lin Region, she could protect a region. She is truly formidable."
After uttering these words of praise, Fang Cheng Cheng's smile widened, and Fang Ruyan, standing beside him, blushed deeply upon hearing Xiao Yan's words.
"Haha, my daughter is truly honored to have won such praise from young friend Xiao Yan! Hahahaha..."
The group laughed heartily, and Xiao Yan echoed their laughter, though he was somewhat suspicious. What was Fang Cheng's true intention in saying this?
"Young friend Xiao Yan, you saved my Fang Clan from dire straits, and even more so, you saved my daughter's life. Such a great favor is beyond the Fang Clan means to repay! But if possible, I wouldn't mind letting my daughter accompany you on your Xiao Yan, to take care of you. This would be a way of..."
" Fang Clan Head, you've said so much, surely it wasn't just for this one sentence?"
However, just as Fang Cheng, Fang Cheng and dazed, was clinging to Xiao Yan's shoulder and babbling incoherently, Xiao Yan suddenly stood up, his expression slightly grim as he pushed Fang Cheng away. A cold glint appeared on his previously calm face at that moment.
Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, not only Fang Cheng, but also everyone else present was suddenly shaken. An inexplicable chill rose rapidly from the bottom of their hearts, and all eyes turned to Xiao Yan in the arena.
Beside him, Yuan Qing also stood up with a grim expression. His Elder Zhang face was filled with helplessness. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he sighed deeply, lowered his head, and remained silent.
In that instant, Fang Cheng, who had appeared to be intoxicated, instantly regained his Fang Cheng. The flush on his face quickly faded, and he returned to his usual calm.
However, at this moment, his gaze towards Xiao Yan was slightly evasive.
Perhaps everything he just said wasn't from his heart, but he had no choice but to say it for the sake of his family.
If they could establish a connection between their family and this young man, the Fang Clan would certainly not be confined to the small Helan City in the future.
He hadn't expected Xiao Yan to refuse so decisively, and his attitude was exceptionally firm. It seemed that the Fang Clan had been too reckless in today's events, and they could only blame themselves for this outcome.
He only thought of his own family, without considering the thoughts of the young man in black robes before him. Who knows what Xiao Yan was thinking?
"Call..."
Letting out a long breath, Xiao Yan glanced at Yuan Qing beside him, then moved and silently left the place.
Afterwards, everyone present fell silent, holding their breath as they watched Xiao Yan leave. Each person was extremely nervous, afraid of offending this important figure. At the same time, when they looked at their own family head, their eyes couldn't help but reveal a look of surprise and doubt.
What exactly did Fang Cheng do to cause Xiao Yan's attitude to change so drastically?
In an instant, the atmosphere on the field became heavy, as if a huge boulder was pressing on everyone's hearts. The invisible aura surging from Xiao Yan's body made it almost impossible for them to breathe.
Once everyone had relaxed, Fang Cheng's body went limp, and he sat back down in his chair, filled with regret. His eyes were vacant as he stared at the wine glass in front of him, his heart filled with deep remorse.
His actions just now may have pushed this future powerhouse of the Western Region far away.
Seeing Xiao Yan leave, Yuan Qing hesitated for a moment before standing up, finding Fang Cheng, and gently patting the latter's shoulder as a gesture of comfort. After giving him a word of advice, he left to find Xiao Yan.
Standing quietly by a pond, Xiao Yan was surrounded by a sturdy willow tree. Its soft branches drooped into the water, swaying in the breeze and creating ripples on the surface.
Xiao Yan looked at the pool in front of him, in which the azure sky was reflected. A few white clouds rippled beneath the waves, like a graceful maiden dancing, inspiring imagination.
"Mr. Xiao Yan, Fang Cheng didn't mean it just now; he was just drunk..."
Whether I was drunk or not, we both know the truth. I don't really care. I called you here not to talk about this, but simply because I'm leaving.
Xiao Yan's gaze remained fixed on the water as he spoke slowly. Suddenly, he noticed a leaf slowly falling from a willow branch on the water, floating on the surface and drifting away with the ripples.
"Mr. Xiao Yan is leaving? Where is he going?"
Yuan Qing frowned, and his steps forward faltered. He had come to the Western Region to find Xiao Yan, but now the latter had come and gone in a hurry, and the two were about to part again after their brief reunion.
" Golden Radiance City, there's an auction being held there in three months, I have to go."
Seeing the willow leaf flip and fall to the bottom of the pool, Xiao Yan turned around, looked at Yuan Qing behind him, and slowly said.
"So what you just did..."
Yuan Qing was surprised. Although Fang Cheng's words were somewhat rash, given Xiao Yan's temperament, he shouldn't have acted this way. However, if Xiao Yan did it intentionally, it might make some sense.
" The Fang Clan is, after all, an individual family. I can't stay with the Fang Clan, and they can't rely on others. I can't help them much. The only thing I can do is perhaps leave. Only in this way can they truly realize what they need instead of always thinking about relying on the strength of others."
"The things we obtained from the Wang Clan treasury are more than enough to greatly enhance the Fang Clan's power in a short period of time, and more than sufficient to expand their influence. As for me, it's time to do what I want to do."