With the bandits dealt with, the fighting was over.
The Soul Saint guard withdrew his Martial Soul and hurried to the battered, ornately carved carriage. Dropping to one knee, he cupped his fists and said:
"I failed in my duty to protect you and allowed those criminals to disturb the family head and young mistress. Please punish me, family head!"
The carriage door eased open, and a noble, elegant middle-aged woman stepped out, accompanied by a girl in black.
The woman was Ye Nishang, the current head of the Nine Heart Begonia Family.
Her dark purple begonia-patterned dress outlined her voluptuous, graceful figure. A jade hairpin sat at an angle in her cloudlike bun, her brows and eyes were gentle, and a smile graced her lips. She possessed both the stately elegance of a woman in command and the delicate beauty of a woman from the water towns, making it impossible to look away.
The girl following close behind her, Ye Lingling, was breathtakingly beautiful.
Her figure was light and slender, and her simple, close-fitting black dress made her skin, pale as mutton-fat jade, look all the more lustrous and dazzling.
Black hair cascaded like ink over her rounded, slender shoulders. Her exquisite, flawless oval face bore a pair of clear phoenix eyes, a delicately upturned nose, and lightly pressed crimson lips. A cool, unearthly air surrounded her, keeping strangers at a distance, like a secluded orchid blooming quietly atop a snowy peak.
Mother and daughter stood in the gentle breeze, one graceful and dignified, the other cool and unworldly. Like twin Nine Heart Begonias blooming on a single stalk, they were a sight to behold.
Ye Nishang remained calm and gently raised a hand, signaling the guard to rise. "It's all right. No one could have foreseen an ambush by roving bandits. Thankfully, we came through the scare unharmed. You needn't blame yourself."
After reassuring the guard, Ye Nishang turned her warm, deep eyes directly toward Xiao Xuan, who stood not far away.
She had seen everything clearly from behind the carriage window.
The youth before her had a rather boyish face. Though tall and straight-backed, he could have been no more than twelve or thirteen, however she looked at him.
Yet this boy, faced with an adult level-forty Soul Ancestor charging in for the kill, hadn't even blinked. He had raised his spear and struck, finishing his opponent.
How could an ordinary person possess such a ruthless and decisive disposition when it came to killing?
A gentle, elegant smile touched Ye Nishang's lips as she spoke softly:
"Young brother, your skills are extraordinary. You can kill a Soul Ancestor at such a young age. Could you be a scion of some great reclusive family that has withdrawn from the world?"
At her question, Xiao Xuan shook his head calmly and said:
"You flatter me, madam. I'm not an heir to some great sect or reclusive family. I come from a perfectly ordinary commoner Soul Master family."
A commoner?
At that answer, a trace of puzzlement and delight flickered in the depths of Ye Nishang's eyes.
The Nine Heart Begonia lineage possessed a special Martial Soul, passed down to only one heir in each generation. Its members had no ability whatsoever to defend themselves or attack, so they had always been eager to recruit Power Attack System geniuses with exceptional combat prowess and clean backgrounds as honored retainers of the family.
If he were a direct disciple painstakingly trained by a great sect, she could hardly entertain any improper hopes. But if the youth before her was truly an unaffiliated young man with a clean background, that was another matter entirely!
Ye Nishang lowered her gaze to the jade spear in Xiao Xuan's hand, which gave off a faint, deep-blue watery sheen, and said in surprise:
"Young brother, that spear in your hand... Although it has a warm, smooth jade luster all over, its joints and shape make it look rather like Lone Bamboo. Could my eyes have deceived me?"
"My Martial Soul does belong to the Lone Bamboo lineage, but it's Blue Jade Bamboo, the result of a beneficial mutation."
"Beneficially mutated Blue Jade Bamboo..."
Ye Nishang nodded in realization, the admiration in her eyes growing stronger.
No wonder its attack power was so ferocious!
It turned out to be an exceptionally rare, beneficially Mutated Martial Soul!
This boy had a promising future!
At the thought, Ye Nishang's desire to recruit him grew even stronger, and she promptly said:
"Young brother, I heard that villain say from inside the carriage that you were headed to Heaven Dou City?"
Xiao Xuan nodded. "That's right."
Delight appeared on Ye Nishang's face.
"Heaven Dou City is still a long way from here. Since you're going there too, why not ride with us? We can look after one another on the road."
Hearing her invitation, Xiao Xuan smiled inwardly, then cupped his fists in thanks.
"Sorry for the trouble, madam."
In truth, Xiao Xuan could have left after killing Fourth in the carriage.
But a large part of the reason he had stayed was that he had heard the guard outside shout "Nine Heart Begonia."
Though the Nine Heart Begonia Family's standing in Heaven Dou City was beneath that of the Upper Three Sects, it was still an upper-level power.
More importantly, Xiao Xuan remembered that Ye Lingling of the Nine Heart Begonia Family was Dugu Yan's close friend.
And if Xiao Xuan wanted to get in touch with Dugu Bo, starting with Dugu Yan was the perfect approach.
Afterward, Xiao Xuan boarded the carriage with Ye Nishang and her daughter.
A thick, soft, snow-white beast hide covered the floor, and the carriage was furnished with exquisite care. It was countless times more comfortable than Xiao Xuan's crudely made carriage.
The wheels turned, and the carriage set off once more.
Ye Lingling, seated across from Xiao Xuan, studied him for a long while, a hint of curiosity appearing in her cool, aloof eyes.
The girl sat up slightly, her voice clear but carrying a measure of courtesy rarely heard from her:
"Hello, my name is Ye Lingling."
Xiao Xuan opened his eyes and gave her an easygoing smile. "My name is Xiao Xuan."
"Xiao Xuan..."
Ye Lingling repeated his name softly, then tilted her head and asked, a little puzzled:
"You should be a year or two younger than me. Are you going to Heaven Dou City alone to enroll at an advanced Soul Master academy?"
Xiao Xuan nodded. "You guessed right, Sister Lingling. I am going to enroll at Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
"Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"
At this, Ye Nishang, sitting nearby, couldn't help knitting her brows slightly, puzzlement appearing in her eyes.
"Heaven Dou Royal Academy has never admitted commoner Soul Masters. How could you..."
Hearing this, Xiao Xuan took out a letter and waved it.
"You're quite right, madam, but I was fortunate enough to receive guidance from a mentor from Skywater Academy some years ago. She wrote me a letter of recommendation."
"I see."
Ye Nishang finally understood.
Just then, Ye Lingling suddenly pursed her lips and chuckled. "In that case, won't I be able to call you my junior fair and square from now on?"
Ye Lingling lifted her long, fair neck slightly, speaking with a touch of the delight and pride particular to a young girl:
"Junior, to tell you the truth, I'm a full member of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy First Team!"
"With the astonishing combat strength you showed just now, once you've enrolled at the academy, passing the assessment and joining the team will be a sure thing!"
At that, Ye Lingling went on to offer warmly:
"How about this? Once we reach Heaven Dou City, I'll personally take you to the Education Committee to complete the formalities!"
"Then I'll introduce you to the other core members of the team. We can train and learn to work together afterward, and look after one another!"
Xiao Xuan was delighted to hear this.
He didn't care whether or not he joined the Heaven Dou Royal Team, but being able to meet Dugu Yan would be crucial.
"Then I'm sorry to trouble you, Senior Lingling. Please look after me."
"There's no need to stand on ceremony!"
When Ye Lingling heard Xiao Xuan call her senior, the smile on her face deepened.
"You've already called me senior, so as your senior, looking after my junior is only part of the job!"
Sitting to one side, Ye Nishang watched the scene with a satisfied smile.