Straightforward as ever, Hun Xiu actually pulled out a mirror from his storage ring.
In the reflection—He wasn't ugly.
In fact, he was devastatingly handsome.The kind of handsome that could cause mass swooning.
There was no reason to wear a mask in public, was there?
"Father, this…" Hun Xiu asked, thoroughly puzzled.
The Hun Tiandi replied calmly:
"You should be able to see it for yourself. You're not ugly—you're very handsome.""And that is exactly why you need to wear a mask when you go out."
"Uh…"
Hun Xiu was stunned—completely dumbfounded.
Wasn't being handsome something to be proud of?Didn't that mean he'd inherited his father's good looks? Shouldn't his father be proud of that?
Now he was being told to hide that attractiveness?
"A son's good looks are his father's glory!"
Seeing Hun Xiu spaced out, Hun Tiandi elaborated:
"You must understand—if you walk out of the Soul Clan with that face, you'll spark chaos wherever you go.""You're a man with a fiancée—bound by a marriage contract. You need to learn some self-restraint.""If you want to flirt and have your fun, fine—But wait until you're married to that girl from the Gu Clan."
"Once we obtain the Tuoshe Ancient Jade, then do as you please. But for now… control yourself."
[Gu Yuan: Damn you, Hun Tiandi. I never realized you were this kind of man. Do you even hear yourself?]
"Uh…"
Hun Xiu was left speechless.The first half sounded like fatherly wisdom…But the second half? Did he really say that?
Is this my real father?Do I really look like the kind of guy who goes around playing with hearts?
Collecting himself, Hun Xiu respectfully bowed:
"Your son will exercise self-restraint."
"Good."
Hun Tiandi's expression turned serious:
"Hun Xiu, you must remember—our alliance with the Gu Clan won't last forever. Eventually, we'll fall out.""But that day is not today."
"Understood," Hun Xiu nodded solemnly.
"You may go."
"Yes. I take my leave."
As Hun Xiu departed, the Soul Emperor watched his back disappear down the corridor.
"He's grown so fast. And that face of his… I don't know whether it's a blessing or a curse."
A swirl of black flame appeared beside him, gradually forming into the figure of Void Swallowing Flame.
Seeing the conflicted look on the Hun Tiandi's face, he smiled:
"Hun Tiandi, if you can't bear to see him go, why not just find another excuse to keep him here?"
Hun Tiandi his head slowly, his gaze still fixed on the fading figure of Hun Xiu:
"His wings have already grown. The Soul Clan… can no longer hold him back."
Three Months Later.
A white steed, a white-robed youth, a mask, and a long sword—A boy named Yun Xiu appeared in the Jia Ma Empire.
The horse had fur whiter than snow, and a pair of white wings that let it glide gracefully through the skies.
Was this the legendary battle aura-conjured horse?
Not quite.This was actually a kind of flying magical beast that resembled a horse.
Upon closer inspection, the creature had a single horn on its forehead and was twice the size of an ordinary horse from the mortal world.
This was a sixth-rank magical beast—the Grass-Treading Horse.
On the ground below…
Something was happening.
Yun Xiu patted the back of the Grass-Treading Horse.The beast, well aware of its master's intention, slowly descended to the earth.
"So many of you, ganging up on a single child—don't you think that's a bit much?"
Yun Xiu stood calmly, sword in hand, addressing the group with a steady voice.
"This is a magical beast! Who are you supposed to be?"
"That's a sixth-rank Grass-Treading Horse!"
A middle-aged man furrowed his brow upon seeing Yun Xiu's mount, clearly startled.
This man wore luxurious robes—far more extravagant than anyone else around him.His aura was powerful, and it was clear he was the leader of the group.
"Esteemed senior," the man stepped forward and cupped his hands respectfully,"I am Nalan Su, patriarch of the Nalan family of the Jia Ma Empire."
A sixth-rank magical beast—equivalent to a Dou Huang-level expert.And it had been tamed as a mount?
That meant this white-robed youth's strength and background were far beyond what the Nalan family could afford to provoke.
"Mm."
Yun Xiu raised an eyebrow beneath his mask.
Then asked plainly:
"Nalan Su… do you happen to have a daughter named Nalan Yanran?"
"Eh…"
Nalan Su paused, clearly caught off guard.
He nodded cautiously:
"Yes… I do have a daughter named Nalan Yanran."
"I see…" Yun Xiu murmured,"So it was her."
Nalan Su looked thoroughly confused.
What does this senior want with my daughter? How does he even know her?
Nalan Yanran had spent the past few years in the family estate. She had never been allowed outside.
So how could he possibly know her?
"Since you're Nalan Su of the Nalan Clan," Yun Xiu said as he waved his hand,"then you all may leave."
"Eh?"
Nalan Su was stunned.
But seeing that the situation had deescalated, his tension melted into relief and joy.He turned and beckoned to a young girl standing near the magical beast:
"Yanran, come here. Let's go home."
"I… don't want to."The girl shook her head firmly.
"Hm?"
Yun Xiu raised an eyebrow beneath his mask.He turned to the girl and thought:
"So that's Nalan Yanran?"
In that moment, everything clicked.
He had misjudged the situation.This wasn't a group bullying a child—it was something else entirely.
Realization hit him, and he gave a wry smile beneath his mask.Shaking his head, he patted the Grass-Treading Horse's back.
"Let's go. It was all a misunderstanding."
"Wait!"Just as the beast prepared to take flight, the girl called out.
Yun Xiu turned back.
The girl stared at him.
"Such… beautiful eyes…"She was completely entranced.
Those eyes were the most beautiful she had ever seen—deep and mysterious, like stars in the night sky.
"Is there something you need?" Yun Xiu asked.
The girl looked about seven or eight years old, dressed in a pale blue-white dress.Her hair was tied in twin ponytails, her face delicate and fair, her figure petite yet graceful.
She was the very definition of a textbook little loli—the "Three Goods": cute face, good figure, and sweet temperament.
"Save me."
She looked up at Yun Xiu with tearful, pleading eyes.The kind that tugged at the heartstrings.
Nalan Su's face instantly changed.He growled:
"Yanran! Do you even know what you're saying?"
Worried that the white-robed man might take them as villains, he immediately bowed and explained:
"Esteemed senior, this is my daughter—Nalan Yanran. She's just a child. Please don't take her words to heart."
"Nalan Yanran…"
Yun Xiu ignored Nalan Su.
He looked down at the girl, lost in thought.