"What is there to fear?" Xiao Yan straightened his back and agreed without the slightest hesitation.
"As expected of someone from my Xiao family — he has backbone!" Xiao Tian stepped forward and declared loudly, "I also believe that Yan-di will reclaim his former talent in time. Fortunes rise and fall like the tides of a river — do not mistake a young man's winter for his eternal season!"
"Well said, Brother Tian!" Xiao Yan exclaimed, his eyes lighting with sudden excitement.
Nalan Yanran turned her gaze toward Xiao Tian, her brows furrowing slightly. "Who are you?"
"Who I am has nothing to do with you, and you have no need to know," Xiao Tian replied, his expression unreadable.
"You—" Nalan Yanran's pretty face paled with anger.
Before she could continue, Xiao Yan cut in coldly. "Nalan Yanran, aside from your looks, this young master cares for nothing else about you. I have no interest whatsoever in a so-called genius wife like yourself."
He strode to the desk, wrote furiously across a sheet of paper, then bit into his palm and pressed his bloodied handprint beneath the characters. Slapping the document onto the table before her, he said firmly:
"Furthermore — should I win three years from now, there will be no need to annul this engagement. This young master shall personally divorce you from the Xiao family himself!"
Staring at the divorce letter, Nalan Yanran's face filled with disbelief. The sudden reversal left her utterly stunned.
"How dare you! How can you insult Junior Sister Yanran this way?!" the male disciple accompanying her shouted sternly.
"And what exactly are you? Do you even have the right to speak here?" Xiao Tian turned, fixing the man with a sharp stare. A faint trace of golden light flickered deep within his eyes.
The man felt as though some invisible weight had crashed down upon him, and he fell silent at once, not daring to utter another word.
Nalan Yanran finally snapped from her daze. "You... you truly dare to divorce me?!"
Xiao Yan spared her one final, cold glance before ignoring her completely. He turned, knelt before Xiao Zhan, and pressed his forehead to the floor in a deep kowtow.
"Father — three years from now, your son will personally wash away today's humiliation on your behalf."
With that, Xiao Yan rose to his feet and left the hall without a backward glance.
Nalan Yanran no longer wished to linger. She rose, offered Xiao Zhan a silent, perfunctory bow, and turned toward the exit.
"Take your belongings with you." Xiao Zhan tossed the jade box containing the Qi Gathering Powder across the room. Ge Ye caught it cleanly and fell into step behind Nalan Yanran as they departed.
As she passed Xiao Tian, he spoke, his voice cold. "Nalan Yanran — I hope you won't come to regret today's choice."
She paused, giving him a long, searching look heavy with meaning, then left without another word.
"Everyone else may go. Tian-er, remain behind," Xiao Zhan said, waving a hand toward the door.
Xiao Tian turned to Xun'er and murmured softly, "Go on ahead. I'll come find you shortly."
Xiao Xun'er nodded obediently and slipped out of the hall.
Once the room had emptied, Xiao Zhan gripped Xiao Tian's shoulders tightly, his hands trembling with emotion. "Tian-er... what is your current cultivation level?"
"Four-star Dou Zhe," Xiao Tian answered truthfully.
"Good! Good! Excellent!" Xiao Zhan laughed, his voice brimming with excitement. "Tomorrow, I shall open the Dou Qi Pavilion so you may choose a cultivation technique suited to you."
"There's no need, Father. I already have one," Xiao Tian said. "Xun'er gave it to me."
Far off, on her way back to her courtyard, Xiao Xun'er suddenly felt an inexplicable warmth bloom in her chest. She murmured softly to herself, "Is Brother Xiao Tian... thinking of me right now?"
Xiao Zhan showed no surprise upon learning Xun'er had been the source of the technique. He merely nodded. "We shall still open the pavilion regardless. It will serve as a useful cover."
"Yes, Father. Your foresight is, as always, admirable," Xiao Tian replied earnestly.
---
While father and son spoke, Xiao Yan had already reached the summit of the rear mountain. There, he had just discovered the phantom soul responsible for suppressing his Dou Qi over the past three years, and was currently jabbing a finger at Yao Lao while cursing loudly.
Naturally, it did not take long before Yao Lao's honeyed words — paired with Xiao Yan's own burning hunger for strength — won him over, culminating in a formal apprenticeship ceremony beneath the old tree.
---
After taking his leave of Xiao Zhan, Xiao Tian made his way toward Xun'er's courtyard. Along the path, he crossed paths with Xiao Yan descending from the rear mountain. One glance at his brother's hesitant expression told him everything he needed to know.
"Come to borrow money?" he asked directly.
"How did you know?" Xiao Yan scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish.
"We're brothers. I only need one look to know what's on your mind. So — how much?"
Xiao Yan held up a single finger. "One thousand gold coins."
Two jade cards materialized behind Xiao Tian's back. He swiftly transferred the sum from his black card to a pale blue one, his balance dropping from five thousand to four thousand. He then handed the black jade card to his brother.
"Here — one thousand gold coins. Just remember you owe me fifteen hundred in return."
He pressed the card into Xiao Yan's palm and turned to leave.
It took Xiao Yan a full second to process this. "Brother Tian! Wait! Didn't you just say we're brothers? And you're charging me interest?!"
"No need to thank me. Just remember to pay it back," Xiao Tian called over his shoulder without turning around.
Xiao Yan stared down at the jade card in his hand, muttering to Yao Lao within the ring, "Teacher... I truly hope your Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid is worth all this. I'm already drowning in debt before I've even begun."
"Worry not — once you've tasted its effects, you won't regret a single coin," came the reply. "Though I'll say this much: your brother is far from ordinary. There's a deeply buried, violent lightning aura coiled within him that even I cannot fully sense."
---
Having turned a small profit from the exchange, Xiao Tian arrived at the entrance to Xun'er's courtyard. He dismissed the System interface from his mind and knocked gently upon the door.
Footsteps approached, and the gate swung open. The young girl's face lit instantly with joy at the sight of him.
"Brother Xiao Tian! You're here!"
Xiao Tian noted she had changed from her earlier attire into a fresh, elegant dress, her hair arranged with quiet care. He couldn't resist a teasing smile. "Oh? Such a lovely outfit today, little beauty. Do you perhaps have a date planned?"
"Yes, yes!" Xun'er replied with a playful giggle, her eyes curving into bright crescents. "Someone promised to meet me today, so naturally I had to look my best!"
Xiao Tian took her soft hand in his and smiled warmly. "Then let us be off, beautiful Miss Xun'er. Allow me to show you the sights of Wutan City."
Leaving the Xiao family estate behind, the pair walked and chatted happily as they made their way toward the bustling marketplace beneath the Xiao family's protection. After exchanging pleasantries with Uncle Payne, they continued strolling among the lively stalls.
While Xun'er paused at a jeweler's booth to admire a delicate hairpin, Xiao Tian turned his focus inward to address the System once more.
It was then that a clear, faintly arrogant voice rang out nearby.
"Oh? If it isn't Miss Xun'er! What a pleasant coincidence to meet you here. Miss Xun'er, might I trouble you to share a meal with me?"