Chapter 22: Xiao Yan’s Growing Withdrawal

Chapter 22: The Increasingly Withdrawn Xiao Yan

The next morning, the sun was bright. Warm rays of light filtered through the ventilation shaft of the stone chamber, spilling onto Xiao Se’s fair, calm cheeks.

Xiao Se slowly opened his eyes, the corners of his mouth curling upward uncontrollably. Last night, he had a wonderful dream—a dream filled with the goddesses of his past life: Yun Yun, Medusa, and Bibi Dong. It was quite a pleasant experience for a student like Xiao Se, who had lived two lifetimes worth of "Su Yuntao-level" desires.

Wait. Something wasn't right. It felt like something was pressing down on him.

"Damn it!" he cursed, looking down. Xiao Se nearly cried out in shock. Long Kui was curled up against his chest, and his own arms were wrapped around her slender waist. It was definitely the Red-haired Long Kui.

He carefully recalled the events of the previous day: he had been practicing combat with the Red-haired Long Kui as usual, which meant getting beaten up as usual. But this time, he had been a bit too impulsive. With the strength of a four-star Dou Zhe and insufficient Dou Qi, he had unleashed the Crimson Flame Sword: Breaking Limit, a technique comparable to a low-tier Earth-grade skill. His Dou Qi had been completely drained, and he had been caught in the shockwave of the blast, leading to his blackout.

She must have carried him back to the stone chamber. Could it be that last night he...

A drop of cold sweat rolled down Xiao Se’s forehead. He didn't dare to think any further. He loosened his grip on her, placed his hands on her delicate shoulders, and gave a gentle push, whispering, "Long Kui... Long Kui?"

Hearing his voice, the Red-haired Long Kui rubbed her slightly hazy eyes and slowly opened them. Upon realizing she was lying in the washbasin, the memories of yesterday flooded back, and her pretty face instantly flushed a deep red.

"Big Brother, I..." she stammered, her gaze darting away, not daring to look back at him.

Seeing her blushing down to her earlobes, Xiao Se offered an awkward, bitter smile. "We didn't... do anything last night, did we?"

"N-no... nothing..." For the first time, the usually fiery and outspoken Red-haired Long Kui became timid and bashful.

Hearing this, Xiao Se let out a sigh of relief. He thought to himself, *That's good. Otherwise, I wouldn't know how to face the blue-haired Long Kui. Even though they are different personalities, they share the same body.*

But her next sentence nearly made him spit out a mouthful of blood.

"Big Brother only took advantage of it while I was wiping your back, and then..."

"..."

Xiao Se felt as if he had suffered a social death.

After getting dressed, Xiao Se consumed a drop of Peiyuan Spirit Liquid and began practicing the "Burning Technique" and the "Guiyuan Soul Technique." An hour later, thanks to over a month of grueling cultivation, his strength finally broke through to a five-star Dou Zhe. Yet, Xiao Se couldn't bring himself to be happy. Although they hadn't crossed the final line, he learned from the Red-haired Long Kui that they had apparently developed a relationship that went beyond friendship and familial affection. The blue-haired Long Kui was unaware of this.

Once fully dressed, the Red-haired Long Kui vanished into the magic sword emblem in Xiao Se’s hand. Both tacitly agreed not to bring up last night’s events again, but the "sibling" bond seemed to be quietly changing. (Note: To clarify, Long Kui is the heroine, but she is not the protagonist’s biological sister.)

Leaving the cave, Xiao Se headed straight for the Mittel Auction House. Because he had been so obsessed with cultivation, he hadn't yet found the time to collect the proceeds from the ten bottles of Peiyuan Spirit Liquid he had entrusted to them for auction.

Passing by the Xiao family residence, Xiao Se chose to keep his usual low profile. Walking along the bluestone plaza, the Xiao family seemed unusually quiet today. Usually, at this hour, many young men and women would be practicing, but now the place was empty.

"Xiao Se! Xiao Se!" A familiar voice called out from behind, moving closer.

Xiao Se turned his head and looked into the distance. Recognizing the person, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes. "Xiao Ning?"

A moment later, Xiao Ning finally caught up to him. He placed his right arm on Xiao Se’s shoulder, panting heavily. "Hoo... finally found you. If you hadn't shown up, I was planning to go to the back mountain to find you."

"Is something the matter?" Xiao Se asked, slightly puzzled. Because of Xiao Yu, Xiao Ning was one of the few acquaintances he had in the Xiao family who wasn't exactly a close friend. Moreover, Xiao Se had never shown any romantic interest in Xiao Xun'er, and knowing Xiao Se’s formidable strength, Xiao Ning’s attitude toward him had been relatively friendly.

"Heh, you're buried in the back mountain every day, so you probably haven't heard. Since the last Dou Qi test, quite a few big things have happened in the last two months," Xiao Ning said with a grin.

"Big things? What kind of big things?" Although he knew the "big things" likely referred to Xiao Yan’s loss of Dou Qi, Xiao Se feigned ignorance.

"Heh, you'll know soon enough. Come with me first. Today, the Clan Head and the three Elders have convened a clan meeting, and all disciples are required to attend." With a mysterious smile, Xiao Ning draped his arm over Xiao Se’s shoulder and led him straight toward the Xiao family’s main hall.

They crossed the bluestone plaza and finally stopped outside the solemn meeting hall. Xiao Ning took on the task of knocking. "Grandfather, Clan Head, Elders, I’ve brought Xiao Se."

"Come in, Ning'er," a hoarse, kind voice came from inside.

"Let’s go, my grandfather wants us in," Xiao Ning said, patting Xiao Se’s shoulder with a smug look.

"Yeah." Xiao Se nodded casually. He was already weary of these sudden, pointless clan meetings.

Pushing the door open, he entered the spacious hall. It was already nearly full. Sitting at the very front were the Clan Head, Xiao Zhan, and the three Elders. Below them to the left sat the elders of the Xiao family who had reached the level of Dou Shi, alongside some of the younger generation's elites, including Xiao Mei. On the other side sat other elders and talented youths, but one seat at the head of the table remained empty.

That seat was usually reserved for the Xiao family’s former top genius, Xiao Yan.

Xiao Se swept his gaze around covertly. In the far corner by the door, he spotted Xiao Yan’s lonely, dejected figure. He had lost his former spirit; his shoulders were hunched, his fingers intertwined, and he held his face in his hands, elbows resting on his knees, radiating an aura of total defeat.

Not far to the right of Xiao Yan, there was an empty seat. Next to it sat Xiao Xun'er.

Seeing Xiao Ning and Xiao Se enter, the First Elder spoke first, pointing to the empty seat on his right with a smile. "Ning'er, come sit next to your grandfather."

"This..." Xiao Ning looked at the seat next to Xun'er, then glanced at Xiao Se. He hesitated for a moment before nodding with difficulty. "Yes, Grandfather."

Ever since Xiao Yan’s talent vanished, Xiao Ning knew his grandfather, the First Elder, intended to support him to replace Xiao Yan’s former status. But if he took that seat, he wouldn't be able to sit next to Xiao Xun'er.

Faced with the choice between "love" and "filial piety," he ultimately chose the latter.