In the main hall, Xiao Zhan and the three elders were conversing with the strange old man. However, this old man seemed to have something difficult to say; every time the words reached his lips, he reluctantly swallowed them back down. Each time this happened, the delicate and noble young lady sitting beside him could not help but cast a glance at him.
After straining his ears to listen for a while, Xiao Yan shook his head in boredom.
"Brother Xiao Yan, do you know who they are?" Just as Xiao Yan was about to doze off from boredom, Xiao Xun'er turned a page of her ancient book with her slender fingers and asked with a smile.
"You know?" Turning his head in curiosity, Xiao Yan asked in surprise.
"Do you see the silver sword and cloud emblem on their robes?" Xun'er smiled and said.
"Oh?" Startled, Xiao Yan shifted his gaze toward the three guests. Sure enough, he spotted a silver sword enveloped by clouds embroidered on their robes.
"They are from the Yunlan Sect?" Xiao Yan whispered in astonishment.
Although he had never traveled the world, Xiao Yan had read about the Yunlan Sect in several books. The Xiao clan resided in Wutan City, which belonged to the Jia Ma Empire. Although this city was considered one of the empire's major cities due to its strategic location near the Magical Beast Mountain Range, it was still ranked near the bottom of the list.
The Xiao clan held significant weight in Wutan City, but they were not the only power. There were two other major clans in the city whose strength was not much inferior to the Xiao clan. For decades, the three factions had been locked in constant open and secret struggles, with no clear victor emerging...
If the Xiao clan could be said to dominate Wutan City, then the Yunlan Sect could be said to dominate the entire Jia Ma Empire! The gap between the two was like a vast chasm. No wonder even his usually stern father spoke with such reverence and awe.
"What are they doing here at our clan?" Xiao Yan asked in a low, puzzled voice.
Moving her slender fingertips slightly, Xun'er remained silent for a moment before saying, "Perhaps it has something to do with you, Brother Xiao Yan..."
"Me? I don't even know them," Xiao Yan replied, startled, shaking his head in denial.
"Do you know that young lady's name?" Xun'er cast a casual glance at the delicate and noble girl sitting opposite them.
"What is it?" Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow and pressed.
"Nalan Yanran!" Xun'er's expression turned slightly strange as she glanced at Xiao Yan, whose body had gone somewhat stiff.
"Nalan Yanran? Nalan Yanran, the granddaughter of the Jia Ma Empire's Lionheart Marshal, Nalan Jie? That... that person is my fiancee?" Xiao Yan said, his face stiffening.
Heehee, Grandfather and Nalan Jie were close friends back then. It just so happened that you and Nalan Yanran were born at the same time, so the two old gentlemen decided on this marriage. However, three years after you were born, Grandfather fought with an enemy, was gravely injured, and passed away. As time went on, the relationship between the Xiao clan and the Nalan clan grew more and more distant..." Xun'er paused slightly. Seeing Xiao Yan's wide eyes, she couldn't help but chuckle with a hint of playfulness before continuing, "That old man Nalan Jie is incredibly proud and cares deeply about his reputation. Since he agreed to the marriage back then, even though your reputation has been terrible these past few years, he has never sent anyone to break the engagement..."
"That old man is indeed proud to the point of being endearing..." Hearing this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but shake his head with a smile.
"Nalan Jie holds absolute power within his clan. No one dares to oppose his words. However, he also dotes on his granddaughter, Nalan Yanran, so getting him to personally call off the engagement would be somewhat difficult..." Xun'er's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as she said playfully, "But five years ago, Nalan Yanran was taken in as a disciple by Yun Yun, the Sect Leader of the Yunlan Sect. Over these past five years, Nalan Yanran has shown exceptional cultivation talent, earning Yun Yun's extreme favor... When a person gains enough power to change their own destiny, they will do everything they can to rid themselves of the things they dislike... Unfortunately, her marriage alliance with you, Brother Xiao Yan, is the thing she is most dissatisfied with!"
"Are you saying she came here this time to call off the engagement?"
His expression shifting, a surge of anger welled up in Xiao Yan's heart. This anger was not because Nalan Yanran looked down on him. To be honest, although the young girl before him was very beautiful, Xiao Yan was no lecher. If they could not be wed, he would feel only a slight pang of regret. But if she were to publicly request his father to annul the engagement, his father, as the clan leader, would lose all face.
Nalan Yanran was not only beautiful and of noble status, but she also possessed outstanding talent. When people spoke of this matter, everyone would think of him as a toad lusting after swan meat, only to be trampled underfoot by the swan...
If such rumors spread, not only Xiao Yan, but even his father would become a laughingstock, stripped of all dignity and authority.
Taking a sharp, quiet breath, his hand hidden inside his sleeve clenched tightly. *If I were a Dou Shi right now, who would dare trample on me like this?*
Indeed, if Xiao Yan possessed the strength of a Dou Shi at this moment, even with the backing of the Yunlan Sect, Nalan Yanran would not dare act this way. A fifteen-year-old Dou Shi—in the long history of the Dou Qi Continent, only a handful of such prodigies had ever existed, and every single one of them had gone on to become a titan of the Dou Qi cultivation world!
A soft hand quietly slipped through his sleeve and gently clasped Xiao Yan's hand. Xun'er said softly, "Brother Xiao Yan, doing this is her loss alone. Xun'er believes that in the future, she will regret her shallow-mindedness!"
"Regret?" Xiao Yan let out a self-deprecating scoff, his face filled with bitter self-mockery. "With how I am now, do I even have the right to make her regret?"
"Xun'er, you seem to know a lot about them. Some of the things you told me before, even my father probably doesn't know. How do you know all this?" Brushing his sleeve, Xiao Yan suddenly changed his tone and asked.
Xun'er was startled for a moment, but she only smiled and remained silent.
Seeing Xun'er's evasive posture, Xiao Yan could only lick his lips helplessly. Although Xun'er also shared the Xiao surname, she shared no blood relation with him whatsoever. Furthermore, Xiao Yan had never met Xun'er's parents. Whenever he asked his father, his father would keep his mouth shut, clearly showing extreme wariness—or even... fear—toward Xun'er's parents!
In Xiao Yan's mind, Xun'er's identity was shrouded in mystery. Yet no matter how he pried, this clever young girl would always respond with silence, leaving Xiao Yan with no way to break through her defenses.
"Sigh, I give up. If you won't say, then so be it..." Shaking his head, Xiao Yan's expression suddenly darkened. Prompted by Nalan Yanran's repeatedly urging glances, the elderly man had finally stood up...
"Ah, relying on the Yunlan Sect to intimidate my father? This Nalan Yanran really is quite scheming..." An angry, cold sneer echoed in Xiao Yan's mind.