Xiao Clan
"Hnnnn…"
Xiao Lingxi slowly opened her eyes, blinking away the remnants of sleep. As her vision cleared, she realized she was lying in her own bed. Her soft pink eyes darted around the familiar surroundings—
—and then everything from last night hit her at once.
She froze.
Her entire face turned scarlet.
"Little Che… wanted to marry me…?"
Her voice trembled with confusion and fluster.
"No, no, no… he already has a wife. Would it even be okay if I… if I…"
Her voice shrank into nothing as her hands pressed against her burning cheeks.
"Kyaaah! Why am I thinking about this?!"
She comically smacked her head with both palms, trying to calm down.
When she finally took a breath, her gaze drifted to the small table beside her bed.
There, resting neatly, was a beautifully written letter—
and a necklace adorned with a Quincy crest entwined with silver chains.
"This is…?"
Her hands trembled as she picked up the letter.
As she read, tears welled in her eyes.
"Little Che… you big dummy…"
Her voice cracked.
"You could've woken me… you could've said goodbye…"
She wiped the tears away, though her vision remained blurry.
Her gaze then shifted to the necklace.
A flawless silver crest, delicate yet sturdy, catching the morning light in an almost ethereal glow.
"How beautiful…"
She ran her fingertips over it, feeling a strange warmth radiate from the chain—as though it was meant to protect her.
"If Little Che wants me to wear this…"
She clasped it around her neck.
The pendant settled perfectly against her chest, hidden under her clothes.
It felt right.
Comforting.
Like a piece of him remained with her.
Steeling herself, Xiao Lingxi left her room and walked through the quiet corridors until she found her father near his favorite fish pond. He stood with his usual calm, feeding the fish as morning sunlight reflected off the water's surface.
"Xi'er…" Xiao Lie turned toward her.
"Father…" she swallowed softly. "I assume he already left."
Xiao Lie nodded slowly. His expression was calm, but his eyes were heavy with the same sadness that weighed on her heart.
"Mn. He left this for me before he went."
He held up a necklace similar to hers.
"It seems he prepared one for both of us."
Xiao Lingxi quietly took the fish food from the nearby table and knelt by the pond, sprinkling it gently. The fish gathered, creating ripples that helped occupy her mind.
"Hnn… Even after everything… he still cares."
There was warmth in her tone—
and a hint of longing.
Xiao Lie hesitated for a moment before asking the question he had held inside:
"Xi'er… do you think Che'er has become… a different person?"
Xiao Lingxi stopped feeding the fish.
Her heart tightened.
If Little Che were the same as before…
he would never leave without saying goodbye.
Not him.
Not the boy who clung to them as his entire world.
But now…
He was different.
Stronger.
More distant.
More… mysterious.
"I… don't know," she admitted.
"But it feels like… he is Little Che… yet somehow… not him anymore."
Her fingers curled around the Quincy pendant beneath her clothes.
"But I can feel it, Father… this isn't the same Little Che we used to know."
She stood, brushing her hair aside.
"Anyway… I'll freshen up and join you for breakfast."
Xiao Lie let out a long, tired sigh.
"Hnnn… That boy caused quite a stir last night. Left quite the mess for his grandfather to clean up."
Xiao Lingxi blinked.
"Trouble? What trouble did Little Che cause this time?"
Xiao Lie rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Let's see… Che'er robbed the clan treasury for your late brother's inheritance, blew up the treasury doors with a single shot of blue fire from his hand, struck the fourth elder with lightning, threatened to kill every elder who interfered, and then—" he paused meaningfully, "—even held me hostage."
Xiao Lingxi stared at him, mouth falling open.
"That's… not the kind of trouble Little Che usually causes."
Her voice cracked.
"He normally just steals food from the kitchen or pranks the elders."
"Well," Xiao Lie chuckled softly, "he did say he was 'taking back his tax money.'"
"Pfff—" Xiao Lingxi covered her mouth as a laugh escaped.
"So he still has some old Little Che in him after all."
She bowed her head slightly and excused herself, leaving to freshen up.
Xiao Lie watched her retreating figure with a quiet sigh.
His daughter always had a gift—an uncanny instinct for reading people. If even she said that Che'er had become someone else, then he had to accept it.
The boy with his grandson's face was Xiao Che no longer.
The Xiao Che he raised…
had become Yun Che.
As a grandfather, he would simply have to accept that truth.
Xiao Lingxi's steps slowed as she approached Little Che's room. Normally, she would burst in and drag him out of bed; he'd sleep until noon if she let him.
But tonight—he was already gone.
Still, one last visit wouldn't hurt.
She raised a hand to knock—
—and froze.
Why am I knocking? she scolded herself.
If he were inside, he would still be snoring like a pig no matter how loudly she banged or yelled. Even smacking his face wouldn't wake him.
But now…
Now he wasn't there to scold or tease.
She sighed softly and knocked anyway, out of habit—out of longing.
Knock… knock…
"As expected… What am I even—"
Her thought stopped cold.
Because the door opened.
Xiao Lingxi's eyes widened in shock as she stepped back.
It wasn't Yun Che who appeared.
It was his newly married wife—
Xia Qingyue
—the shining pearl of Floating Cloud City.
The two women stared at each other in quiet astonishment.
"Xia Qingyue…" Xiao Lingxi whispered, her heart tightening with a swirl of emotions she wasn't ready to name.
And in that moment, the air between them turned still—charged with surprise, unspoken questions…
…and the beginning of a complicated future.
Xiao Lingxi immediately recognized the stunning young woman and instinctively straightened her posture before bowing slightly.
"Xia Qingyue…?"
Xia Qingyue mirrored the greeting with calm elegance.
"Aunt Lingxi."
"W-W-What are you doing here?" Xiao Lingxi stuttered, her mind spinning.
Little Che said she left for her sect last night… so why…?
Qingyue paused briefly, then answered with a gentle, composed tone:
"I… am married to Yu—" she caught herself, "—to Xiao Che. So naturally, I stayed here."
"B-But Little Che told me you left last night… for cultivation."
Qingyue shook her head.
"I chose to remain for a while. I had some things I needed to settle."
"I… I see…" Lingxi murmured.
Her eyes instinctively swept around the room behind Qingyue.
Empty.
Cold.
Not a single sign of him.
Her chest tightened.
"So… there's no trace of him left?" she whispered.
Qingyue's expression dimmed ever so slightly.
"He didn't take any of his clothes. Not a single item. He just… left."
The two stood in awkward silence until Qingyue softly broke it.
"Aunt Lingxi… would you like to come in?"
"Eh?! I… I shouldn't—this is your room, and Little Che—"
"I don't mind."
Qingyue stepped aside with quiet grace.
After a moment of hesitation, Lingxi entered.
The room was exactly as she last saw it when Xiao Che fainted—tidy, familiar, and still faintly carrying his scent… now mixed with Qingyue's own fragrance.
Lingxi's heart throbbed painfully.
For years, she had woken him up every morning.
Now, the room stood silent.
Empty.
He was really gone.
Qingyue watched her quietly before speaking.
"Is it true… that he was poisoned?"
Lingxi nodded slowly.
"Hnn… yes. I never expected the person Little Che admired the most was the one poisoning him. And when he woke up… he changed. He's not the boy I grew up with anymore."
A soft laugh escaped her lips—warm yet sad.
"Do you know… he actually tried to fight me when we met with the doctor?"
Qingyue blinked, speechless.
Lingxi smiled faintly, then turned the question around.
"What about you, Xia Qingyue…?"
The young wife corrected gently.
"Just Qingyue."
"Then… Qingyue, what was your impression of him before the marriage?"
For a moment, Qingyue hesitated.
She wasn't used to sharing her thoughts.
But if she wanted to understand the man she married, she needed someone who knew him—someone he trusted.
So she answered honestly.
"I knew very little about him," she said softly.
"I only knew he was… someone with a disability. Someone the clan looked down on. Someone who was… overly excited about marrying me."
Lingxi winced.
"But he wasn't like that at the wedding," Qingyue continued.
"There was something different about him. Something… unfamiliar."
She paused, searching her memories.
"I do remember him when we were little. Not clearly—just fragments. I remember… seeing him beaten. Hurt. And I remember…" she looked down, her hands tightening slightly, "…that there was nothing I could do to help him."
Her voice softened, barely audible:
"It stayed with me. Even if I pretended it didn't."
Xiao Lingxi's eyes widened slightly—surprised by the gentle sorrow in Qingyue's tone.
The shining pearl of Floating Cloud City… felt sympathy for her Little Che.
And perhaps something else she herself hadn't realized yet.
"Why so?" Xiao Lingxi asked gently.
Xia Qingyue lowered her gaze, her voice soft—almost fragile.
"I was forbidden to leave my house. Father said my beauty would attract… unnecessary attention. He feared people would follow me home."
Her fingers lightly brushed the sleeve of her dress.
"When my cultivation began… I became the dazzling pearl of Floating Cloud City. Someone everyone admired from afar… but no one could approach."
She looked up, eyes calm but lonely.
"Aunt Lingxi… what kind of man was Xiao Che?"
Xiao Lingxi smiled in a mix of fondness and pain as memories surfaced.
"He was flirty… a big idiot… and always smiling."
Her voice softened, warm.
"Even when he was beaten, he smiled. A smile that made you want to protect him yourself."
She laughed quietly.
"I even started cultivating just so I could protect him. But I never imagined he was hiding his powers all this time. Seeing how ruthless he became makes me wonder… how long he carried that vengeance in his heart."
Her expression dimmed.
"My Little Che wouldn't hurt a fly. But the one last night… he was different."
"He was," Qingyue murmured.
"That… Yun Che."
Xiao Lingxi's head jerked up.
"Yun…?"
Qingyue nodded.
"He proclaimed himself 'Yun' when he left last night. I don't know why."
Lingxi felt her heart twist.
Was he cutting ties with the Xiao Clan?
With the city?
With them?
Even if he had changed… he still loved her. And Father. She knew that much.
So why walk away with a different name?
Her eyes drifted toward Qingyue.
Xiao Che had left his wife behind.
Was it for her safety?
Because of the poison?
Or because something had happened between them?
Lingxi couldn't help but feel worried for the young woman in front of her.
"Qingyue…" she said softly, "if you don't mind… would you like to be friends with me?"
Qingyue blinked, genuinely surprised.
"Friends…?"
Lingxi nodded, hopeful.
"Hnn. I can tell you more about Little Che. But sorry—I can't talk about his cultivation. Even I don't understand it fully.
But when you meet him again… you can tell me everything."
Qingyue lowered her head.
"I've never had a friend before. Only my father, my brother, and…"
She stopped abruptly, pain flickering across her eyes.
She refused to speak the last name.
Lingxi didn't pry.
Instead, she stepped closer with a gentle smile.
"We could be best friends."
She meant it.
Lingxi understood the pain of growing up motherless—of loneliness, pressure, and being forced to mature too quickly.
Qingyue was the same.
Two girls who never had a mother's warmth.
It felt only natural to reach out.
Qingyue stared at Lingxi for a long moment.
Then her gaze softened—but also dimmed.
"I… see," she whispered.
"But I really shouldn't."
Lingxi blinked in confusion.
Qingyue continued quietly:
"Once I return to Frozen Cloud Asgard… I may never see you again. Becoming friends with me… will only cause you trouble. The Palace forbids attachments. And I…"
Her voice grew even softer, "I don't want to involve you."
Xiao Lingxi felt her heart ache.
She understood.
But she also refused to back down.
"Don't worry," Xiao Lingxi said brightly, her warm smile chasing away the tension.
"Even if you go cultivate far, far away—it doesn't change that we're friends."
For a moment, Xia Qingyue simply stared at her. She didn't understand how someone could be so genuinely kind to a stranger—especially the woman married to the same man she cherished since childhood. Yet Lingxi's warmth felt almost… healing.
Lingxi rose from the bed and walked toward the door.
"I'll go freshen up first. Then I'll come pick you up for breakfast," she said cheerfully.
"That Little Che was supposed to escort you, but he ran off instead. What kind of husband is that?"
She shook her head in mock annoyance before stepping out.
The door closed softly behind her.
And Xia Qingyue was left alone.
She kept her gaze lowered for a moment… then lifted her head toward the door Lingxi had exited through.
"Xiao Lingxi…" she whispered.
No wonder Xiao Che was so close to her.
No wonder her name carried affection when he spoke it.
"She's… so friendly," Qingyue murmured.
"Even to someone like me."
She looked away, her heart tightening.
"Unlike…"
Unlike those who judged her, feared her beauty… or tried to claim her for status.
Unlike the icy wall she grew up behind.
Unlike the world that worshiped her cultivation but never cared about her loneliness.
Qingyue sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes drifting to the exact spot where Yun Che had sat last night.
The sheets were still slightly ruffled, the faint trace of his presence lingering.
Her gaze then moved to the wedding decorations still adorning the room—the bright red banners, the embroidered curtains, the elegant ornaments—and finally to the double happiness character posted on the wall.
She stared at it for a long time.
Then lowered her head.
A soft sigh escaped her lips.
"…I am a nuisance," she whispered.
The words fell like fragile glass.
She had been forced into this marriage.
She brought him more trouble than fortune.
She held him back without meaning to.
And now—
She was standing between him and the person he cared for the most.
She clenched her hands in her lap, her breath trembling.
If she continued staying close to Xiao Lingxi… the kind, gentle girl might face trouble because of her.
She didn't want that.
She didn't want to be the source of anyone's suffering.
Especially not his.
Especially not Lingxi's.
Xia Qingyue closed her eyes, uncertain whether she should feel grateful, comforted… or heartbroken.
========================
Today could be said to be the busiest day the Xiao Clan had witnessed in years.
From the earliest hours of the morning, the clan entrance was already drowning in a sea of people. Representatives from every influential family in Floating Cloud City were present. Patriarchs, matriarchs, young masters, esteemed elders—everyone who mattered lined up outside the gates.
But despite the crowd, not a single voice rose above a whisper.
No one dared to be loud.
No one dared to stir unnecessary attention.
They feared disturbing the important figures inside.
Today marked the day Xiao Lie, Yun Che's grandfather, officially took the mantle of Xiao Clan Head—a role he easily seized after his sudden surge in power, courtesy of Yun Che's "influence." The city did not know how he advanced so quickly, only that his strength now far surpassed ordinary cultivators of the region.
Naturally, everyone came running.
Some came out of respect.
Some came out of curiosity.
And many came because they wanted to get close to the hidden dragon the Xiao Clan had been hiding—
Yun Che.
Xiao Lie greeted the guests with a calm smile, though beneath that smile was a steel edge that made many tremble. There was a new pressure around him… a faint echo of the monstrous aura emitted by the "disabled boy" the clan once mocked.
Some families were shameless.
They brought their daughters—dressed in their finest silks—to "coincidentally" meet this hidden dragon and become his potential concubine.
But every last one of them paled and froze in place when she appeared.
From within the Xiao Clan walked out two women.
One warm and bright like spring sunlight—Xiao Lingxi.
And beside her, a cold, breathtaking moon goddess—
Xia Qingyue.
The shining pearl of Floating Cloud City.
Her presence alone made the crowd go quiet.
Her posture was exquisite.
Her beauty was incomparable.
Her elegance was enough to conquer the city… even the world.
To the gathered onlookers, it felt as if an ethereal river fairy had stepped gracefully among mortals.
Young men stood frozen, hearts violently pounding.
Several even dropped their jaws—some with drool threatening to fall—completely entranced.
If jealousy could kill, half the crowd would have died on the spot.
Because this celestial beauty…
was already married to the dragon everyone feared.
No one dared refer to Yun Che as disabled anymore.
Not after last night.
After hearing the rumors—
after witnessing his terrifying spiritual pressure—
after learning he eliminated three core elders, crippled another, and blew up the clan treasury while shouting about "tax refunds"...
People no longer mocked him.
They feared him.
They respected him.
They stayed far, far away from anything that might provoke him.
Yet despite all the attention she drew, something caught the crowd's eyes:
Xia Qingyue walked beside Xiao Lingxi.
But…
Yun Che was nowhere to be seen.
A few whispering elders exhaled in relief.
He was gone.
Gone after shaking the foundation of the Xiao Clan in a single night.
Gone after leaving three corpses behind.
Gone after crippling an elder.
Gone after robbing the treasury.
The surviving elders trembled at the memory of his spiritual aura—
that dark, crushing force that choked the breath from their lungs.
No one dared question his departure.
But seeing his wife walking peacefully among the clan members?
That changed everything.
If anyone offended her, they might as well dig their own grave.
Because offending her meant offending him—
the hidden dragon who had awakened.
In the original flow of fate, Xiao Che would have remained within the clan until the day he was driven out—hunted, cornered, and forced to surrender his marriage certificate in order to sever his ties with Xia Qingyue. The Xiao Clan badgered him relentlessly, harassed her endlessly, and even forced the intervention of her master to stop their shameless behavior.
In that timeline, to protect her, he fled in the night.
But that timeline had been shattered.
Now, after Yun Che's explosive display of power, no one in the Xiao Clan dared to even speak to Xia Qingyue, much less pressure her. Overnight, her status soared to a level surpassing even Xiao Lie's. Within the clan, only Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi enjoyed such protection.
And now, Xia Qingyue stood among them.
The clan remained ignorant of the existence of her mysterious master. They only knew one thing:
Yun Che.
The man who obliterated the treasury door.
The man who killed three core members.
The man whose aura cracked stone walls and suffocated seasoned cultivators.
The man the city once mocked as disabled—now revealed as a sleeping dragon that none dared provoke.
When news spread through Floating Cloud City, terror swept through the streets.
Merchants trembled.
Clans panicked.
Gang leaders hid behind closed doors.
Those who had beaten him for fun…
Those who sneered at him…
Those who humiliated him for entertainment…
Every one of them now lived in fear.
No one dared even whisper his name without trembling.
Yet the Xiao Clan—greedy and opportunistic—began using his newfound reputation to bolster their standing. They flaunted their connection to him, forgetting that very same dragon had made it very clear: his grudge with them was not erased.
They were living on borrowed time.
Unlike the original route, Xia Qingyue's days in the Xiao Clan were surprisingly peaceful.
She didn't need her master to defend her.
She didn't need her Frozen Cloud Asgard prestige.
She only needed one thing:
Yun Che's name.
Because of it, every member of the Xiao Clan bowed, scraped, and fawned before her—much to her growing irritation. Concubine offers were delivered to her daily, some even from the Xiao Clan itself, hoping she would convince her husband to spare them in the future.
Xia Qingyue ignored every single one.
In truth, she could have accepted them. It would have been the perfect excuse, a convenient shield to place between herself and Xiao Che. Yet every time she looked at those scrolls, an odd, unwelcome feeling twisted inside her.
Inferiority.
And jealousy.
Accepting them felt like admitting she wasn't enough, like yielding ground she refused to surrender. So instead, she turned down every concubine offer—whether out of annoyance, spite, or the faint, unspoken jealousy she would never acknowledge aloud.
But in the midst of all the false smiles and suffocating flattery…
She gained something real.
A friend.
At first, Xia Qingyue was awkward. She had never woken up to someone knocking gently on her door. She never had someone wait outside for her early in the morning. She never had someone pull her out to breakfast with a cheerful smile.
She wasn't used to it.
But Xiao Lingxi came every single day—talking, laughing, pulling her along, protecting her whenever clan members got too close. Because Qingyue was always beside Lingxi, none of the younger generation dared approach her.
Slowly, the unfamiliar warmth seeped into her heart.
For the first time, she gained a friend.
She remained quiet most of the time—listening, absorbing everything. Lingxi told her about Xiao Che's childhood, his mischievous personality, his cooking, his habits, his likes and dislikes—things Qingyue had never known about the man she married.
Yet Lingxi always added a quiet warning:
"These stories… these habits… these are my Little Che. The one before."
Qingyue lifted her head slightly each time she heard that.
Before?
Lingxi explained it with a metaphor only she understood:
"His color is different now."
A simple sentence.
But Qingyue understood.
The man she married was no longer the boy they remembered.
And although she had a hunch from the moment she saw him at the wedding…
she could not fully confirm it.
Not until she met him again—
face to face.
Beyond bonding with Xiao Lingxi, Xia Qingyue dedicated her remaining days in the Xiao Clan to quietly elevating her cultivation.
Because the gift she received that night from her husband…was far too precious to waste even a breath.
The Heavenly God Spiritual Veins—a treasure so unimaginable that the cultivators of the world would kill without hesitation for even a fraction of its value.
With all her profound entrances forced open—clean, wide, and flawless—her cultivation rose like a phoenix breaking free from its ashes. Qingyue understood just how terrifying this was. Her true level had already been astonishing for someone her age…
Now, with this gift, her progress would leap forward even further.
She remembered her master's reaction upon discovering the change within her. The woman who rarely revealed emotion had been shaken—truly shaken.
Her master had said:
"To open all profound entrances may take some cultivators a lifetime.
To clear their impurities takes even longer.
Most die before completing either."
Yet Qingyue had achieved both—
In a single night.
After undergoing Yun Che's one-handed Reishi cleansing, her entire body transformed. Impurities purged. Entrances refined. Meridians strengthened. Her spiritual veins glowed with purity found only in ancient myths.
And not just her cultivation…
Her appearance changed as well.
Her complexion became more delicate.Rosy.Luminous.Almost divine.
Even her brother and father stared at her in disbelief, sensing the profound and subtle shift in her aura and beauty.
She had always been a rare beauty.
But now—
She was something transcendent.
Something untouchable.
Something that made even seasoned clan heads stumble over their words.
And as Qingyue replayed that night in her mind…
remembered the warmth of his hand on her spine…
the calm, steady voice telling her to bear with it…
the overwhelming purity rushing through her veins…
She finally understood.
The gift Yun Che gave her was priceless beyond imagination.
Not a mere treasure.
Not a cultivation pill.
Not a secret art.
He had given her a future that even prodigies could not dream of.
A foundation so divine that even masters of the Realm of the Gods would be envious.
She held a hand over her heart, feeling its faint tremor.
If this was what he granted her…
If this was the power she gained simply by becoming his wife…
Then—
What else could she obtain… if their relationship truly blossomed?
What heights could she reach if he continued guiding her?
What would it feel like to stand beside him—not as strangers bound by a political marriage, but…
something closer?
Qingyue's cheeks warmed ever so slightly, an emotion unfamiliar and unsettling blooming in her chest.
A gift this precious could not be forgotten.
And neither could the man who gave it.
=============================
A few days passed, and once again, the Xiao Clan bustled with activity.
But this time, the cause was not Yun Che's chaos—
nor the clan's political maneuverings.
It was because of her.
The distinguished guest who carried the title of Floating Cloud City's radiant pearl—
the wife of the dragon who shook the clan—
Xia Qingyue.
She had been waiting.
Her husband's warning lingered in her mind:
"Someone will come for Grandfather, Aunt Lingxi… and you."
She didn't know whether he had said it to test her loyalty, or simply to inform her. She could leave the fates of Xiao Lingxi and her father....
But the moment she felt danger approaching…
She intended to face it.
And to protect Xiao Lingxi—
her first friend.
"Young Master Xiao has arrived!!"
A loud cry erupted from the front gates, instantly silencing the bustling courtyard.Everyone turned to look.
From the crowd emerged a young man wearing luxurious brocade robes, his posture rigid with pride. Xiao Kuangyun—the fourteenth young master of the Xiao Sect. Behind him followed Xiao Moshan with an obedient stride, while Xiao Lie personally led the group forward.
People bowed automatically.
Not out of respect—
but because they knew offending him meant provoking the Xiao Sect itself.
Under Xiao Lie's calm escort, Xiao Kuangyun ascended the central platform and took the seat of honor, acting as if he sat upon a throne of clouds. His eyes swept across the clan members below with the arrogance of an emperor surveying his subjects.
Then he turned stiffly toward the clan master's seat…
Only to find something completely unexpected.
Not Xiao Yunhai.
But Xiao Lie sitting in the clan master's position—
calm, composed, and absolutely unbothered.
Xiao Kuangyun's brows twitched.
"You… what are you doing there? Where is the clan master?" he demanded sharply.
Xiao Lie clasped his hands respectfully, though his gaze held a glint of iron.
"My deepest apologies, Young Master Xiao. The former clan leader and his son perished in an unfortunate accident a week ago."
"Unfortunate accident?" Kuangyun's temper flared.
"What kind of blasphemy is that supposed to mean?"
Before Xiao Lie could respond, Xiao Moshan stepped forward.
"It is true, Young Master. I have verified the information myself."
He lowered his voice, dramatising the report.
"An Emperor Profound Realm cultivator appeared during Xia Qingyue's wedding. He annihilated Xiao Yunhai, slaughtered his son, crippled the fourth elder, and killed his grandson."
Xiao Kuangyun's face went pale.
"Xiao Yulong is dead?!"
He whipped his head toward Xiao Lie in disbelief and fury.
"Who was this emperor? Who dares interfere with the Xiao Sect's affairs?!"
Xiao Lie's answer was simple.
Cruelly simple.
"It was my grandson—Xiao Che."
Silence.
Shock rippled through the crowd like lightning.
Xiao Kuangyun felt his heartbeat stop for half a breath.
"You…" His voice trembled with both outrage and fear.
"You dare let him kill members of your own clan?!?"
Xiao Lie didn't flinch.
"It was my grandson who ended their lives. If you wish to deal with him, you may seek him out yourself."
His tone sharpened into something cold.
"As for me, I'm merely filling the position of clan head in the meantime."
The air turned still.
Those words—calm, respectful, yet edged with steel—were not the tone of a frightened subordinate speaking to a sect's young master.
They were the words of a man who had a dragon behind him—and knew it.
Xiao Lie had taken Yun Che's advice to heart:
Provoke the Xiao Sect into chasing him.
After all…
the boy they were pursuing was no longer someone mortals could handle.
"You… dare… question me back?!" Xiao Kuangyun roared, his voice trembling with indignation.
He lifted his hand to order Xiao Lie restrained—
—but stopped.
His jaw fell open the moment his gaze drifted toward the courtyard entrance.
A goddess descended.
Or so it seemed.
Her figure was ethereal, her beauty luminous. She walked with the serene grace of a moonlit swan—charming yet untouchable, cold yet breathtaking.
Xia Qingyue.
The beauty the entire Floating Cloud City whispered about.
The girl who had married a cripple.
The girl who, without lifting a finger, now caused men to forget themselves.
But she wasn't alone.
Beside her walked another young woman—not ethereal like Qingyue, but lovely enough to soften any heart. Xiao Lingxi's gentle presence was like warm spring water.
To Xiao Kuangyun, they were two new treasures waiting to be added to his harem.
His heart fluttered with obscene greed.
Two women.
One could be his favored wife.
The other—his concubine.
As for the cripple she married?
He scoffed inwardly.
No matter the rumors, there was no way a disabled trash could be an Emperor Realm expert. Surely, this backwater clan fabricated that story to protect their shame.
All the more reason to humiliate them.
He stepped forward with a smug smile.
"Beauty Xia Qingyue," he said, his tone dripping with lust, "this young master has heard you were married to that cripple. A terrible fate. Allow this young master to save you from it. And this lovely attendant beside you as well."
"I refuse."
Her answer was immediate.
Cold.
Sharp as frost.
Xiao Kuangyun blinked in disbelief.
"You…? I offered you salvation!"
"I said I refused," Qingyue repeated, her tone colder than ice.
"I am a married woman. A wife of Xiao Che. And you dare call my friend an attendant?"
Xiao Lingxi's eyes widened.
Friend.
Qingyue had called her… a friend.
A shy smile tugged at Lingxi's lips.
But Xiao Kuangyun's face twisted with rage.
"You… bitch… Fine! If you won't submit—I'll take you by force!"
He lunged.
Arrogant.
Certain.
Hungry for a beauty he thought powerless.
Xiao Lie didn't move.
He trusted the gift his grandson left behind.
He trusted Yun Che's promise more than his own breathing.
After all, Qingyue was said to be at the peak of the Elementary Profound Realm—
far beneath Xiao Kuangyun's Nascent Profound Realm.
To Xiao Kuangyun, capturing her would be as easy as plucking a flower.
But someone else moved first.
A small figure stepped between them—
Xiao Lingxi.
Her brows knit with determination.
She might be weak—
but Qingyue called her a friend.
And Lingxi would protect Xiao Che's wife with her life.
Xiao Kuangyun sneered.
"Pathetic. I'll take the mistress and the little concubine—"
He didn't finish.
Because Lingxi closed her eyes—
and the necklace on her neck began to glow.
A radiant blue light erupted—
—BOOM!
Xiao Kuangyun was blasted backward like a ragdoll, his body flying across the hall before smashing into a pillar. The pillar cracked under the impact, stone splintering as dust fell around him.
Gasps erupted from every corner.
Clan members clutched their robes.
Some fell to their knees.
Others stared with their mouths hanging open.
"W–What was that light…?"
"Xiao Lingxi… did that just now?"
"That was—too fast to see!"
Even Xiao Moshan staggered back in shock.
Xiao Lie exhaled quietly.
The Quincy crest worked.
His grandson's protection had triggered precisely as Yun Che said.
And now—
The Xiao Sect's young master had just been humiliated in front of the entire clan.
Chu Yueli, who had been watching from the shadows nearby, prepared to intervene the moment Xiao Kuangyun lunged. Revealing herself to the Xiao Clan wasn't ideal, but she would not allow her disciple to be humiliated.
However—
the moment that radiant blue light burst forth, she froze mid-step.
Her breath caught.
Her eyes widened.
A barrier—one she had never seen in her entire life—unfurled like a protective dome, shimmering with luminous runes and mysterious patterns. A glittering web of strange blue markings glowed beneath it, forming a complex array that felt both ancient and impossibly refined.
The entire hall fell silent.
Then—
Gasps.
Disbelief.
Utter shock.
No one's attention remained on the fallen Xiao Kuangyun.
Every pair of eyes was fixed on Xiao Lingxi and Xia Qingyue, standing inside the untouchable dome.
Qingyue herself stared in awe.
"Aunt Lingxi… this is…"
Xiao Lingxi, trembling slightly, pulled out the necklace hidden beneath her clothes. It glowed brilliantly, its chains pulsing with the same light as the barrier.
"Little Che's necklace," she whispered.
"It protected us…"
Qingyue's gaze sharpened instantly, focusing on the five-pointed crest.
Her husband… created this?
Her curiosity deepened.
Her heartbeat, too.
Lingxi nodded.
"He gave it to me before he left. I thought it was just a keepsake. But…"
Her words were cut off.
"You!!!" Xiao Kuangyun roared from the cracked pillar he'd crashed into.
His face twisted with rage and greed.
"Where did you get that treasure?!"
His attendants stared with hungry eyes. Even Xiao Moshan's breath hitched.
A barrier that could repel all attacks below Spirit Profound Realm…
something only legendary sects could dream of possessing…
And these two weak women had it?
Xiao Lingxi and Xia Qingyue remained silent, only infuriating him further.
"Men!! SEIZE THEM!!" Xiao Kuangyun roared.
His attendants rushed forward.
—and were immediately blasted backward, one by one, bouncing off the barrier like moths thrown into a storm. The dome didn't even flicker. Their attacks were absorbed… then rebounded with greater force.
Xiao Moshan, furious and embarrassed, charged forward next.
Only to be hurled across the hall like a broken sack of flour.
Screams filled the air.
The crowd trembled.
This was no ordinary protection treasure.
Its craftsmanship—its power—was terrifying.
What they didn't know was simple:
Yun Che had modified the Quincy Spirit Necklace with Reiryoku-infused Blutz barrier properties, purchased using his SP with Zangetsu's help. He had given two away—to Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi. He anticipated this exact moment.
And now, it guarded his aunt and wife perfectly.
"Xiao Kuangyun."
The hall snapped toward Xia Qingyue as her voice cut through the chaos—cold, steady, unshaken.
She needed to end this quickly.
If Kuangyun continued throwing his weight around, he would involve the Xiao Sect… and she would be forced to make her master intervene.
She could reveal herself. Reveal her power but, it would be a risk.
Which risked offending one of the most powerful sects on the continent.
So she chose a different approach.
And with it—
she played directly into his arrogance.
"I have a proposal for you," Qingyue said calmly.
"You are risking conflict if you continue this. But… if you can find my missing husband—"
The hall froze.
"—then I will willingly leave him and follow you. We both will."
She held out the marriage certificate between herself and Xiao Che.
"A perfect excuse to dissolve our marriage."
Xiao Lingxi jolted.
"Qingyue—!"
She was ready to protest—ready to defend her friend—
But the look in Qingyue's eyes stopped her.
Lingxi suddenly understood.
Xia Qingyue wasn't betraying Yun Che.
She was luring Xiao Kuangyun directly into Yun Che's claws.
Cunning.
Cold.
Brilliant.
All to protect the Xiao Clan and her friend…
while letting fate deal with the arrogant fool.
Xiao Kuangyun's lips curled into a greedy grin.
"Hahaha! Fine! I'll find your cripple husband. And when I do—"
He pointed at the glowing barrier.
"I want that treasure too! A treasure that can repel even Spirit Profound Realm experts!"
He had taken the bait.
Perfectly.
"Young Master Kuangyun, let us end this farce," Xiao Lie said calmly, stepping forward.
"The treasure was given to us by Xiao Che—to protect my daughter. If you wish to claim it, then find him and ask him yourself."
His voice carried quiet confidence, not arrogance—yet the implication thundered through the hall.
Xiao Che had given Xiao Lingxi a priceless artifact?
To protect her?
The clan trembled.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
The trash they once beat and mocked… had possessed such power long ago?
Xiao Kuangyun's greedy eyes gleamed.
"Good," he spat.
"You three better prepare yourselves. Once I drag Xiao Che back here—"
He stared directly at Xia Qingyue.
"—if you dare run from me, I will execute him in the name of justice."
His twisted grin revealed everything:
He wanted to force Xiao Che to watch as he violated Xiao Qingyue and Xiao Lingxi… and pry the treasure from their dead hands.
His attendants lifted him up, and he stormed out of the clan gates, shouting commands to begin the hunt.
The moment his figure disappeared down the path, the entire Xiao Clan exhaled in a unified breath of relief.
But immediately afterward…
Terror replaced it.
Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi had openly offended the young master of the Xiao Sect. If he returned with the main clan's backing, the Xiao Clan would be annihilated. The barrier could only protect some of them.
Elders rushed toward Xiao Lie.
"Patriarch! You've doomed us!"
"You disrespected the main clan!"
"We must beg forgiveness immediately!"
Xiao Lie ignored their cowardly pleas. He walked straight to Xiao Lingxi and Xia Qingyue, his expression steady, composed.
The barrier dissolved quietly, recognizing that no hostile intent remained.
Xiao Lingxi trembled.
"Father… w-what if that Xiao Kuangyun comes back? What if he brings others?"
Xiao Lie placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"He won't."
She looked up, eyes wide.
Xiao Lie continued in a low voice only Lingxi and Qingyue could hear:
"Che'er warned me about him. He told me exactly how to provoke him. Showing the barrier ensures Kuangyun won't report this to the main clan—his greed won't let him. If the main clan takes over, the barrier will never become his."
He smiled faintly.
"His greed will lead him to his demise."
Xiao Lingxi swallowed.
"And if he finds Little Che… he'll die."
It wasn't a question.
It was certainty.
Xiao Lie nodded.
"Che'er planned this from the start."
Lingxi covered her mouth in shock.
Her nephew… had predicted everything.
Xia Qingyue stood frozen.
Her heart shook.
She thought she was improvising earlier—playing on Xiao Kuangyun's arrogance to protect the Xiao Clan for the moment. She believed she was the one manipulating the situation.
But no.
Her husband…
had already laid the trap.
Long before she said a word.
She felt as if she had simply stepped into the role prepared for her—
a piece in his silent, subtle strategy.
Her debt to him was paid.
Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi were protected.
The barrier had kept her safe without her even realizing it.
And then—
something stung faintly in her chest.
A strange, unreasonable emotion.
He had given Xiao Lingxi a protective necklace…
one capable of repelling Spirit Profound Realm attacks.
Yet he gave her the Heavenly God Spiritual Veins.
A treasure beyond measure.
A gift that transformed her very existence.
She had no right to feel jealous.
But…
For a moment—
she secretly envied Xiao Lingxi's necklace.
Because that necklace meant something simple, warm, intimate.
Family.
He protected the people he held dearest.
"…Yun Che," she whispered as the hall emptied and silence replaced chaos.
"Just who in the world are you?"
What kind of power did he have?
What secrets was he hiding?
What kind of existence could create such a barrier…
and forcibly purify all her profound entrances in a single night?
She looked at the glowing necklace in Lingxi's hand…
and wondered just how deep her husband's mysteries ran.
=======================
That night…
"Do you really have to leave?"
Xiao Lingxi's voice trembled, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
Xia Qingyue nodded, her expression calm and composed despite the weight of the moment.
"Hnn… Thank you for the hospitality, Aunt Lingxi. And… thank you for protecting me."
"Muuu… what are you thanking me for?"
Xiao Lingxi sniffed and forced a smile.
"You're Little Che's wife. My nephew-in-law. And… you're my close friend. Friends protect each other. That's natural."
Then—to Qingyue's shock—Lingxi removed the glowing Quincy Blutz necklace from around her neck and gently pressed it into Qingyue's hands.
Qingyue stiffened.
"Aunt Lingxi…"
"This necklace… this treasure… he gave it to me," Lingxi said softly.
"But you need it more than I do."
Qingyue took a half-step back and swiftly closed Lingxi's hand around it, pushing it back to her chest.
"No." Her voice was firm for once.
"It is yours. He gave it to you. I… I will ask Yun Che for one myself when I earn it. I… I haven't earned the right to be his wife yet."
Lingxi blinked, surprised.
"You… aren't close with Little Che?"
Qingyue shook her head slowly.
Lingxi sighed, then smiled knowingly—soft and warm like moonlight through clouds.
"He'll come around. Little Che might be different now, but if he cares for you… he'll care for you. And if he hates you, he would've divorced you already. But he didn't, right?"
Qingyue's eyes widened.
…He didn't.
He had handed her the marriage certificate—to let her decide, not to sever ties.
Was he acting?
Was he pushing me away so I could focus on cultivation?
So I wouldn't be chained by marriage?
Lingxi's voice pulled her from her thoughts.
"If you want him to see you as his wife… then earn his attention. Show him who you are."
Qingyue fell silent.
How?
Her beauty at the wedding didn't move him an inch.
Her cold temperament didn't help.
Her social skills were… nonexistent.
She didn't even know how to begin.
Lingxi gently took her delicate hands.
"Will we see each other again?" she asked softly.
Qingyue hesitated—
then lowered her head.
"…I do not know."
Lingxi squeezed her hands.
"We'll always be friends. Maybe rivals for Little Che's affection…" she grinned through tears,
"…but you'll always be my first and only friend."
Qingyue's breath caught.
"Aunt Lingxi… thank you… for being willing to be my friend."
No one except her brother and father had ever been close to her.
No one had ever spoken to her with such warmth.
No one had ever reached out a hand without desire or fear.
Now… she had gained a husband and a friend.
The former uncertain.
The latter unquestionable.
Lingxi stepped back, wiping her tears and trying to act strong.
"Farewell, Qingyue. And if you see Little Che… give him a nice elbow to the ribs for leaving without saying goodbye."
Qingyue's lips curved—just slightly.
She bowed deeply.
Xiao Lingxi watched her walk toward the waiting silhouette of Chu Yueli.
Her heart twisted painfully.
She might never see Qingyue again.
One would ascend to the heavens…
while the other remained in this humble city.
Qingyue paused at the gate.
A soft whisper escaped her lips—carried only by the night wind.
"Aunt Lingxi… I am sure we will meet again."
Then she turned toward the snowy horizon, following her master into the icy expanse. Her figure slowly disappeared into the distance.
But in her heart, a vow echoed clearly:
"The summit of the empire… I will climb to it.
I will grow strong enough to face him.
Strong enough to stand before Yun Che…
and prove my worth."
And somewhere far away, the man she vowed to meet again was already forging ahead on a path far beyond her imagination.