Four years later.
Watching Xiao Yan, who had once sneaked into her room in the dark and been thrown out, now surrounded by a crowd like an emperor, Xiao Xun'er couldn't help but sigh.
She turned to another person, huddled in a corner, inconspicuous like dust, exuding a cold and aloof aura.
In terms of appearance, Xiao Feng was slightly better than Xiao Yan, but in terms of talent, he was far superior.
At least, that's what everyone in the Xiao clan thought.
Only one person was an exception: Xiao Xun'er.
Since that night, Xiao Feng had become even colder, his words to Xiao Xun'er limited to simple greetings, let alone any sparring.
But Xiao Xun'er knew that Xiao Feng's strength had become even more terrifying.
She just didn't know why; she never saw Xiao Feng make a move, even when bullied, he would still lower his head and not retaliate.
Sometimes Xiao Yan would help him out, sometimes she would stand up for him, but all she received in return was a calm, indifferent thank you, nothing more.
He was polite, polite to the point of being cold and heartless.
Xiao Xun'er suddenly laughed, thinking it was quite nice; at least she wouldn't be chased away when she entered his courtyard.
Sometimes, when she was bothered by others, she would think of sitting in Xiao Feng's courtyard, watching him practice his boxing, watching him pour her tea, and her troubled heart would inexplicably calm down.
"Sister Xun'er, let's go to the square to gather together?" Xiao Yan saw Xiao Xun'er standing there and couldn't help but invite her with a smile.
His gentle smile and handsome face attracted envious glances from countless girls.
"Brother Xiao Yan, you go first." Xiao Xun'er shook her head slightly, her gaze falling on Xiao Feng in the distance.
Xiao Yan didn't insist, "Alright."
Then he was surrounded by a group of people and left.
The group was almost gone when Xiao Feng arrived.
Looking at his listless eyes, Xiao Xun'er was really worried that he would trip over the bricks in front of him.
Yet she was also inexplicably expectant.
To her slight disappointment, he actually noticed her; otherwise, she could have helped him up.
"Brother Xiao Feng." Xiao Xun'er walked over and stood beside him.
"Hmm, hello Xun'er." Xiao Feng responded indifferently, his slightly furrowed brows seemingly perpetually furrowed.
The two walked side by side, seemingly close, yet always maintaining a distance.
"Xiao Yan: Dou Qi, Ninth Stage! Level: Advanced!"
Before even reaching the plaza, they heard the tester's loud shout, followed by a commotion below.
"Brother Xiao Yan is the best!"
"Truly a genius seen only once in a century!"
"With Brother Xiao Yan here, given time, our Xiao family will surely dominate Wutan City!"
...
Various discussions rose and fell, everyone offering blessings and praise.
A thousand accolades were bestowed upon him.
Xiao Feng's lifeless eyes suddenly cleared, and he murmured, "Time is running out..."
Then, his gaze became unfocused again.
Xiao Xun'er was already used to it; she often heard Xiao Feng mention this phrase, but he never explained its meaning when she asked.
"Xiao Xun'er." The tester continued reading the list.
"Brother Xiao Feng, wait for me a moment."
Xiao Xun'er whispered, dressed in a light green dress, like a swaying lotus in a pond, pure and innocent, serene and serene.
"Xiao Xun'er: Battle Qi, Level 6! Rank: Intermediate!"
The murmurs below rose again.
Although not as loud as before, they weren't much quieter.
"Xiao Feng!"
Pushing aside the crowd, Xiao Feng silently stepped forward.
"Xiao Feng: Battle Qi, Level 1! Rank: Low!"
The murmurs grew louder again, but mostly filled with mockery and ridicule.
Xiao Feng didn't care, and didn't even bother to pay attention to Xiao Ning and Xiao Mei's ranks.
...
That evening, Xiao Xun'er came to Xiao Feng's courtyard as usual, but unexpectedly didn't see him.
"Brother Xiao Yan, have you seen Brother Xiao Feng?" Xiao Xun'er began to inquire.
"Oh, I think I saw him go to the back mountain."
"The back mountain..." Xiao Xun'er muttered to herself before running off.
"Should we look for him together?" Xiao Yan called out to the seemingly frail figure, but received no response.
...
The back mountain of the Xiao family was vast, and usually deserted, it was very quiet.
Sitting on the edge of a cliff, Xiao Feng felt incredibly relieved.
A problem that had troubled him for eight years was finally solved!
Initially, Xiao Feng used his Dou Qi as internal energy, only to discover that many of his meridians were too fragile to withstand the violent Dou Qi, and it could only circulate in the thicker parts of the eight meridians. This meant that all the cultivation techniques he had practiced in his previous life were useless.
The cultivation techniques of this world are far too crude...
Xiao Feng thought to himself, and then, refusing to believe it, he forcibly guided his Dou Qi to circulate along the various fragile meridians. Without the guidance of the corresponding hand seals, the result was naturally disastrous. Xiao
Feng, who had been listless for seven days, was still not giving up. He focused his attention on the hand seals.
This was something utterly incomprehensible, yet it led Xiao Feng, by sheer chance, to his destination.
Acupoint Crossing!
The human body has many acupoints, each incredibly fragile yet vitally important. In his past life, these were the meeting points of blood and qi; in this life, they held even more secrets.
Through years of tempering, Xiao Feng's soul strength had reached an almost terrifying level, allowing him to stretch his battle qi into threads with effortless ease.
Xiao Feng had tried controlling his battle qi to impact acupoints, and although he collapsed in a pool of blood, after his injuries healed, he was astonished to find that his physique had become even stronger.
Crossing acupoints with qi, connecting meridians through acupoints—he looked forward to the day when all his meridians were open! His
cheerful mood today stemmed from nothing more than this.
He pointed his right hand forward, and a sharp beam of battle qi shot out from the Zhongchong acupoint at the tip of his middle finger, like sword energy, piercing through several trees and flying more than ten meters before dissipating.
"The Six Meridians Divine Sword…"
Xiao Feng smiled, catching a leaf that drifted down before him and playing a tune.
All the previous anxieties vanished, and Xiao Feng's mind was filled with peace; his brow finally unfurrowed.
A clear, melodious whistle echoed in all directions.
Xiao Xun'er, who had been somewhat troubled, felt her mood inexplicably improve upon hearing the sound, and her steps became lighter as she walked towards its source.
Elsewhere, Xiao Yan, also searching for Xiao Feng, was experiencing a completely different kind of nightmare.
He had accidentally stumbled into his cousin's bathing sanctuary, and just as she was about to undress, holding her breath, a melody suddenly began to play.
His cousin, also looking entranced, stopped and turned to look into the distance, seemingly trying to spot the player.
Suddenly, she heard a voice from the nearby weeds,
"Such a familiar melody..."
"Xiao Yan!"
Xiao Yu quickly dressed, her face contorted with rage, her brows furrowed, her entire face red with anger. Enraged, she drew her sword and recklessly slashed at the weeds.
"Damn it! You crazy woman, someone's going to die!"
Xiao Yan was terrified by Xiao Yu's appearance; she was always going for the kill!
"It's better if I die now! At least no one else will have to be a widow!" Xiao Yu didn't care at all, her sword strikes were faster and faster than the last, completely erratic, sending weeds flying all around, like a lawnmower.
"Then don't blame me for being impolite!"
Also angered by Xiao Yu, Xiao Yan dodged the sword with a swift movement, using the trees to circle behind Xiao Yu, and swung both hands simultaneously.
One hand touched her leg, the other slapped her buttocks!
Xiao Yan could even feel the sway of her buttocks.
As if a pause button had been pressed, Xiao Yu, who was wildly slashing with her sword, froze instantly.
But the next second, a scream that shattered the clouds rang out from the back mountain.
"Ah!!!"
"You bastard! You son of a bitch! You little brat! I'll kill you today!"
...
Xiao Xun'er found Xiao Feng, seeing him sitting alone on the edge of the cliff, playing a tune, and silently walked to his side and sat down as well.
She didn't speak, and he didn't stop.
One man played with abandon, while the other listened with rapt attention.
Only when that piercing scream, powerful enough to shatter the universe, rang out did Xiao Feng stop.
"I've never seen Brother Xiao Feng play a tune on a leaf before,"
Xiao Xun'er said, cupping her face in her hands.
"It's just something to pass the time," Xiao Feng said, tossing the leaf aside, his eyes sparkling. "If you want to hear it later, I can play it for you sometime."
For the past few years, Xiao Feng had been preoccupied with the conflict between fighting spirit and cultivation, and hadn't paid much attention to the attitudes of those around him. Now, realizing that Xiao Xun'er was still clinging to him…
If it were anyone else, they would definitely call him the number one simp in Doupo, but with him, the thought was completely different.
This was called infatuation, wasn't it!
"Really?"
The girl's face lit up, bathed in the sunset, her whole body radiating golden light, dazzlingly beautiful.
Just then, someone shouted, "Xun'er, help!"
The two turned around and saw Xiao Yu chasing after Xiao Yan with his sword, the tip already stained with blood.
Xiao Xun'er was about to get up when Xiao Feng suddenly grabbed her hand.
The girl's face flushed slightly. Just as she was about to pull her hand away, Xiao Feng released her. A sense of disappointment washed over her. She didn't get up again, her gaze towards Xiao Feng filled with resentment and confusion. "Brother Xiao Feng?"
"He brought this on himself, so he has to suffer the consequences." Xiao Feng saw it clearly. "I really don't know what he did to make a girl so angry. If you try to stop him, you'll only add fuel to the fire."
Xiao Xun'er thought of the lewd figure who tried to touch her body in the middle of the night and suddenly realized. She nodded and smiled, "This is the first time in five years that Brother Xiao Feng has talked to me so much."
Xiao Feng looked into Xiao Xun'er's eyes, a little puzzled in his heart: Is it true that the more talented a person is, the more they want to find a partner?
First there was Xiao Huohuo, and now there's Xiao Xun'er. Are they all like salted fish, waiting for the Soul Emperor to come and reap them?
Seeing Xiao Feng's brows furrow again, Xiao Xun'er became cautious again, as if she had done something wrong.
"Little sister Xun'er, I've been busy cultivating these past few years and haven't had a chance to test you. What stage have you reached?" Xiao Feng asked.
To others, this would likely elicit scoffs. Several years at the first level of Dou Qi—and that's considered busy cultivation?
"Sixth level of Dou Qi," the girl replied, her eyes crinkling.
Xiao Feng avoided her gaze, his eyes fixed on the deep valley below. "Won't you tell the truth?"
Xiao Xun'er asked anxiously, her hands clasped together. "Brother Xiao Feng, Xun'er wants to ask you something."
"Hmm," Xiao Feng nodded.
The girl looked at the boy beside her, his eyes darting around nervously. After nearly twenty seconds of silence, she finally mustered her courage. "Brother Xiao Feng, do you think Xun'er isn't good enough for you?"
"Huh? Ah? What?"
Xiao Feng even doubted if he'd heard correctly. The script was way off! If he weren't currently on the ground, he probably would have jumped up.
Seeing Xiao Feng's flustered state, Xiao Xun'er's mood instantly improved: he didn't think Xun'er was unworthy of him.
"What did you just say?" Xiao Feng coughed a few times and asked again.
But this time, Xiao Xun'er's face was flushed, her head lowered, refusing to say a word despite Xiao Feng's questioning. Xiao Feng sighed inwardly; this girl's spring had come far too early.
(End of Chapter)