Chapter 200: "Who Is This Young Lady?"
From the courtyard came Xiao Feng's pained cries.
"Brother Li, Brother Li, please stop! I was wrong!"
"And what exactly did you do wrong? You're so impressive, huh? Running off to try and steal someone's child!"
Xiao Li wielded a whip crackling with thunderous energy, lashing Xiao Feng mercilessly. His strikes left blackened marks all over Xiao Feng's body.
This whip, infused with lightning energy, was Xiao Li's custom creation, specifically used to discipline wayward members of the Xiao family. The name, Pinecone and Bean Lightning Whip, was given by Xiao Yan. Though Xiao Li didn't understand the peculiar name, he accepted it, as he had always indulged his younger brother.
"Second Brother, why are you beating Xiao Feng again? What did he do this time?"
Hearing Xiao Yan's voice, Xiao Li paused mid strike, his face lighting up with joy.
"Xiao Yan! You're back!"
With a smile, he put away the whip and turned toward Xiao Yan. However, his expression became momentarily strange when he noticed Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin standing beside Xiao Yan.
"Did you bring back two more wives?" Xiao Li's lips barely moved as he sent the question through voice transmission to Xiao Yan. He refrained from saying the word "more" aloud it might not land well.
Cough, cough. Xiao Yan cleared his throat and quickly introduced them.
"This is your sister in law, Xiao Yi Xian." He then gestured to Qing Lin. "And this is my new little sister, Qing Lin."
For now, Xiao Yan truly saw Qing Lin as a younger sister, considering her tragic background. Of course, if she grew older and developed feelings for him, Xiao Yan wouldn't exactly turn her away he wasn't one to reject affection.
"Ah, I see," Xiao Li said, visibly relieved. He had worried that Xiao Yan might not even spare younger girls.
Xiao Li still vividly remembered when their ancestor Xiao Lin visited the Nalan family. Confronted with a group of Xiao Yan's "potential wives," even the mighty Dou Sheng patriarch had been momentarily speechless.
Back then, the lineup included Ya Fei, Yun Yun, Nalan Yanran, and Yao Ye. Xiao Lin, a legendary Dou Sheng, had been utterly dumbfounded.
It hadn't even been that long since then, and Xiao Yan had already amassed quite the following of women in the Jia Ma Empire alone. Moreover, Xiao Lin had heard whispers that Xiao Yan had also courted a genius from the Pill Tower during his time in the Central Plains.
Seeing that Xiao Yan had only added Xiao Yi Xian as a sister in law, Xiao Li relaxed. He nodded toward Xiao Yi Xian.
"Good to meet you, sister in law."
Turning to Qing Lin, he said warmly, "And if you're Xiao Yan's sister, then you're also my little sister now."
Both Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin blushed slightly and bowed politely. "Hello, Second Brother," they said in unison.
Xiao Yi Xian's tone carried a hint of shyness, while Qing Lin's emerald eyes shimmered with emotion. For the first time, she truly felt like part of a family. Xiao Yan had made it clear that he regarded her as a younger sister, and the warmth she now experienced was worlds away from her bleak past.
"Second Brother, what did Xiao Feng do this time to deserve such a beating?" Xiao Yan asked, his tone curious.
Under Xiao Yan's leadership, the Xiao family had been known for their boldness, but most of them still operated within certain boundaries. Xiao Feng, however, along with a few other troublemakers, always seemed to push the limits. Xiao Li's whip was often reserved for disciplining their antics.
"Don't even get me started." Xiao Li's initially cheerful face darkened again.
"A few days ago, the Amethyst Winged Lion King from the Magical Beast Mountain Range came to pledge allegiance to our alliance. After confirming its intentions with Sister in Law Yun Yun and completing the necessary vetting, we offered it a position as a guardian beast for the alliance."
Xiao Li explained further, "Although a six tier magical beast isn't particularly useful to us, its sincerity deserved recognition. Besides, early contributors deserve benefits."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow in surprise. The Amethyst Winged Lion King had previously resisted him tooth and nail. How had it suddenly decided to pledge allegiance?
Xiao Li, seeing Xiao Yan's confusion, continued. "But this rascal, Xiao Feng, got it into his head that braised lion's head meat would be delicious. He gathered a group of people and tried to capture the Lion King's cub for cooking! If I hadn't caught him in the act, the cub would already be in a stew pot!"
Furious, Xiao Li continued, "This incident terrified the Lion King. If word spreads, what other magical beasts would dare to join us?"
Hearing this, even Xiao Yan's face darkened.
"He deserves this beating. If you don't teach him a lesson now, he'll never learn."
While Xiao Yan had no qualms about underhanded tactics against enemies, such actions against allies were unacceptable. The Lion King had joined the Flame Alliance, and Xiao Yan had a responsibility to protect it. Xiao Feng's behavior was a disgrace.
Even though Xiao Feng had been counting on Xiao Yan to shield him, he now realized his mistake. His face paled as Xiao Yan's harsh words landed.
"Xiao Yan, save me! I only did it for your disciple, Hun Xin!" Xiao Feng pleaded desperately.
Xiao Yan's expression turned even colder. "Don't worry. I'll deal with her too."
Just as he spoke, hurried footsteps approached. A tiny figure rushed toward Xiao Yan like a whirlwind.
"Master!" Hun Xin cried, but before she could reach Xiao Yan, a large hand caught her by the back of her collar.
Without hesitation, Xiao Yan delivered a series of swift smacks to her backside.
"Ouch! Master, why are you hitting me?"
"Do you know what you did wrong?" Xiao Yan asked sternly.
"I... I don't know!" Hun Xin wailed.
"Then I'll keep hitting you until you figure it out."
"Alright, alright, I know I was wrong!"
"What exactly did you do wrong?"
"I... I don't know..."
The courtyard echoed with the sounds of Hun Xin's tearful cries.
"Xiao Yan, what are you doing?"
A slightly angry voice interrupted him. Turning around, Xiao Yan saw Ya Fei approaching, her alluring figure swaying gracefully as she walked. Behind her were Xiao Cheng and another young girl from the Xiao family.
"How could you start disciplining children the moment you return?" Ya Fei chided, scooping up the sobbing Hun Xin from Xiao Yan's grasp.
As Ya Fei turned her attention to Xiao Yi Xian, her expression shifted. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she asked with a polite yet probing smile:
"And who might this young lady be?"
(End of Chapter)
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