"What is the Misty Cloud Sect Leader looking for me for?" Xiao Ting asked Xiao Yan as they walked, his tone full of puzzlement.
"Who knows? As soon as I heard her identity, I turned and left," Xiao Yan said with a face full of bad luck.
"Is this Misty Cloud Sect Leader very ugly?" Xiao Ting raised an eyebrow at Xiao Yan.
"Not ugly. She's actually very beautiful, and her temperament is also outstanding." Xiao Yan answered subconsciously, then scratched his cheek. "But after knowing her identity, I have no good feelings toward her. Someone who could teach a disciple as arrogant as Nalan Yanran — what kind of good person could she be?"
Hearing this, Xiao Ting smiled but did not reply.
It was still better that the cultivation environment inside the Jia Ma Empire was good. The Misty Cloud Sect had always had a decent sect style.
If this were in the Black-Corner Region, Nalan Yanran would not have come with apology gifts to cancel the engagement. Instead, she would have directly sent a Dou King to massacre the entire Xiao family.
A piece of trash who couldn't cultivate had once been my fiancé?
You already have a path to death!
"A sect leader and a Dou Emperor expert. I wonder what business she has with me." Xiao Ting nudged Xiao Yan with his elbow.
"Don't say that. I'm actually quite curious. Brother Yan, what do you guess?"
"What else could it be?" Xiao Yan had already thought about this question and said confidently, "She must have heard about your cultivation talent and wants to take you as a disciple. But she knows nothing about your real talent. It can't be that she's taken a fancy to you and wants you to live off a woman, right?"
At the end, Xiao Yan even winked and made a joke.
"Who can say for sure?" Xiao Ting touched his own face. "With my looks and my cultivation talent, it's not impossible for a female Dou Emperor to want me to live off her, right?"
Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Ting's face, which was even more outstanding than any idol in his previous life, and fell silent for a moment.
Unfair.
This world is really fucking unfair.
"Uncle, elders."
The two brothers arrived at the reception hall chatting and laughing. As soon as they entered, they cupped their fists in greeting.
"Xiao Yan, Xiao Ting, no need for such formality. Find a seat and sit down." Xiao Zhan looked at the two with smiling eyes. He seemed to be in a very good mood.
Xiao Ting found a seat on the left side and sat down, then looked up toward the main seat.
On the right sat Xiao Zhan. On the left sat a woman wearing a tight golden brocade robe trimmed with purple. Her features were exquisite, gentle and beautiful. Her pair of eyes seemed able to speak, like a clear spring in a secluded mountain that refreshed the heart. Her ink-black hair was styled in the shape of a phoenix's long cry. Her entire person gave off a noble feeling.
While Xiao Ting was observing Yun Yun, she was also observing him.
The girls were chatting in the group.
After throwing out the bait, Yun Yun no longer paid attention.
At this moment, her focus was on Xiao Ting. She heard Xiao Zhan speak: "Xiao Ting, Xiao Yan probably already told you on the way that Sect Leader Yun Yun has something to discuss with you. She came to the Xiao family in person because she wants to invite you to join the Misty Cloud Sect for cultivation. I wonder what you think?"
Xiao Ting looked at Xiao Yan, who wore a smug "I knew it" expression, smiled, and said, "Sect Leader Yun Yun, I am a lightning-fire attribute Battle Qi cultivator, while the Misty Cloud Sect mainly cultivates wind attribute and sword techniques. It doesn't seem suitable for me."
"If you agree, I will introduce Pill King Gu He as your teacher."
To avoid Xiao Ting noticing anything suspicious, Yun Yun had already prepared her reason: "Pill King Gu He is an honorary elder of my Misty Cloud Sect, a Tier 6 alchemist with dual wood-fire attributes, and a peak Dou King expert."
"My talent is worth a sect leader personally making a trip, and even specially arranging for Gu He to teach me?" Xiao Ting expressed surprise.
"This sect leader did not come specifically for you." Yun Yun's expression remained unchanged as she answered calmly: "My trip this time is to the Magic Beast Mountain Range to obtain Purple Spirit Crystal from the Amethyst Winged Lion King. When passing by Qingshan Town, I recalled that the sect's intelligence mentioned Xiao Yan's recovered cultivation talent and that your, Xiao Ting's, talent is also not weak, so I stopped by to take a look."
"After seeing you, this sect leader changed her mind and temporarily decided to find Pill King Gu He as your teacher."
At this point, Yun Yun paused and proactively explained: "The Misty Cloud Sect cultivates the sword. My soul perception is quite good. Although I don't know your exact cultivation right now, it is definitely much stronger than a one-star Dou Practitioner. This talent is worth me speaking up."
"Mm." Xiao Ting nodded noncommittally and changed the subject: "Speaking of my Brother Yan, has Sect Leader Yun Yun forgotten the three-year agreement?"
"This sect leader does not think this is a problem." Yun Yun glanced at Xiao Yan, whose face looked ugly, and her expression remained calm: "Even if it happened again, I would still support Yanran in canceling the engagement. This has nothing to do with what kind of talent Xiao Yan has. It is because Yanran is my direct disciple and will, without accident, be the future Sect Leader of the Misty Cloud Sect. Her Dao companion cannot be decided lightly."
"Then she has to step on my face, my father's face, and the faces of everyone in my Xiao family, and cancel the engagement in such a high-profile manner!?" Xiao Yan's eyes turned red. He could not help but question: "I, Xiao Yan, also don't want to casually marry a woman I don't know as my wife."
"Not to mention that marriage is arranged by parents and matchmakers. At least when my grandfather and Old Master Nalan arranged my engagement with Nalan Yanran back then, it was definitely to deepen the relationship between the two clans and form a good alliance."
"By doing this, isn't she also stepping on the Nalan family's face?"
"You are right."
Yun Yun's eyes narrowed slightly. Under Xiao Zhan's nervous gaze, she said, "After Old Master Nalan Jie learned of this matter, he was so angry that his old injuries relapsed and he is now heavily injured, recuperating in bed."
"There is nothing wrong with canceling the engagement. The only fault is that Yanran is too young and did not handle it in a gentle way, instead intensifying the conflict. I have already criticized her for this."
On this matter, Yun Yun felt both helpless and wronged. Her intention had been for Yanran to personally talk to Xiao Zhan, accompanied by Misty Cloud Sect experts, to express her stance and apology, and to give sufficient compensation. Once it became a done deal, as long as the Xiao family had no objections, the Nalan family would not be able to say anything further. All three parties would be happy.
Instead, Xiao Zhan had made a big show of welcoming the Misty Cloud Sect people, and Nalan Yanran had indeed not considered things thoroughly, actually canceling the engagement in public. Even the compensation given ended up feeling like humiliation.
Hitting someone in the face like this was worse than if she had directly sent a Dou Spirit elder to the Xiao family to forcefully cancel the engagement back then. In any case, enmity would still be formed.
She had already mentioned all of this to Xiao Zhan earlier, trying to indirectly reduce Xiao Yan's bad feelings toward the Misty Cloud Sect.
As a Dou Emperor expert and sect leader, she certainly could not explain herself to two juniors.
Otherwise, it would make her seem to lack status and dignity, and it would also arouse Xiao Ting's suspicion.
For this reason, she even had to provoke Xiao Yan a little.
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