Chapter 6: Peerless Elegance
Back when Xiao Ying was alive, Xiao Lie's status within the Xiao Sect was unmatched—even the clan head at the time treated him with great respect. The reason was clear: Xiao Ying's astonishing talent destined him to become the strongest of his generation in the Xiao Sect. In this world where profound force reigned supreme, Xiao Lie, as Xiao Ying's father, was naturally revered by the entire Xiao Sect. But after Xiao Ying was assassinated, and Xiao Lie's only grandson, Xiao Che, was left with crippled profound veins, everything changed. Though Xiao Lie was still the strongest in Liu Yun City, his son was dead, his grandson a cripple with no one to carry on the legacy—who would still fear him? His standing in the Xiao Sect plummeted.
Xiao Lie did not lose his temper. Long accustomed to the sneers and taunts of these people, he gave a faint smile and said, "Thank you all for the honor of your presence. Please be sure to have a few extra drinks at the banquet later."
"The honor has been given; there's no need for drinks. My eldest grandson, Xiao Chengzhi, has just broken through to the seventh level of the Initial Xuan Realm. I've already wasted enough time here; I must go and personally stabilize his foundation." As Third Elder Xiao Ze spoke, he rose to his feet.
"Chengzhi has broken through to the seventh level of Initial Xuan? At only seventeen, such an achievement—this child's future is truly boundless! Third Elder, no wonder you're beaming with joy today. Congratulations!" Fourth Elder Xiao Cheng also stood, exclaiming in surprise as he offered his congratulations to the Third Elder.
Even Xiao Lie, for all his composure, could not suppress the flicker of anger in his eyes. These four men had once sworn brotherhood with him, even showing deference and flattery. But ever since Xiao Ying's death and the confirmation of Xiao Che's crippled profound veins, their attitude toward him had done a complete about-face. Now they scarcely acknowledged him. Countless times they had flaunted their own sons and grandsons in front of him, and now, in the very wedding hall of his grandson, they continued their merciless mockery without restraint, using their descendants' achievements to tear open the wound he most wished to avoid.
The sudden shift in atmosphere left the master of ceremonies, Xiao De, drenched in cold sweat. He hastily skipped the remaining procedures and shouted in a shrill voice, "Let the bride and groom enter the bridal chamber… Distinguished guests, please take your seats for the banquet!"
Amid the continuous sound of drums and festive music, after the bowing ceremony, Xiao Che and Xia Qingyue walked together into Xiao Che's small courtyard under the gaze of the crowd. The bridal chamber was Xiao Che's usual room, now decorated entirely in red. The floor was covered in a large crimson carpet embroidered with dragons, phoenixes, and auspicious clouds. A giant double-happiness character adorned the wall. The room was filled with red silk and ribbons. On the dazzling golden candle stand, two large red wedding candles shimmered brilliantly, their bodies painted with soaring dragons and phoenixes in gold. The flickering candlelight cast shadows on the nearly floor-length beaded crystal curtains, enveloping the room in a hazy, dreamlike glow that separated the bridal chamber from the outside world, a dazzling spectacle that dazzled the eyes.
Xia Qingyue was helped to sit on the bed by her maid, Xia Dongling, who then silently withdrew and closed the door. The room fell into silence, broken only by the faint sound of their own breathing.
Xia Qingyue sat there quietly, without a sound. Xiao Che did not approach her. Instead, he stood by the door, staring toward the hallway outside, his eyes clouded with gloom.
"It must be hard on you, seeing your grandfather treated so cruelly, especially on your wedding day, isn't it?"
A gentle yet cool voice reached his ears… Xiao Che's expression shifted. Xia Qingyue had spoken to him voluntarily—an unexpected surprise, even if her words were rather sharp.
Xiao Che glanced sideways and, after a moment's hesitation, said, "You should take off your phoenix crown. It's too heavy; wearing it for long will be uncomfortable."
According to the wedding customs of Tian Xuan Continent, the bride's phoenix crown must be removed by the groom himself. But after the "icy" treatment he'd received earlier when he tried to help her, the proud Xiao Che had no intention of risking another snub. Of course, he also had no expectation that Xia Qingyue would willingly let him help remove the crown.
Xia Qingyue paused briefly, then raised her jade hand and silently lifted off the phoenix crown adorned with pearl tassels. Instantly, a face so breathtakingly beautiful it seemed to steal one's breath was reflected in Xiao Che's sight. She lifted her eyes, and the moment their gazes met, Xiao Che's eyes went blank for a moment… These were eyes so beautiful they defied description—as if all the pure, rippling emerald waves in the world had been gathered without reserve into this pair of dreamlike orbs. No master painter, no most magnificent rhetoric could ever capture or interpret them. Her skin was like fat and jade, whiter than snow and surpassing frost. Her crystal-clear, jade-like face was still translucent even in the dim light of the room. Her lips were like the most delicate petals in the world, and her perfectly sculpted nose seemed carved from the finest white jade, exuding an innate nobility and pride.
"Indeed… worthy of the reputation…" Xiao Che murmured. His eyes never blinked or strayed from her as he gazed at her—those exquisite eyes were like a bottomless abyss, pulling his consciousness and thoughts deeper and deeper, unable to extricate himself.
Though he had been betrothed to Xia Qingyue since childhood, apart from a few brief glances when they were very young, this was the first time he had seen her true face since the age of ten. Xia Qingyue rarely left her chambers, and Xiao Che, knowing his profound veins were crippled and filled with inferiority and self-pity, seldom left the Xiao Sect. He had only heard fragments from others' conversations about Xia Qingyue's peerless elegance as she grew up, and in his heart, he had always sketched a vague silhouette in his daydreams.
Now, finally beholding Xia Qingyue's true face, the phantom silhouette he had imagined instantly vanished. Because Xia Qingyue's beauty completely surpassed his imagination. He could not describe what kind of peerless elegance this was. Even with the memories of two lifetimes, Xiao Che found himself lost in a lengthy trance before this visage.
Xia Qingyue was called the number one beauty of Liu Yun City, but at this moment, even if someone claimed she was the number one beauty of the entire Cang Feng Empire, Xiao Che would have no doubt. He could not imagine any elegance surpassing this ultimate beauty before him. And this girl was still his age—only sixteen. A girl this age had not yet fully blossomed into all her beauty. If she were a few years older, it would be unimaginable the level of charm Xia Qingyue would possess… perhaps she would become beautiful to a point of illusion.
A small city like Liu Yun City had produced a girl whose every smile and frown could topple empires—and this girl had become his wife today. Xiao Che could not help but feel a deep sense of unreality.
"And you… are not quite as I heard, nor as I imagined."
Xia Qingyue stood up, and the moment she rose, her breathtaking figure was revealed. She approached Xiao Che, her eyes as liquid as water, her lips slightly parted: "According to what I heard, your profound veins were crippled, leaving you forever stuck at the first level of the Initial Xuan Realm. Because of this, your physique was frail, and your personality became timid, inferior, and reclusive—you rarely showed yourself in public. It seemed your only playmates were your little aunt, Xiao Lingxi, and my younger brother, Yuanba. The only advantage you had was your appearance."
"Your profound energy is not only weak but also turbid and impure—indeed, your profound veins are crippled without a doubt. But the rumors about your temperament seem entirely wrong."
Xia Qingyue stopped less than three steps away from Xiao Che, her beautiful eyes fixed on his: "Though you try to hide it, there is a clear pride in your demeanor. It has been there from the very first moment I saw you, right up to now—the exact opposite of the rumored inferiority. Earlier, at my house, when I used my profound energy to ice your arm, your reaction was so calm it surprised me. If not for your arm momentarily stiffening, I might have suspected my technique had failed. Just now in the wedding hall, when you and your grandfather Xiao Lie were mocked and ridiculed in such an important setting, the anger on your face lasted only an instant before vanishing entirely. Your expression, your heartbeat—none of them showed the slightest abnormal fluctuation… This level of mental composure would be difficult even for a middle-aged Spirit Xuan Realm cultivator!"
"Moreover, when you looked at me, your gaze was infatuated but never unfocused!"
"Your profound veins being crippled is a fact, but your true nature and mental state have fooled everyone." As Xia Qingyue spoke softly, her eyes remained fixed on Xiao Che's, eyes so deep they seemed boundless.
Xiao Che was startled inwardly.
As Xia Qingyue drew nearer, intoxicating fragrance of a young girl filled his nostrils. But Xiao Che had no mind to savor it—his heart was completely filled with shock. Indeed, he was now very proud, no matter whom he faced. Because in the Cang Yun Continent, he had stood alone against the heroes of the world, any one of whom was a supreme existence that the entire Liu Yun City could never hope to contend with. Though his current power was pathetically weak, his mindset would not change because of it. This pride was not something he deliberately displayed; it came naturally. Given his current physical condition and circumstances, he was even trying hard to hide this sense of superiority.
But Xia Qingyue saw through all of this—even his state of mind—with a single remark.
Throughout the journey from the Xia family to the Xiao family, he had assumed that Xia Qingyue paid him no attention at all. After all, one was a pearl in the sky, the other mud despised by countless people—that was only natural. (http://www). But to his surprise, she had been observing him from start to finish, completely unnoticed by him.
The way Xiao Che looked at Xia Qingyue changed immediately. Those eyes before him were not only stunningly beautiful but also so clear they seemed to pierce through the soul. Her thoughts were so meticulous and fine that he couldn't help but be amazed…
Keep in mind! Xiao Che possessed the memories and experiences of two lifetimes, a state of mind that had faced the world's elite and the brink of death unmoved! Yet she had seen through him so thoroughly!
Was she really just a sixteen-year-old girl?
How could a sixteen-year-old girl possess such uncanny insight and thought?
Xiao Che even began to wonder if Xia Qingyue might also be someone who had crossed over, just like him.
"You are enduring?" Xia Qingyue said slowly.
"Enduring?" Xiao Che gave a seemingly self-deprecating smile. "Maybe. But the fact is that my profound veins are crippled. In this Tian Xuan Continent, having crippled profound veins means being consigned to the lowest rung where everyone looks down on you. Does it really make a difference whether I'm genuinely cowardly and inferior, or silently enduring?"
Enduring? Enduring my ass! The Xiao Che of yesterday was exactly as Xia Qingyue had heard! But no matter how clever Xia Qingyue was, she could never imagine that today's Xiao Che carried an entire lifetime's worth of extra memories compared to yesterday's Xiao Che, and with it, a changed temperament and mindset.
Xia Qingyue's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. Her soft jade-like hand suddenly lifted, and she extended two fingers, pointing them empty toward Xiao Che's chest. Instantly, a cool but not cold aura spread from his chest, expanding until it covered his entire body. Just as Xiao Che was about to ask what she was doing, the cool sensation vanished completely. Xia Qingyue withdrew her jade hand and, her petal-like lips moving slightly, said: "Your profound veins are indeed crippled, but it's not congenital. They should have been attacked when you were very young, and the profound veins were directly destroyed by the force that struck you!"