Chapter 16: Young Master Xiao Courts Death

Chapter 16: Young Master Xiao Courts Death

“Huh? Brother Yulong? What’s wrong with you?” Xiao Che quickly stood up, putting on a frightened expression.

Xiao Yulong’s face contorted into a very stiff, ugly smile. He shook the broken wineglass bits from his hand. “Nothing. Just lost control of my strength for a moment.”

Xiao Yang’s expression was barely better than Xiao Yulong’s—as ugly as if he had just swallowed a mouthful of dead flies. Hearing Xiao Yulong’s words, he quickly chimed in, “I understand! It must be because Big Brother’s profound force has made a new breakthrough recently. During this period after a breakthrough, it’s normal for the increased profound force to occasionally be hard to control.”

“So that’s it!” Xiao Che looked as if a lightbulb had gone off and hastily said, “Brother Yulong actually made another breakthrough—congratulations! I heard that Brother Yulong reached Xuan Entry Realm Level 3 three months ago, and now, only three months later, another breakthrough! Truly the greatest genius of our generation. Looks like this time, besides Brother Yulong, there can’t possibly be anyone else chosen by the Xiao Sect.”

Xiao Yulong’s face twitched. He stood up, forcing down the turmoil in his heart, and managed a stiff smile. “Cousin Che flatters me. I really did just break through, so my profound force is a bit unsettled. I need to stabilize it immediately, so I’m afraid I can’t continue to entertain you…”

“That’s fine, that’s fine!” Xiao Che quickly waved his hand, nodding with great understanding. “Of course, stabilizing your profound force is what matters most for Brother Yulong… Then, I won’t disturb Brother Yulong any longer. Thank you for the kind invitation today. When Brother Yulong is chosen by the Xiao Sect in a few days, I’ll be sure to come and offer my congratulations right away.”

With that, Xiao Che left very politely. Xiao Yang also pretended to leave with him. After watching Xiao Che disappear into the distance, he quickly turned back. As soon as he entered the door, he saw Xiao Yulong’s face—dark and terrifying.

“Big Brother… this matter…” Seeing Xiao Yulong’s expression, Xiao Yang swallowed hard and crept forward timidly.

“Ahhh!!” Xiao Yulong let out an explosive roar, madly sweeping all the wine and tea sets off the table, shattering them into pieces. Then he kicked the stone table over with all his might. Gritting his teeth, he panted heavily, his eyes radiating jealousy and hatred that seemed ready to burn. In an extremely low voice, he growled, “Didn’t you tell me… that Xia Qingyue would never let that waste Xiao Che touch her!!”

Xiao Yulong rarely lost control of his emotions. His current state made Xiao Yang’s scalp tingle and his back run cold. Panicking, he said, “It must be… must be that Xiao Che made it up… made it up! Xia Qingyue… couldn’t possibly take a liking to that punk!”

“Bullshit!” Xiao Yulong growled. “Do you think I’m blind? Do you think I don’t know what that waste Xiao Che is really like? Could he fool me right in front of my face?”

Xiao Yulong possessed considerable cunning and perceptiveness. He had known Xiao Che for sixteen years and believed he understood everything about him. He was absolutely certain that the emotional fluctuations of this weak, cowardly, self-contemptuous brat could never escape his eyes. And just now, when Xiao Yang asked him, there was not a single trace of pretense or disguise in his eyes, expression, or subconscious body movements.

Xia Qingyue was the woman he had sworn to obtain. He had allowed them to marry partly out of helplessness and partly because he believed that even if Xia Qingyue married Xiao Che, she would never give herself to him—thus providing convenience for his own plans. But he never expected that on the second day of their marriage, the result would be that Xiao Che had already defiled her!!

At this moment, anger, jealousy, and resentment raged within him, almost making his chest explode.

Xiao Yang shrank his neck and stood there, not daring to breathe. In the past, Xiao Yulong was the designated successor to the head of the Xiao Sect, so Xiao Yang had always been obedient around him. Now that Xiao Yulong was very likely to be chosen by the Xiao Sect, Xiao Yang dared not show the slightest defiance.

After a long time, Xiao Yulong was still breathing heavily, showing just how huge a blow this was to him. Suddenly, he asked in a deep voice, “Where did Xiao Che go after he left here?”

“He… went to the East Courtyard. Maybe… maybe he went to the kitchen area,” Xiao Yang answered cautiously.

Xiao Yulong’s brows angled up, his face dark with clouds. He said in a low voice, “I always thought that with her peerless beauty and talent, Xia Qingyue would also have a dignity and pride that other women couldn’t match. I never imagined that even the most contemptible garbage in the Xiao Sect could catch her eye!”

Xiao Yulong gave a cold snort, shook his hand sharply, and strode quickly out of the courtyard. Xiao Yang was about to follow when he suddenly realized where Xiao Yulong was headed. He immediately stopped obediently, then slowly raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

Xiao Che left Xiao Yulong’s small courtyard and walked unhurriedly to the kitchen to pick up a breakfast. Then he meandered toward Xiao Lingxi’s residence. If one got close enough, they could hear him muttering under his breath, “That idiot Xiao Yulong should be heading to my place right now, right? Hmm… will my dear wife Qingyue break one of his legs? Or both? Or… maybe all three?”

When he reached Xiao Lingxi’s small courtyard, the door was tightly shut. Xiao Che knocked and called out, “Little Aunt, I brought breakfast.”

The door opened. Xiao Che went in, and then closed it with a “bang.”

Xiao Lingxi was lying on the table, her cheeks resting in her hands, eyelids drooping, looking dispirited. Xiao Che set the breakfast on the table and waved his hand in front of her eyes. “Didn’t sleep well last night?”

“Wuuu…” At the mention of “last night,” Xiao Lingxi whimpered and buried her entire face in her palms. “Don’t talk about last night… Xia Qingyue came to deliver the blanket… she must have seen everything… What do I do, what do I do? I can’t face anyone anymore… Wuuu wuuu…”

“Isn’t that a bit too dramatic?” Xiao Che rubbed his brow and sat down beside her, smiling. “Don’t worry. You’re my little aunt, so what’s wrong with us cuddling together while sleeping?”

“It’s *because* I’m your little aunt…” Xiao Lingxi shook her head in frustration. “And… last night, your hand was always on my… my… ugh… Anyway, she must have seen it! What if she tells someone else… what do I do…”

“I can one hundred percent guarantee that she will never tell anyone. Besides, you’re my little aunt. What’s the big deal about accidentally touching my little aunt’s chest while sleeping?” Xiao Che said very calmly.

“You, you, you… don’t say it anymore!” Xiao Lingxi shook her head even more violently, her entire face already bright red. Last night, they had been alone in the dark, and she had been in a daze, which led to that kind of behavior. Looking back now, she even felt like she must have been crazy at the time.

“I’m absolutely certain that even if she saw something, she would never tell anyone, and she wouldn’t think in that direction at all. Alright, hurry up and eat your breakfast before it gets cold.” Xiao Che comforted her with a hint of amusement. On the same issue, a girl’s thoughts were indeed different from a man’s.

“Oh…” Xiao Lingxi finally freed her pretty face from her hands and began eating the breakfast Xiao Che had brought, her eyes still watery.

And as Xiao Che had predicted, as soon as Xiao Yulong left his courtyard, he made straight for Xiao Che’s small courtyard. Stepping inside, he immediately saw Xia Qingyue standing in the middle of the yard.

Xia Qingyue stood quietly under the pomegranate tree in the yard, arms raised, her expression serene and focused—clearly cultivating her profound force. Her long black hair naturally cascaded over her shoulders, reflecting a soft, lustrous sheen in the morning light. On her stunningly beautiful face, her dark willow eyebrows were slender and curved, like emerald feathers and a crescent moon. Her calm, unruffled pupils were as clear as crystal, flowing with dreamlike radiance. Her red dress hinted at her delicate, graceful figure, complementing her jade-white, smooth, and tender skin.

This was the first time Xiao Yulong had faced Xia Qingyue’s peerless elegance up close in direct daylight. In that instant, he was completely stunned. All his mind and spirit were drawn away by the breathtaking scene before him, and the whole world seemed to lose its color in a single flash.

Noticing Xiao Yulong’s arrival, Xia Qingyue did not change her posture. Her eyes still stared straight ahead, and her voice came out calmly: “Xiao Che is not here.”

Her voice was cool and indifferent, yet as pleasant and soothing as celestial music. Xiao Yulong finally snapped back to reality, but the astonishment and infatuation in his eyes could not be suppressed. He quickly adjusted himself to his best state, bowed slightly to Xia Qingyue, and said with a smile, “Hello, Miss Xia. I am Xiao Yulong, a cousin of Xiao Che.”

Xia Qingyue was not an overly cold and proud person. His gentle demeanor and voice made her turn her head. Besides, the name Xiao Yulong was not unfamiliar to her—after all, he was the son of the current Xiao Sect Master. But just as she turned to respond politely, she clearly saw the infatuation… and lechery! in his eyes!

Instantly, her slender brows moved slightly. The trace of goodwill she had felt toward this man’s polite elegance turned into disgust. Although Xiao Che often had a sharp tongue and wandering hands in front of her, making her angry several times, at least she had never seen lechery in his eyes. But this Xiao Yulong…

Her originally calm voice instantly gained a touch of coldness, and her reply was extremely simple: “Xiao Che is not here.”

Xiao Yulong seemed unbothered by her obvious coldness and nodded. “That is indeed unfortunate. However, I have long heard of Miss Xia’s beautiful reputation. Just meeting you in person makes this trip worthwhile.”

As he spoke, Xiao Yulong adjusted his movements, expression, gaze, and voice to a perfect state, bringing his charm to its peak. He was confident that he was at least a thousand times better than Xiao Che. Since Xia Qingyue could even take a liking to Xiao Che, once he himself made a move, how could she possibly resist?

“I am cultivating my profound force. I cannot play host.” Xia Qingyue’s eyes were calm, but her voice now held a hint of impatience.

A true beauty was pleasing to the eye no matter what expression or posture she assumed. Gazing at Xia Qingyue, who was like an immortal descended from heaven, Xiao Yulong’s eyes grew hotter and hotter, and the jealousy in his heart burned more fiercely… A heavenly fairy like this had actually become the wife of that waste Xiao Che, and he had even taken her first! What a waste of a heavenly treasure—unacceptable and unforgivable!

“I heard Miss Xia is only sixteen this year and has already reached the Initial Xuan Realm, Level 10. I have always admired and yearned for that achievement. I believe that by the time Miss Xia reaches my age, you will far surpass me.” Xiao Yulong restrained his emotions and said in a warm tone. “However, although the gap between Initial Xuan Level 10 and Xuan Entry Level 1 is only a single level, if one doesn’t grasp the proper method, it can be very difficult to cross. Although I dare not compare my talent to yours, I do have some experience as one who has successfully broken through the Initial Xuan Realm. How about we spar and exchange pointers?”

With that, Xiao Yulong stepped forward with a smile, his hands faintly gathering profound force, reaching for Xia Qingyue’s snowy hand.

Although Xia Qingyue was astonishingly talented, she was still in the Initial Xuan Realm. Xiao Yulong was at Xuan Entry Realm Level 3, fully qualified to guide her… at least, that was what he thought.

Seeing Xiao Yulong not only reveal lechery in his eyes but also make a move, Xia Qingyue’s beautiful eyes flashed with a trace of anger. She suddenly extended her hand and pushed it through the air toward Xiao Yulong.

When Xiao Yulong saw Xia Qingyue’s jade hand reaching out, joy appeared in his eyes. He was about to grab it when he suddenly felt an enormous force, one he could not resist, slam violently into his chest. With a muffled grunt, his body flew backward, flipped in the air, and crashed headfirst into the ground, landing in a clumsy dog-eating-mud pose. Two of his front teeth were knocked out in the fall.

Xiao Yulong held a very high status within the Xiao Sect. Even if a woman married into the Xiao Sect and was harassed by him, even if she was strong enough to fight back, she would never dare to harm him. But what kind of backing did Xia Qingyue have? Behind her was the Bing Yun Fairy Palace. Even if she beat him to a pulp, let alone giving him a dog-eating-mud fall, killing him would be nothing. As soon as she revealed her identity as a disciple of the Bing Yun Fairy Palace, Xiao Yunhai wouldn’t even dare to fart; he would instead smile and apologize.

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I hope to make the emotional foundation in the early stages as detailed as possible, so the pace is a bit slow. Next, I’ll speed things up. With this Mars’ style… would the protagonist stay ordinary forever?

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