"Cough." The old man in the white robe gave a light cough, rose to his feet, clasped his hands toward Xiao Zhan in greeting, and smiled. "Clan Head Xiao, I have come to your family today chiefly to ask a favour!"
"Ah, Master Ge Ye, if you have something to say, please say it. Should it be within our power, the Xiao Clan will surely not refuse." For this old man, Xiao Zhan dared not take things lightly. He hurriedly rose and replied politely—though, since he did not yet know what was being asked, he was careful not to overcommit.
"Ah, Clan Head Xiao, do you not recognize this young lady?" Ge Ye smiled, gesturing toward the maiden beside him.
"Er… forgive my dull eyes, young miss…" At this, Xiao Zhan was taken aback, looked the girl up and down, and gave a slightly embarrassed shake of his head.
Back when Nalan Yanran had been taken as Yun Yun's disciple, she had been a mere ten years old. Five years of cultivation within the Cloud Mist Sect, and as the saying goes, a girl of eighteen changes beyond all recognition—having been parted from her so many years, Xiao Zhan naturally had no idea that the maiden before him was his nominal daughter-in-law.
"Cough… her name is Nalan Yanran."
"Nalan Yanran? Old Master Nalan's granddaughter, Nalan Yanran?" Xiao Zhan started, then his face broke into a full show of delight—by then he must have recalled the matter of years past. He hurriedly turned a warm smile on the girl. "So it's my niece Nalan. Uncle Xiao hasn't seen you in many years. Don't hold it against your uncle for his dull eyes."
The sudden turn of events left the company briefly bewildered. The three elders exchanged glances, and their brows could not help but knit tightly. The younger generation, meanwhile, knew nothing of the betrothal between Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran—until, after inquiring of their parents by their side, their faces took on a most fascinating hue, and mockingly contemptuous stares were cast toward Xiao Yan, tucked away at the corner of the hall.
"Uncle Xiao, I've never come to pay my respects. If anyone owes an apology, it's me—how could I dare blame Uncle Xiao?" Nalan Yanran replied with a sweet smile.
"Ah, niece Nalan, I had heard long ago that you were accepted into the tutelage of Master Yun Yun. Back then I took it for a rumour—I never imagined it was really true. Yours is a remarkable talent indeed, niece." Xiao Zhan laughed in praise.
"Yanran has merely been fortunate…" Nalan Yanran smiled faintly; she was having some trouble keeping up with Xiao Zhan's warmth. Beneath the table, her hand reached over and gently tugged at Ge Ye's sleeve.
"Ah, Clan Head Xiao. The matter I come to ask of you today concerns Yanran—and, what is more, it is by the request of the Sect Master herself." Ge Ye chuckled, and when he spoke the words "Sect Master," the expression on his face turned somewhat grave.
A flicker of alarm crossed Xiao Zhan's face, and his smile receded. Yun Yun, the Sect Master of Cloud Mist Sect, was a towering figure of the Jia Ma Empire. A humble clan head like himself could not afford to offend her in the least. Yet with her strength and influence, what possible matter could require the Xiao Clan's help? And Ge Ye had said it concerned his niece Nalan—could it be…?
At the thought of a certain possibility, the corners of Xiao Zhan's mouth twitched uncontrollably, and his great palm trembled faintly. Fortunately, it was hidden beneath his sleeve, so none took notice. Forcing down the fury rising in his chest, he spoke in a voice that trembled slightly but was taut with restraint: "Master Ge Ye, please, say on."
"Cough…" A trace of embarrassment suddenly appeared on Ge Ye's face. Yet, remembering how dearly the Sect Master cherished Yanran, he could only grit his teeth and smile. "Clan Head Xiao, you know the Cloud Mist Sect keeps strict discipline, and the Sect Master holds great hopes for Yanran. She is now being groomed, in effect, as the next Sect Master of Cloud Mist Sect… And under a certain particular rule, a Sect Master's heir may not become entangled with any man until she formally assumes the position."
"After the Sect Master made inquiries with Yanran and learned that she still had a marriage arranged with the Xiao Clan, she… she wished to ask Clan Head Xiao to… dissolve this engagement."
"Crack!" The jade cup in Xiao Zhan's hand burst all at once into a cloud of powder.
The hall fell into a shroud of silence. The three elders above had been shaken by Ge Ye's words as well, but after a moment, the looks they cast at Xiao Zhan had gained a trace of mockery and sneering contempt. *Heh, being pressured into breaking off a marriage at one's own door—let's see what authority you have left to command the clan as its head.*
Gazing at Xiao Zhan's utterly darkened expression, Nalan Yanran dared not raise her head. She bowed it low, her fingers twisting anxiously together.
"Clan Head Xiao, I know this request is a hard one to put to anyone. But please, for the Sect Master's sake, dissolve the engagement." Reluctantly, Ge Ye sighed, and spoke in a flat tone.
Xiao Zhan's fists clenched tight. A faint green Dou Qi slowly spread across his body, and at last it gathered faintly upon his face, coalescing into a phantom lion's head. The Xiao Clan's supreme skill—the Fierce Lion's Rage Void Qi! Grade: Middle Xuan Tier!
At Xiao Zhan's reaction, Ge Ye's face grew grave at once. He placed his body before Nalan Yanran, and his eagle-talon hands curled sharply while green Dou Qi amassed within his grip, giving off thin, razor-sharp sword-qi. The Cloud Mist Sect's profound skill—the Green Wood Sword Art! Grade: Low Xuan Tier!
As the two auras surged into eruption, the weaker youths in the hall paled all at once, their chests growing tight with a stifling pressure.
When Xiao Zhan's breathing grew ever more ragged, the three elders' sharp cries rang out across the hall like thunderclaps: "Xiao Zhan, hold your hand! Have you forgotten that you are the head of the Xiao Clan?!"
His body stiffened violently, and the Dou Qi upon it slowly receded until it had vanished entirely. He dropped back into his seat, and regarding Nalan Yanran, who sat with her head bowed and her lips sealed, he spoke in a hoarse voice: "Well now, niece Nalan, what fearless resolution! Nalan Su must be the envy of many to have borne such a daughter."
The girl's body trembled. Nalan Yanran stammered, "Uncle Xiao…"
"Aha—call me Clan Head Xiao. I could not bear the name of uncle. You are the future Sect Master of Cloud Mist Sect, a figure who will one day shake the Dou Qi Continent, while my son Yanr is nothing more than a boy of ordinary aptitude—he truly is not worthy of you." Waving his hand with a hollow indifference, Xiao Zhan spoke in a detached tone.
"Clan Head Xiao, your understanding is most gracious." At this, Ge Ye was greatly relieved and broke into an ingratiating smile. "Clan Head Xiao, the Sect Master knew that this request would not sit well, so she had me bring a gift—a token of apology."
With that, Ge Ye wiped a hand over a ring upon his finger, and a green-jade casket of mottled hue materialized from thin air in his grasp. Carefully, he opened it, and at once a strange fragrance flooded the hall. All who breathed it in felt their spirits lighten with ease. The three elders craned their necks curiously, and when their eyes fell upon the jade casket's contents, their bodies jolted violently. "Qi-Gathering Powder?!"