The two sat on the Great Eagle, clouds drifting beside them. Qing Lin pressed tightly against Xiao Feng's chest, not daring to look at the scenery below.
"Qing Lin, do you want to Cultivate Dou Qi?" Xiao Feng asked.
Qing Lin shook her head. "Qing Lin only wants to stay by Young Master's side."
Xiao Feng sighed; another salted fish.
He pulled Qing Lin out of his embrace and said seriously, "Qing Lin, do you want to stay by my side for a lifetime?"
Qing Lin's face flushed with shame, not daring to meet Xiao Feng's gaze, her head nodding slightly.
Xiao Feng suddenly stood up. With a cry of "Ah," Qing Lin dove back into Xiao Feng's embrace, but was pulled out again by him.
"Look, Qing Lin. I am twelve years old this year, and a Rank 4 Demonic Beast has acknowledged me as its master. The earth and mountains are all beneath my feet. Do you know where I will stand when I am twenty? Do you think I'll be short of a little maid who only knows how to warm the bed and fold blankets?"
Noticing that Qing Lin beside him had become uneasy again, Xiao Feng's voice softened slightly. "If you only think about warming my bed, folding blankets, and serving tea and water, then I will entrust you to a Family where no one will bully you. Staying by my side is too dangerous; you don't have the strength to stand there."
Qing Lin's trembling body first stiffened, then tensed up again. She lifted her head, looking into Xiao Feng's eyes, and said, "Young Master, Qing Lin wants to Cultivate!"
"Really?" Xiao Feng laughed; the salted fish had flipped over.
"Yes! Qing Lin will Cultivate very hard. Young Master, please don't leave Qing Lin behind." Qing Lin was very serious.
Xiao Feng patted Qing Lin's head, held her, and sat down again. "Come, form seals with your hands like this, close your eyes, and silently feel the heat flow in your body..."
...Xiao Feng didn't let the Great Eagle enter Wutan City. A Rank 4 Demonic Beast... oh, it had already returned to Rank 5. A Rank 5 Demonic Beast suddenly appearing in Wutan City would easily cause a riot, so the two of them began walking from a long distance away.
"Are you tired?" Xiao Feng asked, looking at Qing Lin who was constantly wiping away sweat.
"Qing Lin is not tired!" The little girl gritted her teeth, fearing she was too weak and would be disliked or left behind by the Young Master.
Xiao Feng laughed and, amidst Qing Lin's exclamation, picked her up in a princess carry. "Qing Lin, you can't be impatient about matters regarding Cultivation. It's enough that you have this intention; I won't leave you behind."
Qing Lin's face reddened as she whispered, "Young Master, Qing Lin is not tired. Please put me down."
"Be good, or I'll spank your bottom."
Looking at the city gates he hadn't seen many times, Xiao Feng felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
"Xiao Family, I'm back!"
Xiao Xun Er, who was currently Cultivating, suddenly felt a bit restless, feeling as if something had happened.
Just as she was about to go sit in Xiao Feng's courtyard, Ling Ying appeared.
"Young Miss."
"Old Ling, what's wrong?"
Noticing that Ling Ying's tone was a bit off, Xiao Xun Er's heart couldn't help but tighten, and her expression became nervous as well.
"Young Master Xiao Feng... is back."
"Brother Xiao Feng is back?" Xiao Xun Er's expression brightened with joy. Ignoring everything else, she ran straight outside.
"Young Miss, don't be in a hurry yet." Ling Ying hurriedly stopped Xiao Xun Er, giving her a warning first. "Young Master Xiao Feng... he came back carrying a girl..."
Xiao Xun Er's hand paused as she went to push the door. The excited expression on her face froze and slowly turned into a faint smile. While smoothing her clothes, she pushed open the door. "Is that so? Then Xun'er must go and have a look!"
Xiao Feng's arrival wouldn't normally cause much of a stir.
But Xiao Feng arriving while carrying a woman was a completely different story, okay!
"I heard Xiao Feng snatched a woman from outside and brought her back!"
"What! Why didn't he bring me along for something like that?"
"That trash Xiao Feng is back! He even brought a woman back in his arms!"
"Have you heard? Xiao Feng slept with someone's daughter outside and has now brought her to be recognized by the Family!"
"Hey, hey, did you know? Xiao Feng got a girl's belly big, and she can't even walk! He carried her all the way back!"
"Beast!"
"Bastard!"
"Family disgrace!"
"Why didn't he take me with him!"
Before Xiao Feng even reached the Xiao Family entrance, it was already crowded with people. Nearly a hundred clansmen of the same generation craned their necks to watch, as if the one being carried was their own wife.
"What's... wrong with everyone today?" Xiao Feng looked puzzled.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Qing Lin's face turned beet red, and her petite body began to grow uneasy. Her snake-like waist kept twisting. "Young Master, please put me down quickly."
Xiao Feng didn't care about any of this. He lightly patted Qing Lin's buttocks. "Your feet are all blistered, yet you still won't stay still."
Qing Lin's whole body jolted. She shrank her entire face into the crook of Xiao Feng's arm, the tips of her ears turning crimson, not daring to look up again.
Suddenly, the crowd parted, and a beautiful figure stood there gracefully. A faint smile hung on her face, her eyes staring straight at Xiao Feng. With light and elegant steps, she walked toward him. Except for her tightly clenched little fists, every part of her was perfectly composed.
"Brother Xiao Feng, you're finally back." Xiao Xun Er said with a half-smile, her tone filled with resentment.
Xiao Feng's mouth twitched. "Xun'er, help me hold her for a moment. Her name is Qing Lin. I'll explain everything about her to you slowly in a bit."
Hiding in Xiao Feng's arms, Qing Lin felt an inexplicable sense of loss upon hearing these words. A sudden wave of annoyance rose within her. No longer caring about anything, she struggled fiercely and dropped to the ground from Xiao Feng's embrace.
The moment her blister-covered soles touched the ground, a sharp pain made her brow furrow. She endured the pain, but in the end, she didn't dare look up at Xiao Xun Er. Lowering her head, her voice was soft and sweet, "Hello, Big Sister. My name is Qing Lin, and I am the Young Master's... maid."
Xiao Xun Er glanced at Qing Lin, then her autumn-water-like eyes fell back on Xiao Feng. She smiled slightly. "Brother Xiao Feng must be tired after such a long journey. Let's go inside first before we talk."
After saying that, she turned around to walk in first.
Xiao Feng grabbed her. Ignoring the public gaze, he pulled the girl, who was radiating jealousy, into his arms and whispered in her ear, "Xun'er, what are you so sour about? Do you think I'm the kind of person who is fickle in love?"
The warm breath carrying Xiao Feng's scent brushed past the girl's ear. Xiao Xun Er's face turned slightly red, and she struggled gently. Her rosy lips curled up slightly. "Xun'er never thought Brother Xiao Feng was fickle, but after not seeing you for a year, Brother Xiao Feng has returned to the Xiao Family carrying another girl."
Xiao Feng smiled bitterly and pinched the tender face of the beauty in his arms. "Xun'er, I will explain Qing Lin's matter to you properly. It's absolutely not what you think between her and me. That girl is introverted, so don't give her a cold face first."
Xiao Xun Er gave a faint sigh. "Since Brother Xiao Feng has said so, what else can Xun'er do?"
With that, the girl withdrew from Xiao Feng's embrace. Her skirt fluttering slightly, she was already in front of Qing Lin. She took her hand and smiled, "Sister Qing Lin, my name is Xiao Xun Er. If it's difficult for you to walk, let me carry you in first."
Qing Lin kept her head down. Seeing Xiao Feng and Xiao Xun Er being so intimate just now, the little girl felt a bit sour in her heart, and she didn't know what she was thinking at this moment.
Looking at Xiao Xun Er carrying Qing Lin, Xiao Feng finally breathed a sigh of relief. "I almost forgot that this girl Xun'er is a jealous one. I'll have to be more careful in the future."
The remaining young men of the same generation didn't make things difficult for Xiao Feng. A few who usually spoke with him ran over to ask questions.
"Xiao Feng, where did you snatch this girl from? She looks quite delicate."
"Is this girl's belly really big because of you?"
Xiao Feng felt a headache coming on. No wonder Xun'er looked like that when she came out. He roared in frustration, "I haven't even touched her hand more than a few times! Who's the one spreading these rumors?"
At this moment, a peer who was much taller and sturdier than the others suddenly blocked Xiao Feng. A smile hung on his face. "It's been a long time, Cousin Xiao Feng. How about we spar a bit?"
This person's name was Xiao Ke, a lackey of Xiao Ning. After Xiao Huohuo's story began, he had fabricated many bad things about him.
"I'm in a hurry to pay my respects to the Clan Leader. Are you going to stop me?" Xiao Feng glanced at Xiao Ke, not taking him to heart, and walked right past him.
Xiao Ke clenched his fists tightly. Since Xiao Feng had brought up the Clan Leader, he indeed didn't dare to block him, but the feeling of this punch landing on cotton was hard for him to accept.
"Xiao Feng, do you dare to come to the Arena tomorrow for a match!"
Xiao Ke turned and shouted at Xiao Feng, his tone full of resentment. He was clearly a piece of trash, so why would someone as talented and beautiful as Xiao Xun Er be devoted to him? Why could he pick up a clever and beautiful little maid after just one trip out?balance
Why?
Why him, Xiao Feng?
But Xiao Feng didn't even look back. "If you have time, why don't you Cultivate properly instead of thinking about these useless things every day? Aren't you guys bored?"
...Hearing that Xiao Feng had returned, Xiao Zhan put aside his affairs early and sat in the main hall.
When Xiao Feng arrived, the tea happened to be boiling.
"Come, there aren't many rules between us uncle and nephew. This is fresh tea that just came out. Have a taste."
Xiao Zhan stopped Xiao Feng, who was about to salute, and smilingly had him sit beside him.
Xiao Feng also smiled, his expression remaining respectful. "Since Uncle Xiao Zhan has said so, then Fenger will obey."
The two sat together. Xiao Zhan looked at Xiao Feng from time to time and asked some questions, mostly about whether there were any dangers along the way.
Xiao Feng took a few sips of tea and spoke roughly about it. Even though it was just the tip of the iceberg, it was quite shocking to Xiao Zhan.
Finally, Xiao Zhan sighed. "In the end, I'm getting old."
Xiao Feng hurriedly shook his head. "Uncle Xiao Zhan is in his prime. How could you be old?"
After saying that, Xiao Feng suddenly remembered something and took out many things from his storage ring. "Uncle Xiao Zhan, these have nothing to do with the Xiao Family; they are just a token of our relationship as uncle and nephew."
Xiao Zhan didn't say anything and quietly put away the pile of medicinal herbs and Monster Cores. Then, the two looked at each other and shared a knowing smile.
"By the way, Uncle Xiao Zhan, has there been any movement in the Magical Beast Mountain Range recently?" Xiao Feng suddenly asked.
Xiao Zhan was a bit puzzled but still shook his head. "No changes. Why do you ask?"
Xiao Feng didn't say anything and asked about Xiao Yan's matters instead.
"That child... although you gave him some advice and there were changes for a while, he has recently become depressed again." Xiao Zhan sighed. "Go see him when you have time."
"Yes, Uncle Xiao Zhan, please rest assured. I will definitely find a way to cure Brother Yan's condition!"
"It's good that you have the heart."
Taking his leave from Xiao Zhan, Xiao Feng returned to his small courtyard. Xiao Huohuo's matter wasn't urgent; that guy's pride was too heavy and needed to be tempered for three to five years. The urgent issues to solve were the matters of Xiao Xun Er and Qing Lin.
Without even taking a few breaths of air, Xiao Feng headed straight for Xiao Xun Er's courtyard.