Chapter 185 Hu Jia (Please Subscribe, Please Vote)

“A Douzong Pill? Cousin Xiao Xie is already a seventh-grade alchemist? Perhaps he truly has the potential to restore the Xiao family’s former glory!” Xun’er spoke with admiration in her voice. To have been born into the fallen Xiao clan, yet grow to such heights—thinking of Xiao Xie’s roguish, yet domineering manner, Xun’er had to admit he was the sort to easily capture a girl’s attention.

She gently shook her head, troubled. Whenever she thought of Xiao Xie, a faint sense of betrayal toward Xiao Yan surfaced in her heart. Unbeknownst even to herself, Xiao Xie had already left a shadow in her mind, a fact she continually tried to deny.

If Xiao Xie were to know of Xun’er’s thoughts, he would surely understand her predicament. To put it plainly, Xun’er and Xiao Yan were childhood sweethearts, but now an outstanding Xiao Xie had appeared as well. Xun’er felt that if she were to develop feelings for Xiao Xie, it would be an act of emotional betrayal. For a girl inexperienced in matters of love, this truly was a vexing dilemma.

If it were a girl from the twenty-first century, it wouldn’t be an issue at all—getting a new boyfriend would be nothing out of the ordinary. Only someone as emotionally inexperienced as Xun’er could be so conflicted. After all, she and Xiao Xie hadn’t even confessed their feelings to each other, let alone spoken of marriage; they simply maintained this unspoken relationship.

In fact, the reason Xun’er was so devoted to Xiao Yan was largely due to an incident in their childhood, when Xiao Yan had seen her naked and touched her. Though she was very young then, it nevertheless left an implicit suggestion in her mind: since Xiao Yan had seen her like that, she could only marry him when she grew up. That was why Xun’er remained so steadfastly by Xiao Yan’s side.

Back then, it was Ling Ying’s neglect that was to blame. Xiao Yan and Xun’er were only five at the time, and he took them for children playing innocently. How could he have guessed Xiao Yan had the soul of an adult within? Otherwise, he would have slain that little “Lolicon” with a single palm.

“By the way, miss, the Soul Clan has been unusually active lately. You must be cautious—if they discover your true identity, they won’t hesitate to destroy you at any cost.” Ling Ying spoke gravely. He alone knew Xun’er’s true background: both the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame within her, and the most perfect imperial bloodline awakening in the history of the Gu Clan, made her a target the Soul Clan would spare no effort to eliminate.

“I understand. But the Soul Clan does seem particularly restless these days,” Xun’er replied, a trace of doubt showing on her delicate features.

Ling Ying explained, “There’s a reason for that. Last time you and Young Master Xiao Xie came to Canaan Academy, he killed a Soul Clan Douzong. Later, the family discovered that Douzong had been assigned to monitor the Xiao clan in the Jia Ma Empire. After his death, the Soul Clan sent another. According to recent reports, that replacement was also killed around the time Xiao Xie returned to the Jia Ma Empire.”

“Is that so? Then it’s no coincidence—he must have died at Cousin Xiao Xie’s hand. Otherwise, the other Douzongs in the Jia Ma Empire wouldn’t have been able to kill a Soul Clan member; those men are experts at escaping, and even our clan elders have no idea where their lair is! To lose two Douzongs in Jia Ma Empire—those Soul Clan people must be stewing in frustration!” Xun’er smiled radiantly. As a member of the Gu Clan, she was naturally delighted to hear of the Soul Clan’s misfortune.

“Miss, someone is approaching.” Ling Ying sensed movement outside the loft and vanished into hiding once more.

“Xun’er, come shopping with me!” Before long, a beautiful girl in a red outfit burst in—no, “burst in” was more accurate. Seeing who it was, Xun’er couldn’t help but show a wry smile. The visitor was Hu Jia, granddaughter of Vice-Dean Hu Qian. Though a beauty, Hu Jia’s interest was in women—she was, in short, a lesbian.

Ever since Xun’er entered the Outer Academy and caught Hu Jia’s eye, Hu Jia had found countless excuses to get close to her, endlessly preaching the theory that no man could be trusted, in hopes of “turning” Xun’er.

Xun’er tried to pull her hand free from Hu Jia’s firm grasp, uncertain whether to be annoyed or amused. She understood that Hu Jia wasn’t truly interested in women; it was simply that no man in the Outer Academy could dominate her, so she looked down on them. Moreover, as Vice-Dean Hu Qian’s granddaughter, most male students acted meekly before her. Naturally, she felt it better to seek out women than men.

“Jia’er, I think you’d be better off finding a man,” Xun’er said helplessly after failing to retrieve her hand.

“What do I need men for? None of them are stronger than me. Even that Xiao Yan is nothing special—he’s only a one-star Dou Practitioner. How could he possibly be worthy of you? You’d be better off with me!” Hu Jia declared disdainfully, still holding Xun’er’s hand.

Xun’er shook her head, exasperated, and replied without thinking, “If that’s the case, why not go after Cousin Xiao Xie instead? He’s strong enough.”

“Xiao Xie? The current master of Dragon Gate?” Hu Jia was taken aback. She’d heard that name often of late, especially from her grandfather, who recounted Xiao Xie’s legendary exploits daily.

Vice-Dean Hu Qian had been racking his brains to cure his granddaughter of her peculiar fondness for girls. In the end, he decided to praise exceptional men in front of her, hoping to spark her interest. As a result, Xiao Xie, a former student of Canaan Academy, became his favorite example.

“Xiao Xie? At most, he might count as a real man, but that’s only from what I’ve heard. Otherwise, I wouldn’t believe anyone could be as amazing as the rumors claim.” Hu Jia pursed her lips. She was curious about Xiao Xie, but since she hadn’t met him, she remained skeptical.

Seeing that mentioning Xiao Xie had shifted Hu Jia’s focus, Xun’er hurried to press the advantage. “Cousin Xiao Xie isn’t just a Douzong—he’s also a seventh-grade alchemist. He’s nothing like other men. And he’s only seventeen, just right for you, Senior Jia’er.”

“Is that so?” Hu Jia was taken in by Xun’er’s words, but noticing the relief on Xun’er’s face, she quickly caught on and asked, “If Xiao Xie is so outstanding, why do you like Xiao Yan and not him?”

“…Between me and Cousin Xiao Xie, it’s just the affection of brother and sister, nothing more,” Xun’er replied stiffly, a little guiltily. She couldn’t understand her own feelings of guilt.

“Really?” Hu Jia fixed her with a steady gaze, scrutinizing her until Xun’er felt uneasy, then suddenly declared, “I see! You think Xiao Xie is too good for you, don’t you? I understand—if Xiao Xie is really as exceptional as you say, it’s natural to feel unworthy. That explains everything. Among the Xiao clan, the only outstanding men are Xiao Xie and Xiao Yan, so you settled for Xiao Yan, didn’t you?”

“Huh?” Xun’er was stunned by Hu Jia’s bizarre logic.

Hidden in the shadows, even Ling Ying nearly laughed aloud at Hu Jia’s extraordinary deduction. Had he not watched Xun’er grow up and known the truth, he might have believed her words himself.

“Xun’er, now that you’re at Canaan Academy, you should broaden your horizons. Even if there’s no one here to compare to Xiao Xie, there are many more outstanding than Xiao Yan. You don’t have to sell yourself short.” Hu Jia spoke earnestly.

“Ah!” Xun’er could only watch as Hu Jia, convinced of her own reasoning, left her at a loss for words, feeling as if a flock of crows was flying over her head.