Chapter 194: Parting (Please subscribe, please vote)

“I never expected the Ghost Sword Saint, Soul Silent, to end up in such a miserable state!” came a mocking voice. A white-haired elder in a robe of gold then tore through space and stepped out.

“Gu Wuxin!” Soul Silent’s eyes contracted at the sight of the elder. He gave Xiao Xie a long, deep look, then ripped open space and fled.

Gu Wuxin was a Battle Saint of the Ancient Clan, a four-star Battle Saint at that. If Soul Silent had still been at his peak, he might have had the confidence to fight Gu Wuxin, but now he was down to barely half his full strength. If he continued to battle Gu Wuxin, he very well might leave his life here.

“Running pretty fast,” Gu Wuxin said, seeing Soul Silent leave, but he did not stop him. The people of the Soul Clan were masters of escape; even with his strength greatly reduced, Soul Silent was still a Battle Saint. If he truly set his mind on fleeing, Gu Wuxin could not block him.

Seeing Soul Silent retreat, Xiao Xie put away the Earth Spirit Pearl in his hand once more. If Gu Wuxin had not intervened just now, Xiao Xie would already have used the Earth Spirit Pearl to summon the Mountain God to attack.

If Xiao Xie had guessed correctly, Gu Wuxin had probably arrived some time ago, yet had never moved. Although the Ancient Clan had made a blood pact with Xiao Xuan, the ancestor of the Xiao Clan, forbidding them from harming anyone of the Xiao Clan, that did not mean he had to stand in the way of another man killing Xiao Xie. If Xun’er had not stepped in front of Xiao Xie just now, Gu Wuxin would likely have watched Xiao Xie be killed by Soul Silent.

The Xiao Clan and the Ancient Clan may once have been allies, and among the Ancient Clan there were still some who leaned toward the Xiao Clan. But now, more and more of the Ancient Clan looked down on the Xiao Clan, and would never wish to see the Xiao Clan produce someone who could restore its former glory.

Long ago, the Dou Qi Continent had been home to the eight great clans. After the decline of the Xiao Clan, its wealth had been divided among the other seven clans. Otherwise, even if the Xiao Clan no longer had Xiao Xuan, a Battle Saint at the very pinnacle, there had still been many Battle Saints within the clan. Without the suppression of the other clans, it could never have fallen to the level of a third-rate power in the remote Gamma Empire.

Now, if the Xiao Clan were to become the eighth great clan again, it would mean the other seven would have to give up part of their resources. Once something has been swallowed, where is the reason to spit it back out? Naturally, they would not want to see the Xiao Clan rise again as the eighth clan.

“Grandpa Wuxin!” Xun’er called with a smile as she looked at the approaching elder.

“Greetings, Elder Wuxin,” Ling Ying said respectfully, bowing to Gu Wuxin.

“Many thanks for your aid, senior!” Xiao Xie said, clasping his hands in gratitude. Although he felt a trace of dissatisfaction that Gu Wuxin had hidden in the dark and made no move, he did not show it on the surface, only a grateful expression.

“You are very good,” Gu Wuxin said meaningfully after studying Xiao Xie for a while. Then he turned with a smile to Xun’er and said, “Little girl, your identity has been exposed. You can’t stay at Canaan Academy any longer. Come back to the clan with me.”

“Xun’er understands. I have caused Grandpa Wuxin worry,” Xun’er said obediently, her lovely eyes curved like crescents.

Xun’er then turned to Xiao Xie and said, “Cousin Xiao Xie, this time I truly have to thank you. Xun’er has to return to the clan with Grandpa Wuxin now. I... please take this.”

She took out a sachet and placed it in Xiao Xie’s hand, a sweet smile on her face. “Cousin Xiao Xie, this sachet was made by Xun’er herself. It’s nothing valuable, but it is a token of my feelings, so please accept it as my thanks.”

Xiao Xie glanced at the sachet in his palm. It was pink, with the character for Xun embroidered upon it. It seemed to be her personal sachet, and after a single look, Xiao Xie casually put it away.

He ruffled Xun’er’s silky hair and said irritably, “In the end, I nearly lost my life, and all I got was a sachet.”

Xun’er stuck out her delicate tongue and said a little mischievously, “Didn’t Cousin Xiao Xie say it himself? A brother protecting his younger sister is only proper. Besides, I’m sure Cousin Xiao Xie wouldn’t be interested in Xun’er’s fighting skills or techniques, so it would be better not to give them at all.”

Xiao Xie rolled his eyes at her and said carelessly, “Fine, I can’t outtalk you. Whatever you say makes sense.”

Xun’er giggled softly at his helpless expression, covering her mouth as she laughed to herself.

Ling Ying, standing to the side, was somewhat startled by the sight. That sachet was Xun’er’s personal sachet; the meaning of her giving it to Xiao Xie was hard for him not to ponder. He thought to himself, “Could Miss Xun’er have taken a liking to Young Master Xiao Xie?”

If Xun’er really did like Xiao Xie, then Ling Ying would instead feel at ease. After all, Xiao Yan could be considered a genius, but only an ordinary one. He was still far from being worthy of Xun’er. Even if Xun’er insisted on her own choice, would the people of the Ancient Clan agree?

But Xiao Xie was different. He was already able to fight a Battle Saint, and had even nearly killed a three-star Battle Saint. With such talent, Xiao Xie and Xun’er, the perfect inheritor of the Ancient Emperor’s bloodline, were practically a match made in heaven. Ling Ying believed no one in the Ancient Clan would object.

“Take this. Consider it a parting gift,” Xiao Xie said, taking out a fairy bean and placing it in Xun’er’s hand.

“What is this? A bean?” Xun’er asked curiously, looking at the bean in her hand.

“This is a fairy bean. As long as a person is not dead, no matter how grave the injury, eating it will restore them instantly, even if they are a Battle Saint,” Xiao Xie explained with a smile, though his eyes flicked subtly toward Gu Wuxin. Gu Wuxin, who had seemed calm and detached a moment ago, could not help but have his eyelids twitch when he heard that the fairy bean worked on Battle Saints as well. An item capable of instantly restoring a Battle Saint’s injuries was already on par with a ninth-grade pill, and even someone like a ninth-grade alchemist would have to be treated with utmost respect by Gu Wuxin.

“Thank you, Cousin Xiao Xie!” Xun’er was slightly stunned by his words, then joyfully put the fairy bean away, thinking to herself, “Cousin Xiao Xie can give Xun’er such a precious fairy bean. It seems I hold an important place in Cousin Xiao Xie’s heart after all!”

For Xiao Xie, the fairy bean was no longer so important. He had discovered that by using the enhancement furnace, he could strengthen more fairy beans. The reason he had not known this before was that he had not had enough points; the options inside the furnace would not appear. By his guess, if he accumulated enough points, he might even be able to strengthen the tree that bore fairy beans. Still, fairy beans were not cheap. One fairy bean would cost ten million points to strengthen, which was equivalent to a bottle of Bodhi Heart.

“All right, Xun’er, it’s time for us to go,” Gu Wuxin said.

“Mhm.” Xun’er nodded, then suddenly called out to Xiao Xie again. “Cousin Xiao Xie...”

“What is it?” Xiao Xie asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Nothing. Goodbye.” Xun’er shook her head. She had originally intended to ask Xiao Xie to pass a message to Xiao Yan and tell him that she was returning home, but when the words reached her lips and she looked at Xiao Xie’s face, she could not bring herself to say them.

“Goodbye.” Although Xiao Xie felt that Xun’er seemed somewhat unusual, he did not think much of it. In his mind, Xun’er and Xiao Yan had been a pair since childhood, so he had never intended to come between them.

Xiao Xie’s feelings for Xun’er were more akin to an elder brother’s fondness for a younger sister. That was why he had not noticed Xun’er’s affection for him. Even if he had noticed it, he would only have assumed it was the sort of regard a younger sister had for an older brother.

Yet Xiao Xie had forgotten one thing: if the hoe swings well, no wall corner cannot be dug down. Although he had not deliberately tried to win Xun’er’s favor, there was no better time to do so than when a hero saves a beauty.

When Xiao Xie had once gone with Xun’er and the others to Canaan Academy, he had killed a Battle Sovereign of the Soul Clan. That alone had already made Xun’er feel warmly toward him. Today, after risking everything to save her from the hands of a Soul Clan Battle Saint, that favorable impression had deepened again. Unknowingly, the weight Xiao Xie held in her heart had begun to catch up to Xiao Yan, and even surpass him. At the very least, when she had faced that Soul Clan Battle Saint just now, the first person she had thought of was Xiao Xie, not Xiao Yan.

Xun’er’s strength far exceeded Xiao Yan’s, and yet deep in a girl’s heart, she often hoped that the person she liked would be the one to protect her. In the original story, Xiao Yan, as the protagonist, had advanced very quickly and eventually surpassed Xun’er. But now that Xiao Xie had intercepted Xiao Yan’s opportunities, Xiao Yan’s strength was probably never going to catch up to Xun’er.

Still, Xiao Yan was not too much at a loss. Although Xiao Xie had stolen his opportunities, he had also prevented Nalan Yanran’s annulment of their engagement. To this day, Nalan Yanran was still Xiao Yan’s fiancee.

After seeing Xun’er and the others off, Xiao Xie also turned and left. He had plenty to keep him busy next.