“Right, right, right, everything you said is correct…”
“It seems Young Master Han is really quite idle,” Xiao Chen said, putting down his teacup with a hint of displeasure.
Han Wenxuan leaned his arms against the outside of the window. “Xiao Chen, if I help you cancel this marriage and figure out a way to ensure Madam Xiao no longer gives you a hard time, would you stop targeting her?”
Xiao Chen truly could not understand Han Wenxuan’s train of thought. The animosity between Xiao Chen and Zhang Liusi was practically no different in nature from the imperial princes vying for the throne. As long as he possessed the eligibility to inherit the Xiao family, and as long as Zhang Liusi wanted her own son to take over the Xiao family, the two of them were bound to be like fire and water, it was an inherently irreconcilable deadlock.
After waiting a moment without receiving a response, Han Wenxuan looked at him. “Why aren’t you speaking?”
Xiao Chen refilled his teacup. “The head of the Han family treats his wife with deep affection. After Madam Han passed away, the family head never remarried nor took any concubines. From a young age, Young Master Han has been treated like the stars surrounding the moon, never having experienced, or rather, never having laid eyes on the bitterness and malice of this world.
“Your father regards you as a precious treasure, so you believe that all children under heaven should not be unfilial or rebellious, and that even if elders make slight mistakes, they should be forgiven. I cannot change your perspective, nor do I wish to change your mindset, but I also ask that you do not vainly attempt to impose your morality onto me.”
“I truly just want to help you.”
“Helping someone requires first checking whether that person needs your help. Right now, I do not need it, and your forced interference will only bring trouble to others.”
“No matter what you say, since I have taken charge of this matter, I will see it through to the end.”
Xiao Chen toyed with the teacup in his hand, speaking in a nonchalant tone. “When I was three years old, my mother passed away from illness. A year later, my father remarried, welcoming Zhang Liusi into the household. Less than three months after entering the manor, Zhang Liusi gave birth to Xiao Li. To accommodate Zhang Liusi’s emotional state, I, not yet four years old, was forced to move to the most remote courtyard in the manor. The servants in the household, seeing this and wishing to curry favor with Zhang Liusi, began to bully me. They deliberately fed me spoiled food and skimmed my living expenses. That winter, I almost froze to death in that abandoned courtyard, remaining unconscious for a full two days before anyone found me.
“Fearing accountability from my father, Zhang Liusi put on a show by heavily punishing the servants and also arranged for me to move here. When I was five, poison was slipped into my food. Fortunately, I was kind-hearted at the time and fed it to a puppy, which died in my place. When I was six, Xiao Li learned to walk, and Zhang Liusi orchestrated a setup, having a servant push Xiao Li into the pond to frame me, and I was nearly beaten to death once again.
“At seven, Zhang Liusi sought out a Daoist priest to perform rituals, claiming I harbored an evil spirit, and drove me out of the manor. It was also because of this that I met a noble benefactor who taught me immortal arts. By the age of ten, I made a name for myself in a single battle, leaving Zhang Liusi with no choice but to bring me back into the manor. Filled with even greater apprehension for the sake of the Xiao family’s inheritance, the water I drank and the food I consumed were all poisoned by her time and time again. For many years, I have had to carefully inspect every meal at home before daring to eat it. The only exception was the cup of wine at her birthday banquet, which I failed to inspect, resulting in this whole ordeal.”
After finishing these words, Xiao Chen looked at Han Wenxuan and raised an eyebrow, asking, “Young Master Han, how do you plan to manage this?”
Han Wenxuan fell silent. What Xiao Chen described was something he could not even bear to imagine. He could not fathom how an elder could act with such ruthlessness toward a three or four-year-old child. Even more unimaginable to him was why Xiao Chen could recount all of this with such calm. He only felt that at this moment, his heart was being tightly gripped by something, hurting immensely.
Xiao Chen chuckled softly. “Light and dark can never coexist. From today onward, Young Master Han should live well in the light and strive upward every day, and cease coming to disrupt my peaceful life.”
Han Wenxuan clenched his fists, opened his mouth as if to speak, but did not know what to say, and ultimately flickered away.
[Host, aren’t you just talking nonsense? When has Xiao Chen ever experienced any of this? With the head of the Xiao family doting on him in the Xiao manor, who would dare show him disrespect? That time he left was simply because he didn’t want to watch Zhang Liusi go out to clear her mind. You really…]
Xiao Chen picked up his teacup and took a sip. “What do you understand? Once a person like Han Wenxuan believes what he is doing is right, he will keep tangling himself in it. The only way to make him thoroughly give up and stop bothering me is to fundamentally shatter his cognitive worldview.”
[You’re a bit ruthless! I reckon Han Wenxuan is probably dying of guilt right now.]
At that moment, inside the woodshed, listening to the dark-robed cultivator report on the conversation between Xiao Chen and Han Wenxuan, a trace of a smile crossed Xie Yuanjia’s eyes. Xiao Chen was even more interesting than he had imagined.
Putting aside the fact that the current Xiao Chen had been possessed, even those experiences were half-true and half-false. It was true that Xiao Chen’s mother had died of illness when he was three, true that his father had remarried Zhang Liusi a year later, and true that Zhang Liusi had given birth to Xiao Li less than three months after entering the manor. However, Xiao Li was not the bloodline of the Xiao family head at all; Zhang Liusi was originally the pregnant fiancée of the Xiao family head’s sworn brother, and she had begged the Xiao family head to take care of her, to which the family head agreed out of regard for their bond of righteousness.
It was true that Xiao Chen moved to the most remote courtyard before turning four, but it was because Xiao Chen did not want to see Zhang Liusi and moved there of his own accord, and no amount of persuasion from the family head worked. Moreover, the servants in the manor were not fools; although the family head gave Zhang Liusi her status, he never once visited her courtyard, so how would they dare mistreat the only bloodline of the Xiao family?
It was true that Xiao Chen once nearly froze to death in the courtyard and remained unconscious for two days before being found, but that was because Xiao Chen had been playing hide-and-seek with the servants out of mischief, and the entire Xiao manor had turned the courtyard upside down before finding him.
As for Xiao Li accidentally falling into the water, Xiao Chen had indeed pushed him, but only because Xiao Li had been picked up and held by the Xiao family head. As for the rest, it was basically fabricated by Xiao Chen.
The reason Xiao Chen said all that was presumably to avoid being pestered by Han Wenxuan any further. While this method was feasible, Xiao Chen still underestimated Han Wenxuan; with the Han family’s influence, a little investigation would reveal the truth.
“Young Master, is there a need…”
“No need. Neither the Han family’s influence nor Han Wenxuan’s personal strength is something we can casually provoke. There is no need to make an enemy like this unless absolutely necessary. Continue keeping an eye on Han Wenxuan’s movements, and withdraw.”
In the days that followed, Han Wenxuan did not come to disturb him again, and Xiao Chen progressed smoother and smoother on the path of cultivation. At this rate, by the time he emerged from the secret realm, he would likely reach the late Core Formation stage.
As for the Xuanyun Secret Realm, Xiao Chen remembered from the book that Xie Yuanjia leveled up by fighting monsters all the way through this realm, jumping straight from the mid Foundation Establishment stage to the peak of the late Core Formation stage upon exiting. It was not that he could not break through to the Nascent Soul stage, but rather that, like ordinary protagonist-type characters, he wanted to suppress his cultivation and break through later.
Aside from a massive boost in cultivation, Xie Yuanjia also made the acquaintance of his second harem member, the Demonic Path Saintess Lin Shasha. However, at that time Xiao Chen and Xie Yuanjia were already betrothed, and although the two harbored mutual affection, Xie Yuanjia was in no rush to take her into his harem. Now that their wedding date had been postponed, if he assisted from the sidelines, he might just earn a favor.
Half a month later, at the entrance of the Xuanyun Secret Realm, True Person Xuanyi, the Sect Master of the Taiyuan Sect, looked at the crowd and solemnly stated, “The entrance to the secret realm is not limited to a single location, so cultivators from various sects within the realm may participate. For everyone’s safety, entry into the secret realm this time will be divided into five teams, and the team leaders all possess cultivation levels at or above the Nascent Soul stage. You may freely choose which team to join, and those above the Core Formation stage are not required to follow a team.”
A smile flashed in Xiao Chen’s eyes. He loved this last rule immensely; not following a team meant he could avoid Xie Yuanjia and many powerful demonic beasts. Although he missed the opportunity to help the protagonist gather harem members, but… Xiao Chen hadn’t thought about what came next when the system suddenly manifested:
[New quest: Travel together with Xie Yuanjia]
Xiao Chen: …
True Person Xuanyi continued, “Now, everyone may choose to stand behind the team you wish to join, but note that each team can hold a maximum of eight people.”
Xiao Chen was in no rush to join a team, choosing instead to wait for Xie Yuanjia to make his choice, while Xie Yuanjia in turn waited for Xiao Chen. In no time, the cultivators had almost all joined teams, with Han Wenxuan’s team being the most popular. However, after four people joined his team, he stopped accepting anyone else.
Xie Yuanjia lingered without making a move, and Xiao Chen grew somewhat impatient. Why wasn’t he choosing yet? If it weren’t for holding up his character persona, he would have wanted to go over and ask.
“Xiao Chen, Xie Yuanjia, the two of you have continuously refrained from joining a team, could it be that you intend to act alone?” True Person Xuanyi looked at the two and asked.
Han Wenxuan suddenly spoke up, “Xiao Chen will be in my group.”
Xiao Chen originally wanted to refuse, but after looking around and seeing that the other groups no longer had two remaining spots, and worrying that Xie Yuanjia might pick a different group, he spoke up directly: “Xie Yuanjia will come with me to Young Master Han’s group.”
[Quest completed, points plus 100]
After the groups were finalized and about a quarter of an hour had passed, the secret realm opened, and the teams entered sequentially.
At the beginning, everyone was still together, but further in, the various squads split off in different directions.
Han Wenxuan said with a cold, clear tone, “Since you have joined this team, everyone must follow my instructions and not act rashly on your own.”
The crowd cupped their fists in acknowledgment.
Once he finished speaking, Han Wenxuan walked to Xiao Chen’s side and said in a deep voice, “Xiao Chen, I am afraid we have a score to settle between us.”
“Huh?”
“What you told me last time, I have already had people investigate it, and not a single word of it was true. You really are incorrigible. This trip to the secret realm, I am determined to reform your lawless, willful, and arrogant temperament.”
“Oh?”
“The head of the Xiao family is wholly dedicated to the sect and was lax in his discipline toward you, which caused you to develop a cold-blooded, ruthless, and domineering disposition. If no one restrains you further, you will inevitably cause irreversible disaster in the future and ruin yourself.”
Han Wenxuan’s words weren’t entirely wrong; the original host had indeed driven himself to ruin.
Seeing Xiao Chen lost in thought, Han Wenxuan’s gaze turned slightly cold, and an array pressure descended upon Xiao Chen: “Truly a stubborn stone.”
Xiao Chen snapped back to his senses, choosing not to dispel the array. After all, the other party was a Nascent Soul-tier bigwig, and if he removed it, the other party would only apply more pressure: “Right, right, right, everything you said is correct.”
“Xiao Chen!” Han Wenxuan chided in a deep voice, increasing the pressure from the array. “If I don’t give you a taste of hardship, I’m afraid you will never repent.”
Xiao Chen fell silent. He had simply been bored just now; this was akin to an elementary school student arguing with their parents, if you lose the argument you get scolded, and if you win the argument you get beaten. Maintaining honest, obedient silence was the right move.
And so, Xiao Chen silently walked to the very back. If he couldn’t afford to provoke him, hiding was always an option, right?
Seeing Xiao Chen’s attitude, Han Wenxuan felt a twinge of reluctance in his heart, wondering if he had punished him too severely. He hurried after him and stated coldly, “It’s not actually that difficult to discipline you; as long as you know you’re wrong, that’s enough.”
With that, he withdrew the array. “Xiao Chen, remember that speaking with others should be gentle and polite. Even if what someone else says is not to your liking, you must not show it, but instead respond with gentleness.”
Xiao Chen remained silent, muttering inwardly: Right, right, right, everything you said is correct.
“Xiao Chen, toward elders…”
Han Wenxuan’s earnest sermons truly felt annoying to Xiao Chen, but since he couldn’t win in a fight, he could only stare at the path beneath his feet and listen. After walking a few steps, Xiao Chen suddenly sensed something was amiss the vegetation along the path was completely motionless, just like a fake prop.
Xiao Chen raised his head to look at Han Wenxuan. Clearly, a breeze was blowing, yet not even a single strand of hair was moving.