With his handsome features and transcendent aura, Xiao Chen unsurprisingly became the object of many a young woman’s affection.
Their eyes shimmered with fascination.
To these young women, his looks weren’t even the most important thing.
It was his temperament—as if he were born with it—that irresistibly drew them in.
After three years of training abroad, Xiao Chen had transformed from a fifteen-year-old boy into a young man of eighteen.
His youthful immaturity had faded.
Astride his Red Flame Horse, he paid no mind to the onlookers’ stares.
All Xiao Chen wanted now was to hurry home and reunite with his parents.
After three years apart, his longing for them was immense.
He was growing impatient.
As Xiao Chen hurried toward the Xiao Family estate, he happened to overhear talk of the Jue Mountain Sect joining forces with two other major families to annihilate the Xiao Family.
He also learned that Chen Muxue was the mastermind behind it all.
It was hardly a secret.
With the Xiao Family now facing a life-or-death crisis, it was only natural that many people were discussing the matter.
Upon learning of his family’s plight, a cold glint flashed in Xiao Chen’s eyes, but only for an instant.
He quickly regained his composure.
‘It’s a good thing I’m back,’ he thought, relieved.
‘Otherwise, this would have been a real disaster.’
Without pausing, he headed straight for the Xiao Family estate.
Meanwhile, within the estate, the members of the Xiao Family, their backs against the wall, were preparing to make a last, desperate stand.
There was no escape anyway.
Rather than surrender without a fight, it was better to go down fighting.
Though their chances were slim, it was better than doing nothing at all.
The atmosphere was incredibly tense.
Just as the two sides were about to clash, Xiao Chen strode in through the main gates of the Xiao Family estate, his expression serene.
At the sound of footsteps, all eyes turned to Xiao Chen.
At first, no one recognized him, though he looked vaguely familiar.
Soon, however, his father, Xiao Qing, recognized his own son.
An excited look instantly crossed his face.
“Chen’Er…”
‘Chen’Er?’ At Xiao Qing’s words, the expressions of everyone present changed drastically.
The Xiao Family’s true dragon had returned at a time like this…
The faces of the Ma and Chen Family members turned grim.
They never expected Xiao Chen to return now.
Chen Muxue, too, watched with a complicated expression as Xiao Chen slowly approached.
‘He’s still just as handsome.
No, he’s even more handsome now than he was three years ago, his aura even more captivating.’ A trace of fascination flickered in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by icy hatred.
‘Xiao Chen rejected me.
He was the first man ever to do so.’
Ignoring everyone else, Xiao Chen went straight to his father.
A faint, calm smile touched his lips.
“Father…”
“You…
Chen’Er, you…
Go!
Now!
Leave Lingshan County and never come back.” Xiao Qing had been overjoyed at his son’s return, but then he remembered the Xiao Family’s current predicament.
For Xiao Chen to come back now was to walk right into a trap.
It was true that Xiao Chen’s talent was heaven-defying, but at only eighteen, how could he possibly stand against the Jue Mountain Sect?
So, before the joy could even set in, Xiao Qing frantically urged his son to leave, pulling Xiao Chen behind him to shield him from Chen Muxue.
Xiao Qing knew in his heart that anyone in the Xiao Family could die, except Xiao Chen.
He was the Xiao Family’s true dragon.
As long as Xiao Chen lived, the Xiao Family still had hope.
He intended to sacrifice himself to cover Xiao Chen’s escape.
However, just as Xiao Qing prepared to fight to the death, Xiao Chen gently patted his shoulder.
He then stepped out from behind his father and said softly, “Father, leave this to me.
I can handle it.”
There wasn’t the slightest hint of nervousness in his voice.
Without waiting for Xiao Qing’s reply, Xiao Chen strode forward until he stood directly before Chen Muxue.
He looked at the woman who intended to annihilate his family, his expression as placid as a tranquil well.
“To be honest, I imagined this day would come three years ago…”
Xiao Chen wasn’t surprised by what Chen Muxue had done.
He had foreseen all of it.
That was just the kind of woman she was.
Hearing this, Chen Muxue grit her teeth.
“So what if you foresaw it?
Today, every last member of the Xiao Family will die!”
Xiao Chen’s composure simultaneously enraged and infatuated Chen Muxue.
He was just that kind of man—able to face anything without a change in expression, as if he’d anticipated it all.
He had been like that ever since they were children.
Hatred and infatuation warred in her eyes.
There was no denying it; even now, a part of her still adored Xiao Chen.
He was the most captivating man she had ever met.
The man beside her, Shen Ming, couldn’t compare to Xiao Chen in any way.
Noticing the complicated emotions in her eyes, Xiao Chen sighed softly.
“Do you want to know why I rejected you?”
“It’s because when you confessed your feelings to me, you were still involved with Ma Yuan.
I also knew that you slept with him because the Chen Family wanted an alliance with the Ma Family.
Do you think I would ever accept a confession from a woman who would sacrifice her own body for personal gain?”
Xiao Chen showed no sign of agitation at her actions; his expression remained calm from start to finish.
At his words, the faces of both Chen Muxue and Ma Yuan, who was standing among the Ma Family contingent, changed.
Ma Yuan, in particular, as the Young Master of the Ma Family, stared at Xiao Chen in disbelief.
“You…
You’ve known all this time?”
“Heh,” Xiao Chen replied with a faint smile.
“If you don’t want people to find out, you shouldn’t do it.”
He had known about her and Ma Yuan from the start.
That’s why, even as a child, Xiao Chen never had a shred of affection for Chen Muxue, making it impossible for him to ever accept her confession.
With his past relationship with Chen Muxue exposed in front of everyone, Ma Yuan’s heart sank as he felt Shen Ming’s vicious gaze fall upon him.
‘It’s over.
Everyone knows Chen Muxue is Shen Ming’s woman now.
And now he knows what happened all those years ago…’ Ma Yuan could already imagine his own miserable fate.
Panic filled his heart, followed by a surge of hatred.
‘This is all Xiao Chen’s fault!
If it weren’t for him, Shen Ming never would have found out!’ With murder in his eyes, Ma Yuan summoned a great battle-axe and charged viciously at Xiao Chen, roaring in fury.
“You’re spouting nonsense!
Xiao Chen, I’ll kill you!”
He lunged at Xiao Chen.
In the face of Ma Yuan’s assault, Xiao Chen shifted his feet, sidestepping the attack before lashing out with a kick that landed squarely in Ma Yuan’s stomach.
He spat out a mouthful of blood and immediately doubled over, collapsing to his knees before Xiao Chen.
Looking down on Ma Yuan from above, Xiao Chen said coolly, “Who gave you the courage to raise a hand against me?
You were an ant before me then, and you’re still an ant now.”
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