Chapter 25: Great Change (Part Three)

Xiao Lie had originally held high expectations for the visitors from the Xiao Sect. As the Sect Master's son, he surely must be an extraordinary figure, like a divine dragon from the heavens.

However, upon meeting him, Xiao Lie was greatly disappointed. He saw none of the charisma, grace, cultivation, or appropriate pride expected of a direct disciple from a major sect. Instead, there was only condescending arrogance and an unsettling malevolence in his eyes, clearly the mark of a pampered wastrel raised on flattery. But after a moment's thought, Xiao Lie felt relieved. After all, this small Xiao Clan was utterly insignificant to the Xiao Sect; why would they send any truly "important" figure? The title "Sect Master's son" was merely a superficial gesture of respect for the deceased Xiao Zheng.

"Dad, I just heard them say you and the Clan Master went to greet the Xiao Sect people. Are you back so soon?" Xiao Lingxi happened to be bringing Xiao Lie a meal and asked, full of curiosity, "Have the Xiao Sect members arrived? What are they like? Are they especially intimidating?"

Her words reminded him of the old man who had accompanied Xiao Kuangyun. He nodded, "The Xiao Sect members are, of course, unfathomable. However, Lingxi, while they are here, try your best not to interact with them. The young man leading them is not a good person. Avoid them if you can."

"Oh?" Xiao Lingxi blinked her eyes in confusion, then nodded softly. "I understand, Dad. Actually, I was a little scared of them anyway. After all, they're from the Xiao Sect, so they must be incredibly powerful."

"Even if you're curious, try not to go near them," Xiao Lie reiterated, taking a shallow breath as he walked into the courtyard, clearly preoccupied.

"Dad? You look troubled. Has something major happened?" A daughter knows her father best, and Xiao Lingxi immediately sensed Xiao Lie's preoccupation, asking with a hint of nervousness.

Xiao Lie paused, then shook his head. "It's nothing..." He stopped, realizing that if he didn't tell her, his thoughtful daughter might worry all day. So, he slowly explained, "When the Xiao Sect members came, they brought a gift called 'Profound Opening Powder.' Xiao Kuangyun said it has excellent restorative effects on damaged profound veins. So..."

"Ah! It can repair damaged profound veins? Really?" Before Xiao Lie could finish, Xiao Lingxi gasped excitedly, her small hands gripping the corner of her clothes. Repairing Xiao Che's profound veins had always been her greatest wish, and for years, she and Xiao Lie had been trying to find every possible method. Xiao Lie's words were like celestial music to her ears.

"The Xiao Sect's elixirs are far more effective than ordinary ones; it truly might work wonders." As he spoke, Xiao Lie's expression gradually dimmed. "However, the primary purpose of the Profound Opening Powder is to accelerate profound cultivation for a certain period. The Clan Master and the others now consider this 'Profound Opening Powder' a priceless treasure. To make them use it on Che'er, whom they see as useless... the hope is truly slim."

Xiao Lingxi's expression froze. Xiao Lie's words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing all her excitement. She bit her lip and declared resolutely, "No matter what it takes, we must get that Profound Opening Powder! Little Che isn't useless! He's the one who needs the Profound Opening Powder the most!"

"I'll do everything in my power to try," Xiao Lie sighed deeply, looking at his daughter's determined face. But in his heart, he knew how little hope there was of acquiring the Profound Opening Powder... in fact, it was practically impossible.

Night fell.

"I met Xiao Kuangyun from the Xiao Sect today,"

Xia Qingyue said softly, sitting on the edge of the bed in the flickering candlelight.

"Oh... what kind of person is he?" Xiao Che yawned, asking casually, as if completely uninterested.

"Just as his name suggests." Xia Qingyue frowned slightly at the memory of Xiao Kuangyun's gaze, a flicker of disgust in her eyes. Her master had told her that among the Xiao Sect Master's four sons, the other three were considered exceptional, but this fourth son was utterly incompetent, yet he was the most favored by the Sect Master. Perhaps it was because he was the youngest and the only son born to the main wife.

"That's normal. Anyone the Xiao Sect sends to a place like this, you can guess what kind of person they'll be with just a little thought. But it doesn't really affect me; at most, I'll just go through the motions tomorrow." Xiao Che shrugged, then his brows suddenly furrowed, and his expression turned slightly serious. He looked up and asked, "Wifey Qingyue, you said you saw him? So, did he see you too?"

"Yes... why?" Xia Qingyue glanced sideways.

Xiao Che raised a hand and tapped his chin, then suddenly said, "You mentioned before that he's a person with a terrible reputation, that type of character... Hmm, Wifey Qingyue, if I'm not mistaken, your master should be somewhere near Flowing Cloud City, right?"

"...How did you know?" A hint of surprise flashed across Xia Qingyue's face.

Xiao Che didn't explain, stating seriously, "In that case, try to contact your master. It would be best if she could come here tomorrow..." After a moment's thought, his expression relaxed again. "Since your master is nearby, there probably won't be any major trouble. Let's sleep."

Xia Qingyue's slender brows subtly raised as she pondered for a moment. Then, recalling Xiao Kuangyun's gaze from earlier that afternoon, she finally understood Xiao Che's meaning. Her expression immediately softened, and she instinctively reached down, gripping an ice-shard-shaped sound transmission charm at her waist.

Watching Xiao Che arrange the blankets spread in the corner, her eyes flickered slightly, and her lips buzzed several times before she finally managed to speak: "Sleep on the bed."

"Huh?" Xiao Che turned around, eyes wide. "Wifey Qingyue, what did you say?"

Xia Qingyue immediately turned her face away, not letting him see her expression, and said coldly, "If you didn't hear it, forget it!"

"I heard it! How could I not hear it!" Xiao Che quickly nodded like a pecking chick, threw the blanket from his hands, and swiftly pounced onto the bed, grinning at Xia Qingyue. "Wifey Qingyue, are you sleeping on the inside or outside tonight?"

"..." Xia Qingyue said nothing. With a wave of her snowy hand, all the red candles were extinguished in an instant. The room plunged into darkness. She secretly let out a sigh of relief, pushed Xiao Che to the inner side of the bed, pulled the blanket over them both, and lay down on her side, her back to Xiao Che. Her voice was cool and crisp: "Don't overthink it. I'm just making it convenient for you to help me with my body conditioning at 3 AM... No doing anything inappropriate! Otherwise, I'll never let you sleep on the bed again!"

"As you command, my dear wife!" Xiao Che pulled the blanket up, inhaling the lingering scent of a young woman, and said contentedly.

Being called "wife" dozens of times a day by Xiao Che had gone from initially irritating to now feeling completely natural to her. At the same time, it gave her an indescribable feeling of "I am his wife." This subtle change made her flustered and confused. She closed her eyes, trying not to think about the things that disturbed her mind, and soon drifted peacefully into sleep.

Before they knew it, it was three in the morning, the darkest hour before dawn. The entire Xiao Clan was silent, save for the occasional buzz of insects.

In the darkness, a faint "creak" came from Xiao Lingxi's courtyard. The tightly closed door slowly opened with the sound, and a petite dark figure slowly emerged. After glancing around for a moment, it quickly darted outwards.

Before the dark figure could even step out of the courtyard gate, a tall gray silhouette suddenly descended from the sky, landing in front of her. A girl's startled cry rang out, followed by a stern voice, deliberately lowered: "Lingxi, where are you going at this late hour?"

"Ah! Da... Dad!" The startled dark figure pulled down the mask from her face, revealing the charming countenance of Xiao Lingxi. Seeing Xiao Lie suddenly appear before her, she momentarily panicked. "I... I... I..."

"Sigh!" Xiao Lie let out a long sigh and whispered, "Lingxi, you're going to steal the Profound Opening Powder, aren't you?"

"I... I..." Xiao Lingxi lowered her head, stammering.

"You're my own daughter; how could I not know what's on your mind?" Xiao Lie sighed again, stepping forward to pat his daughter's shoulder. "This afternoon, when you left me, I noticed something off about your eyes, so I came here to keep watch... And sure enough, you had the intention of stealing the Profound Opening Powder. Lingxi, you're being utterly reckless! Do you know how dangerous this is? That Profound Opening Powder is not an ordinary item; it's a gift from the Xiao Sect. If your actions are discovered, you'd be provoking the Xiao Sect. When those four from the Xiao Sect decide to punish you, not even I, or anyone in Flowing Cloud City, would be able to save you."

Xiao Lie parted his lips, a pained expression fleeting across his face.

"I often wonder why it was Little Che's profound veins that were crippled, and not mine... This world is truly too unfair to him... Dad, do you know how sad I feel every time I see Little Che being mocked, and he still pretends not to care and even tries to comfort me in return? If only his profound veins could be repaired, I'd willingly become a thief... even if it meant facing a death penalty, I'd be a hundred times willing..."

As she spoke, Xiao Lingxi's eyes filled with tears. She covered her face with her hands, finally unable to hold back her sobs.

Xiao Lie's face was deeply moved. Watching his daughter weep softly, a pang of sorrow twisted in his heart. He gently comforted her, "Lingxi, I know you're doing this entirely for Che'er. But setting aside the consequences of your actions, Xiao Yunhai hasn't given that box of Profound Opening Powder to anyone since he received it; he likely keeps it on his person. With your abilities, how could you possibly steal it from Xiao Yunhai? Be good and go back to sleep. I will do my best to figure out a way regarding the Profound Opening Powder. Although I haven't contended for anything these past years, I still have some influence in the Xiao Clan. There isn't absolutely no hope of acquiring the Profound Opening Powder. You must never do such foolish things again. What if something really happened to you...? Who would look after and protect Che'er then?"

Xiao Lie's last sentence gently struck Xiao Lingxi's soft heart, suddenly filling her with dread. *Yes! If I didn't succeed, and got caught and severely punished, what would Little Che do...?*

"I... I understand." Xiao Lingxi removed her dark clothing and tossed it aside, wiping away her tears. With a look of remorse, she said, "Dad, I'm sorry. I did something foolish again and made you worry. I'll go to sleep obediently now and won't do this anymore... Dad, you should go back and rest quickly too... I promise I won't try to steal the Profound Opening Powder again."

"Heh heh, it's good that you listen," Xiao Lie nodded, smiling gently. But as he left, he still picked up the dark clothing from the ground and took it with him, unwilling to leave it behind.