Chapter 9: Annulment of the Engagement
The occasional whispers that had been present instantly vanished, and the hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
"What did you say?!" Xiao Zhan slammed his hand on the table, and the teacup in his other tightly clenched hand shattered with a crash due to his uncontrolled force.
The sound of shattering, the swishing of spilled tea, and Xiao Zhan's gasps from extreme anger pulled Xiao Yan's thoughts back to reality. He no longer pondered the mysterious girl's intentions and looked up at the front—
"Father..." He stared blankly at the front, several bulging veins coiling on his tightly clenched fists.
Seeing Xiao Zhan about to erupt, Nalan Yanran stood up in a panic and stammered, "Uncle Xiao, Yanran knows you are displeased, so I specially had Teacher bring something, hoping it can serve as compensation."
After speaking, the young girl quickly tugged at Ge Ye's sleeve, and the old man, as if waking from a dream, took out an exquisite ancient jade box.
He carefully opened the box, and the next moment, a rich medicinal fragrance permeated the center of the hall, making everyone present who had not reached the Dou Master level feel several times more comfortable.
Inside the box, a Medicinal Pill, completely emerald green and the size of a dragon's eye, lay quietly in the central indentation, and it was clearly the source of the unusual fragrance.
"This Gathering Qi Powder?!"
In the hall, accompanied by the exclamations of the three Elders, the eyes of the young men and women sitting below suddenly widened, their eager gazes fixed on the emerald green Medicinal Pill.
"Hehe, this was personally refined by Elder Gu He, the honorary Elder of our Sect." Ge Ye couldn't help but feel a little smug as he watched everyone's composure break, and he smiled.
"This Medicinal Pill is actually from Dan Wang Gu He's hand?" Hearing this, the three Elders, who had still managed to maintain some composure, could no longer sit still, their expressions greatly moved.
Dan Wang Gu He not only possessed the strength of a Dou King but his Alchemist skill was also as high as sixth-grade, enough to be called the best in the Gama Empire.
For such a person, the Gathering Qi Powder from his hands would probably be worth several times more.
"Not bad."
The old man, who was skilled in reading expressions, felt reassured. His previously somewhat lacking confidence in his attitude became a bit stronger: "Elder Gu He's name, I presume everyone here has heard of it. I wonder if this gift is enough for an apology?"
Seeing Xiao Zhan's gloomy Face unwilling to lift, Ge Ye couldn't help but secretly rejoice. Just as he opened his mouth, attempting to strike while the iron was hot, a disdainful scoff came from a distant corner.
"Heh, Gathering Qi Powder, huh? The Yunlan Sect is truly generous... But this Gathering Qi Powder, my Xiao Family is probably not blessed enough to accept it!"
The previously noisy discussions in the hall abruptly ceased, and all eyes suddenly shifted to the gloomy-faced, handsome young man in the corner.
"Xiao Yan, where do you have the right to speak here? Shut up!"
"Xiao Yan, step back. I know you're upset, but we will handle things here!"
The three Elders immediately couldn't sit still and loudly reprimanded Xiao Yan for his insolence, but what made them angry and annoyed was that Xiao Yan seemed to pretend not to hear them, letting them huff and puff without any response.
And as the Clan Chief's son, it was even more impossible to expel Xiao Yan on the spot. Seeing that they were losing Face, they secretly cursed the boy for his thick skin, then helplessly allowed him to confront the Yunlan Sect members on the platform.
Ignoring the hypocritical posturing of the three old men, the young man took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, and slowly spoke:
"Nalan Yanran, I would like to ask, did Old Man Nalan agree to this annulment today?"
"Grandpa did not agree, but this is my business, and it has nothing to do with him." The young girl's voice was calm and gentle, yet it carried an undeniable arrogance.
"Since Old Man Nalan has not spoken, then please forgive me, my father will not agree to your request either. The marriage back then was decided by the two families' Old Masters personally, so no one dares to dissolve it. Otherwise, that would be blasphemy against deceased Elders! I think no one would do such a rebellious thing, right?" Xiao Yan's words were not only directed at Nalan Yanran but also a sarcastic jab at the three Elders who constantly opposed him.
Being hit with such a big accusation, the three Elders immediately fell silent. Clearly, what the other party said hit their weak spot.
"You—"
Seeing that no one dared to refute her, Nalan Yanran's pretty Face turned livid with anger, and she stomped her foot heavily. The well-hidden Young Miss temper was finally unleashed.
She showed disgust and said irritably, "How can the engagement be dissolved? If one Gathering Qi Powder isn't enough, I'll give you three! And you'll be allowed to enter the Yunlan Sect to Cultivate advanced Dou Qi Cultivation Technique. Is that enough?"
The young girl continuously threw out one tempting condition after another, making everyone present swallow their saliva.
Contrary to her expectations, the strands of Xiao Yan's hair, which had fallen due to his bowed head, obscured his expression at this moment. His body trembled slightly, and then he raised his head a little.
The next moment, Nalan Yanran unconsciously met those dark eyes. The burning gaze, however, seemed to be filled with bone-chilling coldness, making the young girl's legs tremble. A chill rushed straight to her head, and she unconsciously took a step back!
"This is... killing intent? He wants to kill me?!"
Nalan Yanran experienced this unprecedented feeling, and this thought unconsciously arose in her heart.
The young man clenched his fists and slowly raised his head. The previous cold gaze had long disappeared, replaced by a strange smile.
The previous killing intent was as fleeting as a dream. If Ge Ye and the handsome young man hadn't been standing in the same position as Nalan Yanran, they probably wouldn't have understood why their Young Sect Master had unconsciously retreated.
"This kid, in such a situation, he can instantly rein in his emotions. Even if he's a good-for-nothing, he's definitely not simple..." Ge Ye's heart felt cold as he thought to himself.
As expected, apart from Ge Ye and the other two, everyone else, upon seeing Xiao Yan's expression, almost believed he had gone mad from too much shock.
But completely contrary to everyone's expectations, Nalan Yanran no longer had her previous haughtiness. Instead, she seemed to be afraid of something and said, "Xiao Yan, you should still dissolve this engagement. My Teacher, she is a Dou Emperor powerhouse, the Sect Master of the Yunlan Sect, and she personally approved it!"
Watching the young girl bravely bring out her Teacher's identity and strength, Xiao Yan couldn't help but shake his head—this Young Miss, with her three-star Dou Master strength, could actually be scared like this by his displayed three segments of Dou Qi. She really is... quite useless.
The young man scorned her in his heart and said with a sneer, "Young Miss Nalan's noble status is known to everyone in the entire Gama Empire, so there's no need to elaborate further. But do you know how humiliating it is for the male party when the female party breaks off an engagement on this Dou Qi Continent? Yes, I have thick skin, and I can still smile in this situation. Everyone here probably thinks I, Xiao Yan, am a madman, right?"
"I don't care how you see me... But my father! He is the Clan Chief of my Xiao Family. If I agree to you, what about him? How will he manage the Xiao Family in the future, and what Face will my Xiao Family have to survive in this Utan City?!"
When Xiao Zhan was mentioned, even with Xiao Yan's current Heart-Nature, he inevitably showed some emotion, and his Aura erupted like a volcano, stunning everyone in the hall.
These words were fierce and impactful, causing even the Xiao Family members who had previously been mocking him to fall silent—this concerned the Family's Face. Even if they still looked down on Xiao Yan, they had to admit that every word he said was reasonable, and an unavoidable hint of respect arose in their hearts.
After all, not everyone has the courage to fight against power, especially when they are at their lowest point...
"You!"
Nalan Yanran's gaze flickered. She glanced at Ge Ye, who was constantly winking at her, then gritted her teeth and said, "What happened today was indeed a bit impulsive on my part. How about this... I am willing to make a concession for this. Three years, I will give you three years. After three years, I will give you a chance to challenge me at the Yunlan Sect."
"Challenge?" Xiao Yan's eyes were lowered, making it impossible to discern the meaning contained within.
As the young girl spoke, she gradually recalled the difference in strength between herself and the other party, and her words also carried some of her previous confidence: "That's right. If you lose, I will publicly dissolve the engagement. By then, you should also be an adult, so even if you lose, Uncle Xiao's Face won't be too hard to bear. This is already my bottom line. The Three-Year Agreement, do you dare to accept it?"