"She really does resemble Han Yue quite a bit. Even her personality and temperament feel similar to how Han Yue was back then. They truly are sisters."
Xiao Jietian recalled the first time he met Han Yue—she too had carried that same cold exterior, yet beneath it burned a passionate heart.
He hadn't expected to run into Han Yue's younger sister, Han Xue, out here on the road. But thinking about it, it made sense. Han Xue was the one who usually handled most of the family's external caravan affairs.
Judging by the current situation, she had likely just completed a mission and was now returning to Tianbei City.
…
"Phew~ They finally left. That aura was terrifying."
"It was too much. Is this really the power of a Tier 6 magical beast?"
"That magical beast seems to be someone's mount. Did you see the man riding it? He's unbelievably handsome."
"If I had even one-tenth of his looks, Miss Zhu from Spring Breeze Pavilion would be so charmed she'd pay me to spend the night."
After the Amethyst Winged Lion King flew away, the guards finally let out collective sighs of relief and began discussing the encounter in hushed, lingering fear.
"Miss, that was probably a young master from some major power just passing through. Fortunately, he doesn't seem like the arrogant, bloodthirsty type from certain other clans," Han Chong said, still shaken.
A young man capable of using a Tier 6 magical beast as a flying mount had to come from an extraordinary background. And people from such backgrounds were often haughty—killing on a whim was not uncommon.
If the other party had taken offense, the entire caravan might have been wiped out.
"Mm. Since he's gone, he was likely just passing by. No need to dwell on it," Han Xue replied calmly. She sheathed her longsword, though the image of that man lingered in her mind. She searched through every memory and piece of knowledge she had, yet found no match.
"Are you talking about me?" A playful voice suddenly rang in everyone's ears.
The entire camp froze. In an instant, weapons were drawn as everyone turned toward the source of the voice.
Less than ten meters from their camp stood the massive Amethyst Winged Lion King. Atop its back lounged the very same handsome young man they had just been discussing—Xiao Jietian.
Han Xue's heart tightened. Everyone present combined wouldn't even be enough to fill the teeth of the magical beast before them.
"Roar—!" Zi Yao unleashed an earth-shaking roar. The sound wave alone made everyone's eardrums ring painfully. Several guards staggered backward in fright; some nearly fell over.
"Young Master, we are deeply sorry!" Han Xue forced herself to calm down. She cupped her fists and bowed deeply. "We meant no offense. If we have displeased you in any way, please forgive us."
Xiao Jietian smiled faintly and slowly rose to his feet. Zi Yao obediently lowered his body until he was lying flat on the ground. Xiao Jietian leaped lightly down, landing with effortless grace. His robes fluttered gently in the night breeze, giving him the appearance of an immortal descending to the mortal world.
Hearing the apology, a strange, mischievous thought suddenly flashed through Xiao Jietian's mind: Apologies should be sincere… with sincerity shown through ⊙ ⊙!
He quickly shook the impure thought away. I must have been corrupted by Ya Fei and the others.
Ya Fei and the girls: ????
"Just words of apology aren't enough…" Xiao Jietian swept his gaze over the group with a half-smile. His eyes lingered on Han Xue for an extra heartbeat before he continued: "Hmm… I've taken a fancy to your roasted meat."
Han Xue was stunned. The words she had carefully prepared died in her throat. The surrounding guards also froze in place.
She quickly adjusted her expression, regaining her composure. The man before her didn't seem to harbor any real malice.
She muttered inwardly: What kind of background does this person have? He shows up out of nowhere and asks for roasted meat like it's the most natural thing in the world… yet refusing seems impossible.
She stepped forward and spoke sincerely: "I am Han Xue. May I have the honor of knowing Young Master's name? We've already eaten most of this batch of roasted meat. If Young Master doesn't mind, I can have someone prepare a fresh portion immediately!"
Xiao Jietian looked at Han Xue standing before him and wondered how she would react when she eventually learned his true identity.
"Xiao Jietian," he answered without concealment. Then he added, "Then please arrange it."
He glanced at the Amethyst Winged Lion King. "Prepare a larger portion for him as well."
Han Xue immediately invited Xiao Jietian to sit by the main bonfire and began directing the guards to prepare two servings of magical beast meat—one normal, one significantly larger.
"Zi Yao, go over there." Xiao Jietian pointed toward a nearby bonfire where a massive piece of meat was already roasting.
A flash of purple light appeared. The Amethyst Winged Lion King transformed into his human form.
This sight shocked the entire caravan even more. A magical beast capable of human transformation was either a Tier 7 beast or had consumed an extremely rare Transformation Pill.
The aura Zi Yao currently emitted was clearly that of a peak Tier 6 beast—so it had to be the latter.
Zi Yao very sensibly sat down beside the fire. He naturally understood that his master hadn't come all this way just for roasted meat. He had enough discernment to know better.
He stared at the roasting meat in front of him. He had never tried it cooked before—he used to eat everything raw. When would he ever have had the leisure to season and roast it?
…
Xiao Jietian sat casually on the ground, watching Han Xue personally roast the meat in front of him. Deep in her eyes, a trace of wariness still lingered.
He had assumed the guards would handle the roasting, but she insisted on doing it herself—and she didn't play any tricks during the process.
Of course, she only roasted his portion personally. The much larger portion for Zi Yao was assigned to other guards.
While tending the fire, Han Xue secretly observed Xiao Jietian. The man before her was the most handsome person she had ever seen—no one could compare. He possessed both devilish charm and masculine strength, and his temperament was extraordinary and noble.
She thought to herself: This person seems so casual, yet he exudes an otherworldly air in every gesture. I can't sense any aura from him at all—as though he's just an ordinary person.
Han Xue naturally didn't believe he was ordinary. That left only one possibility: his cultivation realm was far beyond hers.
Xiao Jietian, of course, noticed her furtive glances but chose not to expose her.
Soon, the meat was perfectly roasted. Han Xue took out a tray, carefully sliced the meat into neat pieces, and arranged them elegantly.
"Young Master Xiao Tian, it's ready. Please enjoy." Using her Dou Qi, she condensed a small, low table of solidified energy and placed the tray upon it. A Dou Ling realm cultivator could already perform such minor feats of materialization.
Xiao Jietian picked up a slice and placed it in his mouth, chewing slowly.
"Does it suit Young Master's taste?" Han Xue asked softly, a trace of nervousness in her voice.
Xiao Jietian's lips curved into a slight smile. Appreciation flickered in his eyes as he spoke gently:
"Not bad. The heat control is excellent—crispy on the outside, tender within. The spices are blended precisely, enhancing the meat's natural flavor without overpowering it."
He spoke slowly and calmly, his tone steady yet carrying an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
Han Xue let out a quiet breath of relief. She had been terrified that it wouldn't suit his taste and that he might suddenly turn hostile. Many young masters from major powers were exactly like that—any slight dissatisfaction could end in bloodshed.
"If Young Master Xiao doesn't mind, this humble one would like to offer you a cup as a formal apology." Han Xue took out her treasured fine wine and two exquisite cups. She filled both and respectfully handed one to Xiao Jietian.
Her movements were slightly clumsy—clearly, she rarely performed such serving tasks herself.