With only one month left until the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, Xiao Xun Er finally completed her secluded meditation.
Standing at the entrance of the small courtyard, Xiao Feng felt the aura inside transition from violent to subtle, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
Creak... The courtyard gate opened, revealing half a head.
With a face full of smiles, Xiao Feng watched as those pitch-black, bright eyes looked up and met his gaze.
Long eyelashes trembled slightly, and the girl blinked as if unable to believe her eyes; a hint of bashful red suddenly surfaced on her pretty face.
Bang!
The courtyard gate was slammed shut.
"Brother Xiao Feng! Why are you back!"
Xiao Feng was stunned, having unexpectedly received the cold shoulder. "Since the Coming-of-Age Ceremony is about to be held, I naturally had to return."
"But..." Xiao Xun Er's voice carried some unease and anxiety, "But... why didn't you tell Xun'er in advance!"
Xiao Feng looked innocent. "You've been in secluded meditation; isn't that being unreasonable!"
"Anyway... anyway, Brother Xiao Feng, you go back to your own courtyard first, and you're not allowed to come out!" Xiao Xun Er's tone was firm. "Until Xun'er comes to find you, you're not allowed to come out!"
Xiao Feng rubbed his temples while responding, "Fine, I'm going back to my courtyard."
After saying that, he turned and walked toward his own courtyard.
Inside the gate, Xiao Xun Er pressed herself tightly against the door panel. After hearing the sound of the gate opening and closing outside, she peeked through a crack in the door. Only after confirming that Xiao Feng was truly gone did she breathe a sigh of relief.
"What should I do! I haven't dressed up or put on makeup after being in seclusion for so long. I must look very ugly right now, and Brother Xiao Feng has already seen me. What should I do!" Xiao Xun Er's face showed some agitation, and she instantly regretted this impulsive bout of secluded meditation.
Ling Ying emerged in the corner, looking at Xiao Xun Er with a smile. "Young Miss is bright and moving no matter the time; there is simply no need to worry about such things."
Xiao Xun Er pouted and said somewhat aggrievedly, "Old Ling, why didn't you remind me that Brother Xiao Feng had returned?"
After calming her emotions, the young girl began to get busy. From bathing to choosing clothes, from dressing up to refining her expression—by the time she was satisfied with the smile in the mirror, five hours had already passed.
Xiao Feng sat in his courtyard waiting and waiting. He went from being excited at the beginning to drinking tea to pass the time. Just as he was propping his chin with his palm, considering whether to take a nap...
The courtyard gate was knocked upon.
"Ahem." Xiao Feng cleared his throat softly and then called out, "Coming."
He straightened his clothes as he stood up, then walked over and opened the gate.
Outside the door, a beautiful figure stood timidly, dressed in a goose-yellow silk dress with a ribbon lightly tied around her waist. Like a simple stroke in a landscape painting, it perfectly outlined the girl's exquisite figure.
A fresh scent wafted toward him. Xiao Feng took a deep breath, his eyes filled with the girl's image. Her head was bowed, her toes pointed toward each other, and those jade-like hands were hidden behind her back; one didn't need to look to know her fingers were tightly interlaced.
"Xun'er..." Xiao Feng stepped forward and pulled the girl into his embrace. The softness against his chest gave his body a jolt, and even his Soul felt a bit light and airy.
As if only just realizing it, Xiao Xun Er's pretty face instantly turned crimson. She struggled gently for a moment, only becoming steady after shielding her front with both hands. Leaning her head against Xiao Feng's chest and feeling his aura, she murmured in response, "Brother Xiao Feng..."
The two held each other like that, neither wanting to separate.
Xiao Yan, who had intended to call them for dinner, spat from behind them. "I hope you two starve to death!"
The night deepened, yet Xiao Feng and Xiao Xun Er remained snuggled together, transitioning from expressing their mutual longing to discussing Xiao Feng's Realm.
"You fell from Dou Huang to Dou Wang?" Xiao Xun Er was somewhat puzzled.
"My Realm has dropped somewhat, but my strength has increased significantly. Xun'er, when do you think would be an appropriate day for me to propose marriage?" Xiao Feng toyed with the girl's jade-like hand, his heart growing increasingly fervent.
Xiao Xun Er's face flushed. She knew that with Xiao Feng's current performance, he would naturally enter her father Gu Yuan's Dharma Eye, but the two of them were ultimately too young.
Youth meant variables, both good and bad. The Gu Clan would not gamble on such unsecured matters, nor did they need to gamble.
Furthermore, her identity was very special.
Therefore, she had no way to answer and could only keep her head lowered in silence.
"Xun'er, close your eyes," Xiao Feng suddenly said.
"Hmm?" Xiao Xun Er was a bit confused. She looked up at Xiao Feng, her face becoming even more flushed, and her eyes trembled slightly as she closed them.
Xiao Feng smiled, lifted her arm, and gently placed the bracelet from his robes onto her wrist.
With her eyes tightly shut, Xiao Xun Er's heart was filled with apprehension, and her body was somewhat stiff. At this moment, she suddenly felt her arm being lifted, and then something like a bracelet was slipped on. Her uneasy heart settled slightly, but a strange sense of loss also filled her mind.
Just then, a sensation of warmth was suddenly pressed onto Xiao Xun Er's smooth forehead. A warm breath fanned against her brow, causing her previously closed eyes to snap open instantly.
Xiao Xun Er's entire body tensed, and her mind went blank. She had no idea how to react until Xiao Feng's lips left her forehead, only then remembering to feel shy.
"Xun'er, do you like this bracelet?" Xiao Feng looked at the girl, who was like a timid quail. Knowing she was thin-skinned, he didn't dare tease her further.
The girl lowered her head, moved her arm into her line of sight, and examined it closely. A low voice sounded, "I like it."
As if feeling that such an answer was a bit perfunctory, she repeated, "Xun'er really likes it."
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Xiao Xun Er asked in confusion, "Where is Sister Qing Lin?"
"She went to the Heavenly Serpent Mansion. How about we go pick her up in a few years?"
"Mhm."
For the period that followed, the two of them roamed the mountains and forests, barbecuing and boating. During the day, almost no one spent time on Cultivation, as if they wanted to make up for all the companionship they had missed before.
One evening, Xiao Xun Er sat to the side, listening to the tune Xiao Feng was playing, a sweet smile hanging on her face.
"Tomorrow is the Coming-of-Age Ceremony prediction. Brother Xiao Feng surely won't still be at Dou Qi First Stage, right?" Xiao Xun Er asked with a smile, her eyes full of expectation.
Xiao Feng flicked away the leaf in his hand. "Well, it's not entirely impossible."
"No!" Xiao Xun Er immediately objected. "Brother Xiao Feng is not allowed to hide his light under a bushel anymore."
"Hmm?" Xiao Feng was startled, somewhat surprised by Xiao Xun Er's behavior. "What's wrong?"
Xiao Xun Er looked at Xiao Feng. "Xun'er wants everyone to know that Xun'er's choice was not wrong."
Xiao Feng found it quite amusing. "I promise you, on the day of your Coming-of-Age Ceremony, I will let the whole world know our names."
Hearing these words that sounded like a solemn vow, a tender affection radiated from Xiao Xun Er's eyes. Her heart had long ago been pledged... The next day, as the sky just began to brighten, the Xiao Family became lively.
Whether it was the youths of the clan, the adults still within the clan, or the elderly, everyone had risen. The entire Family's attention was directed toward the plaza where the Magic Testing Stone stood.
Xiao Feng was just preparing to head out. As soon as he pulled open the courtyard gate, an exquisite face full of smiles entered his vision.
The girl was dressed in light green clothing, with a light purple sash tied at her willow-like waist. As a gentle breeze blew, it moved lightly along with her black hair.
She raised her left hand to lightly tuck back her hair, and on her snowy wrist hung a red bracelet. That diamond-like Monster Core swayed with the movement, flickering with a dazzling luster under the sunlight.
Ling Ying, hidden in the shadows, let out a sigh. He had personally watched his Young Miss hold that bracelet and giggle foolishly all night long.
"Brother Xiao Feng, morning." The girl's eyes were full of mirth.
"You've been waiting for a long time, haven't you?" Xiao Feng tapped Xiao Xun Er's head. "Don't you know how to knock?"
"Xun'er just arrived too." The girl's smile remained.
"Let's go get something to eat first."
"Mhm."
There was basically no one at the back kitchen. Xiao Feng smilingly swiped the Clan Chief's portion of a deluxe breakfast and shared it with Xiao Xun Er like a weasel, saying sneakily, "This is something only the Clan Chief gets to eat!"
Xiao Xun Er smiled, nearly spitting out the porridge she had just sipped. She couldn't help but roll her eyes and glare at Xiao Feng; she was as charming as a Manjusaka flower and as pretty as a newly blooming green lotus.
For a moment, Xiao Feng watched in a daze, his whole person becoming stunned.
"Brother Xiao Feng!" Xiao Xun Er called out softly with her head lowered.
Only then did Xiao Feng react. He coughed twice to cover his previous embarrassment and hurriedly lowered his head to swallow two large mouthfuls of porridge, while simultaneously asking himself: Am I a lecher?
After the meal, the two arrived at the plaza, which was already a sea of people.
"Brother Feng, over here!"
Seeing Xiao Yan waving at him from not far away, Xiao Feng led Xiao Xun Er toward him.
Although Xiao Feng and Xiao Xun Er would usually engage in some intimate actions, it was either in the back mountains or in their own courtyards; no one ever saw it.
At this moment, with the two of them holding hands, they were practically flaunting their affection in the faces of all their peers. Seeing the Family's biggest idiot acting so arrogantly, every gaze became unfriendly.
Except for a small number of young people who had been warned by their Elders not to provoke Xiao Feng, most of the clan's youths had already started cursing.
"Truly a fresh flower planted in cow dung!"
"I really don't know what there is to be so proud of. Isn't it just a good-looking face? Wait one more month; after the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, whether he's a dragon or a mouse will naturally be clear!"
...The words of praise were all the same, while the insults were varied and colorful.
Noticing that the small hand he was holding was gradually tightening, Xiao Feng looked back at the girl beside him. "There's nothing to care about."
The girl's pout was very high, showing a bit of a temper. "Xun'er just doesn't like people calling you cow dung, and besides, Xun'er doesn't just have a pretty face!"
After saying that, she even puffed out her barely-there chest... "They're insulting me, okay..." Xiao Feng didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"That won't do either!" Xiao Xun Er was still indignant.
"Alright, alright. I've heard it for over ten years; aren't you used to it yet? Tomorrow we might not hear it anymore, so every sentence we hear now is one less we'll hear later."
Hearing Xiao Feng's nonsense, Xiao Xun Er shot him a look and ignored him.
At nine o'clock, the sun rose into the sky, the light becoming slightly piercing. The person presiding over the assembly shouted for silence and then began calling names.
Those whose names were called would go up for the test. Anyone who had not reached Dou Qi Seventh Stage would not even need to participate in the subsequent Coming-of-Age Ceremony. This was a screening process that even the Clan Chief and Elders could not interfere with.
The noisy sounds below vanished instantly. Those with better talent and faster cultivation speeds were calm, even having the illusion that the world would center around them. Meanwhile, those with poor talent and lazy cultivation were either full of apprehension or had a 'broken pot' attitude of indifference.
Xiao Feng stood on the periphery. Even at this time, there were still many people nearby looking at him. Some were gloating, some were full of expectation, and even those few with the 'broken pot' attitude stood tall and proud after seeing Xiao Feng.
But he himself kept his gaze lowered, not caring at all.
At this moment, Xiao Feng's mind was only on one thing. Since he and Yun Shan had devised the plan against Protector Wu, Protector Wu had actually not appeared again, which made Xiao Feng somewhat frustrated. Yun Shan had mentioned that he could contact Protector Wu, but Xiao Feng had refused. If more than one person came, it would be a huge problem.
'Is the Hall of Souls not taking this place seriously, or are they being restrained by the other major families and unable to act? It seems I'll have to wait for a while.'
In the original story, after Xiao Zhan was kidnapped, he was quickly transferred to the Hun Clan. At that time, the Cloud Mist Sect definitely had people from the Hun Clan.
This event would happen a year and a half later. In other words, if luck was bad, Xiao Feng would have to wait a year and a half to uproot the Hun Clan's control over the Jia Ma Empire.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt a headache coming on. And thinking about those Dou Shengs that would soon be springing up like weeds, Xiao Feng felt even more stifled.
"Brother Xiao Feng, it's your turn!" Xiao Xun Er's voice suddenly rang in his ear.