"Pfft!"
Before Xiao Yan could finish, Yun Xian spat out his tea.
The Three-Year Agreement! How is this plot still here?!
"Why?" Yun Xian asked, his brows furrowing.
Nalan Yanran looked equally puzzled. With the engagement dissolved, we're strangers now. Why propose a Three-Year Agreement?
"Well…" Xiao Yan hesitated. "I mean, three years from now, I'd like to have a breakthrough duel with Nalan Yanran. Just a friendly spar, of course!"
He clarified his stance.
"So, why?" Yun Xian's voice grew colder.
"It's… call it youthful pride!" Xiao Yan said, his expression serious, his eyes blazing with conviction. "And I want to push myself!"
Though today's engagement dissolution was a mutual decision reached through peaceful negotiation, from Xiao Yan's perspective, he'd still been passively rejected. Without settling this, lingering resentment could cloud his mind, destabilizing his heart during future cultivation breakthroughs.
Most importantly, Xiao Yan refused to live a mediocre life. The Three-Year Agreement was a whip to drive him to train relentlessly—succeed or perish!
"I see. If you're that determined, I'll accept this Three-Year Agreement!" Nalan Yanran declared, her own pride as a young genius flaring. How could she refuse a challenge from a peer?
Beyond that, she had another motive. Her gaze flicked to Yun Xian. A girl's intuition told her he placed unusual importance on Xiao Yan. Though she didn't understand why, she thought, If I defeat Xiao Yan, Little Uncle-Master will finally notice me, right?
"Thirty years east, thirty years west—never underestimate a determined youth!" Xiao Yan proclaimed, his voice ringing with resolve, stirring everyone present. "Three years from now, I'll challenge you at Yun Lan Sect!"
This time, no one mocked Xiao Yan's audacity. Three years ago, he was a prodigious Dou Zhe, only slightly less renowned than Yun Xian. Tragically, both of these former Jia Ma Empire prodigies had "fallen" for unknown reasons.
Looks like the Three-Year Agreement is inescapable, Yun Xian thought, a wry smile crossing his face. But he quickly relaxed.
Thanks to his maneuvering, this version of the Three-Year Agreement was far milder than in the original story. There was no hatred between Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran—just a youthful challenge. The outcome didn't matter.
After reaching a consensus, the Xiao family warmly hosted Yun Xian and Nalan Yanran, urging them to stay longer and experience Wu Tan City's local charm. Yun Xian, invincible and seeking only to enjoy life, gladly accepted. Nalan Yanran had no interest in Wu Tan City but stayed for her Little Uncle-Master's sake.
"Brother Yun Xian~ Up ahead is our Xiao family's market. Let Mei'er show you around!" Xiao Mei, barely fourteen, had a youthful face blending innocence with a hint of allure. Her sweet, melodious voice could charm many men.
"Xiao Mei, watch your address!" Nalan Yanran snapped, her brows rising as she shot a wary glance. "Yun Xian is a direct disciple of Yun Lan Sect's former master. By seniority, you should call him Uncle-Master!"
"Yes, yes, Senior Sister Yanran," Xiao Mei said, sticking out her tongue before winking playfully at Yun Xian.
This little minx… Nalan Yanran's chest flared with unexplained irritation.
"Mei'er, don't be rude. Call him Little Uncle-Master," Xiao Yu said. At sixteen, her striking features and long legs drew male gazes as she walked.
Nalan Yanran's glare sharpened, as if to say, You think you can call him Little Uncle-Master?
"Uh…" Xiao Yu gave an awkward smile. Yun Xian was only a few years older—calling him Uncle-Master felt odd.
"No matter. Yu'er and Mei'er, you're both Yun Lan Sect disciples now. We're family," Yun Xian said warmly. After discussions, the Xiao family had chosen their most talented youths, Xiao Yu and Xiao Mei, to join Yun Lan Sect. Yun Xian, aiming to align the Xiao family with the sect, treated the girls with friendly affection.
The group wandered the market. Yun Xian subtly used a trace of soul force to scan the stalls, hoping to uncover hidden treasures. Unsurprisingly, he found nothing. I'm no Xiao Yan with a protagonist's luck, stumbling into opportunities everywhere.
Oh well. Already invincible, he didn't care much for such fortunes.
Women, by nature, loved shopping. Xiao Yu and Xiao Mei flitted from stall to stall, and even Nalan Yanran's interest was piqued, lingering at a jewelry stand.
"Like it?" Yun Xian asked, tossing a bag of gold coins to buy a bracelet embedded with a second-tier magical beast core for Nalan Yanran.
"Little Uncle-Master…" Nalan Yanran looked at him, touched.
As the Nalan family's heiress and Yun Lan Sect's future leader, she had no shortage of jewelry. What warmed her heart was the giver.
But before she could say more, Yun Xian bought two more identical core bracelets and handed them to the eagerly watching Xiao Yu and Xiao Mei.
"…" Nalan Yanran's cheeks puffed out in a pout.
"Wow! Mei'er loves it! Thank you, Little Uncle-Master!" Xiao Mei squealed, hugging his arm. A second-tier core bracelet wasn't just decorative—it could enhance Dou Qi cultivation speed.
"Little Uncle-Master, this… it's too valuable. We can't accept it," Xiao Yu said, still reserved.
"It's fine. Consider it a welcome gift from your Uncle-Master," Yun Xian said generously, spending freely. It's Yun Leng's looted gold anyway—why not splurge?
As they prepared to leave, laden with purchases, a group of unwelcome figures blocked their path.
"Well, well, if it isn't Miss Xiao Yu and Miss Xiao Mei? What a coincidence to meet here," said a young man in lavish robes, about twenty, with a pallid face. His heated gaze fixed on the three graceful young women, laced with undisguised lust.
"Oh? And a new beauty today. May I have your name, miss?" he asked Nalan Yanran.
She ignored him.
Yun Xian barely glanced his way. Just a nobody.
"Young Master Jia Lie Ao, if you've no business, please step aside. We have things to do," Xiao Yu said, frowning, clearly unimpressed.
"Heh, ladies, shopping at the market? I'm free—why not join you?" Jia Lie Ao flashed what he thought was a charming smile. His status had won over many naive Wu Tan City girls before.
"Pfft! Young Master Jia Lie Ao, are you blind? Can't you see we're already with a super handsome guy? Why embarrass yourself?" Xiao Mei's seemingly innocent giggle dripped with mockery.
"Handsome guy? I—" Jia Lie Ao turned, only to see Yun Xian's sharp brows, starry eyes, and commanding presence. The glaring gap in their looks choked his retort, his face flushing red with embarrassment.