Chapter 78

Qiki had a miserable life before making her entrance into the Le Mansion. Her father was a gambling addict. Bent on gambling back what he lost, he bet Qiki and her mother in his last stand, only to find himself lose it once more. Qiki and her mother were nearly assigned to a brothel before the big-hearted Louir Cayv selected and bought both of them as servants. Louir Cayv even offered to repay of the debt of Qiki's father.

Nonetheless, Qiki's mother still fell heavily ill because of the sufferings before. Before long, she passed away, leaving Qiki alone in the Le Mansion. So Qiki treated the Le family as that of her own.

"I have to think up some means to earn money..." Le Xaan began to take this as a matter serious and urgent.

He looked over his shoulder and saw Qiki took out an envelope from her bosom.

"Just now, a postman came and delivered us this letter." Qiki put the letter on the table.

Le Xaan walked over, took up and ate two pieces of egg yolk milk puff, then picked up the letter, finding that it was mailed from the Le Mansion.

"It's a letter sent from home." he tore open the envelope and read it.

The general message of this letter was that the Le family had decided to move to Mountainside City, reassuring Le Xaan that everything went smoothly in Gourian City and instructing him that he should concentrate on preparing for the Annual National Examination.

After finishing reading it, Le Xaan shook his head and put it away in a drawer of the desk.

"Are today's tonics done brewing?" He asked Qiki while gobbling up the egg yolk milk puffs in the tray. He had already finished eating over half of them.

"Yes, they are. I placed them in the box. Young Master, you can go to train now. Go early and return early." Qiki immediately realized that it was time for Le Xaan to practice martial arts.

"Well."

"Knock, knock, knock."

Suddenly, the door was knocked lightly.

"Who is it?" Qiki got to her feet and walked over to open the door. Before long, her conversation with a person could be heard. Then, the creak of closing door sounded out.

"Who is it?" By then, Le Xaan finished eating his breakfast and was changing clothes for the training.

"A servant boy from the Soan family has delivered this letter." Qiki handed another letter to Le Xaan. "Young Master, have a look."

Le Xaan took it from Qiki's hand and saw the cover of the envelope read, "To be opened by Brother Le only".

He momentarily came to know that it was from Soan Jingor. Among his friends, Soan Jingor was the only one who was closely bound with him and named Soan.

After opening the envelope, Le Xaan learned from the letter that Soan Jingor planned to pay and help Kunny escape from slavery in the pleasure cruiser tomorrow, the Fragrance Silk Festival. He invited Le Xaan to go along with him and bear witness to the occasion. In the tail of the letter, he asked Le Xaan to come without fail. And Soan Jingor would celebrate it with them.

"Escape slavery?" Le Xaan muttered. He could tell that Kunny and Soan Jingor had a rather intimate relationship but never expected that he had genuinely fell in love with the hostess, even going so far as to pay a large sum of money to free her from the ship.

But Soan Jingor were rather intimate friends with him. Since Le Xaan had no urgent business that day, he had to go in response to the invitation.

He tucked away the letter in the drawer and locked it. Then, taking a blade with him, Le Xaan was about to go out of the house. Just as he entered his room to change clothes, he examined his current self in the bronze mirror.

In recent days, he could distinctly sense that Black Tiger Jade Crane Skill was transforming his body into a stronger build by nurturing it with the inner body Qi. The effect of this upgraded Qi cultivation method became ever more pronounced as the days passed.

Dark Shadow did its share of benefits to his body as well. Le Xaan now felt that the impurities and toxins were purged out of his vital organs with the passage of every second.

Such an alteration made Le Xaan believe that even though he didn't practice martial arts that strengthen his body, it didn't necessarily fell short of those of the people did practiced that sort of martial arts.

Swaying his blade in midair and activating Black Tiger Jade Crane Skill and Dark Shadow, Le Xaan could heard the rumbling sound from around the weapon.

Le Xaan raised his arm that held the saber and studied it. It was unknown from when, but his arm was presently interspersed with twisted black and red tendons, which made for a hideous sight.

Over the past few months, he grew remarkably stronger. If he changed into a suit of tight-fitting clothes, any onlooker could notice his bulging muscles in a well-proportioned and admirable shape. His bicep was about the same thickness as an average young man's thigh.

"I need a good blade."

Le Xaan held the saber horizontally before his eyes, his reflection emerging on the edge. There were also many subtle cracks crawling across it.

"It would soon be broken down."

At the moment, soft footsteps sounded from the doorway. Someone seemed to be slipping into his bedroom. And the footsteps' rhythm differed vastly from Qiki's.

"Who is it!"

"Roar!"

A tiger growl rang out.

Le Xaan instantly turned to look over, his eyes bulging. As his inner body Qi was mobilized, a brutish, imposing aura cropped up around him, churning the surrounding air and bringing about a deafening tiger snarl.

The girl who had just stepped through the doorway crumpled onto her butt. It turned out to be Zein Yoeri.

She looked deathly pale. Apparently, she was terrified out of her wits. Her legs limp, she couldn't even muster the strength to get to her feet.

"Woo, woo, woo.. Elder Brother Le, you're frightening me intentionally..."

Zein Yoeri was originally of a mind to surprise Le Xaan, yet only to be scared to death by Le Xaan. At the point, tears welled up in her eyes.

"Woo woo woo..." Zein Yoeri cried her hear out. Le Xaan could only help her up and comfort her with resignation.

"Just now, I saw a colossal black tiger pouncing upon me. That is so horrifying!" Zein Yori's face remained ashen.

"Don't sneak up from behind me anymore in the future. It's dangerous." Le Xaan stretched out his hand and patted Zein Yoeri on her head.

"Why are here? Where's your elder brother?"

"He is still at school. Tomorrow is Fragrance Silk Festival. Elder Brother Le, what's your plan tomorrow?" Zein Yoeri asked in a low voice. She seemed to have recovered from her shock as she rubbed her eyes.

"I have arranged to hang out and have drinks with my friends."

"Uh? It turns out that I am too late!" Zein Yoeri called out in disappointment. "Alas, alright. I have to rush to look for another friend. I hope that they haven't been 'reserved' yet... So long, Elder Brother Le!" She seemed to have some unknown intentions here and hurriedly left the room.