Chapter 17

Xiao Ming casually glanced at Xiao Mei, noticing a hint of discomfort in her expression. His sharp eyes caught the subtle changes in her demeanor, and with a knowing smile, he leaned in slightly.

"What's bothering you, Mei'er?" he asked gently, his tone warm yet probing.

Xiao Mei hesitated, her eyes flickering toward Ye Chan's empty seat. After a moment, she sighed. "It's nothing, Brother Ming. I just… I think I misjudged Ye Chan. I used to think he was brave and talented, but now…" Her voice trailed off as she frowned. "Now, he seems so pretentious. And the way he looked at Sister Rui earlier wasn't right. And leaving like that—so impolitely it was just rude."

Hearing this, Xiao Ming was momentarily stunned.

"Although I expected Ye Chan's image in Xiao Mei's eyes to take a hit, I didn't think it would happen so quickly," Xiao Ming thought, suppressing a smile. "And what does she mean by him leaving impolitely? Of course, anyone would be angry if they were seated next to a dog for a meal, not to mention having their food eaten by that same dog. Ye Chan, Ye Chan, I truly pity you."

Of course, Xiao Ming conveniently ignored that he had orchestrated the entire setup.

Suppressing his amusement, Xiao Ming nodded. "Don't trouble yourself over him, Mei'er. Some people show their true colors when the situation demands it."

Their conversation drew Xiao Rui's attention. She turned to Xiao Mei with a serious expression. "Mei'er, you shouldn't feel bad because of him. He saved your life once, but don't forget—you saved his life before that. You owe him nothing."

"Rui's right. You shouldn't feel bad about him, Mei'er." Xiao Ming chimed in, gently patting Xiao Mei's shoulder. But internally, he was smirking. "It seems that Ye Chan's declining luck and behavior have made even Xiao Rui, his supposed heroine, form a negative impression of him. According to the original storyline, Xiao Rui's first impression of Ye Chan wasn't great, but she grew to admire his courage after he saved the Xiao family. Yet, it seems this time her impression has turned irreparably sour."

As the feast concluded, the guests gradually retired to their rooms. The day had been filled with ups and downs, leaving everyone exhausted and eager for rest.

Meanwhile, in his room, Ye Chan sat seething. His pride had taken a massive hit, and his frustration only grew as the night stretched on. He expected Xiao Mei to come and console him—surely, she had seen his humiliation and would feel sorry for him. But as the hours passed, and the celebration wound down, there was no sign of her.

"Unbelievable!" Ye Chan muttered, pacing the room. "How dare she ignore me? After everything I've done for her!"

Just then, he overheard the drunken voice of Xiao Wuye speaking to some servants in the hallway.

"Today is truly a grand day. Not only has our young master become a core disciple of the Holy Sect, but he's also established the Xiao family as the overlords of Moonshade City! Our young master is incredible!"

Ye Chan clenched his fists, his irritation growing. "Can't this drunkard keep his voice down?" he thought. But as he moved to block out the noise, something Wuye said froze him in place.

"Did you hear? Lady Xiao Rui and Xiao Mei went to Young Master Xiao Ming's room," Wuye said with a sly chuckle.

"Well, I saw them go, but what's so surprising about that?"

"You idiot!" another servant scolded. "Don't you know that Lady Xiao Rui has always had feelings for Young Master Xiao Ming? And they're not even blood-related. The clan head has plans to marry them in the future."

"Oh, you're right! I even heard that Xiao Rui's father supports the idea."

"Exactly! And with both of them visiting his room late at night… Well, you know what happens next." Wuye laughed, and his companions joined in.

"Haha! Maybe we'll hear about little lords soon!" Xiao Wuye added with a knowing chuckle.

The servants burst into laughter, their insinuations clear. But in Ye Chan's room, the atmosphere was anything but light. His face turned livid as fury boiled within him. 

"'Xiao Ming… That bastard! Not only does he humiliate me, but now he dares to…!"

He wanted to rush out and confront Xiao Wuye, but reason held him back. Instead, Without a second's hesitation, he leaped out of his window, heading toward Xiao Mei and Xiao Rui's rooms to confirm what he'd heard. But as he reached their quarters, he found them empty. Panic and fury mingled in his chest as he desperately searched for them.

What Ye Chan didn't realize was that the noisy hallway had suddenly fallen silent. Xiao Wuye, who had seemed drunk moments ago, now stood perfectly sober, a cold sneer on his lips. "A toad trying to eat swan meat," he muttered.

In Xiao Ming's room, the atmosphere was calm. The well-furnished space, filled with exquisite items, stood in stark contrast to Ye Chan's bare-bones quarters, which resembled a doghouse by comparison.

Xiao Ming sat on his bed, with Xiao Rui and Xiao Mei. Both girls' faces were flushed with embarrassment. But don't get the wrong idea—they were simply reminiscing about their childhoods. Xiao Ming had been teasing them with stories of their embarrassing moments: Xiao Rui loudly declaring she'd marry him when they grew up, or Xiao Mei stubbornly pestering him until he agreed to play with her.

As Xiao Ming's eyes scanned the room, his gaze sharpened for a moment. Then, with a meaningful smile, he abruptly changed the subject.

"Well, that's enough for today. We'll continue another time," he said, standing up and tidying his slightly disheveled clothes.

To Xiao Rui and Xiao Mei, the gesture seemed perfectly normal. But to Ye Chan, who had stealthily climbed onto the roof, it painted an entirely different picture. From his perspective, Xiao Ming's actions looked like a criminal trying to cover his tracks.

Ye Chan's face twisted in anger, his killing intent barely restrained. He had already checked Xiao Rui and Xiao Mei's rooms, only to find them empty. When he finally located them here, he arrived just in time to hear Xiao Ming's parting words and see him fixing his clothes. Seeing the sisters' flushed faces only added fuel to the fire.

"This shameless trio!" Ye Chan seethed, his thoughts spiraling out of control.

Just as Ye Chan prepared to strike, Xiao Ming's voice cut through the room. "Xiao Rui, Father mentioned you had something of my original parents' belongings. Is that true?"

The shift to a serious topic brought the sisters out of their embarrassed reverie. Their expressions turned solemn, though traces of redness lingered on their cheeks.

"Yes, Brother Ming," Xiao Rui said, pulling out a ring. "Father entrusted this to me, saying it belonged to your parents."

Xiao Ming accepted the ring, his expression tinged with melancholy. "So, this is all they left me…" he murmured, his voice carrying a hint of sadness. But internally, he was smirking. Thanks to his Immortal Bone's heightened sensitivity, He had sensed Ye Chan's killing intent the moment it appeared.

On the roof, Ye Chan was losing his mind. Not only had his crush, Xiao Mei, and the enigmatic Xiao Rui seemingly betrayed him, but now they were handing over an invaluable treasure to Xiao Ming. If Xiao Ming returned to the Holy Land with this technique, Ye Chan's chances of obtaining it in the future would be slim to none.

Unable to suppress his emotions any longer, Ye Chan's killing intent surged uncontrollably, spilling into the room below.

Xiao Ming, holding the ring, suddenly pulled both sisters into an affectionate hug. To Ye Chan, this was the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Boom! In a fit of rage, Ye Chan unleashed a devastating energy palm, aimed directly at Xiao Ming.

The air trembled violently as the energy palm tore through the night, its destructive aura spreading outward. The sheer force of the attack shook the foundation of the Xiao mansion. Windows shattered, and debris scattered as the deadly blast hurtled toward its target.

Inside the room, Xiao Rui and Xiao Mei froze as the overwhelming aura of the attack reached them. Their faces turned pale, and their breaths caught in their throats. They clutched Xiao Ming instinctively, their eyes wide with terror.

"Brother Ming!" they cried, panic evident in their voices.

The energy palm descended upon the room, its destructive power looming closer. The sisters could feel its heat, its menace, its promise of annihilation. Helpless, they squeezed their eyes shut, their hearts pounding wildly in their chests.

"At least… we'll die in Brother Ming's arms," the same thought ran through both their minds as they braced for the inevitable.

One second passed. Then another. But the anticipated pain never came.

Opening their eyes, they saw a protective shield enveloping them. However, their relief was short-lived, as their gazes fell on Xiao Ming, who coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed into their arms.

"Brother Ming!" they cried out in unison, their voices trembling with fear.

Their cries echoed through the Xiao mansion, followed by a thunderous roar: "Who dares attack a core disciple of the Holy Land?!"