Chapter 36: Publicly Breaking the Engagement

【System Prompt: Xiao Yan has activated a group live stream.】

After receiving the chat group’s notification, Lu Qingshan and others quickly opened Xiao Yan’s live stream.

A black-clad teenager, not particularly tall but visibly sharp and energetic, immediately appeared in their minds—it was Xiao Yan, who had already activated the group live stream.

【Pang Bo: Xiao Yan, brother, you look incredibly spirited today!】

【Xiao Yan: No matter how spirited I am, I can’t match your towering, mighty presence, Brother Pang Bo!】

Pang Bo had previously activated the group live stream, so Xiao Yan had seen him before.

Compared to Pang Bo, Xiao Yan looked decidedly frail.

As Xiao Yan chatted with Pang Bo, an elderly man in blue robes appeared at the door of his room: “Young Master San, the clan chief requests your presence in the main hall!”

“I know!”

Xiao Yan replied casually, then stepped out of his room and followed the blue-robed elder toward the main hall.

Although he already knew what was coming and had prepared himself, when this moment arrived, a flicker of tension still arose in his heart.

Following the blue-robed elder, Xiao Yan soon reached the entrance of the Xiao family’s main hall.

Inside the hall, many were already seated—besides the clan chief Xiao Zhan, several power-holding figures, and talented younger generations, only three strangers remained, whom Xiao Yan had never seen before.

Among them was an elderly man in a silvery-white robe, radiant and smiling, with a silver crescent moon adorned with seven golden stars embroidered on his chest—the Seven-Star Grand Battle Master Ge Ye of Yun Yun Sect!

Beside Ge Ye sat a young man and woman, both dressed in silvery-white robes. The man, around twenty, was already a Fifth-Star Battle Seeker; the girl, seemingly only fifteen or sixteen, was even more extraordinary—a Third-Star Battle Seeker, and stunningly beautiful!

“Father, three elders!” Xiao Yan stepped forward two paces and bowed respectfully to Xiao Zhan and the three elders.

“Hehe, Yan’er, you’ve come? Sit down!” Xiao Zhan said with a smile.

Xiao Yan looked around but could not find his seat.

【Pang Bo: These three old bastards in your clan are truly despicable—you’ll have to teach them a lesson later!】

【Yue Buqun: These three elders acted improperly—there are outsiders present; how could they humiliate their own family like this?】

At this moment, Xiao Yan silently shook his head, but since his talent issue had been resolved, he felt no despair as in the original story.

“Xiao Yan brother, sit here!”

Fortunately, Xiao Xun’er rose promptly to rescue him, calling him to sit beside her.

Soon, Xiao Zhan began conversing with the three elders and Ge Ye, while Xiao Xun’er whispered quietly with Xiao Yan in the corner.

“Xiao Yan brother, do you know who these people are?” Xiao Xun’er blinked cutely at Xiao Yan.

Having read “Dou Po Cang Qiong,” Xiao Yan naturally knew the identities and origins of Ge Ye and the others, so he replied calmly: “Judging by the cloud-and-silver-sword patterns on their sleeves, they must be from Yun Yun Sect.”

“Mm!”

Seeing Xiao Yan recognize Ge Ye’s identity, Xiao Xun’er nodded quickly, then continued: “Then do you know why they’ve come to our clan?”

Why?

A flicker of anger surfaced on Xiao Yan’s face.

In the original story, what followed would humiliate him and his father—how could he possibly not know why they were here?

As a transmigrator, Xiao Yan himself did not strongly endorse arranged infant betrothals.

If Nan Lan Yanran had respectfully visited the Xiao family and privately raised the matter of dissolving the engagement, he would have agreed without objection.

But now?

Nan Lan Yanran ignored the elder family members who arranged the betrothal, brought along her sect’s representatives to pressure the Xiao family—she was using power to bully them!

And finally, she even offered a Pill of Gathering Qi as if bestowing a favor—this was utter humiliation!

Seeing the flicker of anger on Xiao Yan’s face, Xiao Xun’er was startled.

“Has Xiao Yan brother already figured out their purpose?”

Xiao Xun’er wondered inwardly: “I wonder what he truly thinks about this?”

At this moment, Ge Ye, who had been avoiding the subject while chatting with Xiao Zhan and the others, finally stood up under Nan Lan Yanran’s persistent signals.

【Pang Bo: Here it comes, here it comes!】

【Yue Buqun: I wonder how Xiao Yan will respond!】

【Tian Meng Bing Can: What’s so interesting? And Nan Lan Yanran isn’t even pretty—she’s nowhere near Bingbing!】

Watching the chat group’s comments, Xiao Yan’s anger slightly subsided.

After all, his fate had already changed because of the chat group—he would never let his father or clan suffer humiliation as in the original story!

“Cough!”

At that moment, Ge Ye stood and bowed to Xiao Zhan on the main seat: “Clan Chief Xiao, we’ve come to your clan primarily to request a favor.”

“Hehe, Master Ge Ye, please speak plainly!”

Xiao Zhan also rose, smiling: “If it’s within our power, the Xiao family will not refuse.”

For these three esteemed guests from Yun Yun Sect, Xiao Zhan would never be disrespectful—but for the clan’s sake, he did not commit too firmly.

“Clan Chief Xiao!”

Ge Ye pointed to Nan Lan Yanran beside him: “This is our sect master’s beloved disciple, Nan Lan Yanran!”

Nan Lan Yanran?

Hearing Ge Ye’s introduction, Xiao Zhan’s face instantly lit up with a smile.

“So you’re Miss Nan Lan!”

Xiao Zhan chuckled: “We haven’t seen each other in years—forgive your uncle for not recognizing you earlier!”

“Uncle Xiao, I’ve never visited you all these years—it should be I who owes you an apology!”

Nan Lan Yanran sweetly spoke to Xiao Zhan while gently tugging at Ge Ye’s sleeve.

Seeing this, Ge Ye, though inwardly exasperated, had no choice but to speak again: “Clan Chief Xiao, the matter I wish to discuss concerns Yanran—and it was personally instructed by our sect master…”

Hearing this, Xiao Zhan instantly suspected the truth, and his smile gradually faded: “Master Ge Ye, please speak.”

“This…”

Ge Ye’s face showed another hint of helplessness, but finally he gritted his teeth: “Clan Chief Xiao, you surely know our Yun Yun Sect has strict rules, and our sect master holds high expectations for Yanran—he has even begun training her as our next sect master… However, due to certain special regulations within our sect, the sect master’s successor cannot be entangled with any man before assuming the position…”

“Therefore, upon learning of Yanran’s betrothal to your family, the sect master specifically sent me to discuss with you, requesting that you dissolve this engagement!”

(End of Chapter)