Chapter 1: Xiao Clan's Xiao Tianmie, S-Rank Guardian Spirit

Kyoto, the Xiao Clan, the Ancestral Hall.

The Xiao Clan Head, Xiao Xuan, dressed in Tang-style attire, addressed the clan's key members:

"I declare that from this moment on, the Flame Cave shall be bestowed upon Xiao Tianmie; Xiao Qingran is forbidden from entering the Flame Cave ever again."

"Yes."

The Xiao Clan elders, looking at the youth Xiao Tianmie standing behind the Clan Head, faintly emanating the oppressive pressure of an S-rank Guardian Spirit, all nodded in assent.

The other clansmen in the Ancestral Hall, not a single one dared to question it.

"Unfair!"

No one expected that at this moment, a woman's voice would come from the entrance of the Ancestral Hall.

This voice carried a few parts timidity, a few parts indignation.

Everyone looked toward the entrance, only to see a middle-aged beautiful woman in plain clothing, biting her lip, her eyes resolute, as if she had mustered tremendous courage.

Her name was Li Qingqing; she was Xiao Qingran's mother.

Although she held no status in the Xiao Clan, she had heard the clan intended to reclaim the Flame Cave fief that belonged to Xiao Qingran.

She paced hesitantly at the ancestral hall entrance, but in the end could not hold back from speaking out.

Clan Head Xiao Xuan's brows couldn't help but furrow; before he could speak, a middle-aged man bearing a few parts resemblance to him, standing below, had already spoken up first to berate her.

"Qingqing, is this a place you can come? Go back!"

This middle-aged man was precisely Li Qingqing's husband, the Clan Head's son, and also Xiao Qingran's biological father, Xiao Zhanyan.

Li Qingqing did not reply; her steps firm, she first bowed to everyone, then said timidly:

"Over this past year, Qingran has toiled almost day and night, risking death several times to clear out the Flame Demons on the first level of the Flame Cave, making the first level suitable for cultivation.

You previously ordered that all young clansmen may enter the first level of the Flame Cave to cultivate.

Regarding this, Qingran had not a single word of dissatisfaction.

Qingran did not monopolize the cultivation resources won through bloody struggle.

And now, the clan suddenly reclaims the Flame Cave to give to other clansmen.

For Qingran, is this not a bit unfair?"

Clan Head Xiao Xuan, hearing this, twitched his mouth corner, and said coldly: "This is the clan's decision, not something a mere woman from an outside surname can question!

For Zhan'er's sake, you leave; today I will not punish you!"

To the side, Xiao Zhanyan's face was already dark.

Xiao Zhanyan not only did not speak up for Xiao Qingran, but instead shouted furiously at Li Qingqing:

"Li Qingqing! Go home to this old man right now! Don't you fucking cause trouble for this old man!"

Li Qingqing's face turned pale, she bit her teeth tight, as if she would bite her lips bloody: "Clan Head, various Elders, Zhan-ge, a year ago the Flame Cave was a forbidden zone.

Without Qingran risking her life to enter, it would still be a forbidden zone.

Now, my son is in the underground first level clearing Flame Demons; he is staking his life to secure cultivation resources for the clan.

Yet the clan didn't even seek his opinion once, and just wants to reclaim the Flame Cave, forbidding him from entering to cultivate.

I believe, this, is, not, fair!"

"Insolence!"

Clan Head Xiao Xuan raged: "Whether it's fair or not is not for an outsider without a Guardian Spirit like you to decide. Men, drag her out."

"Haha, Clan Head, various Eldords, hold on."

Just at this time, Xiao Tianmie standing behind the Clan Head suddenly spoke:

"Aunt Li, you tell me, according to our Xiao Clan family law, what is the punishment for trespassing into the Ancestral Hall and talking back to the Clan Head?"

Before awakening a Guardian Spirit, among the Xiao Clan's younger generation, Xiao Qingran was the undisputed number one.

Even though Xiao Qingran's Guardian Spirit was not the Strange Fire Spirit unique to the Xiao Clan.

But in terms of combat strength, if Xiao Qingran claimed second, no one dared claim first.

From childhood to adulthood, Xiao Tianmie had heard Xiao Qingran's name no small number of times; jealousy and resentment had piled up in his heart for a long time.

Why!

Why could a hybrid whose Guardian Spirit wasn't even a Strange Fire be the Xiao Clan's number one of the younger generation!

Until he awakened his Guardian Spirit, the resentment pent up in his chest was finally vented in one go.

At this moment, the chance to vent had arrived.

Li Qingqing, hearing this, her face turned deathly pale, not uttering a word.

Xiao Tianmie pressed aggressively, coldly laughing: "What, does Aunt Li not even know our Xiao Clan family law?"

Just then, a guard who had heard Xiao Xuan's words and rushed in from outside the Ancestral Hall, said respectfully to Xiao Tianmie in succession:

"Replying to Young Master Tianmie, according to our Xiao Clan family law, trespassing into the Ancestral Hall is thirty strokes of the rod, talking back to the Clan Head is twenty strokes!

Two crimes committed together, crime atop crime, it should be sixty strokes of the rod!"

This guard was originally a confidant of Xiao Tianmie's lineage.

Right now, he naturally saw through what Xiao Tianmie wanted to do; this was precisely his chance to perform, how could he miss it.

Clan Head Xiao Xuan glanced at Xiao Zhanyan, seeing the latter make no sound, impatiently waved his hand, and said coldly: "Drag her down, rod punishment... punish fifty!"

That guard immediately acknowledged the order, roughly grabbing Li Qingqing's arm and dragging her outward.

Inside the Ancestral Hall.

Xiao Tianmie's laughter rang out: "No need to mind her status; family law is above all, Uncle Zhan understands the greater righteousness, he will understand, understand?"

Outside the Ancestral Hall.

"Subordinate understands!"

Smack!

*Crack! *

"Aaaah! No, unfair! Mmph..."

At the ancestral hall entrance, muffled thuds and pained groans immediately rang out.

One stroke, two strokes, three strokes...

Li Qingqing's groans grew weaker and weaker...

Forty-nine strokes!

Only the last stroke remained!

Li Qingqing lay on the ground, her back a mangled mess of flesh and blood.

When it came down to it, that guard still didn't dare strike to kill; every blow was measured.

Xiao Tianmie could face Xiao Zhanyan's fury afterward without fear, but he was a mere guard — if he accidentally beat Li Qingqing to death, ten lives wouldn't be enough to pay for it.

Even though everyone knew Li Qingqing wasn't favored by Xiao Zhanyan, she was still, in name at least, his wife.

"Wait!"

Just then, Xiao Tianmie strode out of the ancestral hall: "This last stroke, I'll deliver it!"

"Young Master, this... this..."

Without a word, Xiao Tianmie snatched the wooden rod, revealing a cruel smile: "With force like yours, what's the difference from tickling?"

Inside the ancestral hall, Xiao Zhanyan's brows furrowed, his feet shifted slightly, but in the end he stopped in place.

The Xiao clan's direct line had three branches; his Xiao Zhanyan's branch and Xiao Tianmie's branch had always been at odds.

Xiao Zhanyan had misgivings.

He feared that if he intervened to stop it, evidence of favoritism would fall into others' hands, and his impression in Xiao Xuan's eyes would worsen.

Now Xiao Tianmie disregarded his status and personally stepped in — this gave him leverage.

Moreover, in Xiao Zhanyan's view, Xiao Tianmie surely wouldn't dare tear off the mask of civility.

He was betting that Xiao Tianmie wouldn't dare strike a nominal elder with lethal force.

Li Qingqing would merely suffer some external injuries.

So be it; let her learn a lesson, lest she bring him more trouble later.

Too bad, he bet wrong!

Never in his wildest dreams did he expect this.

*Crack! *

With a dull thud of impact!

Blood sprayed three chi!

Li Qingqing could no longer withstand the blow; her frail body went motionless, breathless.

Seeing this, everyone in the ancestral hall was surprised, yet no one spoke up to condemn Xiao Tianmie.

On one side, a future clan head possessing an S-rank Guardian Spirit with boundless prospects; on the other, an outsider woman unfavored by Xiao Zhanyan, with no Guardian Spirit.

How to choose — everyone present knew clearly.

"Catch!"

Xiao Tianmie tossed the punishment rod back to the guard, his tone sarcastic: "See clearly now? This is how you treat criminals who violate clan rules."

The guard's face paled slightly, clearly frightened that Xiao Tianmie had beaten Li Qingqing to death.

He only feared being implicated, drawing Xiao Zhanyan's retaliation, yet his mouth still fawned like a dog.

"This lowly one understands! Next time, I definitely won't hold back!"

Xiao Tianmie didn't care in the slightest, spat a mouthful of saliva: "Alive she's just wasting air, trash without even an F-rank Guardian Spirit!"

Suddenly, everyone seemed to sense something, turning their heads to look not far away.

They saw a youth of fifteen or sixteen, striding rapidly from the distance.

It was none other than Xiao Qingran, rushing back from the first underground level of the Flame Cavern!