"Xiao Yue... sister?"
Hearing her younger brother's timid and trembling voice, Xiao Yue finally snapped back to her senses. After a full few seconds, her icy gaze gradually returned to normal.
"What is it?"
Xiao Yue rubbed the space between her eyebrows and asked in a soothing tone. She had been too immersed in her visualization just now, almost transforming into the Blood Moon Mountain Lord from the painting, and had failed to switch back from the painting's artistic conception in time. She certainly hadn't meant to scare him on purpose.
"Some guests have come to the house, and Father told us to go to the living room..." Xiao Yan said quietly.
After the brief episode just now, he seemed to be shaken. This aloof little brat, who used to be cold to everyone except their mother, appeared somewhat restrained and vulnerable in front of Xiao Yue at the moment, his voice even softer than usual.
Hearing this, Xiao Yue nodded. Then she stood up and walked ahead, and the brother and sister crossed the backyard to reach the living room.
Inside the living room,
Xiao Zhan and his wife were sitting and chatting amiably with a middle-aged man.
The strange middle-aged man was around forty years old, with an imposing stature, loose black hair, clear eyes, and a profound gaze. Sitting in the hall, he exuded a strong presence, instantly recognizable as someone who had held a high position for a long time.
The moment she raised her eyes and caught sight of him, a flash of surprise crossed Xiao Yue's eyes.
Although her expression quickly returned to normal, that fleeting anomaly was still caught by the man. However, the middle-aged man did not seem to mind it much; he merely nodded and smiled at Xiao Yue without saying anything further.
Outwardly keeping her composure, Xiao Yue led her younger brother behind her to bow to Xiao Zhan, his wife, and the middle-aged man, before quietly standing beside her mother Liu Yan, obediently listening to the conversation among the three adults.That tall, imposing middle-aged man in a plain black robe always wore a gentle smile on his face, giving off an approachable and amiable impression.
Even though the other party did not display any oppressive aura or let slip even a shred of momentum, Xiao Yue did not dare to underestimate him in the slightest. She was certain that beneath his ordinary appearance lay an inexpressibly terrifying power.
"He seems even stronger than the old man..."
Xiao Yue made this judgment in her heart.
After all, since the other party had not leaked a single trace of his aura, she was unable to accurately gauge his strength and could only guess based on intuition.Following this, she shifted her gaze to the young girl with long, straight black hair sitting beside the middle-aged man. The girl was about the same age as her younger brother, with skin so fair and translucent it looked carved from jade, still retaining a hint of baby fat. On anyone else, this might simply look cute, but this little girl possessed a certain poise, like a serene young princess. She sat there quietly, exuding an elegant temperament.
The girl in the purple dress seemed to sense Xiao Yue’s gaze and blinked. Her eyes then met Xiao Yue’s crimson pupils, which resembled red agate.
As their gazes collided, Xiao Yue didn't feel anything amiss, but the girl in the purple dress appeared somewhat shy and instinctively shifted to hide behind the middle-aged man’s right side.
Perhaps it was because Xiao Yue’s natural silver hair and red eyes were so striking—especially that flowing, lustrous mane of three thousand strands of soft, pure silver, coupled with her cool, refined aura—that the young girl in purple couldn't help but steal a few curious, sparkling glances at her.
At this moment,The three adults nearby had finished their conversation, and the middle-aged man rose, smiling as he spoke:
"Brother Xiao, it is time for me to return. I entrust Xun'er to you and your wife..."
"Do not worry, brother. We understand. Rest assured, we will take care of Xun'er as if she were our own daughter," Xiao Zhan promised the middle-aged man with great solemnity.
"I am indebted to you," Gu Yuan said.
"Haha, don't mention it. Our two families have been close for generations; helping one another is only natural," Xiao Zhan said with a hearty laugh, waving his hand dismissively.
Gu Yuan nodded with a smile upon hearing this.
He then reached out to gently stroke the head of the little girl behind him and said, "Xun'er, you will stay here with the Xiao Clan. Do not worry about anything; I will come to visit you often."
The little girl in the purple dress gave a quiet, gentle nod. Although she felt a pang of reluctance, she knew her father was doing this for her own good. Since he had promised to visit frequently, her heart felt much more at ease.
Mother Xiao, Liu Yan, watching from the side, was deeply fond of the obedient and sensible Xun'er.
"Yueyue, since Xun'er is new here, she will inevitably feel a bit unfamiliar with her surroundings. Later, I will have someone set up another bed in your room so she can stay with you. From now on, you two will be like sisters. As the older sister, you must take good care of her," Liu Yan said, her tone soft as she looked toward Xiao Yue.
Perhaps she feared Xiao Xun'er would feel lonely in an unfamiliar environment, or perhaps she simply wanted to find a companion for Xiao Yue, who had always been a loner.
"Understood. I will take good care of Xun'er."
Xiao Yue had no objections; she understood her mother's intentions and nodded in quiet agreement.
She could tell that the little girl in the purple dress named Xun'er certainly did not come from a simple background, and the power behind her was perhaps far greater than the Xiao Clan itself. At the same time, Xiao Yue was curious about the nature of the relationship between her father, Xiao Zhan, and the middle-aged man that would lead him to entrust such a well-behaved and sensible daughter to their family.
"That is good," Liu Yan said with a nod, smiling. She knew her daughter had always preferred peace and quiet, but she had been more mature than her peers since childhood. With such a thoughtful and considerate daughter, she felt quite at ease.
In the distance, Gu Yuan observed Xiao Yue’s mature and composed demeanor. A flash of appreciation crossed his eyes, and he nodded with satisfaction. Just looking at the silver-haired girl’s temperament, he felt it would be quite good for his daughter to live with her.
"As expected of a descendant of the Xiao Xuan line. Even at such a young age, her soul power is extraordinary; to think she could detect a trace of Dou Sheng aura from me. This little girl is not simple. Her future holds much promise," Gu Yuan thought to himself, feeling a surge of melancholy for his good friend who had passed away a millennium ago.
Had that man succeeded in ascending to Dou Di back then, the Xiao Clan would not have fallen to its current state.
Whether it was a hallucination or not, in a moment of distraction, Gu Yuan seemed to see the phantom of the dashing, peerless genius from his youth.
A flash of loneliness flickered in Gu Yuan's eyes. How things had changed; how many of their generation still remained? In the blink of an eye, a thousand years had already passed.