ALL NOVEL Chapter 69: A Slight Regret
“Xiao Yan, is it ready yet?”
Yun Zhi’s voice was filled with nervousness, but Xiao Yan remained calm and spoke softly.
“Not yet… just a little longer…”
“Ah… I can’t wait anymore…”
Suddenly, Yun Zhi let out a murmured sigh, but Xiao Yan remained unfazed, raising a finger to his lips.
“Hush… just a little longer… we’re almost there…”
“Mmm…”
Another dozen seconds passed, and Xiao Yan’s pupils suddenly contracted as he loudly exclaimed, “Done!”
As Xiao Yan’s words fell, Yun Zhi immediately picked up the roasted meat from the fire, and a delightful aroma filled the air, causing her eyes to shine with excitement.
Nineteen times! A total of nineteen times!
It had been a week since Yun Zhi and Xiao Yan began their journey, and during this week, Yun Zhi had stubbornly attempted to roast meat under Xiao Yan’s guidance. She had failed eighteen times, but on the nineteenth try, she succeeded in cooking the meat!
Yun Zhi excitedly brought the roasted meat to her mouth and took a big bite. After a few chews, her eyes sparkled with satisfaction.
It didn’t turn into charcoal! And it tastes delicious! It’s edible!
“Whew…”
While Yun Zhi was filled with excitement, Xiao Yan let out a deep sigh of relief and wiped off the residual sweat from his forehead.
Finally, he had successfully cooked the meat…
Xiao Yan couldn’t help but feel helpless. Yun Zhi was a Dou Huang (Battle Emperor, 7th Level), and in his opinion, roasting meat shouldn’t have been difficult for her. But it seemed that Yun Zhi truly had no talent for it. Over the past week, she had persistently challenged herself with his assistance, and today she finally succeeded.
To be honest, with Yun Zhi’s culinary skills, she should be able to compete with his eldest sister, Xiao Ling.
But Yun Zhi was truly tenacious and stubborn. It was quite rare. Despite her obvious disappointment and impatience after each failure, she would eventually force herself to calm down and try again. It was quite remarkable.
Thinking about this, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but pinch his chin and ponder.
This tenacity and stubbornness… it felt so familiar, just like someone he knew.
Who could it be?
Just as Xiao Yan searched through his mind for the target person, something suddenly flew towards him. Xiao Yan quickly snapped out of his thoughts and caught it—it was a half-eaten and still slightly hot piece of roasted meat.
“Let’s eat together. This is the first time I’ve successfully roasted meat!”
Yun Zhi cheerfully invited him, her previously indifferent expression almost nonexistent.
Perhaps, this was Yun Zhi’s true nature.
Xiao Yan looked at Yun Zhi and couldn’t help but smile softly. Yun Zhi, seeing his smile, wrinkled her nose somewhat unhappily.
“What’s wrong? Do you dare to mock me after I finally succeed?”
“No, no, no, I wouldn’t dare!” Xiao Yan quickly waved his hand, holding the roasted meat in one hand and lightly resting his other hand against his cheek. He smiled and said, “I just feel that Yun Zhi has become much more cheerful compared to when we first met.”
“Huh?”
Yun Zhi blinked in confusion, and then Xiao Yan added.
“When we first met, you were like a lofty Dou Huang (Battle Emperor, 7th Level), looking down on the world from the clouds with indifference. But now, I can’t see any trace of a Dou Huang (Battle Emperor, 7th Level). You seem more like a big sister next door.”
“Is that so?”
After listening to Xiao Yan’s words, Yun Zhi gradually came back to her senses and recalled the journey she had taken with Xiao Yan over the past week.
Come to think of it… it does seem like… I haven’t been this happy in over a decade.
The number of genuine laughter from the depths of my heart in this week might be more than the total of the past ten years.
Gazing at the roasted meat she had cooked with her own hands, Yun Zhi couldn’t help but drift into memories.
Since she could remember, Yun Zhi had been following her teacher, Yun Shan, to cultivate and learn the principles of being a good person. She steadfastly adhered to her true self, wholeheartedly striving to climb the path of cultivation, with hardly any leisure time of her own.
After succeeding as the sect master of Yun Lan Sect, Yun Zhi had even less free time. The heavy burden of the sect instantly fell upon her shoulders, and she had become accustomed to carrying it without any complaints.
Or rather, she hadn’t even realized that she had complaints.
She hadn’t even noticed that the weight of her responsibilities was suffocating her.
If not for that, Yun Zhi wouldn’t have chosen to travel slowly in a carriage, nor would she have chosen to travel leisurely with Xiao Yan. Such behavior would have been considered a waste of time in her eyes before.
Perhaps deep down in her heart, she also longed to temporarily cast aside the heavy burden on her shoulders and take a good rest.
But to be able to rest so happily was truly unexpected.
No… that’s not right…
Yun Zhi’s beautiful eyes shimmered as she looked at Xiao Yan, who was eating the roasted meat she had made and continuously praising it. In her previously indifferent eyes, a hint of tenderness appeared.
He is deliberately guiding me to find joy.
Now that I think about it, the reason I was so focused on roasting meat was also because of his influence.
(No wonder Yanran clings to this child so tightly.)
Yun Zhi silently observed Xiao Yan. She had accompanied him on this journey to see what kind of person her beloved disciple was so infatuated with, to prevent her treasured disciple from being deceived by a petty person.
Now it seems that Nalan Yanran’s judgment is completely accurate. Yun Zhi would even find it difficult to deliberately find faults in Xiao Yan. This young man is exceptionally outstanding and possesses a level of integrity that not even Yun Yun has achieved.
No… Xiao Yan’s integrity surpasses even my teacher, Yun Shan!
As Yun Zhi thought this, she felt delighted to have found such a good match for Nalan Yanran, but a tinge of melancholy flashed in her eyes.
(For Yanran’s sake, it’s a bit of a pity…)
…
Huh?!
After a few seconds of daze, Yun Zhi suddenly startled, slapping herself on the forehead with a loud sound that shattered the silence of the night. Xiao Yan, who had meat in his mouth, choked for a moment, then struggled to swallow it and anxiously looked at Yun Zhi.
“Yun Zhi-jie! What’s wrong with you?!”
“Ah… I’m fine…” Yun Zhi opened her eyes and looked at the flustered Xiao Yan. The calmness returned to her eyes, as if nothing had happened. “Don’t mind me; it was just a mosquito.”
“Ha…”
Xiao Yan tilted his head slightly and, seeing that Yun Zhi was indeed fine, he relaxed and sat back down.
Yun Zhi also sat cross-legged at this moment, closed her eyes, and began to meditate, calming her restless heart. She secretly complained to herself.
Yun Yun, oh Yun Yun, have you never seen a man?
This is your disciple’s fiancé-to-be…
Absolutely not… intervene…
Seeing Yun Zhi suddenly start meditating in a seemingly inexplicable manner, Xiao Yan was filled with question marks in his head.
Just now… it couldn’t have been a mosquito, right?
Just as Xiao Yan was puzzled, the voice of Yao Chen sounded from within the ring.
(Little Yan’er, based on my many years of experience in judging people, I can be absolutely certain that this girl has taken a liking to you.)
Yao Chen’s tone was quite certain, but Xiao Yan firmly denied it in his heart.
(Elder Yao, please don’t tease your disciple. A lofty Dou Huang (Battle Emperor, 7th Level) like her would never take an interest in someone like me.)
(Sigh~~~ Since you don’t believe it, there’s nothing else I can do~) Yao Chen sighed lightly from within the ring and casually asked, (If what I said is true, what do you think of this girl? Would you like to marry her?)
Upon hearing Yao Chen’s question, Xiao Yan fell silent for a moment, then solemnly answered in his heart.
(To be honest, I do.)
Xiao Yan doesn’t lie, and he certainly won’t go against his own thoughts. He listed the reasons why he wanted to marry Yun Zhi one by one.
(Although her appearance may not match yours, Elder Yao, she is definitely a rare beauty. As a man, I’m bound to like that.)
(Her character seems indifferent, holding an attitude of indifference towards everything. However, after spending these days together, it’s clear that Yun Zhi’s true nature is warm on the inside, like an older sister next door. It would be comfortable to be with her in the future.)
(Most importantly, Yun Zhi’s values align with mine. She should be the most upright person I have ever met. If I marry her, we won’t have to worry about conflicting beliefs.)
Xiao Yan explained his reasons for wanting to marry Yun Zhi, ranging from her appearance, character, to values. Then he shrugged lightly.
(But in the end, all of these are just my wishful thinking. I want to marry her, but she doesn’t want to marry me.)
(She is a lofty Dou Huang (Battle Emperor, 7th Level), and she definitely has a powerful force behind her. It would be despicable and sacrilegious for me to continue fantasizing.)
(And the most important thing for me right now is to help you, Elder Yao, rebuild your body and pursue the righteous path. Marriage is still far away. By that time, Yun Zhi might already be married, perhaps even with children.)
With these thoughts in mind, Xiao Yan decisively dismissed his unrealistic fantasies.
It’s good to have this kind of relationship, like an older sister next door. There’s no need to take it further.
Then Xiao Yan stretched and glanced at Yun Zhi, who was still meditating with her eyes closed. He lay down on his side, pushed aside the cluttered thoughts, and started thinking about how to promote the righteous path. Soon, he fell into a deep sleep.
Inside the ring, Yao Chen looked at the sleeping Xiao Yan and then at Yun Zhi, who was still meditating with closed eyes. A mysterious smile appeared on his face.
Fate is not something that comes by waiting, little Yan’er~
As Yao Chen was contemplating something in his mind, he suddenly sensed something and scolded in Xiao Yan’s mind.
(Little Yan’er!)
As Yao Chen’s voice echoed in his mind, Xiao Yan, who had just fallen asleep, instantly leaped to his feet. Yun Zhi, who was meditating, also opened her eyes abruptly and looked towards the dense forest in the dark sky.
However, there was no movement coming from there.
“Xiao Yan.” Yun Zhi stood up slowly, still gazing at the depths of the forest, and asked Xiao Yan in a low voice, “Have you recently offended any enemies?”
“I rarely make enemies, but if I have to mention someone, it would be the three groups of bandits I wiped out earlier.”
Xiao Yan lifted the Heavy Xuan Ruler and propped it on his shoulder, his deep black eyes fixed on the depths of the forest.
“But I don’t think someone with that level of strength would act as a roadside bandit.”
“You’re right,” Yun Zhi agreed softly, her voice turning colder. “A Three-Star Dou Wang (Battle King, 6th Level)… if someone with that level of strength acts as a roadside bandit, they truly have no shame.”
As she spoke, a black-clothed figure wearing a cloak dashed out from the depths of the forest, their sinister gaze fixed on Xiao Yan, completely ignoring Yun Zhi by his side.
After a long pause, the black-clothed person asked in a hoarse voice, “Are you Xiao Yan?”
“Yes, I am,” Xiao Yan admitted without hesitation. If he couldn’t even admit his own name, then there was no point in pursuing the righteous path.
Besides, since this person could find his location, it meant that they had already confirmed his identity. Even if he denied it, it would be meaningless.
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“Why did you come to disturb me so late at night?” Xiao Yan asked coldly, his body tensing up.
“It’s nothing, just received a commission from someone to take your life.”
As soon as the words of the black-clothed person fell, their figure flashed before Xiao Yan, and the dagger under the cloak gleamed with a chilling light, barely three inches away from Xiao Yan’s throat!
Xiao Yan had no time to react!
This was the speed of a Dou Wang (Battle King, 6th Level)!
Ding!
Xiao Yan watched in horror as a long sword blocked the dagger in front of him, and cold sweat covered his face.
It was a hair’s breadth away from death!
“Hmm?!”
The gaze under the black-clothed person’s cloak suddenly froze, following the long sword to the person holding it—it was Yun Zhi with an icy expression!
This woman… wasn’t she just an ordinary person?
The black-clothed person was greatly shocked and quickly retreated, vigilantly staring at Yun Zhi.
When Yun Zhi was meditating, she had suppressed her aura, making the black-clothed person completely mistaken that she was just an ordinary woman accompanying Xiao Yan on his journey.
Little did the black-clothed person expect that Yun Zhi could accurately and swiftly block their attack at such a speed.
“Thank you, Sister Yun Zhi!” Xiao Yan immediately thanked Yun Zhi, and she nodded lightly, holding the long sword in front of Xiao Yan while staring coldly at the black-clothed person.
At that moment, a dim white light quietly receded from the ring on Xiao Yan’s chest, and Yao Chen inside the ring also breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, Yun Zhi was there; otherwise, he would have to protect Xiao Yan’s life at the cost of his own soul.
Xiao Yan was currently just a Dou Zhe (Battle Practitioner, 2nd Level) (Battle Practitioner, 2nd Level) , and even with his borrowed power, he was only at the intermediate level of a Da Dou Shi (Battle Grandmaster, 4th Level) . Even with Xiao Yan’s strong physique, he could never contend with a Dou Wang (Battle King, 6th Level).
Let alone winning, just being able to escape would be considered a success!
After calming down, Yao Chen furrowed his brows tightly.
Who sent Dou Wang (Battle King, 6th Level) to assassinate Xiao Yan? According to Xiao Yan’s character, he shouldn’t have offended anyone to the extent of having a Dou Wang (Battle King, 6th Level) commissioned to kill him. Moreover, Xiao Yan shouldn’t have reached the level to encounter someone of this caliber.
However, soon, Yao Chen had a speculation in his mind.
No, that’s not right…
There is still someone who has a grudge against Xiao Yan and possesses the high-level power to commission a Dou Wang (Battle King, 6th Level) for his assassination.
The largest sect of the Jagma Empire, the Yun Lan (Misty Cloud) Sect!
And the only reason to commission a Dou Wang (Battle King, 6th Level) to assassinate Xiao Yan is the three-year agreement between Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran!
As the proud daughter of heaven and the future young sect master, if Nalan Yanran wins the three-year agreement with Xiao Yan, she would have to marry this previously renowned waste on the spot. It would be a huge blow to the reputation of the Yun Lan (Misty Cloud) Sect!
As for finding a way to make Xiao Yan win?
That’s ridiculous. It would only prove that the young sect master, whom the Yun Lan (Misty Cloud) Sect has invested so much in, is not even on par with a waste who rose to power halfway. It would undoubtedly be an even greater blow to the reputation of the Yun Lan (Misty Cloud) Sect!
Whether they win or lose, it’s not a good situation for the reputation of the Yun Lan (Misty Cloud) Sect, at least in the eyes of those people!
So they want to solve this dilemma, and the only way is to stop this three-year agreement from happening and resolve the problem at its root!
And there are two roots to this three-year agreement: Nalan Yanran, who proposed it, and Xiao Yan, who was forced to accept it.
As Nalan Yanran is their own young sect master, she is naturally excluded as a target.
Therefore, the target is narrowed down to one person.
Nalan Yanran’s fiancé, Xiao Yan!