"Calamity God… as in a god of misfortune, someone who brings distress to the world?" The young lady said a while later.
"Well, you are not wrong about that…"
"Why would anyone want to worship someone who brings misfortune upon the world?" The young lady asked with a pondering expression.
Xiao Long smiled, but he didn't answer her and began walking away. "I have to go. My family is waiting for me, and I shouldn't be in here," he reminded her.
"Ah? What is your name?" she watched him leave, her gaze filled with interest.
Before walking out, he said to her, "My name is Xiao Long, and although the Calamity God indeed brings misfortune to others, it only applies to those who offend it."
The young lady's eyes widened, and she turned to look at the golden statue, her feeling towards it now different.
The current Li Family only looked at the golden statue as an object that has been passed down for generations and its beauty, but besides that, it was just an ordinary statue.
"Hm? Xiao? Is he related to 'that' Xiao Family by any chance?" The young lady wanted to ask him, but when she turned around, Xiao Long's figure was nowhere to be seen.
—
Upon returning to the living room, an awkward atmosphere greeted him.
There was an additional family inside, and his family no longer spoke casually with the Li Family, only sitting there quietly.
"Long'er! You are finally back!" Xiao Mo Li was the first to notice him at the door. "Are you feeling okay?"
She stood to walk to him, whispering in his ears, "That's the Wang Family from the Greenhorns City; they are a rank above us in terms of status within the Spirit Province, same as the Li Family. Make sure you don't offend them and treat them with respect."
Xiao Long glanced at the three figures with the corner of his eyes.
One middle-aged man, one middle-aged woman, and one bulky young man.
"So you're Xiao Long, the youngest one from the Xiao Family, who refuses to cultivate, huh." Senior Wang, the middle-aged man said.
His words caused Xiao Tian to frown, but Xiao Long remained calm. "I am indeed that Xiao Long," he said calmly.
"Hmph. I expected to see the face of a fool, but I am disappointed. Tell me, mortal, why do you refuse to cultivate when your entire family cultivates?"
Xiao Long lifted an eyebrow upon being called a mortal. This is the first time anyone has dared to address him with such disrespect. However, it was a fact, so he wasn't bothered the slightest; it just felt weird being called a mortal as the Calamity God.
"Whether I start cultivating today or ten years later, it does not matter. As long as the Universe exists, cultivation will exist. As long as I am alive, I can cultivate. As long as the apex remains, I will one day climb to the top."
Xiao Long's answer that none of the people in this room had expected profoundly surprised them.
His words that were profound yet ignorant caused Senior Wang to burst out laughing.
"Indeed, as long as the Universe exists, cultivation will remain, and as long as there is an apex, one will be able to climb to the top. However, on what basis do you believe that you can reach the apex as long as you cultivate, even if you start late? What if you die tomorrow because you were weak? You are nothing but an ignorant fool who has never cultivated before, yet you speak as though you know what cultivation means!"
Xiao Tian frowned, and the rest laughed. Even Li Shen and Li Hu were chuckling at the situation. Only Xiao Mo Li and Xiao Lan looked worried.
"For someone who has never cultivated before, you sure take cultivation lightly," said the young man sitting beside Senior Wang, Wang Luo. "Is this what they call 'being a frog inside a well'?"
"Long'er, don't tell me that's why you started so late…" Xiao Mo Li couldn't help but mumble next to him.
Xiao Long didn't say anything and only smiled. "Frogs in a well, indeed."
While he may sound like a fool in the ears of these people, as the Calamity God who has cultivated long before even the humans began picking their noses, his confidence did not flatter.
It was at this moment a sweet voice resounded, "It sounds like everyone is having fun, would you mind if I join as well?"
"Hm?"
Everybody stopped laughing to look at the elegant beauty by the door.
"Yuhan!" Li Shen seemed surprised to see his youngest daughter here. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be preparing for the ceremony with the servants?"
"That's the Young Lady, Li Yuhan? Li Shen wasn't joking when he said that she has grown into a fine beauty!" Xiao Tian nodded with approval upon seeing her beauty, and his two eldest sons could not stop staring at her as though they were lovestruck, even the Wang Family was mesmerized by her beauty.
"How envious…" Xiao Lan whispered under her breath when she compared herself with Li Yuhan.
"The preparations are already done, so I decided to come here earlier than planned," she replied.
"Since you are already here, come and greet the Wang and Xiao Family."
"Li Yuhan greets—" Li Yuhan stopped her greetings halfway when she noticed the familiar-looking back standing only a few feet in front of her.
"Xiao Long?" she called his name unexpectedly, dumbfounding everybody there.
Xiao Long turned around to look at her, who seemed excited to see him again so fast.
"The two of you know each other? Since when?" Li Shen looked at the two with surprise.
"We bumped into each other just a few minutes ago," she said. "Hey, Xiao Long, can you continue with what you were saying before about the Calamity God?"
Xiao Long smiled, "Why are you so interested in something that brings others misfortune?"
"Because I would have never expected that the statue would resemble such an existence if it were not for you — not with the way it is being presented — majestic and noble."
Xiao Long's eyes widened slightly. "You see it as a majestic and noble creature? Hahahaha!"
His laughs echoed loudly, dumbfounding everybody there, especially his family who have never seen him laugh like this before.
"Is it not?" Li Yuhan blushed.
"Perhaps…"
"Stop teasing me and tell me more already!" Li Yuhan puffed her cheeks, making a cute expression.
The way Xiao Long talked to her as though they were alone surprised the Li family, dumbfounded his own family, and secretly angered the Wang Family.
From the way they spoke to each other, nobody would believe that they have met just a few minutes ago.
Perhaps they had been friends in their past life or something like that?