Since childhood, after seeing Xiao Chan'er and Xiao Linlin, Zhou Yan had not seen these two childhood playmates for many years.
When he opened the door to the secret room, he couldn't help but gaze intently.
The two little girls who used to trail behind him, snotty-nosed, crying "Brother Zhou Yan," had now grown into graceful, lovely maidens.
These two girls looked almost identical, with faces that could put the moon and flowers to shame and appearances that captivated both fish and birds.
Their icy skin was as smooth as cream, fine and tender as fat, with a delicate sheen. Their identical white silk dresses made them look as ethereal and breathtaking as fairies.
Zhou Yan had met many extraordinary women, and he knew that those with profound cultivation were often quite beautiful. This was attributed to the evolution of their own bodies, as, according to Earth's scientific knowledge, cultivation was essentially genetic evolution, the gradual perfection of the body.
Yet the two girls before him had only modest cultivation at the mere Realm of Sword Beginning Three Heavens. Still, when standing together, people often overlooked their cultivation and merely remembered their stunning beauty.
They were similar in appearance, but their temperaments differed: one was as radiant as Chun Hua, the other as bright as Qiuyue, truly leaving Zhou Yan astounded at first sight.
As Zhou Yan sized up these two young ladies, they also stopped in their tracks, awkwardly staring at Zhou Yan, not immediately approaching him.
"Brother Zhou Yan?"
The girl with a Chun Hua-like demeanor timidly looked at Zhou Yan, tentatively asking.
Meanwhile, the Qiuyue-like girl had a gaze tinged with excitement, her breathing unsteady.
"You must be Linlin, and you must be Chan'er; you are both so beautiful."
Zhou Yan said to the girl with a Chun Hua-like demeanor and the Qiuyue-like girl.
"Mm... Brother Zhou Yan, you—you're here in Tianji City?"
Xiao Linlin felt awkward, not knowing what to say. She had been anticipating this reunion, but now that it had happened, she wasn't sure how to act.
Xiao Chan'er turned slightly red in the face, similarly clueless about what to say.
It seemed as if there were many things to talk about, yet they all went unsaid. The intimate connection from childhood felt mysteriously distant because of the long separation.
"Brother Zhou Yan, Chan'er, Linlin, let's go out and take a stroll."
At this time, Gu Xi suggested.
She had noticed the temporary unfamiliarity among the three, so she proposed this.
"Yes, just perfect. Like this, Chan'er, Linlin, after so many years apart, I'll give you some presents later."
Zhou Yan smiled. He too sensed that facing these two girls was not as easy as he imagined; there seemed to be inexplicable distance. This feeling was entirely different from when he faced Gu Xi earlier.
Zhou Yan did not dwell on this matter. He just thought perhaps it was because he and the two were apart for too long, and anyway, these girls had now grown up, and changes in their temperament were only to be expected.
"Brother Zhou Yan, you are as generous as ever."
Xiao Linlin laughed, showing her small, neat teeth, white as jade.
...
Tianji City Treasure Pavilion.
The Treasure Pavilion was a mighty force, its owner very mysterious, known to no one.
But the Treasure Pavilion was present in every city and sold high-end items beyond the reach of ordinary great families.
Zhou Yan brought Xiao Linlin, Xiao Chan'er, and Gu Xi here.
"Brother Zhou Yan, this place... isn't somewhere we can go. We should... leave."
Before entering the colossal, heavily-guarded Stone Gate, Zhou Yan heard Xiao Chan'er's voice.
Zhou Yan gave her a surprised look and smiled slightly, "No problem. I can afford to buy some things here."
"But... even the cheapest things here cost Spirit Crystals... I, I," Xiao Chan'er lowered her head, somewhat embarrassed.
"It's okay. A few Spirit Crystals, what does it matter?" Zhou Yan smiled gently at Xiao Chan'er, whose face immediately turned red, down to her snow-white neck.
In contrast, Xiao Linlin appeared indifferent, unfazed, and even cast a disdainful glance at her twin sister as if to say, "You're really silly. Didn't you notice Brother Zhou Yan doesn't care at all?"
"A few Spirit Crystals, what's that? Such arrogance! Do you really think you're the Young Master of the Zhou Family? Just a worthless trash, an abandoned child, yet you dare to speak such egotism!"
At this moment, a voice suddenly came from behind, shattering the good atmosphere Zhou Yan and the others had just established.
Turning around, Zhou Yan saw a tall, sharp-eyed young man with a chilling, disdainful grin.
When this person verbally attacked Zhou Yan, his eyes presumptuously roamed over the bodies of Xiao Linlin and Xiao Chan'er.
Such a bold gaze unnerved Xiao Chan'er, causing her to instinctively move closer to Zhou Yan, seeking some inexplicable protection.
However, Xiao Linlin, unlike her sister, showed no fear towards this young man and instead openly ignored his reckless gaze.
"You know me?"
Zhou Yan's brow slightly furrowed, his fingers twitched but resisted reaching for the Broken Worry Sword at his waist.
He could kill with a word, but for now, he suppressed his murderous intent.
"A waste of the Zhou Family, just a discarded piece swept out the door—a phony identity meant to inspire the real Young Master Zhou. The story has been spreading all over Canglan City, so how could I not know?
Our Xie Family deals in information for the Purgatory Sword Sect. Do you think such things can be hidden from me?"
"So, you're from the Xie Family; no wonder you're so arrogant! But does the Xie Family dare to openly challenge me, a true disciple of the Cold Ice Sword Sect?"
Zhou Yan remained silent, but Gu Xi stepped forward, unabashedly leveraging her status within the Cold Ice Sword Sect.
"You... you are the specially recruited true disciple of the Cold Ice Sword Sect, Gu Xi?"
The young Xie Family member's face changed slightly on hearing this.
"Correct! If you continue to speak ill of Brother Zhou Yan today, don't blame me for not being polite!"
Gu Xi's words were strong, her murderous intent fierce. With her cultivation, even Zhou Yan was somewhat inferior; how could this Xie Family youth's cultivation compare? His face turned pale as he staggered.
"Hmph! Worthless!"
Gu Xi snorted coldly, then tenderly said to Zhou Yan, "Brother Zhou Yan, don't bother with this kind of worthless person, let's go!"
"Mm."
Zhou Yan nodded. This kind of thing meant little to him; alone as he was now, he cared for nothing.
Turning away, his sensing power lingered, feeling the seething hatred and killing intent from that person.
He didn't understand why the other harbored such feelings but guessed that Xiao Linlin and Xiao Chan'er were seen as prizes by the man.
Yet he did not give the matter much thought. Once he healed Xiao Zhan's injuries, with the Xiao Family's mainstay restored, there would be no worry of a meager Xie Family offspring.
Just as he and Gu Xi neared the Treasure Pavilion, a young girl in an exquisite purple spirit armor stepped out.
Her first glance at Zhou Yan was with subtle surprise before she looked at Xiao Linlin and Xiao Chan'er, finally settling on Gu Xi. But her first greeting was a bow to Gu Xi: "So it's Miss Gu, the true disciple of the Cold Ice Sword Sect. Miss Gu, please come in."
"Mm, no need to be polite, sister. This time, Brother Zhou Yan is in charge, as he's going to give us presents!"
Gu Xi revealed a faint smile, clearly unfazed by the Xie Family youth.
"So it's Mr. Zhou... my apologies, Mr. Zhou, please come in."
The girl gave Zhou Yan another glance without sensing his cultivation, yet her eyes held open curiosity and confusion.
Zhou Yan understood that by now he had been slandered and expelled by the Zhou Family, becoming public knowledge even in Canglan City and Tianji City, hence the suspicion regarding his strength, identity, and purchasing power.
He dismissed the need to explain anything.
"Do you have any good-quality Wind Spirit Dust-Proof Armor here? I'll take three," Zhou Yan said casually.
The Wind Spirit Dust-Proof Armor was a very convenient item, free to use and self-repairing, highly favored by cultivators.
As a true disciple of the Cold Ice Sword Sect, Gu Xi was eligible to possess it, but she didn't yet have enough sect contribution to exchange for one.
Zhou Yan's visit stemmed from his own appreciation of the Wind Spirit Dust-Proof Armor's benefits, prompting him to gift a set to the three young women.
He remained calm, yet upon his words, even Gu Xi, well-versed as she was, was momentarily stunned, and Xiao Chan'er and Xiao Linlin were directly dumbfounded.
"This... this is too expensive!" Xiao Chan'er exclaimed.
"This—this—" Xiao Linlin was stammering, her gaze filled with strangeness and astonishment.
"Brother Zhou Yan, there's no need for such luxurious items... genuinely, our current clothes are very good and have defensive capabilities," Gu Xi couldn't help but comment with her small mouth slightly agape.
Meanwhile, the young girl in purple, a sales guide, had eyes filled with doubt and confusion—wasn't he the rumored laughing stock? The supposed "Zhou Yan," an abandoned child picked up and falsely branded as "Zhou Wangchen's" son? This seemed completely different from her expectations.