Chapter 3: Tit for Tat!
Xiao Zhan's face turned somewhat grim. In the end, he waved his sleeve and left with Xiao Yan and Xiao Ze.
Before leaving, Xiao Ze glanced at the smug Xiao Ning.
The elder walked away with a satisfied smile, leading Xiao Ning along.
Being able to outdo Xiao Zhan in this matter truly brought him sincere joy.
Xiao Ning felt even more so. Once a lofty genius, now he had knocked himself down with a few punches. The satisfaction in his heart was beyond words.
The events that transpired here spread rapidly throughout the entire Xiao family.
It firmly cemented the title of fallen genius!
...
"Father, I'm fine. If necessary, I'll just avoid them in the future."
Xiao Yan forced a smile and said to Xiao Zhan, who looked worried.
"Yan'er, you've suffered! It's useless for me as a father. It's been so long, yet we still can't figure out the reason for your declining Dou Qi."
Xiao Yan was stunned. He hadn't told Xiao Zhan about his declining Dou Qi.
Xiao Ze, who was supporting Xiao Yan, explained, "Father noticed it a long time ago, but since you didn't want to talk about it, he didn't inquire further. He's been secretly searching for the reason."
Xiao Ze said calmly. To be honest, Xiao Zhan was a good father who treated his children equally.
In the original work, Xiao Zhan could make Xiao Yan willingly call him "father," so naturally, he could make Xiao Ze do the same.
"Fourth brother, you knew too?"
Xiao Yan suddenly felt that his concealment over the past year had become a joke.
"Third brother, we meet often, and we're brothers after all."
"Although you've been busy with cultivation this past year, we've met many times, and I can still see some clues."
Xiao Yan nodded silently, feeling bitter. "So, even Father can't solve my declining Dou Qi?"
Xiao Zhan sighed slowly. His third son, he could say, made him the proudest and most worried.
Unlike the eldest, who had ventured out early, or the second, who was quiet and unassuming, the third made him worry.
The room fell silent for a moment.
Outside the room, Xiao Xun'er stood waiting from a distance. She softly asked, "Ling Lao, can you tell why his Dou Qi is declining?"
"It seems to be absorbed by some unknown force. As long as he cultivates and stores Dou Qi in his body, it will be absorbed."
Ling Ying couldn't perceive the presence of Medicine Elder, but he could sense Xiao Yan's condition.
Xiao Xun'er nodded. She was just curious for a moment and didn't intend to intervene.
Of course, if her brother Xiao Ze asked for her help, she wouldn't refuse.
But Xiao Ze probably thought she was just an ordinary member of the Xiao family, right?
Thinking of Xiao Ze, a faint smile appeared on Xiao Xun'er's face.
Ling Ying, who guarded her in secret, had mixed feelings. Seeing the relationship between the young lady and that Xiao family kid, he was somewhat troubled.
After all, he knew the young lady's identity. The gap between the two was like heaven and earth.
The possibility of a successful relationship was extremely low. Even if the young lady persisted, she would likely face opposition from those old guys in the family.
He wanted to advise the young lady to cut off this impossible relationship in time, but he didn't know how to broach the subject.
In the end, he could only silently guard by the young lady's side.
Not long after, Xiao Zhan, the patriarch of the Xiao family, walked out with a troubled expression.
Seeing Xiao Xun'er, Xiao Zhan was momentarily stunned. He naturally knew that Xiao Xun'er was very close to his fourth son.
But he didn't have the mood to chat with Xiao Xun'er now, just nodded briefly as a greeting before hurrying away.
After a while, Xiao Ze came out, closing the door behind him thoughtfully.
Seeing Xiao Xun'er waiting for him, Xiao Ze smiled faintly.
Xiao Xun'er took the initiative to greet him, leaning slightly forward, her beautiful eyes assessing Xiao Ze's expression.
"Xiao Ze, you won't just let it go, will you?"
"Of course not! He's my third brother. Did he think just anyone could beat him?"
Xiao Ze's face still wore a smile, but his eyes were somewhat cold.
"Since the elder said that the younger generation shouldn't get involved, let's settle this matter between the younger generation!"
"Xun'er, come, let's go cause some trouble with Xiao Ze!"
Xiao Ze said spiritedly. Xiao Xun'er obediently nodded and followed behind Xiao Ze.
When she was waiting earlier, she also asked Ling Ying about Xiao Ze's current strength.
She received a somewhat surprising answer: Nine-Star Dou Zhe!
With the strength of a Nine-Star Dou Zhe, facing Xiao Ning, he could easily handle it.
It was almost like bullying a weaker opponent!
Martial Skill Pavilion.
This was where members of the Xiao family selected martial skills and practiced them together.
At this moment, Xiao Ning was surrounded by a large group of people, admiration shining in their eyes.
"I only threw one punch, and he was knocked down. He even wanted to get up and continue fighting with me. I didn't even want to hit him again, but he insisted on coming at me. Sigh~"
Xiao Ning boasted, feeling elated. Having once been a genius, now stepping on the name of genius felt great!
"If it weren't for more people gathering around, and even the patriarch coming, he might have gotten up to fight me again. I really didn't want to fight anymore!"
Xiao Ning said with a pretense of kindness. Listening to the admiring murmurs of the crowd around him, Xiao Ning smiled faintly, feeling ecstatic inside.
"How can this be? Cousin Xiao Ning should continue fighting!"
A sudden voice broke the stillness of the scene.
Everyone turned to look at the person who spoke, and upon seeing the face clearly, their gazes changed slightly.
Xiao Ze smiled and said, "But this time, let someone else fight you. I'll do it!"
The people present remained silent, looking at Xiao Ze with some suspicion, but also with a hint of uncertainty.
Xiao Ze exuded a strong aura that made them hesitate to act rashly.
Xiao Ning, on the other hand, wore a faint smile as he approached Xiao Ze.
"Is this to avenge your fallen genius brother...?"
Xiao Ze returned the smile, "Of course, what's wrong? Are you afraid?"
"Oh, fighting the brother after beating the brother. I really want to see how capable you are!"
The two walked onto the martial arts stage, and the crowd gathered around, giving them enough space.
Xiao Ning stood in the middle, pretending to be casual, letting Xiao Ze make the first move.
"In that case, I won't hold back!"
Xiao Ze's expression remained unchanged as he swiftly stepped forward.
A faint blue aura of Dou Qi shone on his fist. By the time Xiao Ning reacted, it was already too late!
A punch struck Xiao Ning's abdomen fiercely!
Directly knocking Xiao Ning to the ground, Xiao Ze followed up with another attack, pinning Xiao Ning down.
Kneeling on Xiao Ning's arms, he prevented him from protecting his head.
At the same time, his fists kept raining down on Xiao Ning's head, surrounded by a faint blue aura of Dou Qi.
The onlookers widened their eyes in disbelief.
It wasn't an illusion!
It's really the brilliance of attribute Dou Qi!
After becoming a Dou Zhe, selecting the corresponding attribute martial arts, and transforming the colorless, attributeless Dou Qi into attribute Dou Qi, such a phenomenon could occur!
In other words, what they were seeing now was a genuine Dou Zhe beating up a cultivator of Dou Qi!
(End of Chapter)