The little girl led the way, and Xiao Fan followed closely behind.
As they walked, Xiao Fan began to recognize the surroundings. The taverns along the street, the stalls by the roadside—they were exactly as he remembered.
This... this was the way to his home!
Xiao Fan's heart sank.
There was only one grand residence at the end of this road, and that was the former Xiao residence.
Watching the little girl skipping along, Xiao Fan sighed heavily.
He hoped he was mistaken. Maybe this girl was just a neighbor's child.
But reality often brings what one dreads most.
The girl showed no signs of stopping as she continued walking towards the Xiao residence. Now, it bore the sign of the Leng family.
Standing at the gate, Xiao Fan's clenched fists trembled uncontrollably.
Cold Feng, not only did he kill Xiao Fan's parents and seize the Xiao family's property, but he also had the audacity to rename it Leng Residence.
His heart swelled with rage, wanting to tear down the sign bearing the Leng name.
But he knew it wasn't the right time.
Cold Feng had been a notorious bandit with formidable martial skills and possibly some rudimentary cultivation techniques.
Without understanding Cold Feng's capabilities, Xiao Fan couldn't risk a confrontation. One failed attempt could mean Cold Feng disappearing forever.
For the sake of his revenge, Xiao Fan had to suppress his fury.
Looking at the cheerful girl beside him, his heart sank further.
He asked, though already suspecting the answer, "Xue'er, what's your full name?"
"Oh, I knew I forgot something! Master, I don't know your name yet either!"
She smiled brightly at him. "I'm Leng Ruoxue. What's your name?"
"Leng Ruoxue, with the surname Leng!" Xiao Fan's eyes narrowed. There was no doubt now.
This girl was Cold Feng's daughter.
If she were merely a servant's child, she wouldn't invite him to stay at her house.
Feeling the bitter irony, Xiao Fan realized that the only source of joy in the past eight years was his enemy's daughter.
What a cruel joke...
"Master, you still haven't told me your name!" Leng Ruoxue urged, shaking his arm playfully.
Xiao Fan snapped back to reality, looking at her with a complex expression. He didn't know how to deal with this girl.
In the end, he couldn't transfer his hatred for Cold Feng onto this innocent, lively child.
Despite the enmity between him and Cold Feng, Leng Ruoxue was innocent.
But now that he knew her identity, he couldn't ignore it.
With a blank expression, he said, "My name isn't important. Just call me Master."
Leng Ruoxue pouted, dissatisfied. "Master, you're being unfair. I told you my name, so you should tell me yours!"
At that moment, a middle-aged man who looked like a steward hurriedly approached, his face filled with worry. He checked Leng Ruoxue for injuries, relaxing only when he saw she was unharmed.
"Miss, you're finally back! Everyone in the residence has been looking for you!"
"Hehe, that's because you wouldn't let me go out and play, so I snuck out!" Leng Ruoxue replied smugly.
The steward wore a pained expression. This little troublemaker was becoming more unruly.
After confirming Leng Ruoxue was safe, the steward turned to Xiao Fan.
Seeing his deep, familiar eyes, the steward felt a strange sense of familiarity but couldn't place it.
Politely, he said, "Thank you for bringing our young miss home. Here is a token of gratitude."
He offered a silver ingot to Xiao Fan, who did not reach out to take it.
Xiao Fan stared coldly at the steward.
This man had once been the steward of the Xiao family. Now, he served the Leng family.
Mistaking Xiao Fan's refusal for dissatisfaction with the amount, the steward, though displeased, produced another ingot.
"Sir, it's best to know when to quit while you're ahead."
Ignoring the steward's sarcastic remark, Xiao Fan turned to leave.
But he knew Leng Ruoxue wouldn't let him go so easily.
Indeed, as soon as he turned, she grabbed his hand.
"Master, you promised to stay with us."
Xiao Fan stopped.
The steward, hearing her call Xiao Fan "Master" and invite him to stay, protested, "Miss, this is not appropriate!"
Xiao Fan took another step.
Afraid he would leave, Leng Ruoxue glared at the steward. "If you scare away my Master, I'll put toads under your pillow every day!"
The steward sighed helplessly. This little tyrant was capable of carrying out her threats.
But as the steward, he couldn't let a stranger into the Leng residence without knowing his background.
In his dilemma, a calm, refined voice spoke up.
"Xue'er, stop causing trouble!"
A genteel, scholarly middle-aged man emerged from the gate.
Seeing him, Xiao Fan's fingers clenched tighter.
Suppressing the volcanic rage and the urge for immediate revenge, Xiao Fan maintained a composed expression.
The man walking towards him was none other than Cold Feng, the person Xiao Fan had sworn to kill over the past eight years.