She, with her hair as clear as snow, dressed in white like the snow, pure and flawless, wearing a crystal-textured mask on half of her face, and her skin like jade, delicate and beautiful as can be touched.
She is like a fairy in the mortal world, enveloped in a blue aura, appearing like a fairyland, as if she's walking out of a painting.
"Miss!"
The young men of the Xia family showed awe and even admiration in their eyes as they looked at the girl who came with graceful steps, full of grace and beauty.
She is Xia Qingcheng, the pride of the sky, the lady of the Xia family!
Xia Mingjiang spat out a mouthful of blood, gazing at the visitor with a hint of admiration in his eyes. He got up, not daring to mention the slap the girl had just given him but showing utmost respect to her, standing up.
However, he couldn't understand why she had helped Xiang Chen.
Xiang Chen looked at the stunning girl who had amazed everyone with complicated eyes.
He also admired Xia Qingcheng's beauty, which could kill most beauties without revealing her entire face.
Xia Qingcheng walked up to Xia Mingjiang, her face seemingly indifferent, raising her hand to slap him across the face.
Slap!
Xia Mingjiang was slapped hard by Xia Qingcheng, but he did not dare to dodge. He looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"Miss, I..."
Slap!
Xia Qingcheng raised her hand to slap him again.
"Is this Xia family under your control?" Xia Qingcheng asked coldly.
"No, it's not..." Xia Mingjiang said in a low voice while holding his face.
Xia Qingcheng raised her hand for another slap, saying coldly, "I thought the Xia family was under your control. Who gave you the courage to find trouble with the guests of the Xia family?"
"Miss, please calm down. I just came to spar with Xiang Chen," Xia Mingjiang explained hastily.
"Spar?"
Xia Qingcheng's voice turned cold. Her fair, crystal-clear hand grasped Xia Mingjiang's neck and said coldly, "He hasn't even activated his martial arts spirit, and you want to spar with him? Very well, then I will spar with you as well!"
Boom...!
After Xia Qingcheng spoke, a terrifying energy surged within her, causing the flow of spiritual energy within the surrounding heavens and earth.
"An innate realm, how is that possible!" Zhao Mu felt Xia Qingcheng's terrifying energy and was incredulous.
Considering the girl's age, she was only fifteen or sixteen years old.
Yet she was already at the innate realm!
Zhao Mu himself had only broken through to this realm at the age of thirty-nine. Comparing himself to her was simply shameful.
"Qingcheng..." Xiang Chen also revealed a hint of shock in his eyes. Typically, true martial arts practitioners start training formally after the age of ten. However, Xia Qingcheng, the same age as him, had been practicing for only four or five years but had already reached the innate realm!
Genius! What is a genius? People like Wang Ying, who were called geniuses, were probably nothing in the eyes of Xia Qingcheng.
Xia Mingjiang was picked up by Xia Qingcheng and had a painful look on his face. Everyone else was too scared to say a word.
"Miss, I was wrong... I was wrong..." Xia Mingjiang begged for forgiveness.
Xia Qingcheng raised her hand, and Xia Mingjiang was thrown more than ten meters away, landing with a bang.
"Get lost!" Xia Qingcheng said dominantly and indifferently.
"Yes, I will..." Xia Mingjiang hurriedly got up and was about to leave, but he stopped in his tracks, a sly smile at the corner of his mouth as he conveyed a message to Xiang Chen's ear by condensing a strand of true energy.
"Xiang Chen, don't think you can hide behind a woman. In the annual family competition of the Xia family, have the guts to participate in it, and see if I can't kill you."
Xiang Chen smiled coldly. He would not convey any messages and simply said in a cold tone, "Rest assured, I will participate. Let's see who kills whom at that time."
Xia Qingcheng looked coldly at Xia Mingjiang. How dare he threaten her in secret?
"And you better hand over the engagement contract. Our miss is the future queen chosen by the Crown Prince, the future head of the great merchant's family. If he finds out about this engagement, hehe, you're dead."
Xia Mingjiang smirked and left with a few other people.
"Crown Prince..." Xiang Chen's eyes were cold. This was the first genius in the great merchant family in nearly a hundred years.
After they left, Xia Qingcheng glanced at Xiang Chen and did not say much. She turned and left.
"Nizi..."
Suddenly, Xiang Chen called out, looking at the beautiful figure with a complex expression.
Xia Qingcheng paused, and her body trembled imperceptibly.
Nizi...this was a nickname she hadn't heard in four years...
When was the time when that boy liked to call her like that while pinching her nose? She was like a shadow, always following him.
"You've been avoiding me for four years. Finally, I see you. Don't you want to say a few words to me?"
The boy took a few steps forward and looked at her back.
Zhao Mu signaled to Wan He, and the two of them entered the courtyard silently.
"What do you want to say?" The girl finally spoke, her back facing the boy, her voice sounding cold.
"You've changed a lot," the boy said in a low voice. "I remember you used to have a sweet smile on your face, but now, why have you become so cold and put on a mask for yourself?"
"Everyone will change," the girl said coldly. "Xiang Chen, let's forget the past."
"Forget?" Xiang Chen looked at the girl's back and laughed mockingly, "Yes, now you are a darling of the heavens, no longer the little shadow following me, and I am just a reclusive son who was expelled from the family."
"I remember you're not someone who is easily ashamed," the girl said indifferently.
"This is not embarrassment, it's just a fact. Our positions have indeed changed now. It is the right decision to give up some people in order to maintain your current circle. Is the Fire Soul I gave you still here?" Xiang Chen asked.
"I don't know where it is anymore," the girl said coldly.
The boy's face showed a hint of disappointment, followed by a forced smile. "Nizi, I hope you remember what I said when I gave you the Fire Soul.
Even if the world is cold and people are wicked, keep hope in your heart and embrace the warm sun. I wish you a bright future."
After he finished speaking, the boy looked deeply at the back of the girl and turned to his courtyard.
As the cold wind rose, the mountains were covered in the vibrant colors of autumn, but the boy's figure, caught in the chilly wind, seemed desolate and lonely.
A man should strive for self-improvement. Some things, even if one is reluctant, should be let go when they turn sour.
Xia Qingcheng turned away from the departing Xiang Chen, and no one could see any unusual emotions on her face.
However, she instinctively covered her heart, where there was a thumb-sized red Hu Po pendant hidden beneath her neckline. It emitted a warm heat, providing some warmth to her otherwise icy body.
She treasured this Hu Po pendant and never parted with it...
As for him, named Xiang Chen, his parents named him 'Chen' in the hope that he would remain ordinary and pure, with a clear and unblemished mind. He was always kind and considerate from a young age, taking care of others, which made her admire him since childhood. And now... sigh...