When Xiao Ying was still alive, Xiao Lie's standing within the Xiao Clan was unparalleled, even commanding the respect of the then clan leader. The reason was evident: Xiao Ying's extraordinary talent marked him as the destined future powerhouse of his generation in this world where profound strength reigned supreme. Naturally, as Xiao Ying's father, Xiao Lie was revered by all. Yet with Xiao Ying's tragic assassination and the revelation of Xiao Che's crippled profound veins, Xiao Lie, despite still being the foremost expert in Floating Cloud City, was a shadow of his former self in the clan's eyes, his influence all but erased.
Unperturbed, Xiao Lie met their barbed taunts with a calm smile, saying, "Thank you all for honoring us with your presence. Please make sure to enjoy the feast later and have a few extra cups."
"We've shown our faces as a courtesy, but as for the drinks, we'll pass. My eldest grandson, Xiao Chengzhi, has just broken through to the seventh level of the Elementary Profound Realm. With time slipping away here, I need to go stabilize his progress personally." With that, the Third Elder, Xiao Ze, stood to take his leave.
"Chengzhi has already reached the seventh level? At just seventeen, he's achieved such a feat. His future is boundless. No wonder you're in high spirits today, Third Elder! Congratulations!" The Fourth Elder, Xiao Cheng, also rose, exclaiming in surprise as he offered his congratulations.
Even Xiao Lie's unshakable composure flickered with a brief glimmer of anger. These four, once his sworn brothers, had fawned and shown him great respect. But ever since Xiao Ying's passing and the discovery of Xiao Che's crippled profound veins, their attitudes had drastically changed, gradually shifting to dismissive disregard. Time and again, they flaunted the accomplishments of their own sons and grandsons, and today, even at Xiao Che's wedding, they were taunting him openly, gouging at his most painful wound.
Sensing the uncomfortable tension, Xiao De, the officiant, began to sweat profusely and, skipping all remaining formalities, immediately raised his voice to announce, "The bride and groom will now proceed to the bridal chamber. Honored guests, please proceed to the feast!"
Amid the joyful sounds of drums and flutes, Xiao Che and Xia Qingyue, having completed the formal bows, walked together toward Xiao Che's courtyard, where the bridal chamber awaited. His room, transformed with lavish red decor, was a vivid display of joy: intricately embroidered red carpets with dragon and phoenix motifs, large banners bearing the double happiness symbol, and countless red silk drapes and ribbons. Gold-gilded lamps bore vibrant red wedding candles sculpted with soaring dragons and phoenixes, their flickering flames casting an otherworldly glow on the nearly floor-length beaded curtains, shrouding the room in a dreamy, shimmering light.
Xia Qingyue was helped to the bed by her maid, Xia Dongling, who then slipped out silently, closing the door behind her. Silence enveloped the room, broken only by the faint sound of their breathing.
Sitting quietly, Xia Qingyue remained still. Xiao Che, meanwhile, stood by the door, staring outward, his gaze darkened with somber reflection.
"It's hard to bear, isn't it? Watching your grandfather endure such humiliation on your wedding day?"
The voice was soft yet tinged with a distant coldness. Xiao Che's expression shifted, surprised that Xia Qingyue was speaking to him at all, though her words carried a sharp edge.
Turning his gaze toward her, he hesitated briefly before saying, "You should take off the phoenix crown. That piece is heavy; it must be uncomfortable to wear for so long."
According to the customs of the Sky Profound Continent, it was the groom's duty to remove the bride's phoenix crown. However, recalling the icy rebuff he'd received earlier when he'd tried to assist her, Xiao Che, in his pride, refrained from trying again, doubting she'd allow him to help.
Xia Qingyue paused, then raised her hand, delicately removing the crown draped with pearl tassels. At that moment, her face was revealed in full, a breathtaking beauty so profound it nearly stole Xiao Che's breath. As her eyes lifted and met his, he was struck with momentary stupor. Those eyes were beyond words, like ethereal pools containing the reflections of countless quiet, jade-green waters, unfathomably deep. Even the world's finest artist or most eloquent poet would be at a loss to capture her gaze's allure. Her skin was pure, translucent as jade, her face like fine porcelain, and her lips resembled the petals of the softest flower, while her slender nose seemed sculpted from the world's most exquisite white jade, naturally exuding a noble, untouchable grace.
"Indeed… as the rumors claimed…" Xiao Che murmured, his gaze unwavering, entirely captivated by her. Her eyes were like an endless abyss, drawing in his thoughts and consciousness with an irresistible allure.
Though he'd been engaged to Xia Qingyue since childhood, beyond brief glimpses in his youth, he hadn't truly seen her since he was ten. His self-doubt over his crippled veins had kept him away, retreating from society while she grew into her legendary beauty, an image he'd only heard described in others' words. For years, he'd imagined her, an elusive figure that haunted his thoughts.
Now, her beauty utterly exceeded his imagination, rendering every vision he'd conjured before her a mere shadow. For the first time, he saw her true face, a vision that silenced his thoughts entirely. Even with memories from two lives, he found himself spellbound, losing his sense of reality.
She was reputed as Floating Cloud City's most beautiful woman, yet at this moment, if someone claimed she was the most beautiful in all of the Blue Wind Empire, Xiao Che would believe it without question. Her allure was unimaginable, and she was only sixteen. With time, her beauty would undoubtedly reach an unfathomable peak, one that might verge on the unreal.
That such a captivating figure could emerge from the small Floating Cloud City, and that today, this figure had become his wife… Xiao Che couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of unreality.
"And you are nothing like the rumors—or what I imagined."
Xia Qingyue rose to her feet, the graceful curve of her body subtly revealing itself as she moved closer to Xiao Che. Her gaze was calm, her lips parted softly. "Rumors say you have crippled profound veins, bound forever to the first level of the Elementary Profound Realm. They say your constitution is weak, leaving you self-doubting and withdrawn, with only your aunt Xiao Lingxi and my brother Yuanba as companions. Your only redeeming trait, they say, is your appearance."
"Your profound energy is indeed weak and clouded, proving your crippled veins beyond doubt. But as for your nature… it appears every word of those rumors was wrong."
Xia Qingyue stopped, her eyes fixed on his, standing just three steps away. "Though you've tried to mask it, I've sensed a certain pride in you since I first saw you today. The calm you showed when I froze your hand was unexpected. I almost doubted my skill when you didn't react in the slightest, save for a brief stiffness. And then, in the hall, even when they mocked you and your grandfather during such a significant ceremony, your anger only flashed for a moment before disappearing, leaving no ripple in your expression or even your pulse. Such a state of mind would be difficult for even a middle-aged spirit profound cultivator to achieve."
"And even as you look at me now, your gaze may be fascinated, yet it doesn't waver."
"Your veins may be crippled, but you've hidden your true nature from everyone." Xia Qingyue's voice was soft, her eyes clear as they held his gaze, a depth within them as boundless as the sky.
Xiao Che felt a shock ripple through him.
As Xia Qingyue neared, her soft, captivating scent filled the air, but Xiao Che was too stunned to appreciate it. She had seen through him completely. Indeed, he bore himself proudly now, whether he intended to or not, for in the Azure Cloud Continent, he had stood against the world alone. Even though his current strength was minuscule, his spirit was unbreakable, his pride an instinctive presence rather than a deliberate act. But here, he had tried to bury it within himself.
And yet Xia Qingyue had perceived it all, as if laying bare his innermost state.
From Xia Manor to the Xiao Clan, he had thought she disdained him. It was, after all, natural; she was a shining star, while he was dismissed by all as a mere speck of mud. But to his surprise, she had been watching him the entire time, though he had never noticed.
His view of her shifted. Her gaze, while exquisite, was also remarkably perceptive, and her mind sharper than he'd ever imagined…
To think! Xiao Che was a man with memories of two lifetimes, with a spirit undaunted by countless foes and even death itself. Yet she had still seen through him!
Was she truly only sixteen?
He found himself questioning if this Xia Qingyue, like him, had perhaps crossed time and space to be here.
"Are you restraining yourself?" she murmured.
"Restraining?" Xiao Che replied with a faintly self-mocking smile. "Perhaps. But my crippled veins are an indisputable fact. Here on the Sky Profound Continent, that condition is a permanent sentence to a lifetime of ridicule at the lowest levels of society