Xiao Yan thought for a few minutes before deciding to let this little disciple go through with the annulment.
After all, he was her master, and if he couldn’t handle the first thing she asked of him, how could he maintain his authority?
But the compensation gift had to be good.
With his current funds…
Finally, Xiao Yan’s eyes flickered, as if he had made some kind of resolve.
“You cultivate well. Wait a few months. Leave the rest to me, your master. I’ll make sure it’s done in style.”
“An annulment… maybe it shouldn’t be too flashy…”
Luo Qingci said softly, her fingers unconsciously drawing circles on the stone table.
“I just want to quietly dissolve the engagement. I don’t want everyone to know. It wouldn’t be good for either of us.”
“You don’t understand,” Xiao Yan leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs.
“When it comes to annulments, attitude is important. If you show up with two bags of tea leaves, they’ll think you’re looking down on them, feel disrespected, and refuse to annul the marriage even if they would have. But if you come in style, with all the proper etiquette and a generous compensation gift, they’ll feel respected, and the annulment will go smoothly.”
Luo Qingci thought about it.
What her master said seemed to make some sense, but also seemed not quite right.
“But…”
“No buts.”
Xiao Yan waved his hand grandly.
“Listen to your master on this. Spend these few months cultivating peacefully. Leave the rest to me. I’ll arrange everything when I get back.”
Luo Qingci opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but seeing her master’s resolute expression, she swallowed her words.
“Then… thank you, Master.”
Luo Qingci lowered her head, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly.
Xiao Yan took a bite of a spirit fruit, crunching loudly.
His good disciple wanted to annul an engagement.
The other party was his big nephew, Xiao Han.
They had never met, had no emotional foundation.
A forced melon isn’t sweet.
Logically, the engagement should be annulled.
From his little disciple’s perspective, she wanted out, so he would help her out.
That was a master’s duty.
But from his big nephew’s perspective…
Xiao Yan paused mid-chew.
Ah, whatever.
That kid was thick-skinned and tough.
He could handle it.
What he needed to consider now wasn’t what Xiao Han thought, but how to annul this engagement with dignity and grace, ensuring his little disciple didn’t suffer the slightest grievance.
The compensation gift.
Xiao Yan spat out the spirit fruit pit and silently calculated in his mind.
Although the Xiao Family in Clear River City wasn’t top-tier, they were still a respectable household.
For an annulment, offering too little compensation would seem disrespectful.
Offering too much… he didn’t have that much right now.
With his current savings, plus the salary from that “respectable job,” after a few more months of saving, he should be able to put together a decent compensation gift.
But before that, he had one thing to do.
Xiao Yan uncrossed his legs and stood up.
“Alright, don’t just sit here,” he patted the dust off his robes.
“Go do what you need to do. Chang Qing is cooking tonight. Go help him out. Don’t let him do all the work alone.”
“Okay.”
Luo Qingci stood up, took two steps toward the kitchen, then turned back.
“Master, aren’t you eating tonight?”
“No, I have to go out.”
“Going out again?”
Luo Qingci frowned.
“Master, you just got back.”
“Busy earning spirit stones.”
Xiao Yan formed a hand seal, and his flying sword hovered before him.
“Wait for me to return.”
The moment the words left his mouth, he was already a hundred yards away.
His gray-green robe rustled in the mountain wind, and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared around a bend in the mountain path.
Xiao Yan stepped onto his flying sword, skimming over the layered peaks of the Cangwu Mountains in the twilight.
The night wind blew the stray hairs on his forehead back, revealing his smooth brow.
His expression was not as relaxed as it had been on Lingyun Peak.
There was no smile on his lips.
His face was unusually heavy.
Soon, Xiao Yan retracted his flying sword and landed in front of a hidden cave entrance.
The entrance was small, completely covered by vines and weeds.
If you didn’t look carefully, you wouldn’t notice there was a cave here.
He pushed aside the vines and squeezed in sideways.
The cave was deep, widening the further in he went.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the space opened up before him—a naturally formed stone chamber, about half the size of a training ground.
Moonlight stones were embedded in the four walls, emitting a faint white light that illuminated the entire chamber as bright as day.
Xiao Yan walked into the chamber and began rummaging through his storage ring.
Finally, he pulled something out from the bottom.
A piece of clothing.
He usually wore a gray-green Daoist robe.
What he was holding now was a… dress.
Water-red, silk fabric, with pale golden intertwining lotus flowers embroidered on the collar, a matching silk ribbon tied at the waist, and a wide skirt made of excellent material.
Just by looking, one could tell it was expensive.
Xiao Yan held up the dress.
The color was very delicate.
Then he closed his eyes.
Spiritual power surged from his dantian, flowing through his meridians to his limbs and bones, to his muscles, skin, and bones.
His bones subtly contracted.
His shoulders narrowed.
His hip bones widened.
His Adam’s apple slowly disappeared.
His fingers became longer and more slender.
His muscles redistributed.
His waistline tightened.
The contours of his chest changed.
The pores of his skin shrank, becoming fine and smooth.
The spiritual power continued to flow.
His hair began to lengthen from the roots.
His shoulder-length black hair grew like vines watered by rain, and in the blink of an eye, it reached his waist.
The texture also changed, from stiff, straight hair to soft, smooth long hair, shimmering faintly under the moonlight.
Xiao Yan opened his eyes and looked into the bronze mirror.
He looked like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old.
His brows were curved, the corners of his mouth naturally upturned, and two shallow dimples appeared faintly.
This face wasn’t breathtakingly beautiful, but it had a kind of endearing quality that made people want to get close.
Xiao Yan tried to smile at the mirror.
The dimples deepened, and his eyes curved into crescent moons.
‘Ah… time to go accompany drinks at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion again…’
He pushed aside the vines, walked out of the cave, and stood on the stone platform.
Moonlight fell on the water-red dress, dyeing it a faint silver-purple.
His long hair was blown by the wind, scattering like ink behind him, the tips brushing against the embroidered pouch hanging at his waist.
Xiao Yan took a deep breath, stepped onto his flying sword, and flew toward the Central Continent.
A friend from the Central Continent had introduced him to this job three months ago.
At the time, Xiao Yan almost stabbed the friend with his sword.
Who was he?
The Peak Master of Lingyun Peak of the Qingyun Sect.
A Golden Core Stage cultivator.
A proper sword cultivator.
Using a transformation technique to accompany drinks in the Central Continent?
If word got out, where would he put his old face?
“Don’t rush. I know you’re strong, but you’re from the Eastern Continent. I believe in you, but others don’t. Generally, country bumpkins from other places who come to the Central Continent can’t beat the Central Continent locals even at the same cultivation level. Who would want you? How about you try it for a day? I’ll give you a spirit sword.”
“What grade?”
“A fifth-grade spirit sword.”
“Deal.”
And then… he discovered that the Central Continent seemed to be dripping with wealth…
The tips he got in a single day for giving people back rubs, massages, and washing their feet seemed to be higher than his monthly income as Peak Master.
Besides, besides that friend, no one in the Central Continent knew him…
The key point was… he was poor… And now that he had taken on another disciple, he was even poorer, damn it…
If he didn’t get more spirit stones soon, he wouldn’t even be able to afford to maintain his own life-bound flying sword…
Of course, he had principles.
No selling his ass.
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