Chapter 25: Dan Chen and Cao Ying
"Miss, are you alright?"
The moment Xiao Yan saw the young girl, his previously irritated expression flipped faster than turning a page in a book. In an instant, he transformed into a warm and caring gentleman.
The girl sat on the ground, gently rubbing her head. Her watery peach blossom eyes glistened with unshed tears, and her pale, delicate face reflected a mix of grievance and slight fear as she gazed at Xiao Yan's rapidly shifting demeanor.
"Such a delicate little girl. She looks like she'd cry for hours if you so much as tapped her," Xiao Yan thought, his gaze scanning her unconsciously.
She was undeniably beautiful. Her fragile, timid aura sparked an instinctive desire in men to protect her. Hmm, a solid eight out of ten.
She had a slender waist, long legs, and skin as fair and smooth as porcelain. Though her figure was still developing, there was potential for growth. Not bad a classic 'fair and petite beauty.' Definitely worth pursuing.
Having made up his mind, Xiao Yan extended a hand to help the girl up.
"Don't!"
The girl gasped in surprise as she saw Xiao Yan's hand reaching toward her.
"I'm just helping you up, and you're already this shy? That won't do. We can't get to know each other if we don't make physical contact." Xiao Yan pretended not to hear her objection and firmly reached for her wrist.
Her wrist was slender and delicate, as if carved from white jade an enticing sight.
The girl barely had time to pull away before Xiao Yan's hand clasped her wrist.
"What kind of scoundrel would I be if I didn't take the initiative? You have to strike with precision and confidence if you want to win a girl's heart," Xiao Yan thought, channeling the boldness he'd honed in his previous life.
However, the moment he held her wrist, his expression abruptly shifted to one of shock.
At the center of his brow, his soul force stirred violently, as if it wanted to break free and merge into the girl's body.
Gritting his teeth, Xiao Yan bit his tongue hard to suppress the strange sensation and hastily released her wrist, as though he'd been burned.
"Thud!"
Freed from Xiao Yan's grasp, the girl fell back onto the ground. Her bright peach blossom eyes brimmed with tears, making her look even more pitiful.
"Are you alright?" She got up from the ground, supporting herself with trembling arms, and looked at Xiao Yan with a mix of fear and apprehension.
"I'm fine," Xiao Yan replied, quickly masking his unease with a warm smile. "But what about you? Did you hurt yourself when you fell?"
For someone like her naïve and inexperienced the first step was to win her trust.
The girl nodded hesitantly, then quickly shook her head, looking at Xiao Yan with a nervous expression.
"You're from the Dan Clan, right?" Xiao Yan took the initiative, noticing the emblem on her chest. Yao Lao had once explained the significance of the Dan Clan's emblem.
"Mm."
"What's your name?"
"Dan... Dan Chen." Her voice was soft and shaky, as if she were afraid of him. "Can... can I leave now?"
Her timid demeanor amused Xiao Yan. "She's shy, but so am I," he thought.
"Who said you could leave?" Xiao Yan's expression suddenly turned stern, catching her off guard.
"Huh?" Dan Chen's delicate face showed a mix of confusion and grievance, her watery eyes staring at him as if he'd bullied her.
"Tsk tsk, if this were some naïve young man, he'd already be bending over backward for her by now, ready to dive into fire or water to comfort her. Too bad she ran into me a big bad wolf. Heh heh!"
"Where are you headed? I'll take you there."
"N no need!" Dan Chen took a step back, her slender legs trembling slightly as she looked at him with trepidation. Xiao Yan's good looks couldn't completely mask the faint air of mischief and danger that made her feel uneasy.
"Her instincts aren't wrong," Xiao Yan thought, amused. "But from the moment she bumped into me, she was already in danger."
"Hmm?" Xiao Yan furrowed his brows slightly.
Seeing this, Dan Chen became even more flustered. Her pale face turned red with anxiety, and she took a tentative step forward, hoping to slip away.
But just as she moved, Xiao Yan followed her.
"C can you stop following me?" Dan Chen's voice trembled, on the verge of tears.
"With a personality as gentle as yours, I'm worried someone might bully you," Xiao Yan said with a faint smile.
Dan Chen didn't dare respond. Though the young man wore a warm and friendly expression, there was something about him that filled her with unease.
It's fine, it's fine. Once I get to the Dan family's rest hall, I'll be safe.
With this thought, Dan Chen quickened her small, hurried steps, as though rushing to the finish line of a marathon.
"Hey, why are you running?" Xiao Yan's voice rang out from behind her, causing her to freeze in place.
"Why are you keeping such a distance? Are you afraid I'll eat you or something?"
It was only a short walk, but to Dan Chen, it felt like the longest journey of her life. Fortunately, although this young man seemed a bit shameless, at least he hadn't done anything inappropriate.
In truth, if not for the strange, mysterious aura emanating from her, Xiao Yan might have indeed pushed his luck further.
The Dan family's rest hall wasn't far from the Dan Tower's main building.
By the time Dan Chen nearly ran her way to the entrance, she felt as though she'd finally reached the finish line.
"Ah, Miss Dan Chen, you're back," a Dou Wang guard at the door greeted her with a friendly smile.
For a moment, Dan Chen felt a sense of liberation. But just as relief washed over her, she heard a conversation behind her that made her stomach drop.
"Excuse me, young man, but this is the Dan family's private rest area. Outsiders are not permitted," the Dou Wang said to Xiao Yan.
"I'm not an outsider," Xiao Yan replied smoothly, "I'm Yao Chen's disciple. Go inform your elders I'm here on behalf of my teacher."
"Yao Chen's disciple?" The Dou Wang froze for a moment, then looked at Xiao Yan with suspicion. "Do you have any proof?"
"This is my identity token as the Young Master of the Starfall Pavilion. Show it to your elders," Xiao Yan said casually, tossing a token to the guard.
When Xiao Yan had moved into Starfall Pavilion, he'd forced Yao Chen to name him the Young Master. He'd even threatened to deal with Han Feng and take his Sea Heart Flame if Yao Chen didn't agree.
"Yao Chen's disciple?" Dan Chen turned to look at the white robed youth standing behind her. Her delicate face showed surprise at first, but it quickly twisted into a look of despair. Why can't I shake this guy off, even at home?
A moment later, the Dou Wang returned with the token and gave a respectful bow.
"Young Master, please come in. The elders are already waiting for you in the main hall."
As the Young Master of the Starfall Pavilion, Xiao Yan commanded respect, even from the Dan family. Among the four major pavilions of Central Plains, the Starfall Pavilion alone had the strength to make the Dan family tread carefully.
The reason was simple Starfall Pavilion had Yao Chen, the Medicine Sovereign.
"Come on. Why are you just standing there?" Xiao Yan smiled warmly at Dan Chen, whose face looked increasingly distressed.
The Dan family, the leading clan of the Dan Domain's Five Great Families, was a powerhouse boasting dozens of seventh tier alchemists and three eighth tier alchemists.
In the family's reception hall, the Dan family patriarch, Dan Yangzi, was leisurely sipping on a cup of ginseng and goji tea. To his left sat the Cao family patriarch.
"Your Cao family has produced quite the remarkable talent," Dan Yangzi said with a smile, casting a glance at the young girl in red seated nearby.
The girl appeared no older than fourteen or fifteen, her youthful, charming face radiating an allure that hinted at future beauty. Her curvaceous figure was wrapped in a fiery red dress, making her resemble a budding rose.
This was none other than Cao Ying, the famed prodigy of the Cao family a girl with the potential to enchant nations and overthrow kingdoms even at her young age.
"Haha, your family's Dan Chen isn't bad either," the Cao family patriarch replied cheerfully. "She's a born Ancient Spirit Physique. Even with her eyes closed, she could become an eighth tier alchemist."
Then, with a sly smile, he added, "But I'm quite curious about this new disciple Yao Chen has taken under his wing."
"I must admit, I'm curious too," Dan Yangzi said with a chuckle. "Yao Chen's standards are notoriously high, rivaling those of Xuan Yi. For him to make someone the Young Master of the Starfall Pavilion... could this boy's talent surpass even your Cao Ying's?"
As Dan Yangzi finished speaking, the doors to the hall opened, and his family's "little princess" entered with a white robed youth at her side.
Player One, Xiao Yan the Scoundrel, has entered the game!
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