Chapter 7

When Xiao Ying was still alive, Xiao Lie's status in the Xiao Clan was unparalleled, even the head of the family treated him with great respect. The reason was obvious: Xiao Ying's astonishing talent destined him to be the strongest of his generation in the Xiao Clan. In this world where mystic power was revered, Xiao Lie, as Xiao Ying's father, was naturally respected by all in the Xiao Clan. However, after Xiao Ying was assassinated and Xiao Lie's only grandson, Xiao Che, was confirmed to be a mystic meridian cripple, although Xiao Lie is currently the strongest in Liuyun City, with his son dead and grandson crippled, with no successor, who would still fear him? His status in the Xiao Clan plummeted.

Xiao Lie did not get angry. He had long been accustomed to the ridicule of these people and smiled faintly, saying, "Thank you all for coming. Be sure to drink a few more cups at the banquet."

"The face has been given, but there's no need to drink. My grandson, Xiao Chengzhi, has just broken through to the Seventh Level of the Initial Mystic Realm. I've already wasted a lot of time here, I must immediately stabilize his condition myself." Third Elder Xiao Ze stood up as he spoke.

"Chengzhi has already broken through to the Seventh Level of the Initial Mystic Realm? To achieve this at just seventeen, his future is truly boundless. Third Elder, no wonder you look so radiant today, truly a cause for celebration!" Fourth Elder Xiao Cheng also stood up, his face full of surprise as he congratulated the Third Elder.

No matter how good Xiao Lie's temper was, a trace of anger appeared on his face. These four people used to call him brother and often showed him respect and flattery, but ever since Xiao Ying's death and Xiao Che's confirmation as a mystic meridian cripple, their attitude towards him had completely changed. Now, they barely regarded him at all. They often boasted about their own sons and grandsons in front of him, and today, at his grandson's wedding, they still mocked and ridiculed him without any restraint, using their grandsons' achievements to tear at the deepest wounds in his heart.

The sudden change in the atmosphere made the master of ceremonies, Xiao De, break out in a cold sweat. He quickly skipped over the remaining procedures and shouted in a high-pitched voice, "The newlyweds will now be escorted to the bridal chamber... Please, all guests, take your seats for the banquet!"

Amidst the continuous sounds of gongs and drums, Xiao Che and Xia Qingyue, after exchanging vows, walked into Xiao Che's courtyard under the watchful eyes of the guests. The bridal chamber was the room where Xiao Che usually lived, now decorated in a deep red, with a large red carpet embroidered with dragons and phoenixes, a large double happiness character, red silk and ribbons, and two large red candles on a dazzling golden stand, their bodies gilded with dragons and phoenixes soaring to the sky. The flickering candlelight cast a dreamy, hazy glow, isolating the bridal chamber from the outside world, making it dazzling and mesmerizing.

Xia Qingyue was helped to sit on the bed by her maid, Xia Dongling, who then silently left and closed the door. The room instantly became quiet, with only the faint sound of their breathing.

Xia Qingyue sat quietly, making no sound. Xiao Che did not approach her but stood by the door, his eyes fixed on the direction outside, his gaze filled with gloom.

"Your grandfather was bullied like that, even on your wedding day, it must be very hard for you, right?"

A gentle but cool voice sounded in his ear... Xiao Che's expression changed. Xia Qingyue actually spoke to him first, which surprised him, even though her words were quite harsh.

Xiao Che turned his gaze and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Take off the phoenix crown. It's too heavy and will be uncomfortable if you wear it for too long."

According to the wedding customs of the Heavenly Mystic Continent, the phoenix crown must be removed by the groom himself, but he had been "frozen" when he tried to help her earlier, and the proud Xiao Che was unwilling to touch it again. Of course, he also did not believe that Xia Qingyue would really let him help remove the crown.

Xia Qingyue paused for a moment, then raised her hand and silently removed the phoenix crown with its pearl tassels. Instantly, a face of breathtaking beauty appeared before Xiao Che's eyes. When their gazes met, Xiao Che's eyes froze for a moment... These were eyes of indescribable beauty, as if all the clear and shimmering waves in the world had gathered in these dreamlike eyes. Even the most skilled painter and the most eloquent words could not describe or interpret them. Her skin was as smooth as jade, whiter than snow, and her face, even in the dimly lit room, was still crystal clear and snow white. Her lips were like the most delicate petals, and her exquisite nose seemed to be carved from the most beautiful white jade, exuding a natural nobility and pride.

"Indeed... as beautiful as they say..." Xiao Che murmured, his eyes never blinking or shifting from hers. Those beautiful eyes were like a bottomless abyss with infinite gravity, drawing his consciousness and thoughts into it, unable to extricate himself.

Although he and Xia Qingyue had been betrothed since childhood, except for a few glimpses when they were young, this was the first time he had seen her true face after the age of ten... Because Xia Qingyue rarely left her room, and Xiao Che, knowing he was a mystic meridian cripple, was filled with self-pity and self-blame, rarely left the Xiao Clan. He had only heard about Xia Qingyue's extraordinary beauty from others' occasional remarks, and in his heart, he had always been imagining a vague silhouette.

But now, seeing Xia Qingyue's true face, the silhouette in his heart instantly vanished. Her beauty was completely beyond his imagination. He could not describe this kind of extraordinary beauty, and even with the memories of two lifetimes, Xiao Che was momentarily lost in her presence.

Xia Qingyue was known as the first beauty of Liuyun City, but if someone said she was the first beauty of the Cangfeng Empire, Xiao Che would not doubt it. He could not imagine any beauty that could surpass the stunning sight before him. And this girl was only sixteen, still a young age where she had not yet fully bloomed. In a few years, it was unimaginable what level of charm Xia Qingyue would reach... Perhaps, she would be beautiful to the point of being ethereal.

A small city like Liuyun could produce a girl whose every smile and frown could captivate the world, and this girl had become his wife today... Xiao Che could not help but feel a deep sense of unreality.

"But you, are different from what I heard and what I imagined."

Xia Qingyue stood up, her body's curves revealed as she moved. She approached Xiao Che, her eyes like water, her lips slightly parted: "It was said that your mystic meridian is crippled, and you can only stay at the First Level of the Initial Mystic Realm. Because of this, your body is weak, and your personality has become self-pitying and timid, rarely going out to see people. Your only playmates seem to be your aunt, Xiao Lengxi, and my brother, Yuan Ba. The only thing you have going for you is your looks."

"Your mystic energy is indeed weak and impure, confirming that your mystic meridian is crippled. But the rumors about your personality seem to be completely wrong."

Xia Qingyue stopped about three steps in front of Xiao Che, her beautiful eyes staring directly into his: "Although you are trying to hide it, your demeanor clearly shows a sense of pride. From the moment I first saw you until now, it has been the same, completely opposite to the self-pity in the rumors. When I used mystic power to freeze your arm at my house, your reaction was so calm that it surprised me. If your arm hadn't briefly stiffened, I would have doubted whether my mystic power had failed. Just now, in the hall, when you and your grandfather, Xiao Lie, were mocked and ridiculed in such an important setting, you only showed a moment of anger, which then disappeared completely. Your expression and heartbeat did not show any abnormal fluctuations... This kind of mental state is something even a middle-aged Mystic Realm expert would find hard to achieve!"

"Even when you look at me, your gaze is intense but not scattered!"

"Your mystic meridian is indeed crippled, but your true personality and mental state have been hidden from everyone." Xia Qingyue's soft voice continued, her eyes always fixed on Xiao Che's, deep and boundless.

Xiao Che was suddenly startled.

As Xia Qingyue approached, a captivating scent of a young girl filled his nose, but Xiao Che was too shocked to pay attention to it. Indeed, he was currently very proud, no matter who he faced, because in the Cangyun Continent, he had faced the world's strongest with pride. Any one of those strong figures was an existence that the entire Liuyun City could not resist. Although he was now extremely weak, his character would not change, and this pride was not something he deliberately displayed, but a natural expression. His current physical condition and situation made him try to hide this pride.

But Xia Qingyue had seen through all of this, even his mental state, in just a few words!

On the way from the Xia family to the Xiao family, he had thought Xia Qingyue did not care about him at all, after all, one was a pearl in the sky, and the other was a despised mud. But he never expected that she had been observing him the whole time, and he had not noticed at all.

Xiao Che's gaze towards Xia Qingyue changed. The eyes before him were not only breathtakingly beautiful but also clear and penetrating, as if they could see through the soul. Her thoughts were so meticulous that it was impossible not to be surprised...

After all, Xiao Che had the memories and experiences of two lifetimes, and a mental state that could face the world's strongest and death without wavering! Yet, she had seen through him so easily!

Is she really just a sixteen-year-old girl!?

How could a sixteen-year-old girl have such a demonic gaze and thoughts!

Xiao Che even wondered if Xia Qingyue was also a穿越者 (穿越者 means "穿越者" in Chinese, which translates to "time traveler" or "穿越者" in English, but in this context, it means someone who has been reincarnated or transported from another world or time)!

"Are you enduring?" Xia Qingyue asked softly.

"Enduring?" Xiao Che gave a self-mocking smile: "Perhaps. But the fact that my mystic meridian is crippled is true. In this Heavenly Mystic Continent, a mystic meridian cripple means a lifetime of being at the bottom, looked down upon. Is there really a difference between being truly timid and self-pitying or silently enduring?"

Enduring? What a joke! Yesterday's Xiao Che was exactly as Xia Qingyue had heard. But no matter how smart Xia Qingyue was, she could not have imagined that today's Xiao Che had an entire lifetime of memories more than yesterday's Xiao Che, and his personality and mental state had changed accordingly.

Xia Qingyue's beautiful eyes narrowed, and her soft, jade-like hand suddenly raised, extending two fingers to point at Xiao Che's chest. Instantly, a cool but not cold sensation spread from Xiao Che's chest to his entire body. Just as Xiao Che was about to ask what she was doing, the cool sensation disappeared, and Xia Qingyue withdrew her hand, her lips moving like petals: "Your mystic meridian is indeed crippled, but it is not congenital. It was likely damaged when you were very young, attacked by a force that directly destroyed your mystic meridian!"