Chapter 7: Chapter 6 – Peerless Beauty
When Xiao Ying was alive, Xiao Lie's position in the Xiao Clan was second to none for even the leader of the Xiao Clan at that time was respectful towards him. There was a clear reason; Xiao Ying's talent at that time gave him the potential to be one of Xiao Clan's strongest experts in the future. In this world that respected those with power, as Xiao Ying's father, Xiao Lie was held in high regard. However, after Xiao Ying's death, Xiao Lie's only grandson was born with a damaged Profound Vein. Although he was the strongest in Floating Cloud City who would fear him? His son was dead, his grandson disabled, and he had no other successors. His position in the Xiao Clan was now suffering a disastrous decline.
Xiao Lie did not get angry for he had already become accustomed to these cynical jabs of wordplay. With an indifferent smile, he spoke: "Thank you all for personally coming today. Be sure to drink more than a few cups of wine to celebrate this event."
"I have already given you face by personally coming here today so I do not need any wine. My grandson Xiao Chengzhi has now reached the 7th level of the Elementary Profound Realm. I have been here for quite a while now, I must personally go stabilize him." Third Elder said as he stood up.
(TL: Give face = give somebody respect especially when in public)
"Chengzhi has already reached the 7th level of the Elementary Profound Ream? To be only seventeen and have such success, his future is truly limitless. No wonder you were positively glowing today, that is surely gratifying!" The other four Elders rose to congratulate him with a surprised look on their face.
Although well disciplined, Xiao Lie's face had a look of condensed anger. His four brothers had always showered him with respect but ever since Xiao Ying's death and the confirmation of Xiao Che's damaged Profound Vein, their attitude changed for the worse. Basically, they do not bother to show respect for him anymore. They typically bragged about their own grandsons in front of him but now, in his own grandson's wedding hall, they still fearlessly flaunted their own grandson's achievements. His brothers used their own grandson's success to rip out the deepest scars in his heart.
All of a sudden, the atmosphere that could make one sweat bullets shifted. The master of ceremonies, Xiao De, hurriedly tried to speed up the wedding process and exclaimed in a squeaky high voice: "The bride and groom, go into the bridal chamber…. distinguished guests, please go to the banquet.
In the midst of the sound of gongs and joyful drumbeats, the couple who many were watching finished their rituals of worship and started to walk towards Xiao Che's small courtyard. The bridal chamber was the room where Xiao Che usually lived in. It had been decorated entirely in red. The carpet on the floor was finely embroidered with a dragon and phoenix that flew upon clouds, an auspicious symbol for a blissful marriage. The room full of red silk also contained a large "double happiness" sign and two red candles were shining brightly between a golden lamp. The dragon and phoenix engraved on the candle seem to sway in the twinkling light. The flickering candle touched upon golden glaze curtain and seemed to fill the room with a dreamy hazy color. It was isolated from the outside world and gleamed in such a way that would make one's eyes soften.
Xia Qingyue's maid, Xia Dongling, escorted Xia Qingyue to sit in her bed and then soundlessly stepped out of the room while closing the door. The room became silent and they could only vaguely hear the soft sound of their breathing.
Xia Qingyue sat there quietly, soundless and motionless. Xiao Che did not approach her but instead stood near the doorway and stared past it with a shadowy look in his eyes.
"Your grandfather was disrespected during your own wedding, you must be really upset, right?"
A soft clear voice entered Xiao Che's ear and his expression changed. Although Xia Qingyue's words stung his ears, she left him in awe for she took the initiative to talk to him.
Xiao Che glanced to his side and hesitantly spoke: "You can take down that phoenix coronet now. That thing is too heavy and if you wear it for too long, it would become uncomfortable."
According to the wedding traditions of the Profound Sky Continent, the groom must take off the coronet for the bride. A while back, as he was trying help her off the carriage, she stung his hand with her mysterious cold aura. Xiao Che was too prideful to touch her again because he was fearful of that happening again. Besides, he did not think the cold Xia Qingyue would even be willing to accept his offer if he were to actually try to help her with her coronet.
After a slight pause, Xia Qingyue raised her hands and silently took off the phoenix coronet. At that moment, a beautiful breathtaking face appeared in Xiao Che's line of sight. As she raised her charming eyes and meet Xiao Che's in contact, he immediately became stunned…. A pair of indescribable magnificent eyes met his. It was as if the world's essence laid deep within her eyes. Not even the world's most brilliant painter nor the most precious of words could accurately portray her beauty. Her jade-like skin and creamy face was as white as snow under the dim lights in the room. Her lips were like the world's most delicate petals and her nose was of the most beautiful of sculpted white jade, high and proud with an innate nobility.
"You reputation precedes you." Xiao Che murmured, measuring her with his unblinking eyes. A pair of beautiful eyes peered back at him. An endless gravitational abyss drew his every attention and thought, making it difficult for him to move his eyes elsewhere.
Although this was an arranged marriage decided since they were born, aside from the occasional glimpses he took when he was young, this was actually the first time he truly saw Xia Qingyue since the age of ten. This was because Xia Qingyue rarely left her home and the disabled Xiao Che had low self-esteem that evolved into an inferiority complex. He only heard about Xia Qingyue from the hearsay of others and after hearing that Xia Qingyue had grown up to become a peerless beauty, he pictured her in his heart.
The shadowy figure in his illusions faded as he looked at Xia Qingyue realizing that he was in the face of true beauty. Xia Qingyue's allure was beyond his imagination for he could not describe this peerless beauty. The Xiao Che with clear memories of two worlds could not help but forget his thoughts when faced with such a sight.
Xia Qingyue was called the number one beauty in Floating Cloud City but if anyone were to say that she was the one number beauty in Blue Wind Empire, Xiao Che would not dispute that claim. He could not think of anything that would surpass this beautiful spectacle before his eyes. The girl in front of his eyes was yet only sixteen; girls at that age have not fully blossomed but it is impossible to imagine what would happen to Xia Qingyue after a few years.…. perhaps she would reach a transcendent level by that time.
A girl whose every movement and smile that could move the world was born in little Floating Cloud City. And this girl has become his wife today…. Xiao Che could not help but question the authenticity of his reality.
"And you are not what the rumors say nor what I had imagined as well."
Xia Qingyue rose and her touching curve of her body was exposed as she approached Xiao Che. Her eyes shone like water as she slightly parted her lips: "Rumors say that your vein was disabled so you can only stay at the 1st level of the Elementary Profound Realm. Because of that, you have a weak physique and low self esteem since you only stay at home. Your only friends are your little aunt Xiao Lingxi and my younger brother Yuanba. The only thing on your body that can be regarded as an advantage would be your appearance."
"Your Profound aura is not only weak and murky but your Profound Vein is indeed disabled. However, your personality is completely different from what the rumors claimed you to be."
Xia Qingyue stopped at a distance of three steps before Xiao Che as she stared straight at Xiao Che with her beautiful eyes: "Although you deliberately hide and pretend your true character, I sensed your arrogance ever since I laid my eyes upon you. You are completely the opposite of those rumors. Earlier at my place, I froze your hand with my Profound power but your calm reaction surprised me. If your hand wasn't so still, I would have doubted that I failed to use my power. In the wedding hall you and your grandfather Xiao Lie were mocked during such an important occasion but it only looked like you were angry for a quick second and then your anger disappeared. Your expression and heart rate showed no signs of abnormal fluctuations at all. It is difficult to achieve that mental state of mind even for a middle aged Profound Spirit practitioner!"
"When you look at me, there is an obsessed glint in your eye that has not diminished even now."
"Your disabled Profound Vein is fact but your true personality and state of mind has fooled everyone." Xia Qingyue whispered, as her boundlessly deep eyes stared at Xiao Che.
Xiao Che startled in surprise.
With Xia Qingyue that close to him, one would usually be in ecstasy when in the presence of the perfume of her floral scent but Xiao Che could not be bothered to be moved by that. His heart had completely went in shock as he stared back at her in awe. It was true, he was indeed a proud person regardless of who he was in the presence of because back when he was in the Azure Cloud Continent, he was one of the proud warlords there. Anyone living in Floating Cloud City at the moment was not on par with those legendary warlords of his time. Although his strength went through an extreme decline, his state of mind stayed the same. He did not deliberately set out to appear that way but it was the natural attitude of his previous life. However, he had to keep his prideful self hidden because of his current lack of strength and situation.
What Xia Qingyue said had perfectly described his personality in one go!
On the road from Xia Clan back to Xiao Clan, he always thought that she held him in contemptuous disregard for she was a heavenly treasure and he was the mud on the floor that people despised. It was a typical common thought. But he had never been aware that she had been watching him during their journey back. Xiao Che suddenly saw Xia Qingyue in a new light as he looked into her extremely beautiful eyes. Those clear eyes that saw through his mind and heart in meticulously fine detail left him in shock.
You know! This Xiao Che with two memories of experience was a person that could not be moved in the face of all the world's heroes and even in the face of death! Yet she already saw him through!
Was she really only a girl who had just turned sixteen!?
How can this sixteen year old girl possess such a monstrously keen eye and mind!
Xiao Che had a suspicion that maybe Xia Qingyue was like him, a person reincarnated into this world!
"Are you enduring it?" Xia Qingyue asked after a pause.
"Enduring it?" Xiao Che let out a seemingly self-deprecating laugh: "Perhaps. The truth of my damaged Profound Vein won't change. In the Profound Sky Continent, living a life with a disabled Profound Vein has made people look down on me like I am the scum on the bottom of their shoe. Is there a difference between a cowardly self-blame and a silent endurance?
Enduring it? More like he was tolerating it! Yesterday's Xiao Che was exactly as what the rumors had said he was! No matter how clever Xia Qingyue was, she could not have thought that today's Xiao Che would have another lifetime's worth of memory. His temperament and mental state had also changed along with it.
Xia Qingyue's beautiful eyes narrowed as she suddenly lifted the jade-like palm of her hand and stretched out two fingers to touch his chest. Suddenly, a cool but not entirely cold aura hit Xiao Che in the chest and spread throughout his body. As Xiao Che was about to ask her what she was doing, the cold feeling instantly disappeared and Xia Qingyue opened her lips that were like the soft petals of a flower: "Your Profound Vein is indeed disabled, but it is not a congenital deformity. You were probably attacked when you were very young and someone directly destroyed your Profound Vein!"
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