章 29: Chapter 29: The Dou Qi Pavilion
Chapter 29: The Dou Qi Pavilion
"You!"
Upon hearing Mo Yu's shameless words, Xiao Yu's delicate eyebrows furrowed, and a flash of anger appeared in her beautiful eyes. The youth before her, who moments ago seemed so pure and enchanting, had stirred a bit of affection in her heart. But now, she was furious at his brazen behavior.
"Don't even think about it! I'd rather die than agree to marry you!" Xiao Yu exclaimed in frustration.
Seeing her genuinely angry, Mo Yu raised an eyebrow. Xiao Yu was indeed different from Xiao Mei. Xiao Mei was somewhat opportunistic, but Xiao Yu was refreshingly straightforward, which made her somewhat endearing. Moreover, with her long, shapely legs and slender figure, she was quite attractive. Marrying someone like her didn't seem like a bad idea at all.
In his previous life, Mo Yu had encountered all kinds of women, so family background and talent weren't things that mattered much to him. However, marriage was still a distant thought for him.
Noticing Xiao Yu's genuine anger, Mo Yu decided to drop the joke and return to his calm demeanor, his eyes as deep and still as a quiet lake.
"Heh, I was just joking, Cousin Xiao Yu. I have no plans of settling down anytime soon. Rest assured, I'll talk to the clan leader about this myself."
Xiao Yu was taken aback, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes. She asked incredulously, "Are you... are you serious?"
Xiao Yu wasn't one to rely on her looks, but she was very confident in her beauty. In all of the Xiao family and even in Wu Tan City, she believed her looks were second only to Xun'er's. Even Xun'er, with her youth, couldn't match her in terms of figure. At Jia Nan Academy, she was also quite popular. Yet here was Mo Yu, dismissing all that as if it were nothing.
"I have no reason to lie to you, Cousin Xiao Yu," Mo Yu said, shrugging, his tone calm.
Seeing the young man's apparent disinterest, Xiao Yu felt a strange mix of relief and disappointment. Remembering Mo Yu's dazzling performance during the recent test and his title as one of the "Xiao Family's Twin Dragons," she felt an inexplicable sense of loss.
Ignoring Xiao Yu's complicated emotions, Mo Yu waved goodbye and walked away.
As she watched the youth's slender figure recede into the sunset, Xiao Yu found herself momentarily lost in thought. One moment, he was playful and carefree; the next, he was calm and mysterious. Which one was the real him?
...
After leaving the back mountain, Mo Yu had barely returned home when he was informed by a servant of the clan leader that the next day would be the day to choose techniques at the Dou Qi Pavilion. Although Mo Yu wasn't particularly interested—knowing that the Xiao family's techniques held little value for him—he still decided to go. It was important to maintain appearances, especially since the technique he was currently practicing was not something he could easily explain.
The next morning, after practicing his movement techniques at the courtyard gate, Mo Yu was joined by Xiao Yan and Xun'er.
"Mo Yu, today's the day to choose techniques. Don't forget," Xiao Yan said, his voice light as he noticed Mo Yu's graceful movements, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Mo Yu stopped his practice and smiled at the young couple. "I'm sure the family's techniques don't interest you two either. This is more about reassuring Uncle Xiao Zhan."
Xun'er smiled softly but said nothing, while Xiao Yan scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. Mo Yu always seemed to understand what he was thinking.
"My father's just trying to be considerate. We shouldn't disappoint him," Xiao Yan said, his tone noncommittal.
Mo Yu waved it off and said, "Let's go then. It's almost time."
A short while later, they were standing among a group of the Xiao family's younger generation. Mo Yu looked up at the large pavilion before them, shaking his head in mild amazement. The sign above the enormous pavilion bore the ancient characters for "Dou Qi Pavilion," the faded sign and its deep grooves hinting at its age.
This pavilion was the most important place in the Xiao family, housing the techniques accumulated over centuries. Mo Yu's sharp soul sense detected several powerful, hidden auras around the pavilion, indicating that the Xiao family still had a few hidden experts, though they weren't exceptionally strong. The Xiao family had declined for far too long.
Once the younger generation had gathered, the clan leader, Xiao Zhan, explained the rules for entering the Dou Qi Pavilion.
"Now that you all understand the rules, you may begin."
Xiao Zhan nodded in satisfaction and stepped back, revealing a stone pillar in front of the pavilion's entrance. The pillar was about a meter tall, and on top of it rested a transparent crystal ball.
With a wave of his hand, two guards behind him pushed open the massive black doors with a heavy creak.
"After testing your attributes, you can enter. Remember, follow the path that matches your attribute. Don't go the wrong way!" Xiao Zhan instructed the group.
Seeing Xiao Zhan nod, the first young man eagerly ran up and touched the crystal ball. A faint green light emerged.
"Wood attribute. You may enter," Xiao Zhan said, nodding.
With someone leading the way, the rest of the group quickly followed, eagerly testing their attributes and rushing into the Dou Qi Pavilion.
As the crowd thinned out, Mo Yu turned to Xiao Yan and Xun'er with a smile. "Let's go. We should take a look inside."
Xun'er shrugged adorably, clearly uninterested in the family's techniques. Xiao Yan felt the same and nodded slightly.
Since none of the three were particularly eager, they waited until everyone else had gone inside, then leisurely approached the entrance under Xiao Zhan's watchful eye.
Xiao Yan went first. The crystal ball glowed with a bright red light, even more intense than that of the others before him, confirming his fire attribute. Mo Yu, with his sharp senses, noticed Xiao Zhan whispering something to Xiao Yan as they passed each other—a clear case of favoritism.
Mo Yu shook his head slightly but said nothing. After all, he had seen such things countless times in his previous lives.
After Xiao Yan, it was Xun'er's turn. When her slender finger touched the crystal ball, it initially stayed dormant before suddenly flaring up with an intense red glow, as bright as a fireball. After a few moments, the light dimmed, and when Xun'er withdrew her finger, the crystal ball was left covered in fine cracks.
Seeing this, Xiao Zhan sighed and shook his head helplessly, then turned to Mo Yu with a wry smile. "I didn't expect Xun'er's physique to be so unique. The crystal ball is ruined now. Since I remember that you have a lightning attribute, there's no need to test. You can go straight in."
Mo Yu was happy to comply. Given his physique, the effect might have been even more dramatic than Xun'er's.
"Follow the second path, third room on the left," Xiao Zhan whispered as Mo Yu was about to enter.
Mo Yu paused, then smiled. It seemed he was receiving the same preferential treatment as Xiao Yan.
(End of Chapter)
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