Xun'er thought Xiao Bai was tired from sitting and had gone to the back mountain for a stroll, so she hurriedly followed him.
Hearing her, Xiao Bai thought for a moment and didn't refuse, waiting for the young girl to catch up.
Bringing Xun'er along wasn't a bad idea. He wasn't sure if his current soul power could resist Yao Lao. With her there, it would be an extra layer of security.
If anything went wrong, he could always furrow his brows and retreat behind Xun'er.
"Brother Xiao Bai, let's take a walk by the lake!"
Xiao Xun'er hadn't spent time with Xiao Bai in a long while, so she was quite excited.
Xiao Bai shook his head and said,
"No, today we're going to the cliff."
Seeing that Xiao Bai didn't seem to be going to the back mountain just for a casual stroll, Xun'er tilted her head curiously. "The cliff? What are we going to do there?"
Xiao Bai smiled, "To comfort a wounded soul."
"A wounded soul? Who? Cousin Xiao Yan?"
"Hmm… uh… I guess you could say that," Xiao Bai said, somewhat uncertain.
That guy was about to take off soon—what comfort did he need?
"So mysterious!" Xiao Xun'er muttered upon seeing him hesitate.
"You'll find out soon enough. Let's go!"
Xiao Bai grabbed the young girl's hand and quickly walked toward the cliff.
…
After leaving the hall, Xiao Yan wandered aimlessly to the Xiao Clan's back mountain cliff, gazing at the mist-covered Magic Beast Mountain Range in the distance.
Recalling Nalan Yanran's arrogant words from earlier, it felt like countless sharp blades were stabbing into his heart. He bit his lips tightly, the taste of blood spreading in his mouth, but he didn't even notice.
Facing the empty cliff, he hoarsely shouted:
"The humiliation of today—I never want to experience it a second time! Never!"
Inside the ring, Yao Lao saw that the timing was perfect. He was just about to make his grand appearance so that the kid outside would immediately bow and worship him. But suddenly, he seemed to sense something and instantly gave up, feeling somewhat stifled for a moment.
The sound of footsteps approached. Xiao Yan turned his head and saw Xiao Bai walking toward him, holding Xiao Xun'er's hand.
"Brother Bai, did you come to comfort me?"
Seeing that Xiao Bai had followed him shortly after he arrived, Xiao Yan was sure that he was worried about him. A warmth rose in his heart, and he asked with slight anticipation.
Hearing this, Xiao Bai froze for a moment. That wasn't his intention at all. He knew the plot—Xiao Yan was about to start his legend as the Flame Emperor. What comfort did he need?
But he had forgotten—this moment, right before dawn, was also Xiao Yan's darkest hour.
Looking at those expectant eyes, Xiao Bai felt a little bad about saying no. So, he nodded.
"Brother Bai!"
Xiao Yan's emotional call, along with his tear-filled eyes, made Xiao Bai shiver all over, and goosebumps instantly appeared.
Ugh~!
Seeing that Xiao Yan was about to hug him, Xiao Bai quickly raised his hand in front of him and sternly shouted:
"Hold it right there! A grown man shouldn't act like this!"
Hearing Xiao Bai's loud rebuke, Xiao Yan snapped out of his emotions. Remembering his actions just now, he felt embarrassed, and his face instantly turned red.
Seeing Xiao Yan's expression, Xiao Bai had the urge to turn around and leave.
Damn it, you're a grown man, looking all shy and blushing like that.
I never expected you to be this kind of Xiao Yan!
But recalling his goal for today, he endured the urge to retch and refrained from walking away.
It seemed like he needed to keep his distance from this guy in the future.
Xiao Bai was a man with a bright future ahead. There were so many beautiful women in the world waiting for his comfort!
How could he possibly get involved in some "Brokeback Mountain" scenario with this guy?
He wasn't sure if it was because the past three years had been too much of a blow, but why did it feel like this kid's mind had already become so twisted?
At first, Xiao Yan didn't understand Xiao Bai's strange gaze, but for a brief moment, a flash of realization struck him.
Thinking back to certain people in his past life with… peculiar preferences, he remembered reacting the same way when he first heard about them. Then, recalling his own actions just now, he began to understand—Xiao Bai had mistaken him for that kind of person.
In an instant, Xiao Yan felt the urge to just drop dead on the spot. He hurriedly explained:
"Brother Bai, I'm not that kind of person!"
Xiao Bai grew even more suspicious, but he didn't want to continue this topic. He calmly nodded, deciding in his heart that he would avoid being alone with Xiao Yan in the future.
Xiao Xun'er, watching from the side, didn't understand what was going on. It felt like they were discussing something… strange.
"Alright, enough of that. Let me ask you—do you want to solve the problem of your lost Dou Qi?"
Xiao Bai's tone became serious.
"Brother Bai, you can solve my problem?"
A surge of hope ignited within Xiao Yan. This had been his biggest burden for the past three years. Day and night, he had obsessed over finding the cause and fixing it.
He never expected Xiao Bai to suddenly offer him such a surprise.
He didn't doubt Xiao Bai's words—though this man was sometimes unreliable with minor things, he would never joke about something so serious unless he was confident.
"If I told you that I've known all along but never told you, would you hate me?"
The words were spoken softly, but in Xiao Yan's ears, they exploded like thunder.
A massive wave of anger and sorrow surged within him.
He and Xiao Bai had once been at odds, but now… he truly saw him as a friend, as a big brother, as… a role model in life.
Yet now, this person was telling him that he had known the answer all along but had watched him struggle for three whole years without saying a word.
Xiao Yan stared at Xiao Bai with a look that was both teary-eyed and full of disbelief. He forced a smile and asked, "Why? Why? Is it because I used to cause you trouble?"
Xiao Bai simply smiled, offering no answer. Instead, he walked over to a stone table nearby.
Xiao Xun'er silently followed him. She didn't know why Xiao Bai had done this, but… she trusted him.
Xiao Bai wasn't making trouble for himself. After all, even if he didn't say anything now, Xiao Yan would find out soon enough.
So he might as well be the one to break the truth—taking control of the situation instead of being a passive observer.
He had anticipated this moment for a long time, and he already knew how to explain it—even if it was a lie.
If it had been anyone else, Xiao Bai wouldn't have cared what they thought. They could take it however they wanted.
But the boy in front of him was different. And besides, the Xiao Clan had shown him kindness.
As for the future… the opportunities that were already destined for Xiao Yan, Xiao Bai wouldn't take them.
But those that hadn't fallen into his hands yet? Well, it would all depend on who was more capable.
After sitting down at the stone table, Xiao Bai gestured toward a nearby stone stool and said to Xiao Yan, who was still standing there,
"Sit down and take your time. There's no rush—we have plenty of time today."
Seeing Xiao Bai's calm and composed demeanor, Xiao Yan forced himself to cool down. His eyes flickered with hesitation, but after a brief struggle, he slowly walked over.
"Ask whatever you want." Xiao Bai said indifferently once Xiao Yan had taken a seat.
"Why?" Xiao Yan asked in a low, heavy voice.
"Because I couldn't beat them."
"Couldn't beat them? You mean my Dou Qi disappearance was caused by someone?" Xiao Yan's eyes were filled with shock and uncertainty.
A trace of surprise also flashed through Xiao Xun'er's eyes. Back when Xiao Yan first encountered this problem, Xiao Zhan had even asked her to examine him, but even Ling Ying hadn't noticed anything unusual!
Xiao Bai nodded.
Meanwhile, inside the ring, Yao Lao nearly jumped out in fury, cursing internally:
"You little brat, what nonsense are you spewing? It was YOU who made me sleep for two whole months back then! Almost ruining my plans and causing this kid to cultivate his technique and breakthrough to Two-star Dou Zhe!"