Chapter 129: How Truly Difficult!

The middle-aged man chatted with Chen Xiang for a while, fishing for information about his background with subtle, indirect questions.

Chen Xiang, however, carried himself with modest decorum, as gentle and refined as polished jade. He skillfully sidestepped his own personal matters, leaving a favorable impression on the man while successfully avoiding the core issues. Though the man was a mortal, Chen Xiang did not look down on him; after all, he himself had been a mortal for the first eighteen years of his life. Moreover, he did not judge people based on status. If someone treated him with kindness, he would return the respect; but if someone crossed him, then he was sorry—they would have to prepare their own funeral arrangements.

The middle-aged man introduced himself as Xiao Tingming, the current head of the Xiao family. He made no move to introduce the old man accompanying him, and Chen Xiang did not take offense.

"Lin'er mentioned that Young Master Chu proposed four riddles at the Tianxiang Pavilion, which even Master Qingliu of the Dongliu Academy found difficult, with only one being answered correctly. To be honest, this makes me quite curious. Master Qingliu’s reputation is not unearned. Would Young Master Chu be willing to share those riddles with us? I would love to observe them myself," Xiao Tingming said with a curious smile.

Even the old man, who was at the Foundation Establishment stage, opened his eyes at this. As a cultivator, he knew Master Qingliu and was well aware of his reputation; he, too, was intrigued by riddles that could stump such a man.

Before Chen Xiang could speak, Miss Xiao said excitedly, "Father, let me tell you! Young Master Chu’s riddles were..."

Miss Xiao recounted the riddles. After hearing them, both Xiao Tingming and the old man fell into deep thought, clearly struggling for the answers. A moment later, their brows furrowed even tighter, betraying their lack of a solution. Miss Xiao could barely suppress a laugh at their expressions. Her father had been a scholar in his youth with considerable learning before he stepped away from the literary circles to manage the family; there were few problems that could stump him. Even Miss Xiao’s own education had been directed by him.

"Alas, Young Master Chu is truly a man of great talent. I could not guess a single one of these four riddles. You must be laughing at me," Xiao Tingming sighed. The look he gave Chen Xiang was now much less guarded. The riddles alone proved that this Young Master Chu was a man of genuine erudition, and it was no wonder Xiao Lin wanted to befriend him.

The old man frowned but said nothing, simply closing his eyes again to meditate.

Chen Xiang smiled modestly. "Uncle Xiao is too kind. It is just some minor wit, hardly worth mentioning."

"Hee hee, Father, do you want to know the answers? I can tell you!" Miss Xiao leaned toward Xiao Tingming, teasing him with a playful smile.

Xiao Tingming patted Xiao Lin’s head affectionately and said with a smile, "No, a riddle becomes worthless once the answer is revealed. I don’t have much on my plate right now, so let me ponder them a while longer. If I truly cannot think of them, you can tell me then." Xiao Tingming was a man of keen insight; this remark effectively eased the embarrassment of not being able to solve them.

"Young Master Chu, I will have a guest room prepared for you. Feel free to tour Liuxin City, and when the Liuxin Literature Gathering begins, you may accompany my daughter so that you can look out for one another," Xiao Tingming said to Chen Xiang.

Chen Xiang nodded. "I shall leave the arrangements to you, Uncle."

"Then I shall not keep you. I have urgent matters to attend to, so I will have Lin'er keep you company," Xiao Tingming said with a smile.

"That's wonderful! Go ahead, Father. Young Master Chu promised to tell me about the world outside!" Xiao Lin’s eyes lit up as she spoke quickly. She was desperate to be alone with Chen Xiang, but had been too shy to ask while her father was present.

"You child..." Xiao Tingming touched her head with a doting gesture, a fleeting shadow of sorrow passing through his eyes before he quickly concealed it.

Chen Xiang saw it clearly, however, and thought to himself: *It seems the Xiao manor is not as peaceful as it appears.*

"Please make yourself at home, Young Master Chu. I must take my leave," Xiao Tingming said, standing up and cupping his hands.

"Think nothing of it, Uncle Xiao. Please, go ahead," Chen Xiang replied politely.

"Goodbye, Father!" Miss Xiao added with a playful grin.

Xiao Tingming nodded and, without further ado, left the hall with the old man. Chen Xiang watched their retreating figures, lost in thought. As soon as they were gone, Miss Xiao looked at Chen Xiang with an eager, thirsty gaze, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Ahem, Miss Xiao, allow me to tell you a story," Chen Xiang said, coughing lightly as he looked at her rosy face.

"Yes, please do!" Miss Xiao nodded repeatedly. She loved stories and often found herself lost within them.

Chen Xiang pondered for a moment. *What story should I tell?* After a second of deep thought, he said, "Very well, Miss Xiao. I shall tell you the story of the Peacock Flying Southeast..."

...

"Patriarch Xiao, that man—you must be wary of him!" The white-bearded old man spoke abruptly once they reached a secluded, quiet spot. His tone was flat.

Xiao Tingming frowned, slightly displeased. "Elder Liu, Lin'er only met Young Master Chu today. She brought him here because she admires his literary talent. Besides, he is not from Liuxin City and will not be staying long..."

"I am aware of that," Elder Liu interrupted coldly before Xiao Tingming could finish.

Xiao Tingming sighed in frustration. "Rest assured, Lin'er was raised by me; she is not easily swayed by outsiders. Young Master Wang from the Wang family used to spend a lot of time with her, yet nothing came of it."

"That was only because I pressured the Wang family, which is why Wang Yu dared not overstep his bounds. Otherwise, how could a young girl like Xiao Lin resist the allure of such a talented man?" the old man said indifferently. He paused before adding, "Let me remind you: Xiao Lin is someone my Young Master has his eyes on. If not for her special constitution, she would not be here now. Furthermore, this is a massive opportunity for your Xiao family!"

At the mention of the Young Master, Xiao Tingming’s expression shifted, but the promise of that "opportunity" made him clench his teeth. It was the chance for his Xiao family to ascend to the status of a cultivation clan! How could he resist such a temptation?

"Very well. If Young Master Chu wishes to leave after the literature gathering, I will not stop him. If he does not, I will ask him to depart. In the meantime, I will restrain Lin'er and ensure she spends less time with him," Xiao Tingming said, his voice drained of energy.

Elder Liu nodded, his tone remaining cold. "If he leaves, fine. If he does not, prepare a plot of land in the back mountain." With that, Elder Liu walked away.

Xiao Tingming’s face paled, then flushed, finally settling into a mournful sigh. He only wanted his daughter to be happy, which was why he had been so open about the people she associated with. But even such a simple wish was proving to be an impossible task.

*To be continued...*