Chapter 7 Peerless Beauty And Elegance

When Xiao Ying was still alive, Xiao Lie's position in the Xiao family was unassailable. Even the head of the house at the time was very respectful to him. The reason was obvious; Xiao Lie was an incredibly talented prodigy whom Xiao Ying had regarded as the strongest powerhouse of the family's younger generation. In a world where arcane ability equaled power and respect, Xiao Lie's status as Xiao Ying's son was naturally something the entire Xiao family showed deference to. However, when Xiao Ying was assassinated and Xiao Lie's only grandson Xiao Che turned out to have damaged vital arcane energy pressure points, Xiao Lie's prestige in the family plummeted immediately. After all, he might have been the most powerful Grandmaster in Cloud City, but now that his son was dead and his grandson was no longer able to utilize arcane powers, no one was in awe of him anymore. Su Lie did not get angry, however. He was used to being mocked and ridiculed by these people. He simply smiled faintly and said, "Thank you, everyone, for doing me the honor of coming. Please do enjoy yourselves and help yourself to the food and drink later during the banquet." "I've already done my duty by showing up; I don't need to stay for the banquet. My eldest grandson Chengzi just broke through to the 7th rank of the Nascent Arcana stage today, and I've already spent more time here than I should have. I need to head back so I can help him stabilize his foundation," Xiao Ze drawled, getting to his feet. "Chengzi's reached 7th rank already in the Nascent Arcana stage? He's only seventeen and shows such potential! I can see that the sky's the limit for him in future. No wonder you're beaming with pride today, Xiao Ze! That's truly something worth celebrating!" Xiao Cheng stood up as well, turning to Xiao Ze in astonishment and offering his congratulations. Despite himself, Su Lie's iron self-control slipped for a moment, and a trace of anger flickered briefly across his face. These four men had sworn brotherhood with him back in the day and had fawned over him respectfully. However, ever since Xiao Ying's death and Xiao Che's loss of arcane ability, their attitude toward him had undergone a significant change. Right now, they treated him as if he were nothing and constantly bragged about their children and grandchildren in front of him. Furthermore, today was his grandson's wedding banquet, and they had openly treated him with derision, using their grandchildren's accomplishments to pick apart the old wounds that pained him most. As the master of ceremonies, the sudden hostile shift in the atmosphere threw Xiao De into a mild panic. Hurriedly running over the remaining items planned for the event in his mind, he announced a little too shrilly, "The bride and groom will be making their way to the bridal chamber…ladies and gentlemen, please take your places at the banquet tables!" Amid loud, joyous drumming, Xiao Che and Xia Qingyue made their way through the assembled guests and proceeded into the courtyard of Xiao Che's quarters. The bridal chamber was Xiao Che's room, which had been festively decorated in red. A large scarlet carpet intricately embroidered with dragons and phoenixes adorned the floor, along with auspicious red symbols for double happiness and good luck. Two large red bridal candles shone brightly from where they were prominently set on a gleaming golden table. The candles themselves were carved with soaring dragons and graceful phoenixes. Flickering candlelight glinted on the sheer golden curtain that fell almost to the floor and separated the dreamlike, ethereal chamber from the outside world; it was a truly dazzling sight. Qingyue's attendant Xia Dongling helped Qingyue to the bed to sit down, then noiselessly retreated from the bridal chamber and shut the door. The room was suddenly silent; all that could be heard was the sound of one's own breathing. Qingyue quietly sat on the bed without moving a muscle or saying a word. Xiao Che did not approach her; he merely stood at the doorway and looked outside, his eyes shadowed. "It must feel awful to hear your father being so humiliated, and right in the middle of your wedding ceremony, right?" A soft, rather aloof voice roused Xiao Che from his thoughts. With a start, he realized that Qingyue was addressing him. This was something completely unexpected, although her words were not pleasant to his ears. He stole a sidelong glance at her, hesitating for a moment before he answered, "Why don't you take the phoenix headdress off? It's far too heavy, and it's uncomfortable to wear for any length of time." According to the marriage customs of Heavenly Arcana Land, the bride's phoenix coronet should be taken off by the groom. However, Xiao Che had already had his arm "frozen" when he tried to help her earlier; he had his pride and was not about to invite another humiliation. Of course, he did not believe that Qingyue would willingly allow him to take off her phoenix coronet either. Qingyue paused for a moment, then reached up and took off the pearl-adorned headdress without a word. Immediately, Xiao Che was presented with the view of a breathtakingly beautiful face. When his bride looked up and their gazes met, he was suddenly struck dumb. Qingyue's eyes were so lovely that he could find no words to describe them. It was as if they contained all the sparkling green waves of every ocean under heaven; even the most skillful artist or language scholar in the world could not adequately paint a picture of them with colors or words. Her skin was like alabaster, so fair that it would put snow to shame, and even in the dimly lit room, her face was still clearly visible. Her lips were like the most delicate flower petals, and her exquisite profile might have been carved from the most beautiful white jade, so elegant and noble did she appear. "It seems your reputation is certainly well-deserved…" Xiao Che murmured. From beginning to end, her eyes had been fixed on him, unblinking and unmoving; somehow, they held an almost irresistible fascination for him. It was as if her gaze were drawing him deep into an abyss from which he was unable to extricate himself. Even though Xiao Che and Qingyue had been betrothed to each other since they were children, he had only given her a few sundry passing glances when they were very young. This was the first time he had truly set eyes on her since he was ten years old. Qingyue seldom left her quarters, and Xiao Che was already filled with contempt and self-pity after the loss of his arcane ability, so he did not often leave the Xiao residence either. From the occasional comments that other people had let drop, he had heard about Xia Qingyue's peerless beauty and elegance after she had grown up, and had formed a vague image of her in his mind along with a nebulous desire to see what she looked like. Now that he had finally seen Qingyue's face, the image he had conjured up in his mind all along completely dissipated. Her beauty was truly beyond anything he had ever expected or imagined; he could not even begin to describe this sort of loveliness. Even though he harbored memories of two lifetimes, he was thrown into bewilderment when confronted with a face that would put Helen of Troy to shame. Qingyue had been dubbed Cloud City's most beautiful woman, but if someone had said she was the most beautiful woman in the entire Tucame Empire, he would not have doubted them for an instant. He could not even begin to imagine anything that could surpass the elegance and beauty of the girl before him. Not only that, they were both the same age, sixteen years old. At sixteen, girls had not yet reached their full potential in terms of maturity and beauty; in a few years, it was impossible to imagine just how alluring and lovely Qingyue would be once she blossomed fully. Perhaps her beauty might even reach such an extent that it would be utterly ethereal and divine. To think that a small place like Cloud City would be able to produce a girl like this, whose every smile or frown could conquer the world! Not only that, this girl had become his wife today…Xiao Che could not help being assailed by a deep sense of unreality. "It seems that what I've heard about you and what I imagined you might be like are at odds with each other too." Qingyue stood up, the movement briefly revealing the breathtaking lines of her body. She walked straight over to Xiao Che, and with a gaze as clear and limpid as water, she said quietly, "Rumor has it that because of your loss of arcane ability, you'll never go beyond the 1st level of the Nascent Arcana stage. Because of that, your constitution is weak, and you've developed an inferiority complex, so you seldom go out or see anyone. As a child, your only playmates were your Aunt Lingzi and my younger brother. In fact, you have only one thing in your favor, which would be your looks. "Your vital arcane energy is not only weak but also turbid in the extreme; without a doubt, your vital arcane energy pressure points have been seriously damaged. However, as far as the rumors of your personality go, they're utterly wrong." Qingyue had stopped when she was no more than three paces away from Xiao Che. Her breathtaking eyes looked straight into his own as she continued, "Even though you're deliberately trying to conceal it, there's still an innate trace of dauntlessness in your demeanor. From the very first time I set eyes on you up until now, you've been the same way; it's completely opposite of your rumored inferiority complex. Earlier at my home, I used arcane energy to freeze your arm, but your reaction was so calm I was astounded. If your arm hadn't been stiff for a little while, I would actually have suspected that my arcane skills had no effect. In the ceremonial hall earlier, when you and your father were being mocked and humiliated on such an important occasion, you only betrayed a brief moment of anger, but after that, every trace of it vanished. There was nothing unusual in your expression, your heartbeat, or your pulse. Such a state of mind would be difficult to achieve even for a middle-aged powerhouse at the Soul Arcana stage! "Furthermore, when you looked at me, you were infatuated, but your gaze never wavered! "Your vital arcane energy pressure points have been damaged; that is an irrefutable fact. However, you've managed to conceal your true nature and your state of mind from just about everyone." As Qingyue spoke, she had begun to observe Xiao Che's eyes. They were enigmatic, fathomless just like the infinite ocean. Xiao Che was astounded. Now that Qingyue was so close to him, a heady, girlish fragrance wafted to his nostrils, but he was not in the mood to inhale this new, exciting scent. He was shaken beyond measure. It was true; his current incarnation was dauntless, regardless of who he encountered. This was because when he was on the Aderon Cloud Continent, he had single-handedly faced entire legions of heroes and warriors, and these heroes were all individuals of the highest ability. Nobody in the whole of Cloud City was their equal. Even though his powers were so weak now they were almost useless, his state of mind had not altered because of it. Of course, this dauntless spirit was not something he displayed intentionally; it was something innate within him. His current constitution and external condition had allowed him to conceal this proud, intrepid side of himself. However, Qingyue had unmasked him completely in just a few well-chosen sentences! During the journey from the Xia residence to his own home, he had assumed that Qingyue was dismissive of him because she was a breathtaking beauty and he was merely an oaf whom everyone treated as less than dirt. This was only natural; in fact, he had expected nothing less. It had never crossed his mind that she had been observing him the entire time; furthermore, he had not picked up on it. Something changed in Xiao Che's gaze as he stared at Qingyue. These eyes gazing into his own were not just incredibly lovely but also so discerning that they were able to see right through into one's soul. Her thoughts had also been so meticulously and logically laid out that he could not help but be astounded… One had to remember that Xiao Che possessed memories and experiences of two lifetimes; he was utterly unafraid to look both death and legions of heroes in the face! Nonetheless, he had been completely unmasked by the girl standing before him! Was she really a girl just past her sixteenth birthday? How could a teenager of sixteen possess such acumen and insight? Xiao Che even half-suspected that perhaps Qingyue had transmigrated to this era, just like himself! "You're patiently enduring all of this in silence, aren't you?" Qingyue asked softly. "Enduring in silence?" Xiao Che gave a self-deprecating chuckle. "Perhaps. It's no big deal. However, my loss of arcane ability is a fact. In Heavenly Arcana Land, this means I'll always be consigned to the lowest dregs of society and looked down upon by everyone. Is there a difference between genuinely having an inferiority complex and quietly enduring this fate?" Quietly enduring this fate? He would endure it for a while yet! The Xiao Che of yesterday was exactly the downtrodden, inferiority-ridden personality that Qingyue had heard rumors about! However, no matter how intelligent she was, she could never have imagined that the Xiao Che of today had now gained another lifetime of memories! Naturally, his state of mind and his emotions had altered as well. Qingyue's eyes narrowed slightly, and she suddenly lifted her hand. Extending two slender fingers, she pointed them in the direction of Xiao Che's chest. At the same time, a sudden wave of cool air began spreading in front of him, then enveloped him completely. Just as Xiao Che was about to ask Qingyue what she was doing, the cooling sensation all over his body completely dissipated without warning. Qingyue withdrew her hand as well, and commented, "There is definite damage to your vital arcane energy pressure points, but you weren't born that way. Very likely, you were attacked when you were young, and the force of the attack damaged your pressure points right away!"