"Then let's take it first!" an elder roared.
Seeing that Phoenix's complexion seemed off and she appeared noticeably weaker than before, everyone suspected she might have some underlying health issue. Letting this young girl fight so fiercely in the Xiao family ancestral hall, defeating dozens of Xiao family experts, would be a huge disgrace to the prestigious Lingnan Xiao family if word got out. They had to capture her!
Before Old Master Xiao could speak, the two hot-tempered elders pounced. These two old men were as swift as teenagers. One spread his ten fingers like eagle claws, while the other leaped up, swinging his fists left and right in a double-wind-piercing move.
Phoenix let out a soft "Ah!" and stuck out its tongue before hiding behind Chen Xiao. Chen Xiao sighed and stepped forward. He grabbed Phoenix with his back to her, and with his right arm, he first blocked the old man's eagle-claw-like hand. Then, he turned his body, and another elder's fist landed solidly on Chen Xiao's shoulder.
Two loud thuds echoed as fists slammed into Chen Xiao's body, like the beating of drums! The skill of the two elders was far beyond that of ordinary members of the Xiao family; those two punches were powerful enough to shatter stone tablets! Yet, when they struck Chen Xiao, it was as if they were hitting rotten cotton. After two muffled thuds, Chen Xiao's thin cotton shirt ripped open, shreds flying everywhere. Chen Xiao merely took a breath and then smiled, "Elders, there's no need..."
"Boy! You're siding with outsiders! Are you even a member of the Xiao family?!" An elder roared, launching a kick at Chen Xiao's knee. Chen Xiao remained unmoved, letting the kick land on his knee!
The elder's lower body skills were exceptional. A single sweeping kick could snap a wooden stake in two. Yet, when this kick landed on Chen Xiao's leg, Chen Xiao didn't budge. The elder cried out in surprise, staggering back several steps, his foot, which had struck Chen Xiao, raised high in the air. He was in so much pain that cold sweat poured from his face, but he hopped around on his single leg a few times.
"...No need to get angry." Chen Xiao continued calmly, "Since she says she's from the Xiao family, we should get to the bottom of this."
"You brat! We just let you return to the sect, and now you dare to lay a hand on a clan elder! Where are the Xiao family rules?!" The other clan elders were furious.
Chen Xiao sighed inwardly, feeling a growing impatience. He had been rather perfunctory in his role as a member of the "Xiao family." His main reason for returning to the family line was that after seeing the genealogy, he believed his mother was indeed from the Xiao family, and that his return was solely due to what had happened to his mother years ago, and also because Old Master Xiao had treated him very well.
For him, there was hardly any sense of belonging to the Xiao family. Seeing these elders of the Xiao family abusing their age and resorting to violence without any regard for reason, he couldn't help but feel dissatisfied. He thought to himself: No wonder my mother left the Xiao family back then; this kind of corrupt and old-fashioned family is really quite boring.
"Hey, you need to be reasonable! You were the one who hit Chen Xiao! He didn't fight back, he just let you hit him, and you hurt yourself, yet you blame others!"
Phoenix poked its head out from behind Chen Xiao and called out.
Old Master Xiao frowned, his expression hesitant and uncertain. Whether this girl named Phoenix, who had suddenly appeared, was truly a member of the Xiao family was already somewhat believed in him, based solely on her striking resemblance to Xiao Qing. After all, only he truly knew Xiao Qing's background.
However, as the patriarch of the Xiao family, he could not simply turn a blind eye to such a public disturbance in the ancestral hall. While he was hesitating, he suddenly saw Xiao Qing sitting there. Xiao Qing's face was pale, and her eyes were full of tears, which were turning around and she was almost crying.
Seeing Chen Xiao fiercely protecting the girl named Fenghuang, Xiao Qing felt increasingly bitter. She couldn't help but think: "Hmm, he really is protecting her!" "Well...it's alright, she's his girlfriend after all. It's only right...it's only right..."
Although I tried to comfort myself by saying it was "right," I couldn't calm down at all. Chen Xiao had only just returned to the Xiao family to protect Phoenix, and yet he dared to lay a hand on an elder in the ancestral hall... I...
If it were me, would he treat me the same way?
Several elders angrily berated Chen Xiao and pressed forward. Helpless, Chen Xiao could only hold onto Phoenix and retreat, refusing to retaliate against the punches and kicks from these old men. He merely parried their blows, enduring three or five more punches and kicks in a short time, yet he showed no discomfort whatsoever. Phoenix, seeing Chen Xiao being beaten, knew he was unharmed, but couldn't help but feel annoyed: "Why don't you fight back! Hey, you old men, Chen Xiao won't fight back, are you pushing your luck!"
Old Master Xiao finally couldn't hold back any longer. He frowned and was about to speak when suddenly a scream was heard!
"Enough!!!"
But then he saw Xiao Qing, who had been sitting back on the stool, stagger to her feet. Her pale face was flushed red, her fists were clenched, and she was biting her lip hard as she stared at Chen Xiao!
"Enough! Enough!!" Xiao Qing's eyes were filled with resentment and indignation as she looked at Fenghuang. "Who exactly are you! You say you're my sister! But where did you come from?! You come here and cause such a scene at the Xiao family ancestral hall, do you even know what the consequences of such chaos will be! Chen Xiao finally returned to the Xiao family, and with your outburst, how is he supposed to get along with anyone in the Xiao family from now on! You, you, you, what am I supposed to do?!"
With a whoosh, Xiao Qing swiftly raised her hand, pressed down on the belt at her waist, and with a forceful pull, drew out the soft sword she habitually carried as a belt and held it in her hand!
Although Xiao Qing seemed unsteady on his feet, he gritted his teeth and walked forward step by step, his arm trembling slightly, the sword pointing at the phoenix: "You, where did you come from! Why did you suddenly come here and cause such a ruckus! Do you know that causing trouble like this will..."
As she spoke, Xiao Qing finally couldn't hold back any longer, and tears streamed down her face.
Although she spoke with righteous indignation, only she knew in her heart that her resentment was not because of Phoenix's disturbance in the ancestral hall. Ninety percent of the reason was because she felt bitter seeing Chen Xiao do his best to protect Phoenix, even at the cost of falling out with the clan elders, which suddenly erupted in her heart.
"Whether you're from the Xiao family or not, sit down obediently and follow the clan's instructions! What do you want the outcome of this reckless behavior?!"
Phoenix squinted at Xiao Qing and sighed softly, "My dear sister, you don't recognize me, but I recognize you. Over the years, I've often secretly come back to see you, but we can't get too close. Each time, I hide in the shadows and watch you from afar, so you've never seen me and don't recognize me. I know why you're sad. You like this boy too, don't you?"
Xiao Qing trembled, but gritted her teeth and flicked her soft sword: "Don't say such irrelevant things! Don't make trouble, just listen to the elders' orders."
"Silly girl," Phoenix smiled, "I came here suddenly for a reason. Believe me, I'm doing this for your own good. There's really no point in staying in the Xiao family any longer."
"Lies! You're dragging Chen Xiao down with you!"
Xiao Qing's expression was cold. Suddenly, he took a few steps forward and thrust his sword forward!
However, she was weak at the moment, feeling dizzy and lightheaded, so her sword thrust went astray. Chen Xiao simply raised his hand, stretched out two fingers, and caught the blade, whispering, "You, you shouldn't do this..."
"I..." Xiao Qing cried out in grief and indignation, "What happened to me?!"
She tried to pull it out, but the sword was held between Chen Xiao's fingers, so she couldn't budge it.
While she was struggling, Chen Xiao sighed, tightened his fingers, and with a hum, bent the blade of the soft sword. Then, with a flick of his wrist, Xiao Qing cried out in surprise as the hilt slipped from her hand and she stumbled forward. Chen Xiao quickly dropped the sword and caught Xiao Qing in his arms.
Now he truly has "embracing on both sides," holding Phoenix in his left arm and Xiao Qing in his right.
Seeing the opportunity, the two elders exchanged a glance and pounced on him. Chen Xiao, who was holding two girls in his arms, could not resist. Suddenly, he pushed off with his feet and leaped into the air, holding the two girls. He jumped more than two meters high, passing right over the heads of the two elders.
"Chen Xiao! You're definitely going to protect this outsider today!" an elder roared. "Disregarding clan rules and causing a ruckus in the ancestral hall, do you want to be expelled from the Xiao family on your very first day back in the clan?!"
Chen Xiao frowned: "If you don't make a move, I naturally won't. This girl... let her go. I'll deal with whatever punishment is necessary."
"Stop talking nonsense, let's get out of here first."
Phoenix chuckled. Chen Xiao sighed, glared at the girl, and suddenly used his arms to tightly hug the two girls' waists, lifting them up in his arms. The two girls' feet left the ground, but they entrusted all their weight to Chen Xiao's arms.
Phoenix was alright, but Xiao Qing had rarely been so intimate with Chen Xiao before, and her face flushed red, her breathing becoming slightly rapid.
"Grandpa, I'm sorry, I'll give you an explanation." Chen Xiao forced a smile and glanced at Grandpa Xiao, only to find that Grandpa Xiao's expression was one of amusement and exasperation. Chen Xiao strode towards the ancestral hall gate, each step covering several meters. He reached the gate in a few strides, ignoring the shouts and curses of the clan elders behind him. He forcefully pushed open the gate and dashed out.
The alley outside was deserted, but dozens of young martial artists from the Xiao family remained. Seeing Chen Xiao rush out, they all surrounded him. Chen Xiao didn't want to fight the Xiao family, so he leaped onto the roof like a bird, disappearing into the distance amidst gasps of surprise. However, he didn't leave; instead, he headed towards the Xiao family's old residence.
"Huh?" Phoenix asked, somewhat puzzled. Chen Xiao smiled wryly, "My girlfriend is still at the Xiao family's house."
Phoenix naturally knew it was Zhang Xiaotao. Upon hearing this, she opened her mouth, her eyes filled with annoyance. Xiao Qing, however, was in a state of utter confusion. She could only let Chen Xiao carry her away, trying to comfort herself, "Yes, I... I didn't do anything wrong. I... I had no choice. He... he kidnapped me..." But even thinking this way, she couldn't soothe her guilty conscience. Just now, it seemed as if she had deliberately placed herself in Chen Xiao's arms.
How much of this was intentional is something even she herself can't say for sure...
Inside the Xiao family's old residence, Chen Xiao knew the place well and, with his agility, quickly rushed into the inner courtyard.