“No!” the little boy in fine clothes said, holding his head high.

Lieu Nuoning’s delicate brows furrowed. “Ahang, be good. You’re not wearing enough; you’ll catch a cold!”

“I won’t wear it!” the little boy in fine clothes huffed. “That big brother is only wearing a thin azure robe. Why are you making me wear so much!”

Standing to the side, Ye Xing couldn’t help but laugh. ‘This little guy is actually comparing himself to me.’ With his cultivation at the Martial Arts Ninth Layer, the True Qi in Ye Xing’s body surged in a constant cycle. Nourished by this True Qi, his constitution was incredibly robust. To a certain degree, he was already impervious to heat and cold. He wouldn’t catch a cold even if he wore nothing in the dead of winter.

The little boy in fine clothes staunchly refused, and for a moment, his sister could only stare at him with her beautiful eyes, helpless.

“Little one, it’s cold at night. Go on and put your robe on.”

It was Ye Xing who spoke.

“Oh,” the little boy answered.

Ye Xing’s words were clearly far more effective. The little one obediently took the robe from his sister’s hands and draped it over his shoulders.

Lieu Nuoning gave Ye Xing a grateful look before helping her brother put the robe on properly.

As Ye Xing watched from the side, his gaze happened to fall upon Lieu Nuoning’s hands, and he was taken aback. Her hands were not the delicate, pampered hands of a young miss from a great family as he would have expected; instead, they were rather coarse.

“Ahang, it’s getting very late. We have to go back in a little while, so don’t disturb Young Master Ye for too long.” After saying this to her brother, Lieu Nuoning walked away.

Ye Xing looked at the little boy and asked quizzically, “Little one, does your sister have to do a lot of work at home?”

“Yes. My family doesn’t have much money, and Mother is frail and often ill, so my sister usually does all the chores.” The little boy pushed up his wide sleeves and continued, “Big brother, don’t be fooled by these fancy clothes I’m wearing. I’m actually not used to them at all. My sister and I grew up in a small town, and I usually wear Coarse Cloth Clothing.”

“You’re not from a great family?” Ye Xing asked, surprised.

“Yes and no… how should I put it? We were born into a noble house, but we moved to a small town in the countryside when I was five. My father is a Duke of our Southern Tang Country and the Patriarch of the Lieu Family. My sister and I were both born in the Golden Scale Imperial City.” The little boy lifted his chin, then added indignantly, “But we were driven out by a venomous plot from the first wife, Mrs. Dong. Mother had no choice but to take my sister and me back to her family home in the country.”

“Mother isn’t well, and with so much to do at home, Aunt Qing can’t manage it all alone. My sister does almost all the chores. In the dead of winter, her hands would get swollen from the cold, but she’d still be washing dishes and cooking for us.” The boy’s eyes reddened as he spoke. “When I inherit the dukedom, I’ll make sure my sister has a good life.”

Hearing this, Ye Xing couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration for Lieu Nuoning. ‘This girl, who seems so gentle, fragile, and shy on the surface, is actually incredibly strong-willed.’

“Weren’t you driven out by the first wife? How can you still inherit the dukedom?” Ye Xing asked.

The little boy burst out laughing. “Haha! The first wife did everything she could to drive us out just so her precious son could inherit the title. But that good-for-nothing son of hers did nothing but drink and womanize, living a life of total debauchery. His health was ruined long ago. Not long after my father died, her son became even more reckless, partying every single night. He ended up dropping dead in a—brothel! Haha! With him gone, I’m the only one left in the Lieu Family’s direct line, so the dukedom and the position of Patriarch will naturally fall to me.”

“The Lieu Family is a great family. Once I inherit the dukedom, I’ll give you lots and lots of Gold Coins for tuition. Big brother, please teach me Martial Arts,” the little boy pleaded, his eyes filled with hope.

“Learning Martial Arts is simple enough. Once you inherit your title, you can hire many, many people to teach you,” Ye Xing said with a faint smile.

Having grown up in a small town, the boy, Lieu Yahan, was quite naive and easily put off by Ye Xing’s simple words. In fact, it wasn’t just the little boy; Ye Xing felt that his sister, Lieu Nuoning, was just as innocent.

‘A Duke is the highest rank of nobility in the Southern Tang Country,’ Ye Xing thought, shaking his head. ‘Although this little one is the first in line, he’s weak and has no support. I’m afraid inheriting the title will be fraught with difficulty.’ His perspective was naturally much deeper than that of the innocent siblings.

However, this was another family’s business, and Ye Xing had no interest in getting involved. After sending the little boy away, Ye Xing resumed his Cultivation.

It was already late into the night. The darkness gradually faded, and after he had been in Cultivation for less than two shichen, the sky began to brighten.

“Little Fei, when do you estimate the convoy will arrive at Central Cloud City?” Ye Xing called out to the young Escort Master driving the carriage.

“We should arrive by dusk! Everyone’s having breakfast now; we’ll set off right after!”

The stench of blood from the previous night had long since been scattered by the wind. A cool morning chill hung in the air of the small forest.

In a horse-drawn carriage not far from Ye Xing’s.

“Ahang, come on. Let’s get out and have breakfast!” Lieu Nuoning said to her brother, Lieu Yahan.

“Alright, let’s go!” The mischievous boy, Lieu Yahan, sprang up from the carriage floorboard and leaped down.

Lieu Nuoning was about to follow when Aunt Qing, who was beside her, held her back. “Miss, wait a moment. I have something to discuss with you.”

“Oh? What is it? Go ahead, Aunt Qing,” Lieu Nuoning said, looking at the middle-aged woman with confusion in her beautiful eyes.

“We should reach Central Cloud City by dusk. Once the Weiyang Escort Agency gets us there, their job is done. But we still have to travel on to the Golden Scale Imperial City. You’ve seen the dangers along this road, Miss. It’s teeming with robbers and bandits. Without the Escort Agency’s protection, I fear our chances of making it to the Imperial City are slim,” the middle-aged woman, Aunt Qing, said with a sigh.

“Yes, you’re right… Aunt Qing, what should we do then?” Lieu Nuoning asked nervously, her eyes filled with worry.

“Don’t worry too much, Miss.” Aunt Qing offered a small smile. “You saw the battle last night. That Young Master Ye is quite formidable, isn’t he?”

“Yes, very formidable. That vicious bandit chief was killed with a single sword strike.” Lieu Nuoning’s cheeks flushed, and a brilliant glimmer shone in her eyes.

From time immemorial, the strong have always been respected and admired, no matter the place.

“That bandit chief was a Martial Artist at the Early-stage of Qi Condensation in the Martial Arts Seventh Realm. To be able to kill him in a single strike, I’d guess that Young Master Ye is likely a master of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer,” Aunt Qing said in a grave tone. “If we can convince him to protect us, our journey to the Golden Scale Imperial City will be all but guaranteed!”

“But Aunt Qing, would an expert like Young Master Ye agree to protect us?” Lieu Nuoning asked, looking at the older woman.

Aunt Qing thought for a moment. “Don’t worry. Just tell him that you are the children of the Patriarch of the Golden Scale Lieu Family, and that you’re returning to the Golden Scale Imperial City to inherit the Lieu Family’s dukedom. Say that he will be handsomely rewarded upon our arrival. That should be enough. And remember… do not, under any circumstances, mention that you came from a small town in the countryside.”

“Oh!” Lieu Nuoning nodded and immediately stepped down from the carriage.

Being so innocent, she simply resolved to do as Aunt Qing said. She didn’t stop to think why her aunt had added that final warning.

Staring at Lieu Nuoning’s departing back, the middle-aged woman let out a soft sigh, her eyes filled with immense worry. ‘Sigh… Even on her deathbed, the mistress couldn’t let go of this grievance, insisting the young miss and young master go to the Golden Scale Imperial City. But that first wife, Mrs. Dong, is utterly venomous. How could the ducal title possibly be so easy to inherit?’

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