NOVEL NEXT Chapter 29: I Will Try
Chapter 29: I Will Try
"Ugh..."
Xiao Yan groaned softly as he slowly opened his eyes, staring at the familiar ceiling above.
After a brief moment of muddled thoughts, his brain quickly pieced together that he was back in his own room.
Suppressing the sharp pain radiating through his body, Xiao Yan propped himself up on the bed, sitting up slowly. He pressed his hand against his forehead, trying to recall the last memory before he passed out. A faint self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips.
"I actually dared to face off head-on against a Da Dou Shi. I must have gone crazy."
"That's exactly right! At that moment, you were insane!"
Before Xiao Yan's voice had even faded, Yao Chen's voice came from nearby. Xiao Yan turned his head to see Yao Chen glaring at him, her stunningly beautiful face tinged with anger.
"If I hadn't stepped in back then, your bones would've been shattered into dust by now!"
"Thank you, Teacher, for your help," Xiao Yan said immediately, cupping his fists toward Yao Chen in gratitude. He did not doubt her words at all.
After all, no matter how strong his physique was, he was ultimately just a Dou Practitioner. When facing Jia Lie Bi's enraged strike, if it weren't for Yao Chen's assistance, he wasn't sure if he would even be alive right now.
"Hmph! No need for thanks!" Yao Chen waved her hand dismissively, still displeased. "Just learn from this experience. Don't be so reckless next time!"
Hearing Yao Chen's warning, Xiao Yan remained silent for a moment. After a while, he nodded—not very convincingly.
"I'll try."
"Try?"
Yao Chen raised an eyebrow and glared at Xiao Yan, wanting to say more, but in the end, she swallowed her words.
Over time, Yao Chen had realized that her disciple had a very stubborn mindset. Once he decided on something, no one could stop him. Trying to reason with him was often futile.
At that moment, Yao Chen suddenly sensed something and disappeared instantly. The next second, the door to the room was flung open, and Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er burst in.
"Cousin Xiao Yan!"
"Xiao Yan ge ge!"
The two young girls hurried to the bedside, their delicate faces full of worry.
Just a moment ago, they had been puzzled by Xiao Yan's absence. After hearing Xiao Yu recount what had happened that afternoon, their faces turned pale as they rushed over without stopping.
"Cousin Xiao Yan! How are you feeling?"
Xiao Mei's face was filled with panic, her eyes almost brimming with tears. Seeing this, Xiao Yan could only smile helplessly.
"I'm much better already," he said, raising a hand to gently ruffle Xiao Mei's hair. "Sorry for worrying you."
Xiao Xun'er, standing nearby, remained silent, her face dark and her slender fingers clenched tightly. Guilt overwhelmed her heart.
When Xiao Yan was in danger, she had been completely unaware.
How useless.
A cold glint flickered in Xiao Xun'er's eyes, but she quickly let out a deep breath and spoke softly to Xiao Yan.
"Xiao Yan ge ge, rest well first." After saying this, Xiao Xun'er gently tugged on Xiao Mei's arm. "Let's go eat and let Xiao Yan ge ge get some sleep."
"Alright."
Although Xiao Mei was reluctant, she turned to Xiao Yan and reminded him, "Cousin Xiao Yan, call us if you need anything!"
"Mm."
Xiao Yan smiled and nodded as the two girls reluctantly left the room, softly closing the door behind them.
After confirming that the two had left, Yao Chen reappeared from the ring, her expression thoughtful.
"Those two little girls are very attached to you."
Previously, Yao Chen had commented that Xiao Yan's personality was too rigid to attract girls. Now, it seemed her disciple was quite popular with them after all.
At the same time, a slight frown appeared on Yao Chen's face where Xiao Yan couldn't see.
She had clearly noticed the flash of cold ruthlessness in Xiao Xun'er's eyes earlier. With her over a century of life experience, Yao Chen understood exactly what that gaze represented.
(It seems the Jia Lie Clan won't survive tonight.)
Yao Chen was certain of this in her heart.
Although she didn't know exactly who Xiao Xun'er was, her instincts told her that the power backing Xiao Xun'er was unimaginably strong—perhaps even beyond Yao Chen's ability to offend.
Yet, despite having such a formidable background, why had Xiao Xun'er chosen to live in this small Xiao Clan in the tiny Wu Tan City?
Xiao Yan was oblivious to Yao Chen's musings. He lay back down again, draping an arm over his forehead as he stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.
After a long while, Xiao Yan muttered softly to himself.
"I'm still too weak... far too weak."
While Yao Chen looked at him in confusion, Xiao Yan clenched his fist tightly, his arm slightly shielding his gaze.
"My true path... is still far away."
Yao Chen gazed at Xiao Yan with a complex expression.
On this vast continent, everyone who desired strength had their reasons.
Some sought strength to survive, others to avoid oppression, and some to trample others beneath their feet.
But these reasons, when stripped down, all boiled down to one concept:
Survival of the fittest.
This was the unchanging truth of the Dou Qi Continent.
The weak had no right to speak, no matter how reasonable they were.
The strong, no matter how unreasonable, were always right.
People pursuing strength were often consumed by this belief. Even Yao Chen, who had once been a victim of this system, had eventually become a follower of it.
But Xiao Yan was different.
He despised this principle of "survival of the fittest" from the depths of his soul.
He respected the strong and cared for the weak, never letting their differences in strength affect his attitude toward them.
His determination to grow stronger stemmed from his desire to crush this natural law into pieces!
However, Xiao Yan also understood, very clearly, that on this continent, strength was the only language anyone truly listened to.
Even though he loathed the principle, he had long prepared himself for the thorny path ahead.
But today, Xiao Yan's understanding of this truth became even more deeply etched in his heart.
He realized that spreading his ideals was far harder than he had anticipated—a hundred times harder.
The pleas of the weak were mere annoying buzzes to the ears of the strong.
Sitting upright, Xiao Yan's eyes glowed with determination as he looked at Yao Chen.
"Senior Yao, I want to become stronger—much stronger!"
"But I'm also afraid—afraid that the future me might stray from my ideals and become like those who worship survival of the fittest."
"If that day ever comes..."
"Senior Yao, I beg you, please stop me! Even if it means taking my life!"
"If I ever become the kind of person I despise the most today, I would rather die!"
!!!
Yao Chen was stunned, staring at Xiao Yan's resolute eyes in disbelief.
He was serious.
A mix of admiration and respect flickered in Yao Chen's gaze as she looked at her disciple.
Xiao Yan fully understood that he couldn't guarantee who he would become in the future.
Yet, with a death-defying determination, he had made this request to her.
He truly loathed the principle of survival of the fittest with every fiber of his being.
But even though Xiao Yan had entrusted her with this responsibility, would she truly be able to kill her own disciple if that day ever came?
Yao Chen wasn't so sure.
Deciding something and actually doing it were two very different matters.
After a long silence, Yao Chen finally responded to Xiao Yan's request with his own earlier words:
"I'll try."
(Chapter End)
For every 100 power stones = 1 chapter
300 power stones = 5 chapter
500 power stones = 8 chapter