Battle Through the Heavens: Emperor's Son Xiao Yan

Chapter 5 Sun and Moon

"Snap!"

"Xiao Ning held a sharp kitchen knife and chopped off the head of the dragon fish in one swift motion, splattering blood all over the face of the boy opposite him."

"Xiao Ning, we stole so many fish, the Grand Elder won't beat you up, will he?" Xiao Cheng asked with a worried expression, sitting opposite Xiao Ning.

Xiao Cheng is the most strictly disciplined member of Xiao Lin's lineage in this generation.

Coming from such a family, one's character and conduct are naturally outstanding, making them a role model among the younger generation.

But because of this environment, he is often less courageous and decisive than others.

"Xiao Cheng, I heard that your grandfather still has quite a few fine wines he obtained from missions outside." As the two were chatting, Xiao Yan's voice came from behind them.

Xiao Cheng's expression changed, and she turned her head, revealing a smile that looked more like a grimace, saying, "Brother Yan, I do have some, but I dare not steal it."

"Ah Cheng, how can you be so insecure? Trust me, stealing a few jars of wine isn't difficult at all!"

Xiao Yan smiled and encouraged Xiao Cheng, "You've always benefited from the group; now it's your turn to contribute!"

"Brother Yan, please don't force me." Xiao Cheng was about to cry.

Given how strict his family is, he would probably be beaten half to death by his parents for stealing a few bottles of wine from his grandfather.

"Xiao Cheng, is that all you've got?" A voice rang out from not far away, and a chubby little boy walked over.

The chubby boy's name was Xiao Feng. His cultivation level was almost at the bottom among the group, but he had a Dou Zun grandfather, just like Xiao Jiande.

If Xiao Yan hadn't suppressed and guided him all these years, Xiao Feng, with his personality, might very well have become the next Xiao Jiande.

"Brother Yan, don't worry about the wine. I'm going to steal my grandfather's wine," Xiao Feng said confidently, patting his trembling chest.

"Great, it seems Ah Feng is more capable."

Xiao Yan thought to himself that he still needed a good grandfather, but he still showed a praising smile on his face.

After all, my younger brother worked hard, so I should give him a shout-out.

"Hehe, this is nothing, Brother Yan. When my grandfather dies, I'll get you the best jars of wine from his secret chamber to taste," Xiao Feng said smugly.

Xiao Yan's smile froze slightly; he suddenly didn't want to talk to this chubby boy anymore.

"Xiao Feng, how's your Dragon Subduing Technique coming along?"

A faint voice rang out, and Xiao Li appeared before Xiao Feng without anyone noticing, coldly asking.

"Ah! Teacher Li!" Xiao Feng's expression changed. He was most afraid of Xiao Li asking about his grades.

"You're already sixteen and still only a nine-star Dou Shi. Maybe when you die of old age, your grandfather will give you another uncle," Xiao Li said mercilessly.

Xiao Feng lowered his head and dared not speak; he was terrified of Xiao Li.

"Second Brother, it's rare for you to get together with your students today. Aren't you afraid of scaring them with that cold face?" Xiao Yan joked.

"Very well." Xiao Li nodded slightly and said to Xiao Feng, "I'll let you off this time. If I hear you say such treasonous things again, slap yourself!" After saying that, his figure disappeared from the spot.

"Phew." Xiao Feng took a deep breath and said gratefully, "Brother Yan, thanks to you for getting me out of that predicament, otherwise Teacher Xiao Li would have scolded me to death."

"It's okay, you're my little brother after all."

Xiao Yan waved his hand, then pondered and said, "But your strength is indeed a bit lacking. If you're not even a Dou Zong when I become a Dou Sheng, don't even think about joining me, Xiao Yan. I can't afford to lose face like that."

"Don't worry, Brother Yan," Xiao Feng said confidently. "I will definitely cultivate to the Dou Zong level, and then I can outlive Grandpa."

Xiao Yan: "."

"Did your grandfather often hit you?"

"No."

"What grudge do you have against your grandfather?"

"No, not at all."

"Okay, I got it." Xiao Yan suddenly didn't know what to say.

After Xiao Feng left, he turned around, patted Xiao Cheng on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Cheng, I was just joking with you. Don't feel guilty or like you owe anyone anything."

As the leader of this team, since I'm willing to play with you all, I won't have any complaints about you not being able to bring anything good from home.

Xiao Feng and the others are still young and may not yet understand the complexities of human relationships. If one day you feel that what they said went too far, remember to come to me to resolve the issue.

"Brother Yan!" Xiao Cheng's eyes were slightly red.

"Just focus on cleaning the fish." Xiao Yan smiled meaningfully.

Not everyone is born with a great grandfather or father. Most of the teenagers around Xiao Yan's father or grandfather were only Dou Zong level.

Even so, they were already ahead of most people of Xiao Niu and Xiao Ma's ethnic origins from the very beginning.

In his previous life, Xiao Yan, like Xiao Cheng, was born into a strict middle-class family and was just like Xiao Cheng now when he first entered society.

They are afraid of being ridiculed by others, are filled with awe for many things, and sometimes fall into self-doubt and internal conflict, and even have some people-pleasing personality traits.

This kind of personality often leads to being overly sensitive, cautious, and even fragile.

However, such a background is not entirely a tragedy, because being quick-witted and cautious is itself a rare kind of intuition.

As long as you meet the right person to guide you, and after overcoming your shortcomings such as inferiority and cowardice, you will transform into a truly strong person.

Such a person may still lack courage, but their composure and prudence are first-rate.

In Xiao Yan's eyes, Xiao Cheng, who has always been unremarkable, may be more valuable to cultivate than these second-generation talents with Dou Zun grandfathers.

Good fortune and misfortune are intertwined, light and darkness alternate. An excellent leader should know how to polish the dark side of his subordinates and turn their shortcomings into strengths.

As night fell, the milky white sunlight in the sky gradually dimmed, and a dark, round moon suddenly appeared.

In the small square, more than a dozen bonfires were arranged in a circle.

More than a hundred teenagers gathered around a campfire. The dragon fish, which Xiao Ning and Xiao Cheng had painstakingly cleaned, was roasted to a golden-yellow color by the flames, emitting an enticing aroma.

"Sister, was the world outside very exciting when you went out this time?" As Xiao Yan's loyal follower, Xiao Ning was entitled to sit with him, and he looked at Xiao Yu curiously.

As beauties, Xiao Yu and Xiao Mei sat directly on either side of Xiao Yan.

"It's alright, but the outside world is very poor."

Xiao Yu tore off a piece of crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside roasted fish and ate while chatting, "It is said that Zhongzhou is the richest region in our Dou Qi Continent, and it gathers the most outstanding experts of the Dou Qi Continent."

"But the so-called forces I saw on this trip, such as the One Tower, Two Sects, Three Valleys, and Four Directions Pavilion, seemed pretty much the same."

"One or two Dou Zun experts can establish some kind of pavilion. Apart from the Pill Tower, which is somewhat wealthy, the other forces seem inferior to our branch."

Xiao Yu curled her lip, expressing her disdain for those powerful forces outside.

In the Xiao clan, a branch lineage like theirs, supported by a Dou Sheng powerhouse, is called the royal lineage.

The entire Xiao clan has over a hundred royal lineages, and above the royal lineages are ten imperial lineages. It is said that the leaders of the imperial lineages are all at least seven-star Dou Sheng.

"What about the sun and moon outside?" Xiao Mei asked, her face also showing curiosity.

"That's quite different from what we in the Xiao Realm do."

Xiao Yu thought for a moment and said, "The sun in the outside world rises in the east and sets in the west. Its color changes over time."

The moon is silvery-white, like a large jade plate hanging in the sky, but its shape changes with the passage of time.

Upon hearing this, a group of teenagers looked up at the sky.

The sun in the Xiao Realm is an eternally milky white, only the intensity of its light changes over time.

The moon is black and always looks the same. In fact, the moon is even lazier; it maintains the same brightness all night long and its shape never changes.

Moreover, the sun and moon do not alternate slowly; they appear together briefly at the same time every day, and then the former quickly disappears.

Of course, they fight occasionally.

Just as everyone is seeing now, the white sun and the black moon have begun to collide in the sky.

After colliding several times, the white sun seemed no match for the black moon, and after flickering a few times, it abruptly disappeared.

Under the cover of night, the black moon, though seemingly ordinary, eerily emitted a cold, clear light, casting a layer of glow on the ground.

I drank with my buddies this afternoon and got so drunk I threw up. I finished revising this chapter in a daze.

Perhaps it was the effect of the alcohol, but without realizing it, I increased the screen time of Xiao Cheng, a minor supporting character.

But perhaps it was this character that resonated with me, reminding me of my younger self, that made me write a little more than I should have. If you think this part isn't well-written, feel free to comment. I will take your suggestions seriously, but I may not necessarily change it.

If you think this character is good, please vote for him. Perhaps it's for the memory of that self who was once insecure and timid, yet never bowed to reality, stumbling and struggling forward.

I'll catch up on what I owe tomorrow at midnight.

(End of this chapter)