Battle Through the Heavens: Starting with Cao Ying as an apprentice

Just as the two sisters were wrestling and arguing in bed, one embarrassed and angry, the other clinging on desperately—

With a creak, the door was pushed open.

Cao Ying stood at the door, her face calm, and said, "Master, someone is looking for...you..."

Chapter 107 Xiao Xun'er Comes to Find Us

Looking at the scene inside the room, Cao Ying stopped talking abruptly.

The scene before her caused a slight crack in her expression: the usually domineering Cai Lin was now wrapped in a blanket, her clothes disheveled, her cheeks flushed, and her hair messy.

Meanwhile, her mischievous younger sister, Cai Die, was lying on top of her, with one hand still under the covers, in a suggestive pose that left much to the imagination.

Cao Ying's gaze swept back and forth between the two, finally settling on Cai Lin's eyes, which were filled with the word "help".

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

Cai Lin looked at Cao Ying, opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word. What could she say? Say, "It's not what you see"? But the scene before her would make anyone misunderstand.

Cai Die froze. She slowly turned her head, meeting Cao Ying's calm yet stormy eyes, and gave a dry laugh: "Um... Little Cao Ying, good morning..."

Cao Ying remained silent for three seconds, then slowly took a step back and calmly closed the door again.

"boom."

The sound of the door closing was neither too loud nor too soft, yet it felt like a heavy hammer blow to Cai Lin's heart.

Outside the door, Cao Ying's calm and composed voice came: "I'm sorry to disturb you! Sister Cailin, Sister Caidie, you two continue."

In the room, Cai Lin closed her eyes in despair.

After her initial stiffness, Cai Die suddenly burst out laughing, her laughter growing louder and louder until she was completely wrapped around Cai Lin, her whole body trembling with laughter.

"Hahahaha... Sister, little Cao Ying... she wouldn't think we..."

"Cai! Die!" Cai Lin spat out the two words through gritted teeth, her eyes blazing with fury.

Today, she's determined to teach this wayward younger sister a lesson!

…………

At that moment, Cao Ying stared at the half-open door in the distance and unconsciously stopped in her tracks.

The scene I had glimpsed by chance just now still lingered in my mind—in the room, Sister Cailin and Sister Caidie were standing so close together, their clothes overlapping, whispering to each other with an indescribable intimacy.

She unconsciously gripped the tray in her hands tighter.

"Those two...could they already be..."

"No, no, Cao Ying, what are you thinking!"

"Sister Cailin is your master's wife, how could she possibly do such a thing with Sister Caidie?"

She shook her head violently, raised her hand to gently pat her slightly flushed cheeks, trying to shake off those inappropriate speculations.

But his gaze seemed to be drawn to the door again—the warm light shining through the crack in the door cut a narrow, hazy line of light on the dimly lit corridor floor.

After a long pause, she took a deep breath, finally turned around, and walked somewhat hastily towards the hall. There was an "uninvited guest" waiting there.

…………

About an hour ago, there was a gentle knock on the door of this small courtyard.

Xiao Xun'er, dressed in a light blue dress, stood outside the courtyard gate covered with vines, looking up at the lintel. The evening breeze ruffled the stray hairs on her forehead, and her glassy eyes shimmered with a mixture of anticipation, shyness, and a hint of barely perceptible trepidation.

"Elder Ling, is this... where my eldest brother lives?"

Her voice was soft, as if afraid of disturbing the silence. But the image of that moonlit night involuntarily surged in her mind—the boy coming under the moonlight, accompanied by a majestic golden lion cub, rescuing her from the torment of the strange fire.

But then, an extremely embarrassing scene unfolded: the image of herself, stripped naked by the strange fire, suddenly flashed into her mind, making her ears burn. She quickly lowered her eyes, her fingertips unconsciously twisting her sleeves.

“Miss, this old servant left from here that night. It was that young master who told me about you. It is indeed this place.”

In the shadows, Ling Ying's figure almost blended into the shadows of the trees. Seeing his young mistress's rare display of shyness and awkwardness, the loyal old man sighed inwardly, feeling both heartache and helplessness. He lowered his voice and responded, his tone respectful yet firm.

That night, he rushed back to the Xiao family and found that the young lady was already sleeping peacefully. Only then did his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settle down.

When the young lady woke up, he asked her anxiously. Xiao Xun'er did not hide much (she had buried the most embarrassing details deep in her heart), and told her in detail about Xiao Yan's bold infiltration, her own strange fire raging, and how the mysterious young man helped her.

Upon hearing that Xiao Yan dared to be so abrupt and offend her young lady, Ling Ying was furious and almost couldn't restrain herself from taking the boy's life, but was ultimately stopped by Xiao Xun'er.

After calming down, Ling Ying briefly recounted her experience of being knocked unconscious and imprisoned. With the two accounts corroborated, Xiao Xun'er finally confirmed the location of her savior.

dong dong dong-

After hesitating for a moment, Xiao Xun'er raised her hand and lightly knocked on the door with her knuckles.

The crisp sound echoed through the quiet alley. She mentally rehearsed what she should say when she saw him—should she express her sincere gratitude, or…ask him if he was alright after that night?

However, when the door hinges creaked open, what came into view was not the older brother he remembered, but a girl who was about three or four years older than him. She had a pretty face, a lively temperament, and her beautiful eyes were curiously looking at him.

"Little sister, who are you looking for?"

Cao Ying leaned against the doorframe, her tone gentle, but her eyes held a hint of doubt. She and her disciples were new to Wutan City, unfamiliar with the place and its people; why would they have visitors? Could they be Sister Yun's friends?

Xiao Xun'er paused for a moment, then curtsied and answered softly, "Sister, I'm looking for an older brother..." She briefly described Su Baichen's appearance, emphasizing his exceptionally bright eyes and the detail that he was always accompanied by a small golden lion.

Cao Ying listened and understood—they were looking for their master. She stepped aside to make way, a friendly smile spreading across her face: "So you're looking for your master. Please come in and have a seat."

Leading Xiao Xun'er to the elegant and simple living room, Cao Ying skillfully took out a pot of clear, fruity juice from an ice jade box and poured a glass for her, saying, "This is a special juice made by my master. Try it. I'll go and invite him over."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xun'er nodded obediently and said, "Yes, I understand."

Looking at the well-behaved and adorable little baby, Cao Ying's little thoughts started to stir again.

"Wow, Master has found another adorable little girl from somewhere. I really want to pinch her cheeks and pat her head..."

After settling Xiao Xun'er in, Cao Ying, with her own little thoughts in mind, turned and walked briskly towards the inner courtyard.

At the same time, Ling Ying also sneaked in. Seeing that the young lady was safe after entering, she was relieved.

Chapter 108 Different Thoughts

When Xiao Xun'er saw Cao Ying return, her face lit up at first, but then dimmed again. She tiptoed and scanned behind Cao Ying, making sure no one else was there, before her lips involuntarily turned down.

"Sister, where is big brother?" Xiao Xun'er's voice was filled with undisguised disappointment. The expectant light that had been shining in her clear eyes had now dimmed like an extinguished star.

Seeing the little girl's disappointed look, Cao Ying gently explained, "My master must have gone out on business; he's not in the courtyard right now."

"Oh, big brother isn't here..." Xiao Xun'er repeated softly, her small fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes. In that instant, she seemed to wilted, like a seedling that had suddenly lost the sunlight.

Looking at the little girl in front of her, whose emotions were clearly fluctuating, Cao Ying felt a surge of curiosity: "Little sister, why are you looking for my master? How did you two meet?"

Xiao Xun'er raised her head, her eyes regaining their light, as if mentioning that "big brother" could cheer her up again: "Um, it's like this, that day..."

Then, Xiao Xun'er recounted her experiences that night in detail. From Xiao Yan sneaking into her courtyard, to the timely appearance of that mysterious "big brother," and then to the sudden restlessness of the strange fire within her body—she remembered every detail clearly, and as she spoke, her eyes unconsciously revealed dependence and gratitude.

"That Xiao Yan is inhuman! How could he do something like this!" After listening to Xiao Xun'er's account, Cao Ying frowned, her voice filled with anger. Although she was young, she had fought in the Monster Mountain Range for some time, having to be wary of both monsters and outsiders every day.

Human nature is treacherous!

But the fact that such a thing happened to this seemingly innocent little girl made her feel even more disgusted.

Xiao Xun'er nodded, then shook her head: "But thankfully, I had my big brother. He not only saved me, but also helped stabilize the restless strange fire within me." As she said this, her eyes shone with an almost worshipful light. The story of a hero rescuing a damsel in distress may be cliché, but when a real hero appears in your most helpless moment, the gratitude and admiration are something that no story can replicate.

"Then why do you still stay in the Xiao family?" Cao Ying asked directly.

In her opinion, since the Xiao family has such scoundrels, and Xiao Xun'er's identity is obviously extraordinary, why should she continue to stay in this place of trouble?

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xun'er playfully stuck out her tongue, a deep look beyond her years flashing across her face: "There are some things to do, so please don't ask, sister." Her voice was soft, but her tone carried an undeniable firmness.

Cao Ying immediately understood. Everyone has their own secrets, and excessive questioning would only backfire. She nodded, then patted her still somewhat immature chest and said with "sincere" eyes, "Okay, for your safety, I'll come to visit you often."

[Cao Ying's inner thoughts: Hahaha, another little sister to tease! Awesome! This girl looks a bit silly, she's definitely easy to fool. I'll go find her to tease her when I'm bored.]

Upon hearing this, the "simple-minded" Xiao Xun'er's eyes immediately turned into crescent moons, and she clapped her hands happily, saying, "Really? Thank you, sister!"

[Xiao Xun'er's inner thoughts: Hehe, I'll first build a good relationship with my older brother's apprentice, then find an opportunity to get closer to him. This older sister seems quite approachable, and doesn't seem to have any reservations about me. Through her, I should be able to learn more about my older brother and have more opportunities to see him. But what's with that fleeting slyness in her eyes? Oh well, I'm probably just imagining things.]

The two young girls stood in the courtyard, seemingly showing a close sisterly bond, but each harboring their own thoughts.

The two of them together weigh no more than 80 pounds, but their cunning probably accounts for 79 pounds of that.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting two seemingly innocent shadows on the ground, but little did they know how many unspoken schemes lay hidden within them.

Cao Ying took Xiao Xun'er's hand and said, "Come on, I'll ask my junior sister to take you out to play."

Xiao Xun'er nodded obediently, a hint of triumphant joy flashing in her eyes.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the Xiao family mansion was completely different from the "harmony" between the two little girls.

Although the fact that Xiao Yan entered Xiao Xun'er's boudoir at night was kept strictly secret among the lower-level servants of the Xiao family, it was no secret within the upper echelons of the family.

The elders of the Xiao family were no pushovers; Xiao Zhan's unusually respectful attitude towards Xiao Xun'er that day had already attracted attention from all sides.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that this little girl who suddenly appeared in the Xiao family had a background that was anything but simple.

Therefore, many senior executives secretly instructed their younger relatives to get to know Xiao Xun'er better and pave the way for her future.

But when these younger generations eagerly tried to curry favor, they were always met with a cold shoulder. Xiao Xun'er either avoided them or dismissed them with a few words. What was most intriguing was a casual remark she made:

"The Xiao family's guards are just so-so; they didn't even notice when the people were almost inside the room."

The younger generation was initially confused, but when these words reached the ears of the higher-ups, they immediately became alert. Several elders secretly investigated and, within half a day, pieced together the truth of that night—Xiao Yan, the third son of Clan Chief Xiao Zhan, had actually tried to sneak into Xiao Xun'er's room on her very first night at the Xiao family!

Even more shockingly, the patrolling guards were "completely unaware"!

"Absurd! Utterly absurd!" Inside the Xiao family's council hall, the First Elder, Xiao Shan, slammed his hand on the mahogany table, making the teacups clink. The white-haired old man was flushed red, clearly furious.

Second Elder Xiao Lin remained relatively calm, but his brows furrowed deeply: "Xiao Zhan, are you insane? How dare you condone Xiao Yan doing such a thing!"

"We don't know Xiao Xun'er's background completely, but for you, the clan leader, to be so wary of her, she must come from a force that we can't afford to offend."

The Third Elder picked up the conversation, his voice low and stern as he scolded, "Are you trying to bring the entire Xiao family to utter ruin by doing this?"

Xiao Zhan sat in the main seat, his face ashen. He clenched his fists, the veins on the back of his hands bulging, but he remained silent, offering no explanation.

"Xiao Yan is only at the seventh level of Dou Qi. With his cultivation level, how could he possibly escape the eyes and ears of the patrolling guards?"

The elder pressed closer, his cloudy eyes flashing with a sharp light as he looked at Xiao Zhan and said, "Those patrolling guards are all at the Dou Zhe level. If they say they didn't notice a kid who isn't even a Dou Zhe sneaking in, who would believe that?"

The Second Elder added coldly, "Unless someone secretly helped, deliberately withdrawing the patrols in that area, or giving Xiao Yan some treasure to conceal his aura. And within the Xiao family, I'm afraid only you, the Clan Chief, could do that, right?"