After receiving permission from the Great Elder, Xiao Feng clasped his fists slightly and turned to leave.
Behind him—
The Great Elder's stern gaze fell upon a certain boy who was trying to quietly sneak away.
"Xiao Ning!"
His voice fell like a thunderclap.
The poor child had barely taken two steps before a large hand grabbed the back of his collar like an iron claw.
"Grandpa—!"
Xiao Ning cried miserably, his legs kicking in the air.
"I'm exhausted! I can't cultivate anymore!"
The Great Elder snorted coldly, his beard trembling slightly.
"Exhausted?"
"You still dare to say you're exhausted?"
He pointed toward Xiao Feng's departing figure. His voice became even harsher.
"Look at Xiao Feng. Then look at yourself!"
"He broke through 3 star Dou Zhi Qi yesterday. And you? You can't even finish a single training cycle!"
The old man threw Xiao Ning back onto the training ground.
"Cultivate!"
"You will not leave until you break through today!"
"Ahhh! Grandpa— mercy!!"
The miserable cries echoed across the training yard.
Hearing the commotion behind him, Xiao Feng's lips twitched slightly.
He almost burst into laughter.
But he endured it with great effort and continued walking toward his courtyard with a calm expression.
Just as he reached the corridor—
A lively voice suddenly rang out.
"Brother Feng! Brother Feng!"
A small figure rushed over like a bouncing rabbit.
It was Xiao Mei.
Her round little face was flushed from running, and her large eyes sparkled brightly as she stopped in front of him.
"What is it, Xiao Mei?" Xiao Feng asked with a faint smile.
He looked down at her chubby cheeks.
For cute children, Xiao Feng had always been extremely tolerant.
Especially little girls.
Xiao Mei was indeed very lovable.
(Of course… this referred to the current Xiao Mei, not the future one.)
Xiao Mei puffed her cheeks slightly and grabbed his sleeve.
"Let's go play!"
"Xiao Ning and the others are still cultivating. Sister Xiao Yu also has work to do."
She looked up at him pitifully.
"I have no one to play with."
"Why don't you play with me?"
Her watery eyes blinked innocently.
Xiao Feng couldn't help laughing.
He gently pinched her soft cheek.
"Alright."
"I'll play with you."
"But don't you have to cultivate. How come you're jumping around like a swallow. Won't First Grandpa be angry?"
Xiao Feng looked back, hearing the faint echoes of boys and girls training.
How did this Xiao Nizi escape the First Elder?
Truly, it makes one curious.
Xiao Mei puffed out her small chest proudly.
"Hmph, I broke through yesterday and entered one star Dou Zhi Qi" She lifted her chin as if she had just accomplished something extremely great.
"First Grandpa said I'm very talented, so he gave me two days off!"
After saying that, she clasped her little hands behind her back and swayed happily from side to side.
Her expression clearly said — Praise me quickly.
Xiao Feng blinked.
Then he couldn't help but laugh.
"Not bad."
He lightly patted her forehead, "So our little Xiao Mei is already a Dou Zhi Qi fighter?"
Xiao Mei's eyes curved like crescent moons.
"Of course!"
"I'm very powerful!"
Then she suddenly lowered her voice mysteriously and leaned closer to Xiao Feng.
"Also…"
"I ran away before First Grandpa could change his mind."
Xiao Feng: "..."
He stared at her for a moment before finally understanding.
So that was the real reason.
No wonder she escaped so smoothly.
The old First Elder had probably just praised her yesterday for breaking through and was still in a good mood.
Otherwise—
If he discovered Xiao Mei skipping cultivation to play around…
The result would probably be no different from Xiao Ning's current tragedy.
Thinking of Xiao Ning's miserable screams still echoing faintly in the distance, Xiao Feng couldn't help silently praying for him.
Brother Ning… stay strong.
Meanwhile Xiao Mei grabbed his sleeve again impatiently.
"So?"
"Are you coming or not?"
Xiao Feng sighed helplessly.
"Alright, alright."
"I'll accompany you."
"But what do you want to do?"
Xiao Mei's eyes instantly lit up like stars.
"Let's go to the market!"
She grabbed his arm excitedly.
"You've never been there before, right? It's really lively!"
"I've been wanting to go out for a long time!"
Xiao Feng thought for a moment.
Then he nodded.
He had arrived in this strange fantasy world for quite some time, yet he had rarely left the Xiao clan grounds. Although he had read the novel before, experiencing it in real life was completely different.
This world carried many elements of ancient Chinese culture. Since Xiao Feng had never been to China in his previous life. Perhaps this was a chances to experience those customs.
For some reason, Images of hanfu robes, cheongsams, Qipao and other elegant ancient outfits suddenly flashed through his mind.
Then his imagination began drifting toward some… questionable directions. White silk, black silk, Qipao, etc.
He coughed awkwardly.
"Ahem."
"What's wrong, Brother Feng?"
Xiao Mei looked at him curiously.
"Are you sick?"
Xiao Feng quickly waved his hand.
"No, nothing."
"Didn't you want to go to the market?"
"Let's go."
Xiao Mei frowned slightly.
"How strange…"
But as a child, she didn't think much about it.
Soon the two left the Xiao clan and headed toward the family market.
The Xiao Family Market was extremely lively.
Rows of stalls stretched along the wide street like a flowing river of color.
Merchants loudly advertised their goods.
Mercenaries returning from the Magic Beast Mountain Range drank and laughed while bargaining with traders.
The air was filled with countless scents—
Fresh fruits, roasted meat, herbal medicine, and sweet pastries.
As one of the three dominant clans of Wu Tan City, the Xiao family controlled a large portion of the market. Guards wearing the Xiao clan emblem stood watch at key intersections. The entire street bustled with prosperity.
The moment they arrived, Xiao Mei immediately dragged Xiao Feng toward a nearby stall.
"Look! Look!"
"Aren't these pretty?"
She excitedly picked up a bright red ribbon and waved it happily.
Xiao Feng chuckled.
"They look nice."
"But what would I do with them?"
"If you like them, I'll buy one for you."
He mostly busy items from the system. So all the salary since his arrival was still saved in his hand. In the Xiao clan, he could also be considered a small rich kid.
"I already have one!" Xiao Mei shook her head proudly, pointing at her ponytail.
A red ribbon tied her hair neatly behind her head.
"My mother gave it to me."
Then she looked at Xiao Feng again with shining eyes.
"You should wear one too!"
"You could tie it on your wrist… or in your hair!"
"It would make you look more interesting!"
Xiao Mei: Brother Feng will definitely look very beautiful.
Xiao Feng stared at her blankly.
For a moment, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Did this girl not know ribbons were mostly for girls?
But then again—
She was only a four-year-old child.
How much could she understand?
Xiao Feng sighed helplessly.
"I'll pass."
Xiao Mei pouted.
"Fine…"
But her disappointment lasted only three seconds.
Soon she dragged Xiao Feng toward another stall with renewed excitement. The two wandered through the bustling street.
Xiao Feng noticed a sweet apple candy street shop. This suprised him.
This snack shouldn't exist in this world.
But then again—
This was a world with Dou Qi and cultivators.
Having apple candy was hardly strange.
Perhaps some traveler from another world had appeared here long ago.
Thinking so, Xiao Feng wanted to try the apple candy.
But before he could even speak, Xiao Mei had already grabbed his sleeve and dragged him toward the stall like a little whirlwind.
"Brother Feng, look over there! Apple candy!"
"Let's try it! I bet it's very delicious!"
Her eyes sparkled like bright stars as she pointed excitedly at the vendor.
The stall owner was an old man with a white beard. In front of him stood a wooden rack filled with skewers of crystal-red apple candy.
Each apple was coated in a thin layer of hardened syrup that shone under the sunlight like polished jade. The faint fragrance of fruit mixed with caramelized sugar drifted gently through the air.
Even passing cultivators occasionally glanced at the stall.
Xiao Feng raised an eyebrow slightly.
He truly did not expect to see something so familiar in this world.
The old vendor smiled kindly when he saw the two children.
"Little ones, want some apple candy?"
"Two copper coins each."
Xiao Mei immediately turned toward Xiao Feng with hopeful eyes.
"Brother Feng…"
Her expression clearly said: Buy it, buy it, buy it.
Xiao Feng chuckled and took out a few coins from his sleeve.
"Two, please."
The old vendor handed over two skewers of apple candy.
The moment Xiao Mei received hers, she happily took a bite.
Crunch.
The thin sugar coating shattered crisply, revealing the juicy fruit beneath.
"Mmm!"
Her eyes widened instantly.
"It's so sweet!"
Seeing her exaggerated reaction, Xiao Feng couldn't help smiling. He also took a small bite.
The crisp sweetness spread across his tongue, followed by the refreshing sourness of the apple.
His eyes lit up slightly.
Compared to the apple candy from his previous life—
This one had a richer flavor, probably because the fruit grown in this world contained faint traces of spiritual energy.
Xiao Mei happily walked beside him while licking the candy like a little kitten.
Meanwhile, Xiao Feng used the opportunity to quietly observe the surrounding market.
Several stalls displayed magic beast cores, their faint energy fluctuations visible even from a distance.
Other shops sold first-grade medicinal pills, stored in jade bottles to preserve their medicinal properties.
A few mercenaries were loudly bargaining with merchants over the price of beast materials.
However, after casually asking for the prices, Xiao Feng could only shake his head inwardly.
Too expensive.
Buying from the system is much better in his opinion.
Not only the items are top quality but their types are diverse.
As the two people continued walking, they soon arrived at another stall.
It displayed rows of finely carved wooden toys. Small birds, swords, carts, and animals were arranged neatly on a wooden table.
Xiao Mei's eyes immediately locked onto a small wooden horse.
The horse had been carved with great care, its mane flowing and its posture lively, almost as if it might start galloping at any moment.
She picked it up gently.
"Brother Feng!"
"Wouldn't this be fun to play with?"
Her eyes sparkled brightly.
Xiao Feng looked at her expression and immediately understood.
When children showed such a face…
It meant they already loved the item.
Without hesitation, he asked the vendor for the price and handed over a few copper coins.
The vendor smiled and passed the toy to them.
Xiao Mei hugged the wooden horse happily.
"Thank you, Brother Feng!"
Her cheerful laughter rang out like silver bells.
The rest of the afternoon passed quickly.
The two children wandered through the lively streets, tasting snacks, watching street performers, and occasionally stopping to look at interesting trinkets.
Time seemed to pass unnoticed in the bustling market.
Soon—
The golden sunlight of afternoon slowly dimmed.
A gentle evening breeze began drifting through the streets of Wu Tan City, carrying the faint scent of cooking food from nearby restaurants.
The market gradually began calming down.
Seeing the sky darkening, Xiao Feng said,
"It's getting late. We should head back."
Xiao Mei nodded reluctantly.
The two began walking back toward the Xiao clan residence.
As they walked along the quiet street, Xiao Mei suddenly looked up at him with a proud grin.
"See?"
"I told you the market was fun!"
Xiao Feng looked at her cheerful face and couldn't help laughing softly.
Where exactly did this little fool come from…
Still, he nodded seriously.
"Yes."
"You were right."
"It was very fun."
The evening wind gently swept across the ancient streets.
Under the fading sunlight, the two small figures slowly disappeared into the distance—
Their laughter lingering softly in the twilight air.