His house was made of red bricks and grey tiles, surrounded by flourishing trees and flowers. In the courtyard, the simple yet elegant scenery was rather soothing and peaceful.

Stepping into the courtyard, Xu Yi saw that Autumn held Elder Mu in one arm, as she was walking out of the house.

Elder Mu looked healthier after he had received his medicines. At least, he could falter around the house.

“Uncle, where have you been?” Autumn screamed.

Xu Yi stepped forward, trying to rub Autumn’s chubby face: “Look at you, you seem so sleepy. Oh, poor Autumn, you’ve got such large bags under your eyes. Take these snacks, I bet you’ll love them. Afterwards.. Go back to bed! I’ll take care of grandpa.”

Xu Yi gave Autumn the box of snacks, which he had taken from the Exquisite Pavilion.

The diversified and delicate snacks dazzled Autumn, as a big smile emerged on her face while she grabbed onto one of Xu Yi’s legs.

“I love you, Uncle Xu.” Autumn said as she showed two large puppy eyes. This expression immediately softened Xu Yi’s heart. She then returned to her bedroom, while closely embracing the box.

“She will be spoiled!” Elder Mu smiled at Xu Yi, before he continued: “Sorry to trouble you.”

“Elder Mu, it isn’t even worth mentioning. Let me help you walk to the courtyard, so you may enjoy the sun for a while.” Xu Yi replied.

The weather in August changed from time to time - in the morning, it was cold and cloudy, whereas now, in the afternoon, the sun shone brightly from high up in the sky.

The courtyard was a perfect place to enjoy a book, especially during these warm and sunny days. Lying down on a cotton-paddled mattress, Xu Yi would always sit in the shadow, so that he may avoid the dazzling sunlight. This way he could enjoy the weather and read a book all at the same time. But currently, he was with Elder Mu, who was already greatly recovered from his severe injuries, due to the expensive restorative medicines. Xu Yi tried to amuse Elder Mu, so he brought out a second stool and sat beside him.

Like most elders, Elder Mu was fond of telling stories, especially ones that had taken place in the vicinity of the Dragon Beard River. Xu Yi attentively listened to Elder Mu’s vivid narratives.

Occasionally, they would even exchange ideas on certain events. They were having a cheerful conversation despite the large age difference.

In the middle of their conversation, Autumn walked back out, as she was holding a plate filled with snacks.

“Story time, story time! Grandpa, Uncle, let’s start competing to see who is the best storyteller. I will be the referee. Whoever wins will be rewarded with one delicacy from this plate.” Autumn grinned at them, holding the plate high up in the air.

Suddenly, Xu Yi stretched his arms out, reaching for Autumn and embraced her in his arms. He loved Autumn’s bowl cut, so he playfully rubbed her hair into a mess. Autumn, however, quickly retorted by slamming her head against Xu Yi’s belly, which was her way of revenge.

In order to not spoil Autumn’s hyper enthusiasm, Xu Yi patiently told her a story named ‘The Princess and the Pea’. Autumn was so absorbed in this story that she quietly stared into the distance, winking her delicate eyelashes like an adorable doll.

- Clop! Clop! -

Suddenly, a harmonious burst of footsteps made an abrupt end to the story. Xu Yi jerked his head towards the doorway and arched his eyebrows.

“Elder Mu, a good show is about to start! Would you watch from inside your room or stay right here, where you are?” Xu Yi hinted at Elder Mu.

“I will stay right here, however, I’m afraid my poor hearing will dilute my happiness, while enjoying this show.” Elder Mu replied with an undaunted voices. He had a heroic spirit, even though he was simply one of the million ordinary grass-roots.

All of a sudden, a group of armed soldiers poured into the gate, and quickly aligned themselves into two lines. It only took a couple of minutes for the intruders to besiege the house. The swords were all pulled out and bows were in an arched position, ready to shoot. Death was in the air, in broad daylight!

However, Xu Yi didn’t seem intimidated at all, at least he pretended to be relaxed. He tapped Autumn’s head with loving kindness and warned her softly: ”Sit steady, and close your eyes if you’re afraid.”

The little girl raised her eyebrows: “I’m not afraid of those bad people, because you’re here to protect us..”

Hardly had she finished her remarks or a giant white tiger appeared in front of them, only several inches away from Autumn. She instantly fainted, out of sheer horror.

The tiger had elegantly jumped down from the roof of the house. Its head was as big as a millstone, terrifyingly protruding in Xu Yi’s direction. The tusks in its mouth were so terrifying that even by looking at it, one couldn’t help but shudder.

“It’s you who killed my son!”

The man who was sitting on the back of the tiger rebuked angrily. He had wrapped himself in a silver armor and he was even wearing a golden crown, which was an indication of his extravagant lifestyle.

After a while, the man on the back of the tiger jumped to the ground and stabbed his halberd towards one of the white slates, which was hit with a deafening thud, while all the surrounding slates were also crushed into pieces.

“You’re just a fucking beast, don’t you dare to scare me.” Disregarding the man who was busy showing his strength with the halberd, Xu Yi stared at the tiger and slammed its cheek.

- Boom! -

The tiger groaned bitterly, as one of its cheeks was severely crooked. Moments ago, it looked majestically; but right now, it looked like a vulnerable cat, who was riddled with illnesses.

Xu Yi didn’t show any sympathy towards this beast, as he continued to torture it by plucking its whiskers out. The tiger instinctively bounced off the ground, retreating to a safe distance from Xu Yi.

“I bet you’re the notorious Jiang Shaochuan from the Black Dragon Palace. Yes, I killed your good-for-nothing son! I heard that you are an indecent bandit, aren’t you?” Xu Yi laughed out loudly, showing no respect to Shaochuan.

With discerning eyes, Xu Yi had already seen through Shaochuan’s tricks.

Since it was legal in Guanan to officially invite anyone to fight in the arena, sooner or later, Xu Yi would be forced to fight with the Black Dragon Palace. Given that, why would Shaochuan bother to visit Xu Yi personally? Because, he was trying to retake the refined iron!

To gain the upper hand in the situation, Shaochuan had decided to frighten Xu Yi by displaying his impressive strength and his formidable team of warriors.

However, in front of Xu Yi, who was full of shrewdness, Shaochuan had failed. Xu Yi wasn’t intimidated at all by this purposeful display.

Actually, the banning of unregistered fighting in Guanan was the true reason that made Xu Yi so emboldened. He was 100% sure, that Shaochuan wouldn’t fight with him right here and now, no matter how much hatred Shaochuan held.

Plus, Xu Yi did observe Shaochuan while he was exerting his power by waving the halberd, and he was certain that his opponent was at most a peak state cultivator of the forged body.

Shaochun didn’t give up, nor did he pay attention to Xu Yi, as he continued to ceaselessly swirl his halberd in the air, almost creating a vortex.

To Shaochuan’s disappointment, Xu Yi actually turned his back to him and actually picked up and carried Autumn in his arms. He then picked a piece of a delicate green bean cake up, which was the size of a fingertip and was sculptured into a flower with sixteen petals. Xu Yi handed it over to Elder Mu and suggested him to immediately swallow it, not letting the taste fill his mouth. Interestingly, Xu Yi, on the other hand, slowly chewed on his piece of the cake, savoring every bite.

The indifference of Xu Yi irritated Shaochuan in such a way, that it even put his nose out of joint.

“You bastard, what do you want?” Shaochuan howled loudly to the sky.

“Get the hell off my property, all of you! You obnoxious and evil intruders!” Xu Yi replied casually, as he was picking up another rainbow-looking candy.