C12 Little Girl You will Regret It!

The moment Qin Xiao laid eyes on the young girl, memories of her came flooding back.

Tan Shu had roamed the outside world with Qin Xiao and Qin Huan since childhood. When Qin Huan's talents were recognized, they were all taken in by the Blood Soul Sect.

Despite their nomadic life, Tan Shu remained somewhat naive, a result of Qin Xiao's overprotective nature.

Zhou Yanyan, standing beside Tan Shu, was her close friend. Perhaps Zhou Yanyan was embarrassed to associate with the sect's acknowledged failure, especially since the original owner had been slow to awaken. She seemed reluctant for Tan Shu to maintain her friendship with Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao understood the competitive nature of these girls, but when it came at the cost of his dignity, it was far from pleasant.

"I'm here to taste-test some newly brewed wine for Elder Yan," Qin Xiao clarified, hoping to prevent any misunderstandings from Tan Shu.

"Some people neglect their duties, always scheming and taking shortcuts."

Zhou Yanyan's snort was cold and pointed, and everyone knew exactly who she was referring to.

Qin Xiao remained unfazed. Zhou Yanyan's temper clearly hadn't been tempered by the harsh realities of society.

"Yanyan, don't talk like that. I trust that Qin Xiao isn't the person you make him out to be," Tan Shu said gently, her voice soft yet resolute.

A warmth spread through Qin Xiao's chest. It was an instinctive response, but it deepened his fondness for Tan Shu, his adoptive sister.

Zhou Yanyan's expression soured as Tan Shu defended Qin Xiao.

"I know you and Qin Xiao shared a close bond in your youth. But now, you've ascended to the Milky Stage, while Qin Xiao remains unawakened. He's no longer fit to be your friend! And he's even crossed paths with Feng Lia!"

A flicker of fear passed through Zhou Yanyan's eyes at the mention of Feng Lia, a formidable master of the Boundless Ocean Stage, not someone they could afford to provoke. With resolve, she turned to Qin Xiao and said icily, "Today, I'll play the villain. Qin Xiao, if you truly value Xiao Shu's friendship, then leave her be! Stop dragging her down with you!"

Seeing the warmth from Qing Mei, Qin Xiao's restlessness subsided. He fixed his gaze on Tan Shu and asked, "Xiao Shu, do you feel the same?"

Zhou Yanyan's biting words didn't faze him; she was nothing more than a stranger in his eyes.

But Tan Shu was different. She was the childhood friend who had braved life's storms alongside him, the little sister he was sworn to protect.

"I have no intention of leaving you. Yanyan is just concerned about me, so she spoke rashly. Please, don't hold it against her."

Tan Shu looked up, a flicker of doubt in her eyes. "Qin Xiao, if you've truly angered Feng Lia, you should apologize. He's not someone we can afford to cross."

Hearing this, Qin Xiao's pupils narrowed, his expression darkening. "It wasn't my intention to provoke him. He tried to kill me; I had no choice but to defend myself."

"How could Feng Lia want to kill you? We're all part of the same sect," Tan Shu exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise. "There's got to be a misunderstanding. We just need to talk it out, face to face."

Misunderstanding?

Feng Lia had once sought his life, and only by a stroke of luck and Elder Yan's intervention had he survived. Was this grave incident merely a 'misunderstanding' in Tan Shu's eyes?

"Don't bother trying to convince me. Our conflict will only end with death!" Qin Xiao's gaze pierced through the hole in the wooden door, his resolve hardening. "I will defeat Feng Lia in the Outer Sect Competition, without a doubt."

"You defeating Feng Lia? That's pure fantasy," Zhou Yanyan sneered. "Xiao Shu, don't be swayed by Qin Xiao's cunning words. He's just a coward, unwilling to face the consequences of his actions. He doesn't care if his trouble with Feng Lia ends up affecting you!"

Disappointment etched Tan Shu's face. "Is that so? Qin Xiao, are you really that reluctant to apologize? If Feng Lia comes after you, how will you ever manage within the sect?"

Qin Xiao met her gaze unflinchingly, his eyes sharp as blades. "Xiao Shu, I have to ask, are you urging me to apologize truly for my sake, or are you just worried about getting dragged into my troubles with Feng Lia?"

"Of course, it's for your own good," Tan Shu replied hastily, her gaze darting away involuntarily, as if she couldn't bear to meet Qin Xiao's eyes.

Qin Xiao saw right through her, and everything clicked into place.

So that was it.

No matter how sweetly Tan Shu phrased it, her concern was merely about avoiding being dragged into his troubles.

Qin Xiao's heart chilled, and a tide of indignation rose within him.

He felt a sense of injustice on behalf of his former self. Whether during his days of wandering or within the Blood Soul Sect, he had never wronged Tan Shu, always bending to her wishes.

Yet, when push came to shove, Tan Shu still didn't believe Qin Xiao's claim that Feng Lia was out to kill him. Worse, she feared getting entangled in the mess and pressured Qin Xiao to grovel for an apology from his foe!

Qin Xiao's demeanor iced over. He regarded Tan Shu with a calm detachment and said, "Leave, and don't come back. Whatever happens between Feng Lia and me won't concern you anymore."

With those final words, he turned his back, no longer able to bear the sight of her, and shut the door firmly.

"You're nothing but a worthless nobody. Why should you be given any respect?" Zhou Yanyan fumed with resentment. Thankfully, she had achieved her aim; Qin Xiao would no longer be able to pester Tan Shu.

Yet Tan Shu stood there, stunned, staring at the closed door.

She was convinced she had done nothing wrong, but the sight of Qin Xiao looking at her as if she were a stranger sent a wave of panic through her. It felt as if she had lost something irreplaceably precious.

Zhou Yanyan let out a disdainful snort, observing Tan Shu's crestfallen expression but said nothing more. Just then, a low, gravelly voice broke the silence.

"Young lady, if you truly had Qin Xiao's best interests at heart, you wouldn't utter such wounding words."

Elder Yan's gaze on Tan Shu was cool and detached. Perhaps due to his own hard-knock life, Qin Xiao had developed a resilience. He could withstand Zhou Yanyan's taunts and jeers, but he would never stoop to compromise his dignity by apologizing to Feng Lia for a slim hope of survival.

He would rather die than live in disgrace!

That was Qin Xiao's line in the sand!

Despite their apparently close relationship, Tan Shu was oblivious to Qin Xiao's principles. Clinging to a misguided notion of 'doing what's best for him,' she had callously betrayed him.

Upon hearing Elder Yan's words, Tan Shu pursed her lips and responded, "The sect is survival of the fittest. What's wrong with advising Qin Xiao to face reality? What's so bad about bowing one's head to save one's life?"

Elder Yan shook his head. Qin Xiao and Feng Lia were locked in a life-or-death struggle, yet Tan Shu still harbored the illusion that they could reconcile. That was utterly impossible.

"You're saying this because you don't have faith in Qin Xiao's ability to rise above his circumstances and defeat Feng Lia. You see his temporary downfall and assume he'll always be beneath others. But even if Qin Xiao never advances further in martial arts, he's the type to choose death over dishonor. By forcing him to kneel and discard his dignity, you're essentially betraying him with a knife to his back."

Elder Yan's eyes, though clouded, took on a profound expression. "Young lady, one day you'll regret the words you've spoken to him."

Regret it?

Tan Shu was momentarily taken aback, her gaze fixed on the door that seemed to draw an impassable gulf between her and Qin Xiao, a wave of unidentifiable loss welling up inside her.

But she quickly cast aside these mysterious feelings, her expression settling into one of resolve. "Everything I've done is for Qin Xiao's sake. I will have no regrets!"