Chapter 243 - 242

"Cousin?" A hint of mockery touched Si Xu’s brow.

He leaned down slightly, his voice soft yet sharp enough to pierce the heart. "The bloodline of the Feather Clan’s Saint Heir is of the utmost nobility. How could I have a cousin like you, tainted with the blood of a lesser race?"

Si Yan’s face went deathly pale. Tears welled in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

’How could the bloodline of the High Priest’s daughter possibly be lesser!’

’They were clearly so close when they were children.’

’It was after Si Xu became the Saint Heir that he didn’t come home for five years straight. He forgot her and all those wonderful memories.’

’The shackles of the Saint Heir truly make one cold and heartless. The High Priest was right.’

Si Yan performed a grand salute of the Feather Clan on the spot. "Saint Heir."

Watching her cousin perform such a formal salute, she refused to believe Si Xu wouldn’t feel the slightest bit of guilt.

When that tall, slender figure appeared before her, stepping through a halo of light, Si Yan couldn’t hide her delight.

She lifted her head, her eyes red-rimmed.

Si Xu’s gaze was lowered. He wore a pure white, feather-patterned robe, his golden hair cascading to his waist, and his body was surrounded by a faint Holy Light.

His eyes held an oppressive aura that made it difficult to meet his gaze.

Before the word "Cousin" could leave her lips, Si Yan heard Si Xu ask, "Did the High Priest not tell you why I left the Feather Clan for five years?"

Si Yan was taken aback. "I was just joking back then! Father took it seriously, that’s all. My father didn’t do it on purpose."

Pei Yin let out a laugh of pure anger. "So by that logic, it’s fine if I kill the High Priest and then tell you I was just joking, right?"

"I..." Si Yan opened her mouth, but she didn’t know how to defend herself.

’How old was she back then? Not even sixteen.’

’She had only told her father that she wanted to be the Saintess.’

’She didn’t know about her father plotting to kill Si Xu’s parents and all that.’

’She had only told someone she was envious that Si Xu had Awakened to such a high Level.’

’She didn’t know that person would then go and poison Si Xu.’

’She had only heard from others that Si Xu was in danger, so she brought people to find him.’

’Who knew that Si Xu’s Threshold Devouring Period would happen to strike right then?’

’Who knew they would suddenly start fighting...?’

Si Yan’s face was ashen. "I didn’t do it on purpose."

Pei Yin raised a hand and, with a single sweep, sent her flying out of the auditorium.

He dusted off his hands and met Si Xu’s impassive gaze. "Sorry. I did that on purpose."

Si Xu showed little reaction. "Why is she here?"

Pei Yin shrugged. "Transferred here, what else? And it’s your fault for being so useless. It’s been five years, and you still haven’t managed to take down that High Priest."

Si Xu fell silent.

In moments of impulse, he had tried to move against the High Priest many times, but the man had too many life-saving artifacts. He was simply unkillable.

After a few years of cooling down, he grew confident he could succeed, but he had to consider the bigger picture.

At first, he had only treated Si Yan coldly, not taking his anger out on her.

Even after the poisoning incident, he had only locked her in a confinement chamber.

It wasn’t until his Threshold Devouring Period flared up and Si Yan led his enemies to him that he finally struck out and gravely injured her.

After that, the High Priest relinquished a great deal of his power.

When a man is in a good mood and sits in a high position, he becomes exceptionally tolerant. He ignored Si Yan, looking at her as one would an ant.

Si Yan was released from the confinement chamber and continued to live in the main residence.

If Si Yan hadn’t snatched away the Soul-locking Beast bracelet, he wouldn’t have even remembered she existed, let alone thought of kicking her out.

Pei Yin sighed. "Need any help?"

A flicker of movement in Si Xu’s eyes. "He can’t die yet."

The High Priest is intrinsically linked to many things within the clan; he can’t be touched for now.

Si Yan is the High Priest’s bottom line. He had to keep her around to use as a threat.

Si Xu’s gaze darkened. "Wait until I get the Holy Pearl."

Pei Yin pouted. "There you go again. Whatever. I don’t understand your clan’s affairs."

He clapped Si Xu on the shoulder. "I’ll help you get rid of her. There’s no way I’m going to the same school as her."

For once, Si Xu didn’t pull away.

He glanced at the large hand on his shoulder and finally felt that Pei Yin had grown up a little.

- 18 = 5

He was five years older than Pei Yin.

’Thankfully, Jian Yu is 19. Next year she’ll be 20, the year after 21, and the year after that, 22.’

’By that calculation: 23 - 22 = 1. Only a one-year difference.’

’Mhm. That’s right.’

Si Xu closed his eyes.

Pei Yin turned his head, a look of utter confusion on his face. "Where did Princess Feifei go?"

...

「Outside the hall.」

Duan Feiye appeared in a flash to block Si Yan’s path.

"Sister Si Yan."

Si Yan had taken a tumble, and a patch of her white dress was now dirty.

After being struck by Pei Yin’s Soul Power-infused wing, the corner of her mouth was bleeding.

Seeing Duan Feiye, Si Yan no longer dared to try and cozy up to him.

"Chief... Chief Duan."

"Why so formal?" Duan Feiye bent down elegantly and extended a hand. "Need some help?"

Si Yan raised her hand. "Thank you."

Duan Feiye pulled his hand back.

Si Yan’s fingers froze in mid-air.

Duan Feiye took out a handkerchief and, smiling, helped Si Yan up. "You’ve scraped your palm. Here, take this handkerchief; you don’t need to return it. Don’t blame your cousin. Actually, it was the High Priest who wouldn’t let..."

He stopped mid-sentence, closing his mouth. His eyes flickered. "It’s nothing."

"My father?" Si Yan grew anxious. "What about my father? Did he go and cause trouble for my cousin again?"

She didn’t suspect Duan Feiye in the slightest.

Five years ago, Duan Feiye and the others would often go hang out with Si Xu.

As long as she wasn’t feeling unwell, she would sit nearby and watch them spar and chat.

Over time, aside from Ling Yanzhi, Xi Yu, and Pei Yin, who didn’t particularly like her, the others would all more or less call her "little sister."

Duan Feiye said with a troubled expression, "I can’t say. If I tell you, you’ll definitely go to the High Priest."

Si Yan’s face flushed with urgency. "I won’t! I won’t tell my father."

She pressed, "Brother Duan Fei, tell me, is my father the reason my cousin refuses to acknowledge me?"

Duan Feiye glanced around and raised a Soul Beast Cover. "Your father sent a lot of people to follow you. Didn’t you know?"

Si Yan blinked. "They transferred schools with me. Father said it was to protect me. They won’t interfere unless I’m in danger."

She didn’t want to talk about it. "Just tell me, what did Father say to my cousin? I’m very worried about him."

Duan Feiye let out a theatrical sigh. "The truth is, Ah Xu doesn’t blame you."

Tears shimmered in Si Yan’s eyes. "I know. I just knew it. My cousin could never bear to blame me."

Duan Feiye choked.

He was silent for a moment. "That’s right. When has Ah Xu ever blamed you? He never says a bad word about you in front of us. It’s the High Priest who is afraid of Ah Xu and won’t let Ah Xu get close to you or be good to you."

Si Yan didn’t understand. "Why would Father do that? Cousin Ah Xu has already forgiven him and doesn’t blame us. Why is he still acting like this!"

Duan Feiye pretended to think. "I don’t know either."

His smile was flawless. "This time, when you transferred over, Ah Xu was injured but still rushed back specifically to see you. It’s only because your father has people watching that Ah Xu was forced to say those hurtful things."

Si Yan beamed, completely ignoring the fact that Si Xu was injured.

She quickly asked, "What about Ayan? Doesn’t Brother Ayan want to see me? Everyone at school has gone crazy, saying Brother Ayan is with that Jian Yu. That has to be fake, right?"

Duan Feiye’s fists clenched.

’So he’d gotten the main point wrong all along.’