“Ah,” the robed elder cleared his throat lightly, stood up, and bowed slightly to Xiao Zhan with a smile, saying, “Xiao Clan Head, I’ve come to your family today with a matter of request.” “Ah, Master Ge Ye, please go on—should we be able to assist, we won’t hesitate,” replied Xiao Zhan respectfully, rising promptly. Yet, since he wasn’t certain exactly what the elder had in mind, he kept his promises somewhat cautious. “Ah, Xiao Clan Head, do you know her?” Master Ge smiled gently, pointing to the young lady standing beside him. “Um… I apologize, but I must be rather blind—this young lady…” Xiao Zhan paused, gazed at the young woman carefully, and shook his head slightly, a touch of embarrassment on his face. When Lan Yanran was first taken under the wing of Yun Yun at the age of ten, she had trained at Yunlan Sect for five years. As the saying goes, “A girl changes greatly with age”—having not seen her in many years, Xiao Zhan naturally did not recognize the young woman standing before him as his own daughter-in-law. “Hm… Her name is Nalan Yanran.” “Nalan Yanran? Nalan Yanran, the granddaughter of Nalan Elder?” Xiao Zhan was first taken aback, then his face lit up with joy—clearly remembering the past incident. He immediately smiled warmly at the young woman: “Ah, so it’s Nalan’s niece! It’s been quite some time since I last saw you, Xiao Uncle. Don’t blame me for being slow to notice.” "It's merely good fortune," smiled Nalan Yanran slightly, beginning to feel overwhelmed by Xiao Zhan's enthusiasm. Her hand, resting beneath the table, gently tugged at the sleeve of Ge Ye. "Heh, Master Xiao, the matter I've requested today is directly related to Yanran, and in fact, it's been personally initiated by the Abbot himself." Ge Ye chuckled lightly, his expression becoming more serious when he mentioned the word "Abbot." “Er…,” Ge Ye’s face suddenly flushed with embarrassment. But recalling the Master’s deep affection for Na Lan Yan Ran, he had to bite his lip and smile, saying, “Xiao Clan Head, as you know, Yun Lan Sect has a strict discipline, and the Master places very high expectations on Yan Ran. In fact, she is now being groomed almost as the next Master of the Sect. However, due to certain special regulations, the Master’s designated successor is not allowed to have any romantic involvement with a man until formally appointed as Master.” “After consulting with Yan Ran, the Master learned that there is already a marriage alliance between her and the Xiao family. Therefore, the Master would like to kindly ask Clan Head Xiao to… dissolve this engagement.” "Hehe, having your marriage contract forcibly dissolved by someone coming to your doorstep—now look at you, Clan Chief, what kind of standing do you have left to manage your clan!" While some of the younger generation, the teenagers and young women, were unaware of the engagement between Xiao Yan and Na Lan Yanran, once they asked their parents, their expressions immediately turned lively with scorn, casting mocking glances toward Xiao Yan in the corner. Watching Xiao Zhan's reaction, Ge Ye's face grew serious at once, and he stepped in front of Nalan Yanran, curving his hands like eagle talons, gathering azure qi within them and radiating fine, sharp sword-like energy. Cloud岚 Sect's profound technique: the "Severed Green Wood Sword Technique!" Rank: Xuān Stage, Lower Level! As the two exchanged breaths, the younger disciples with weaker strength turned pale, their chests suddenly feeling tight. As Xiao Zhan's breathing grew more rapid, the voices of the three elders thundered through the hall like thunder: "Xiao Zhan, stop at once! Don't forget—you are the head of the Xiao family!" His body stiffened suddenly, and the qi on his body gradually receded, finally vanishing completely. Sitting back down on his chair, Xiao Zhan stared calmly at the silent, bowed Nalan Yanran, his voice slightly hoarse: "Nalan niece, what a bold spirit! It's truly admirable that Nalan Su has a daughter like you." The delicate figure trembled slightly, and Nalan Yanran stammered, "Xiao... Uncle..."