Two Shameless Scoundrels

"Gulp!"

Xiao Yan swallowed hard, unable to believe that Uncle Xiao Xian, who had always kept such a low profile, was actually someone Yao Lao suspected to be at the Dou Sheng Peak.

That was a Dou Saint expert, a true pinnacle existence standing atop the Dou Qi Continent. How could he possibly be this thick-skinned, black-hearted, utterly shameless fellow before him?

Yet no matter how hard it was to believe, Xiao Yan knew his teacher would never lie to him. In other words, Xiao Xian truly was a Dou Saint expert—and not an ordinary one, but a Peak Dou Sheng.

The moment he thought of how powerful his backer was, Xiao Yan immediately straightened up and looked at Ice Emperor Hai Bo Dong with ill intent, his expression plainly saying, "You're dead."

You dared threaten me? Hmph, didn't you say I couldn't take your stuff? Today, I'll show you exactly how I take it.

What did it mean for a petty man to become drunk on success? Xiao Yan was precisely that sort. A cub of the Zhongshan wolf, once it achieved its ambition, it ran wild. He had now turned into a crab—the kind that walked sideways. His eyes practically grew on top of his head, and he looked at everyone through his nostrils.

He slowly walked up to Hai Bo Dong and, right in front of him, openly tucked the fragment of the map into his robe. When he was done, he even shot Hai Bo Dong a provocative look.

Xiao Xian found it secretly amusing, but had no intention of stopping him. Xiao Yan was his junior, after all. Now that his junior had been bullied, it was only natural for him, the elder, to help him regain his dignity. No question about it—who told you to cross Lord Xiao?

"Se... Senior, may I ask how this junior has offended you? Please enlighten me." Bean-sized beads of sweat poured down Ice Emperor Hai Bo Dong's forehead like rain. Under the immense pressure, his body swayed unsteadily, as though he might drop dead at any moment.

At the same time, he was cursing Xiao Yan bloody murder in his heart. Damn it, if you had such an insanely powerful backer, why didn't you say so earlier?! Whatever you wanted, this old man would have offered it with both hands! Did you think I'd dare refuse? I've never seen anyone as treacherous as you. Is acting tough and slapping faces really that fun? Don't you know this old man has a heart condition and can't handle such scares?

Ice Emperor Hai Bo Dong ranted wildly in his heart. How could he have imagined that merely putting on the airs of an expert would lead him to kick an iron plate—one harder than steel itself? He had nearly lost his old life over it.

"If he wants it, you give it to him. Who gave you permission to resist?" Xiao Xian stood with his hands behind his back and spoke calmly.

Uncle Xiao Xian was mighty! Uncle Xiao Xian was domineering!

Look at that—what was true dominance? This was it. If I want it, you give it to me. If you dare resist, that is a grave crime worthy of exterminating your entire clan.

What was unmatched might? What was overwhelming dominance? Xiao Xian displayed both idioms to perfection.

"Damn, your uncle is truly domineering. He's clearly robbing someone of their belongings, yet he makes it sound so righteous. And somehow, I even feel like refusing would be an unforgivable crime." Yao Lao was dumbfounded. It was his first time seeing someone rob another person and still speak with such utter righteousness. It practically shattered his worldview.

"Stay calm. You'll get used to it." Xiao Yan indicated that he already had.

"Senior, I truly didn't know this young man was your junior. Otherwise, even if Heaven's Courage were bestowed upon me, I would never have dared make things difficult for him." Faced with a life-or-death crisis, Ice Emperor Hai Bo Dong could no longer spare a thought for his precious fragment of the map. He lowered his stance to the extreme, just short of kneeling and begging for mercy.

Then he looked pleadingly at Xiao Yan, hoping that, seeing how sensible he was being, Xiao Yan would put in a few good words for him. He no longer wanted the map; he only wished to stay alive.

"Uncle Xiao Xian, how about we let it go? I wasn't hurt in any case. On the contrary, I obtained someone else's treasure. Since he kept it safe for me for so long, even if he had no merit, he still put in effort. Wouldn't killing him make me seem ungrateful?" Xiao Yan said with a perfectly serious expression.

This fellow was shameless enough to treat someone else's precious collection as though it had merely been kept for him. Now that he had taken it, it was simply being returned to its rightful owner. Thus, he magnanimously declared that he would not hold the other party accountable for offending him earlier.

When Ice Emperor Hai Bo Dong saw Xiao Yan plead on his behalf, a flash of joy crossed his face. But as Xiao Yan's following words left his mouth, his old face instantly twisted. A surge of stifled fury rose in his chest, nearly making him vomit blood to death.

However, this was not the time to argue. Preserving his old life was the urgent priority; everything else was secondary. So, in response to Xiao Yan's words, he nodded frantically, indicating that all of this was what he ought to have done.

"Hmph, at least you old fool know what's good for you." Xiao Xian slowly withdrew his pressure, wearing an expression that said this old man was at least sensible.

Of course I know what's good for me! Would I dare not? The moment the word 'no' left my mouth, I'd probably be separated from my head in the next instant. Only an idiot would dare oppose you.

Naturally, Hai Bo Dong would not dare say such words even if beaten to death. He had only just narrowly reclaimed his old life, and his heart was still pounding wildly from fright. He did not dare experience that roller-coaster-like terror again.

"Let's go. There's nothing else here that you need." No longer paying attention to the terrified Ice Emperor Hai Bo Dong, Xiao Xian spoke calmly to Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan nodded. He had already obtained the most important item in this shop. Everything else was utterly worthless, so it was time to leave.

"Senior, please wait." Seeing the two fiends about to leave, Hai Bo Dong seemed to recall something. Suppressing his pounding heart, he hurriedly called out.

"What? Do you think you've lived long enough, so you want me to send you on your way?" Xiao Xian turned back, his expression blank.

Hai Bo Dong jumped in fright, but when he sensed no killing intent from Xiao Xian, he immediately understood that the other man was merely teasing him and had no intention of killing him. He relaxed somewhat.

"Please do not misunderstand, Senior. I stopped you only because this junior has a favor to ask. I hope Senior will lend a hand. This junior will be endlessly grateful." Hai Bo Dong looked at Xiao Xian with a pleading expression.

If possible, Hai Bo Dong would never have sought Xiao Xian's help. But he had lived in seclusion in the Tagor Desert for decades, and Xiao Xian was the only person he had encountered who could treat him. The others simply lacked the ability and were helpless before his injuries.

As time passed, his injuries had worsened to an extremely severe state. His cultivation had continuously fallen, and he had now dropped to the Dou Ling Realm.

Moreover, he could barely maintain even this realm. The moment he fell below Dou Ling, he would die, because he would no longer possess the strength to suppress the injuries within his body.

Now that he had finally encountered someone who could save his life, Ice Emperor Hai Bo Dong would cling to the opportunity no matter what.