Xiao Yan Shatters the Plot

Night had fallen over Wutan City like ink-soaked velvet, heavy upon the rooftops, yet unable to conceal the undercurrents flowing through its streets and alleys. Since the night of their crushing defeat in the pill competition, the lights at the Jia Lie Family Mansion had remained lit until midnight for three consecutive nights, and the air in the council hall was as heavy as solidified lead. The porcelain bowls Jia Lie Ao had smashed formed a small mound in the corner, while brown tea spread along the patterns of the carpet, leaving ugly stains across the luxurious silk like the Jia Lie Family's current ruined state. Liu Xi had vanished with the three thousand Gold Coin deposit, the counters of the Pill Shop had gathered a thin layer of dust, and cultivators who once came seeking medicine no longer wished to linger even outside its doors. The family disciples at the mine vein had lost their supply of pills and repeatedly come out on the losing end in conflicts. The elders sighed all day long, their eyes toward the Xiao Clan in the east of the city filled with venomous hatred.

"Patriarch, we may not be able to defeat that brat Xiao Yan openly, but can the Xiao Clan really conjure medicinal herbs out of thin air?" Second Elder Jia Lie Shan hunched over, his withered fingers stabbing heavily at the map on the wall, his nails nearly piercing the paper as he pointed at the winding mountain road leading west toward the Black Rock Mountain Range. "This Black Wind Forest is so dense the trees block out the sky, and its paths are steep enough to break a horse's legs. It is perfect for an ambush! As long as we seize their herb convoy, the Xiao Family Pill Shop will have no ingredients. It will be forced to close within half a month! Then the pill trade in Wutan City will be ours to command, won't it?" A vicious smile curled across his lips, while greed glimmered in his sunken eyes.

Jia Lie Ao slammed his palm onto the table, making the teacups leap half an inch into the air and spilling tea everywhere, though he did not notice. Fierce Light burst from his eyes. "Good! We'll do it!" He shouted for Guard Captain Jia Lie Hu. The man stood over eight feet tall, broad-shouldered and thick-backed, like an iron tower at the door. The scar running from his left elbow to his wrist was ferocious and terrifying, a mark left when a Second-tier Demonic Beast, the Rending Claw Wolf, had clawed him during a raid in the Monster Beast Mountain Range years ago. It had also become the signature of his ruthlessness. "Jia Lie Hu! Pick twenty elite disciples and set an ambush at the bend in Black Wind Forest at dawn tomorrow! Remember, seize every bit of the Xiao Clan's medicinal herbs for me. As for the people... leave no survivors, lest complications arise!"

Jia Lie Hu grinned, exposing two rows of tobacco-yellowed teeth. His rough palm slapped against his chest with a sharp smack, making his clothes rustle. "Rest assured, Patriarch! Black Wind Forest is our territory. I even robbed a merchant caravan from Black Rock City there last year! Those Xiao Clan brats are not even enough stuffing for teeth for the brothers. I guarantee they'll never return!" With that, he turned and strode from the council hall, his boots thudding heavily against the floor like a death knell for the Xiao Clan.

Before dawn broke the next day, Black Wind Forest was wrapped in a layer of fog too thick to disperse. Damp water vapor clung to the leaves and condensed into droplets, falling with soft drips onto the leaf-covered ground and spreading small dark marks. Jia Lie Hu led twenty black-clad, masked disciples, crouched behind the bushes beside the mountain bend like twenty lurking beasts. Each held a Short Blade coated in numbing poison. The sword blades glimmered with a cold, sinister light through the fog, while the handles had become slippery with sweat in their palms. Everyone held their breath. Only the occasional wind passing through the treetops stirred the branches with a rustling sound, intertwined with the birdsong rising and falling through the forest, concealing their presence. Jia Lie Hu narrowed his eyes and stared fixedly at the end of the road, unconsciously rubbing his scar as bloodthirsty anticipation filled his gaze.

At the same time, the Xiao Clan's herb convoy slowly approached. Three carriages jolted along the rugged mountain road, their wheels grinding over broken stones with creaking sounds. Five Xiao Clan disciples escorted the convoy, led by Xiao Yan's cousin, Xiao Cheng. He had only recently broken through to Fighter Three Stars, and his face still carried some youthful immaturity, yet he gripped a polished iron sword tightly in his hand. The brass ring on its sheath swayed softly with his steps. His brows were furrowed as his hawk-like gaze swept across the dense woods on either side. He repeatedly reminded the clansmen behind him, "Stay alert! Black Wind Forest is a strange place. I hear bandits often appear here. These medicinal herbs are vital to Brother Xiao Yan's pill refinement. Absolutely cannot let anything go wrong!"

Inside the carriages, Green Leaf Grass and Qi Condensing Root were carefully wrapped in burlap and stacked in neat bundles. Their faint Herbal Fragrance mingled with the scent of earth and drifted on the breeze. The Second-tier Demonic Cores were placed in velvet-lined wooden boxes. Whenever the carriage jolted, the Demonic Cores collided with each other, producing crisp chimes like tiny Silver Bells. A young Xiao Clan disciple could not help muttering, "Brother Cheng, aren't we bringing too few guards? What if we really encounter bandits..." Before he could finish, Xiao Cheng glared fiercely at him. "Enough nonsense! Grip your blade tightly. If something really happens, show the backbone of a Xiao Clan disciple!"

But before his words had faded, over a dozen crossbow bolts coated in black-purple venom suddenly shot from the dense forest like bolts of black lightning, flying straight at the horses pulling the carriages! The lead horse panicked, rearing sharply onto its hind legs with a Piercing scream before wildly twisting its body and overturning the carriage. With a crash, the carriage full of Green Leaf Grass scattered across the ground. Some rolled down the slope beside the road, while others were trampled into pulp beneath the horses' hooves. Before Xiao Cheng could react, Jia Lie Hu led his men charging out from behind the bushes. Their black clothes looked like shadows in the fog, and their Short Blades flashed as they lunged straight at the Xiao Clan disciples.

"Not good! It's an ambush!" Xiao Cheng roared as he swung his sword to meet them. With a clang, his iron sword collided with Jia Lie Hu's Short Blade, sparks flickering briefly through the morning mist. But most of the Xiao Clan disciples were only Fighter One or Two Stars. How could they stand against the carefully selected elites of the Jia Lie Family? One disciple had barely raised his blade before an enemy slash struck his shoulder. Blood sprayed out with a puff, staining the front of his clothes red. He screamed and collapsed, curling up as he groaned. Another disciple tried to circle around and launch a sneak attack from behind, but a Short Blade sweeping in from the side cut open his calf. He staggered and fell, only for his opponent to step on his chest and pin him down until he could no longer move.

Jia Lie Hu sneered as he forced Xiao Cheng back with one slash. The iron sword was knocked from Xiao Cheng's hand and flew away, embedding itself in the mud nearby, its sword blade still trembling slightly. Jia Lie Hu rushed to the overturned carriage in a few strides and reached for the wooden box containing the Demonic Cores. "Xiao Clan brats, if you know what's good for you, don't resist! The Jia Lie Family is taking these herbs today!"

Xiao Cheng gritted his teeth as Dou Qi fiercely surged through his body. The aura of Fighter Three Stars Spread out, puffing up his clothes until they rustled. He charged forward barehanded and tightly grabbed Jia Lie Hu's arm. "Want to take the herbs? Step over my corpse first!" He knew he was no match for Jia Lie Hu, but like a wolf driven into a corner, his eyes were filled with stubborn defiance. He could not let Brother Xiao Yan's hard work go to waste, nor could he let the family lose face!

Growing impatient from being restrained, Jia Lie Hu swung his backhand and slapped Xiao Cheng across the face. With a crisp smack, blood immediately seeped from Xiao Cheng's mouth, and his cheek swelled visibly. "You fool who doesn't know death!" Jia Lie Hu snorted coldly, raising his Short Blade to stab Xiao Cheng in the chest. Cold Killing Intent clung to the edge, and the blade was about to fall.

At the critical moment, a blue figure shot in from the end of the mountain road like an arrow released from a bow. Dou Qi surged beneath his feet, kicking up dust and leaving two Faint Traces on the ground. "Who dares touch a member of the Xiao Clan?" Xiao Yan's voice was Bone-Chillingly Cold, like the bitter wind of winter, piercing through the morning fog and striking straight into their hearts. Before he even arrived, his Right Hand gathered a brilliant ball of pale blue Dou Qi, like dancing flames, and violently bombed towards a black-clad man who was about to sneak attack Xiao Cheng! With a muffled boom, the black-clad man was struck in the chest. His body Flew Backwards like a Kite with a broken string, smashing heavily into a large tree. The tree trunk shook violently and leaves came raining down. He groaned, Spitting Blood, and fainted on the spot.

That morning, while Xiao Yan had been refining pills, Elder Yao had suddenly spoken in his mind. "Kid, there is Killing Intent to the west of the city. Very dense. It seems to be directed at the Xiao Clan." Xiao Yan's heart tightened, and he immediately guessed that something might have happened to the herb convoy. Without wasting a moment, he grabbed the coarse outer robe lying on the table and ran west. He used Windwalk Steps all the way, Dou Qi flowing beneath his feet as he moved as swiftly as the wind. The trees along the road rushed backward, and nothing remained in his ears but the Howling wind. Now, seeing his injured clansmen on the ground, Xiao Yan's gaze instantly turned cold like the surface of a frozen lake. His eyes swept across the Wolf Head Tokens at Jia Lie Hu and the others' waists, and fury flared in his heart. It was indeed the Jia Lie Family!

"Xiao Yan? Why are you here?" Jia Lie Hu was both shocked and furious, tightening his grip on his Short Blade. He had never imagined Xiao Yan would appear at this moment. But when he saw he still had more than a dozen men on his side, he gathered his courage and roared at them, "Brothers, he's alone! Attack together! Kill him, and the herbs will be ours!"

Upon hearing this, the dozen or so black-clad men immediately surrounded Xiao Yan like starving wolves. Their Short Blades stabbed at him from every direction. Some attacked towards his chest, some slashed at his waist, and others hacked at his legs. The blade winds howled with deadly Killing Intent. Yet Xiao Yan was not flustered in the slightest. The Dou Qi of Fighter Four Stars circulated madly within him, pale blue Dou Qi wreathed around his body like a thin halo. He moved nimbly, weaving through the crowd like a ghost and avoiding every streak of blade light.

"Left! The brat's dodging!" one black-clad man shrieked, slashing toward Xiao Yan's left side. But Xiao Yan tapped the ground with his foot and abruptly leaned backward. The Short Blade swiped past the tip of his nose, its cold gleam nearly touching his skin. Before the man could withdraw his blade, Xiao Yan gathered Dou Qi in his Right Hand and drove a fist into his lower abdomen. With a muffled boom, the black-clad man's face turned as pale as paper. His body bent like a shrimp, and he spat up sour fluid before collapsing to the ground in uncontrollable convulsions.

Another black-clad man launched a sneak attack from behind, his Short Blade stabbing straight toward Xiao Yan's Back of the heart. Xiao Yan seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. He suddenly turned sideways, seized the man's wrist with his left hand, and twisted hard. With a crack, the sound of breaking bone was Clearly Audible. The black-clad man let out a Piercing scream, and his Short Blade clattered to the ground. Xiao Yan followed with a kick that sent him flying into a nearby rock, knocking him unconscious on the spot.

Within only a few breaths, five black-clad men had fallen to the ground. Some clutched their broken bones and wailed, while others lay motionless, their fate unknown. Jia Lie Hu's eyes nearly split with rage as he charged forward with a roar. His Short Blade danced in an air-tight blur, its flashing light forming a net that covered Xiao Yan. "Brat, let's see how long you can hold on!" His attacks were swift and vicious, every slash aimed at a vital point. The blade wind made Xiao Yan's cheeks sting.

Yet Xiao Yan remained calm. As he dodged, he asked Elder Yao in his mind, "Master, this brute's attacks are fierce, but there are too many openings. Can I find a chance to counterattack?" Elder Yao's voice carried a trace of approval. "Not bad. His lower stance is unstable, and his old left shoulder injury is his weakness. Find an opening and strike his left shoulder!"

Xiao Yan's eyes lit up. He deliberately exposed an opening, stumbling slightly as though Jia Lie Hu's blade wind had forced him into a difficult position. Seeing this, Jia Lie Hu's eyes flashed with smug delight. He swung his blade fiercely at Xiao Yan's chest, putting all his strength into the strike, determined to cut Xiao Yan in two. But just as the blade was about to touch Xiao Yan's clothes, Xiao Yan suddenly pushed off with his feet and slid sharply to the left. At the same time that he avoided the blade, he gathered concentrated Dou Qi in his Right Hand and smashed it ruthlessly into Jia Lie Hu's left shoulder!

"Pfft—" The Dou Qi struck Jia Lie Hu's old wound solidly. He let out a heart-rending scream as his left shoulder instantly swelled red, and his Short Blade clattered to the ground. He staggered back several steps, clutching his shoulder, his face filled with pain and disbelief. "You... how did you know my left shoulder was injured?"

Xiao Yan did not answer. With a flash, he appeared before Jia Lie Hu and kicked his knee. With a crack, Jia Lie Hu's knee buckled, and he dropped to his knees with a thud, his entire body trembling in pain. Xiao Yan stepped forward and planted his foot on Jia Lie Hu's wrist, his voice cold. "Talk! Who sent you?"

Jia Lie Hu's face was as pale as paper, dense beads of cold sweat seeping from his forehead, but he still stubbornly refused to yield. "I... I came on my own. It has nothing to do with the Jia Lie Family!"

"Is that so?" Xiao Yan sneered. Bending down, he tore the Wolf Head Token from Jia Lie Hu's waist and raised it for the remaining black-clad men to see. "Only core guards of the Jia Lie Family possess this Wolf Head Token, right? You say this has nothing to do with the Jia Lie Family. Who would believe that?" He turned toward the black-clad men trembling in fear, his gaze sharp as a blade. "If you don't want to die, confess honestly! Otherwise, none of you will leave Black Wind Forest today!"

The black-clad men had already been frightened out of their wits by Xiao Yan's strength. Now that their leader had been subdued, they lost all courage. One of them dropped to his knees with a thud and repeatedly kowtowed. "I'll talk! I'll talk! Patriarch Jia Lie Ao sent us! He said... he said that if we seized the Xiao Clan's herbs, the Xiao Family Pill Shop would go out of business. He also said... he also said to kill all of you and leave no survivors!" Seeing this, the other black-clad men also kneeled on the ground, chiming in one after another, afraid that they would lose their lives if they were too slow.

Xiao Cheng struggled to get up. Upon hearing this, his entire body shook with rage. Pointing at the kneeling black-clad men, even his voice trembled. "Jia Lie Ao! That despicable villain! He lost the pill competition and resorted to underhanded tricks. Shameless!"

A cold gleam flashed through Xiao Yan's eyes, but he did not act immediately. Instead, he said to Xiao Cheng, "Cousin, help the injured clansmen onto the carriages first, and gather the herbs. We'll take these people back and let everyone in Wutan City see exactly what kind of people the Jia Lie Family are!"

After saying that, he kicked Jia Lie Hu, who was still trying to argue, and knocked him unconscious. He then had the remaining black-clad men bind one another's hands and feet, stringing them together like grasshoppers and escorting them behind the carriages. Morning light gradually pierced the fog and fell across the narrow path through Black Wind Forest. Golden sunlight dispelled some of the chill. Enduring their injuries, the Xiao Clan disciples loaded the scattered herbs back onto the carriages. Although some herbs had been damaged, most remained intact. The convoy set off once more, but this time a group of utterly miserable captives had been added to the procession. They kept their heads lowered, afraid to look anyone in the eye, completely unlike their earlier arrogance.

When the news spread back to Wutan City, it was like a stone cast into a calm lake, instantly raising a thousand waves. The townspeople had already been dissatisfied with the Jia Lie Family's use of scraps from second-grade medicinal ingredients to deceive people during the pill competition. Now, hearing that they had actually ambushed the Xiao Clan's herb convoy and intended to kill everyone to silence them, the city erupted. Marketplace vendors cursed in the direction of the Jia Lie Family, while cultivators openly declared, "We'll never buy Jia Lie Family goods again." Even the City Lord's Manor was alarmed. The city lord personally sent guards to hold the Jia Lie Family accountable and demanded that Jia Lie Ao give the Xiao Clan an explanation.

Jia Lie Ao hid in the mansion, not daring to step outside. Hearing the curses of the townspeople, he smashed every piece of porcelain in his room in fury, yet there was nothing he could do. With both witnesses and physical evidence present, even if he wanted to deny it, he could not. The Jia Lie Family's reputation plummeted. The smaller families that had once fawned over them now took detours whenever they saw a member of the Jia Lie Family. Family disciples had to lower their heads whenever they went outside, afraid of being recognized.

At the Xiao Family Mansion, Xiao Zhan looked at the undamaged herbs, then at the Jia Lie Family disciples who had been brought back under guard. His eyes reddened with emotion. He grabbed Xiao Yan's hand and forcefully patted his shoulder. "Good boy! Good boy! Not only did you protect the herbs, you exposed the Jia Lie Family's plot and helped our Xiao Clan vent its anger! You truly are the Xiao Clan's lucky star!"

Xiao Yan smiled and shook his head, his gaze falling on the herbs in the carriages as Elder Yao's voice slowly sounded in his mind. "Not bad. Knowing to keep survivors as witnesses can strike a greater blow against an enemy than killing them outright. But that old fox Jia Lie Ao will not let this go. You must be more careful in the future."

Xiao Yan nodded and looked toward the Jia Lie Family Mansion, determination flashing in his eyes. He knew that this contest with the Jia Lie Family was only beginning. But with Elder Yao's guidance and his clansmen's support, no matter what underhanded schemes the Jia Lie Family used, he could resolve them one by one. Sunlight filtered through the courtyard leaves, scattering mottled shadows across the ground. Xiao Yan clenched his fist. His path of pill refinement had only just opened before him, and these challenges would only make him stronger, until one day the entire Jia Ma Empire remembered the name "Xiao Yan"!