You Want to Exterminate My Nine Clans?

After Yue Guan left, calm returned to the private room.

"Gege, who was that strange uncle?" Na'er asked, setting down her small spoon and blinking her big eyes.

"A friend... I suppose."

Xuan Hao shrugged, picked up a piece of fish, and put it into his mouth. "But that's not important. Eat first."

"Once you're full, gege will take you around Heaven Dou City properly."

As the imperial capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City was indeed astonishingly prosperous.

Compared to Spirit City, where only Soul Masters could live and everything was solemn and rigidly hierarchical, this place was full of the lively atmosphere of ordinary life.

Along both sides of the streets were acrobats, performers, all sorts of strange snack stalls, and dazzling displays of merchandise. Na'er could barely take it all in.

Xuan Hao was more than happy to play the "sucker," buying and eating their way through the streets with Na'er.

The money in his hands was more than he could ever spend. Even if he somehow squandered it all, he could just go to Spirit Hall and borrow some from that old fellow Salas, the Platinum Bishop.

When Salas had returned to Spirit City to report on his duties last year, he had met Xuan Hao and knew how highly Bibi Dong regarded him. Lending him some money would be a welcome chance to curry favor.

"Gege, I can't walk anymore..."

After wandering around for the entire afternoon, Na'er's short little legs finally protested.

Pointing at a Tanghulu stall with a long line not far ahead, she said eagerly, "I want that... but there are so many people..."

"If you want it, I'll buy it." Xuan Hao rubbed her head and pointed to a tea stall by the roadside. "Go sit over there and rest for a bit. Have some water. I'll line up and buy it for you."

"Mm! Thank you, gege!" Na'er obediently ran to an empty table at the tea stall and sat down. Her little feet swung back and forth as she watched Xuan Hao's retreating figure with delight.

Xuan Hao walked over to line up at the Tanghulu stall.

Not long after.

"Well, whose little sister is this? She's quite the beauty."

A somewhat frivolous voice suddenly rang out beside the tea stall.

Several youths dressed in luxurious brocade robes, each with the look of a spoiled playboy, swaggered over.

The leader looked around thirteen or fourteen. He was fairly handsome, but the hint of frivolity and arrogance in his eyes ruined his overall bearing.

He was none other than the Fourth Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Beng.

Xue Beng had merely brought a few lackeys out for a stroll, intending to find some amusement to reinforce his image as an "ignorant, lustful debauchee," thereby making that "perfect Crown Prince brother" of his, Xue Qinghe, lower his guard.

But with a single glance, he spotted Na'er sitting alone and drinking tea.

Though she was only five or six years old, her exquisitely sculpted features, along with her rare silver hair and purple eyes, instantly struck right at Xue Beng's heart.

A true treasure!

If he snatched a young girl in the middle of a bustling market and even took such a little loli back as a child bride, wouldn't that firmly establish his reputation as a lecherous, incompetent fool?

He could embrace a beauty and tarnish his own reputation to save his life at the same time. Killing two birds with one stone!

"Little sister, are you lost?"

Xue Beng plopped down onto the chair opposite Na'er, fanning himself as he asked in what he thought was a suave manner, "gege is one of the good people of Heaven Dou City. Want gege to take you home?"

Na'er raised her head, glanced at him, then silently looked away. Her voice was cool.

"No. My gege is buying something up ahead. He'll be back soon."

"Gege?"

Xue Beng followed her gaze toward the crowd waiting in line, then curled his lip dismissively. "Buying Tanghulu takes that long? I think he abandoned you."

"I am the Fourth Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Beng."

Xue Beng patted his chest, looking proud. "There isn't anyone in Heaven Dou City I don't know. Tell gege, which noble family are you from? How about I have your gege send you to me as my consort later?"

Na'er ignored him again and turned toward the Tanghulu stall, searching for Xuan Hao.

The smile on Xue Beng's face froze.

He was a prince, after all. Even when he played the part of a spoiled playboy, people usually fawned over him. When had he ever been ignored so completely by a little girl?

"Heh, a feisty little pepper, are you?"

Xue Beng stopped pretending and reached out to pinch Na'er's fair little cheek. "Come on, let gege see whether your face is really this smooth..."

However.

Just one second before his hand could touch Na'er's cheek.

A long, fair hand, powerful as an iron clamp, suddenly reached out from the side and tightly seized his wrist.

"Who?!"

Xue Beng instinctively prepared to fly into a rage, but then a piercing pain shot through his wrist, instantly twisting his expression.

He looked up and met a pair of icy blue eyes.

Xuan Hao held two sticks of Tanghulu in one hand while gripping Xue Beng's wrist with the other. There was no expression on his face.

"What were you trying to do to my Younger Sister?"

"Ah—! It hurts, it hurts!!"

Xue Beng let out a pig-slaughtering scream. "Let go! You commoner! I'm a prince! You dare—"

Crack!

A crisp sound of bone breaking rang out.

Not only did Xuan Hao not let go, he tightened his grip and directly crushed Xue Beng's wrist bones!

"Ah—!! My hand!!"

Xue Beng collapsed to the ground, clutching his deformed wrist and rolling around in agony. Tears and snot immediately streamed down his face.

Xuan Hao handed the Tanghulu to Na'er. "A prince? Is that supposed to be impressive?"

"You bunch of trash! What are you standing around for?!"

As Xue Beng screamed, he roared at the lackeys around him, who had already been scared stupid. "Get him! Kill him!!"

Only then did the lackeys react. They roared as they summoned their Martial Souls, preparing to rush forward and save their master.

"I'd like to see who dares move."

Xuan Hao did not even raise his eyelids.

A terrifying pressure erupted from him in an instant.

His pupils instantly changed from sky blue to crimson-gold vertical pupils. Although he had not fully released his Martial Soul, the supreme bloodline suppression from the Golden Dragon was practically their natural enemy against lackeys who were only around ranks ten to twenty, most of whom possessed Beast Spirits.

Thud! Thud!

The lackeys who had just summoned their Martial Souls felt their legs go weak. Their Martial Souls were instantly suppressed back into their bodies, and they collapsed to the ground like quails, trembling so badly they could not even stand.

The commotion here was too great and quickly drew the attention of the Imperial Guards patrolling nearby.

"Who goes there?! How dare you cause trouble in Heaven Dou City?!"

A squad of fully armed Imperial Guards charged over with spears in hand. When the captain saw Xue Beng rolling around on the ground, his facial expression instantly turned deathly pale.

"Fourth Prince?!"

The captain hurriedly helped Xue Beng up, then drew his sword and pointed it at Xuan Hao. "You bold madman! You dare attack a prince in Heaven Dou City! Seize him!!"

Clatter—

Dozens of Imperial Guards instantly surrounded Xuan Hao and Na'er. Their spears stood like a forest, their killing intent surging.

"Seize me?" Xuan Hao swept his gaze over these soldiers, who were not even Soul Masters and were, at best, merely stronger-than-average ordinary people.

Buzz!

Another burst of Dragon Might was released, this time carrying a trace of Spirit Shock.

The soldiers who had been so aggressive moments ago felt their minds spin and their legs weaken. They could not even hold their weapons properly, and the weapons clattered to the ground.

"You... what are you trying to do?!"

Xue Beng, who had been helped up, had recovered somewhat by now. Though his wrist still throbbed with pain, seeing so many Imperial Guards around him gave him courage again.

He pointed at Xuan Hao and roared fiercely despite his inner fear.

"I am a prince of the Heaven Dou Empire! You dare strike me and even resist the Imperial Guards? That is rebellion! Treason!!"

"You'll have your nine clans exterminated! Your family, your friends, all of them will die!!"

Upon hearing the words "exterminate nine clans," Xuan Hao, who had already intended to leave with Na'er, suddenly stopped.

He slowly turned around and looked at the still-shouting Xue Beng, a trace of confusion flashing through his eyes.

Whoosh!

A gust of wind swept past.

The next moment, Xuan Hao passed through the layers of Imperial Guards and appeared directly before Xue Beng.

The soldiers who tried to stop him were sent flying more than ten meters away, crashing down in a daze.

"You... don't come closer..." Xue Beng was truly afraid now. He stumbled backward repeatedly before falling to the ground.

Xuan Hao stepped on Xue Beng's chest and looked down at him.

"Exterminate nine clans?"

"Do you know who my nine clans are?"