Harvest Abundant

"Clan Chief Xiao, I'll give you the time it takes to burn one incense stick to think it over," Xuan Hao said leisurely. "I've already been merciful enough to give you a chance. If I don't get the answer I want after one incense stick, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Xiao Zhan's face turned livid, and his fists clenched with a crackle.

The Great Elder tried to smooth things over. "Master Xuan Hao, it's not that we won't hand him over. We really don't know where that person is."

"You don't know?" Xuan Hao sneered. "That doesn't mean your clan chief doesn't."

Xiao Zhan's heart jolted.

"There's no need to look."

Just then, someone kicked open the doors to the council hall.

Ye Xiu stood in the doorway, with a sweat-drenched Xiao Yan behind him.

"I'm here!"

Xuan Hao paused, then looked Ye Xiu over.

Ye Xiu ignored him and walked straight into the hall.

Xiao Zhan hurriedly rose to his feet. "Senior Ye Xiu, you..."

Ye Xiu waved a hand, signaling him to be quiet.

He stopped three steps in front of Xuan Hao and looked the man in his sixties up and down.

"You're Liu Xi's master?"

Xuan Hao narrowed his eyes. "That's right. You killed my disciple?"

"Yeah."

Xuan Hao's expression changed. He hadn't expected Ye Xiu to admit it so readily.

"Kid, do you know who I am?"

Ye Xiu replied casually, "I can tell. You're a Two-Star Dou Ling and a third-tier Alchemist. So what?"

Xuan Hao was so angered by his attitude that he laughed. "So what? So today, you'll pay for my disciple's life!"

Ye Xiu nodded. "Sure. Let's get right to it."

Everyone in the hall froze.

Xiao Yan, behind him, was so anxious he stamped his feet. Senior, what are you doing? Even if you're a Dou Ling too, he's a Two-Star and you're a One-Star. You're a whole star apart!

Xuan Hao was also a little surprised. He stared at Ye Xiu. "Interesting. Very interesting. But, kid, judging by your aura, you've only just broken through to Dou Ling. What makes you think you can fight me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Dou Qi around Xuan Hao exploded.

Dark green Dou Qi surged from his body, carrying a chilling aura that lowered the temperature in the entire council hall by several degrees.

A genuine Two-Star Dou Ling.

The two black-clad guards behind Xuan Hao stepped forward as well. They were both Nine-Star Great Dou Masters.

Xuan Hao sneered. "Kid, get on your knees and beg for mercy now, and I might still leave your corpse intact."

Ye Xiu looked at him and suddenly sighed.

"You know, I hate people like you who talk too much."

With that, he moved.

He took just one step, and his whole body shot forward like a streak of fire, reaching Xuan Hao in the blink of an eye.

Xuan Hao's pupils shrank. He hadn't expected Ye Xiu to be so fast!

He had no time to think. He struck out with one palm, and his dark green Dou Qi transformed into a vicious venomous serpent that lunged at Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu didn't dodge.

He raised his right hand, spread his fingers, and grabbed at the serpent of Dou Qi.

"Looking for death!" Xuan Hao sneered.

The next instant!

"Boom!"

Red-gold flames erupted from Ye Xiu's hand.

The serpent of Dou Qi vanished in an instant, like snow melting in boiling water.

Xuan Hao's expression changed drastically. It was already too late to retreat.

Ye Xiu's hand passed right through the serpent and clamped around his neck.

"You—"

The rest of Xuan Hao's words caught in his throat. A terrifying wave of Dou Qi surged straight into his body, scattering the Dou Qi in his dantian.

"Two-Star Dou Ling?" Ye Xiu tilted his head as he looked at Xuan Hao. "That's it?"

Xuan Hao's face turned bright red, and his eyes bulged like copper bells. He was a dignified Two-Star Dou Ling and a third-tier Alchemist, a prominent figure in the Jia Ma Empire. How could he have been subdued with a single move by a boy of just fifteen or sixteen?

Impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

He desperately urged his Dou Qi, trying to break free.

But it was useless.

The Dou Qi in Ye Xiu's hand was like an iron shackle. The more Xuan Hao struggled, the deeper the flames burrowed into his body, making him writhe in agony.

"Don't... don't..." Xuan Hao finally panicked. "You can't kill me..."

"Oh."

Ye Xiu acknowledged him.

"Crack."

His neck snapped.

Xuan Hao's head lolled to one side, his eyes still wide open. He died with his eyes unclosed.

Ye Xiu let go, and the corpse hit the ground with a thud.

The entire hall fell silent.

The two black-clad guards froze for two seconds, then turned and ran.

Ye Xiu didn't even look back. He casually waved a hand behind him.

Two streaks of red-gold flame caught up to them and pierced straight through their backs. They both fell to the ground with a thump, twitched a couple of times, then went still.

From the moment Ye Xiu struck to the end, less than three breaths had passed.

Xiao Yan stood in the doorway, his mouth wide enough to fit an egg.

The teacup in Xiao Zhan's hand fell to the ground and shattered.

The three elders looked as if they'd seen a ghost. Not one of them dared breathe too loudly.

Ye Xiu crouched down and searched Xuan Hao's body. He pulled the Storage Ring off his hand and put it into his own Storage Ring.

Ye Xiu was just about to leave when Xiao Zhan hurried to his feet and strode over to him. He cupped his fists in greeting. "Senior, please wait! You bravely stepped in today and saved the Xiao Clan once again. I'm deeply grateful! Please do me the honor of letting me host a banquet in your honor, so I can repay you!"

Although Ye Xiu was only fifteen and barely an adult by the Xiao Clan's standards, in Xiao Zhan's eyes he had already become a major figure who absolutely must not be provoked. Xiao Zhan had always treated him with the utmost respect.

Ye Xiu glanced at him and waved a hand. "No need. I have things to do back home."

How could Xiao Zhan let him leave just like that? He hurriedly said, "Senior, even a cup of tea would be fine! If you won't stay, I won't be able to put my mind at ease!"

The Great Elder came over too. "That's right, Senior. You've done the Xiao Clan such a great favor. If we don't show our appreciation, outsiders will say our clan doesn't know proper etiquette."

Ye Xiu thought about it. A meal wouldn't take much time, anyway.

"Fine. Just something simple."

Xiao Zhan was overjoyed and quickly gave the order. "Go prepare a banquet at once, and bring out our finest wine!"

The meal lasted about an hour.

Xiao Zhan hosted him personally, and the three elders took turns offering him wine. Xiao Yan sat nearby, accompanying them and sneaking glances at Ye Xiu from time to time.

They didn't discuss anything important at the table. Xiao Zhan simply kept thanking him, while Ye Xiu responded with a few casual remarks.

By the time they finished and came outside, it was almost dark.

Xiao Zhan escorted him to the gate with his entire family. "Have a safe trip, Senior. If you ever need anything, come to the Xiao Clan. I'll go through fire and water for you without hesitation!"

Ye Xiu nodded and turned to leave.

Forming a good relationship with the Xiao Clan wasn't a bad thing.

Xiao Yan stood at the gate, watching Ye Xiu's figure disappear into the night. He couldn't help asking in his heart, Teacher, who do you think he really is? He's a Dou Ling at fifteen. My goodness.

Yao Lao was silent for a while, then said slowly, "Whatever he is, just remember this: someone like him is better as a friend than an enemy."

Xiao Yan nodded.

Ye Xiu walked down the street and took out Xuan Hao's Storage Ring to look through it again.

As befitted a third-tier Alchemist, the old man had quite a fortune. There were nearly a million gold coins in the Storage Ring alone, along with several fourth-tier medicinal ingredients, more than a dozen bottles of third-tier healing pills, and more than a dozen bottles of third-tier Qi Recovery Pills.

What surprised Ye Xiu most was that there was also a scroll of Dou Technique inside.

A low-tier Black-Rank Green Python Poison Palm.

Ye Xiu flipped through it casually, but wasn't interested.

Still, he could probably get some money for it if he sold it.

He put the Storage Ring away and headed for the house he'd bought.