Jia Lie Bi's murderous snarl froze on his face, while Ao Ba Pa's plump body came to an abrupt stop mid-charge.
Both men remained in their attacking stances, eyes wide as bells, their pupils filled with utter confusion and disbelief.
Their full-strength Profound-Rank Dou Techniques... had just... vanished?
Xiao Zhan's outstretched hand froze in midair, the worry on his face giving way to utter shock.
The three elders gaped, their mouths wide enough to fit a fist.
Xiao Yan drew in a sharp breath. Only one thought remained in his mind.
This guy was such a show-off!
Even Xiao Xun'er, who had been quietly watching with her cool, composed air, now had a deep flicker of astonishment in her beautiful eyes. Her gaze on Ning Chen turned solemn.
Ning Chen slowly lowered his finger, as if merely brushing nonexistent dust from his sleeve.
He looked up at Jia Lie Bi and Ao Ba Pa, who seemed frozen in place. The warm smile on his face now seemed more unnerving than an abyss.
"Looks like your strength isn't quite as formidable as your words."
[Ding! Surprise points from Jia Lie Bi +1888!]
[Ding! Surprise points from Ao Ba Pa +1888!]
[Ding! Surprise points from Xiao Zhan +1666!]
[Ding! Surprise points from Xiao Yan +2000!]
[Ding! Surprise points from Xiao Xun'er +500!]
[Ding! Surprise points from Zhang San +2999, from...]
Not bad. All that careful posing had paid off... Ning Chen nodded with satisfaction as he looked at the stream of hefty surprise-point rewards in the system.
Ever since he'd learned what the Wu Wu Kai System could do, he'd pinpointed its best use.
When facing an opponent stronger than himself, he simply had to focus on defense and make his moves look as effortless as possible. After all, everything would be a fifty-fifty match.
He only needed to strike a pose. The system would supply whatever special effects were missing.
That way, as long as he didn't attack first and maintained his inscrutable air, even if Hun Tiandi himself showed up, he'd probably think twice before testing how deep the water ran!
Looking at Jia Lie Bi and Ao Ba Pa, who stood dumbfounded and drenched in cold sweat, Xiao Zhan forced himself to recover from his shock. He took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"Jia Lie Bi, Ao Ba Pa," Xiao Zhan said, his voice steady.
"The Xiao Clan has always valued peace. We don't provoke others unless they provoke us. You two started trouble today, and everyone in Wutan City saw it."
"But the Xiao Clan has no desire to stir up more trouble and throw the whole city into chaos. If Mr. Ning agrees, you can each hand over half of your family's shares in the Herb Market to the Xiao Clan, and we'll let this matter end here."
Hearing that, Ning Chen quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
He'd been afraid Xiao Zhan would get carried away and insist on wiping out both families while he had the chance. If that happened, the "paper tiger" act would be exposed.
"Uh..."
Jia Lie Bi and Ao Ba Pa both looked pained.
Their shares in the Herb Market were the lifeblood of their families. Giving up half was like having their hearts ripped out!
"Judging by your faces, I take it you're not too pleased with the terms?"
Ning Chen suddenly spoke. His tone remained gentle, but his gaze drifted over them.
The people of the Jia Lie and Ao Ba families shuddered as his glance passed over them, as if plunged into an icy abyss.
How could they not understand by now? This young man was clearly an unparalleled expert, playing at being a nobody to toy with them!
They might have a chance of survival if they went along with him. Defy him, and they might die without even knowing how.
After a flurry of thoughts, Jia Lie Bi and Ao Ba Pa made the most "sensible" choice.
"Please calm your anger, senior! Please calm your anger!" Jia Lie Bi bowed first, adopting the humblest posture he could.
"We were blind and offended your might today. We beg your forgiveness! We're willing to compensate the Xiao Clan and leave at once. We won't do this again! Please be magnanimous and spare us this once!"
Ao Ba Pa hurried to chime in, his plump body trembling slightly.
"Exactly! We'll do just as Clan Leader Xiao said! We'll hand over our shares in the market. We only ask that you forgive us, senior!"
"Mr. Ning, what do you think?" Xiao Zhan turned to Chen Jingzhou, his tone deferential.
"Clan Leader Xiao, you're too kind." Ning Chen smiled calmly and left the decision to him. "This is a matter for the Xiao Clan. As its leader, the choice is yours."
"Then let's put an end to this."
After all the commotion, the matter ended with the Jia Lie and Ao Ba families giving up a chunk of their wealth and retreating in disarray.
The Xiao Clan, meeting hall.
Once the outsiders had been sent away, only a few members of the Xiao Clan's inner circle and Ning Chen remained in the hall. The atmosphere, however, was somewhat peculiar.
After everyone had taken their seats, Xiao Zhan considered his words for a moment before finally venturing a question.
"Mr. Ning, the Xiao Clan owes its survival this time to your intervention. We won't forget your great kindness. I was wondering what you plan to do next. If there's anything the Xiao Clan can do for you, please just say the word."
He paused, then added, "Of course, if you'd rather not reveal your background, we wouldn't dare press you."
Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er sat below them, listening quietly.
Unlike Xiao Zhan, Xiao Yan was certainly curious about Ning Chen's identity, but seeing his strength had made him yearn for power even more.
Xiao Xun'er, meanwhile, was calmly analyzing the situation, trying to guess Ning Chen's identity.
After all, this was the Xiao Clan. Others might not know its true standing, but surely she, the young lady of the Gu Clan, did.
Ning Chen had expected the question. He gently rubbed his temples and gave a wry smile.
"To be honest, Clan Leader Xiao, I seem to have lost some important memories about my past. I only remember that my name is Ning Chen. As for why I appeared in your residence's rear courtyard, or where I was before that, it's all a blur."
He looked at Xiao Zhan and continued, "I have nowhere to go right now. If it's convenient for the Xiao Clan, may I stay here for a while?"
Xiao Zhan's eyes flickered with thought.
A powerful man with amnesia? Was that a blessing or a calamity?
Though the Jia Lie and Ao Ba families had withdrawn for now, there was no guarantee they wouldn't retaliate in secret. The Xiao Clan could certainly use a powerful expert to keep watch over them.
And if they could build a good relationship with him, it might greatly benefit the Xiao Clan in the future.
After weighing the pros and cons, Xiao Zhan broke into a hearty smile. "Mr. Ning, there's no need to ask! You've done the Xiao Clan a great service. Not only may you stay for a while, but it would be our honor if you stayed permanently! I'll have someone prepare our finest guest room for you."
"Then thank you, Clan Leader Xiao." Ning Chen smiled and nodded.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Ning Chen excused himself, saying he wasn't feeling well and needed to rest.
Xiao Zhan readily agreed, then said to Xiao Yan, "Yan'er, take Mr. Ning to Ya Garden in the East Wing to rest. Make sure he's well looked after."
"Yes, Father." Xiao Yan rose to his feet.
The two left the meeting hall and walked side by side along the Xiao Clan's winding corridors.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Xiao Yan was still mulling over Ning Chen's astonishing finger strike and wondering whether his claim of amnesia was true.
Just then, Ning Chen suddenly spoke in a casual tone. "On the way here, I heard quite a few members of the Xiao Clan discussing you."
"A young genius, the youngest Dou Zhe, yet overnight your cultivation stopped advancing and began to decline, all the way back to the third stage of Dou Qi."
"Tsk, now that's unusual."
Xiao Yan abruptly stopped walking. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, his nails almost digging into his palms.
The loss of his Dou Qi was the deepest, most painful wound in his heart. He had fallen from being a genius at the top of the world to a good-for-nothing mocked by everyone. The humiliation and pain were etched into his bones.
Even knowing how terrifyingly powerful Ning Chen was, he couldn't keep the anger from creeping into his voice.
"Did you bring that up just to mock me, Mr. Ning?"
"Mock you? Heh. Why would I mock you?" Ning Chen said with a soft laugh, watching him calmly.
"It's not your fault. I may have lost a lot of my memories, but at least my head still works."
"Looking across the history of the Dou Qi Continent, there are only a few possible explanations for something like your Dou Qi disappearing. But none of them would be your fault or something you chose to do. So what's there to mock?"
At Ning Chen's words, Xiao Yan shuddered and spun around. His voice trembled.
"Mr. Ning, do you know why my Dou Qi disappeared?!"
A question that had tormented him for years might finally have an answer. Xiao Yan was frantic with urgency. If he hadn't been afraid Ning Chen would slap him to death, he would have grabbed Ning Chen by the collar and demanded an explanation.
"I only know a few possible explanations."
Ning Chen glanced at the ancient black ring on Xiao Yan's hand and thought to himself.
I worked out the timing before I came. The Three-Year Agreement should be coming up soon.
If I'm right, Yao Lao should have woken up already. That means he might be eavesdropping on my conversation with Xiao Yan right now...
If so... Ning Chen's lips curved slightly. Showing off in front of a few Da Dou Shi wasn't much fun. The real fun was putting on an act in front of a Nine Revolutions Dou Zun.
"When someone's Dou Qi mysteriously declines, taking them from a genius to rock bottom, there are only a few possible explanations,"
Ning Chen said meaningfully. "Poison? A backlash from their cultivation method? Or... was their cultivation silently siphoned away by some 'thing' as nourishment?"
"!!!"
Xiao Yan's pupils contracted, and his heart pounded. He could rule out the first two explanations, which meant the cause of his declining Dou Qi was...
At the same time, the dormant black ring on his finger gave an almost imperceptible tremor.
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