Silence reigned over the Jia Lie Family's great hall.
Jia Lie Bi stood in the middle of the hall, trembling as he stared at the corpse on the ground.
Jia Lie Ao lay there, the blood on his body already dried, his face deathly pale.
"Who did this?" Jia Lie Bi asked in a low voice, as if holding something back.
A disciple of the Jia Lie Family knelt on the ground, his voice shaking. "Clan Chief, it was Xiao Yan. Young Master ran into Xiao Yan on the street. Somehow, they got into a conflict, and Xiao Yan killed him."
Jia Lie Bi's fists clenched with a crackle.
"Xiao Yan." He gritted his teeth and spat out those two words.
An elder stepped forward and said, "Clan Chief, that Xiao Yan killed an elder of the Misty Cloud Sect. I heard that elder was a Dou Wang expert."
"Bullshit." Jia Lie Bi roared. "That good-for-nothing Xiao Yan could kill a Dou Wang expert?"
Another elder said, "Clan Chief, that's what everyone outside is saying. If it weren't true, why would Xiao Yan dare to lay a hand on someone from our Jia Lie Family?"
"If I say it's impossible, then it's impossible," Jia Lie Bi said coldly. "A good-for-nothing with Three-Stage Dou Qi could kill a Dou Wang expert? Do you believe that?"
The elders exchanged glances, but none of them spoke.
"Xiao Yan killed my son. This grudge must be avenged," Jia Lie Bi said. "Come on, we're going to the Xiao Clan."
An elder urged him, "Clan Chief, think this through. If Xiao Yan really killed a Dou Wang expert, we'd only be walking to our deaths."
"Are you afraid?" Jia Lie Bi glared at him, his eyes full of fury.
"I'm not afraid. I'm thinking of the family," the elder said.
"There's nothing to think about," Jia Lie Bi said. "My son cannot die in vain."
With that, he strode out.
The elders looked at one another, then had no choice but to follow.
Several elders had gathered again in the Xiao Clan's great hall, seated around Xiao Zhan.
"Xiao Zhan, you can't keep putting this off," the First Elder said. "Xiao Yan killed an elder of the Misty Cloud Sect. This matter must be settled."
The Second Elder chimed in, "The First Elder is right. It's better to have him apologize to the Misty Cloud Sect than wait for them to come knocking."
The Third Elder said, "Xiao Zhan, as Clan Chief, you must put the family first."
Xiao Zhan sat in the place of honor, his expression grim.
"I've said it before. Yan'er will handle his own affairs."
The First Elder sneered. "He'll handle it? How? By waiting for the Misty Cloud Sect to wipe us out?"
"Watch your words, First Elder," Xiao Zhan said sternly.
"Am I wrong?" the First Elder said. "Xiao Yan killed someone from the Misty Cloud Sect. Will they let him go? Will they let the Xiao Clan go?"
Just as Xiao Zhan was about to reply, hurried footsteps sounded outside.
A guard rushed in. "Clan Chief, something terrible has happened."
Xiao Zhan furrowed his brow. "What is it?"
"The Jia Lie Family's Clan Chief has arrived," the guard said. "He brought a lot of men and says he wants to find Young Master Xiao Yan."
Xiao Zhan's expression changed.
The First Elder asked, "How many men did Jia Lie Bi bring?"
"Several dozen. They're all the Jia Lie Family's elite," the guard replied.
Xiao Zhan stood up. "Come on. Let's go see."
The elders stood as well and headed outside.
When they reached the doorway, Xiao Zhan stopped and looked at the guard.
"Did he say why he was looking for Yan'er?"
"He did," the guard said. "He said Young Master Xiao Yan killed his son and that he'd come to demand an explanation."
Xiao Zhan froze. The elders did too.
"That Xiao Yan's caused trouble again," the First Elder exclaimed angrily.
The Second Elder said, "Killing someone from the Misty Cloud Sect wasn't enough. Now he's killed someone from the Jia Lie Family too. He's driving the Xiao Clan to ruin."
The Third Elder said, "Xiao Zhan, just look at what your son has done!"
Xiao Zhan's expression darkened further.
He said nothing and strode outside.
At the Xiao Clan's main gate, Xiao Yan had just reached the entrance when he saw a crowd blocking the way.
At the front stood a middle-aged man dressed in fine clothes, his face livid.
Jia Lie Bi.
Behind him stood several dozen Jia Lie Family disciples, all wearing hostile expressions.
Xiao Yan stopped and looked at them.
Jia Lie Bi saw Xiao Yan too, and fury nearly erupted from his eyes.
"Xiao Yan," Jia Lie Bi gritted out.
Xiao Yan looked at Jia Lie Bi, his face expressionless.
"You killed my son."
"Yes," Xiao Yan said.
Jia Lie Bi hadn't expected Xiao Yan to admit it outright. He froze for a moment, then grew even angrier.
"You've got some nerve!"
"He deserved to die," Xiao Yan said calmly.
"You!" Jia Lie Bi roared. "Get him! Kill him!"
The several dozen disciples behind Jia Lie Bi immediately charged.
Xiao Yan raised his hand and struck with his palm. The first few disciples were sent flying on the spot, crashing to the ground without moving.
The rest of the disciples turned pale, but with their Clan Chief's order, they didn't dare retreat.
Several more charged forward.
Xiao Yan flashed among them, striking each with a single palm.
Thud, thud, thud.
After several muffled impacts, a few more corpses lay on the ground.
Jia Lie Bi's expression finally changed.
His disciples might not have been top experts, but they had all trained. Yet in front of Xiao Yan, they couldn't withstand even a single move.
"Y-you... what's your strength?" Jia Lie Bi asked, his voice faltering.
Xiao Yan didn't answer. He kept walking forward.
The disciples behind Jia Lie Bi backed away one by one. No one dared charge again.
As Jia Lie Bi watched Xiao Yan approach step by step, fear welled up in his heart.
Could Xiao Yan really have killed a Dou Wang expert? Could the rumors going around really be true?
Jia Lie Bi gritted his teeth, then dropped to his knees with a thump.
"Xiao Yan, I was wrong. I shouldn't have come looking for trouble. Please spare my life."
Xiao Yan looked at Jia Lie Bi and said calmly, "Too late."
Xiao Yan brought his palm down. Jia Lie Bi's body stiffened, then slowly fell to the ground.
When the remaining disciples saw their Clan Chief dead, they scattered in terror and fled.
Xiao Yan didn't pursue them. He simply stood where he was.
When Xiao Zhan arrived at the gate with the elders, he saw corpses scattered across the ground.
Jia Lie Bi lay at the front, lifeless, with several dozen Jia Lie Family disciples strewn around him.
Xiao Yan stood in the middle of the corpses, without a drop of blood on him.
Xiao Zhan froze, as did the elders.
The First Elder's mouth hung open, while the Second Elder's face turned pale and his legs trembled. The Third Elder stood at the back, unable to utter a word.
Xiao Yan turned around and looked at Xiao Zhan.
"Father."
Xiao Zhan came back to his senses. He looked at the bodies on the ground, then at Xiao Yan.
"Yan'er, these people..."
"Jia Lie Bi came looking for trouble, so I killed him," Xiao Yan said.
Xiao Zhan fell silent.
He knew Jia Lie Bi had come for revenge, but he hadn't expected Xiao Yan to kill every last one of them.
"Please have someone clean this up, Father," Xiao Yan said.
Xiao Zhan nodded. "Go on."
Xiao Yan turned and left, heading back to his residence.
The elders stood at the gate, their hearts chilled as they stared at the bodies scattered across the ground.
The First Elder muttered, "Xiao Yan is truly ruthless."
The Second Elder's voice trembled. "He killed several dozen people just like that."
The Third Elder said, "He didn't even blink."
The Second and Third Elders exchanged glances, but neither said anything.
Xiao Zhan watched the direction Xiao Yan had gone and remained silent for a long time.
Xiao Zhan knew Yan'er had changed, but he hadn't expected him to change so completely.
The old Xiao Yan had been gifted, but he'd never hurt anyone without good reason. Now, Xiao Yan was ruthless, killing several dozen people just like that.
Xiao Zhan didn't know whether to be pleased or worried.
Xiao Yan pushed open the door and entered the courtyard.
He brushed the dust off himself, then sat down in a chair.
The system panel still hovered in Xiao Yan's mind.
Four-Star Dou Wang.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
Someone like Jia Lie Bi had dared to come looking for trouble with him. He was practically asking to die.
Xiao Yan closed his eyes and began to cultivate.
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