Shocking Change in the Xiao Clan

"Father? Father!"

With the Three-Year Agreement concluded, Xiao Yan descended Misty Cloud Mountain and scoured the Mithril guest rooms, yet he could not find a trace of Xiao Zhan. All he found was a letter lying quietly on the table.

"Yan'er, by the time you read this letter, I presume your father..."

Slowly finishing the letter left behind by Xiao Zhan, Xiao Yan felt his heart tremble, and he could not help but let his eyes grow slightly damp.

"Father..."

Gently wiping away the tears that welled up in his eyes, Xiao Yan, feeling an inexplicable surge of emotion, carefully tucked the letter away, his heart burning with a grand ambition to return to the Xiao Clan!

"Bang!"

"The Xiao Clan has met with disaster!"

Hai Bodong still wore his usual cold expression, but the words he spoke caused Xiao Yan's face to change drastically!

"Xiao Zhan left the Mithril residence in a hurry last night. We just received news: the Wutan City Lord has sent an urgent distress signal. People from the Chu Yun Empire have secretly infiltrated the Jia Ma Empire, and the Imperial Capital is in an uproar!"

The rushing Hai Bodong suddenly paused.

"Their target seems to be the Xiao Clan. Word is they were searching for something. Xiao Zhan drew the enemies away alone and has since gone missing. By the time the Wutan City Lord arrived with his men, he could only save the remaining members of the Xiao Clan."

"Father is missing!"

Xiao Yan's eyes turned blood-red. His former calm vanished, and his Dou Qi surged, on the verge of erupting!

"Calm down! You must calm yourself!"

The voices of Hai Bodong and Yao Lao rang out simultaneously, and the soul fluctuations of Yao Lao gently smoothed out Xiao Yan's frantic heart.

"At a time like this, you must be even calmer! Your father is only missing, not yet dead. What good will your impotent rage do now?!"

Hai Bodong's cold shout finally brought Xiao Yan back to his senses. He had not expected this youth, who usually seemed to have everything under control, to have such a volatile reaction when his father was mentioned.

"I promised your teacher I would protect you, and I still need you to refine the Purple Spirit Recovery Pill. I will accompany you on this trip!"

Hai Bodong said without looking back, immediately summoning men to prepare for the journey.

"People from the Chu Yun Empire infiltrated the heart of the empire and no one noticed! What use are any of you?!"

Inside the Jia Ma Imperial Palace, the Empress Yao Ye, dressed in ornate robes, roared furiously at the cowering ministers below.

"Place the entire country under martial law! Deliver a state letter to the Chu Yun Emperor. If they do not provide an explanation, then we go to war!"

The sect powers of the Chu Yun Empire were nominally subservient to the Chu Yun Imperial Family. If the Chu Yun Imperial Family did not provide a reasonable explanation for this, then they would fight!

"Bring the corpses 'picked up' from the desert!"

Yao Ye added, her eyes flashing with cold light. Did they really think the Jia Ma Empire had no temper?!

"The Sect Master has sent word: they have intercepted the people from the Chu Yun Empire in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. They have dispatched three Dou Emperors this time!"

The Misty Cloud Sect also received the news. Leaving Great Elder Yun Leng to handle sect affairs, Yun Zimo quickly led several elders and the Law Enforcement Team toward the Magical Beast Mountain Range!

The Jia Ma Empire began to operate at high speed in an instant, and the atmosphere of war gradually spread throughout the entire empire.

Returning to the Xiao Clan, Xiao Yan gazed at the charred ruins, his chest filled with anger and self-reproach.

"It was my impulsive actions that brought this great disaster upon the Xiao Clan!"

Xiao Yan believed that if he hadn't killed the people from the Chu Yun Empire in the desert, the Xiao Clan would never have been targeted!

"Young Master Xiao Yan, cough, cough, you need not blame yourself."

The Second Elder of the Xiao Clan, Xiao Ying, walked over with the support of his granddaughter Xiao Mei, and took out a simple wooden box, saying softly.

"The Clan Head knew what they were after. Before he left, he entrusted this to you!"

"What is this?"

Xiao Yan carefully opened the wooden box. A translucent green jade shard appeared before him, with a tiny point of light in the center emitting a faint glow.

"This was left by the ancestors of the Xiao Clan. Every generation of Clan Head leaves behind a grain of soul light. As long as the light has not dissipated, the Clan Head should be safe."

"Can I use this to find Father's location?"

Xiao Yan gently touched the jade shard and asked.

"No..."

Xiao Ying shook his head with a bitter smile. The Xiao Clan had been raided in the middle of the night, suffering heavy losses and the disappearance of their Clan Head. They wanted to find him more than anyone, but this jade shard could only confirm whether the Clan Head was alive or dead.

"Greetings, Young Clan Head!"

The First and Third Elders, who had arrived at some point, suddenly shouted in unison. They were the first to kneel on one knee, and the members of the Xiao Clan followed suit, kneeling on one knee and hailing him as Young Clan Head!

"Elders, what are you doing?"

Xiao Yan hurriedly knelt on one knee, trying to help the clansmen up.

"The Clan Head Jade is passed down through generations. Since the Clan Head entrusted it to you before he left, you are the Young Clan Head of the Xiao Clan!"

"We ask that the Young Clan Head take charge of the situation!"

The three elders no longer possessed the mercenary spirit they had years ago. Having endured this tragedy, they saw clearly what was truly important, and they felt genuine respect for the mature and steady Xiao Yan.

"Regarding the events of the past, I hope the Young Clan Head can be magnanimous. I swear in the name of the First Elder of the Xiao Clan: from this day forward, such things will never happen to the Xiao Clan again!"

The Great Elder said in a deep voice.

"The Xiao Yan of those years was indeed not very likable; I only hope that all the elders and fellow clansmen will not hold a grudge against Xiao Yan!"

Xiao Yan knelt on one knee and managed a faint chuckle; Hai Bodong glanced sideways, this kid...

Ever since Xiao Yan had stepped back into the Xiao Clan and looked at his haggard and terrified clansmen, the sense of belonging deep within his bloodline had driven him step by step through the gates of the Xiao Clan, and all the events of the past had vanished like smoke and clouds in the wind.

At least, my childhood was perfectly flawless, wasn't it!

Xiao Yan chuckled inwardly, gently picking up the Clan Head Jade and holding it in his hand.

"Everyone, please join the Xiao Clan in rebuilding our glory!"

"What do they want with my Xiao Clan's Clan Head Jade for?"

Sitting in the center of the reconstructed, simple hall, Xiao Yan toyed with the Clan Head Jade, examining it repeatedly but unable to see any issues; it was clearly just an ordinary, ancient-looking piece of jade. Yao Lao seemed to be unaware as well, hiding in the ring without saying a word.

"Forget about this thing for now."

Xiao Yan flipped his hand to put the ancient jade away, then looked at Hai Bodong, who was sitting to the side like a statue, and pondered secretly.

"I should think about how to settle the Xiao Clan instead."

Although he did not know whether the people from the Chu Yun Empire were seeking revenge or looking for the ancient jade, the Xiao Clan had to move out of Wutan City temporarily regardless; otherwise, if they came again, the Xiao Clan would truly be wiped out!

"Young Clan Head, did you summon us?"

The three elders walked into the hall and bowed.

"Three elders, please sit. I would like to discuss the matter of relocating the clan with you."

Xiao Yan took out a plan; this was a plan he had asked Ya Fei of the Mite'er Family to help draft, and every item within it was quite detailed.

"Relocating the clan? Young Clan Head, this..."

Regarding Xiao Yan's idea, the Great Elder was somewhat hesitant.

"Great Elder, the Xiao Clan has reached a moment of life and death. If we do not change now, we will only be left to be slaughtered!"

Xiao Yan tapped the tabletop lightly.

"This... we shall follow the Young Clan Head's instructions in everything!"

The three elders pondered for a moment before rising to bow, then went off to study the relocation plan together.

"The eastern part of the empire, Stone Desert City?"

"Yes, my eldest and second brothers have a foundation in Stone Desert City. The main force of the Xiao Clan will temporarily move there and merge together; even if there are any further problems, we can solve them together!"

"Once I find a better environment for settlement, I will bring all the clansmen back!"

"The Xiao Clan may be displaced for the next year or two; I hope the three elders can handle the affairs within the clan well!"

"Rest assured, Young Clan Head! For the sake of the Xiao Clan, even if we old fellows have to bet our lives, we have no regrets."

After the three elders left, Xiao Yan sighed softly, and then a trace of coldness flashed in his eyes.

"Chu Yun Empire..."

"Xiao Yan! A battle between Dou Emperors has broken out in the Magical Beast Mountain Range!"

Yao Lao's urgent call reached the depths of his heart. Xiao Yan's Dou Qi erupted violently, and he left a sentence for Hai Bodong.

"Old Hai, please look after the Xiao Clan for me!"

Following that, his entire body soared into the sky, heading straight for the Magical Beast Mountain Range!

The second half of Yao Lao's sentence also reached Xiao Yan's heart.

"There, I sense the aura of a Poison Master!"