The three-day deadline had arrived!
The man at the head seemed to be delivering the Ye Family's final ultimatum!
The crowd outside buzzed with discussion.
Xu Xiao also edged closer, watching with curiosity.
"Brother, could you tell me what's going on?"
Xu Xiao patted the man beside him. He didn't know the fellow, either; they were both just there to watch the commotion.
"Brother, you don't know?" the man asked in surprise.
Xu Xiao nodded earnestly. "What? Did the Ye Family kill someone from the Seven Treasures?"
As soon as Xu Xiao said that, the man immediately clapped a hand over his mouth.
"Shh, brother, you can't just say things like that." The man kept Xu Xiao's mouth covered and cautiously glanced around.
Fortunately, everyone nearby was busy watching the spectacle.
"Brother, what exactly is going on?" Xu Xiao asked.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect wants to absorb the Ye Family, but the Ye Family refused..."
"So now there's a big fuss."
The man gave him a brief explanation.
After learning what he wanted to know, Xu Xiao quietly slipped away and went to the other side.
The Ye Family. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Xu Xiao really hadn't expected the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to be the one trying to absorb the Ye Family.
It only took Xu Xiao a moment to understand. If he were in their shoes, he'd want to absorb the Ye Family, too.
"I wonder if I'll get a chance this time." Xu Xiao scratched his head, pondering how he could bring the Ye Family under his wing.
Clearly, Xu Xiao had his eye on the opportunity. It was right there in front of him—how could he not be tempted?
The meat had been brought right to your mouth. Were you really not going to eat it?
Only a fool would turn it down.
Still, Xu Xiao didn't rush in. Instead, he watched from the sidelines.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's people stood outside the Ye Mansion, acting so domineering that they were truly unpleasant to look at.
"Although our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect can't compare to the Clear Sky Sect, your Ye Family isn't the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, either."
"We've already given you three days."
"..."
Before the other man could finish speaking, a middle-aged man opened the Ye Mansion's gate.
An air of refined elegance surrounded him, gentle yet authoritative.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, huh? Heh. You can have this mansion!"
After saying that, the man turned and went inside. He began carrying out all the belongings they had already packed.
Four people emerged: the middle-aged man who had just spoken, two women, and a young boy.
Seeing this, one of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's men snorted. "Hmph, Ye Family, without the protection of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, I'll make sure you can't take a single step in Heaven Dou City!"
The man watched their retreating backs with disdain, then looked at the onlookers around them. "From now on, anyone who dares to help the Ye Family is making an enemy of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"
With that, the man stormed away.
The onlookers murmured among themselves. They hadn't expected the Ye Family to be so unyielding!
Xu Xiao watched the whole scene, glanced silently in the direction the Ye Family had gone, then quietly followed.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's man was utterly dismissive. Before he'd come, his sect master had told him that if the Ye Family didn't know what was good for them, they should be suppressed.
They'd see how long the Ye Family could hold out.
By then, no one in Heaven Dou City would dare slight the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
He wasn't worried about another sect snatching them away, either. The Clear Sky Sect had the Four Affiliated Clans beneath it. Never mind whether the Clear Sky Sect would even take an interest; even if it did, those four clans wouldn't stand by and let it happen.
That would ignite a conflict, and the Clear Sky Sect would naturally have to choose a side.
As for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan? They could barely look after themselves right now. How could they spare any attention for the Ye Family?
The Spirit Hall? It was too far away. They could forget about them.
Even the Heaven Dou Empire had to show the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect some respect, so it naturally wouldn't interfere too much.
This was the Seven Treasures' approach: first try a gentle hand, then apply pressure if that failed. If the other party still refused, they'd have no choice but to resort to unconventional methods.
But now, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had miscalculated. There was an unpredictable new factor in the mix. Even without that factor, they hadn't succeeded in the original story.
The Ye Family would survive, and they'd even gain a talented descendant in Ye Lingling.
Xu Xiao paid the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect no mind and followed the four members of the Ye Family alone.
The man, who was the Ye Family's head, easily sensed Xu Xiao trailing them. But he didn't call him out, assuming he was from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
"Like a lingering ghost," the man said coldly, his voice full of disdain.
The boy beside him looked up at him. "Father, did the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect send someone after us?"
"Sheng Xin, don't worry about it. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect wouldn't dare do anything to us."
"After all, I'm a Soul Sage!"
The man reassured them, not taking the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's actions seriously at all.
Xu Xiao hadn't expected to hide from the man. Judging by his strength, he clearly wasn't weak.
Xu Xiao wasn't a bad person, so there was no need to conceal anything.
At most, he just didn't want anyone else to notice him following the Ye Family.
The Ye Family didn't pay him any mind, heading toward the small mansion they had secretly purchased.
Ye Shengxin's Father furrowed his brow slightly. The man was still following them?
The four of them stopped in front of their new mansion.
"Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, do you really think my Ye Family is easy to bully?" the man said with a cold snort.
Soul Power surged around him, its pressure bearing down on Xu Xiao, who was following them.
Xu Xiao paused, then braced himself and withstood the pressure from the man's Soul Power.
Xu Xiao slowly stepped out and walked toward him, bearing the pressure of his Soul Power.
"Senior, I'm not with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!" Xu Xiao stated his position as soon as he approached, without the slightest hint of fear.
The man looked Xu Xiao up and down. "Heh. Why should I believe you?"
Though he said that, the man was genuinely shocked.
Xu Xiao had withstood the pressure of his Soul Power without begging for mercy?
He had more backbone than the people from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
But the man still couldn't be sure. After all, he was already on bad terms with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
He couldn't afford to let his guard down.
"Because I dared to follow you so openly."
"Because I dared to come here alone."
"Do you really think the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would send just one person?"
Xu Xiao chuckled, entirely unconcerned.
Never mind whether the man could actually kill him. Even if he could, Xu Xiao could still escape.
After all, the other man was only a support-type Soul Master.
His combat strength wasn't great; his Soul Power Level was simply high.
"Heh. Leave. You're not welcome here," the man said, no longer dwelling on it.
Whether or not Xu Xiao was with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, he wasn't welcome.
He had plenty to take care of. How could he spare the time to entertain some youngster?
"Senior, I came on the orders of Seven Kill Douluo."
Seven Kill Douluo, Chen Jianjun!
At the mention of that name, the man stopped in his tracks as he was about to enter the mansion.
For a moment, he couldn't be sure whether this fellow had actually been sent by Chen Jianjun.
If he had, the man couldn't afford to offend him.
If he hadn't, he still probably wouldn't dare invoke Chen Jianjun's name.
The man hesitated, then finally sighed.
He was still too weak. Anyone could step on him...
"You... come in."