The Road Home

Jia Ma Empire, Momo City, Blood Wolf Mountain.

Blood Wolf Mountain had not originally been called Blood Wolf Mountain. It got its name because the Mad Wolf Gang occupied the mountain. The Mad Wolf Gang wreaked havoc, and robbing and killing passing travelers had become routine for them.

Momo City had repeatedly asked the imperial court for aid, but for some unknown reason, whenever the court took action against the Mad Wolf Gang, they would cross the border into a neighboring country in advance.

The imperial court knew this was a neighboring country's way of provoking the Jia Ma Empire. On one hand, they strengthened Momo City's defenses; on the other, unless there were special circumstances, they advised passing merchant caravans to take a detour.

The authorities could do nothing about the Mad Wolf Gang, which only made them more brazen. They often raided nearby villages. After every successful raid, they would boil a pot of soup with human blood and call it the Blood Banquet. Their notoriety became so great that the mountain was renamed Blood Wolf Mountain.

Today was another day for the Mad Wolf Gang's Blood Banquet, but people near the mountain suddenly noticed that the fire from today's feast was far too large, as though the entire mountain were ablaze.

"Is the Mad Wolf Gang making another big move? Hurry and leave." Even the occasional skilled and daring passerby felt their hearts tighten at the sight.

On an unnoticed mountaintop of Blood Wolf Mountain, Xiao Yan hovered in the air with blood-colored wings spread behind him, idly turning a Storage Ring over in his hand.

He smacked his lips. "This Mad Wolf Gang was filthy rich. So many of these things are medicinal herbs that money can't even buy."

Yao Lao appeared and said, "They dominated this region, so naturally they had a solid foundation. You benefited from it, kid. How is the backlash?"

Xiao Yan chuckled and summoned a blood-colored flame in his left hand. It was the Crimson Lotus Karma Flame. "The Crimson Lotus Karma Flame is great, but its backlash requires me to burn sinners. It only eased for two days after I redirected it onto Yun Leng at the Misty Cloud Sect, and now I have to kill again."

Yao Lao comforted him. "What the Crimson Lotus Karma Flame burns is the evil within every person's heart. These people started self-immolating the moment you arrived. Their sins could be called monstrous, so there is no need for you to feel upset. Take Yun Leng, for example. Just a trace of flame entering his body injured him that badly, which showed he had committed no shortage of evil deeds. This is also a drawback of forcibly absorbing the flame. Once your cultivation rises, it should gradually disappear."

Xiao Yan smiled faintly. "It's fine, Teacher. After today, there probably won't be any backlash for half a month. Let's go home. Father has been waiting for news from me for a long time."

With a flap of his wings, Xiao Yan turned into a black streak and shot toward Wutan City, eager to return home.

What Xiao Yan did not know was that the destruction of the Mad Wolf Gang made the Chuyun Empire think Jia Ma Empire intended to launch a counteroffensive. As a result, they accelerated their war preparations, and a war was slowly brewing. But that was a matter for later.

Xiao Yan gradually descended once he reached the outskirts of Wutan City.

Looking at the city where he had lived since childhood, Xiao Yan could not help but smile.

"I'm finally back."

Xiao Yan strolled toward the familiar street. At the end of that street stood his family's courtyard, with two clear characters above its gates—Xiao Clan.

"So many people," Xiao Yan sighed.

Outside his home, rows upon rows of people lined up, all competing for the daily limited supply of healing medicine.

The days when he had competed in pill refining against the Jia Lie Clan's Alchemist felt as though they had been only yesterday.

Just as Xiao Yan was wondering how to squeeze through the crowd, a sharp-eyed guard cried out, "Young Master Xiao Yan!"

Every gaze in the crowd turned toward Xiao Yan. Who in Wutan City did not know him? The three-year agreement had arrived, and everyone was waiting for news from that side. Yet Xiao Yan had rushed all the way here and arrived even before the news.

The guard came before Xiao Yan and bowed. "Welcome home, Young Master Xiao Yan. I'm Li Yun. I wonder if you still remember me."

Xiao Yan smiled. "You were guarding the gate back then, and after three years, you're still guarding it."

Li Yun scratched his head. "Guarding the Xiao Clan's gate is a prized post now. The Clan Leader has been talking about you every day lately. I'll go report your return."

Xiao Yan casually handed Li Yun a jade bottle. "Let's go together."

Li Yun could not suppress the delight in his eyes. Could anything that came from Xiao Yan's hands possibly be ordinary?

The moment he entered, a familiar feeling washed over him. There's nothing better than coming home. Xiao Yan sighed inwardly.

"You little brat, hurry up and cultivate! Or do you want your Dou Qi to regress like your cousin Xiao Yan's?" A grating voice rang out in the courtyard.

Li Yun said awkwardly, "Young Master Xiao Yan, this..."

Xiao Yan merely rubbed his nose and shook his head helplessly. It seemed that after three years, he was still being used as a negative example. His former self might have gotten angry, but now he only felt helpless.

"Ahem, Aunt Rong," Xiao Yan spoke first. After all, he was the younger generation.

"Mm... Mm? Xiao Yan? You're back?" The woman lecturing her child nodded at first, then her tone made a complete turn. "Nephew Xiao Yan, this... have you eaten? You came home without even sending word."

"Mom, is that the useless cousin Xiao Yan you told me about?" Aunt Rong's son, Xiao Feng, had just turned six and looked at Xiao Yan curiously.

"How can you talk like that? You're so rude." Aunt Rong scolded him with a flushed face.

"But you were the one who said it," Xiao Feng said aggrievedly.

Xiao Yan shook his head with a helpless smile and headed toward the main hall.

News of Xiao Yan's return home exploded through the small city like a bomb, but Xiao Yan himself could not possibly know that, because he was currently being comforted.

"Yan'er, it's all right. Your father believes in your potential. If three years were not enough, who could say what would happen in ten? You must not give up on yourself." Xiao Zhan walked up to Xiao Yan and comforted him.

"Father, actually, I..."

"Ah, Clan Leader, you've got it wrong. Xiao Yan is an Alchemist. No matter how formidable Nalan Yanran is, her personal strength is all she has. With that mysterious Alchemist behind Xiao Yan helping him, wouldn't surpassing Pill King Gu He be only a matter of time?" the Second Elder said.

Then, in an exceedingly casual tone, he added, "My grandson happens to need some pills to strengthen his foundation. I wonder if young Yan could help. Don't worry, we'll provide five sets of ingredients, and you can keep any extra pills as payment."

"Second Elder, refining pills is no problem, but the three-year agreement actually..."

"It's good that you're back. From now on, you just need to continue working hard at Jia Nan Academy." The Great Elder sat in his seat, stroking his beard. The profits from selling healing medicine over the past three years had long since made the old man immensely satisfied with Xiao Yan.

"Clan Leader, Elders, Young Master Xiao Yan... Young Master Xiao Yan defeated the Misty Cloud Sect's Great Elder and... and their former Sect Leader. He is... a Dou Emperor." A young man ran into the hall, panting heavily.

Wild delight appeared in Xiao Zhan's and the three Elders' eyes. Xiao Zhan patted Xiao Yan's shoulder and said, "Good! Yan'er, well done! As expected of my Xiao Zhan's son. You defeated Nalan Yanran. Wonderful!"

The Third Elder said to the guard who had delivered the message, "Idiot, how could you even read news like that wrong? Do you not know about the three-year agreement between the Young Clan Leader and Nalan Yanran? He defeated the Misty Cloud Sect's Young Sect Leader!" Though he was scolding the man, the delight in his eyes could not be dispelled.

"I didn't read it wrong?" The guard scratched his head and handed the message to the three Elders.

The Third Elder read the note, then looked back at Xiao Yan, who sat there smiling without denying it. The Great Elder cautiously asked, "Is this true?"

Xiao Yan slowly nodded.

Then Xiao Yan saw his father's mouth open into an exaggerated circle. Xiao Yan had never imagined a human mouth could open that wide, and the hand patting his shoulder went rigid.

The Second Elder squeezed so hard that he bruised the Third Elder's arm, yet the Third Elder did not notice at all.

The Great Elder even pulled out several strands of his beard.

After a long while, "Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! My son is a Dou Emperor! My son is a Dou Emperor!" Xiao Zhan's voice spread throughout the entire Xiao Clan under the effects of the Yellow Lion Rage Aura technique, shaking even the hall's beams.

That night, the Xiao Clan became a sea of celebration.