Eliminate Ge Ye, Imprison Nalan Yanran

It was only after searching four inns that Xiao Yan found Nalan Yanran.

Lai Jian Inn was located within the Jia Lie Clan's marketplace.

That suited Xiao Yan perfectly.

Nalan Yanran was a Three-Star Dou Practitioner, Ge Ye a Seven-Star Grand Dou Master, and Liu Ling a Five-Star Dou Practitioner.

Xiao Yan told Medicine Elder everything he knew. The latter swept his soul perception through the inn and locked onto three auras.

When he saw the cloud-and-silver-sword emblems on the cuffs of all three, along with that combination and those cultivation levels, their identities were beyond doubt.

Medicine Elder's powerful soul perception directly enveloped the trio's rooms. Then Xiao Yan, clad in a black cloak, stepped into Nalan Yanran's room.

The instant he entered, Nalan Yanran, who had been lying on the bed, suddenly opened her eyes.

"Who is it?"

A graceful figure sprang up from the bed, sword in hand and pointed at Xiao Yan.

"Little girl, you're quite alert." Medicine Elder's aged voice came from beneath the cloak.

Nalan Yanran frowned. Unable to sense any Dou Qi aura beneath the black cloak, she did not dare act rashly. "May I ask what business brings you here in the middle of the night, sir?"

"Little girl, you should not have come here. Leave Wutan City now and pretend none of this ever happened. How does that sound?"

Medicine Elder spoke calmly.

"Are you from the Xiao Household, sir?"

In the dim room, Nalan Yanran's expression shifted. She had come to visit the Xiao Household under the banner of the Cloud Mist Sect and had sent a calling card several days earlier.

However, the Xiao Household did not know she had come to break off the engagement. If this person was from the Xiao Household, why would he stop her?

And if he was not from the Xiao Household, who else would demand that she leave Wutan City?

"Heh. Don't ask what you shouldn't. Leave now."

Medicine Elder's voice was calm, but it carried a faint threat.

"I came to Wutan City to break off my engagement with the Xiao Household with the personal approval of my teacher, the Cloud Mist Sect's sect master. Please do not make things difficult for me, sir."

Nalan Yanran frowned and invoked her teacher.

"Hmph. The Cloud Mist Sect is nothing in my eyes. My patience is limited. Leave at once, and do not set foot in Wutan City for the next three years."

Medicine Elder snorted and spoke domineeringly.

Medicine Elder's contempt for the Cloud Mist Sect, which she took such pride in, seemed to shatter Nalan Yanran's inborn arrogance.

She raised the sword in her hand. "Since you hold the Cloud Mist Sect in such contempt, you must be someone extraordinary. Why hide your identity? Give me your name, and I will report it to my teacher for a decision. How about it?"

"Teacher, we absolutely cannot let her live!"

Xiao Yan sent a soul transmission from beneath the cloak.

Medicine Elder had a headache as well. He had not expected Nalan Yanran to be so oblivious to the situation.

Had she not noticed that her companions next door had remained unresponsive for so long?

"She carries the aura of a Life Soul Lamp. If we kill her here, it will surely draw her teacher's attention, and the Xiao Household will definitely be implicated."

Medicine Elder said with a frown.

"Then imprison her in my Portable Space. If she merely disappears, the Cloud Mist Sect will have no reason to blame the Xiao Household."

After thinking it over, Xiao Yan spoke.

Medicine Elder's eyes lit up. "That will work."

He snorted. His powerful soul perception locked onto Nalan Yanran, and then he flashed behind her.

Xiao Yan seized her arm and sent her into the Portable Space.

"Teacher, she has two other companions. We cannot spare them either."

"Those two do not carry the aura of a Life Soul Lamp. We can kill them directly."

Medicine Elder said coldly.

He took control of Xiao Yan's body and flashed into Ge Ye's room.

Ge Ye immediately sensed that something was wrong. Before he could make out the intruder, he saw a clump of bone-white flame shoot toward him like lightning.

He sensed the flame's power and did not dare take it head-on. He tried to dodge, only to discover in horror that his body felt as though it had sunk into a swamp, slowing his movements.

The bone-white flame reached him and, in an instant, refined Ge Ye into a pile of ashes.

Xiao Yan transported the ashes into the Portable Space.

Medicine Elder then silently entered Liu Ling's room and killed him in his sleep.

After clearing away all traces of the intrusion, Xiao Yan quietly left Lai Jian Inn. After taking several turns, he returned to his own room in the Xiao Household's rear courtyard.

The night was as black as ink, and everything was silent. Everyone in the Xiao Household had fallen asleep.

After returning to his room, Xiao Yan flashed into the Portable Space.

Nalan Yanran had been transported into the Portable Space and was still confused. When she saw the courtyard house at the center of the space, she ran over, only to find not a single person there.

At that moment, Xiao Yan and Medicine Elder appeared, startling her.

Xiao Yan removed his black cloak, revealing a handsome, youthful face.

Beside him, Medicine Elder's illusory figure floated in the air. He yawned and said,

"Take her away. I need to rest."

"It was you."

Nalan Yanran recognized Medicine Elder's voice.

Xiao Yan could not be bothered with nonsense. He used the power of the space to restrain Nalan Yanran, then carried her out of the courtyard house and to the other side of the space.

"What did you do to me?"

Nalan Yanran discovered in horror that she could not move.

Xiao Yan ignored her. With a wave of his hand, countless huge stones and logs flew over and built a crude courtyard house.

Nalan Yanran was dumbfounded by Xiao Yan's miraculous display. This youth was practically a god.

She had never heard of such methods. Even her Dou Emperor teacher could not do this.

"From now on, you will live in this courtyard house."

Xiao Yan spoke indifferently.

At that moment, Nalan Yanran discovered that she could move again. Looking at the walls several yards high around her, she felt they could not possibly stop her.

As if seeing through her thoughts, Xiao Yan pointed beyond the walls and smiled. "Try it. See if you can escape."

Nalan Yanran gave a haughty snort and leaped upward. Her figure shot into the air, rising above the wall. Then she descended, lightly tapping the wall with her toes as she flew beyond it.

Just then, her body seemed to slam into a transparent wall of air. She was sent flying back and fell into the courtyard.

She froze and looked at Xiao Yan. He said, "You can try the other directions."

Nalan Yanran frowned at his words, but she still tried to jump out from each of the other three directions.

The result was the same. Transparent walls of air blocked all three directions.

This discovery filled her with terror.

"Hey, I am the young sect master of the Cloud Mist Sect and its future sect master. If you are not afraid of retaliation, let me go."

Nalan Yanran threatened him.

"You really have no manners."

Xiao Yan sneered.

"Retaliation? That will have to wait until she can find this place."

Xiao Yan ignored the girl and walked straight out of the courtyard. She tried to follow him, only to be blocked by the transparent wall of air.

Furious, she punched and kicked at the wall of air.

Unfortunately, she was only a Three-Star Dou Practitioner. Only a Three-Star Grand Dou Master could break this wall of air.

Moreover, as Xiao Yan's cultivation continued to break through, the wall of air's defensive strength would rise as well.

It could be said that as long as Xiao Yan refused to release her, she would never leave this courtyard.

Watching Xiao Yan walk farther and farther away, Nalan Yanran grew anxious.

"Bastard, let me go!"

Unfortunately, Xiao Yan had already left the Portable Space and returned to his room.

With Nalan Yanran's disappearance, the Cloud Mist Sect would surely send people to investigate, and the Xiao Household would be questioned as well.

However, without evidence, they could not do anything to the Xiao Household.

I need to keep a low profile this year. Once the coming-of-age ceremony is over, I will leave the Xiao Household and travel to gain experience.

Xiao Yan made his plans, then closed his eyes and went to sleep.

There were only three or four hours left until dawn.

Tomorrow, when the Xiao Household discovered that the distinguished guests from the Cloud Mist Sect had not arrived, they might be disappointed.