Jia Tianyu

"You're the one who killed Xiao Yan?" Jia Tianyu asked with a kindly smile.

"That was me," Xiao Yan replied. "And you are?"

"Me?" Jia Tianyu froze. This is the first time a junior has ever asked me that. Didn't that Xiao Clan elder who came looking for you tell you?

However, Jia Tianyu quickly realized that Xiao Yan was placing himself on equal footing with him. Since you're asking who I am, shouldn't you introduce yourself as well?

"I am Jia Tianyu, a member of the Jia Ma Empire's imperial family. I came to Wutan City this time to deal with the matter of its city lord." Jia Tianyu smiled, thinking that geniuses truly possessed a pride unlike ordinary people. Then his tone abruptly turned solemn. "Xiao Yan, let me ask you this: did you kill Wu Jin?"

The moment those words fell, the Xiao Clan members, who had relaxed because of Jia Tianyu's friendly attitude, immediately tensed up. Xiao Yan, however, remained expressionless. He first walked over to the seat at Xiao Zhan's right and sat down, then picked up the tea beside him, which was already nearly cold, and took a sip.

Only then did he say unhurriedly, "I did."

"Do you know your crime?" Jia Tianyu's tone grew heavier, and the aura of a Dou Spirit spilled out from beneath his plain robes, pressing down upon everyone present and causing the Xiao Clan members' breathing to collectively slow for a beat.

"Oh? My crime? I, Xiao Yan, acted according to the law. What crime have I committed?" Xiao Yan ignored Jia Tianyu's aura entirely and instead asked with some puzzlement.

"According to the law?" Jia Tianyu repeated, confusion flashing through his eyes. Since when did the Jia Ma Empire have a law allowing citizens to kill a city lord?

"What? You don't know, sir?" Xiao Yan asked with feigned confusion. Then he turned toward the equally bewildered First Elder across from him. "First Elder, do you know where I killed City Lord Wu Jin?"

"Ah?" The First Elder was suddenly stunned when Xiao Yan called on him, letting out a startled cry. Everyone around him, Jia Tianyu included, turned to look at him. The concentrated gazes made his body stiffen abruptly.

Although everyone knew where Wu Jin had died, Xiao Yan's confident manner inexplicably made them uncertain.

"Th-this, City Lord Wu Jin... died here..." The First Elder was equally confused, having no idea what Xiao Yan was trying to say. I never coordinated our story with Xiao Yan, he thought. After hesitating for a long time, he still told the truth.

Hearing an answer no different from what they already knew, everyone turned their attention back to Xiao Yan.

"Did he have an invitation when he came?" Xiao Yan took another sip of tea and asked calmly.

"An-an invitation?" The First Elder and the others found the question utterly baffling. He came to cause trouble. How could he possibly have had an invitation?

"No," the First Elder answered truthfully again.

"See? There's the law," Xiao Yan said.

Yet everyone still looked utterly confused.

However, the First Elder, as one of the people involved, suddenly remembered something and blurted out, "According to Jia Ma Empire law, if someone trespasses into a private residence, the owner may kill them without punishment?"

"As expected of the First Elder. You're truly clever!" Xiao Yan praised him, giving him an approving look.

Only then did Jia Tianyu finally understand, and all he could feel was a mixture of laughter and exasperation.

Still, he was not angry. If anything, he felt a sense of relief.

Upon hearing Xiao Yan's reasoning, the Xiao Clan members also recalled what he had said when they had formulated their plan earlier. At the time, they had believed they would be killing members of the Jia Lie Clan and Ao Ba Clan, so after Xiao Yan released those two clans, they had not paid it any further mind. Who could have expected it to be used against City Lord Wu Jin?

No, who kills a city lord using that kind of reasoning?! the Xiao Clan members cried inwardly. Then they secretly glanced at Jia Tianyu's expression. Seeing that he was not angry, they finally relaxed a little.

"I see. But this alone cannot completely absolve you of the crime of privately killing a city lord!" After being caught between laughter and tears for a moment, Jia Tianyu became serious once more and spoke in a deep voice.

"So, what do you people from the Imperial Capital intend to do?" Xiao Yan asked calmly.

Could you show me just a little respect? From the beginning until now, Xiao Yan had acted as though Jia Tianyu did not matter at all. Even someone as famously good-tempered as Jia Tianyu, a member of the Jia Ma Imperial Family, was finding it hard to endure.

With a helpless sigh in his heart, Jia Tianyu cleared his throat and said in a rather solemn tone, "According to the law, anyone who kills a city lord without authorization must pay with their life! But... considering the circumstances, the punishment will be changed to escorting you to the Imperial Capital for imprisonment!"

At least it was not execution. Quite a few Xiao Clan members breathed a sigh of relief, only to feel regret the next moment. They had not expected the young clan head to end up imprisoned at such a young age.

However, several experienced people led by Xiao Zhan caught the implication behind those words. They exchanged knowing looks and saw smiles in one another's eyes.

"Oh, imprisonment. Let me ask, where exactly will I be imprisoned? And for how long?" Xiao Yan asked as though nothing had happened.

Jia Tianyu was made somewhat awkward by the question. "Well... ahem. There are not many places in the Imperial Capital capable of holding a Peak Great Dou Master or even a Dou Spirit, so it will most likely be within the imperial palace. As for how long, that depends on the circumstances."

As he spoke, Jia Tianyu also exchanged meaningful looks with Xiao Zhan. Do you understand? If you do, hurry up and persuade your son to stop asking. Can I possibly say anything beyond this? Our imperial family needs some dignity too!

Naturally, Xiao Zhan understood Jia Tianyu's meaning. Although he did not know whether Xiao Yan truly failed to understand or was merely pretending not to, he still spoke up to persuade him.

"Um, Yan'er, if someone does something wrong, he has to accept punishment. The imperial family has said it already: as long as you go to the Imperial Capital and are imprisoned for a while, you'll come back. Listen to your father. Let's make the trip."

Although Xiao Zhan had added that he would return after some time, Jia Tianyu did not correct him. After all, the most important thing to him was taking Xiao Yan away, and what Xiao Zhan said might not necessarily be untrue.

"Sorry, Father. I already said that I will be attending Canaan Academy afterward. Besides, there are still matters at home that I have not finished handling, so I truly have no time to go to the Imperial Capital. Senior Tianyu, there is no need to keep signaling my father either. I will not go." Xiao Yan smiled as he replied to them both.

"You truly won't go?" Jia Tianyu's gaze sharpened.

"I won't." Xiao Yan smiled faintly and answered firmly.

"Hmph! That is not for you to decide!" Jia Tianyu snorted coldly, revealing a trace of hostility for the first time since arriving at the Xiao Clan.

Yes, Xiao Yan's talent was exceptional, far beyond someone like Wu Jin. Naturally, the Jia Ma Empire would not deliberately destroy such a genius after Wu Jin was already dead. But that was only if this genius was willing to serve the Jia Ma Empire. Otherwise, the more gifted he was, the greater the threat he posed, and the sooner he needed to be eliminated!

Facing the chill Jia Tianyu released, Xiao Yan paid it no mind. He merely released his own aura as well, helping some of the weaker Xiao Clan members resist it.

"Senior Tianyu, Xiao Yan is not an ungrateful person who fails to recognize the Empire's goodwill. It is simply that I truly have my own path to follow, and I cannot go to the Imperial Capital to waste my time. But I know that words alone cannot possibly make you give up. So how about this?" Xiao Yan proposed. "The two of us will have a fight. If you can defeat me, I will go with you. Otherwise, let the matter of going to the Imperial Capital end here. What do you say?"

"A fight? With me?" Jia Tianyu immediately laughed aloud. At that moment, the aura around him erupted without the slightest restraint. He was astonishingly a Six-Star Dou Spirit, only one step away from becoming a Seven-Star Dou Spirit!

"Then let me see just what level Xiao Yan has reached—the Xiao Yan whose name alone has stirred up such a commotion in the Imperial Capital and who has been hailed as the number one genius of the Jia Ma Empire!"