The One in Action

After saying that, Xiao Yan paid no further attention to Oba Niu, who was trembling like a leaf where he stood.

"Hey, Xun'er, why don't I remember this guy using a broadsword?" As Xiao Yu listened, she suddenly spotted the inconsistency and lightly poked Xiao Xun'er.

"Hehe." Xiao Xun'er shook her head with a soft laugh. "Haven't you seen that he always uses fire against his enemies?"

In her field of vision, along with that strand of Dou Qi entering Oba Niu's body, she could also see a white spark of flame.

"That's right. Actually, I, Xiao, don't use blades at all."

Xiao Yu was still stunned when Xiao Yan's head somehow appeared beside her ear, leaving her mind blank in an instant.

Amused by Xiao Yu's reaction, Xiao Yan did not say anything more.

Once Oba Niu had fulfilled his purpose, the flames would naturally send him where he belonged.

At this moment, the Xiao Clan guards had arrived as well. Leading them was a burly man around thirty years old, Xiao Yan's personal guard named Pain, whom Xiao Zhan had arranged for him earlier.

"Uncle Pain, I'll leave this place to you. Clean it up however you see fit." After greeting Pain, Xiao Yan raised his chin at the mess on the ground.

"Rest assured, Young Master. Leave everything to me." Pain nodded. As Xiao Yan's most loyal guard, he naturally understood the meaning behind a single look.

Sweeping his gaze over the Jia Lie and Oba people who had come to cause trouble, only to be left paralyzed on the ground by the shockwave and overwhelming terror, a cold glint flashed through Pain's eyes.

He slightly raised his left hand. As his Dou Qi circulated, a massive suction force pulled the people on the ground toward him one by one.

At that moment, someone still tried to put up a desperate resistance and rushed at him. Pain immediately smiled. With a wave of his right hand, repulsive force erupted from his palm and sent the man flying. Then, with another casual flick, the Black Rod Xiao Yan had forged for him nailed the Jia Lie Clan thug to the ground.

"Now that's Pain." Satisfied with Pain's performance, Xiao Yan left with Xiao Xun'er and the still-startled Xiao Yu.

Pain had been with him for several years. He had followed Xiao Yan even before Xiao Yan lost his Dou Qi, and for the past three years, he had remained his personal guard.

Naturally, Pain should get a share of any good things.

After obtaining the Suction Palm and Fire-Blowing Palm, Xiao Yan passed these two highly practical Xuan-tier Dou Techniques on to him.

If he couldn't use Shinra Tensei and Banshō Ten'in, how could he still call himself Pain?

Pain was also one of the people Xiao Yan had personally selected to oversee large-scale alchemy.

Though he did not bear the Xiao surname, his family had in fact lived alongside them for generations and could be counted as part of the greater Xiao Clan.

Although Xiao Yan found this somewhat strange, he did not dwell on it.

That tiny inconsistency was nothing compared to the absurdity of the man's name.

Along the way, Xiao Yan was the center of attention wherever he passed. Those close to him were shocked and admiring, while his enemies were fearful and doubtful.

No matter who it was, Xiao Yan greeted them all with a faint smile.

Then he scared three passersby connected to the Jia Lie Clan unconscious.

Upon returning to the clan grounds, there was no further commotion. Xiao Xun'er had countless questions she wanted to ask, but in the end, she did not ask them. Xiao Yan, meanwhile, headed straight for the clan leader's hall.

The people he had sent back ahead of time had already reported all the intelligence to Xiao Zhan and the three elders. The four of them were currently waiting for his return.

"Father, I'm back." The moment he entered, Xiao Yan smiled at Xiao Zhan, who seemed about to say something.

Their eyes met, and Xiao Zhan immediately understood Xiao Yan's thoughts. He smiled slightly and gave a gentle nod.

"The Jia Lie and Oba clans have been enemies of our Xiao Clan for generations. This time..." The First Elder studied Xiao Yan's expression as he chose his words carefully.

"If we can solve the problem completely, we must not leave trouble for future generations," the Second Elder added.

"We were too kind to others before, and those bastards took us for easy prey." The Third Elder looked indignant. When he learned what Xiao Yan had done today, he had slammed the table and shouted his approval on the spot.

"What the three elders mean is: remain still as a mountain, but strike like thunder. Since we have decided to act, we must catch them off guard." Xiao Zhan raised a hand slightly, suppressing the three elders before they could continue talking over one another, and summarized their thoughts.

"Exactly. The Third Elder has a point. If you don't want others to bully you, you have to strike back hard. Throw one punch to keep a hundred punches from coming." Xiao Yan smiled and nodded.

But then he shook his head again.

"Three days, then three days. Since I, Xiao Yan, have said it, there is no need to change it. Three days from now, we will wipe them all out in one sweep."

"But three days is enough for them to gather many allies," the Second Elder said anxiously.

Xiao Yan merely smiled without speaking.

"Hiss—could it be that you intend to besiege the stronghold and strike the reinforcements?" The First Elder suddenly understood. As soon as he spoke, everyone present quickly caught on. It was not that they had never considered this strategy before, but they had never possessed the strength to carry it out. Naturally, it had fallen into their blind spot.

"That's right. Let them stir things up however they please. Then, in one stroke, we'll destroy every one of them who dares bare their fangs at us and eliminate all future trouble." Xiao Yan's tone was calm, as though it were nothing out of the ordinary.

"Hiss—" ×3

Xiao Zhan opened his mouth, about to say something, but after seeing Xiao Yan's gaze, he smiled and shook his head. His child had grown up and no longer needed his worry.

After the hall fell silent for a moment, Xiao Yan spoke again.

"When the time comes, there'll be a most important task that I'll need to leave to you, Father." Xiao Yan looked toward Xiao Zhan.

"Me?" Xiao Zhan was taken aback. Based on what he knew of Xiao Yan, since the boy had already made such a declaration, why would he leave it to someone else?

"That's right. The clan grounds are the most important thing. As our strongest fighter, Father, you naturally have to stay behind and guard our home."

Xiao Yan smiled slightly and continued speaking without paying attention to Xiao Zhan's remarkable expression.

"As for that rabble, leave them to me."

"No!" The three elders rose to their feet at the same time and spoke in unison.

"Young people are hot-blooded, but..."

Xiao Yan was the hope of the Xiao Clan's rise. If anything happened to their sole heir, how could they answer to their ancestors?

Seeing this.

Xiao Yan cheerfully took out a second-tier magical beast he had conveniently captured alive on the way back, along with several trophies. He invoked the Samadhi True Fire and casually displayed his current stats. The three men in the hall immediately fell into a daze.

Only after a long while did they come back to their senses, their eyes filled with disbelief.

"Hehe, if you aren't hot-blooded, how can you call yourself young?"

Xiao Yan casually leaned back against the chair, poured himself a cup of fruit wine, swirled it, and took a small sip.

"I'd like to see what kind of helpers those bastards can find."

Jia Lie Clan Grounds.

After Oba Niu finished recounting what had happened in a state of terror, he had just wanted to curse Xiao Yan a few times to bolster his courage when a blaze of pure white flames abruptly ignited over his body. Before Jia Lie Bi and Oba Pa's eyes, he turned to ashes.

Boom!!!

Jia Lie Bi, the Jia Lie Clan's patriarch, wore a livid expression. Dou Qi erupted from his entire body as the aura of a Da Dou Shi burst forth without restraint. He was furious beyond measure.

"Damn it! You yellow-haired brat, how dare you! How dare Xiao Yan do this!"

Upon learning that not only had their attempt to ambush the Xiao Clan and seize its businesses failed, but they had also lost both men and his son, Jia Lie Bi completely flew into a rage.

But his anger did not consume his reason. The useless alchemist he had hired at great expense had died, which was actually a good thing for him.

"Hmph, how arrogant! He has no idea what kind of person he has provoked!" Recalling the things Liu Xi had said while drunk after Jia Lie Bi had coaxed his pill formula out of him with a pair of snake-woman sisters, Jia Lie Bi could not stop himself from sneering.

That useless alchemist's teacher, Liu Xi, was a fourth-tier alchemist! Three days was enough time to invite him over!

And at the thought of the enormous profits he could gain after completely annihilating the Xiao Clan, Jia Lie Bi's smile grew ever colder.

What he failed to notice was that, at some unknown point, wisps of faint black Qi had begun to coil around his brow, drifting toward a certain direction.

"Hehe, I only came to collect some souls for my assignment, yet I found an unexpected harvest?"

The figure wandering through the Jia Lie Clan Grounds like a ghost let out a strange laugh. Specks of black Qi continuously scattered from him, and the air grew several degrees colder.