Night Raid on the Enemy Camp, Brocade-Clad in the Dark

Dusk.

"A Da Dou Shi has arrived. His soul power is stronger than ordinary people's—he's an alchemist."

Sensing the situation over at the Jia Lie compound, Yao Chen looked at Xiao Yan.

"Though evil should be rooted out completely, aren't you afraid they'll run away in the next few days?"

"They can't run. A monk may flee, but his temple can't. They can't possibly abandon such a vast estate and the fat prize already in their mouths.

"Besides, if I don't wipe them out in one go, they'll come looking for trouble again and again before long."

Xiao Yan shook his head. He had seen this sort of routine countless times in his previous life. He would not stupidly wait for the other side to come to him. Since they had drawn their blades, he would break those blades for good!

When he had burned Liu Xi to ashes, he had already learned some of his memories. If his teacher had not come, Xiao Yan would have gone to settle the score himself.

Now that he had come, it saved Xiao Yan the trouble of searching everywhere.

"Need my help?"

"No. The Xiao Clan's affairs should be handled by the Xiao Clan itself." As he spoke, Yao Chen's figure abruptly vanished and merged into the Ancient Ring. Xiao Yan slowly turned around. Before he could see who had come, another fragrant breeze swept over him.

"Brother Xiao Yan, take me along for this operation too." Xiao Xun'er smiled sweetly. "I'm part of the Xiao Clan too."

"Hehe, you little girl. If you had come any later, there would have been nothing left by tomorrow night."

Xiao Yan paused, silently meeting Xiao Xun'er's gaze before shaking his head with a smile.

"Tonight?" Xiao Xun'er was startled. Only three days and two nights had passed. From the sound of it, Xiao Yan intended to make his move tonight?

"If they live through today, they need not see tomorrow."

Looking up at the setting sun obscured by dark clouds, Xiao Yan's lips curled upward.

Drip.

A raindrop fell from the sky. Then came scattered droplets, rapidly joining into lines. In an instant, rain poured down in torrents.

A faint white flame isolated the space within three feet of the two of them. There, they felt no heat at all, while the raindrops seemed to belong to another world and could not penetrate it.

"A moonless night is made for killing, a windy night for arson. It would be a shame not to kill someone in weather like this."

Passing his hand through the curtain of flame and feeling the rain's icy chill, Xiao Yan chuckled.

"Hehe..." Xiao Xun'er twitched her lips. Brother Xiao Yan was still the same, acting on whatever whim struck him.

Just as she was about to say something to persuade Xiao Yan to bring her along, he turned and extended his right hand toward her.

"Would Xun'er accompany me? Would you dare accompany me?"

Xiao Xun'er froze. Hadn't they already agreed to go together? But in the next instant, she understood.

Xiao Yan had intended to go alone.

That made sense. In the entire Xiao Clan, even Xiao Zhan, the strongest Da Dou Shi, probably could not keep up with Xiao Yan at full power.

Only she could keep up.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xiao Xun'er placed her delicate hand in Xiao Yan's palm, her eyes brimming with starlight.

"It is what I have always wished for. Why would I not dare?"

At the same time, Xiao Xun'er inconspicuously stepped on the shadow beneath her feet. She did not intend to let Ling Ying ruin their time alone together. Damn Nalan Yanran had no sense of fair play—she had not only toyed with her but also made her waste so many words!

She had to find a chance to win one back.

There was no need for an annoying third wheel.

Ling Ying, hidden in the shadows, immediately felt miserable.

Although he had still concealed his aura perfectly, the fluctuation in his emotions caused a slight leak in his soul ripples.

Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping across the shadows without leaving a trace.

Sure enough, something strange was there.

[There's something unusual beneath that little girl's feet. It seems to be something like a guardian.]

At the same time, Yao Chen's voice sounded in Xiao Yan's mind.

[Just as I thought. I said this little girl was mysterious.]

Xiao Yan replied through soul transmission as well, multitasking as he settled the matter with Xiao Xun'er.

[Since there's an outsider, should we...] Yao Lao did not finish, but Xiao Yan understood instantly.

[No need. Anything that can be used may be shown to Xun'er. As for that mysterious presence, he is in the light while we are in the dark.

[The moment he appears, we can easily detect him.

[Besides, given Xun'er's nature, she probably won't be willing to bring that person along tonight.]

Xiao Xun'er could figure out Xiao Yan's temperament, and naturally, Xiao Yan could figure out hers as well.

He had long known that Xiao Xun'er was very mysterious.

There was likely some colossal force behind her, but Xiao Yan was not worried in the slightest.

He knew this plot well. She was probably the young lady of some peerless sect or family.

Her clansmen would most likely come to take her away later.

But it was still too early to think about that. Xiao Yan did not intend to dwell on it. If the people who came to fetch Xiao Xun'er were reasonable, so be it. But if they planned to pull some tricks, then they could not blame him, Xiao, for showing them what he was capable of.

"Let's go. Carrying blades through the rainy night without umbrellas, we're going to do something big. Do you have night clothes?"

Hearing that, Xiao Xun'er felt a surge of heroic spirit. For a girl who was usually so well-behaved, this was quite exciting.

"Yes, Brother, I do.

"Let's go do something big together! Kill them all!" Xiao Xun'er clenched her small fists and pretended to look fierce.

Jia Lie compound.

Ever since what had happened three days ago, the Oba and Jia Lie clans had essentially stayed together. All their elites had gathered in one place to prevent the Xiao Clan from defeating them one by one.

As for their properties, Oba Pa had merely driven some peripheral members over to guard them. Those were targets he had deliberately left for the Xiao Clan. Everyone in his faction had been brought here. Once they wiped out the Xiao Clan in one fell swoop, they could slowly divide the spoils.

Tonight's rain was especially heavy, so heavy that Oba Pa felt restless.

He could not tell whether it was fear of the unknown or excitement at imagining his grand future.

After holding another meeting, he returned to his guest room alone, closed his eyes to rest, adjusted his condition, and waited for the coming battle.

As his Dou Qi circulated, Oba Pa was delighted to discover that his cultivation, which had stagnated for a long time, had actually broken through repeatedly over the past few days.

"That damned little bastard actually gave me such a great gift."

Although Xiao Yan had killed his son and made him very unhappy, sons were something he could have as many of as he wanted as long as he was alive. Besides, his cultivation had advanced by two stars. Oba Pa felt as though he had endless strength throughout his body.

He did not notice the black aura lingering between his brows at all.

At some point, the sound of rain outside the window gradually ceased, and a few traces of warmth appeared in the room. Oba Pa assumed the rain had passed and the sky had cleared. In his good mood, he gave it no further thought, dismissing the increasingly warm air as an illusion caused by surging blood and energy.

"Your Dou Qi is impure, your soul is muddled, your limbs are stiff, your aura is unsteady, and even your life essence has been blasted away completely. Tsk, tsk, tsk."

A frivolous, disdainful voice rang out. Oba Pa jolted awake and saw that, at some unknown point, an extraordinarily handsome young man and woman had appeared before him.

They wore dazzling brocade robes, strikingly conspicuous in the dark of night, as though they were the center of everyone's attention.

"Well? The night clothes I prepared for you are better than yours, right?" Ignoring Oba Pa, Xiao Yan proudly fiddled with his sleeves and winked at Xiao Xun'er. His crimson-gold formal robes were outrageously eye-catching.

"You..." Oba Pa recognized the two of them almost instantly. They were Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er of the Xiao Clan. A Dou Qi armor condensed over his body almost at once.

The two opposite him seemed to ignore him.

Yet he felt his consciousness becoming unusually ethereal. His entire life played out before his eyes, scene by scene. It seemed like an instant, yet also like a century. Then darkness filled his vision, and his mind became incomparably empty, devoid of all stray thoughts.

What happened?

Confusion lingered in Oba Pa's heart. Then he suddenly felt weightless. Looking down, he saw that most of his body had somehow already been incinerated into ash by pure white flames.

The agonizing pain allowed his last remaining soul fragment to regain itself, but he no longer knew fear or fury. Watching Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er blur further and further in his vision, only one question remained.

"Why are your night clothes a set of brocade formal robes?

"Is it because they look good? Or because you wanted to use them to..."

"Either is possible. That is the answer."

Xiao Yan's eyes gleamed.