A Plea for Help! Hai Bodong's Rescue

Normally, he would have simply turned around and returned to the Tagor Desert to immerse himself in studying the map again. But recalling Xiao Yan's request that day, he had no choice but to remain in the Imperial City and protect the Xiao Clan.

Yet after being abducted by that ruthless, venomous woman, how miserable a fate awaited the boy... went without saying.

"E-Elder Hai!!"

Just as Hai Bodong was sighing, a figure flashed into view. Mittel Tengshan rushed inside, clutching an envelope, a hint of excitement in his eyes. "A letter arrived from the Snake-People Tribe! I saw Xiao Yan's name at the end—the young friend you've been thinking about all this time."

"What?!!" Hai Bodong's pupils contracted. He snatched the envelope, tore it open, and pulled out a sheet of white paper.

After reading it, however, he froze on the spot.

Curious, Mittel Tengshan leaned over and read the contents. It essentially mentioned the Barrier-Breaking Pill and their five-year agreement, and said that the mysterious young Xiao Yan would marry Queen Medusa before returning to the imperial capital.

Hmm...

Mittel Tengshan nodded slightly. It seemed this young Xiao Yan was a man of his word. Elder Hai's half-year wait had not been in vain.

But as he mulled over those words, his gaze gradually turned blank. Wait... did I just notice something important? Marriage? To Queen Medusa?!!

Who?!!!

Teng Shan swallowed, looking in disbelief at the equally rigid Elder Hai. "Elder Hai, should we go offer our congratulations on young Xiao Yan's wedding?"

"Congratulations, my ass!" Hai Bodong snapped out of his daze, his face flushing with embarrassment and anger. "That brat is mocking me! A wedding, of all things! He's lucky Queen Medusa didn't see this letter, or she'd probably cut him into dozens of pieces."

"I know all too well how vicious that woman is." Remembering the venomous woman who had sealed his cultivation and nearly cut off his head, he found the memory of his desperate escape nothing short of a nightmare.

Hai Bodong shuddered, but his gaze gradually cleared.

That brat is reminding me to save him!

He had even written something as absurd as getting married. It had to be a coded message.

Though Hai Bodong could not fathom why the brat had dared write such a thing without fearing that the Snake-People messenger would notice and report it to Medusa, he soon decided that it was... a plea for help.

But rescuing him... was naturally impossible with his current cultivation. Even bringing Teng Shan along would only drag the Mittel Family into trouble. The Snake-People Tribe could rival any one of the four great empires.

"Wait!" Excitement flashed through Hai Bodong's eyes. He glanced at the letter again and found two words... Heavenly Flames.

Back beneath the desert, it had been because of the Heavenly Flames that Medusa had taken Xiao Yan away.

Then I'll borrow someone else's blade. Who is most interested in Heavenly Flames?

Pill King Gu He, of course!

I'll just say Medusa stole the Heavenly Flames. There's no way that fellow won't gather his friends and head to the Snake-People Tribe to seize them. Then I can rescue the boy amid the chaos. Perfect!

Hai Bodong clapped his hands, delighted.

He hurried out to find Pill King Gu He, leaving behind a thoroughly bewildered Teng Shan.

"Right, judging by what that girl in Wutan City said, this is the same Xiao Yan. What a shame the Snake-People Tribe abducted him. Otherwise..." Teng Shan shook his head regretfully.

Otherwise, the Mittel Family had plenty of young women of marriageable age, especially Ya Fei. That girl had captivated the neighboring Mu Family's boy so completely that he had come several times begging Teng Shan to tell him where she was.

A sixteen-year-old Third-Rank—no, Fourth-Rank Alchemist. His future achievements would certainly rival Pill King Gu He's!

"Alas..."

"It's a letter from Little Yanzi!"

The Xiao Clan.

Inside a courtyard belonging to the Mittel Family, everyone gathered around at Xiao Li's shout.

"It's addressed to Father and Eldest Brother."

Xiao Ding took the letter and read it carefully, his expression growing increasingly strange. Rather than a letter, it was more of an invitation...

An invitation for their father and him to attend a wedding in the Snake-People Tribe.

And it was Xiao Yan's wedding to Medusa.

The sheer absurdity stunned Xiao Ding at first glance. Queen Medusa was so vicious that her presence kept several neighboring empires in line. Though extraordinarily beautiful, almost everyone who had seen her had died at her hands.

He now suspected that someone had imitated his younger brother's handwriting to lure their whole family into captivity among the Snake-People Tribe, then force his brother to work for them.

"I'll go," Xiao Zhan said slowly.

Seeing everyone's eyes turn toward him, Xiao Zhan sighed softly. "Whether it's a trap or not, I have to go."

"I can still recognize my own son's handwriting. Ding'er and Li'er will stay here to guard the Xiao Clan. If anything happens to Yan'er and me, don't concern yourselves with us, and don't seek revenge. Simply keep a low profile and bide your time..." Xiao Zhan spoke calmly, his expression composed.

At his words, the elders' faces filled with sorrow.

The Xiao Clan had finally produced a genius, only for him to suffer such a troubled fate.

Jia Nan Academy.

Inside a secluded courtyard.

A breathtakingly beautiful girl in a pale green dress sat cross-legged on a clean stone platform. Her black hair reached her waist, and even without makeup, she resembled an immortal maiden descended from the heavens. The pale green Dou Qi surrounding her gradually gathered back into her body, fading away in glimmers of light.

One-star Dou Ling.

She slowly opened her eyes and glanced beyond the courtyard, her red lips parting. "Speak. Is there any news of Brother Xiao Yan?"

As her voice fell, a dark figure rose from the shadows.

Ling Ying slowly cupped his fists, his expression somewhat strange.

"Young miss, there is some..."

"Tell me." Ripples instantly disturbed Xiao Xun'er's cool, tranquil gaze, and her tone grew slightly urgent.

"Young Master Xiao Yan was abducted half a year ago by Medusa, the queen of the Snake-People Tribe, and intends to... ahem, get married soon."

Ling Ying coughed softly.

Crack!

The next instant, the teacup in Xiao Xun'er's hands was crushed to powder. The corner of her eye twitched involuntarily, and dark lines appeared across her fair forehead.

An almost tangible killing intent enveloped her, terrifying in its intensity.

"What did you say?!!"

Ling Ying wiped the sweat from his forehead. Even though he had broken through to the Dou Zong realm and become a Three-Star Dou Zong, he still felt a bone-deep sense of pressure and fear before his young miss.

"According to the information I gathered, that is indeed the case. The Snake-People Tribe saw Young Master Xiao Yan's exceptional talent for alchemy, forcibly abducted him into their ranks, and imposed a marriage alliance on him..."

Ling Ying glanced at the stunning girl beside him, whose eyes brimmed with murderous intent, and sighed inwardly. His young miss ordinarily remained composed no matter what happened. Only matters involving Young Master Xiao Yan could make her lose her composure like this.

"The Snake-People Tribe. Good. Very good..."

Xiao Xun'er gazed into the distance, her voice tinged with teeth-gritting fury.

The Misty Cloud Sect.

Amid drifting clouds and mist, hundreds of boys and girls in snow-white training clothes swung their swords in perfect unison. Confidence shone on every face, their sword techniques elegant yet forceful.

Several figures strolled along a covered walkway on the mountain, seeming to tread upon the clouds as they looked down at the hundreds of youths whose attire and movements were remarkably uniform.

"The Misty Cloud Sect truly deserves its reputation as the foremost sect in the Jia Ma Empire."

The middle-aged man at the front smiled warmly and nodded.

"You flatter us, Pill King." Beside him, an exceptionally beautiful woman in ornate white robes spoke coolly, deliberately keeping some distance between them.

"Hehe... are you still unwilling to accept me, Yun'er?" A bitter smile touched Gu He's lips. As the Pill King, he had received the affections of countless outstanding women over the years, yet the beauty before him alone...

"Have you misunderstood something, Pill King?" Yun Yun's delicate brows drew together slightly. "Also, please address me by my full name. Don't be overly familiar. I wouldn't want others to misunderstand."

"..." Disappointment flashed through Gu He's eyes, then quickly faded. A smile appeared on his face, as though he did not mind at all.

At their side, regret flickered in Yun Leng's eyes.

If the sect master gave her heart to Pill King Gu He, the Misty Cloud Sect would gain a Sixth-Rank Alchemist. Even the Jia Ma Imperial Family, which had previously been evenly matched with them, would no longer be able to challenge the sect once Gu He joined.

But... the previous sect master had entered secluded cultivation from which he might never emerge, his fate unknown. No one could intervene in this matter, and even Yun Leng lacked the authority.

"Yanran."

Yun Yun called softly to the disciples below.

The strikingly beautiful girl at their head slowly stopped what she was doing. Glancing at the formation behind her, she waved a hand and said calmly, "Continue."

"Yes, Senior Sister Yanran!"

A young man behind her cupped his fists, took Nalan Yanran's place, and continued leading the Misty Cloud Sect disciples through their sword exercises.

With a few swift movements, Nalan Yanran arrived beside Yun Yun and respectfully greeted each of them.

"Teacher, did you need me?"

"How is your cultivation progressing?" At the sight of her prized disciple, some of the indifference in Yun Yun's eyes faded, and a faint smile appeared.

"Peak Nine-Star Dou Shi!" Nalan Yanran answered softly. Though her expression seemed calm, a trace of pride flashed in her eyes.

She was only one step away from becoming a Da Dou Shi.

A Da Dou Shi under twenty—throughout the entire Jia Ma Empire, no one could compare except Yun Shan and Yun Yun in their younger days.

"No wonder Liu Ling has been telling me lately that your cultivation is advancing so quickly even he can't hope to keep up. No wonder..." Gu He said with a smile.

"You flatter me, Pill King," Nalan Yanran replied respectfully.

"All right. Guard against arrogance and impatience. Back then, you pestered me for days, insisting on breaking your engagement to that boy from the Xiao Clan, and I agreed. But canceling the engagement was inherently humiliating for the Xiao Clan, so it was perfectly understandable that they refused the pills. Don't resent them for it. When the time comes for your three-year agreement with that boy, show him some consideration. Just don't let him lose too miserably..." Yun Yun sighed softly.

What an ill-fated bond.

She had not wanted to get involved, precisely because she feared others would accuse the Misty Cloud Sect of throwing its weight around. But the girl was her own disciple, after all.

"Yes..." Nalan Yanran nodded, her slender neck dipping gracefully. The boy's face resurfaced in her memory, though it had grown considerably fainter.

No matter how calmly he had handled it, she did not regret breaking off the engagement that day.

"And, Pill King, since you intend to go to the desert to demand the Heavenly Flames from Queen Medusa, let us set out in half a month. The Snake-People Tribe has many formidable experts, and Queen Medusa herself is a Peak Dou Emperor. I need some time to prepare as well." Yun Yun glanced at Gu He and spoke softly.

"In that case, I won't trouble you any further." Gu He smiled, turned, and left.