News that the Mo Family's Black Iron Token had been stolen swept through Wutan City like a gale.
In teahouses and taverns, storytellers sent spittle flying as they spun the tale of "Xiao Yan's nighttime raid on the auction house and cunning theft of the Mo Family's token," portraying him as an extraordinary man who kept his remarkable skills hidden. The talk in the streets and alleys, however, was laced more with mockery and bewilderment.
"How could a waste at Dou Qi Third Stage possibly steal anything from the Mittel Auction House? Maybe the Mo Family lost it themselves and decided to frame him!"
"Not necessarily! Ever since his engagement was broken off, Xiao Yan's luck has been downright uncanny—he came back alive from the Magical Beast Mountain Range, escaped the Mo Family's pursuit, and now he's even dared to steal the Black Iron Token. Maybe he stumbled into some dog-shit luck and caught the eye of some master?"
"Dog-shit luck? I call it stupidity! Stealing the Black Iron Token is like poking a hornet's nest. How could the Mo Family let him off? Just watch. Within three days, they'll skin him and tear out his tendons!"
Rumors raged everywhere, gradually coalescing into a new moniker—the "Lucky Waste." It mocked his feeble cultivation while hinting at his inexplicable ability to turn danger into safety whenever he found himself cornered.
Xiao Yan had expected this and was even happy to see it happen. The label of "luck" concealed his true methods better than "strength" ever could, and it made his enemies lower their guard.
That afternoon, he sat sunning himself in his little courtyard, seemingly wiping the rusty iron sword with casual indifference. In truth, his emperor realm soul had already spread out, monitoring activity throughout the city.
The Mo Family's base was deathly silent. Clearly, Mo Feng was devoting every effort to finding the Black Iron Token, even mobilizing forces hidden in the shadows. The elder from the Misty Cloud Sect, meanwhile, had vanished like a stone sinking into the sea, revealing not the slightest trace of his presence, as though he had never appeared at all.
"You certainly know how to bide your time." Xiao Yan's lips curved slightly, and he flicked the blade with a fingertip. Where the rust flaked away, a sliver of gleaming metal showed through.
Just then, a commotion rose outside the courtyard gate, mixed with Xiao Shi's startled cries.
Xiao Yan put away the iron sword and walked slowly to the gate. Several men wearing Mo Family attire were pinning Xiao Shi to the ground. Their leader was Mo Kui, the Mo Family's second-in-command in Wutan City—a Peak Dou Master with a face covered in brutish flesh.
"Xiao Yan, get out here!" Mo Kui planted a foot on Xiao Shi's back and barked, "Hand over the Black Iron Token, and I'll spare this servant's worthless life! Otherwise, I'll cripple him right now!"
Xiao Shi's face was deathly pale with pain, but he gritted his teeth and said, "My young master didn't steal anything from you! You... let me go!"
Quite a few Xiao Clan disciples had already gathered around. Every face was angry, but fear of the Mo Family's power kept them from stepping forward.
Xiao Yan pushed open the courtyard gate, displaying just the right amount of "shock," "anger," and "panic." "What are you doing? Let him go! If you have a problem, come at me!"
"Come at you? Gladly!" Mo Kui lifted his foot with a savage grin and advanced toward Xiao Yan, step by step. "Hand over the Black Iron Token, then cut off one of your own arms, and we'll call this matter settled! Otherwise, not only will you die, the entire Xiao Clan will be buried with you!"
He deliberately raised his voice, clearly hoping to make Xiao Yan lose his composure in front of everyone—and, ideally, expose a flaw in his concealed strength.
Putting on a show of bravado that masked inner fear, Xiao Yan stepped back and tightened his grip on the rusty iron sword. "I'll say it again. I didn't take your Black Iron Token! Don't push this too far!"
"You didn't?" Mo Kui sneered and abruptly stepped forward. His Peak Dou Master aura erupted, bearing down on Xiao Yan. "Then do you dare let me search you? If I don't find it, I'll apologize!"
That was precisely his scheme—whether he found anything or not, once he got close, he could seize the chance to severely injure Xiao Yan, venting his anger while testing whether the young man truly possessed hidden strength.
The surrounding Xiao Clan disciples held their breath. Even Xiao Zhan and Xiao Li, watching from a distance, knitted their brows.
Watching Mo Kui approach, Xiao Yan's eyes flashed coldly, but outwardly, he retreated again and again in "terror." His feet stumbled, as though he was about to fall.
The instant Mo Kui reached out to grab him, the rusty iron sword in Xiao Yan's hand "just happened" to slip free, its hilt slamming into the back of Mo Kui's knee.
With a faint crack, Mo Kui felt the back of his knee go numb. His balance immediately faltered, and his hulking body pitched forward, crashing straight into an Old Locust Tree nearby.
Thud!
The trunk shook violently, and several dead leaves fluttered down. Mo Kui's forehead struck the tree, instantly raising a large lump, while blood streamed from his nose.
The entire scene fell silent.
Everyone stared, dumbfounded—no one had imagined that Mo Kui, a Peak Dou Master, would be sent crashing down by a "Dou Qi Third Stage" waste in such an almost comical fashion.
Clutching his forehead, Mo Kui was both shocked and furious. "You're courting death!"
He roared and lunged again, his fist whipping up a fierce wind. This time, he was clearly enraged in earnest.
Xiao Yan dodged in "wild panic," but his foot seemed to catch on something. He toppled backward, happening to crash into a water jar beside him.
The jar shattered on impact, spilling water across the ground, which happened to flow beneath Mo Kui's feet.
Mo Kui slipped and lost his balance again. This time was even worse: he landed flat on his back with all four limbs in the air, splashing muddy water everywhere.
"Hahaha!" The surrounding Xiao Clan disciples could not help bursting into laughter.
Mo Kui lay in the muddy water, drenched and utterly bedraggled, glaring at Xiao Yan as though fire might shoot from his eyes. He could not understand it. He clearly held an overwhelming advantage, yet he kept making a fool of himself, as though some unseen force was working against him.
"Th-this... isn't his luck a little too good?" someone muttered.
"Exactly! Mo Kui attacked twice, and he 'accidentally' dodged both times, leaving Mo Kui in that sorry state instead..."
"I told you he was the 'Lucky Waste.' Looks like I was right!"
Hearing their remarks, Mo Kui trembled with rage. He struggled to his feet, ready to unleash a killing move regardless of the consequences.
"Enough!"
A stern shout rang out. Xiao Zhan strode over with Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, his gaze icy as he looked at Mo Kui. "A member of the Mo Family dares run wild inside my Xiao Clan Residence? Do you truly think our clan has no one to stand against you?"
Xiao Zhan was a Dou Wang expert. The moment he released his aura, Mo Kui felt as though Mount Tai were crushing down upon his head. His newly kindled killing intent vanished instantly, leaving only fear.
"C-Clan Head Xiao, he stole our Mo Family's Black Iron Token..." Mo Kui forced himself to argue.
"Where is your evidence?" Xiao Zhan asked coldly. "Without evidence, you dare injure someone in my Xiao Clan and even try to kill my son? Unless you give me an explanation today, don't think you can leave!"
Mo Kui looked into Xiao Zhan's icy eyes, then glanced at the Xiao Clan disciples glaring around him. He knew nothing good would come of staying. Shooting Xiao Yan a venomous glare, he threw out a parting "We'll see about this," and slunk away with his men.
The disturbance seemed to have ended, but the watching Xiao Clan disciples now looked at Xiao Yan differently—with surprise, curiosity, and, above all, disbelief.
"Third Brother, are you all right?" Xiao Ding hurried forward to help the "still-shaken" Xiao Yan to his feet.
"I... I'm fine." Xiao Yan panted, his face still showing "lingering fear." "That was close. Thank goodness for that water jar..."
The more he emphasized his "luck," the more everyone believed he truly was lucky.
Back in the study, Xiao Zhan looked at Xiao Yan with a complicated expression. "Were those two incidents really coincidences?"
Xiao Yan nodded, looking "bewildered." "Yes. I don't know what happened either. He just fell over on his own."
Xiao Li suddenly spoke. "Whether they were coincidences or not, this 'Lucky Waste' reputation might be good for you. Although the Mo Family suffered a setback, they probably won't act rashly again in the immediate future. That gives us a chance to catch our breath."
Xiao Zhan pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Li is right. But you must still be careful. Mo Feng is sinister and cunning. After suffering this setback, he'll certainly find some other way to retaliate."
Xiao Yan agreed, but he knew perfectly well that neither of Mo Kui's humiliations had been a coincidence.
The first time, his seemingly accidental strike with the sword hilt had actually been precisely guided by his soul power, hitting the vulnerable spot behind Mo Kui's knee. The second time, he had timed his collision with the water jar to the exact instant Mo Kui stepped forward, using the flowing water to shift his opponent's center of gravity.
Everything had been done seamlessly, without a single loose thread. To an outsider, it was nothing but pure "luck."
Night fell. Xiao Yan stood before the window, gazing toward the Mo Family's base. He knew Mo Feng would never let the matter rest, and the hidden Misty Cloud Sect elder would surely glean something from this clash as well.
Sure enough, late that night, a faint fluctuation of soul power rose from the direction of the Mo Family's base. It swiftly swept across the Xiao Clan Residence before settling above Xiao Yan's little courtyard. It lingered there briefly, then silently dispersed.
"Finally couldn't resist?" A cold smile curled Xiao Yan's lips.
Although that fluctuation of soul power was subtle, it could not escape the perception of his emperor realm soul—it was indeed the Misty Cloud Sect elder! Clearly, he wanted to use Xiao Yan's clash with the Mo Family to investigate his true strength.
And Xiao Yan's performance of resolving the crisis through "luck" had undoubtedly left him even more baffled—and more wary.
"Good. The less you can see through me, the less readily you'll dare act." A sharp gleam flashed through Xiao Yan's eyes. "Next, it's my turn to take the initiative."
He took the half-piece of the Flame Jade Pendant from his Storage Ring, gently tracing its patterns with his fingertips. Since the Misty Cloud Sect elder cared so much about the Jade Pendant, he did not mind "accidentally" letting its aura leak out once more, just to see how the elder would react.
The night deepened, and beneath the moniker of the "Lucky Waste," Wutan City's undercurrents surged ever more fiercely.
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