Turmoil in the Jia Ma Empire

"Why do you get to merge with the Sea Heart Flame while I only get this Amethyst Flame? I'm definitely going to make Adoptive Father get me one too!" Xiao Yi Xian walked ahead of Xiao Yan, fuming as they made their way down the bustling street.

After Xiao Yan finished merging with the Sea Heart Flame, the Amethyst Flame, which was merely a Beast Flame, became completely useless to him. He had given the Amethyst Winged Lion King's horn to Xiao Yi Xian as well.

With Hun Tiandi's help, Xiao Yi Xian's merger with the Amethyst Flame also went smoothly. What surprised Xiao Yan most was that the Amethyst Winged Lion King's horn actually contained the Amethyst Flame's true flame seed. No wonder Yao Lao had been so insistent on obtaining that horn back then.

After merging with the Beast Flame, Xiao Yi Xian proposed taking Xiao Yan out for a stroll, and Hun Tiandi agreed.

What Xiao Yan had not expected, however, was that they were now in the Jia Ma Empire's imperial capital: Jia Ma Sacred City.

"With a wave of his hand, he took us thousands of miles away in an instant. Normally, even riding a flying Magical Beast, it would take eight days to get from Qingshan Town to Jia Ma Sacred City." Looking at the sulking Xiao Yi Xian, Xiao Yan smiled, then raised his head and swept his gaze over the magnificent imperial capital, unable to keep from marveling. Compared with Jia Ma Sacred City's immense scale, Wutan City really did seem like a backwater.

No wonder those slave merchants rarely passed through Wutan City. Selling slaves here would fetch much better prices.

Wait, slaves...

"Senior Sister, where's Qing Lin?!" Only then did Xiao Yan remember the little girl he had forgotten.

"I sent Qing Lin to the Central Plains. You'll see her again later. It's far too dangerous for a little girl from the Snake-People Tribe to stay in your Jia Ma Empire." Xiao Yi Xian waved a hand, indicating that Xiao Yan need not worry.

"Is that so?" Xiao Yan relaxed. Though Qing Lin belonged to another race, he was still very fond of the little girl.

But...

Xiao Yan looked around with a grave expression. He noticed many members of the Snake-People Tribe on the streets of Jia Ma Sacred City.

These snake-people were different from Qing Lin. Qing Lin was of mixed snake-person and human blood, and most of her physical traits were human. Those on the streets, however, were all pure-blooded snake-people without exception.

Yet every one of them bore the marks of slavery, with restriction-enchanted collars hanging around their necks.

"There are more and more snake-person slaves in the Jia Ma Empire. No wonder Qing Lin ended up being sold in a little place like our Wutan City," Xiao Yan remarked as he watched them.

He was certainly no bleeding heart, but confronted with a scene so utterly at odds with the values he had been taught, he could not help feeling moved.

Xiao Yi Xian offered no opinion. Most people struggled to empathize with beings whose appearance and habits differed from their own. Only someone like Qing Lin, a mixed-blood girl with a tragic fate and mostly human features, could stir their sympathy.

"I remember this war started because a Heavenly Flame appeared. So, shall we go temper ourselves a little? If I remember correctly, you only need one last Heavenly Flame to revive Yao Lao," Xiao Yi Xian reminded him.

"I think we should." Xiao Yan nodded, agreeing with her.

In truth, with the new body ready, Hun Tiandi could have revived Yao Chen directly. However, he seemed to regard reviving Yao Chen as one of Xiao Yan's trials and showed no intention of helping.

That suited Xiao Yan perfectly. If circumstances allowed, he still wanted to revive Yao Lao with his own hands.

Is the Great Desert our next stop? As I am now, I should have some ability to protect myself, even in a war, right? Xiao Yan quietly clenched his fists.

The two wandered through Jia Ma Sacred City, first buying quite a few outfits at a clothing shop that looked exceptionally upscale.

Of course, Xiao Yi Xian paid.

Looking at his white-robed reflection in the mirror, Xiao Yan did his best to imitate Hun Tiandi's transcendent air. His expression was kindly, yet a trace of aloofness slipped inadvertently into his eyes, sending the nearby shop assistants into a flutter.

"He's so handsome."

The shop assistants' lovestruck expressions left Xiao Yi Xian deeply displeased.

After leaving the clothing shop, Xiao Yan continued trying his hardest to imitate Hun Tiandi's detached composure, only for Xiao Yi Xian to smack him on the back of the head.

"Keep putting on airs and I'll slap you to death." Xiao Yi Xian waved her delicate hand threateningly, her cheeks puffed with irritation.

"Ha..." Xiao Yan could only give it up.

The two continued strolling down the street until, at a corner, a large gathering caught their attention.

At the center of the crowd stood an old man in extremely fine clothing, delivering a speech to the people gathered around him. Many voices rose in agreement.

Xiao Yan noticed quite a few guards around the old man, their strength ranging from Da Dou Shi to Dou Ling. Clearly, this elder was someone of considerable standing in the Jia Ma Empire.

The old man's speech concerned the recent war with the Snake-People Tribe along the empire's borders. His words were powerfully stirring, rousing the surrounding crowd to righteous indignation.

"Who is that?" Xiao Yan stopped a passerby at random to ask.

"Jia Jin. You don't recognize him? The former chancellor!" The passerby stared at Xiao Yan in bewilderment, as though he had asked a very strange question.

Jia Jin was a member of the Jia Ma Empire's Imperial Family and its previous chancellor, who had resigned just four years earlier. He was one of the empire's central figures, highly active in diplomatic dealings with the various empires, and hailed as a pillar of the present-day Jia Ma Empire.

"A big shot, then," Xiao Yan quipped.

The Jia Ma Empire had indeed once seemed like a colossus to him. But as his strength continued to grow, that former colossus no longer seemed so frightening.

Perhaps noticing Xiao Yan's gaze, Jia Jin looked his way and even gave him a kindly smile.

"His strength isn't bad. He actually picked out your gaze among all these people," Xiao Yi Xian said mildly. She had no interest in ministers of this sort and was about to pull Xiao Yan along to their next destination.

Suddenly, however, Xiao Yan noticed a furtive figure steadily approaching Jia Jin, while the guards around him remained completely unaware.

In fact, Xiao Yan was the only person present who noticed it. This was thanks to his Soul Power, which had grown immensely strong in the Netherworld.

Just as Xiao Yan hesitated over whether to warn the former chancellor, the figure suddenly sprang into action!

It really was an assassin.

The assassin abruptly raised a concealed weapon and forcefully pulled its trigger.

Bang!

Tongues of flame burst forth, and countless steel needles shot toward Jia Jin's heart, instantly riddling it like a hornet's nest.

Concealed weapon: Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needles!

Chaos erupted instantly. The onlookers scattered in every direction, while the guards only just reacted. Two Dou Ling immediately rushed forward and subdued the assassin.

But the former chancellor, Jia Jin, had already collapsed in a pool of blood. A gaping hole of mangled flesh lay where his heart had been. He was clearly dead beyond any doubt.

An assassination? Xiao Yan felt his thoughts tumble into disarray. The former chancellor had been assassinated during a war. This was bound to throw the empire into turmoil, and even the Xiao Clan in distant Wutan City would inevitably be affected.