A feast with murderous intent

If Xiao Yan had not still been lying in his coffin, he would surely have sneezed. After all, he was the one who had started these rumors.

Xiao Yan had gone so far as to make himself a piece on the board, all to root out every threat in Wutan City and allow the Xiao Clan to continue growing.

Now that he had reached the Dou Shi level, staying here would leave him sorely lacking in both resources and experience.

Thus, Xiao Yan planned to leave Wutan City and venture into the wider world once he completed his coming-of-age ceremony.

His eldest and second brothers had established a mercenary company in the desert northeast of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, and Xiao Yan intended to visit them first.

But all of that would have to wait until the Xiao Clan had fully consolidated the three great families of Wutan City.

"Ah, my worthy nephew! How could you meet such a fate at such a tender age? Heaven truly envies the gifted."

At the funeral, a jarring voice suddenly rang out.

The man leading the group was Jia Lie Bi of the Jia Lie Family. Four people followed him, including the family's other two Da Dou Shi, Jia Lie Hu and Jia Lie Xiu.

The remaining two were Jia Lie Bi's son, Jia Lie Ao, and a bald guard at the Peak Dou Master level.

Jia Lie Bi's words dripped with sorrow, but everyone knew this was a cat weeping over a dead mouse.

"Who invited you here? You aren't welcome. Get out!"

Although Xiao Mei had only seven stages of Dou Power, she still dared to rebuke even a Da Dou Shi.

Her words also drew the attention of many Xiao Clan members to the Jia Lie Family's arrival.

Only a handful of people knew that Xiao Yan had faked his death. The many Xiao Clan members who did not know the truth erupted in indignation, believing that the Jia Lie Family had truly killed him, and greeted them with open hostility.

"Enough. Those who come are guests. Since they have come to attend Xiao Yan's funeral, they are our guests. Do not be rude."

Xiao Lie, the Xiao Clan's first elder, wore an icy expression, but as the first elder, he still had to observe this much courtesy.

"Hahaha! It seems the Xiao Clan has quite a few misunderstandings about me. Still, that's hardly surprising, given how many years our three families have competed with one another. This time, however, I truly came in good faith."

With that, Jia Lie Bi had his two brothers present their condolence offering: a full ten thousand gold coins, practically the largest sum offered by any force in attendance.

Jia Lie Ao, meanwhile, had focused all his attention on Xiao Mei.

Though the girl was still young, the makings of a beauty were already faintly apparent.

His lecherous gaze roamed brazenly over her body, as though he had already decided when to add her to his collection.

Xiao Mei felt nothing but disgust at Jia Lie Ao's behavior.

"If you keep letting your eyes wander, I'll gouge them out!"

Before Xiao Mei could step forward, however, the bald guard had already moved in front of Jia Lie Ao. His aura alone forced her back several steps.

He was at the Peak Dou Master level, far beyond anything Xiao Mei, with her seven stages of Dou Power, could match.

Jia Lie Ao was immensely pleased. The guard his father had found for him really was powerful.

Although Jia Lie Ao was a Two-Star Dou Zhe, even after the Jia Lie Family poured so many resources into him, he had only barely advanced to Dou Zhe at twenty-one.

Even with the Jia Lie Family's focused support, the most he could achieve in his lifetime was the Dou Shi level.

"Enough! Today is Xiao Yan's funeral. Whatever grudges you have, set them aside, or don't blame me for throwing all of you out!"

The normally amiable First Elder Xiao Lie finally lost his temper. Seeing his anger, the other Xiao Clan members no longer dared to act out.

Jia Lie Bi did not push his luck either. He merely smiled and walked inside.

What concerned him most was whether Xiao Yan was truly dead.

The others in Jia Lie Bi's group took their seats, while he rose and headed toward Xiao Yan's mourning hall.

Only Xiao Clan members were allowed near it, however. Outsiders could go no farther than the main hall.

But Jia Lie Bi was a three-star Da Dou Shi, with an exceptionally keen eye. Even from a hundred meters away, he could clearly see the youth inside the ice coffin.

The youth's face was pale, and he lay quietly in the ice coffin as though asleep.

Only upon seeing this did Jia Lie Bi finally relax. Then he could not help feeling a pang of regret. What a pity the boy was not his own son.

At that moment, Jia Lie Ao was flirting with a voluptuous, dark-skinned maid serving tea.

The sight left Jia Lie Bi utterly helpless. Why was there such a gulf between someone else's son and his own?

Just then, the Ao Ba Family's representatives arrived. Jia Lie Bi stopped paying attention to Xiao Yan and turned to meet them.

Yet the Ao Ba Family's patriarch had not come. Instead, he had sent his younger brother, Aoba Rui, the family's other Da Dou Shi.

Jia Lie Bi frowned, somewhat displeased.

Oba Pa had clearly agreed to come with him. Why had he suddenly backed out at this critical moment?

"Brother Aoba Rui! Why don't I see Brother Oba Pa?"

Jia Lie Bi approached Aoba Rui to speak with him. The latter wore a regretful expression. "My apologies. My elder brother unfortunately fell ill yesterday and is now barely able to get out of bed, so I have come on his behalf."

Fell ill?

Jia Lie Bi did not believe a word of that excuse. He guessed that Oba Pa was simply too frightened to come.

And it was precisely Oba Pa's failure to keep his word that gave Jia Lie Bi a faint sense of foreboding.

"I see. Actually, I also had to take time out of a very busy schedule to come today. It seems we ought to be heading back."

Jia Lie Bi called to his two brothers, intending to leave early.

His son, however, was still flirting with the dark-skinned maid and plainly had no intention of leaving.

"That useless brat! Hurry up and bring him over. We're leaving!"

Jia Lie Bi's eyelid kept twitching, and he could not shake the feeling that something was about to happen.

But it was already too late. Demon Steel Walls descended on all four sides of the venue, sealing it off completely.

Every guest in the hall jumped in fright, and panic spread through the crowd.

"What's going on?"

"What happened?"

Just then, Xiao Zhan appeared. "Everyone, the Jia Lie Family and the Ao Ba Family dared to assassinate my son in broad daylight, causing Xiao Yan to die of his injuries. Today's funeral is not only my son's funeral, but also the funeral of these old villains from those two families!"

"Anyone uninvolved may step aside to avoid being caught in the crossfire. Today, I, Xiao Zhan, will not rest until either that old villain Jia Lie Bi or I am dead!"

Only now did the assembled guests realize the true purpose of this funeral.

As for evidence and the like, none of that mattered in a situation like this. On the Dou Qi Continent, strength reigned supreme.

Only those who walked out of here alive would have the right to decide how these events were told.

Jia Lie Bi's expression darkened. He had not expected the Xiao Clan to truly have the nerve to ambush and kill him here.

Fortunately, he had prepared for this possibility and secretly brought along one of his family's spirit pets.

That spirit pet was a rank-three magical beast with the strength of a Da Dou Shi. With the three Da Dou Shi on his side and Aoba Rui from the Ao Ba Family, they had a total of five Da Dou Shi-level combatants. They had no reason to fear the Xiao Clan.

"Aah!"

Yet just as Jia Lie Bi focused all his attention on Xiao Zhan, Jia Lie Xiu let out a scream.

The bald guard had driven a short sword straight through Jia Lie Xiu's chest.

Before the battle had even begun, their side had already lost a Da Dou Shi!