The next day.
As the first rays of morning sunlight streamed through the window and fell upon the bed, Xiao Yan, who had slept soundly all night, slowly awoke.
The deep sleep completely banished the fatigue Xiao Yan had accumulated over the past month and a half, leaving him feeling much lighter, both physically and mentally. He hadn't felt this comfortable feeling in a long time.
"It's time to go into the city and take a look. I wonder how long it will take for the ship to be repaired."
When I stepped outside, the streets outside the tavern were already packed with pedestrians, and the noise was deafening; the whole city was bustling with another day.
Walking among the crowd, Xiao Yan, dressed in a black robe and with a slender figure, was inconspicuous, but his keen eyesight was something that ordinary people did not possess.
In the city center, there is not only a post station set up by Dragon Marsh Workshop, but also the manager of Dragon Marsh Workshop. By going there, Xiao Yan can obtain some information that he wants to know.
In a short while, a large area of pavilions in the city center came into Xiao Yan's view. Without exception, all of these pavilions bore the sign of Dragon Marsh Workshop. Moreover, this area occupied the best location in North Army City. It has to be said that Dragon Marsh Workshop's move was quite extravagant!
He couldn't help but exclaim in amazement. Just as Xiao Yan continued forward, a sharp aura suddenly came from the end of the street behind him. The owner of that aura was none other than a Seven-Star Dou Di!
At this moment, the latter was flying through the air, his feet landing unceremoniously on the shoulders of the pedestrians in front of him, using the momentum to propel himself forward.
Although this person's behavior seemed domineering, most people in the city chose to endure it in the face of the latter's strength. In particular, some passersby who knew this person cast disgusted and fearful glances at him.
Seeing the figure rapidly approaching from behind, the passersby beside Xiao Yan consciously stepped back, and in the blink of an eye, only Xiao Yan remained on the street.
With a frown, Xiao Yan was about to dodge when the figure actually arrived above Xiao Yan's head and stomped down heavily without any hesitation, this time directly hitting the top of Xiao Yan's head.
"Be a good stepping stone for me, I don't want to get my shoes dirty."
A sharp and domineering voice came from above. The figure showed no regard for others' feelings and went his own way, with a heavy foot about to stomp down.
"Snort."
With a low, cold snort, the person above him moved quickly, but Xiao Yan was even faster.
Just as the foot was about to land, Xiao Yan suddenly punched upwards, slamming it hard into the sole of the figure's foot. Terrifying power surged outwards instantly, and with a soft cracking sound, the figure's entire leg above Xiao Yan's head twisted and broke, and a look of pain instantly appeared on the figure's face.
"Ah!"
He never expected that he, who was always untouchable in North Army City, would actually kick a hornet's nest today, and that the force of that hornet's rebound would be so terrifying.
The figure was sent flying backward uncontrollably, then crashed heavily onto the street, letting out a painful groan that drew the attention of passersby.
Seeing this person punished, many passersby secretly laughed bitterly, thinking that this person's fate was truly self-inflicted.
"You're dirtier than your shoes."
With a disdainful sneer, Xiao Yan flicked his sleeves, stood with his hands behind his back, and his eyes were filled with coldness.
"You bastard! You dare hurt me? I'll kill you!"
Despite the intense pain in his legs, the figure struggled to his feet, and with a flick of his sleeve, a sharp beam Dou Qi shot forward, directly towards Xiao Yan.
In response, Xiao Yan casually raised his hand and flicked his finger, sending an invisible force shooting forward that easily annihilated his opponent's attack.
Damn it!
He cursed angrily, then raised his head, revealing the face of a middle-aged man with thin, bony skin and sunken eyes. He looked like someone who lacked energy, and one could imagine how he spent his days.
His hands quickly formed a hand seal, and a vast amount of Spiritual Strength surged from between his brows, transforming into golden light that condensed into a small array in front of him. Then, a sharp golden light shot out from it, once again meeting Xiao Yan's attack.
"Oh? So he's a formation master. What a pity, he's unambitious and spends his days in debauchery. A good-for-nothing."
With a casual glance, Xiao Yan felt nothing but disdain for this kind of person.
With a wave of his sleeve, an invisible force surged forward, transforming into a storm that instantly obliterated the golden light. The terrifying power easily shattered the array formed in front of the middle-aged man. Then, the invisible force transformed into a sharp blade, which fell before the middle-aged man's throat.
The latter was immediately terrified and was about to retaliate when a chilling voice slowly escaped from Xiao Yan's mouth.
If you dare to move again, I'll take your head.
The moment the words fell, the middle-aged man's body trembled violently, and an invisible blade trembled as well, leaving a shocking bloodstain on his neck. This caused the latter's body to freeze in place like a statue, completely still.
"Sir, I hope you can show mercy!"
However, at that very moment, behind Xiao Yan, on the side of Dragon Marsh Workshop with his back to him, a shout rang out, followed by several whooshing sounds. In the blink of an eye, four figures resembling old men appeared on Xiao Yan's left and right sides.
One of the elderly men, dressed in a yellow robe, quickly cupped his hands to Xiao Yan and said respectfully:
"Sir, Master Jin is a formation master whom Dragon Marsh Workshop invited to repair the ship. We hope you can release him for the sake of Dragon Marsh Workshop. After all, the ship is related to the journey of many people to the North Sea, so we hope you can prioritize the interests of the majority of people in the city."
As soon as the old man said this, many pedestrians on the street unconsciously turned their gazes to Xiao Yan. There were so many people in the city waiting for the ship to be repaired. If Xiao Yan were to kill this so-called Master Jin, he would inevitably become the target of everyone's hatred. In that case, it would be a loss for him.
So, this guy surnamed Jin can't be killed easily. Everyone frowned. They did hope that Jin would pay the price, but as things stand, their idea wouldn't work.
This caused Xiao Yan to frown slightly as well. When the old man noticed this, he immediately pressed his advantage and spoke again.
"Sir, you must also be a traveler heading to sea. In that case, please prioritize your itinerary and don't let this small matter delay your journey!"
"Hmph, kid, if you have the guts, kill me. You'll become the target of everyone's ire and pay the price! Huang Quan, let me tell you, I'll forgo half my payment for repairing the ship, but I absolutely will not allow him to board! Otherwise..."
"Laugh!"
A wild, eerie laugh rang out from the middle-aged man's mouth, but before he could finish speaking, an invisible blade slashed his head off with a hiss!
"I told you not to move, but you don't seem to have understood what I said."