A Three-Star Dou Zhe had died at Xiao Yan's hands, just like that.
The sight froze everyone fighting in the marketplace in their tracks.
The eyes of the Jia Lie Family and Ao Ba Family members flashed with intense killing intent.
With talent like that, they could not rest easy unless Xiao Yan died!
"The clan leader is here!"
A cry of surprise rang out from outside the marketplace, and a large group of Xiao Clan disciples hurried over. At their head was a dignified-looking middle-aged man whose presence commanded respect even without anger. The Xiao Clan disciples around him greeted him respectfully:
"Clan leader!"
Xiao Yan watched Xiao Zhan approach with the crowd, feeling a little guilty. Surely the Xiao Clan leader couldn't tell he wasn't his biological son...
Xiao Zhan arrived at the marketplace with the Xiao Clan and immediately took control of the situation. The imposing presence he gave off kept the Jia Lie Family and Ao Ba Family members from acting rashly.
"Yan'er, are you all right?"
Xiao Zhan walked up to Xiao Yan and glanced at the Jia Lie Family guard before him, who had been almost completely turned into an ice sculpture. A flicker of surprise and excitement passed through his eyes.
He burst out laughing and reached out to pat Xiao Yan on the shoulder.
"Ahem..."
Despite the protection of his Soul Armor, the young man's final palm strike had indeed injured Xiao Yan, though the injury was not fatal.
"Father, it's nothing serious..."
Xiao Yan coughed twice and swallowed the taste of blood in his throat.
Xiao Zhan narrowed his eyes as he looked at Xiao Yan and nodded gently. Then he turned toward the now-surrounded members of the Jia Lie Family and Ao Ba Family, killing intent flickering in his eyes.
"Clan Leader Xiao, what do you mean by having your Xiao Clan surround our people?"
Just then, two more groups approached from the distance.
Xiao Zhan frowned slightly. The newcomers were none other than the leaders of the Jia Lie Family and Ao Ba Family.
"Jia Lie Bi! Oba Pa!"
Xiao Zhan stepped forward and stood before the Xiao Clan members, his gaze sharp.
"I was about to ask what you two families meant by attacking my Xiao Clan!"
"Hmm?"
As Xiao Zhan finished speaking, faint cyan Dou Qi gathered over his body. A furious lion seemed to appear behind him, roaring toward Jia Lie Bi and Oba Pa. Sound waves spread outward, along with the presence of a Five-Star Da Dou Shi.
Sensing Xiao Zhan's strength, Jia Lie Bi and Oba Pa's expressions changed. They exchanged a glance, and Oba Pa was the first to back down.
"Surely you must be joking, Clan Leader Xiao? My Ao Ba Family's people only came here to buy supplies. It was all just a misunderstanding."
Now that Xiao Zhan had appeared, Oba Pa no longer wanted to worsen the conflict.
After all, the Ao Ba Family's main business in Wutan City was underground gambling dens, and its conflicts with the Xiao Clan and Jia Lie Family were not particularly pronounced.
If he had not feared that Xiao Yan's future development would affect the Ao Ba Family, Oba Pa would never have chosen to cooperate with Jia Lie Bi.
Now that the plan had failed, Oba Pa was naturally the first to distance himself from it.
After all, the Jia Lie Family and the Xiao Clan were locked in a genuine struggle for the market, an irreconcilable conflict. If the two fought, he might even reap the fisherman's profits.
"Oh?"
Sure enough, Xiao Zhan's attention immediately shifted, and he aimed his spearhead straight at Jia Lie Bi.
"Jia Lie Bi, are you saying your family wants to go to war with my Xiao Clan?"
Xiao Zhan's gaze was cold, and the Xiao Clan disciples behind him glared just as fiercely. At a single command from Xiao Zhan, they looked ready to rush forward as one.
Looking at the numerous and powerful Xiao Clan disciples, Jia Lie Bi could only curse Oba Pa inwardly for trimming his sails to the wind.
But Jia Lie Bi also knew that if he went to war with the Xiao Clan outright, the Jia Lie Family would inevitably be the one to suffer in the end.
If the Xiao Clan had not been so powerful, he would not have sought an ally in Oba Pa.
"Xiao Zhan, the facts are right before your eyes. Look for yourself! Xiao Yan struck first and killed my nephew Jia Lie Qi. Your Xiao Clan must give me an explanation!"
Jia Lie Bi's gaze swept over the lifeless Jia Lie Qi on the ground, and he turned the tables, demanding an explanation from Xiao Zhan.
Xiao Zhan turned his gaze to Jia Lie Qi's corpse nearby, then looked at Xiao Yan and asked:
"Yan'er, did you kill him?"
"No."
"Jia Lie Bi, you heard him. Your Jia Lie Qi was not killed by my son." Xiao Zhan stood with his hands behind his back and his head held high.
Jia Lie Bi's eyes widened. Pointing at Jia Lie Qi's corpse on the ground, he said bitterly:
"Then, Clan Leader Xiao, do you mean to say Jia Lie Qi killed himself?"
"Perhaps?"
Xiao Zhan spoke indifferently, addressing the Jia Lie Family and Ao Ba Family members. "You two still haven't left. Could it be you want me to entertain you?"
When Xiao Zhan finished speaking, his gaze moved back and forth between the two men.
"You!"
Jia Lie Bi looked Xiao Zhan over with hatred, nearly grinding his teeth to pieces. In the end, he could only swallow his anger and leave with the Jia Lie Family's people.
Oba Pa was more tactful. He cupped his hands to Xiao Zhan and said:
"Hehe, Clan Leader Xiao, I really did come to buy supplies."
With that, Oba Pa made a token gesture of picking up a random item from a nearby stall. Only after tossing down several gold coins did he leave with the Ao Ba Family's people.
Xiao Zhan watched the two families depart, and the Xiao Clan disciples began cleaning up the marketplace.
But when they carried away the Jia Lie Family guard's corpse, the disciples still could not help looking Xiao Yan over curiously.
They could hardly imagine that Xiao Yan, only ten years old, had single-handedly killed a Three-Star Dou Zhe.
"Yan'er, you two come with me."
Paying no attention to what was happening outside, Xiao Zhan spoke to Xiao Yan and Xun'er, then led the way toward a nearby pavilion belonging to the Xiao Clan.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan turned to look at Xun'er beside him. She gave him a playful smile and gave him a push.
"Let's go, Brother Xiao Yan. You really made Xun'er see you in a new light today..."
Stepping into the pavilion, Xiao Yan saw Xiao Zhan sitting ahead, his eyes full of surprise.
"Father."
Xiao Yan bowed and stood to one side. For now, he could only speak less to make fewer mistakes. After all, he did not know how Xiao Yan of Battle Through the Heavens had interacted with this "father."
Xiao Zhan nodded gently. He hesitated several times, but in the end, it all turned into a sigh of emotion.
"Yan'er, you've grown up."
Xiao Zhan stood and patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder. Then he said, "You are your father's pride, and even more so the Xiao Clan's pride. No matter what happens from now on, the Xiao Clan will be behind you, supporting you."
After saying this, Xiao Zhan let out a long breath and strode out of the pavilion, his face gradually filling with killing intent.
Sensing Xiao Zhan leave, Xiao Yan wore a somewhat complicated expression.
The Soul Ring and Martial Soul that did not belong to the Dou Qi Continent, Jia Lie Qi's attack-Xiao Zhan had hesitated several times but had not asked about them. How profound that trust was.
No wonder Xiao Yan of Battle Through the Heavens had always spoken of feeling such a strong sense of belonging to this Xiao Clan...
Outside the pavilion, killing intent showed on Xiao Zhan's face. In the past, the Xiao Clan had refrained from fighting because there had been no need, but now it had completely torn all pretense of cordiality with the Jia Lie Family.
The Jia Lie Family had even set its sights on Xiao Yan. That had touched Xiao Zhan's reverse scale.
"Perhaps it's time for the sky over Wutan City to change..."
As the Xiao Clan's strongest Da Dou Shi and the father of its young genius, Xiao Zhan now commanded absolute authority in the clan.