"Careful!"
Xiao Yan swiftly pulled Ye Lingyu into his embrace and rolled to the side. A split second later, several violent energy blasts tore through the roof, slamming into the very spot they'd just vacated. Ye Lingyu, ignoring the destruction inside the shop, instinctively looked up and saw several black-clothed figures hovering in the sky, their Dou Qi wings fluttering silently in the night. That meant—these attackers were at least Dou Wang experts!
"No… they're all Dou Huangs," Xiao Yan calmly corrected, eyes narrowing as he studied the intruders. He took a deep breath and feigned a grim expression, positioning Ye Lingyu behind him protectively. "This might get a bit tricky."
"Miss Ye, please come with us."
The leading black-clad figure gazed at Ye Lingyu coldly, his voice flat and emotionless.
"They're here for… me?" Ye Lingyu quickly realized the situation. As the precious daughter of the Ye Clan, she had certainly faced kidnapping attempts before. Normally, her personal guards would've stepped in, but now, not a single one had shown up. It wasn't hard to guess—they'd likely been eliminated already. After all, her guards were only Dou Ling level at best, no match for Dou Huangs.
"Your Ye family's estate isn't far from here, right?" Xiao Yan turned to ask, though in truth he'd long since investigated the layout—Ye Manor was less than ten li away. Not too far, not too close. Just enough that if someone sent a message, reinforcements could arrive fairly quickly.
"Yes." Ye Lingyu nodded.
"Then go. Get help. I'll hold them off." Xiao Yan turned back to the black-clad figures, eyes cool and composed.
"What?! No! If we're leaving, we're leaving together!"
"Enough talk!" Xiao Yan snapped. "If you don't go now, we'll both die here. If you move fast enough, I'll be fine. Now go!"
With a flick of his hand, he sent a gentle wave of Dou Qi that forcibly pushed Ye Lingyu out of the herbal shop. Then he launched himself into the air, engaging the enemy Dou Huangs.
Outside, Ye Lingyu heard the clash of battle erupt behind her. She hesitated, clenching her fists, but she knew that going back would only get her killed. Gritting her teeth, she turned and sprinted toward Ye Manor. "Teacher, hang in there! I'll be back with help!"
Once he sensed Ye Lingyu had gone, Xiao Yan sighed… and casually slapped the nearest Dou Huang to death.
These so-called elite attackers never even realized how outmatched they were. To them, Xiao Yan had looked frail—clearly just a slightly strong Dou Ling at best. The idea that he was a Dou Saint was beyond their wildest dreams.
After all, how many Dou Saints even existed on the continent? Those elusive monsters were like myths—none of them should be slumming it in a humble herb shop. And yet here he was, even pretending to struggle during the fight. The reality? Xiao Yan was holding back to avoid turning them all into ash in a heartbeat.
To be fair, Ye Lingyu wasn't slow either. In just a short while, she returned with a squad of Ye family experts. But when they entered the ruined shop, they were greeted by a harrowing sight—bodies strewn everywhere, blood-soaked wreckage, and Xiao Yan leaning lifelessly against the wall, his clothes torn, his face pale, his eyes shut tight.
"Teacher!" Ye Lingyu rushed to his side, frantic. She fumbled through her storage ring, but the only healing items she could find were the failed pills she'd refined during her training. "Anyone! Healing medicine! Now!"
"Xiao Yu…"
At that moment, Xiao Yan forced his eyes open and gave her a weak, strained smile. He reached out, gently brushing her hair. "You… came back…"
Even as he faked his last breaths, Xiao Yan mentally gave himself a round of applause. His performance? Oscar-worthy. Golden statues for days. He coughed a few times, then slowly removed a storage ring and placed it into Ye Lingyu's trembling hands.
"This… is my life's collection… I leave it to you now. Keep it safe…"
"No…!"
Tears streamed down Ye Lingyu's face. She shook her head wildly. "I don't want your treasures! I want you to live! I swear, Teacher, I'll train hard! I won't be lazy anymore! Please don't die… please…"
"Silly girl… I'm fine… just a bit tired. I just need… a little rest…" Xiao Yan's voice was hoarse, his words slow and broken. "I know you… don't love alchemy… it's okay. Just do what you want. Don't worry about what others think…"
With those final, barely audible words, Xiao Yan slowly closed his eyes. His hand dropped limply to the floor.
No matter how desperately Ye Lingyu cried, pleaded, or begged, he gave no response.
Eventually, overcome with grief and exhaustion, she fainted beside him.
When she awoke, she was already back in Ye Manor. Her family told her they had buried her teacher with full honors. In a daze, she stumbled to his grave, stood before the tombstone, and wept until she could no longer stand.
What she didn't know was that far off in the distance, a black-cloaked youth was quietly watching her sorrow.
It was Xiao Yan.
The very man supposedly buried beneath that stone.
He sighed softly as he looked at the heartbroken girl. "I hope… this little fool doesn't let me down."
"Tsk, tsk. You're really something, Master," Xiao Yao murmured in admiration. "On the happiest day of her life, you staged your own tragic death… and made her believe it was her fault. If this doesn't make her into a training maniac, nothing will."
"There was no other way," Xiao Yan said with a trace of helplessness. "Without something drastic, she'd never change. But if she continues slacking even after this, then it just means she never cared about our bond to begin with. And I'll have no reason to cling to the past anymore."
"Alright. It's done. Let's go."
With that, Xiao Yan turned his back on Ye City and vanished into the night.
What neither he nor Xiao Yao expected, however… was that this very act would indeed change Ye Lingyu.
She became diligent, yes—more dedicated than anyone could have imagined.
But to avenge her teacher's "death," her personality twisted. Her grief festered into fury. Her compassion turned to cruelty. And in the years to come, she would become a name whispered in terror across the Dou Qi continent.
They would call her…
The Blood Calamity Witch.
(End of Chapter)
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