Even if Xiao Yan was younger than her by more than ten years, she had no choice but to lower herself. Pride meant nothing in the face of death.
But the true reason she was so terrified was Xiao Yan's overwhelming power.
Two Dou Shi couldn't even resist a single move. He had even summoned a flame only a fourth-tier alchemist could control.
What level had he reached?
He was only thirteen!
Hao Lan once believed this legendary genius would need ten or twenty years to become a peak powerhouse.
But now she realized—three to five years might be enough for him to surpass the Hao Family entirely.
When Xiao Yan casually asked:
"Hao Qian, the patriarch....what is he to you?"
She quickly replied, relieved he was speaking to her at all.
"He… he is my grandfather, Lord Xiao Yan."
But instead of mercy, Xiao Yan sneered.
"Oh, that old fool."
The blood drained from Hao Lan's face. Xiao Yan clearly looked down on her grandfather. That meant her chances of survival were slim.
"Lord Xiao Yan…" she whispered, trembling.
But Xiao Yan simply said:
"Relax. Since you backed off earlier, I won't kill you."
Her entire body loosened and she fell to the ground again, gasping in relief. She thanked him sincerely.
But Xiao Yan wasn't finished.
"However, your Hao Family has done plenty of forced buying and bullying over the years. If I don't give you a lesson, you'll never change.
You were lucky you met me.....my temper is good.
If it were someone else, your entire clan might already be wiped out."
He smiled faintly.
"Don't worry. I won't target a junior. I'll let your whole family understand.....there's always someone stronger."
Then Xiao Yan turned to Bai Han.
"Go to the Hao Family. Tell Hao Qian to lie in bed for seven days. Not one more, not one less."
"Yes, young master!"
Before the onlookers could even process what they heard, Bai Han's figure blurred into a fading afterimage.
"A… afterimage!?" someone gasped.
Hao Lan nearly fainted. The Hao Family was doomed.
Then Xiao Yan looked to Bai Xue:
"Go to the Serpent Nest Mercenary Group. Anyone with a history of rape, pillaging, or major crimes...kill them. Every one of them."
"But if someone doesn't deserve death—you will not kill them."
Bai Xue smiled bitterly but accepted the task. A moment later, she too vanished into a fading phantom.
The mercenaries around them swallowed nervously.
The Serpent Nest Mercenary Group wouldn't survive the night.
Finally, Xiao Yan glanced at Hao Lan one last time.
"Get lost. And don't come back to Qingshan Town."
He then turned toward the courtyard, and the coldness in his eyes melted the instant he saw the pale-faced girl in white....Xiao Yi Xian.
He spoke softly:
"Everyone, thank you. I will repay this debt someday."
The mercenaries dispersed with playful smirks, leaving Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian alone.
Xiao Yan thanked Yao Boss sincerely before the latter hurried away, excited beyond measure.
Only when the town grew quiet did Xiao Yan walk up to Xiao Yi Xian.
"Sorry… I almost let you get hurt because of me again."
But Xiao Yi Xian suddenly whispered:
"Let's end it."
Xiao Yan paused.
"End… what?"
"Our unclear relationship. It's time to cut it off."
Pressed against the wall, she continued softly:
"You are a legend—a genius of the empire. You have a fiancée like Nalan Yanran. And I… I'm a simple village girl. A carrier of the Woeful Poison Body. A future calamity."
"We can't have a future."
Her voice trembled.
Xiao Yan froze.
Was this because of the insults earlier?
But she shook her head.
"It's the truth. I've been thinking about it for a long time. With your talent, you can have any woman in the empire. Why bother… with me?"
Her bitter smile stabbed him deeper than any blade.
Xiao Yan sighed, then ignored her attempts to dodge and pulled her firmly into his arms.
His voice was low and steady beside her reddening ear:
"Don't listen to trash. You are not inferior to anyone."
"Nalan Yanran? So what."
"Your future… will stand at the peak of the Dou Qi Continent—and even beyond."
"And most importantly… no matter what happens, I will never let you face your fate alone again."
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