Within the chamber, silence once again descended. After a long while, Xiao Yan, who had pieced together some of the cause and effect, slowly exhaled, his voice low as he asked, “How is Big Brother?”
“We were pursued and attacked all the way. With our strength, if this continued, the Xiao Family would have been utterly destroyed without any surprise. But fortunately, at the last moment, reinforcements arrived, saving the remaining members of the Xiao Family,” Nalan Jie said, a hint of relief appearing on his pale face.
“Reinforcements? Are there still forces in the Jia Ma Empire that dare to oppose the Yunlan Sect?” Hearing this, Xiao Yan was stunned, his brows furrowing as he spoke.
“The reinforcements appeared in the Dark Black Forest. At first, we didn’t know either. It was only after the pursuers were repelled that the identity of the one who came was revealed. You also know him; it’s the old man who used to be by your side.”
“Hai Bo Dong? Elder Hai?” Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback, the image of an icy-faced elder slowly emerging in his mind. He nodded slightly, a sense of gratitude filling his heart. Hai Bo Dong’s action in saving the remaining members of the Xiao Family was a significant favor, and he would have to repay it in the future.
“Although Big Brother was also seriously injured, he managed to survive thanks to the help of that elder. It seems that he holds a high position in the Mi Tuoer Family. Therefore, the remaining members of the Xiao Family were secretly sheltered and transferred beyond the reach of the Yunlan Sect’s extermination. The flying beast I rode to the Gan Nan Academy was borrowed from the Mi Teloer Family. Otherwise, with our current economic situation, I would have had to walk here.”
“But the Black Corner Region truly lives up to its reputation as the most chaotic place on the continent. Heh, I was ambushed several times, almost losing my life. These injuries were sustained in the Black Corner Region. Those people are like hungry wolves, ruthless to the core.”
Xiao Yan clenched his lips, well aware of the bloody chaos within the Black Corner Region from his personal experience. Nalan Jie had indeed traveled a long and perilous journey to inform him of the family’s misfortune.
Nalan Jie smiled bitterly, saying, “The Mo Tie Mercenary Group is almost completely finished. The Xiao Family is somewhat better off, but we are severely weakened. We are now living in secret, barely surviving.”
Xiao Yan held Nalan Jie’s hand, his voice gentle yet filled with vengeance, “Second Brother, I will avenge this blood feud.”
“Of course, we must avenge it. The Yunlan Sect has forced the Xiao Family into this state. If we do not kill that old dog Yun Shan, how can we face the elders who risked their lives to protect us?” Nalan Jie’s face took on a venomous expression as he sneered, “As long as we three brothers are alive, we will make the Yunlan Sect never know peace!”
Xiao Yan nodded silently, feeling a slight comfort in his heart. At least, his big brother and second brother were safe. It was unimaginable what would happen if they had also perished in the Yunlan Sect’s attack.
“Xiao Yu, Cousin, how are my parents?” Xiao Yu suddenly spoke up, her voice trembling.
“Hehe, Xiao Yu, it’s been a few years, and you’ve become even prettier…”
Looking at Xiao Yu, whose eyes were red, Nalan Jie’s face lost its venomous look. After a moment of silence, he said with a touch of shame, “Auntie Xiao is fine, but Uncle lost an arm in the battle…”
Her eyes reddened again, but she was relieved that the worst-case scenario did not happen. Her fragile nerves did not collapse. She nodded lightly and remained silent.
“Second Brother, heal your wounds first. The family’s blood feud must be avenged, but don’t worry, I won’t act rashly. I just had a bit of anger clouding my judgment.” Xiao Yan took out another pill from his storage ring and handed it to Nalan Jie, speaking softly.
Nalan Jie swallowed the pill without hesitation, staring intently at Xiao Yan, his voice heavy, “Others can be rash, but you cannot. You are the only hope for the entire Xiao Family now. Father’s disappearance also depends on your strength. Both I and Big Brother are not as gifted as you, so we can die, but you cannot! If anything happens to you, the Xiao Family will be completely done for!”
Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan smiled and patted Nalan Jie’s arm, turning to Xiao Yu, “Take care of Second Brother for a while. I need to talk to Xun’er.”
With that, he gave a slight nod to Xun’er, and the two of them slowly left the room.
“Tell me about the so-called ‘Soul Palace.’ With your background, I’m sure you’ve heard of it.”
On the rooftop, Xiao Yan’s face grew dark again as he spoke to Xun’er.
“Soul Palace? How do you know about them?” Hearing the name from Xiao Yan, Xun’er’s face changed slightly.
“I once encountered them by chance. The way those black shadows attacked, as Second Brother described, was almost identical to what I saw from the ‘Soul Palace.’ I think there must be a connection between them.”
Waving his hand, Xiao Yan fixed his gaze on Xun’er, “Tell me.”
Under Xiao Yan’s intense gaze, Xun’er hesitated for a moment before finally nodding with a bitter smile.
She brushed aside the green hair in front of her forehead, organizing the information related to the so-called “Soul Palace” in her mind, then spoke slowly, “The ‘Soul Palace’ is an extremely mysterious and strange organization on the continent. Their favorite activity is to search the entire continent for soul bodies and capture them. As for why they need so many soul bodies, I don’t know… This organization’s traces are everywhere on the continent. I didn’t expect that even the conservative Jia Ma Empire would be invaded by them.”
“It seems the ‘Soul Palace’ has existed for quite some time, so they also know many secrets on the continent. I think they targeted the Xiao Family because of the piece of the ancient emperor jade in Brother Xiao Yan’s possession.”
Xun’er sighed lightly, continuing, “The piece of the ancient emperor jade in Brother Xiao Yan’s possession is only part of the ‘key.’ Other parts are scattered across the continent. My clan has one part, and… this ‘Soul Palace’ also possesses a part.”
“These ‘keys’ contain great secrets, but what exactly those secrets are, I don’t know. The only thing I can tell Brother Xiao Yan is that both my clan and the ‘Soul Palace’ place great importance on these ‘keys.’ In the past, my clan and the ‘Soul Palace’ competed for these ‘keys.’ Although we won, we didn’t get everything we wanted.”
“Now that the ‘Soul Palace’ has targeted the Xiao Family, they must have obtained information about the ‘keys’ from somewhere. Otherwise, with the Xiao Family’s strength, they wouldn’t be of interest to them. It’s surprising, though, that the Yunlan Sect would have any connection to the ‘Soul Palace.'”
“However, judging by the fact that the old man named Hai Bo Dong was able to repel the pursuers, the ‘Soul Palace’ didn’t send their strongest forces. Of course, my clan is always watching their movements, so their true strong ones are too busy to get involved.”
“Keys, keys, those damned keys!” Xiao Yan punched the wall in front of him, his voice filled with anger.
“Brother Xiao Yan, remember what I told you last time. Do not tell anyone about the ancient emperor jade in your possession. Don’t even tell Cousin Nalan Jie. If it leaks, the ‘Soul Palace’ will hound you like a leech, unrelenting.”
Xun’er stepped forward, her soft body pressing against Xiao Yan as she lowered her voice and spoke seriously.
Clenching his teeth, Xiao Yan gazed at her graceful face, inhaling the faint fragrance that wafted into his nose. He wrapped his arms around Xun’er, unable to hide his self-reproach in front of the person closest to him, his voice hoarse, “If I hadn’t made that foolish three-year agreement with Nalan Yanran back then, none of this would have happened. The family wouldn’t have fallen, and our loved ones wouldn’t have been scattered!”
“Young people are meant to be reckless. Brother Xiao Yan, you didn’t do anything wrong.” Gently resting her cheek on Xiao Yan’s shoulder, Xun’er said softly, “Having something valuable makes you a target. Even if Brother Xiao Yan had no conflict with the Yunlan Sect, the ‘Soul Palace’ would have eventually come for you. With their ruthless methods, they would have taken everyone down. The Xiao Family would not just be weakened but completely destroyed.”
“What you can do now is to make yourself as strong as possible. As Second Brother said, the family’s revenge and the frequent disappearances of Xiao Zhan depend on you. You are the pillar of the Xiao Family now. If you fall, the family will never rise again!”
Each gentle word was like a rejuvenating agent, gradually restoring Xiao Yan’s clarity of mind, which had been overwhelmed by vengeance and killing intent. After a long while, Xiao Yan finally raised his head, taking a deep breath of the cold air. He released his grip on Xun’er’s waist, his handsome face losing a bit of its usual smile and gaining a touch of cold determination. At this moment, under the blow of the family’s calamity, Xiao Yan had completely shed the naivety of his youth.
One only truly transforms and grows after experiencing setbacks.
“Don’t worry, I won’t be rash again. Once I have enough strength, I will return. By then, the Yunlan Sect will pay back all their debts a hundredfold!” Xiao Yan caressed Xun’er’s tender cheek, his voice cold and menacing.
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