Lin’er’s gaze briefly lingered on the black-robed figure before quickly moving upwards. Soon, a young face filled with a calm expression appeared in her line of sight. She gazed at that youthful face with slightly parted rosy lips, momentarily lost in thought. For some reason, she always felt a faint sense of familiarity with this face, but no matter how much she tried to recall, she couldn’t remember where she had seen it before. Kagan, who had been knocked to the ground, also took the opportunity to get up, ignoring the blood on his lips, and rushed to protect Lin’er. Lifting his head, he gratefully addressed the black-robed youth, “Many thanks, sir, for coming to our aid!” The people on the street were gradually regaining their wits, their eyes filled with astonishment as they gazed at the seemingly young black-robed youth. Though they were surprised that he could knock down a three-star Dou Shi with a single blow, many still showed a hint of pity. Did this youngster not know how rampant the Snake Nest Mercenary Troop was in Qing Shan Town? With the support of the He family from Black Rock City, the Snake Nest Mercenary Troop was unmatched within the vast expanse of the Magical Beast Mountains. This was not just because the He family had a genuine Dou Wang powerhouse! The few people, who were clearly also members of the Snake Nest Mercenary Troop, hurriedly ran to help the scarred man up after seeing him injured. Then, they shot fierce glares at the black-robed youth. “Pah!” The scarred man struggled to stand up, his face pale as he spat out a mouthful of blood. He glared venomously at Xiao Yan, who remained calm, and laughed wrathfully, “Pretty bold, huh? You dare to provoke the Snake Nest Mercenary Troop here in Qing Shan Town? Do you not know that our leader is the son-in-law of the He family?”
Xiao Yan gave the scarred man a casual glance, then shook his head. He genuinely had never heard of the so-called He family. “Sir, I am forever grateful for your great kindness,” Kagan said, his voice filled with gratitude, “but you should leave as soon as possible. If the strong members of the Snake Nest Mercenary Troop arrive, it will be difficult for you to escape.” Looking at the scarred man, who was glaring viciously at them, Kagan sighed lightly and pushed Lin’er towards Xiao Yan. He pleaded in a low voice, “Please, sir, take Lin’er out of Qing Shan Town. If it’s too troublesome, you can let her leave once you’re out of the town. I’ll hold them off!”
“I won’t go! We’ll die together. Either way, the Blood War Mercenary Group probably won’t last through today. There’s no point in me living anyway.” Lin’er bit her lips tightly and cried.
“You…” Kagan was furious, but seeing Lin’er’s sorrowful face, he could only sigh dejectedly and wave his hand, saying, “Forget it, forget it. Keep your dagger ready. If you get captured, end it yourself to avoid humiliation.”
Xiao Yan, standing nearby, looked at the two of them with a mix of amusement and bewilderment. He shook his head and smiled lightly, “Uncle Kagan, rest assured. I will protect you today. No one in the Jia Ma Empire dares to lay a hand on you.”
Kagan was taken aback by Xiao Yan’s somewhat familiar address but quickly chuckled bitterly, “I appreciate your kindness, but the Snake Nest Mercenary Troop is not something you can handle. Lin’er and I will hold them off; you should leave quickly.”
“Heh, leave? You think you can just leave after injuring me? Dream on!” The scarred man’s face twisted into a nasty grin. He quickly pulled out a signal flare from his chest pocket, tore it, and it flew up into the sky, exploding with a burst of light. “All the exits of Qing Shan Town are under our control. Where do you think you can go?” After launching the signal, the scarred man looked at Kagan and Lin’er, whose faces had turned pale, and his wicked grin grew wider. He waved his hand and growled, “Kill everyone except that girl!”
At his command, the dozen or so men behind the scarred man scattered, drawing sharp weapons from their waists. A thin layer of Dou Qi wrapped around them, and they advanced menacingly towards Xiao Yan.
Watching the dozen men rush towards him, Xiao Yan’s expression remained unchanged. He took a slow step forward and calmly stated, “One more step, and you die!”
His words only brought a sneer from the group, and their steps didn’t hesitate. Seeing this, Xiao Yan’s eyes narrowed, a faint fierce light flickering in them. From his fingertips, an invisible flame slowly rose.
*Puff!* *Puff!*
As the flames emerged, a strange scene unfolded on the street. The dozen men rushing towards Xiao Yan suddenly froze, and then, without any warning, they turned into a pile of black ashes, to the shock of all spectators.
The somewhat noisy street fell silent abruptly. Everyone’s eyes widened in terror as they stared at the pile of black ashes on the ground. Some even blinked, and when they opened their eyes again, those who had been intact moments ago were now ashes.
The surreal scene sent a chill down everyone’s spines. Even though it was a sunny day, cold sweat still trickled down their foreheads.
The scarred man, who had been glaring viciously, now had his mouth agape, his eyes filled with utter horror. After a long moment, he regained his senses and hastily retreated, stumbling and falling to the ground. He exclaimed in horror, “What… what did you do?”
When Xiao Yan had made his move earlier, he hadn’t sensed any Dou Qi fluctuations. Yet, in an instant, the dozen men had bizarrely turned into black ashes.
Kagan and Lin’er, awakened from their shock, looked at the black-robed youth with a gradual surge of joy. They hadn’t expected this young man to possess such terrifying power. It seemed they had a savior today.
Xiao Yan, with a indifferent gaze, raised his palm and aimed it at the retreating scarred man. An invisible flame flashed in his palm.
*Puff!*
Another dull sound, and the scarred man, who hadn’t even shown an expression, was instantly incinerated into a pile of black ashes as the raging heart fire enveloped him.
Seeing the scarred man turn into ashes, the people on the street gasped in horror. They stared at Xiao Yan with wide, fearful eyes and involuntarily took several steps back. It seemed they were afraid that the Grim Reaper’s finger would turn towards them. At this moment, they realized that this young man wasn’t just showing off; he truly possessed the power and qualifications to overpower the Snake Nest Mercenary Troop.
After dealing with these people, Xiao Yan lightly clapped his hands. Having taken a dozen lives, his gaze remained unchanged. These people were obviously not good, and killing them didn’t bring any burden.
Turning to Kagan and Lin’er, Xiao Yan chuckled, “Uncle Kagan, it’s been so many years since we met. I didn’t expect to find you here in Qing Shan Town.”
Kagan, whose eyes had been filled with reverence, was suddenly stunned. He carefully examined Xiao Yan’s face, wondering when he had befriended such a powerful person.
While Kagan was puzzled, Lin’er next to him, her eyes fixed on the familiar face, murmured softly, “Uncle Kagan, he looks like the Xiao Yan from a few years ago who destroyed the Wolf Head Mercenary Group…”
Hearing Lin’er’s words, Kagan’s body trembled. Incredulously, he looked at Xiao Yan, his memories of past years rapidly surfacing. Finally, the youthful face from long ago gradually merged with Xiao Yan’s face in front of him.
“Little Brother Xiao Yan… Is it really you?” Kagan stammered, his eyes filled with shock. The Xiao Yan from back then was just a Dou Zhe who hadn’t reached the Dou Shi level. Yet now, with a simple gesture, he had reduced a dozen Dou Zhis and a Dou Shi to ashes. Such a powerful display was far beyond the abilities of the young boy from years ago.
Xiao Yan nodded with a smile.
Seeing Xiao Yan nod, Kagan’s face lit up with excitement. After a brief hesitation, he knelt down, imploring, “Brother Xiao Yan, the Blood War Mercenary Group is in great peril. Please, lend us your aid. I, Kagan, will serve you as a beast after this!”
Behind Kagan, Lin’er bit her lip and looked at Xiao Yan. Her heart churned with emotions. Who would have thought that the young man she had ridiculed several times in her ignorance now possessed such terrifying strength.
Her thoughts swirling, Lin’er also hurriedly knelt down, hoping the young man in front of her could save the Blood War Mercenary Group.
“Although his name is the same as the current leader of the ‘Flame Alliance,’ I heard the Flame Alliance leader has the strength to fight legendary Battle Sects. It must just be a coincidence…” Lin’er’s gaze flickered, and she murmured in her heart. There were thousands of people named Xiao Yan in the Jia Ma Empire, and the leader of the Flame Alliance was simply too dazzling. She dared not even think it was the same person.
Xiao Yan waved his sleeve, lifting the two with a gentle force. “Is it the Snake Nest Mercenary Group? How strong is their team?”
Kagan nodded urgently, “Their leader is a six-star Dou Ling, extremely strong. In Qing Shan Town, no one can match him. I don’t know if Little Brother Xiao Yan can…”
“Six-star Dou Ling, huh…” Xiao Yan pondered for a moment, then said casually, “Uncle Kagan, I’m entering the Magical Beast Mountains for important matters and cannot tarry here for long…”
Hearing this, Kagan’s eyes dimmed, and his body seemed to lose all strength. Lin’er, behind him, clenched her fists bitterly. Even if they had some connection with this person, it wasn’t enough for him to offend a Dou Ling.
“Keep these five vials. When you encounter the Snake Nest Mercenary Group’s leader, use your Dou Qi to activate them and throw one out. The crisis will resolve itself. Also, this jade tablet can be used to contact me once. If there’s a life-or-death situation, break it, and I will appear to help.”
Xiao Yan flicked his fingers, and five small vials and a jade tablet flew towards Kagan. Each vial contained a tiny flaming lotus.
Kagan dazedly received the vials, unsure how they could kill the Snake Nest Mercenary Group’s leader.
“I still have matters to attend to today. Farewell, and we may meet again if the chance arises.” Xiao Yan smiled, and before Kagan could react, his figure disappeared mysteriously under the astonished gazes of the onlookers.
“Wow!” Gazing at the place where Xiao Yan had vanished, Kagan swallowed hard, looking at the vials in his hand. He fell to his knees, kowtowed three times towards the empty spot, and then, pulling Lin’er, dashed towards the direction of the Blood War Mercenary Group. His gut told him that following Xiao Yan’s instructions would solve the crisis.
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