After passing through several bustling streets, Xiao Yan and his companion had circled nearly half of Yan City before they finally arrived at the Mo Family’s headquarters located in the city center. Standing at the end of the street, Xiao Yan gazed at the tightly fortified structure, which resembled a small fortress. He couldn’t help but shake his head. The Mo Family, indeed, was the most powerful family in the eastern provinces of the Jia Ma Empire. Just the cost of building this heavily defended fortress must have been astronomical.
On the high walls, every few dozen meters, patrol guards were stationed. In the gaps, Xiao Yan could faintly see sharp arrowheads glinting ominously under the sunlight. His soul force roughly swept over the fortress, and he detected at least a dozen lines of sight blocking any aerial intruders. If anyone tried to enter from above, the hidden arrows would turn them into a pincushion.
“Quite a tight defense, huh? It seems like sneaking in without alerting anyone will be quite troublesome,” Hai Bo Dong observed, slightly surprised.
“Indeed, it’s rather complicated,” Xiao Yan nodded. Perhaps because today was Mo Cheng’s birthday, the number of guards in the fortress had increased significantly. With such airtight defenses, it was quite challenging for Xiao Yan and Hai Bo Dong to slip in undetected.
“Should I get us some invitations?” Hai Bo Dong suggested, frowning.
Xiao Yan smiled and shook his head. “Our attire already makes us look suspicious. Even with invitations, they won’t let us in until they verify our identities.”
Xiao Yan’s gaze fell on the throng of celebratory people at the entrance of the Mo Family. After a moment, he turned to a secluded alleyway and waved to Hai Bo Dong. “Follow me.”
They walked through the alley, circling the perimeter of the Mo Family’s compound before stopping at a quiet spot. Due to its isolated location, there was little foot traffic. Although there were guards patrolling the walls, the defense here was much weaker compared to the main areas.
Standing under a lush tree, Xiao Yan looked up, watching the guards change shifts on the wall. After a while, he suddenly stepped off the ground, his body turning into a black shadow that shot up the wall. He quickly flicked his hand, sending green flames shooting out from his fingertips, hitting the guards who were changing positions. The intense heat of the Green Lotus Heart Flame incinerated the guards into ashes without even a scream.
With a cold glance at the ashes, Xiao Yan waved his sleeve, summoning a gust of wind to clear the evidence. When Xiao Yan finished, Hai Bo Dong quietly joined him. They exchanged a look and quickly leapt down the wall, dodging the constant patrols. Their bodies merged into shadows, weaving through the shadows of the buildings.
“How do you plan to find her? The Mo Family compound is huge. Surely, there must be some secret chambers. Searching one by one could take forever,” Hai Bo Dong said, his entire aura now completely concealed, blending perfectly with the surroundings. He clearly had experience with such tasks.
“I spent some time with Qing Lin, so I’m familiar with her presence. I’ll use my soul force to scan the compound. Unless she’s deep underground, I should be able to find her,” Xiao Yan replied thoughtfully.
“Soul force, though not my weakness, is not as strong as yours. So, the search is on you,” Hai Bo Dong acknowledged.
“Alright, just keep an eye on our surroundings,” Xiao Yan nodded, closing his eyes. The vast soul force of Yao Lao surged out, spreading like ripples in all directions.
As his soul force expanded, scenes of the surroundings flashed through Xiao Yan’s mind, but he found no trace of Qing Lin. As the area covered by his soul force widened, Xiao Yan’s frown deepened. After a while, finding nothing, he retracted his soul force and scanned the nearby area more carefully.
After nearly half an hour of searching, Xiao Yan opened his eyes, his face grim.
“Nothing?” Hai Bo Dong asked, knowing the answer from Xiao Yan’s expression.
“The Mo Family must have some well-hidden secret chambers. Otherwise, my precise scanning would have found something,” Xiao Yan said, frowning at the armed guards patrolling outside.
Hai Bo Dong stroked his beard, hesitant. “Do you think the Mo Family might have already gotten what they wanted and…?”
Xiao Yan’s mouth twitched, and he took a deep breath. The image of the little girl’s scared and pitiful face flashed in his mind. “If that’s the case, I don’t mind bathing the Mo Family in blood!”
Hai Bo Dong shook his head, seeing Xiao Yan’s cold expression. He remained silent, not wanting to provoke him further.
Xiao Yan leaned against the wall, his face still grim. Reluctantly, he used Yao Lao’s soul force again to search thoroughly, but the result was the same. Seeing Xiao Yan’s face darken as he continued scanning, Hai Bo Dong shook his head. “Forget it. Let’s just act directly. Capture Mo Cheng and beat him to a pulp. He should know.”
Xiao Yan exhaled, clenching his fists. Nodding, he said, “Alright, let’s do it.”
Xiao Yan leapt gracefully onto the roof, scanning the surroundings before dashing towards the largest hall in the center of the compound. Hai Bo Dong followed, his movements as light as leaves in the wind. Pushing their speed to the limit, they became two blurry black streaks, covering hundreds of meters in an instant. The guards below only felt a sudden, strange wind, but saw nothing.
In a dimly lit chamber, several figures sat in discussion.
“Mo Lin, how are the preparations going?” asked the elderly man in the lead, dressed in light gray robes.
“Grand Elder, we have confirmed that the little girl has the legendary ‘Green Snake Three-Flower Pupils,'” a middle-aged man replied respectfully.
“Good.” The elder’s eyes brightened with excitement. “I never expected such luck. This immature Green Snake Three-Flower Pupils is a rare find.”
“Grand Elder, are the Green Snake Three-Flower Pupils really as miraculous as the legends say?” the middle-aged man asked.
“Maybe even more. Did you not see the twin-headed giant snake protecting her? It’s a Dou Spirit-level guardian. If not for the Green Snake Three-Flower Pupils, she wouldn’t be able to control it with her current strength,” the elder said greedily.
“With those eyes, and if we refine them to maturity, who in the Jia Ma Empire could stand against us? Even Yun Yun won’t be a match, and we won’t need to rely on the Yun Lian Sect. Think of the contributions we can save!”
The elder slammed the table, his face filled with resolve. The others nodded in agreement.
“By the way, have we heard back from the group sent to Shi Mo City? Have they cleared the Iron Desert Mercenary Group? They’ve been with the girl for a long time and might know about her eyes. They must die!”
“They haven’t reported yet, but Mo Ran and the others should be close,” one of them replied hesitantly.
“Tell them to hurry up and also eliminate the Sand Mercenary Group. We can’t leave any loose ends,” the elder ordered coldly.
“Yes, Grand Elder. And Nalan Yanran has come to Yan City.”
“I know. Tell Mo Li to focus on Nalan Yanran. If we form a relationship with her, the status of the Mo Family will rise with the Nalan Family and the Yun Lian Sect. The other three families in the eastern provinces won’t be a threat anymore.”
“Mo Li said Nalan Yanran is difficult to handle. She’s not the same as she was a few years ago.”
“Dealing with proud women requires more than gentle methods. If he has a chance, let him use other means. As long as she becomes part of the Mo Family, I don’t care what methods he uses,” the elder said with a sinister smile.
The others in the room laughed lewdly. They clearly understood the implications.
“Alright, I need to oversee the celebration. Tell your subordinates to stay alert. Also, send more guards to watch the girl. There must be no mistakes now,” the elder instructed.
“Yes, Grand Elder,” they responded, leaving the room.
“Hmph. Yun Lian Sect, just wait. One day, the Mo Family will make you pay for everything!” The elder’s twisted face revealed a sinister grin in the dim light.
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