"Tch, just a two-star Dou Zhe. What's so great about that?"
Having lost on looks, Jia Lie Ao tried to attack Yun Xian's Dou Qi rank.
"Hey, Jia Lie Ao, I'm warning you, don't—" Xiao Yu began, but Yun Xian's curt command cut her off.
"Yanran, handle it."
"Yes, Little Uncle-Master!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Nalan Yanran drew her sword and thrust forward.
"What?!"
Caught off guard by the sudden strike, Jia Lie Ao froze, unable to react.
"Young Master, watch out!"
At the last second, a guard beside Jia Lie Ao intervened, blocking Nalan Yanran's sword. But a cyan sword aura split from the blade, sending Jia Lie Ao flying.
Mid Xuan-Class Dou Technique: Wind Spirit Fractal Sword!
"S-Six-star Dou Zhe… How is this possible?"
Clutching the bloody gash on his chest, Jia Lie Ao stared in shock at the girl, even more stunning than the Xiao sisters. She looked only fourteen or fifteen yet wielded six-star Dou Zhe strength. Even a fool could guess the terrifying power behind her!
"Yun Lan Sect, Nalan Yanran!" she declared, her sword pointed at Jia Lie Ao and his men, her face cold as frost. "Provoke my Little Uncle-Master again, and I won't be so polite!"
Xiao Yu and Xiao Mei flinched. After days together, they'd thought their Senior Sister Nalan was cool on the outside but warm inside, easy to get along with. They hadn't expected this fierce side.
"Yun… Yun Lan Sect?!"
Jia Lie Ao and his group paled. As the Jia Ma Empire's top sect, Yun Lan Sect could crush the Jia Lie family like ants!
Onlookers gasped, whispering about why Yun Lan Sect members were in Wu Tan City—and with the Xiao family, no less.
"No need to be so scared. Yun Lan Sect isn't some demonic horde," Yun Xian said, his tone mild and approachable.
"Y-Yes, yes, you're most gracious…"
Jia Lie Ao bowed, his demeanor submissive. But his lowered face flashed with malice. Vengeful by nature, he wouldn't let this go. If open confrontation failed, he'd play dirty!
Sigh, so weak yet so reckless. Why court death? Yun Xian sensed the killing intent and shook his head inwardly.
In the original story, the Jia Lie family constantly clashed with the Xiao family. Early on, they hired an alchemist to compete for market share. After Xiao Yan eliminated the alchemist, they laid low for a while. Later, when Xiao Yan was away, they attacked again, only to be wiped out by him in a final reckoning.
"Leave Wu Tan City, Jia Lie family," Yun Xian said. "That's sincere advice."
His words stunned the crowd.
"W-What?"
"You want our Jia Lie family to abandon Wu Tan City?" Jia Lie Ao's face darkened. "I only offended you with a few words. Why must Yun Lan Sect be so overbearing?"
"I'm trying to save your family," Yun Xian said, dead serious.
"What do you mean?" Jia Lie Ao demanded, barely containing his rage.
"Forget it. Stay or go—don't regret it later." Yun Xian brushed it off, offering no further explanation.
To Jia Lie Ao, this was just Yun Lan Sect throwing its weight around, bullying his family. How unreasonable!
Fuming but powerless, Jia Lie Ao and his men slunk away.
"Phew, that was intense. Is Little Uncle-Master really going to move against the Jia Lie family?" Xiao Mei asked, her eyes sparkling. As the Xiao family's rival, expelling the Jia Lie family with Yun Lan Sect's backing would be a massive win.
"When did I say that?" Yun Xian replied lazily. "I don't bother with such tedious matters."
Jia Lie Family Estate
"You fool! You dared provoke Yun Lan Sect?!"
Jia Lie Bi's slap sent his son spinning.
"Father, I'm innocent! It's not my fault!" Jia Lie Ao whined, recounting the incident in full. "It's those Yun Lan Sect people—they're completely unreasonable!"
"All this over such a trivial matter?"
Jia Lie Bi clenched his fists, his face a mix of fury and frustration. His son had only mouthed off, yet Yun Lan Sect demanded they abandon Wu Tan City. That's just tyrannical!
"What do we do? We can't afford to cross Yun Lan Sect," he muttered. "Are we really forced to leave?"
Panic gripped the Jia Lie family. Generations had built their legacy in Wu Tan City—how could they abandon it all?
"Don't panic… Maybe they're just bluffing," Jia Lie Bi said. "To be safe, we'll send someone to apologize. It might blow over."
He paused, frowning. "Wait. You said Yun Lan Sect was with the Xiao family?"
"Yes. Xiao Yu and Xiao Mei called that guy 'Little Uncle-Master' or something," Jia Lie Ao confirmed.
"What? The Xiao family joined Yun Lan Sect? This is bad…"
Jia Lie Bi's face turned grim. The Jia Lie and Xiao families were sworn enemies. If the Xiao family had Yun Lan Sect's backing, the Jia Lie family was doomed. No wonder they told us to leave—they're propping up the Xiao family!
As the family descended into chaos, a stranger's voice echoed from the doorway.
"Who dares trespass—?"
Jia Lie Bi's rebuke was cut short by a flash of cold light.
Clang!
A black spear, formed of condensed Dou Qi, embedded itself in the wall beside him.
"Dou Qi materialization… A Dou Ling?!"
The Jia Lie family blanched. Their strongest, Patriarch Jia Lie Bi, was only a four-star Da Dou Shi.
"May I know your esteemed name? The Jia Lie family apologizes for not greeting you properly," Jia Lie Bi said, bowing humbly to the black-robed figure at the door.
"This old man is Mo Cheng," the figure said with a haughty snort.
"Mo Cheng… The Great Elder of Yan City's Mo family, the 'Executioner Mo'?" Jia Lie Bi asked cautiously.
"Indeed. I didn't expect a backwater like Wu Tan City to know my name," Mo Cheng said, smug.
Jia Lie Bi inwardly scoffed. If Yun Lan Sect hadn't exposed the Mo family's crimes and cut ties with them, I wouldn't know you from a nobody.
"What brings Lord Mo Cheng to our Jia Lie family?" he asked warily.
"I hear you've suffered Yun Lan Sect's oppression. I'm here to lend a hand," Mo Cheng said, his eyes blazing with rage.
In the past, he'd funneled vast profits to Yun Leng, securing Yun Lan Sect's support for the Mo family's dominance in the northeast provinces. But when Yun Leng died, Yun Yun publicly severed ties with the Mo family. Their enemies united, even hiring a Dou Wang to annihilate the clan. Mo Cheng escaped using a secret technique, now a lone fugitive with one goal: relentless revenge against Yun Lan Sect, no matter the cost!