Chapter 270: I Will Kill You
"Elder Yan Xiao, what exactly are we supposed to gather on this mission?"
On a verdant country path, Lin Xiuya finally couldn't contain his curiosity.
Three days had passed since they set out, and the group had already traveled thousands of miles. Yet, this mysterious Elder Yan Xiao had never explicitly mentioned what kind of medicinal herbs they were meant to collect.
"Didn't I tell you multiple times already?" Xiao Yan replied, a hint of impatience in his tone. "Just pick anything that looks like a decent herb. If it seems useful, grab it."
"But... what counts as 'useful'?" Lin Xiuya asked, feeling exasperated.
They had come across some valuable herbs during the journey one even being a key ingredient for refining Tier 5 or Tier 6 pills. To obtain it, the group had battled a formidable Tier 5 magical beast. It wasn't until the beast nearly injured Han Yue that Xiao Yan lazily flicked his finger, unleashing a stream of Dou Qi that killed the creature instantly.
But when they proudly presented the herb and the beast's magic core to Xiao Yan, he seemed entirely indifferent, leaving the group more baffled than ever.
"If you can't decide, just lay back on your ostrich mount and take a nap. Don't worry, you'll still get the mission reward when we return," Xiao Yan finally said with a wave of his hand, seeing their perplexed expressions.
Of course, he couldn't tell them the real purpose of this trip it was merely a cover for his own plans.
"But..." Lin Xiuya began again, only for Xiao Yan to cut him off.
"Elder Yan Xiao," Han Yue's soft voice interrupted as she approached.
Her silver robe shimmered in the sunlight, and her cool, serene demeanor caught Xiao Yan's attention, making his eyes light up.
"Yue er, what's wrong?" he asked warmly.
From a distance, Lin Xiuya felt a pang of frustration.
"Are we... really just here for a simple gathering mission?" Han Yue asked. Compared to Lin Xiuya, she spoke more freely Xiao Yan's demeanor toward her had always been exceptionally kind.
"Nothing to worry about," Xiao Yan replied lazily, sitting on a massive three meter tall ostrich. "If you're bored, train, sleep, or do whatever you like. As long as you don't lose track of the group, feel free to do as you please."
Han Yue hesitated but nodded. "Alright..."
Just as she turned to leave, several blood red figures appeared at the end of the path.
Her expression immediately changed. Before she could react, the rustling of the surrounding forest grew louder, and crimson clad figures began emerging from the trees in waves.
In mere moments, they were surrounded by over a hundred people, each cloaked in blood red robes.
The students dismounted their ostriches, their expressions grim as they prepared for battle. They quickly realized that the weakest of these newcomers was at the peak of the Da Dou Shi level, while the strongest two had already reached Dou Wang.
"It's the Blood Sect!" Han Yue exclaimed.
Hearing this, the students' faces grew pale.
The Blood Sect was infamous in the Black Corner Domain, not for its strength but for its horrifying practices. Their techniques thrived on harvesting the blood of others, making them a brutal and merciless organization.
Despite their fear, the students couldn't help but glance at Xiao Yan.
From what they'd heard, Xiao Yan's strength was at least at the peak Dou Huang level. While the Blood Sect's numbers were intimidating, they shouldn't pose a threat to someone of his caliber.
But Xiao Yan remained lounging on his ostrich, unconcerned.
Was he planning to let them handle this on their own as part of some twisted "training"?
The idea sent shivers down Lin Xiuya's spine. Even with their combined strength, facing these numbers was tantamount to a death sentence.
A sudden gust of wind blew past as a blood red figure leapt onto a treetop.
The man had a pale, gaunt face with sunken cheeks and an unsettlingly eerie presence. The overwhelming stench of blood radiating from him made the students' stomachs churn.
"It's the Blood Sect's leader Fan Lao!" someone muttered, their voice trembling.
Fan Lao's reputation was one of the most notorious in the Black Corner Domain. While his strength didn't place him among the top ten on the Black List, his cruelty easily ranked in the top three.
Fan Lao's cold eyes swept over the group, his gaze predatory. A sinister smile stretched across his face.
"You must be from the Jia Nan Academy," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "My dear son died because of someone from your academy. Today, I'll make sure to settle the score."
His words sent a chill down the students' spines.
"I've heard the culprit is now one of your so called Elders. Hah! How can I, Fan Lao, let such an insult slide?"
Raising a hand, he commanded coldly: "Capture the men, break their limbs, and bring them back as blood slaves. As for the women..."
Before he could finish, the blood robed men around him sneered, their eyes gleaming with wicked intent.
The students' fear grew, but instead of panicking, their eyes all turned toward the lounging Xiao Yan.
"Elder Yan Xiao," Han Yue spoke up, her tone unusually soft and almost pleading. "They're clearly here for you. Surely you wouldn't abandon us to deal with this alone?"
Her delicate face showed a rare vulnerability that caught Xiao Yan's attention. He couldn't help but smile.
Fan Lao, noticing the students' deference to Xiao Yan, turned his gaze toward him, his expression darkening.
"So you're Yan Xiao!" he growled.
Standing up leisurely, Xiao Yan met Fan Lao's furious gaze and smirked.
"That's right. I'm the one who killed your son. What of it?"
Fan Lao's face twisted into a mask of rage. "You insolent wretch! I'll cut off your limbs and toss you into my blood pool, where you'll suffer an eternity of torment!"
Xiao Yan's smirk widened. "Your son said something similar before I killed him."
Pausing, he added lightly: "Though, to be fair, I didn't even need to fight him. He died choking on his own blood after I spat in his face."
Fan Lao staggered back, his body trembling with fury.
"You... You dare!"
His scream echoed through the forest, filled with unbridled rage.
"I WILL KILL YOU!"
(End of Chapter)
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