A short while later, everyone left in succession.
At this moment, only Xiao Se, Yun Yun, and Nalan Yanran remained on the plaza.
"Why is Gu He nowhere to be seen?" Xiao Se asked Yun Yun casually.
From the very beginning, Xiao Se had been observing the crowd, yet he discovered that Gu He was nowhere to be found among those present.
Regarding this old fellow Gu He, aside from his infatuation with Yun Yun, Xiao Se did not dislike him in other respects.
He conducted himself quite well.
If he were to join the Sea Alliance, it would be like adding wings to a tiger.
Upon hearing this, Yun Yun shot him a glance with her beautiful eyes but did not answer, evidently still brooding over the matter between Xiao Se and Medusa.
Seeing that Yun Yun seemed to be sulking, Xiao Se felt a wave of awkwardness on his face, and immediately asked Nalan Yanran, "Yanran, do you know?"
"Cousin Xiao Se... Oh no, Alliance Leader."
Nalan Yanran's words were interrupted by Xiao Se, "Just call me as you did before. You are Yun'er's Disciple, and also my friend; there is no need for such formalities between us."
Hearing Xiao Se's words, Nalan Yanran felt a wave of emotion in her heart and nodded heavily, "Grandpa Gu He left the Cloud Mist Sect more than a month ago."
Having said this, Nalan Yanran's gaze turned involuntarily toward Yun Yun.
Xiao Se suddenly realized. Unsurprisingly, after learning about the relationship between Yun Yun and himself, that old fellow Gu He had become disheartened and left to live in seclusion, just like in the original story.
Wutan City.
As evening approached, the setting sun dipped low, and the evening glow in the west cast reflections against the various buildings of Wutan City, appearing exceptionally beautiful.
Logically, the moon should not have appeared so early.
However, there was one place that appeared completely out of place, eerie and gloomy—the Xiao Family.
A blood-red full moon hung high in the sky.
Crows circled and cawed.
The buildings were dilapidated and in ruins.
"What is going on?" Upon returning to the Xiao Family, Xiao Yan immediately sensed that something was wrong. It was quiet, far too quiet.
The silence was somewhat terrifying.
The usually bustling Xiao Family appeared exceptionally desolate.
The gatekeepers, who usually stood in neat rows with great authority at the entrance, were nowhere to be seen.
The air was filled with a faint, lingering scent of blood.
Countless crows circled above the Xiao Family residence, as if something within the Xiao Family was attracting them.
"Not good, Xiao Yan, something may have happened to the Xiao Family. The aura of the Hall of Souls remains here." Yao Lao's urgent voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan immediately felt that things were dire. His brows furrowed tightly. He kicked open the Xiao Family gates, only to feel dizzy and stagger, nearly falling to the ground.
"Ah!" Corpses, corpses everywhere. There were Xiao Family guards, maids, branch Disciples, and even direct Disciples. The once lively Xiao Family was now littered with corpses, with blood flowing like a river.
It was not as if Xiao Yan had never killed anyone; in fact, he had killed quite a few. For instance, the Mo Family in Yan City had captured his brother because they suspected the Mo Tie Mercenary Group possessed the continent's number one unique pupil, the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils. Later, discovering that the Mo Family had been using Demonic Beasts and humans for experiments for years, he had, in a fit of rage, used Yao Lao's power to slaughter the entire Family.
The entire Mo Family, regardless of gender or age, not even infants in swaddling clothes, had been spared.
Regarding this, Xiao Yan felt no psychological burden. Putting aside that the Mo Family deserved their fate, even if there were a few innocent ones, it had little to do with him; after all, they were not his own Family.
But now it was different. This time, those who died were truly his own kin. Looking across the entire Xiao Family, he could see almost no survivors.
"Xiao Yan, calm down, take a deep breath. I know a great tragedy has occurred at the Xiao Family, but the more critical the situation, the more you must remain calm." Yao Lao's voice sounded again.
"Inhale... Exhale." Following Yao Lao's suggestion, Xiao Yan let out a long breath. Only then did he regain his composure. While searching, he asked, "Where is Father? Where is my father?"
After a long while, seeing that he had not found Xiao Zhan's corpse, Xiao Yan let out a sigh of relief. Not finding the corpse at least indicated there was still a possibility he was alive.
Just then, Yao Lao's aged voice suddenly echoed in Xiao Yan's ear, "Xiao Yan, there seems to be one survivor in the West Wing. Go and take a look quickly."
Xiao Yan's eyes lit up, and he quickly walked into the West Wing; this was the Xiao Family's kitchen.
"The person is hiding inside the rice vat." Yao Lao reminded him.
Xiao Yan nodded heavily, slowly walked to the rice vat, and opened the lid. Looking closely, he saw a pretty little girl curled up inside, looking trembling and fearful.
"Xiao Qing." At a glance, Xiao Yan recognized the little girl's identity. It was Xiao Mei's younger sister, Xiao Qing.
"Don't kill me, please don't kill me..." The girl was terrified, covering her face, not daring to look up at Xiao Yan.
"Xiao Qing, don't be afraid, it's me, Xiao Yan." Xiao Yan said, "Tell me quickly, what on earth happened?"
Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Xiao Qing slowly raised her head. Seeing who it was, tears immediately poured down her face. She stood up and threw herself into Xiao Yan's arms, sobbing, "Wuwu... they're dead, Cousin Xiao Yan, everyone is dead. The Grand Elder, my grandfather, and the Third Elder, everyone is dead. Of the entire Xiao Family, only we are left, along with Cousin Xiao Ding, Cousin Xiao Li, as well as Cousin Xiao Se from Jia Nan Academy, Cousin Xiao Yu, Cousin Xiao Ning, Xun'er, and my sister."
"I know." Xiao Yan's eyes were bloodshot. Aside from Xiao Ning and Xiao Mei who had joined Jia Nan Academy the previous year, and Xiao Yu and Xun'er who had joined long ago, almost everyone in the Xiao Family he knew was dead. He immediately asked, "Then what about my father? I didn't see his corpse. Do you know where he went?"
Xiao Qing shook her head, "I don't know. When my grandfather hid me in the rice vat, I heard that the Clan Chief had been abducted by a Black Robed Man. That Black Robed Man killed everyone he saw last night, wuwu, even my grandfather died."
By the end, Xiao Qing was sobbing uncontrollably.
Black Robed Man?
Xiao Yan's eyes were hollow. He recalled the Protector Wu that Xiao Se had killed earlier. Unsurprisingly, before Protector Wu went to the Cloud Mist Sect, he had come to the Xiao Family first.
"Damn it. If only I were stronger, or if I had returned to the Xiao Family one day earlier." Xiao Yan put Xiao Qing down and punched the ground. The bluestone floor cracked, and the skin on his fist split open. He let the blood splatter, but he was already beyond caring.
"Cousin Xiao Yan, do you know who that Black Robed Man is?" Xiao Qing wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and asked, puzzled.
"Yes, but that Black Robed Man is already dead." Xiao Yan replied.
"Cousin Xiao Yan is so amazing, you actually avenged our Xiao Family so quickly." Xiao Qing blinked her teary, cute big eyes and said excitedly.
Xiao Yan's mouth twitched. He really wanted to say that Protector Wu was killed by Xiao Se, but thinking of the latter's constant disdain for him, he swallowed the words back.
"Oh right, Cousin Xiao Yan, this is for you." Just as Xiao Yan was lost in his thoughts, Xiao Qing took a jade box from her storage ring.
"What is this?" Xiao Yan puzzledly took the jade box and opened it to look. Inside lay a primitive jade piece. From the color of the ancient jade, it was not hard to see that it had endured the baptism of time. However, upon the jade piece, specks of starlight were still flickering.
"This was given to me by my grandfather, who told me to pass it on to you or Cousin Xiao Se. It is a token representing the Xiao FamilyClan Chief. As long as the Clan Chief is not dead, the starlight on it will not dissipate." Xiao Qing explained.
Taking out the jade piece, a strange feeling suddenly arose in Xiao Yan's heart, and he couldn't help but ask in his mind, "Teacher, do you know what this thing is?"
"I'm not too sure, I have never seen it either. However, looking at this ancient jade, it has at least endured ten thousand years of time's baptism. It must not be an ordinary treasure. Before figuring out its function, you had better put it away carefully." Yao Lao responded.
Xiao Yan nodded heavily, took a red string from his storage ring to tie the jade piece, and wore it around his neck. He secretly thought in his heart, "Hall of Souls, what a Hall of Souls. Just you wait, sooner or later, I will make you pay with your lives for the Xiao Family. And Xiao Se, you took away Xun'er and insulted my dignity. I, Xiao Yan, will be your mortal enemy in this life."
While saying this, Xiao Yan began to bury the deceased members of the Xiao Family.
Meanwhile, while Xiao Yan was clearing the corpses of the Xiao Family, Xiao Se had already used Flying Thunder God to arrive at the Snake-People Tribe.
"Establish the Sea Alliance?" Inside the Medusa Shrine, Medusa gently stroked her slightly protruding lower abdomen and asked with some surprise.
"Yes. Currently, the Cloud Mist Sect, Mittel Family, Mu Family, Nalan Family, and other major forces of the Jia Ma Empire have all agreed to join the Sea Alliance. It is only a matter of time before the Gama Royal Family and the Alchemist Guild join as well. I know your lifelong dream is to lead the Snake-People Tribe out of the Tagor Desert. So, after establishing the Sea Alliance, I will order the Gama Royal Family to allocate the eastern part of the Magical Beast Mountain Range to the Snake-People Tribe. The Magical Beast Mountain Range is surrounded by mountains and water, making it very suitable for the Snake-People, who are Demonic Beasts, to survive." Xiao Se nodded and said with a smile.
"Thank you, Xiao Se." Hearing Xiao Se's words, Medusa was slightly taken aback; she nestled into Xiao Se's arms and said softly.
"We have already performed the wedding ceremony, and you are carrying my child. Between husband and wife, what is there to thank each other for?" Xiao Se smiled slightly and kissed Medusa's fair forehead.
"Hmm." Medusa nodded, changed the subject, and suddenly asked, "Hai Bodong and Ya Fei of the Mittel Family have a history with you and understand your potential well, so their joining is understandable. The Mu Family and Nalan Family are fence-sitters, so it is not surprising they joined the Sea Alliance. As for the Cloud Mist Sect, given the temper of that old fellow Yun Shan, logically, even if you have reached a Breakthrough to Dou Zong, he should not have yielded. How exactly did you subdue the Cloud Mist Sect?"
"Uh..." Xiao Se's mouth twitched, and his face immediately revealed a hint of awkwardness. Speaking of the Cloud Mist Sect, he had to mention Yun Yun. It seemed that apart from Ya Fei and Long Kui, his other wives were unaware of the matter regarding Yun Yun.
Receiving no answer from Xiao Se after a long while, a strange look appeared in Medusa's beautiful eyes. She immediately recalled the scene when Xiao Se first met Yun Yun and the scene when he saw Yun Yun at the Alchemist Convention, and instantly seemed to understand something. She immediately raised her head and asked with some resentment, "You aren't going to tell me that the woman from the Cloud Mist Sect named Yun Yun has also been seduced by you, are you?"
"Yes." Xiao Se swallowed his saliva.
"When did this happen?" Medusa asked Xiao Se.
"Last time I returned to the Jia Ma Empire to see Feier, I happened to save Yun'er from the hands of the Amethyst Winged Lion King, so..." Xiao Se explained with a dry laugh.
"Feier, Yun'er, you call them so intimately." Medusa took a deep breath, and her beautiful eyes curved into a dangerous, beautiful arc, "Xiao Se, clench your teeth!"
While saying this, Medusa opened her red lips and bit down on Xiao Se's shoulder.
Xiao Se did not cry out; he turned the passive into the active. Not long after, a beautiful melody of music resounded within the Medusa Shrine.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three days had passed.
At the Mittel Auction House, in Ya Fei's room, following a ripple in space, Xiao Se, accompanied by Medusa, appeared out of thin air in the room.
"Xiao Se." Seeing Xiao Se suddenly appear, Ya Fei's eyes instantly lit up, and she was about to throw herself into Xiao Se's arms. However, upon seeing Medusa beside Xiao Se, she stopped her actions. Her beautiful eyes glanced unobtrusively at Medusa's slightly protruding lower abdomen, and then she bowed gracefully and smiled, "Sister Medusa."
"You and I are sisters, there is no need to be so restrained." Seeing that Ya Fei was so sensible, Queen Medusa did not put on any airs of a powerhouse. She merely shot Xiao Se a glance with her beautiful eyes, then took Ya Fei's hand and sat down.
"Thank you, Sister Medusa." Hearing Medusa's words, Ya Fei felt a sudden sigh of relief in her heart. Deep down, she was actually quite afraid of this infamous Queen Medusa. She then opened up her mind and asked, "Sister Medusa, how long have you been pregnant?"
"Exactly one year and eight months." Medusa answered with a smile.
One year and eight months?
Ya Fei was shocked in her heart. With this much time, she could have already had a second child. Yet, Medusa's stomach did not look big at all, appearing to be only about two or three months along.
Looking at Ya Fei's puzzled expression, Xiao Se smiled and explained, "Feier, Shasha's true form is a Snake-Person, and she also carries the powerful Bloodline of the Seven-Colored Sky Swallowing Python, so the growth cycle of this child will be relatively long. Three to five years is not impossible."
Hearing this, Ya Fei suddenly understood, "No wonder. However, if this little one is born, it will probably be very powerful."
Xiao Se nodded, "Yes. Shasha and I have already used the highest-level secret technique of the Snake-People Tribe on her. Once the little one is born, her cultivation will at least start at the Dou Zong Rank."
"Dou Zong. Hiss." Ya Fei gasped, exclaiming, "What an enviable little one."
"Haha, let's not talk about her. How are the preparations for the establishment of the Sea Alliance going?" Xiao Se skipped over the previous topic.
"Hmm, with the full support of the Cloud Mist Sect, Nalan Family, and Mu Family, the establishment of the Sea Alliance is going exceptionally smoothly. Moreover, we will build a structure in the center of the Imperial Capital that is even larger than the Gama Royal Family palace to serve as the political center of the Sea Alliance. As long as you refine the Break-Sect Pill today, the Sea Alliance will be officially established." Ya Fei smiled sweetly.
Changing the subject, Ya Fei's expression suddenly became exceptionally grave, and she said solemnly, "Xiao Se, there is something I must tell you."
"What is it?" Xiao Se asked, puzzled.
Ya Fei looked deeply at Xiao Se and said sternly, "Three days ago, the Xiao Family was exterminated."
(End of Chapter)
[Get +50 Extra Chapters on - P@tr3on "RinBlaze"]
[Every 15 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]