"Hai Bodong, did you do what I asked you to?"
The moment Xiao Yan spoke, Jia Xingtian, Fa Ma, and the other elders felt their hearts jolt. Though they were men accustomed to great storms, they still couldn't help but feel nervous under his gaze, fearing he might take offense and turn on them.
But once they understood what Xiao Yan had actually said, they were stunned.
He was… giving Hai Bodong orders?
They had long known that Yan Xiao, now revealed to be Xiao Yan, was on friendly terms with Hai Bodong. But they hadn't expected the relationship to be this deep.
"Reporting to the Sect Master, everything has been completed."
Hai Bodong stood up, his tone respectful and solemn.
"'Sect Master'?"
That single title caused Jia Xingtian and the others to freeze again.
The integration of the Mittel family into Xiao Sect was no secret to the major powers of the Jia Ma Empire. The Xiao Sect's emblem had been hanging proudly outside the Mittel Auction House for years. If they claimed ignorance, it would be nothing but a lie. Hai Bodong hadn't hidden it either.
They had tried investigating the Xiao Sect's origins before, only to come up empty. All they knew was that after forming ties with the sect, the Mittel family had soared to power, and Hai Bodong himself had broken through to the Dou Zong level. That alone was enough to prove how terrifying the Xiao Sect truly was.
And now, the mysterious Sect Master of that formidable force… was standing right in front of them. A young man who, in their eyes, was still a junior.
The gap was dizzying.
"Bring them up."
Xiao Yan didn't even glance at the shocked expressions around him. Hai Bodong nodded and raised his arm toward the distant skies.
In the next instant, over a thousand black shadows streaked across the sky like meteors.
Even Jia Xingtian's pupils shrank. Every single one of those figures bore Dou Qi wings—they were all Dou Wang-level fighters at minimum!
A force capable of fielding over a thousand Dou Wang experts… could easily wipe out ten Jia Ma Empires. Just what kind of terrifying foundation did the Xiao Sect possess?
And yet, Xiao Yan didn't seem impressed at all. Of course, within the scope of the Dou Qi Continent, this power meant little to him now. But here, in the Jia Ma Empire? This spectacle was nothing short of apocalyptic.
Each black-clad expert was holding two captives, clearly subdued through special means. At Hai Bodong's command, they tossed the prisoners onto the central plaza like sacks of grain.
When their faces became visible, the expressions of those watching shifted dramatically—these people were all from the Nalan family.
"Nalan old man, don't be in such a rush. That's just the first batch. More are coming soon."
Xiao Yan smiled calmly.
And sure enough, moments later, another wave of black shadows arrived, dragging more Nalan family members in chains. Their Dou Qi had been crippled. Their limbs bound. They were nothing more than helpless, trembling wrecks.
"Xiao Yan, what are you trying to do?!"
Nalan Jie—already seated in the spectator area—leapt up, trembling with rage. His clan had been dragged out, crippled and paraded like criminals. Even if the Nalan Clan was finished, they still needed some survivors.
He had once been on decent terms with Xiao Yan's grandfather and hoped that would earn him some mercy.
"What am I doing? Nothing much." Xiao Yan's voice was calm. "Just thought we could all enjoy a little performance. I call this one… 'Righteous Execution of Kin.'"
With a snap of his fingers, Nalan Jie's body jolted slightly, his gaze turning vacant and confused.
At the same time, the ropes binding the Nalan family members unraveled and snapped.
The captives blinked in confusion.
Just as they were about to question what was happening, Xiao Yan tilted his head slightly and gave them a chilling smile.
"I'm feeling generous today. Consider yourselves lucky. Go on—get out of here. Don't stay around and dirty my sight."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Many exchanged uncertain glances.
Why go through all the trouble of capturing and crippling them, only to let them go now?
Was Xiao Yan really having a change of heart?
Even the Nalan family members themselves were dumbfounded—but they weren't about to question their fortune. Scrambling to their feet, they turned to flee, desperate to escape the nightmare.
Xiao Yan didn't stop them. He just stood there quietly.
That only deepened the confusion.
Was he really letting them go?
"Xiao Yan, I'll kill you!"
Suddenly, a blood-curdling roar erupted from the high platform.
Nalan Jie's eyes were bloodshot. With a furious shout, he launched himself at Xiao Yan.
Jia Xingtian and the others twitched, debating whether to intervene—but when Xiao Yan's gaze swept toward them, they instinctively shrank back.
'Forget it… we can't stop him anyway.'
"I guess this is it for the old man…" they murmured.
They didn't believe Nalan Jie could land a single hit on Xiao Yan. Most expected him to be slain instantly.
But what happened next stunned them.
Nalan Jie didn't attack Xiao Yan.
He slaughtered his own clan.
Wielding his blade like a man possessed, he cut down his family members one after another. Blood sprayed across the plaza. The screams were short-lived.
None of the captured Nalan clansmen saw it coming. They had just been granted mercy by Xiao Yan—and were now dying by the hands of their own patriarch.
"What's going on?! Has he gone mad?"
Eyes turned to Xiao Yan.
He stood calmly off to the side, a mocking smile tugging at his lips.
"Click, click, click…" He clapped slowly.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk… Nalan old man, you're truly worthy of being one of the Jia Ma Empire's top ten experts back in the day. Look at that blade technique—flawless. I see your glory hasn't faded with age."
Xiao Yan stepped aside, dragging the weakened Nalan Yanran out of the splash zone.
He had already destroyed her beauty and crippled her cultivation.
Now, it was time to rip away her final source of pride—her family.
With his current power, he could have wiped out the Nalan Clan and Yunlan Sect three years ago with a flick of the wrist. But what fun would that be?
That was why he had orchestrated this show.
To make them despair.
To use their own hands to destroy themselves.
To watch them crumble—piece by piece.
And this… was just the beginning.
Xiao Yan excelled at this sort of psychological warfare. He rarely showed this darker side of himself, especially in front of the women around him. He still wanted to maintain a certain image. That was why, today, he'd gone out of his way to keep all of them—including Xun'er, Xiao Yixian, and the others—behind at the Mittel Auction House.
So that they wouldn't see this side of him.
The side that found joy in cruelty.
(End of Chapter)
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