Elder Chihuo breathed a sigh of relief when Xuan Yi accepted the items, and the heavy stone in his heart slowly settled.
Just then, Xuan Yi's voice continued. "I've stayed at the Liu Family these past few days, and I feel very comfortable here. I've also spent quite a bit of the Liu Family's gold coins and resources."
Elder Chihuo's eyes darted when he heard her, and he understood at once. He gritted his teeth and made his decision. "This old man can decide that the Liu Family will hold full management rights over the spatial wormhole for the next ten years, and they need pay only forty percent of the fees."
The Liu Family members, Liu Shan among them, gasped at the offer and could not hide the ecstasy on their faces. In the past, when their family managed the wormhole, they had to pay eighty percent of the fees and could keep only twenty. But do not underestimate that twenty percent. The wormhole led to the Pill Region, its fees were not low, and its daily profits were enormous. Even that small share, taken over one month, was equal to three years of income from all of their territories in the city combined.
Xuan Yi nodded. Her original aim had been to secure this for the Liu Family, to help Xiao Tian win people's hearts. She also had a good impression of the Liu Family. They were people who knew how to repay kindness. And in the Central Plains one still needed connections, if only for dirty work and other unspeakable matters that required someone else's hands.
"Mm." She nodded lightly and went on. "I will pass through here from time to time. If I discover any trickery, any acting one way before people and another behind their backs, I'll have to go to your Burning Flame Valley and talk to Tang Zhen, and see just how hard your neck is."
Elder Chihuo nodded again and again. "I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare! I'll handle this matter properly, and such a problem will never occur." He looked as though he feared he would not speak fast enough, and the other side would go back on her word.
Xuan Yi reached out, and the purple-gold token hanging in the air flew back into her hand. She looked at Elder Chihuo. "You can discuss the rest with Patriarch Liu."
Then she and Xiao Tian left the hall. Once outside, the two smiled at each other, clasped hands without realizing it, and walked back toward their guest room, facing the setting sun.
After they left, Elder Chihuo hurriedly settled everything with Liu Shan. Then he led the Burning Flame Valley party out of the Liu Family manor and out of Tianhuang City, fearing that even a moment's delay would bring a deadly disaster.
\* \* \*
In a certain mountain range in the Northwest Region, Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran lay hidden in a large tree. In the area they were watching, five disciples of Wind and Thunder Pavilion were combing every spot.
Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes and looked at the five not far away, a slight smile on his lips, while Nalan Yanran gently stroked the thin sword in her hand. He sent her a message by voice transmission. "When they get a little closer, the Dou Zong is mine, and the rest are yours."
Nalan Yanran tightened her grip on the sword and nodded firmly.
"Where the hell did they run off to? This mountain range is huge, and we've searched for days without finding a single trace."
"Damn it, this is exhausting. When the mission's done and we get our reward, I'm going straight to find Xiao Qin and let off some steam." A slightly plump disciple complained, and then patted his belly.
One of the tall, thin disciples reached out and clapped the fat man's shoulder, teasing him. "Maybe your beloved Xiao Qin is being comforted by someone else right now."
"Get lost, you bastard! Next time I'll go visit your Xiao Fang!" the fat man shot back rudely.
"All right, enough bickering. Search carefully, all of you. If they get away, none of you will have an easy time." The middle-aged man in the lead spoke in a low voice. "Quite a few small teams have already died at their hands. If you don't want to die, stay sharp."
As soon as he finished speaking, a black shadow appeared before him without warning.
*Bang!*
The middle-aged man, a Dou Zong expert, stared at the figure that seemed to come out of thin air, his pupils contracting. Before he could react, he felt a sharp pain in his chest.
"Octane Blast!"
Xiao Yan's right fist, carrying a terrifying offensive force, slammed into the Dou Zong's chest. Immediately, Xiao Yan detonated the hidden force that came with it.
*Crack!*
The crisp sound of shattering bone came from the man's chest. With a muffled groan, the Dou Zong flew backward like a broken kite and crashed into a large tree. The trunk burst at the impact, sending wood chips flying.
Xiao Yan watched him go and could not help sighing at how useful Brother Che's Void Piercer Art was, letting him appear and vanish without a trace.
While the others stood in a daze, Nalan Yanran appeared silently beside the four. The thin sword in her hand flashed with a cold light, and a green wind blade flew from it. The four stared at the wind blade that had suddenly appeared, their souls nearly leaving their bodies, but it was too late to react. They could only watch it strike. They looked down at their own bodies, cut in half, and wanted to speak, but they never got the chance.
On the other side, the severely injured Dou Zong struggled to rise. But the bones in his chest were completely shattered, and the hidden force had wrecked his internal organs from within. Even circulating his Dou Qi had become extremely difficult. He raised his head with effort, saw Xiao Yan walking toward him, and gritted his teeth. "You... how could you..."
"Nothing is impossible." Xiao Yan cut him off and looked at him calmly. "People of Wind and Thunder Pavilion who dare to hunt me down must be ready to die. Now you can die."
He flicked a fingertip, and a wisp of Glazed Flame shot out and shaped itself into a sharp awl, speeding toward the man.
"No! No!" The middle-aged man's heart shattered with fear when he saw Xiao Yan attack. He wanted to mobilize his Dou Qi, but in his state he could muster only a pitiful amount for defense. The Glazed Flame broke through it in an instant and pierced straight into the space between his brows. The flame carried the Fallen Heart Flame, which targeted the soul directly.
"Aaaah!"
A shrill scream burst from the man's mouth and sent the whole forest into a chorus of fleeing magical beasts. Then it stopped abruptly. The Dou Zong's body twitched violently a few times and went completely still, his eyes losing all color. His soul had clearly been extinguished.
"Clean and decisive. Very good, very good." Xiao Yan came to Nalan Yanran's side, clapped his hands, and praised her. Before she could answer, he went on. "Let's leave quickly. Someone will be here soon. We'll change location and continue the ambush."
Nalan Yanran sheathed her sword. At his words, understanding dawned on her face, and she chuckled. "No wonder you let him scream just now. You wanted to draw more of them in so we could keep ambushing."