"Xiao Ming!" Xiao Yi Xian's cold expression melted away as she caught sight of him standing at the door. Her smile bloomed as quickly as delicate snow meeting the warmth of sunshine, illuminating her face with its gentle radiance.
"Have you finished your alchemist certification? Was it successful?" Zi Yan and Qing Lin also smiled upon seeing him.
Nodding slightly, Xiao Ming glanced at the clamoring disciples of the Harmonious Bond Sect at the door, then walked into the inn and sat down beside the girls.
"Why not just kill these people? You've never been one to show mercy to lecherous scum like them before, Xian'er." Xiao Ming asked.
"I have heard that the Harmonious Bond Sect has been harassing men and women in this area for quite some time," said Xiao Yi Xian, shaking her head with a flat tone. "Earlier, I not only stripped them of their abilities but also their Dou Qi cultivation. They will suffer more from losing their cultivation than from death. Those who have fallen victim to them will not let them go easily."
As a woman, she detested the Harmonious Bond Sect and their illicit activities to the core. Killing them directly would be too easy for them.
Upon hearing her words, Xiao Ming understood her stance and didn't press the matter any further. While it was true that letting the members of the Harmonious Bond Sect go meant that they might not give up their vendetta easily, he knew that the sect was only a small sect with at most a Dou Ancestor. They could not possibly have a Dou Venerate backing them up.
If they were to come looking for trouble again, then they would take it as a favor to the people of this city by getting rid of them.
Besides, if these disciples were killed right now, the people of the Harmonious Bond Sect might sense something, and before all the hassle, Xiao Ming still wants to have a hot meal at dinner time.
Xiao Ming could remain so calm because he did not plan the route by wandering blindly like a headless fly. Apart from choosing the nearest route, he also gathered information about the various forces along the way.
Understanding that the Harmonious Bond Sect would surely come back, Xiao Ming told the three of them, "When they return later, there's no need to hold back."
"Don't worry, Xiao Ming. If they dare to come back again, I'll beat them to a pulp." Sitting in a chair, Zi Yan playfully waved her little fist, looking quite adorable.
"Then I'll leave it to you girls," Xiao Ming said with a smile. He turned to the innkeeper, who was hiding behind the counter. "Innkeeper, please serve the food."
"Uh, okay!" The innkeeper's voice trembled.
...
As Xiao Ming and his companions prepared to have dinner, Yin Ze, who had been thrown out by Xiao Yi Cian, gritted his teeth and stood up, his body wracked with convulsions.
Looking at Xiao Ming and his group inside, Yin Ze didn't make any threatening remarks. Instead, he ordered his subordinates to leave quickly. Despite this, his bitter and vengeful gaze indicated that, as Xiao Ming had suspected, he had no intention of giving up.
Leaving now was simply a matter of self-preservation for him.
...
The inn where Xiao Ming and his companions were staying was not far from the Harmonious Bond Sect's base, so it did not take Yin Ze and his men much effort to return to their base.
"Ze'er! Who is the bastard that injured you like this?!"
As soon as Yin Ze returned to their base, he was greeted by his father, Yin Xu, the current Sect Master of the Harmonious Bond Sect.
Yin Xu was a skinny man wearing a golden robe with female garments imprinted on it.
"Father! You have to help me seek revenge! My cultivation has been crippled!" Yin Ze ran to Yin Xu's side and knelt down, tears streaming down his face.
"What happened exactly?" Yin Xu clenched his fists and asked with a gloomy face, seeing his son's depleted aura and destroyed cultivation.
At this moment, an old man with white hair and a beard, wearing the same clothes as Yin Xu, suddenly appeared by his side.
"Ze'er, who did this?" The old man's eyes were filled with rage. He couldn't believe that his grandson was beaten up like this during a single trip outside. Who dared to act so recklessly on their territory?
"Father, Grandfather..." Yin Ze said tearfully, recounting the details of what happened. After hearing Yin Ze's words, they learned that the other side turned out to be just a group of a young man and women.
Yin Xu's face was twisted in anger as he spoke, his fists clenched tightly. "How dare they! These ignorant fools have no idea what they've done. Ze'er, don't worry, father will help you avenge this," he said, his voice full of determination. "I will make sure that those women pay for what they've done. I will abolish their cultivation and let you play with them as you wish."
With a stern face, Yin Xu finished speaking and turned to the old man beside him, saying, "Father, take care of Ze'er, I will be back soon!"
"No, I'll go first. Bring a few more people with you so they won't escape." The old man said, waving his sleeve and disappearing on the spot.
When Yin Yun, Yin Ze's grandfather, arrived at the inn from the base of the Harmonious Bond Sect, Xiao Ming and the girls had already eaten and drank their fill, waiting for him there.
Upon entering the inn, Yin Yun immediately locked onto them.
Xiao Ming and the girls were the only ones left in place in the entire inn, and they matched Yin Ze's description.
Yin Yun narrowed his eyes and took a closer look at Xiao Ming and his companions, finding them indeed as young as his grandson had described, which somewhat relaxed him.
In Central Plains, there were countless geniuses, and it was easy to encounter someone stronger than oneself, but with Xiao Ming and his companions being so young, their strength couldn't be too high.
With his strength in the four-star Dou Ancestor, the opponent wouldn't be able to resist him no matter what.
With this in mind, Yin Yun coldly laughed and quickly strode towards Xiao Ming. He bent his ten fingers quickly and with a sharp whistle, he suddenly grabbed towards Xiao Ming's head, apparently intending to kill him directly.
A sound of breaking the air reached their ears. While Xiao Ming's face remained calm and unchanged, Qing Lin's eyes on the opposite side shone with a strange green light that illuminated Yin Xu's face.
Caught off guard by the sudden green light, Yin Yun was momentarily stunned, and his hand that had reached out to grab Xiao Ming also paused for a moment.
The next moment, Yin Yun's face changed dramatically. He turned the hand that was supposed to grab Xiao Ming into a fist and fiercely swung it towards his right side.
Bang!
With a loud bang, a huge sound exploded in the inn. Then, Yin Yun's figure was thrown out of the inn, breaking through the wall and scattering dust and wood chips in the air before finally crashing onto the ground outside.
"Poof!"
Yin Yun spurted out a mouthful of blood and looked at the inn with horror.
A young man wearing a purple robe with a somewhat vacant expression emerged from the hole created by Yin Yun's body.
At this moment, a dozen or so figures flew quickly from a distance and landed beside Yin Yun.
"Father!" Yin Xu exclaimed in shock as he saw his father spitting blood and quickly helped him up.
Meanwhile, they noticed the purple-robed man slowly approaching.
Yin Yun, who had just been helped up, didn't have time to exchange words with Yin Xu and immediately spoke to the purple-robed man in a humble tone, "Your Excellency, we have no grievances with you. Perhaps there was a misunderstanding just now."
Yin Yun's behavior was certainly cowardly. The man in front of him was at least a five-star Dou Ancestor with an incredibly strong physical body. He had been injured in the sudden confrontation just now, and it would be unwise to continue opposing him.
However, the man in purple was actually a pet controlled by Qing Lin, the five-star Dou Ancestor, Purple Soul Flame Serpent. Its actions were beyond its control, and Yin Yun's plea was like talking to a wall.
"Xiao Ming!" Xiao Yi Xian's cold expression melted away as she caught sight of him standing at the door. Her smile bloomed as quickly as delicate snow meeting the warmth of sunshine, illuminating her face with its gentle radiance.
"Have you finished your alchemist certification? Was it successful?" Zi Yan and Qing Lin also smiled upon seeing him.
Nodding slightly, Xiao Ming glanced at the clamoring disciples of the Harmonious Bond Sect at the door, then walked into the inn and sat down beside the girls.
"Why not just kill these people? You've never been one to show mercy to lecherous scum like them before, Xian'er." Xiao Ming asked.
"I have heard that the Harmonious Bond Sect has been harassing men and women in this area for quite some time," said Xiao Yi Xian, shaking her head with a flat tone. "Earlier, I not only stripped them of their abilities but also their Dou Qi cultivation. They will suffer more from losing their cultivation than from death. Those who have fallen victim to them will not let them go easily."
As a woman, she detested the Harmonious Bond Sect and their illicit activities to the core. Killing them directly would be too easy for them.
Upon hearing her words, Xiao Ming understood her stance and didn't press the matter any further. While it was true that letting the members of the Harmonious Bond Sect go meant that they might not give up their vendetta easily, he knew that the sect was only a small sect with at most a Dou Ancestor. They could not possibly have a Dou Venerate backing them up.
If they were to come looking for trouble again, then they would take it as a favor to the people of this city by getting rid of them.
Besides, if these disciples were killed right now, the people of the Harmonious Bond Sect might sense something, and before all the hassle, Xiao Ming still wants to have a hot meal at dinner time.
Xiao Ming could remain so calm because he did not plan the route by wandering blindly like a headless fly. Apart from choosing the nearest route, he also gathered information about the various forces along the way.
Understanding that the Harmonious Bond Sect would surely come back, Xiao Ming told the three of them, "When they return later, there's no need to hold back."
"Don't worry, Xiao Ming. If they dare to come back again, I'll beat them to a pulp." Sitting in a chair, Zi Yan playfully waved her little fist, looking quite adorable.
"Then I'll leave it to you girls," Xiao Ming said with a smile. He turned to the innkeeper, who was hiding behind the counter. "Innkeeper, please serve the food."
"Uh, okay!" The innkeeper's voice trembled.
...
As Xiao Ming and his companions prepared to have dinner, Yin Ze, who had been thrown out by Xiao Yi Cian, gritted his teeth and stood up, his body wracked with convulsions.
Looking at Xiao Ming and his group inside, Yin Ze didn't make any threatening remarks. Instead, he ordered his subordinates to leave quickly. Despite this, his bitter and vengeful gaze indicated that, as Xiao Ming had suspected, he had no intention of giving up.
Leaving now was simply a matter of self-preservation for him.
...
The inn where Xiao Ming and his companions were staying was not far from the Harmonious Bond Sect's base, so it did not take Yin Ze and his men much effort to return to their base.
"Ze'er! Who is the bastard that injured you like this?!"
As soon as Yin Ze returned to their base, he was greeted by his father, Yin Xu, the current Sect Master of the Harmonious Bond Sect.
Yin Xu was a skinny man wearing a golden robe with female garments imprinted on it.
"Father! You have to help me seek revenge! My cultivation has been crippled!" Yin Ze ran to Yin Xu's side and knelt down, tears streaming down his face.
"What happened exactly?" Yin Xu clenched his fists and asked with a gloomy face, seeing his son's depleted aura and destroyed cultivation.
At this moment, an old man with white hair and a beard, wearing the same clothes as Yin Xu, suddenly appeared by his side.
"Ze'er, who did this?" The old man's eyes were filled with rage. He couldn't believe that his grandson was beaten up like this during a single trip outside. Who dared to act so recklessly on their territory?
"Father, Grandfather..." Yin Ze said tearfully, recounting the details of what happened. After hearing Yin Ze's words, they learned that the other side turned out to be just a group of a young man and women.
Yin Xu's face was twisted in anger as he spoke, his fists clenched tightly. "How dare they! These ignorant fools have no idea what they've done. Ze'er, don't worry, father will help you avenge this," he said, his voice full of determination. "I will make sure that those women pay for what they've done. I will abolish their cultivation and let you play with them as you wish."
With a stern face, Yin Xu finished speaking and turned to the old man beside him, saying, "Father, take care of Ze'er, I will be back soon!"
"No, I'll go first. Bring a few more people with you so they won't escape." The old man said, waving his sleeve and disappearing on the spot.
When Yin Yun, Yin Ze's grandfather, arrived at the inn from the base of the Harmonious Bond Sect, Xiao Ming and the girls had already eaten and drank their fill, waiting for him there.
Upon entering the inn, Yin Yun immediately locked onto them.
Xiao Ming and the girls were the only ones left in place in the entire inn, and they matched Yin Ze's description.
Yin Yun narrowed his eyes and took a closer look at Xiao Ming and his companions, finding them indeed as young as his grandson had described, which somewhat relaxed him.
In Central Plains, there were countless geniuses, and it was easy to encounter someone stronger than oneself, but with Xiao Ming and his companions being so young, their strength couldn't be too high.
With his strength in the four-star Dou Ancestor, the opponent wouldn't be able to resist him no matter what.
With this in mind, Yin Yun coldly laughed and quickly strode towards Xiao Ming. He bent his ten fingers quickly and with a sharp whistle, he suddenly grabbed towards Xiao Ming's head, apparently intending to kill him directly.
A sound of breaking the air reached their ears. While Xiao Ming's face remained calm and unchanged, Qing Lin's eyes on the opposite side shone with a strange green light that illuminated Yin Xu's face.
Caught off guard by the sudden green light, Yin Yun was momentarily stunned, and his hand that had reached out to grab Xiao Ming also paused for a moment.
The next moment, Yin Yun's face changed dramatically. He turned the hand that was supposed to grab Xiao Ming into a fist and fiercely swung it towards his right side.
Bang!
With a loud bang, a huge sound exploded in the inn. Then, Yin Yun's figure was thrown out of the inn, breaking through the wall and scattering dust and wood chips in the air before finally crashing onto the ground outside.
"Poof!"
Yin Yun spurted out a mouthful of blood and looked at the inn with horror.
A young man wearing a purple robe with a somewhat vacant expression emerged from the hole created by Yin Yun's body.
At this moment, a dozen or so figures flew quickly from a distance and landed beside Yin Yun.
"Father!" Yin Xu exclaimed in shock as he saw his father spitting blood and quickly helped him up.
Meanwhile, they noticed the purple-robed man slowly approaching.
Yin Yun, who had just been helped up, didn't have time to exchange words with Yin Xu and immediately spoke to the purple-robed man in a humble tone, "Your Excellency, we have no grievances with you. Perhaps there was a misunderstanding just now."
Yin Yun's behavior was certainly cowardly. The man in front of him was at least a five-star Dou Ancestor with an incredibly strong physical body. He had been injured in the sudden confrontation just now, and it would be unwise to continue opposing him.
However, the man in purple was actually a pet controlled by Qing Lin, the five-star Dou Ancestor, Purple Soul Flame Serpent. Its actions were beyond its control, and Yin Yun's plea was like talking to a wall.
