Elder Chihuo breathed a sigh of relief when Xuan Yi accepted the items. The heavy stone in his heart finally settled.
Just then, Xuan Yi's voice continued, "I've been staying at the Liu Family these past few days, and I've felt very comfortable. I've also used quite a bit of the Liu Family's gold coins and resources."
Elder Chihuo's eyes flickered when he heard this. He instantly understood her meaning. Gritting his teeth, he made a decisive offer: "This old man can decide that the Liu Family will have full management rights over the spatial wormhole for the next ten years, and they only need to hand over 40% of the fees."
The Liu Family members, including Liu Shan, gasped in shock. They couldn't hide the ecstasy on their faces.
Previously, when their own family managed the wormhole, they had to pay 80% of the fees and could only keep 20%.
One should not underestimate that 20%. The daily profits from the spatial wormhole were enormous. After all, it led directly to the Pill Domain, and the tolls were not cheap.
That 20% profit alone was enough to equal three years of income from all their territories in the city combined.
Xuan Yi nodded lightly. Her original goal had been to secure this benefit for the Liu Family, helping Xiao Jietian win their loyalty. Moreover, she had a good impression of the Liu Family—they were people who knew how to repay kindness.
After all, in the Central Plains, one still needed reliable connections. If for no other reason, at least for handling dirty work or matters that could not be spoken of openly.
"Mmm." Xuan Yi nodded gently and continued, "I will pass by here from time to time. If I discover any trickery—acting one way in front of people and another behind their backs—I can only go to your Burning Flame Valley and have a proper talk with Valley Master Tang Zhen to see how tough your neck really is."
Elder Chihuo nodded repeatedly in fear. "I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare! I will definitely handle this matter properly. Such problems will never occur!"
He looked as if he was afraid that speaking too slowly would cause Xuan Yi to change her mind.
Xuan Yi reached out, and the purple-gold token on the wall flew back into her hand. She looked at Elder Chihuo and said, "You can discuss the rest with Patriarch Liu."
With that, she and Xiao Jietian turned and left the hall. Once outside, the two exchanged a smile and unconsciously clasped hands as they walked back toward the guest rooms under the glow of the setting sun.
After Xiao Jietian and the others left, Elder Chihuo quickly finished the negotiations, then led the Burning Flame Valley group and fled from the Liu Family manor and Tianhuang City as fast as possible. He feared that even a moment's delay would bring disaster upon them.
…
In a certain mountain range in the Northwest Region.
Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran were hidden high in a large tree. Below them, five members of the Wind and Thunder Pavilion were carefully scanning every corner of the area.
Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes as he watched the five people not far away. A faint smile appeared on his lips. Nalan Yanran gently stroked the thin sword in her hand.
He transmitted his voice to her: "Once they get a little closer, the Dou Zong is mine. The rest are yours."
Nalan Yanran gripped her sword tightly and nodded heavily.
"Where the hell did they run off to?! This mountain range is so vast. We've been searching for days and haven't found a single trace."
"Damn it, this is really exhausting. Once the mission is complete and we get our reward, I'm definitely going to find Xiao Qin and vent properly." A slightly plump disciple complained, then patted his 'good brother' meaningfully.
One of the tall, thin disciples reached out and patted the fat man's shoulder with a playful grin. "Maybe your beloved Xiao Qin is currently being ridden by someone else right now."
"Get lost, you motherfucker!! Next time I'll go ride your Xiao Fang!!" The fat man retorted rudely.
"Alright, stop arguing," the leading middle-aged man said in a deep voice. "Search carefully. If they escape, none of you will have an easy time. Quite a few small teams have already died at their hands. If you don't want to die, stay alert."
Just as he finished speaking, a black shadow appeared before him without warning.
Bang!
The middle-aged man—a Dou Zong expert—had his pupils constrict as the figure seemed to materialize out of thin air. Before he could react, a sharp pain exploded in his chest.
"Eight Extremities Collapse!"
Xiao Yan's right fist, carrying terrifying force, slammed heavily into the Dou Zong's chest. Immediately after, he detonated the hidden energy within.
Crack!
The crisp sound of shattering bones rang out. Accompanied by a muffled groan, the Dou Zong flew backward like a broken kite, crashing heavily into a large tree. The trunk exploded on impact, sending wood chips flying everywhere.
Xiao Yan looked at the Dou Zong who had been sent flying and couldn't help but sigh in admiration. Tian Ge's Void Piercer Art was truly useful for appearing and disappearing without a trace.
While the others were still stunned, Nalan Yanran silently appeared beside the remaining four. The thin sword in her hand flashed with cold light as a green wind blade shot out.
The four disciples stared at the sudden wind blade, their souls nearly leaving their bodies. It was already too late to react. They could only watch helplessly as the wind blade struck them.
They looked down at their bodies, now cut cleanly in half, and wanted to say something—but they no longer had the chance.
Meanwhile, the severely injured Dou Zong on the other side struggled to get up.
However, the bones in his chest were completely shattered, and his internal organs had been destroyed by the hidden force. Even circulating his Dou Qi had become extremely difficult.
He raised his head with great effort and looked at Xiao Yan walking toward him. Gritting his teeth, he growled, "You… how could you…"
"Nothing is impossible," Xiao Yan interrupted calmly. "You people from the Wind and Thunder Pavilion dared to hunt me down, so you should have been prepared to die. Now, you can die."
He flicked his fingertip, and a wisp of glazed flame shot out, transforming into a sharp awl that flew toward the man.
"No! No!!!" The middle-aged man's heart shattered with fear. He tried desperately to mobilize his Dou Qi, but in his severely injured state, he could only gather a pitiful amount for defense.
The glazed flame instantly broke through his defense and pierced directly into his glabella. This flame contained the Fallen Heart Flame, which specifically targeted the soul!
"Ah—!"
A shrill scream erupted from the man's mouth, startling the entire forest and causing magical beasts to flee in all directions.
The piercing scream abruptly stopped. The Dou Zong's body twitched violently a few times before going completely still. His eyes lost all color—his soul had been extinguished.
"Clean and decisive. Very good, very good." Xiao Yan walked over to Nalan Yanran's side, clapped his hands, and praised her.
Before Nalan Yanran could reply, Xiao Yan continued, "Let's leave quickly. Someone will be here soon. We'll change locations and continue the ambush."
Nalan Yanran sheathed her sword. Hearing Xiao Yan's words, a look of understanding appeared on her face, and she chuckled. "No wonder you let him scream just now. You wanted to attract more people for the next ambush."