Hearing Young Hero Li's words, an involuntary sigh escaped Di Tanxue's lips and a complex mix of expressions crossed his face. There was confusion, bewilderment, disappointment, regret and a sense of loss.
'Is this karma at play?'
The man and woman who sold their children just so that their merchant house could not only survive but also thrive in the Devourer's Famine… let alone their merchant group, they themselves did not live long enough to witness the famine come to an end.
Di Tanxue struggled hard not to burst into an uproarious laughter of amusement.
'Still, it would've been much more entertaining to watch their reaction seeing me return back alive;'
Musing with a light smile, Di Tanxue looked at the sky a little distance away.
There in the sky, a young looking man with muscular physique was seen flying towards him with an enraged expression.
"Found You, You Murderer!"
The muscular young man roared loudly and dived at Di Tanxue with great speed.
'Jade Dragon Envoy;'
The muscular young man's words in addition to a familiar azure medallion with a dragon inscription hanging on his hips made it extremely easy for Di Tanxue to guess his identity.
No sooner had this happened that the whole Flaming-Crescent domain experienced a wave of earthquake and an oppressive will settled upon the domain.
"Huang Shao, You Dare!"
It was the Domain Lord's furious shout directed at Manager Huang of Gentle-Rain Merchant store. He appeared to have done something to gravely enrage the Domain Lord.
"He's calling for reinforcements?"
Young Hero Li muttered and gave Di Tanxue standing beside him a meaningful glance.
"That's it! Fellow Daoist, no.. My Lord, you desire to fish in troubled waters! Truly worthy of my Lord, haha–"
Boom!
A loud sound of stone hitting stone echoed and Young Hero Li's laugh was cut short as his body was sent flying with his head exploding into millions of pieces!
When the surrounding domain residents, already uneasy because of Domain Lord's enraged cry earlier, witnessed this scene they immediately created a loud ruckus. Some dashing to the right, others to the left, the street was emptied out within no time.
Such was the life in Crimson Echo. Even ordinary domain residents were used to sudden violence on the streets and had means to evacuate some way or another.
"Finally some peace!"
Di Tanxue sighed with visible relief and retracted his right hand. It truly felt great to get rid of a persistent bug with his own hands, it was just that… 'tch, it hurts'. He grimaced, caressing his right fist gently.
"Now it's your turn;"
Brandishing his fist in the air to lessen the pain, Di Tanxue eyed the muscular young man.
A few moments earlier, just when the muscular young man was about to land, the earthquake had occurred causing him to miss his steps and land face first to the ground.
Hiding his embarrassment somehow, he stood up only to witness the scene of Di Tanxue killing Young Hero Li, a seventh stage cultivator, with a single punch and now that Di Tanxue was advancing towards him with killing intent…. suffice to say, he was left terrified beyond words!
'Huang Shao you fucker, you've tricked me!'
"S-senior, it's a misunderstanding I'm not here for y–"
Boom
A familiar sound and the muscular young man suffered a fate identical to Young Hero Li!
Di Tanxue had no patience to waste any time on relatively insignificant matters. Making short work of this pawn sent by Manager Huang to keep him occupied, Di Tanxue took to the skies.
Extending his senses to its limit, he noticed everything occurring within the Flaming-Crescent domain with great clarity.
In one corner of the domain, Manager Huang was being confronted by an old man of robust build with a teleportation formation operating behind them both at full intensity.
In a square right next to where Di Tanxue was, nearly thirty cultivators of varying cultivation bases stood motionless with their eyes focused on Di Tanxue's floating figure.
And…hm?
There, in an inconspicuous corner of the domain, a second teleportation formation was operating with such stealth that even the Domain Lord himself seemed unaware.
"What's happening?"
This was an unexpected situation. The first teleportation formation, being operated by Manager Huang, was for him to call for outside help in subduing Di Tanxue.
Earlier inside the Gentle Rain merchant store, Manager Huang had noticed Di Tanxue's abnormality. Courtesy, the special senses of a noble-bloodline Blood Elf that can intuitively recognise a Soul-Devouring Phantom or Pilgrims.
This much was within Di Tanxue's calculations but for someone to activate a second teleportation formation, it was truly unexpected.
'Who is it? What is their objective?'
Di Tanxue focused on the person operating the second formation. A feeble old man, trembling incessantly from weakness caused by old age.
Despite appearing as if he might drop dead at any given moment, the old man operated the formation with an excited and passionate expression. Just when Di Tanxue's senses focused onto him, the old burst into laughter and declared cheekily.
"Hehehe, My Lord behold a little gift I've prepared for you!"
This cheeky and annoying expression… It was Young Hero Li!
Di Tanxue recognised him almost immediately. Shooting a glance where Young Hero Li's middle-aged corpse(?) was laid, Di Tanxue could now say for certain that this Young Hero Li possessed more than just one body.
Shaking his head with an annoyed expression, Di Tanxue flew higher while simultaneously speedily advancing in a trajectory that would take him out of the domain.
"Stop him!!!"
A desperate cry akin to a dying chicken issued a command and the thirty cultivators hiding in the nearby square all flew themselves into Di Tanxue's trajectory, obstructing his path with their very body.
Akin to moths drawn to flames, these cultivators paid no heed to their safety or survival. Even as Di Tanxue took care of each of them with just one move, they appeared blind to it all and continued obstructing his path.
Just what had Manager Huang promised them to behave in such a way? Di Tanxue wondered, as he took care of the last of them. Now he was just a short few meters away from existing the domain but just then the desperate cry akin to chicken echoed again.
"Domain Lord Li, don't let him escape! It's a command from the Council Head!"
This was Manager Huang requesting the Domain Lord for help as a last resort. Once Council Head's name was involved, even the Domain Lord appeared somewhat swayed and stopped his confrontation with Manager Huang.
Unfortunately for him before he could reach a decision, a suffocatingly oppressive will settled upon the Flaming-Crescent domain as a whole.
The crimson clouds in the sky churned, ready to bring forth a violent shower of rain at any moment while an uncountable number of Soul Devouring Phantoms seemed ready to be deployed and create chaos.
"I dare you to try!"
The churning sky uttered with absolute contempt.