Standing to the side, Ye Xuan experienced a complex swirl of emotions.
In this superficial world, people like Tang Long and Xin’Er were far too rare. In the world of cultivators, what did love amount to? Absolutely nothing!
Ye Xuan had been hurt the most deeply by the person he loved most. Since then, he had never dared to believe in love again.
Yet, to his surprise, Tang Long and Xin’Er had just taught him a lesson. It turned out that even in the most ruthless of worlds, love did exist. It was just that the fleeting affections between ordinary lovers couldn’t be considered true love at all. How could true love ever involve betrayal? The bond between Tang Long and Xin’Er was the real deal.
In truth, the moment Ye Xuan noticed Xin’Er acting strangely, he realized she was about to do something foolish. Tang Long hadn’t been able to react in time, but he could have. The reason Ye Xuan didn’t stop her was that he felt she needed to ’die’ once. If she didn’t, how could she ever find peace staying by Tang Long’s side? She would have continued to feel guilty, forever believing she was no longer worthy of him.
"Long, I’m so cold. My whole body is freezing..." Xin’Er murmured, her eyes already growing hazy.
"Xin’Er..." Tang Long didn’t know what to do or what to say. He just held her tightly.
Seeing Xin’Er’s breathing grow weaker and weaker, Ye Xuan finally spoke up. "Give her this Healing Spirit Medicine." He pulled out an herb emitting a faint purple glow. It was a high-grade Healing Spirit Medicine.
Ye Xuan’s words made Tang Long’s eyes light up. How could he have forgotten about Spirit Medicine? Taking the herb, he immediately fed it to Xin’Er. The Spirit Medicine melted the moment it entered her mouth. Color returned to Xin’Er’s deathly pale face at a visible rate, and the wound on her neck healed within a few breaths. Such was the efficacy of a Healing Spirit Medicine.
Though Xin’Er’s complexion had recovered, she didn’t open her eyes.
"Why isn’t she waking up?" Tang Long asked Ye Xuan, panic lacing his features.
Ye Xuan explained, "She lost too much blood. Combined with the torment she’s suffered recently, her body is instinctively forcing her to get some good sleep. Don’t worry, she’ll be fine."
Hearing this, Tang Long finally let out a sigh of relief. He carefully scooped Xin’Er into his arms, as if afraid of disturbing her sweet dreams.
"Niu Tong, prepare a carriage for us. I’ll be waiting at the main gate," Ye Xuan suddenly said, turning to Niu Tong.
Niu Tong immediately yelled at the Niu Family members, "Quick, prepare a carriage!"
A few minutes later, at the main entrance of the Niu Family estate.
Niu Tong personally led a carriage over, his expression deeply respectful. After Tang Long and Ye Xuan boarded, they didn’t leave right away.
"Niu Tong, does the Ning Family know about me yet?" Ye Xuan asked.
Niu Tong’s body trembled, unsure of how to answer.
"Answer me honestly."
"I wrote a letter to the Ning Family and had it sent over. They should know very soon."
"Did you tell them the truth?"
"Yes! Absolutely."
"That’s more like it. By the way, Niu Yingjie might be dead, but there are still some others. You know how to handle them, right?"
"I know, I know. I’ll make sure every last one of them suffers a gruesome death!"
Niu Tong knew that the "others" Ye Xuan referred to were the remaining Niu Family members who had hurt Xin’Er.
"Good." Ye Xuan nodded, before driving the carriage away.
As time passed, over at the Ning Family estate.
The sky had already grown dark when the Lightning Dove returned. Ning Junze held a letter in his hand—the very letter Niu Tong had written. Upon reading it, Ning Junze flew into a rage.
"A nameless nobody dares to kill a descendant of my Ning Family and provoke our authority! Butler!"
"Patriarch, I am here."
"Immediately send someone to Hongtu Town in the southwest. Kill Ye Xuan!"
"Ye Xuan?" The butler paused for a moment. He had never heard the name before; it belonged to an absolute nobody.
Taking a deep breath, Ning Junze said, "He’s the one who killed Ning Zheseng. This brat is unbearably arrogant. Not only did he refuse to flee, but he even mocked our Ning Family, claiming we were nothing to fear. He said he wanted to see exactly how we plan to take his head!"
The butler narrowed his eyes. "This person is indeed arrogant. But Patriarch, who would be the best person to send?"
"Send Hanyu. Let a father avenge his son."
The butler, however, furrowed his brow. "Patriarch, there is something I must say, though I am unsure if it is my place."
"Speak."
"Since the other party dares to challenge our Ning Family so brazenly, his strength must not be weak. It’s highly likely he possesses a cultivation base in the Super Spirit Realm. Perhaps it would be better to have the Elders handle this directly."
Hearing the butler’s suggestion, Ning Junze snorted angrily. "A twenty-five-year-old brat in the Super Spirit Realm? Are you calling him an unparalleled genius, or are you calling the rest of us useless trash?!"
"What? He’s only twenty-five?" the butler exclaimed in shock.
"Not only that, he was born into a minor family. He’s as lowly as they come. Send Ning Hanyu and tell him to travel through the night. Tell him that he must bring this brat’s corpse back before nightfall tomorrow. I want it hung on the town walls and exposed to the sun for three months. I want vultures and eagles to pick his bones clean!"
"Understood." Although the butler felt they shouldn’t underestimate the enemy, knowing the opponent was only twenty-five made him swallow his remaining doubts.
At Hongtu Town.
Ye Xuan’s carriage came to a halt at the town’s entrance.
"Tang Long, we’re here. You and Xin’Er can stay at the Ye Family estate for now. There are plenty of empty rooms inside; make yourselves at home."
"Ye Xuan, aren’t you coming in?"
"Why would I go in? I’ll wait right here for the Ning Family. Once Xin’Er wakes up, you two can go wherever you please. You don’t need to let me know."
Tang Long gave Ye Xuan a complicated look. Then, he drove the carriage into Hongtu Town.
Once the carriage was inside, Ye Xuan closed the town gates. Armed with a longsword, he stood guard outside the town. Under the moonlight, his silhouette appeared somewhat bleak and desolate. All around him, silence reigned supreme. Only the man and his shadow formed a pair.
The next day, in the dim light of dawn.
Human voices finally broke the silence in Hongtu Town.
"The town gates are still closed. What’s going on? Is Patriarch Ye Xuan not planning to open them?"
"Look, Town Mayor Ye Xuan is still guarding the outside of the town."
Someone had climbed the town walls and spotted Ye Xuan standing in the clearing.
"He really is still there. What’s happening? Is there still danger?"
While the crowd murmured among themselves, a mighty lion’s roar echoed from the distance. A massive lion, three meters tall and five meters long, charged toward them. It was majestic and awe-inspiring, radiating a surging aura, and its bell-sized eyes were so intimidating that no one dared to meet its gaze.
"That’s a Tier Three, Rank Seven Beast—a Golden Lion!" someone exclaimed, recognizing the creature.
"What? A Tier Three, Rank Seven Beast... It’s that strong!"
Tier Three, Rank Seven—didn’t that make it equivalent to a cultivator at the 7th Layer of the Frenzy Spirit Realm? That lion alone possessed enough power to wipe out the entirety of Hongtu Town!
The Golden Lion sprinted forward madly, closing the distance to Ye Xuan.
"Are you Ye Xuan?" a human voice suddenly rang out from the lion’s back.
The man spoke with seething fury. This was Ning Zheseng’s father, Ning Hanyu.
"They’re here..." Ye Xuan cracked a grin and replied, "That’s me."
"Hand over your life, brat!"
The Golden Lion suddenly flew into a frenzy, its body erupting with a dazzling radiance. With every step it took, its massive paws left deep imprints in the ground. Abruptly, the majestic beast leaped high into the air like a rising sun, its razor-sharp claws striking straight toward Ye Xuan’s head.