'Teacher!' Xiao Yan roared internally, his ego bruised and bleeding. 'Why?! Why has this arrogant Xiao Ning suddenly gotten so much better? How did he block my full-strength strike bare-handed? Why do I feel actual fear looking at a boy my own age?! And you... even you are advising me to run away?!'
Within the ancient black ring, Yao Chen floated in his spectral form, his ghostly brow deeply furrowed.
The legendary former Dou Zun was analyzing Yoriichi's stance. To the untrained eye, the youth was just standing there. But to Yao Chen's cosmic experience, Yoriichi's body was a terrifying fortress.
'His breathing... it is completely unnatural, yet flawless. His muscles are perfectly coiled. There is not a single opening. If Xiao Yan attacks now, that boy will snap his arms like dry twigs using only the momentum of the ruler.'
'Xiao Yan, get a grip on your emotions! Calm down!' Yao Chen reprimanded internally, his voice carrying the strict authority of a grandmaster.
'Do not let momentary jealousy cloud your Dao heart. Yes, that boy has cultivated a bizarrely strong physical foundation and a mind that sees ten steps ahead. But your potential is vastly higher!'
Yao Chen needed to soothe his disciple's shattered pride, but he was also speaking the truth.
'You are studying under me, the greatest alchemist of the Central Plains,' Yao Chen continued smoothly.
'You have the Flame Mantra. You will devour Heavenly Flames. He is strong now, yes, perhaps stronger than you in pure physical combat. But give it time. If you continue to study under me, you will surely defeat him and leave him staring at your back in the near future. But tonight, a tactical retreat is the only victory.'
Yao Chen didn't know why, but a strange, unsettling feeling washed over his spectral soul whenever he gazed upon Yoriichi. The boy didn't feel like a teenager of the Xiao Clan; he felt like an ancient, reincarnated god of war. But Yao Chen pushed the thought aside, focusing entirely on preserving Xiao Yan's life and confidence.
Hearing his master's firm, reassuring words, Xiao Yan took a deep, shuddering breath beneath the cloak.
His racing heart began to slow. The burning humiliation faded, replaced by a cold, determined resolve. 'Teacher is right. I have the Flame Mantra. I will devour the heavens themselves. I will surely defeat this cousin the next time we clash, and I will become stronger.'
Meanwhile, fifty yards away, hidden flawlessly among the fragrant needles of the towering pine tree, Xun'er stood in absolute silence.
The gentle night breeze rustled her light clothes, but her mind was a storm of calculations. She had heard every single word Yoriichi had spoken.
She bit her lower lip, her golden eyes reflecting the pale moonlight. 'What Xiao Ning said... seems true from his character. The geopolitical threat to the Xiao Clan maybe is real.'
She looked at the stoic, imposing figure of Yoriichi standing on the roof. The sheer maturity and tactical brilliance he had just displayed completely shattered her previous image of the arrogant, foolish young master.
'If the Xiao Clan gets destroyed by a Tier 3 Alchemist's connections, it wouldn't matter to me in the slightest,' Xun'er thought coldly, her apathy for the world outside of one specific person showing its terrifying depths.
'But... it will ultimately impact Xiao Yan ge-ge. Seeing his father killed and his family destroyed would break his heart. And seeing him heartbroken... is the one thing I cannot allow.'
Seeking absolute confirmation, Xun'er tilted her head slightly, speaking quietly into the empty darkness beside her.
"Uncle Ling," she whispered to the seemingly empty air. "Is it true? What Xiao Ning just spoke of?"
From the pitch-black shadows cast by the thick pine branches, the faint, distorted outline of an old man materialized. Ling Ying, the Dou Huang shadow guard, as usual remained completely invisible to the rest of the world.
"Yes, Miss," Ling Ying replied, his voice an impassive, dry rasp. "Absolutely true. The boy's analysis of the geopolitical fallout and the threat level of the Black Rock City faction is flawless. If that alchemist dies here tonight, the Xiao Clan will face an existential calamity within a month."
Ling Ying was a man of very few words. He did exactly what his young miss asked, providing precise information without any unnecessary nonsense or emotional explanations.
Xun'er hummed softly, a delicate sound that belied the lethal power she commanded. She let out a soft sigh, the golden sparks of Dou Qi at her fingertips slowly fading back into her meridians.
'It seems Xiao Ning has saved the clan tonight,' Xun'er admitted to herself, a newfound sliver of genuine respect for the youth her age taking root in her mind.
She decided to remain hidden, waiting to see exactly how the mysterious cloaked stranger would deal with Yoriichi's unyielding logic. If the stranger was foolish enough to attack and Yoriichi needed assistance to protect the Xiao Clan's interests, she was prepared to unleash a fraction of her power to aid him. After all, he was protecting her ge-ge's family.
Back on the roof, the heavy standoff had finally reached its breaking point.
Yoriichi remained completely impassive, his stance unbroken, waiting to see what the unknown adversary would do.
Slowly, the tension in the cloaked figure's shoulders vanished. Xiao Yan turned his body slightly away, resting the massive Heavy Xuan Ruler against his shoulder with a resigned, heavy sigh.
"Very well, young man," the grumpy voice echoed from the hood, carrying a tone of reluctant, begrudging respect. "Your logic is sound. I may want to kill this scum no matter what it takes, but... I cannot allow my personal actions to implicate the lives of thousands of innocent clan members."
The cloaked figure took one step back toward the edge of the roof, the shadows beginning to swallow his form.
Before leaping away into the night, the figure turned his hooded head back toward Yoriichi, delivering one final, absolute mandate.
"But you make sure of one thing, boy," the old voice demanded, heavy with a lingering, lethal promise. "You make sure he gets out of this city. No matter what method you use, remove him from Wu Tan City permanently... so I can rest with peace of mind."
With a sudden, explosive burst of Dou Qi, the cloaked figure vaulted backward off the tiled roof, disappearing seamlessly into the dark, labyrinthine alleys of the city, leaving Yoriichi completely alone with the unconscious, battered body of the catalyst that had nearly doomed them all.