Chapter 123: Enemies on a Narrow Road

In the hall, there were no shortage of well-informed people. When they saw the flame that could even melt a Demon Core Weapon in an instant, everyone's expression changed at once.

Xiao Yan didn't even need to exert much force before he had the Mo Family's second young lady's snow-white neck gripped in his hand, lifting her up.

Xiao Yan's flat voice carried out, with not a shred of tenderness in it.

Her beautiful eyes brimming with terror, the Mo Family's second young lady Ling Lin stared in horror at the youth before her. Although she had already reached the Fighter strength, how could a mere Fighter possibly escape from Xiao Yan's hand?

Xiao Yan's cold gaze and his flat, water-like voice. It was as if he could kill the Mo Family's second young lady at any moment without the slightest scruple.

"This brother, please stop!" From the inn's main hall, a middle-aged man hurried out, his face full of worry and tension.

Seeing the Mo Family Class Badge on the middle-aged man's chest, Xiao Yan thought for a moment, then suddenly released his grip.

Ling Lin dropped straight onto her bottom on the floor, coughed twice, rubbed her own neck, and looked up at Xiao Yan with eyes full of terror.

Had Xiao Yan exerted just a little more force, he could have absolutely crushed the bones of her neck, and she would have perished on the spot.

"Sir, Ling Lin was too impulsive earlier. Please, for the sake of our Mo Family, do not take offense at her." The middle-aged man felt a sudden chill on his scalp—this time Ling Lin had kicked an iron plate!

The youth before him was very strong, and the old man beside him was even more unfathomably powerful, probably at the Spirit Cultivation Realm.

Ling Lin hurriedly scrambled up from the ground and hid behind the middle-aged man. She also knew that this time she had kicked an iron plate, and didn't dare make a single loud noise.

"Your Mo Family doesn't yet have that qualification." Xiao Yan said slowly.

Xiao Yan's voice echoed through the quiet hall, and even Hai Bodong beside him said nothing.

The middle-aged man's eyelid twitched. If this had been any other time, anyone who dared speak to him like that would have been dealt with on the spot. But now, even if he wanted to step in and teach them a lesson, the odds were he would die a miserable death.

"Hehehe, yes, yes, you're right, sir. We will definitely discipline Ling Lin strictly. All your expenses in Yan City will be covered by our Mo Family. We've already prepared the finest suite for the two of you; please accept our apologies." The middle-aged man shot a glance at the stunned attendant beside him.

Only then did the attendant come to his senses, hurriedly taking out two exquisite room key tags and handing them to Hai Bodong and Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan gave Hai Bodong a slight nod, then took the two exquisite key tags and headed up to the Guest Room.

Hai Bodong said in a low voice, "I thought you were going to cause a huge scene at the Mo Family directly."

"The Mo Family is nothing to fear, but the Mo Family is deeply rooted in Yan City. If we provoke the city garrison here, it would be troublesome—the city garrison is essentially the Imperial Family of the Jia Ma Empire."

"My goal is only to get Qing Lin back. If Qing Lin is safe, I can let the Mo Family bleed a little and call it even."

Although Mo Cheng had left Shimo City a day early on a Flying Beast, Xiao Yan and Hai Bodong's speed was definitely much faster than a Flying Beast, so the probability of Qing Lin still being safe was very high.

Therefore, Xiao Yan didn't want to make too big a fuss; venting his anger could wait until after he had rescued Qing Lin.

Watching the old and young slowly disappear at the end of the staircase, the taut atmosphere in the hall finally eased a little, and people began to whisper in low voices, all guessing just what background these two had.

Ling Lin's pale pretty face only gradually regained a touch of color after Xiao Yan had vanished. Immediately, a tear of grievance slid down from her eye, and she wiped the droplet from her beautiful eyes with the back of her hand.

Having lived in Yan City for so many years, this was still the first time she had suffered such grievance.

After Xiao Yan had been gone for a while, Ling Lin's followers behind her finally came scurrying over, chattering to offer comfort.

Only, this comfort seemed rather grating.

"Hehe, why is little sister Ling Lin crying so pitifully? Could there really be someone in Yan City who dares to offend you?" Just as the youths beside Ling Lin were each putting on a brave front and desperately spouting sweet words, a clear, bell-like laughter rang out from behind.

A woman in an elegant, pale moon-white gown walked gracefully through the door under everyone's gaze.

The instant they saw the woman walk in, all the men's breathing hitched slightly, and many stared with their eyes gone perfectly straight.

The woman wore a wide-sleeved, form-fitting moon-white long robe, a pale silver sash tied around her slender willow waist just perfectly enough to show off that delicate figure to perfection.

Her charming smile carried a faint, otherworldly nobility; the seemingly gentle smile yet held a cool aloofness that kept people at arm's length, and a unique stubbornness showed in her eyes.

Even if Xiao Yan were standing here, he would probably be puzzled for a few seconds, not necessarily able to immediately recognize that the woman before him was the very Nalan Yanran whose two fingers he had broken with a single punch three years ago.

Nalan Yanran was the same age as Xiao Yan. As the saying goes, a girl changes eighteen times as she grows up, and the current Nalan Yanran was already quite different from three years ago.

"Sister Nalan! How come you're here too?" Seeing Nalan Yanran, Ling Lin stopped crying, bounced over with a delighted giggle, and hugged Nalan Yanran's arm.

Although Ling Lin was also fairly pretty, standing next to Nalan Yanran she seemed a little outshone, and felt ashamed of her own appearance.

Seeing Ling Lin's cheerful, lively manner, Nalan Yanran merely gave a faint, shallow smile.

Her smile was reserved yet quietly carried nobility—it didn't make one feel cold, yet held a sense of distance that stopped just at the right point. In any case, since that incident three years ago, those three years had made the once wilful and spoiled, immature girl grow considerably more mature.

Following behind Nalan Yanran was still Ge Ye, who had accompanied her to the Xiao Clan to break off the engagement back then.

Ge Ye's Cultivation Realm had now reached the Two Star Spirit Cultivation. Back then he had also hitched himself to the right wagon—Nalan Yanran's status had risen with the tide, and he had gained quite a few benefits along the way, allowing his Cultivation over these three years to advance fairly quickly.

Ling Lin affectionately took Nalan Yanran's slender hand, fair as warm jade, and said with delighted surprise, "Sister Nalan, you've come down from Yun Lan Mountain personally. If Father and the others knew, they would definitely be very happy."

"Only on Master's orders, and I also happen to need to return home during this period to take care of some matters, so I came along the way." Nalan Yanran said in a gentle voice.

"Sister Nalan, it's almost dark today. Why not rest here for the night? We've specially prepared rooms here for entertaining guests of your status." Ling Lin said excitedly.

"Mm, sorry to trouble you, little sister Ling Lin." Nalan Yanran smiled and nodded.

Ling Lin gave an awkward smile without speaking, and silently led the way in front, guiding Nalan Yanran and Ge Ye up the staircase.

Watching those few people disappear at the end of the staircase, the whispers in the hall rose again like a swarm of flies.

Xiao Yan, who was probably in his room, would never have imagined that coming to Yan City, he would actually run into Nalan Yanran!

(End of this chapter)