Ning swiftly concealed himself, taking advantage of his still-intact camouflage. Lowering his presence, he positioned himself to observe the unfolding scene.
There were ten people surrounding a single person.
And who else could it be but our resident protagonist, Xiao Fan?
With his acute hearing, he caught snippets of their conversation.
"You ignorant trash, do you even know who you've offended?" a tall and stern figure bellowed, clearly the leader of the group.
Xiao Fan, appearing somewhat bewildered, replied in a hoarse voice, "Who are you guys?"
With a contemptuous expression, the leader sneered, "It matters not who we are. You brought this upon yourself by disregarding the advice of your senior brother. You should have known your place and avoided any interaction with senior sister Xiao."
A chorus of agreement followed as another disciple chimed in, "Absolutely! You're nothing more than a toad trying to feast on a swan's meat. You should have realized your insignificance, you worthless trash."
Ning was amazed. Like seriously amazed. These guys were probably sent out to eliminate Xiao Fan, yet they took the time to engage in this exchange, even disclosing the person behind their mission.
Truly, as the saying goes, one need not fear a competent enemy, but an incompetent ally.
With those words, Xiao fan also seemed to have come into sudden understanding as his face contorted to rage, his fists clenched.
"XIAO HONG!!!" Xiao Fan bellowed with an overwhelming surge of rage. The intensity of his killing intent was so immense that even the birds in the vicinity were startled, taking flight in a frenzy. His assailants, caught off guard by the sudden outburst, involuntarily took a step back, their confidence wavering.
Even the leader, showing signs of unease, couldn't help but perspire as he shouted, attempting to regain control over the situation. "What are you all afraid of? He's just a second-stage cultivator. There's no one he can defend himself against in the face of our assault. I am in the third stage, and all of you are in the second stage. Let's go and kill him!"
The leader's words seemed to rejuvenate the group's determination, and they charged toward Xiao Fan without hesitation. Xiao Fan glanced at his attackers, a bone-chilling pressure emanating from his very being before he sprang into action.
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In Ning's eyes, it appeared as though Xiao Fan became a blur, his movements swift and precise. In an instant, he struck one of the assailants, sending him hurtling through the air. Witnessing this display of power, the remaining individuals in the group faltered as the leader urgently shouted, "Abort! Abort! He has already reached the third stage!"
What followed was a scene of gruesome carnage. Xiao Fan dispatched his adversaries with swift and brutal efficiency, leaving a trail of bloodshed in his wake. Even the leader, who boasted a higher cultivation level in the third stage, could only withstand a few strikes before succumbing to his injuries.
"This can't be possible..."
The assailant in the third stage met his demise, his eyes wide with terror. Xiao Fan, drenched in the blood of his fallen opponents, stood amidst the aftermath of the fierce battle. It was clear that his victories did not come without a cost.
Xiao Fan quickly looted the body, finding a space pouch in the body of the third stage cultivator, and started to loot other corpses when he suddenly stopped. His gaze landed in the direction where Ning lay concealed.
Ning's body was covered in goosebumps, his senses on high alert, but he managed to regain his composure swiftly. Sensing a shift in the atmosphere, Xiao Fan abruptly halted his movements and swiftly retreated, stealing a fleeting glance in the direction where Ning had taken cover.
It took another twenty minutes before Ning finally came out of his hiding spot, ensuring that Xiao Fan had truly departed. Wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead, he let out a sigh of relief.
"Truly, the cultivation world is too dangerous," Ning sighed. It was the first time he had witnessed such a brutal massacre, and though the scene was unsettling, it did not dishearten him. On the contrary, it only served to strengthen his resolve.
Ning then carefully inspected the area, hoping to salvage any remnants of value.
Xiao Fan had already gathered the belongings of the third-stage assailant and a few second-stage cultivators. However, due to his sudden intuition warning him of danger, he had retreated, granting Ning the opportunity to acquire a few items. Among his findings were around a hundred spirit stones, accumulated from the possessions of the second-stage cultivators, as well as a handful of fragmented weapon parts. Although not extravagant, Ning felt a sense of satisfaction. After all, he hadn't lifted a finger and still managed to secure something of value.
With that in mind, Ning retrieved a qi-enhanced matchstick from his belongings and proceeded to ignite the corpses, providing a final act of respect for the fallen and eliminating any lingering traces that could potentially implicate Xiao Fan. It was a small gesture, but one he did not mind undertaking.
From what he could gather, it seemed that Xiao Fan had found himself entangled with a jade beauty, who happened to share the same surname. It was a cliché plotline, with the stunning beauty being the only one who treated the protagonist kindly and became his sole friend within the clan. Meanwhile, Xiao Hong, his jealous and arrogant cousin, grew envious and sought to eliminate Xiao Fan.
If the story continued along this predictable path, Xiao Hong would likely attempt to harm the jade beauty, Xiao, only to be thwarted by Xiao Fan, leading to a blossoming romance between them. Eventually, Xiao Fan would rise victorious, defeating Xiao Hong and even his own parents, ultimately gaining control over his clan.
Truly, Ning felt like he was in some bad wish-fulfillment novel. Really, everything follows the logic of the novel...
Wait a novel.
Huh.
Ning understood.
.... and he had an idea.