Fox Demon: The villain at the beginning

Chapter 394 Cooking, Suspicion

"Who told you to know so many secrets!"

The masked man stepped forward, his footsteps accompanied by the screams of the Xiao family members, creating an eerie and terrifying atmosphere.

"Who told you to be targeted by the Yang and Dongfang families again!"

"Our Xiao family has never revealed any secrets."

Xiao Tianci argued.

"But you are now at risk of having your secrets leaked."

"The reputation of my royal family, which has stood for a thousand years, cannot be damaged in the slightest."

"And to us, you are nothing more than dogs."

The masked man shook his head.

"If the master is put in danger, they must be killed immediately."

"Regardless of whether you did something wrong!"

"hateful!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Tianci was so angry he almost ground his teeth to powder.

“My father was truly blind back then, risking the entire clan’s strength to serve you.”

Xiao Tianci's face was contorted with rage as he stared intently at the masked man before him, his eyes bloodshot.

He was filled with regret at that moment.

Even though they didn't get close to the Wang Quan family, their position as a prominent family was secure, yet they still got involved in the struggles of the Dao Alliance.

As a result, not only has the family fallen into ruin, but now the lives of the entire clan are at stake.

"If there is an afterlife, I will slaughter all of your royal clan!"

He roared angrily.

"Have you finished your last words?"

The masked man's tone was icy.
"Then you should die too."

After saying that, he raised the long sword in his hand.

A flash of silver light streaked across the sky, heading straight for his neck.

Xiao Tianci closed his eyes in despair.

clang--

The expected pain did not come; instead, a metallic clang resounded in my ears.

Then a violent force struck him in the chest, sending him flying.

After rolling around on the ground countless times, Xiao Tianci finally managed to stop.

He opened his eyes and looked ahead, only to see a man in black with a white cloth wrapped around his arm standing in his original spot, fiercely fighting with the masked man.

With a flash of sword energy, the power of a great demon king was unmistakably revealed.

"Am I saved?"

Having survived the ordeal, Xiao Tianci collapsed to the ground, drenched in sweat.

"This area was clearly sealed off by an array, how did you get in?"

The masked man raised his hand to deflect a sword strike and asked in surprise.

“Of course they invaded.”

The man in black snorted coldly, his voice sounding very young, without the slightest hint of age.

The masked man hurriedly looked around, only to find that the outer array had been broken at some point.

Dozens of masked men in black, their arms wrapped in white cloth, came from all directions and blocked their way.

"Who are these guys?!"

The masked man had a bad feeling; these people's arrival was so coincidental, it seemed like it was premeditated.

The long sword in the black-clad man's hand gleamed with silver light, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, each strike aimed at vital points.

The masked man, wielding a long sword, dodged and parried.

Amidst the crisscrossing sword energy, his body was already covered in numerous wounds.

"No one should be allowed to escape."

A tall man dressed in a black robe walked slowly towards them. His voice was old, and he kept giving orders. He was clearly the leader of these newcomers.

"Listen up, members of the Xiao family! Immediately lay down your magical weapons and surrender, and I will guarantee your safety."

"Anyone attempting to escape will be killed without exception!"

Accompanied by fluctuations in magical power, the sound reverberated throughout the entire area.

The Xiao family members, who were already terrified, threw their magical artifacts aside and squatted on the ground.

Without the interference of the Xiao family members, the dozens of men in black with white cloth wrapped around their arms exerted their strength together and quickly surrounded the seven members of the Wangquan family, killing them one by one!

"Damn it! We will remember this grudge."

Seeing that their side was doomed, the masked leader shouted,

"No matter where you are from, my Shenhuo Mountain Manor will find you all sooner or later."

After uttering these harsh words, the masked man raised his sword, forcing back the person in front of him, and then turned to flee.

"It's probably too late to run now!"

An aged voice rang in his ears. The masked man turned his head and saw that the old man in black had appeared in front of him at some point.

With a wave of his hand, a Tai Chi diagram a hundred feet in size rose out of thin air, transforming into a vortex that enveloped the entire space.

Caught off guard, the masked man rushed into the vortex, was swept back, and fell into the hands of the old man in black.

"Peak Demon King, this Yin-Yang transformation technique...you must be Yang Yifang of the Yang family!"

The masked man screamed in terror.

"You have quite the eye! Let me see which branch of the royal family you belong to!"

Yang Yifang snorted and raised his hand to lift the other person's mask.

boom--

Just as the masked man was about to be exposed, a muffled thud was heard, and his head was instantly blown to pieces.

Then, as if receiving a signal, the heads of the other captured masked men also exploded one after another, like firecrackers.

A purple barrier stood in front of Yang Yifang, effectively blocking the force of the explosion, and he was unharmed.

Several men in black went forward to examine the body, then returned to report.

"Master! These masked men have been secretly plotted against."

"If the mission fails, it will explode and destroy the face to prevent being recognized."

"The royal family's methods are still so despicable!"

Yang Yifang snorted coldly, his tone displeased.

"I guess the Wang family was scared by what happened last time, which is why they resorted to these methods."

The young man in black approached. He pulled down his mask, revealing a handsome face.

It was none other than Yang Yitan from the Yang family.

"After all, they were dragged down from their position as alliance leader last time!"

Yang Yifang raised his hand, took the long sword from the masked man's hand, looked him up and down, and couldn't help but shake his head.

"I thought it was a great demon king's magic weapon, but it turned out to be just a mere peak demon king's weapon."

"how come?"

Yang Yitan looked surprised and suspicious.
“That guy before was a genuine demon king with the combat power of a great demon king.”

Now, with the help of his family's inherited magical artifacts, he can also unleash the power of a great demon king.

Being able to barely withstand his attacks is something that even a peak-level demon king cannot do.

"The Royal Family Sword Formation is world-renowned, and it is likely that it is a technique performed using a formation."

Yang Yifang shook his head.
"Ever since the Wangquan family lost two powerful demon king artifacts, they have rarely used them for assassinations."

"I guess they're afraid of losing more than they gain by trying to steal a chicken."

"After Wang Quancang and Wang Quan Jinghong died last time, the two magical treasures they possessed were still in the hands of two maids at Shenhuo Mountain Manor!"

"If there are any further losses, even the powerful Wang family probably won't be able to hold on."

. . . . . .

After dealing with the group of Wang Quan family assassins who attacked, Yang Yifang walked up to Xiao Tianci.

"I never expected it to be Elder Yang Yifang in person. I originally thought it would be Alliance Leader Dongfang from Shenhuo Mountain Manor!"

Sitting on the ground, Xiao Tianci calmly looked at the man in black in front of him.

"Our leader is extremely busy and has specially asked us to come."

Yang Yifang pulled down his mask and said calmly,

“Nephew Renfeng is kind-hearted and does not want to involve innocent people.”

"But we older generations always have to take care of some of the troubles for them."

"To think that my life was saved by my former enemy, such a twist of fate is truly unexpected."

Xiao Tianci sighed.

Former allies and powerful royal families who once supported them have become mortal enemies, and the kings wish they could kill them.

Their former enemies, Shenhuo Mountain Manor and the Yang family, turned around and protected them.

In this world, roles shift constantly, and it's truly impossible to tell who is friend and who is foe. "Xiao Tianci, you now have two choices!"

Yang Yifang said frankly,

"First, cooperate honestly and reveal the behind-the-scenes matters with the Wang Quan family. You are Xiao Wancheng's son, so you must know many of the Wang Quan family's secrets."

"As long as you are willing to atone for your crimes and perform meritorious service, the Alliance Leader and the Yang family will protect you and ensure the safety of your Xiao family."

"Where's the other one?"

Xiao Tianci asked.

"The other one rejected my offer."

Yang Yifang said calmly.

"And I will also slaughter your Xiao family here. Leave no future trouble."

In fact, the Yang family's move this time was aimed at the dirty secrets about the Wang Quan family that the Xiao family possessed.

Otherwise, with only the Xiao family's limited manpower, it wouldn't be worth them going to such lengths.

"How are you any different from the royal family when you make threats like this?"

Xiao Tianci scoffed.
"How can someone who indiscriminately kills innocent people be considered to have lived a life without fault?"

"I have never thought of living a life without flaws!"

Yang Yifang said coldly,

"I just want to be true to my conscience."

"Besides, your Xiao family isn't exactly a benevolent family!"

"Your Xiao family schemed against my aunt back then, and we haven't settled the score with you yet!"

Yang sighed and reprimanded.

"Giving you a way out is already a sign of our magnanimity."

"Don't be ungrateful!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Tianci fell silent.

Despite all the turmoil, the bad karma he created back then still ended up on his head.

After considering the choice offered, Xiao Tianci was torn.

If he agrees, it means he will have to serve those who killed his father.

To help them betray the royal family.

He is not a heartless person, so why would he be willing to surrender to his former enemy?
If he doesn't agree, he will immediately face death, and his entire family will also be implicated.

Yang Yifang didn't offer any advice, but simply waited quietly for him to make a decision.

Xiao Tianci turned his head and looked to the side.

At this moment, only a few dozen of the Xiao family's hundreds of members remained.

His only surviving brother, Xiao Tianhao, was looking at him in panic.

"So, have you decided what to choose?"

Yang Yifang raised the long sword in his hand, its cold blade gleaming with a cold light.

Do I even have a choice?

Xiao Tianci gave a wry smile and asked in return.

"He who knows the current affairs is a hero."

Yang Yifang nodded and then sheathed his longsword.

"Since you've agreed, we'll proceed as agreed."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Tianci breathed a sigh of relief.

Although the Xiao family and the Yang family have never gotten along, they have a high opinion of Yang Yifang's character.

Unlike the Wang Quan family, Yang Yifang has now admitted that he wants to protect them, and that means he really wants to protect them, without any surprises.

With this assurance, an unprecedented sense of relaxation swept over Xiao Tianci.

This world is very realistic; even bad people tend to befriend good people.

In the process of persuading the Xiao family to surrender, the Yang family's past good reputation played a significant role.

Otherwise, if it were the Wang family, known for their fickle nature, Xiao Tianci would probably refuse to believe it no matter what.

"You will leave with me in a little while."

Yang Yifang said,

"To avoid the royal family finding out and causing trouble, you must disappear for a short time."

"We'll just follow your instructions."

Xiao Tianci responded directly.

Now the Xiao family has no other choice but to agree to all of the Yang family's demands.

. . . . . .

Afterwards, Jin Renfeng's feat of killing Xiao Wancheng with a single sword and destroying the Xiao family quickly spread throughout the Dao Alliance as many aristocratic families returned.

This also made his title of Golden-Faced Fire God even more resounding.

With the Xiao family as a comparison, the various powerful families also gained a clear understanding of the strength of this rising star.

Not long after, news of the disappearance of the Xiao family members reached the ears of the major families.

Wen Family Manor!
"The Xiao family has disappeared?"

Elder Wen frowned.

"Could it be that someone attacked the Xiao family? And wiped them out?"

"That's how it should be!"

The head of the Zhang family, who had come to visit, said,

"Otherwise, such a large family like the Xiao family wouldn't have disappeared out of thin air."

"Who did it?"

Elder Wen asked.

"None of the prominent families are aware of this."

The head of the Zhang family shook his head.

"When the Xiao family took control of the procuratorate, they made many enemies."

"Many families have grudges against the Xiao family."

"Now that the Xiao family is weak, many families may make a move."

"For the time being, we can't find the culprit!"

Elder Wen frowned.

The sudden disappearance of a first-rate family made him sense the undercurrents within the Dao Alliance.

"Although there is no specific news, the Wang Quan family has sent messages to various families, accusing Shenhuo Mountain Manor of killing people to cover up the crime."

The head of the Zhang family spoke up.

"It can't be Shenhuoshan Manor."

Elder Wen shook his head.

"We also understand the personalities of Dongfang Guyue and his apprentice."

"Given their arrogance, if they were to attack the Xiao family, they would definitely do so openly and honestly."

"I wouldn't do something like this, something done behind the scenes."

"Moreover, that young Jin just attacked the Xiao family and killed Xiao Wancheng. If he had wanted to, he probably would have made his move then."

Why go through all that trouble?

"Perhaps he is afraid of the many elders present and dares not make a move?"

The head of the Zhang family guessed.

Even so, they won't make a move now.

Elder Wen shook his head.

"Now that the duel has just ended, the Dao Alliance is aware of their feud with the Xiao family."

"Xiao Wancheng has just died, and the Xiao family harbors deep hatred for them. This is the perfect time for them to act suspiciously."

"Anyone with common sense would not take any action at this time."

"What if they're convinced we won't suspect anything and want to hide it from us?"

The head of the Zhang family said.

"That's somewhat possible."

Elder Wen nodded.

"However, the possibility is also very low. After all, with the Wang family involved, it's not so easy to be in the dark under the lamp."

"If things go wrong, it could backfire."

Upon hearing this, the Zhang family patriarch fell silent.

"Actually, I prefer the Royal Family to the Divine Mountain Manor."

Elder Wen suddenly said.

(End of this chapter)