Xu Nian looked at Qi Chenfeng, who had scared himself to the point of wetting his pants.
He struck with a karate chop, cleaving him in two.
He had initially wanted to torture him a bit, to let him experience the fear of death.
But now, seeing Qi Chenfeng's pathetic state, he no longer had the desire to torture him.
After killing Qi Chenfeng, Xu Nian then gestured for Xu Yu to release Qi Lu.
Even after being released, Qi Lu remained trembling on his knees.
He felt sorrow for the death of his son, but was powerless to do anything.
Each time Qi Chenfeng caused trouble, Qi Lu would smooth things over, but he always harbored worries.
He never anticipated that his fears would come true one day.
This time, they had offended a Battle Emperor.
Regardless of his capabilities, he couldn't save Qi Chenfeng.
"Qi County Magistrate, I'm letting you go this time. If you wish to seek revenge for your son, feel free to come after me," Xu Nian said. "But if you touch my family, you should know the consequences. Remember, my name is Xu Nian."
With a cold snort from Xu Nian,
and a wave of his sleeve,
he turned all the buildings within a hundred meters to the west into ashes.
Qi Lu and everyone from the Governor Mansion were left completely dumbfounded by this display.
Dare they even contemplate revenge?
Qi Lu sighed endlessly in his heart.
"My lord, we will not seek revenge. My son brought this upon himself, and I bear no grudge," said Qi Lu to Xu Nian.
However, Xu Nian paid him no heed and simply said to Xu Yu and the rest, "Let's go!"
After saying that, he led Xu Yu and the other four, turning into five streaks of light and disappearing above Commandery City.
Watching Xu Nian and the others leave, Qi Lu collapsed to the ground, his buttocks hitting the floor with a thud.
Looking at the bisected corpse of his son next to him, his mouth quivered with a choked sob.
The Seven-star Battle Saint, witnessing this scene, merely stood there dumbfounded.
Though he was a Saint, he was like an ant before the lofty Battle Emperor.
It was his first time seeing such a young Emperor-level strong man.
The Governor Mansion was thrown into disarray.
Commandery City, however, was boiling with excitement.
The incident at the Governor Mansion quickly spread.
When the people discovered that the one who had caused a commotion at the Governor Mansion was an Emperor-level strong man, they were all stunned.
An Emperor-level strong man!
To them, this was a being of legend.
For such a person to have appeared at the Governor Mansion?
Yet, many others shouted with glee.
Qi Chenfeng's misdeeds were many; he had long been the object of many people's hatred.
Now that he had been killed by a Battle Emperor Expert, everyone said it was his karma.
And the name Xu Nian spread throughout the entire Commandery City overnight and was rapidly disseminated throughout Southern Wilderness County.
Gradually, the deeds of Xu Nian were also unearthed by those with a vested interest.
When everyone learned that this Emperor-level strong man was not yet twenty years old, they were all astounded.
An Emperor-level strong man under twenty—what a tremendous talent.
Thus, various legends about Xu Nian began to emerge.
Some said Xu Nian was the reincarnation of an Immortal, a genius in his previous life, which was why he was so formidable in this one.
Others claimed Xu Nian hailed from the Ancient Divine Clan, naturally endowed with the divine talents of a god.
For a time, myriad legends concerning Xu Nian circulated throughout the empire.
Xu Nian, however, paid little attention to these matters.
Instead, he returned to Tianhuang City.
The last time Yann Zhenyuan had been thoroughly frightened by Xu Yu and the others.
This time, seeing Xu Nian return, he immediately greeted him with humble reverence.
As for Xu Nian's accomplishments on this trip, he didn't need to ask to know.
"My lord," Yann Zhenyuan said, looking at Xu Nian with awe.
Having learnt that Xu Nian was an Emperor-level strong man, Yann Zhenyuan felt a bit intimidated when facing him.
"Uncle Yann needn't be so formal. Since you are Yann Xi's great-uncle, and I am Yann Xi's brother, you are naturally also my great-uncle. So, Uncle Yann, there's no need for such courtesy, right?" Xu Nian spoke up.
"This..." Yann Zhenyuan was immediately flabbergasted and at a loss.
An Emperor-level strong man's uncle, that was a role he felt quite incapable of fulfilling.
"It seems Uncle Yann has no objections, so I will take it as your agreement. Alright, Uncle Yann, I've come back this time to make inquiries about the situation in the Beast Forest. I plan to venture into the Beast Forest and rescue Yann Xi," Xu Nian declared.
"You wish to enter the Beast Forest?" Upon hearing Xu Nian's words, Yann Zhenyuan's expression also turned grave.
"Yes, the one who took away sister Yann Xi is a Red Fire Zhu Yan. Do you happen to know, Uncle Yann, where in the Beast Forest such a Demon Saint is most likely to be found?" Xu Nian asked seriously.
"Red Fire Zhu Yan?" Yann Zhenyuan's expression turned to one of shock.
He hadn't expected that the one who took Yann Xi was a Red Fire Zhu Yan.
"If it's the Red Fire Zhu Yan, then I know where Xi is," Yann Zhenyuan said after a moment of contemplation.
"Where?" Xu Nian asked eagerly.
He hadn't held much hope when he came to ask Yann Zhenyuan, thinking only that since Yann Zhenyuan was the commander defending Tianhuang City and had dealt with Demon Beasts for decades,
he should have at least some understanding of the Beast Forest.
Of course, with Yann Zhenyuan's low cultivation, he might not necessarily know about matters at the Demon Saint level.
But unexpectedly, Yann Zhenyuan actually did have some information.
"This Beast Forest, to put it plainly, is also a Demon Beast empire. At the very heart of the Beast Forest, there lives an incomparably powerful king who rules all the Demon Beasts of the Beast Forest. This Red Fire Zhu Yan is one of the generals under this Beast Emperor," Yann Zhenyuan explained.
"Beast Emperor?" Upon hearing this, Xu Nian revealed a look of surprise.
That brought to mind the time outside the Beast Forest,
when several Demon Saints suddenly sought Xu Nian, saying they were following the orders of their king.
Now it seemed those three Demon Saints must have been sent by the Beast Emperor.
And then there was Black Hou, who once served as a general in the Beast Forest.
In a sense, this Beast Emperor had ties to Xu Nian.
"Does Uncle Yann mean to say that it was that Beast Emperor strong man who ordered Zhu Yan to take Yann Xi?" Xu Nian asked, frowning.
"Yes, if it were some other Demon Beast, I wouldn't be so sure, but Zhu Yan has the bloodline of the Ancient Fierce Beast and holds a high position within the Beast Forest. Such a strong man would only obey the Beast Emperor, definitely not acting on his own. Therefore, the one who took Yann Xi can only be the Beast Emperor, and if that's so, Yann Xi can only be at the deepest part of the Beast Forest," Yann Zhenyuan asserted.
If all this was indeed as Yann Zhenyuan claimed,
then the one who kidnapped Yann Xi might really be acting under the Beast Emperor's orders.
But why would that Beast Emperor strong man want to take Yann Xi?
Could it also be for the Curse Power in her?
But that seemed improbable.
At that level of strength, he should not covet the Curse Power within Yann Xi.
Why then would he dispatch a Demon Saint to capture Yann Xi?