Chapter 1196: Chapter 1185: The Sacrificial Pawn—Nalan Xiaotian
With Nalan Jiuhuang’s methods, if she were to absorb the vitality of another expert, she could restore herself to the appearance of a charming woman in her thirties.
The crowd exchanged glances, none willing to be the one to step forward.
Because Nalan Jiuhuang was the one who struck down the first person to stand out, she had plenty of ways to deal with you.
At this moment, a member of the Nalan family came in to report, “Aunt Jiu, Nalan Xiaotian has returned with an important matter to report.”
“Let him in.”
Nalan Jiuhuang waved her hand, a strange smile in her eyes.
The Nalan family member, not knowing why, felt a jolt in his heart as he left, and without thinking much, brought Nalan Xiaotian in.
When Nalan Xiaotian entered, covered in blood, he knelt on the ground, sobbing, “Aunt Jiu, in our efforts to cover your retreat, we suffered Ning Fan’s extreme assault. Now, aside from me, my entire hundred-man team has perished heroically, not a single one left.”
“Is that so?”
Nalan Jiuhuang frowned and asked quizzically, “Did you manage to figure out what kind of trick Ning Fan used? To think he could become invisible, could it be an exorcism technique?”
“I really couldn’t figure that out.”
Nalan Xiaotian swallowed hard, forcibly calming himself, and quickly said, “The incident happened so abruptly, and without a shadow to be seen, Ning Fan slaughtered whoever stood in his way, unstoppable. In such a bizarre situation, we were only thinking of buying time for Aunt Jiu, minimizing casualties as much as possible.
Even so, he wiped us all out, leaving only myself lucky to survive.”
“Is that so?”
Nalan Jiuhuang repeated her words, then walked to his side, coldly saying, “Since they all perished, how did you manage to return alive? Are you perhaps a deserter?”
“No, Aunt Jiu, Ning Fan sent me to convey a message to you.”
Nalan Xiaotian quickly kowtowed, desperately afraid Nalan Jiuhuang would kill him.
Nalan Jiuhuang extended her foot and kicked him to the ground, eerily saying, “Then tell me, what does he wish to say to me?”
Nalan Xiaotian, with a tearful face, said, “Ning Fan said he will surely kill Aunt Jiu, ensuring the Nalan family has no chance to rise again.”
“Oh?”
Nalan Jiuhuang furrowed her brow, a hint of murderous intent in her eyes.
This Ning Fan, provoking me time and time again, has gone too far, such a person must die.
At this time, the elders of the Nalan family huddled together, whispering quietly among themselves in hushed tones.
“Did you hear? According to Nalan Xiaotian, Aunt Jiu ran away; she couldn’t even stand against Ning Fan.”
“I knew it, no wonder she had to act against our brothers. It turns out she was angry and embarrassed, covering up her shortcomings with murder.”
“Ning Fan truly can’t be underestimated. Not only does he not fear the intermediate stage Aerial Mastery Aunt Jiu, but he also casually wiped out Nalan Xiaotian’s entire hundred-man team. Such a person is monstrous.”
“Indeed, Ning Fan absolutely cannot remain alive. This guy is a hidden threat and must be eliminated early.”
“Exactly, you all heard Nalan Xiaotian, right? Ning Fan not only wants to kill Aunt Jiu but also intends to ensure the Nalan family has no chance to rise again. What does that suggest?”
“It suggests Ning Fan will soon make his move, killing Aunt Jiu while suppressing our Nalan family. At that time, bloody chaos will be inevitable, and whether we can preserve our lives and property is uncertain.”
Ignoring the chatter behind her, Nalan Jiuhuang squatted down, lifted Nalan Xiaotian’s chin, pretending to admire, “Xiaotian, judging from your performance, your abilities are quite good. However, in the end, your people were wiped out, which reflects poorly on your command. Do you admit to this mistake?”
“Indeed, it is my lack of ability.”
Nalan Xiaotian could say nothing more. Since Nalan Jiuhuang had already jumped to conclusions, any further argument on his part was futile.
“Nalan Xiaotian’s poor battlefield command led to the destruction of our Nalan family’s troops and the loss of nearly a hundred men. What punishment should he face?”
Nalan Jiuhuang turned to the elders of the Nalan family, eerily asking.
The elders exchanged glances, finally frowning and responding in unison, “If this is indeed the case, then it is a capital offense.”
“Did you hear that?”
Nalan Jiuhuang turned her head again, staring intently at Nalan Xiaotian.
“Aunt Jiu, please spare me?”
Nalan Xiaotian was terrified, dragging himself into a corner, trembling, not anticipating that after a failed operation, Nalan Jiuhuang’s personality flaw would be so apparent.
If he had known earlier, Nalan Xiaotian would never have volunteered to participate in this expedition against the Ning family.
Nalan Jiuhuang had praised him as the captain of the hundred-man team when she needed him.
Now that she no longer needed him, she wanted to kill him.
This was a classic case of crossing the river and destroying the bridge, slaughtering the donkey after the grinding is done.
Nalan Jiuhuang advanced step by step, her smile chilling, “Xiaotian, when young people make mistakes, they need to be brave enough to admit their errors and take responsibility for their consequences. It’s important to be humble. Understand?”
“Hmph!”
As Nalan Jiuhuang pressed on, Nalan Xiaotian realized he might become the sacrificial victim needed for Nalan Jiuhuang to restore her vitality.
Still young and unfulfilled, not even having had a girlfriend, he was unwilling and immediately retorted, “You old witch, you’ve wreaked havoc in the Nalan family for years, maintaining your appearance by killing countless family members… Yet, you failed to eliminate the threat of the Ning family, and after failing, you still torment your clan, committing such self-serving actions.”
Then, Nalan Xiaotian looked towards the elders of the Nalan family, pleading, “Elder grandfathers, you see, this time the Nalan family sent our mainstays, and now only a hundred remain, a devastating loss… While I may not be the best among them, I am certainly one of the top. If this old witch can kill me, she could kill hundreds, thousands more…
If we, the mainstays, are gone, in a few decades, the Nalan family will decline and disappear, is this what you wish to see?”
“Indeed…”
The elders also realized the gravity of the situation, clicking their tongues, yet it was challenging to intervene.
After all, Nalan Jiuhuang was in a foul mood, and anyone who dared to provoke her might become her sacrificial victim for absorbing vitality.
At least these elders had families, descendants, and didn’t want to become souls under her palm.
They exchanged glances, turning their heads away, unable to meet Nalan Xiaotian’s earnest gaze.