met free 730. Upon waking up, I learned...
730. Upon waking up, I learned...
Looking at the old man before him, Xiao Yan felt a surge of warmth in his heart. After all, the Xiao family were his blood relatives. He knew all too well that the Grand Elder had said those words to him in order to preserve the Xiao family's lineage and a glimmer of hope for the future.
"Xiao Yan naturally understands the Grand Elder's good intentions..." Just as Xiao Yan was about to say something, Xiao Zhan coughed up a mouthful of blood and slowly woke up.
Xiao Yan said directly to the Grand Elder, "Grand Elder, Father has woken up. We'll talk about this later."
Having said that, Xiao Yan also moved swiftly and arrived directly beside Xiao Zhan. Both brothers rushed to Xiao Zhan's side immediately, fearing that something else might happen to him.
"This is……"
"Father, it is I, Xiao Yan. Your unfilial son is late."
Xiao Zhan suddenly awoke and, seeing his third son Xiao Yan before him, was momentarily disoriented, seemingly wondering where he was. He looked around and, seeing he was still in the main hall, remembered everything that had happened before he lost consciousness.
"Yan'er? Ding'er? What are you doing here?"
"Father, I'm fine. I'm back. Everyone will be alright!" Xiao Yan deliberately slowed down his speech, while also continuously channeling his fighting spirit into Xiao Zhan's body.
Xiao Zhan's physical condition was so poor that even Xiao Yan would be heartbroken to see it. Many of Xiao Zhan's organs were already failing. If he didn't intervene, Xiao Zhan would perish within five years at most. Although Xiao Zhan was no longer young, he still possessed the strength of a Dou Ling, so he couldn't possibly be so weak.
Xiao Yan could only surmise this because of his own demise over the past three years, the tragic fate of the Xiao family, and the immense changes that his father's power did not allow him to make any changes. He could only watch everything unfold, and with such deep worry, his health naturally deteriorated day by day.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhan was so shocked that he seemed unable to process so much information for a moment. He gripped Xiao Yan's arm tightly, looking Xiao Yan's face up and down repeatedly, as if afraid that his son, whom he had been thinking about day and night, would disappear before his eyes.
"They're all back, that's good...that's good!"
After looking around for a while, Xiao Zhan murmured, "Where's your second brother?"
Then, to Xiao Yan's surprise, tears suddenly welled up in Xiao Zhan's tiger-like eyes.
At this moment, Xiao Yan suddenly had a very bad premonition. He had learned from Xiao Ding that his second brother, Xiao Li, had not been in any trouble before he left the Ancient Clan.
The ancient clan's oppression of the Xiao family also had time intervals. Originally, Xiao Yan guessed that even if his second brother had been taken away by the ancient clan before, there should still be time. Now, seeing Xiao Zhan's appearance, Xiao Yan and Xiao Ding exchanged a glance, both seeing undisguised panic in each other's eyes.
"Elder, where is my second brother? When was he taken away by the ancient clansmen?" Xiao Yan asked directly.
Xiao Yan had originally regained his composure and could act rationally as long as his family was not truly harmed. However, he has now fallen into shock, anger, and panic once again.
Upon hearing Xiao Zhan's question and seeing Xiao Yan's current state, the Grand Elder inwardly felt a sense of foreboding. He had originally wanted to persuade Xiao Yan as soon as possible, but Xiao Zhan's awakening so early left him with no opportunity to do anything further. Xiao Zhan's awakening and this sudden question had laid everything on the table.
"Young Clan Leader, you must promise me, you absolutely mustn't get agitated..." The First Elder was also frantically trying to think of the right words to quell Xiao Yan's anger. After all, he knew best how straightforward and impulsive Xiao Yan was. Back then, he had withstood the pressure from the Nalan Clan and the Yunlan Sect to make a three-year agreement, and today's events could very well reignite Xiao Yan's fury!
Looking at the behavior of the other members of the Xiao family, Xiao Yan knew that his second brother's situation was probably not as simple as it was for others.
He had no intention of listening to the Grand Elder's explanation anymore, and unusually snapped, "Stop talking nonsense!"
"Xiao Li wasn't taken away by the Ancient Clan..." The Grand Elder knew that this situation couldn't be kept from Xiao Yan now. Xiao Yan was already in the Ancient Clan, and he had many ways to find out everything he wanted to know. It was no longer possible to keep it from Xiao Yan.
Then the elder could only slowly say, "After Xiao Ding left, Xiao Li was furious, but at the clan leader's request, he did not act impulsively."
"However, the day after Xiao Ding was taken away, Qin Zhiyun sent out a message."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan asked, "Who is Qin Zhiyun?"
Xiao Ding immediately explained, "The second son's fiancée was originally scheduled to get married two years ago, but..."
Xiao Yan already had a pretty good idea of what was going on without Xiao Ding having to explain it, because of his own death. The ancient clans' attitude towards the Xiao family had changed drastically, and under these circumstances, the message Qin Zhiyun sent to her second brother was unlikely to be good news.
However, Xiao Yan also knew his second brother's personality. He was fiery and passionate. His eldest brother's departure had probably left him with a lot of resentment. Although his father had suppressed it, his resentment towards the ancient clan was definitely not less. If his fiancée were to cause trouble again, he would naturally lose control of himself.
"And then?" As the elder continued his narration, Xiao Yan's fists clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white from the immense force.
"Xiao Li couldn't resist. The clan chief and I couldn't persuade him, and we really couldn't stop him. In the end, Xiao Li left alone. The next day, it was said that Xiao Li had attacked and killed the ancient demon commander of the Black Annihilation Army in public. When the clan chief went to inquire, he finally learned that Xiao Li had been killed on the spot..."
As Xiao Zhan listened to the Grand Elder's account, he gradually recalled everything. His frenzied behavior today stemmed from the fact that his three most prized sons were constantly leaving him. Coupled with the impending destruction of the Xiao family under his control, these factors combined to finally push Xiao Zhan to his breaking point!
Xiao Ding's eyes were also filled with tears, overwhelmed by immense pain. He had indeed considered Xiao Li's safety after being taken away. After being rescued by Xiao Yan, he clung to a sliver of hope that he could make it in time, but he never imagined he would still miss it!
Xiao Yan, after hearing the final result, stood there, frozen like a statue.
Finally, a surge of pure, immense force erupted from Xiao Yan's body, instantly destroying the building under the pressure.
"Ancient Demon!" Xiao Yan roared, his voice now filled with a chilling rage.
"You—are—going—to—a—wrong—person—!!"