NOVEL WEB Chapter 209: Chapter 209: Xiao
But now wasn't the time to dwell on regrets. Facing more than a dozen Titled Douluo, Dugu Bo's face was ashen as he glanced back at the people behind him.
"I'm sorry… We might not make it out today…"
He wasn't just speaking to his granddaughter—his words were also for Yu Keke and the others. His heart was filled with overwhelming guilt.
Who would've thought that searching for a lost treasure trove would lead them to this desperate end?
If he had known things would come to this, he should have gone straight to inform that Lord. If he were here, none of them would have ended up trapped like this.
No! He could die—he was ready for that. But he absolutely would not allow Yan Yan or the other girls to get dragged down with him!
With grim resolve settling in his chest, Dugu Bo stared at the group of Titled Douluo now gathered beside Tang San. He had already made up his mind.
On Tang San's side, over ten Titled Douluo had arrived. Five of them wore the traditional garb of the Clear Sky Sect, while the other five were shrouded in pitch-black robes, hiding their true faces.
"You've cost me one of my brothers, young master," said the leading black-robed man, voice cold and distant. His eyes held no reverence for Tang San.
"A Titled Douluo taken out by a mere fifty-something-ranked Soul King? And you think that's my fault? Shouldn't you be blaming him for being useless?"
Tang San clutched his Clear Sky Hammer tightly, his voice filled with indignation.
Earlier, when Zhu Zhuqing had suddenly disappeared, he'd assumed she was attempting a sneak attack on him. To flush her out, he had the Third Worship use the lives of others as leverage.
Zhu Zhuqing had appeared in the end—but what no one expected was that she, a mere Soul King, would actually assassinate a Titled Douluo on the spot…
Tang San had never even considered that possibility. If Zhu Zhuqing hadn't fainted from exhaustion afterward—
If he had to face her again in that moment, he probably wouldn't have had the gall to speak so arrogantly, asking if she thought she could kill him.
If she'd attacked him instead of the Third Worship—would he have survived?
That thought chilled him. Deep down, Tang San couldn't help but feel like he'd just escaped death.
As for the black-robed man who had coincidentally taken the blow meant for him, Tang San felt no remorse—no pity.
These people were not his Clear Sky Sect brethren.
They were merely lackeys sent by that man to assist in his grand ambitions. In crude terms, they were just the dogs he'd been given.
The fool from before didn't just fail his mission—he even let himself get killed by a Soul King. Wasn't that just asking for death?
What use was all his cultivation if he died so pathetically?
"..."
The black-robed leader cast a sidelong glance at Tang San, then looked toward another of his men who was still struggling to expel the Jade Phosphor Serpent poison from his system. His expression turned foul, as if he'd swallowed a fly.
They had come—seven brothers in all—on a mission from afar. Yet before their mission was even half complete, one was dead, and another effectively crippled.
"If you'd let us act from the start, would things have turned out like this?" the man growled, seething inside but not daring to show it too much.
"Talking won't change anything~"
Tang San cut him off coldly, clearly unwilling to accept any blame.
He turned to the now-exhausted Zhu Zhuqing and her companions, lifting his Clear Sky Hammer. His voice was filled with commanding authority:
"By the will of the one who chose me as his successor—I order you: kill them all! Except for the girl—leave her."
He pointed specifically at Yu Keke, who was still holding the unconscious Zhu Zhuqing.
Even now, after aligning himself with that man, Tang San remained wary of Yu Keke's background.
After all, Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun had been killed simply because they offended her—and he himself had nearly died, forced to flee with his father.
That man had warned him time and again: now was not the time to provoke whoever stood behind Yu Keke.
Which was why Tang San had never intended to harm her.
"..."
The black-robed leader's face darkened at the command. He gave Tang San a long, cold glare before scoffing and unleashing a wave of dense soul power as he surged toward Yu Keke and the others.
Judging by the immense pressure surging around him, he clearly had no intention of holding back.
"Yan Yan… Grandpa's going ahead of you."
Dugu Bo turned back with a calm smile, then forcibly ignited his life force, desperate to buy them some time.
"You think you can still fight back?"
The black-robed man scoffed when he saw Dugu Bo's desperate gambit. With a flick of his sleeve, a wave of soul power lashed out, striking Dugu Bo mid-air and sending him crashing to the ground.
"Grandpa!"
Dugu Yan cried out in anguish. Seeing her grandfather collapse in a spray of blood, she clenched her fists, activating her martial spirit and pouring out every ounce of her soul power.
Perhaps it was Zhu Zhuqing's earlier display of valor that had emboldened her, but even faced with a Titled Douluo, she didn't retreat a single step.
Yu Keke, seeing that Fire Meow and Zhu Zhuqing were both unconscious—and even the old man who had just spoken had now fallen—stepped forward as well, resolute and unflinching, standing side by side with Dugu Yan.
"Keke…"
Dugu Yan looked over at her, heart aching with guilt.
If her grandfather hadn't insisted on investigating that so-called treasure trove, Keke and the others would still be safe in Skywater City, awaiting the return of that man.
But now, they were facing enemies they had absolutely no chance of defeating…
She wanted to apologize—but the words never came.
"Sister Yan, don't be afraid."
Yu Keke spoke softly, noticing Dugu Yan's trembling hand.
"Death isn't that scary. I've already died once before…"
"But this time, I didn't even get to say goodbye to Big Brother… or Paimon. If we die here, I think they'll be sad…"
As the black-robed man approached, Yu Keke whispered, her voice quiet and resolute.
"Pitiful insects! All of you—die!"
The black-robed man shouted. Seeing the two girls—whose combined soul power wasn't even close to his own—he released a torrent of soul power, engulfing the entire area in a deadly wave.
"Stop!!"
Tang San suddenly shouted in panic. The black-robed man had ignored his orders and was about to kill Yu Keke along with the others. His voice rang out in desperation.
But it was too late.
A deafening boom echoed out, and dust filled the air.
Then—
From within the cloud of dust, a streak of green light erupted like a spear, piercing straight through the black-robed man's chest and pinning him violently to the ground.
"W-what is that…?!"
Tang San's eyes widened in horror, an overwhelming sense of dread welling up inside him.
As the dust slowly settled—
A youth stood there, back turned to them, shielding Yu Keke with his body. His voice was clear and cold:
"Xiao, responding to the call—here to protect."
_
(CAUGHT UP WITH THE RAWS IN MY PATREON)
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