Nine Nether Dragon Emperor

Chapter 539: Could it be the Legendary Half-Step to Madness with a Smile?

"Young... Young Master, are you sure you want to give this to me?"

Outside the Secret Vault, after Ning Xuan distributed the Magical Treasures, the five men all looked up in disbelief. Their time in the Domain Lord’s Mansion meant they had seen and heard a great deal, but they had only ever *heard* of Magical Treasures of such high quality. Given their status, they would never have had the chance to even touch such things.

And yet, Ning Xuan had given them away without even blinking.

The thought that Ning Xuan, despite his own injuries, had immediately begun selecting Magical Treasures for them upon entering the Secret Vault filled the five men with an indescribable gratitude. They gazed at him with such admiration they looked as if they were ready to pledge their lives to him.

"What’s with those looks?!" Ning Xuan yelped with a look of genuine fear, fleeing back into the Secret Vault.

The five men were taken aback for a moment before they burst out laughing. But even as they laughed, they bowed respectfully with their fists clasped. Ning Xuan had won them over completely.

Once he reentered the Secret Vault, Ning Xuan didn’t continue to pick out Magical Treasures. Instead, he found a random spot, pulled out a rocking chair, and lay back in it. He snacked on spirit sunflower seeds while watching the golden carp devour energy.

The golden carp quickly turned, presenting its beautiful, curved side to Ning Xuan.

"What exactly are you?" Ning Xuan mused. "Not talking, huh? I’ve noticed you’re quite plump. Deciding whether to braise or barbecue you is the real question."

No sooner had his words fallen than the golden carp flicked its tail in his direction. A hurricane erupted.

BANG!

Ning Xuan was blasted out of the vault, and the entire structure began to collapse.

"Young Master, what’s happening?!"

"Protect the Young Master!"

The five men sprang into action, shielding Ning Xuan in their midst. Each held a Magical Treasure, their eyes fixed vigilantly on what lay ahead.

"Cough, cough... Looks like a straggler got away. Never mind it, let’s go," Ning Xuan said.

The golden carp’s strength was terrifying, and it seemed genuinely angry. Ning Xuan had no desire to provoke it further.

"Young Master, our strength is considerable! We should be able to corner it!" one of the five men said after a moment’s hesitation. The other four all nodded in agreement.

If this had happened when they first met, they would have abandoned Ning Xuan without a second thought. But times had changed. If they left him behind now, they would never be able to forgive themselves.

"No, there’s no need. Everyone’s safety is more important."

Ning Xuan’s words moved the five men so much they felt tears welling in their eyes. Still, they couldn’t change his mind and soon escorted him away from the collapsing vault.

When the six of them returned to the front courtyard, they found that some members of the He Family still hadn’t left.

"What’s going on?" The man who had spoken up earlier took the initiative again, questioning the two who had remained behind.

The two didn’t respond, instead eyeing the Magical Treasure he held, ready to be summoned at a moment’s notice.

"Where is He Zhi?" a gray-haired elder asked, his gaze fixed on Ning Xuan.

"He harbored malicious intent and tried to assassinate the Young Master, but the Young Master killed him instead!"

"And not just him! On our way to the back courtyard, the Young Master was ambushed by four old geezers!"

"Unfortunately for them, none were a match for the Young Master. They all died with their eyes wide open in disbelief!"

Before Ning Xuan could even answer, his new followers had already replied to the elder.

The elder’s eyes widened. Without another word, he turned and strode away. He had been assigned by He Zhi to cover their retreat. Though his strength wasn’t on par with the four elders, he was still a top-tier expert. But at this moment, he didn’t dare hesitate. Even the family’s strongest members had fallen. If he remained obstinate, he would surely share their fate.

The other He Family members had been looking to this elder for leadership. The moment he left, they didn’t dare linger. In a flash, they were all gone.

The two guards who had been left in charge frowned. One of them suddenly asked, "Why did only five of you return?"

"Don’t even mention it! That lunatic He Zhi went crazy and killed him for no reason!"

"Luckily, the Young Master was there to avenge him."

"Oh no, the Young Master is still injured!"

"I’ll go report to the Realm Lord!"

Two of them spoke at once, immediately turning to leave.

"Ahem, I had actually prepared gifts for you two as well, but the Secret Vault suddenly collapsed," Ning Xuan apologized to the two guards who had stayed.

Neither of them spoke. They exchanged a look, and identical smirks crept onto their faces.

"What do you think you’re doing?!" The remaining three followers sensed something was wrong and immediately stood in front of Ning Xuan.

"Young Master Ning, did you truly forget, or did you never intend to prepare anything for us?" the two guards asked, ignoring the men and fixing their gazes on Ning Xuan.

"The Young Master was able to kill even He Zhi! You’d better not do anything foolish!"

"There’s someone still in the Secret Vault! The Young Master was blasted out and injured again while trying to select Magical Treasures for you. You can’t repay kindness with malice!"

"And don’t forget, the Young Master has the Realm Lord’s approval!"

The three spoke one after another.

"Where are your minds at? How could we possibly make a move against the Young Master?"

"Exactly! The Young Master just gave us a huge bag of Divine Crystals," the two guards said, their faces full of mockery.

Just then, the three men standing guard in front of Ning Xuan all wavered, shaking their heads. A wave of dizziness washed over them, their vision blurring.

The next moment...

BOOM!

All three of them collapsed.

Simultaneously, two dark figures were thrown in from outside the door, landing in a heap on top of the other three. It was the two men who had just left to report to the Realm Lord.

"Ning Xuan, I truly didn’t expect you to still be alive!" a voice rang out.

Immediately after, Lin Yun and He Ang appeared. Behind them stood Lin Zhongqi and the very same elder who had just fled.

Ning Xuan didn’t seem surprised at all. "What happened to them?" he asked.

"They’re dead, obviously!" Lin Yun sneered. "Rest assured, they felt no pain. Can’t you see the smiles on their faces?"

"What poison is this? Could it be the legendary ’Happy Step Into Madness’?" Ning Xuan asked with great curiosity.

Lin Yun looked baffled and glanced at Lin Zhongqi. Does the Lin Family have a poison with that name?

As Lin Zhongqi shook his head, he asked Ning Xuan, "A good name. I just wonder how effective it is."

"It’s hard to compare. Why don’t you let me try the poison you used on them?"

As soon as he said this, the faces of the two who had administered the poison changed drastically. They suddenly remembered they had used the poison on Ning Xuan as well! But a good while had passed, and the man was acting as if nothing had happened!

Something was wrong!

"Retreat!" Lin Zhongqi roared.

At the same time, he grabbed Lin Yun and shot backward. Seeing Ning Xuan still standing in the same spot, he breathed a sigh of relief. But he immediately sensed something was amiss. The moment he let go, Lin Yun’s body went limp and collapsed.

Lin Zhongqi snatched him up by the nape of his neck, his eyes nearly popping out of his head in fury. He saw a single red dot on Lin Yun’s brow.

BANG! BANG!

The two thuds echoed from the side, where Ning Xuan had just obliterated the two poisoners.

He Ang’s heart trembled. Such incredible speed!

The He Family elder recalled what Ning Xuan’s followers had boasted earlier and was now filled with gut-wrenching regret. Why did I come back?! he silently screamed at himself.