Having been visibly ignored, Yan Jin stood up with the help of his cane, displaying his helplessness as he reached out to Xiao Xiao to shield her. One of the men, probably the highest rank, asked, "Blind Beggar, did someone pass by just now?"
"Good sir, it is just me and my sister. Even if someone did pass by, I am just a mortal; I wouldn't know," he replied, pointing at his eyes. He counted five of them—four at the mid-awakening realm and the man who spoke at the peak awakening realm. They had both the numbers advantage and were too close for him to guarantee success with his arrows.
Additionally, the little girl behind him would be an unfortunate victim.
"Tsk! Useless." The leader turned to his men, "Spread out. She should not be far. If we let her reach the city, it's over for us." On cue, they spread out in multiple directions, the leader following after them.
After making sure they were out of his range, Yan Jin said, "They are gone, you can come down." A hand with claws swiftly dropped from the tree, aiming straight at Yan Jin's neck. He instantly moved to the side as the claw grazed his face. He immediately countered by grabbing the assailant's arm, executing an over-the-shoulder judo throw, and slamming them to the ground.
He then stepped on her head, pinning her to the ground. "Who are you?" he asked. The following series of grunts proved he was not going to get an answer to his first question, so he stepped harder while pulling at the trapped arm. "You have three sentences to convince me not to snap your neck right here," he said, using the carrot and stick method to fish for information during interrogation.
A bright and delicate voice came from the captive. "I am Meng Xiao, daughter of the Meng patriarch of Pine City—ugh, let go."
"Two sentences left."
"I am being hunted by the Yan family because I kicked their young master. Aghhh—"
"I found a celestial ore..."
"Tell me exactly what happened," he said while relaxing his grip a little bit.
"Yes!" She answered enthusiastically, "they should be picking me up soon."
"Tell me about Pine City," he added, extending a piece of roasted meat.
"Pine City? Well, it's a grade 5 city with 50,000 residents. Trade is the main activity controlled by three main families: the Yan family for blood tools, the Fu family for transport escorts, and the Meng family for resources.....*munch*.... Of course, there is a branch of the Golden Warriors and the City Lord appointed by the Emperor.... *This is so good!*"
The information she provided was consistent with what he knew. Much hadn't changed in the past 10 years, he mused. As the cogs spun in his mind, a creepy smile formed on his face.
Sensing the killing intent, Meng Xiao backed up a little bit but not enough to avoid the kick delivered by Yan Jin. It was so abrupt she could only block while being pushed back a couple of meters. By the time she regained her balance, a large spear was planted on the spot where she had been sitting.
Immediately she circulated her bloodline, displaying a peak awakened-level cultivation. Claws grew out of her fingertips, and the aura around her turned baleful as she faced the five incoming figures from the opposite side.
They were the same Yan bloodline warriors from earlier. "I finally found you, Meng Bitch," the leader said, extending his hand and attracting the spear he had thrown before.
Unexpectedly, the spear did not budge. In the cloud of dust created earlier, he could see the blind beggar firmly holding the spear down, stopping it from moving. His face was half-covered by his disheveled hair. "I let you leave earlier, but it seems you don't value your life," Yan Jin said.
A loud roar resonated, similar to a thunderclap shaking the forest. By the time it was over, Yan Jin was seen dragging the leader of the Yan warriors with a lariat move.
The remaining Yan warriors froze for a moment, startled by the unexpected development. Meng Xiao, sensing an opportunity, lunged at the nearest one with her claws extended, catching him off guard. Her attack was swift and precise, snapping her opponent's neck before he could react.
It was a three vs one she felt much more comfortable dealing with the situation.