Unexpectedly, Wu Qingcang simply ignored him and turned his head to look in another direction, far away in the deep mountains.
At this moment, Yang Xiao slightly sensed that a large unit was coming from there, presumably brothers from Huaisuo Province arriving to support.
It seems they’ve already dealt with the Withered Bone Pavilion ambush force led by the Second Guardian and are rushing to unite with them.
"Captain Witch, what should we do now?" Yang Xiao politely asked.
On site, he had no direct involvement with Wu Qingcang, and it was merely due to the presence of Ku Daoist and One-eyed Monk.
This group is notorious Evil Cultivators with considerable bounties, which could easily lead to misunderstandings.
"You go, take the people away, leave this to me," Wu Qingcang coldly instructed.
"Understood!" Yang Xiao knew well what to do; he had already obtained what he needed and had no reason to stay.
Controlling the Samurai Puppet, he severed the Great Protector’s remaining arm, twisted his limbs together, and finally delivered a fierce blow, knocking him unconscious, then threw him into the secret chamber of the Soul-Capturing Mirror.
For safety, Yang Xiao also arranged for the Mirror Ghost to guard him one-on-one.
The Great Protector must not die easily; he holds significant value to Yang Xiao, not only because of the map but also as an untapped treasure waiting to be fully exploited.
The various Magic Artifacts he carries, especially his experience in using Space-type Magic Artifacts, and most importantly, his previously demonstrated Fake Death Turtle Breath Technique.
This guy indeed has something special; if not for Wu Qingcang’s presence, he might have been deceived, considering he still possesses the Human Bone Stick as a Spiritual Magical Artifact.
It’s undeniable that this guy is truly skilled; he almost caused Yang Xiao to stumble. When he used the Human Bone Stick to detect, there was zero mental feedback from this guy, just like a dead man.
No wonder he holds the Great Protector position; there’s indeed some expertise.
Yang Xiao has already decided to employ his lifelong knowledge to uncover all the secrets of the Great Protector, and eventually, refine his corpse into a puppet, leaving nothing wasted.
Especially the Fake Death Turtle Breath Technique; Yang Xiao sees significant practical value, and one day he might use it himself.
This must be learned, absolutely; Yang Xiao has reached this position by continuously learning and improving, absorbing strengths from various masters, and believing that learning has no boundaries.
After collecting this treasure, Yang Xiao hesitates no more, takes out the Soul-Capturing Mirror, and intends to leave. After exchanging greetings with Wu Qingcang, the latter gives him a knowing look, reminding him to be careful on his way back.
Yang Xiao chuckles insidiously, stops talking, and disappears from the spot instantly.
Wu Qingcang is not just a brute; his strength and intelligence are formidable, and his intelligence work is quite good.
Yang Xiao understands that his advice is based on some intel, knowing the Northern Han Family intends harm, planning to ambush him on his return.
Of the three top leaders of the Patrol Defense Office, only Hong Anguo hasn’t warned him; Yang Xiao doesn’t believe that someone from a background in intelligence would be outdone by Wu Qingcang and Zhao Jingde in this regard.
This old guy is probably waiting to see the outcome; if Yang Xiao handles the Han Family, it’s as good as cutting off Vice Commissioner Zhao’s limb.
If Yang Xiao is dealt with by the Han Family, well, that’s fine too, cleaning up a future competitor for him early.
After all, he didn’t die on his turf but in Huaisuo Province, even the Chief Commissioner can’t hold him accountable.
Now that’s an old fox, doing nothing wrong by doing nothing at all, sitting steadily by the fishing platform watching changes unfold.
After leaving the mine, Yang Xiao returns alone to the nearby town, as his car is parked there.
In reality, he doesn’t need to return for the car; he could have asked a reliable person to help with this, but he must come back, or how else could he "fall" into an ambush?
What if good brother Han Li and his gang miss their target? They wouldn’t come for nothing, would they?
Of course, relatively, Yang Xiao also risks losing many gains on this trip.
Similar to the Han Family’s plans, Yang Xiao hopes to deal with the Han Family’s assassins within Huaisuo Province; otherwise, doing it in Jiangbei Province would be more troublesome.
He doesn’t like trouble.
To ensure the Han Family’s low-level apostles find him, Yang Xiao reveals himself about a kilometer from the town, switching to walking and taking over half an hour to reach the town’s secluded area to find his car.
Before getting close, Yang Xiao senses several presences hiding around, one of which feels familiar.
He didn’t expect Han Li and his team to be so eager, knowing that although it’s secluded, there are still people around.
Initially, Yang Xiao thought they would follow his car and wait for the right moment to strike, apparently overestimating their combat IQ.
However, passing by a dark room, Yang Xiao’s expression turns solemn; from the corner of his eye, he notices figures lying scattered inside.
Those were people originally living nearby, cruelly killed due to Han Li and his crew’s arrival.
Until Yang Xiao reaches the car side, suddenly a voice laughs aloud without any concealment from behind: "Rong City’s Most Fierce Tiger, is this all the alertness you have? It truly disappoints me."
"Who?!" Acting out the scene fully, Yang Xiao pretends to be shocked and turns abruptly. He’s a good man, letting Han Li enjoy this before he dies.
As expected, dressed in black, Han Li steps out from the shadows, eyes fixed on Yang Xiao; disdain and venom intertwine in his eyes, and if looks could kill, Yang Xiao would be dead three times over already.
"Han Li?" Yang Xiao feigned surprise, "What are you doing here?"
"Haha..." Han Li laughed arrogantly, then harshly declared, "Yang Xiao, enough with the nonsense; today is the day you die!"
With Han Li’s order, hidden assassins emerged, totaling 12, surrounding Yang Xiao from all sides in groups.
Among them, 4 were Ghost-level Apostles, and 8 Fierce Grade; in each direction, one Ghost-level Apostle guarded by two Fierce Grade Apostles. Of the 12, the strongest was Han Li with near-mid-stage Ghost Level power.
That’s right, this is the Province Bureau’s direct special force, with team leader Han Li; today, their elite have all come.
Calmly, Yang Xiao pulled a paper from inside his coat—the note given by Vice Commissioner Zhao—and checked each person’s details on it.
Great, 12 people, all matched perfectly; at least in this matter, Zhao Jingde didn’t dare deceive him. After the Withered Bone Pavilion ambush earlier, Yang Xiao started to appreciate Zhao Jingde.
The world of martial arts isn’t about killing but about dealing with people. Turning foes into friends is something Yang Xiao is glad to see; he needs someone to offset Hong Anguo’s influence in the Provincial Bureau.
"None of you act; let me handle him," Han Li commanded, hands behind his back, radiating the grandmaster aura.
"After today, Jiangbei Twin Stars will only have one left; the world of martial arts will no longer hear of you, Rongcheng Yang Xiao, but will remember me, Extreme Evil Dragon, Han Li!"
Han Li began stretching, his joints cracking loudly, then looked at his watch with a sneer, "Yang Xiao, my grandfather said you could kill me three times in 10 minutes; I want to see how you achieve that."
"Are you ready?" Han Li pressed his watch’s timer button, muscles taut and eager.
In the next instant, Yang Xiao vanished, disappearing from everyone’s vision.
Upon reappearance, Yang Xiao had flashed to Han Li’s side; before Han Li could react, Yang Xiao punched him in the face, then spun, using his waist’s strength to deliver a swift kick, launching Han Li like a cannonball.
Han Li flew backward, crashing through two advertising boards, finally slamming into an abandoned car, breaking through the window, ending up head-first inside with legs hanging outside, helplessly drooping, fate unknown.
This scene left Han Li’s people stunned, rendering the scene silent, and none moved to aid Han Li.
Yang Xiao, having kicked Han Li away, brushed nonexistent dust off his pants, coldly smiling:
"Han Li, seems your grandfather was modest; handling you doesn’t need three minutes, you dare?"