BTTH: Demon Emperor Xiao Yan

Thick black smoke billowed into the sky, and blazing flames consumed what had once been a peaceful village, transforming it into a hellish inferno. Amid the crumbling ruins lay countless disfigured corpses, most barely recognizable, some even missing entire limbs. It was clear these villagers had suffered inhuman torture before their deaths.

The air was thick with the stench of blood. Cries echoed in the distance, mingling with the flickering firelight. There was no mistaking it—this place had just experienced a brutal massacre. This village lay on the outskirts of Rock Desert City, less than five kilometers away. That such slaughter occurred so close could only mean one thing: the serpentfolk were nearing the city.

Although she had heard of serpentfolk attacking human villages before, seeing the scene in person was another matter entirely. Qing Lin's face turned pale, her stomach churning. If not for Xiao Yan standing beside her, she might have vomited on the spot. She had never imagined the serpentfolk could be so cruel and savage.

Xiao Yan, on the other hand, showed no visible reaction. He had seen far worse in his past life—massacres a hundred times bloodier than this. What concerned him now wasn't the bodies, but whether Mobasi and his group were still in the village.

At that moment, several serpentfolk still combing through the village spotted Xiao Yan and Qing Lin. Upon seeing Qing Lin, hiding behind Xiao Yan, a trace of lust flickered in their eyes.

"Look at that, a couple of brats! Kill the boy and as for the girl, heh—"

Before the leading serpentfolk could finish his sentence, his head exploded in a bloody mess. Brains and blood splattered across the other serpentfolk, leaving them frozen in place. None were stupid enough to believe it was some freak accident. Someone had just killed their comrade with terrifying precision.

"Run!" the survivors shouted, turning to flee. But before they could take a step, their bodies crumpled to the ground. Without realizing it, they had already been sliced in half. As they tried to crawl away, both arms were severed in a flash.

Searing pain overwhelmed them, forcing screams to rise in their throats—only to be silenced by a surge of flame that instantly incinerated their tongues. In the next moment, their eyes burst open like popped grapes, oozing black blood down their cheeks in a gruesome display.

Normally, Xiao Yan suppressed this side of himself in front of Qing Lin, always maintaining a gentle and approachable appearance. But today, he didn't bother hiding the brutality in his heart. And yet, in Qing Lin's eyes, his actions seemed justified—who wouldn't be furious after seeing such carnage? To her, torturing the enemy in return felt like justice.

Little did she know, Xiao Yan's actions had nothing to do with sympathy. He didn't care about the villagers. He simply needed to vent the killing intent that had been building inside him.

"There are still some survivors here. Let's find them first," Xiao Yan said calmly.

He tied up the serpentfolk he'd mutilated with a rope, then dragged their bodies along as he extended his soul perception. Within seconds, he detected faint signs of life in a cellar at the edge of the village.

He also discovered a few more serpentfolk hiding in the ruins. Without hesitation, he unleashed a surge of soul force, directly shattering their heads. This wasn't vengeance. It was simply Xiao Yan eliminating loose ends. He didn't believe in mercy for enemies—only in cutting weeds at the root.

After clearing the remaining enemies, he opened the cellar door and found a group of terrified villagers—mostly the elderly, women, and children. At first, they flinched in fear, unsure if he was friend or foe. But once Xiao Yan assured them the serpentfolk had been dealt with, they began to calm down.

He tossed the mutilated serpentfolk at their feet. The surviving villagers didn't hesitate—they vented their grief and rage on the helpless corpses. Meanwhile, Xiao Yan turned to Qing Lin.

"Stay here," he said. "It'll be dangerous where I'm going next."

Heading to Rock Desert City to intercept the serpentfolk was one thing. Bringing a girl along would only complicate things. Qing Lin, after all, wasn't a fighter. Earlier, he'd already wrapped her wrist in bandages to hide her serpentfolk bloodline. As long as she didn't expose it, the others wouldn't suspect a thing. And the villagers would likely look after her for a while.

Just in case, Xiao Yan placed a soul imprint on her and gave her a ring containing the Nine Nether Illusion Flame. If she encountered any danger, the flame within would protect her.

With preparations complete, he unfurled his Dou Qi wings and took to the skies, flying straight toward Rock Desert City. In the distance, a towering pillar of fire could already be seen.

At this moment, a fierce battle was underway at the city walls. On the battlements, a young woman in armor was barking orders, coordinating the defense against the serpentfolk.

"Princess Yaoye, the serpentfolk seem to be withdrawing. Would you like to rest for a moment?" a commander beside her asked respectfully.

"No," Yaoye replied firmly. "Their next wave is coming soon. We need to reinforce the barricades immediately."

She gazed down at the battlefield, her expression tense. "Where did these bastards come from?"

Each attacking serpentfolk wore a Dou Qi armor—proof that their strength was at least at the level of a Da Dou Shi. But Rock Desert City was just a remote outpost with less than ten Da Dou Shi total, even counting her personal guards. If not for the city's strong fortifications and functional siege defenses, they would've already been overwhelmed.

As the future Empress of the Chu Yun Empire, Princess Yaoye's presence here was unexpected. The royal family's original plan had been simple: give her a military post so she could gain merit. But Yaoye had insisted on doing things her own way.

To truly lead a military force, she believed one had to understand it—down to its foundations. That meant abandoning her lofty pedestal and learning how to command real soldiers. So, she chose this remote outpost, hoping to build her own elite unit from scratch. She didn't expect to be thrust into a real war with the serpentfolk so soon.

And this was only the beginning.

(End of Chapter)

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