Lin Xiao Tian did not overthink it, focusing his attention on the Apostle.
It had to be said that seeing the Apostle again, Lin Xiao Tian actually felt a sense of familiarity.
"Where is what I want?" the Apostle asked Lin Xiao Tian coldly.
"Then where is the person I want?" Lin Xiao Tian countered.
"Give me what I want first, and once I have it, I will return the person to you."
"How do I know you're telling the truth?"
"You have no choice but to believe me, unless you want him to die."
Lin Xiao Tian knew that the Apostle was trying to pressure him, but easily handing over the demon core fragment would be equivalent to abandoning his leverage entirely. The reason the Apostle could negotiate with him was because the demon core fragment was more important to him than a human life.
"Xiao Tian, you should give him that demon core fragment! You don't want Xiao Tao to be in trouble, do you?" Yang Xin said with teary eyes.
Lin Xiao Tian frowned.
He didn't expect a woman as intelligent as Yang Xin to not grasp his intentions?
And she even knew that the Apostle had lost a demon core fragment?
If she knew it was the Apostle's demon core, she should understand that such an item could not be easily given away, otherwise, the Apostle would have no reservations whatsoever.
Perhaps it was too much worry.
Lin Xiao Tian couldn't help but sigh.
He couldn't demand the same level of understanding from everyone.
"Don't worry, I will definitely save Xiao Tao."
"Then hurry up and give it to him," Yang Xin continued to persuade. "Are you biased? I know, in your eyes, there's only Qin Yu Xiang, and her child is your child. What am I? Just a discarded woman!"
Yang Xin's agitation grew, and in the end, she even started searching Lin Xiao Tian's body.
"Calm down!" Lin Xiao Tian had to stop Yang Xin.
If she couldn't find the demon core on him, and in her agitation, she blurted everything out, then Lin Xiao Tian's plan for today would be completely wasted.
"Why are you stopping me? You didn't bring it, did you?" Yang Xin looked at Lin Xiao Tian furiously.
"Calm down first, this is not the time for this."
"I can't calm down, Lin Xiao Tian, just tell me if you brought it?"
"I brought it," Lin Xiao Tian sighed.
"You're lying!" Yang Xin's eyes were red. "Do you think I don't know anything? Qin Yu Xiang told me that item can't be given to me. You always listen to her, how could you have actually brought it?"
"Lin Xiao Tian, you've gone too far."
Lin Xiao Tian was stunned.
If he had truly gone too far, he wouldn't have done anything.
But thinking that Yang Xin was in a fit of anger, Lin Xiao Tian didn't argue with her.
"What are you talking about? Aren't I here?"
"Don't play these games with me, Lin Xiao Tian. Today, no matter what, I have to save my son, even by any means necessary." Yang Xin's eyes suddenly turned cold.
"Alas, don't get excited..."
Lin Xiao Tian was about to comfort her when he felt a sharp pain from behind.
Bang!
It was a bullet.
Lin Xiao Tian was completely caught off guard, the bullet burrowing directly into his back.
"Who fired the shot?"
Lin Xiao Tian instinctively shielded Yang Xin.
With his current strength, dealing with such a bullet was not a problem.
But he suddenly realized that countless bullets were flying towards him from all directions.
Everyone from the Yang family present was holding firearms.
These guns were not aimed at the Apostle, but at him!
Lin Xiao Tian looked at Yang Xin in front of him, the muzzle of her gun pointed dismissively at his head.
"Yang Xin?"
"Don't blame me, blame Qin Yu Xiang. I begged her, but she refused to hand over the demon core fragment. I had no choice. Just consider it repayment for what you owe our mother and son."
Lin Xiao Tian suddenly felt a pang of sadness.
"Owe?"
"Do you think we've always been in debt?"
Yang Xin gritted her teeth. "Although I'm not a direct descendant of the Yang family, I'm from a collateral branch. Yet in the end, I'm like those ordinary women around you, with no status at all. Do you know what those people in the Yang family say about me behind my back? If it weren't for Xiao Tao's achievements, I would never be able to hold my head up in the Yang family my entire life."
"Did you ever consider these things for us?"
"Heh, I know. It's because you have Qin Yu Xiang. That old hag only acknowledges her, and you only acknowledge her too."
After speaking, Yang Xin aimed the pistol at Lin Xiao Tian's chest.
"The gun is loaded with anesthetic. I imagine you won't be able to withstand so many bullets, will you? But don't worry, you won't die. You're still needed as a hostage!"
Looking at the stranger before him, Yang Xin, Lin Xiao Tian's heart was filled with mixed emotions.
So this was what she thought?
Yang Xin stepped back a few paces, and more bullets flew towards Lin Xiao Tian.
Lin Xiao Tian recalled a time when he was also at the outskirts of Kunlun Valley.
Back then, it was the Apostle who was treated like this.
He never expected that it would be his turn now.
As for the Apostle, he was watching with great interest.
Bullets posed no threat to Lin Xiao Tian, who was at the Nascent Soul stage, but Lin Xiao Tian still deactivated all his defenses and fell down cooperatively.
Seeing Lin Xiao Tian collapse, Yang Xin quickly signaled the gunmen to stop.
Several people stepped forward to check Lin Xiao Tian. Upon confirming that his injuries were severe and he was no longer capable of fighting back, they reported the situation to Yang Xin.
Yang Xin nodded, and the others immediately understood.
Lin Xiao Tian's body was carried to the outskirts of Kunlun Valley. At the same time, the Apostle, who had been merely an observer, finally appeared and began to drag Lin Xiao Tian's body deeper into the forest.
The surroundings gradually darkened.
The Kunlun Valley was incredibly quiet in the darkness.
The Apostle was in a good mood today, howling at the moon several times like a sheep.
This was understandable; obtaining Lin Xiao Tian meant obtaining the demon core fragment.
Soon after, the Apostle arrived at his camp.
There were several other Apostles in the camp, along with a pack of black dogs and a giant mountain goat.
A few Apostles came over to examine Lin Xiao Tian. Seeing that his life force was weak, they nodded repeatedly.
It was evident they were also very pleased.
They secured Lin Xiao Tian's limbs with something resembling talismans, inscribed with complex characters, likely some form of restriction.
Just then, a new, unfamiliar face emerged from within the camp.
"You've captured the person. Can I have what I want now?"
The voice sounded very familiar.
Lin Xiao Tian glanced at the person out of the corner of his eye.
After many years, he still recognized the person.
"Yang Tao!"
"Father, it's finally good to see you. I truly didn't want to meet you like this, but there was no other way for your son. What I want, you would never give me, so I had to ask for their help." Yang Tao looked at Lin Xiao Tian with a cold expression.
Lin Xiao Tian let out a wry smile. "What you want requires my life?"
"I want the Yang family to surpass the Lin family. I want the Yang family to become the strongest family. Father, can you help me with this?" Yang Tao looked at Lin Xiao Tian earnestly. "I hope the Yang family can possess what the Lin family has, but Father, you wouldn't even teach me alchemy."
"What I've given you is enough to make the Yang family powerful."
"It's not enough!" Yang Tao said word by word. "I want more. Father, you've never truly understood me. I'm not Xiao Xuan. I have my own ambitions."