Lin Xiao Tian would have chosen another approach if he had the time, but he was pressed for time and had no inclination to deal with the people around him.
Facing the burly man blocking his path, Lin Xiao Tian casually shoved him aside.
Because the man had braced himself to resist Lin Xiao Tian's strength, he desperately tried to maintain his balance. The shove sent him tumbling down, and he inadvertently took down several people next to him.
A muscular man, nearly six feet three inches tall with a broad back and powerful build, was toppled by Lin Xiao Tian, who was so much smaller, and in front of so many people. They naturally felt indignant.
Some of them, unwilling to accept this, immediately charged at Lin Xiao Tian.
"He's assaulting people! Call the police!"
"We can't let him leave!"
The female influencer incited trouble from behind.
But once again, Lin Xiao Tian easily pushed them aside.
To the onlookers, anyone who came near Lin Xiao Tian and was touched by him would fall over like straw.
Initially, Lin Xiao Tian had merely pushed them away, but these people were too persistent. Lin Xiao Tian decided to employ some other methods.
After that, anyone who stood in Lin Xiao Tian's way and was touched by him would instinctively collapse onto the ground.
However, this was only temporary; Lin Xiao Tian didn't want to escalate the situation.
The female influencer started to spread rumors again, claiming Lin Xiao Tian had summoned venomous snakes to bite people.
"Brothers, don't you think so? Those people fell down for no reason; they must have been bitten by snakes. This guy is too twisted."
The live stream's popularity surged, and the female influencer began to slander Lin Xiao Tian in various ways.
She also encouraged those around her to call the police while feigning innocence and accusing Lin Xiao Tian.
"Brothers, what should I do? Will I be retaliated against? I'm so scared!"
"He just glared at me, his eyes were so fierce!"
"I wonder who he's taking those venomous snakes to? That person must be pitiful."
Faced with the accusations from those around him, Lin Xiao Tian did not offer any defense. The little white snake pointed to a location again, and Lin Xiao Tian immediately headed in that direction.
The sound of police sirens echoed from the city; someone had clearly called the police. Fortunately, Lin Xiao Tian had already left.
However, the police didn't track down Lin Xiao Tian. Those who had blocked him were terrified by his methods, and upon hearing someone mention that Lin Xiao Tian might have released venomous snakes to bite them, they all rushed to go to the hospital.
Of course, there were a few who were not afraid, like the female influencer.
Lin Xiao Tian releasing snakes to bite people was a lie she fabricated. She knew better than anyone that Lin Xiao Tian was being framed, but for the sake of traffic, she would do anything.
Gifts poured into the live stream, with some even praising the female influencer's spirit of fighting against evil. Only a few voices suggested a more rational approach, but they were drowned out by others.
Most people only wanted to see what they wanted to see, even if it was staged.
Lin Xiao Tian had no time to bother with the female influencer. Led by the little white snake, he quickly pinpointed their location.
Before him stood a dilapidated old building, only three stories high. It looked like a holdout, as it stood out against the surrounding tall buildings.
The building had residents, mostly working men and women.
The little white snake identified a room on the first floor. Lin Xiao Tian scanned it with his divine sense; there were indeed two women inside, but they didn't resemble Xue Zi Yan and the others.
The crucial point was that they had maintained the same posture from beginning to end.
Lin Xiao Tian knocked on the door, but there was no response. The people inside didn't even glance towards the door.
Without hesitation, Lin Xiao Tian gently pressed, and the lock clicked open.
From behind, the female influencer's scream rang out, "Help! Someone is breaking in!"
Her voice was loud, and it quickly attracted the attention of people upstairs. Someone immediately ran down.
The live stream exploded, with comments flooding the screen.
Inside the room, Lin Xiao Tian saw two women.
Lin Xiao Tian applied his mystic energy, gently touching their faces. Their appearances immediately changed; they were Xue Zi Yan and Bai Xue.
Both had been bound by the apostles' mystic energy. Lin Xiao Tian helped them to break free.
"Xiao Tian!" Xue Zi Yan exclaimed.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Xue Zi Yan hugged Lin Xiao Tian.
But the next second, she saw the little white snake in Lin Xiao Tian's arms.
"A snake... there's a snake..."
"Don't be afraid. We owe it a lot this time; otherwise, I wouldn't have found you."
"R-really?" Xue Zi Yan seemed to doubt.
Seeing this, the little white snake shook its head, looking wronged.
"Don't be angry, little one. We owe you so much!" Lin Xiao Tian petted its small head.
Immediately after, Lin Xiao Tian called Xiao Ming, asking him to send people to protect Xue Zi Yan and Bai Xue. Then, he prepared to leave. The little white snake was growing weaker, and if it didn't return to Black Mountain soon, Lin Xiao Tian would feel immensely guilty if it exhausted its life force.
"Are you leaving already?" Xue Zi Yan looked at Lin Xiao Tian pleadingly.
"I have to leave!"
"Then be careful!" Xue Zi Yan pouted.
Lin Xiao Tian smiled and prepared to depart.
As he reached the doorway, Lin Xiao Tian glanced at Bai Xue, saying nothing more.
Bai Xue dared not look up at Lin Xiao Tian, her expression suggesting she had something to say but couldn't.
After Lin Xiao Tian left, Xiao Ming arrived with his men.
Shortly after, the police also arrived, responding to a report of a home invasion.
The female influencer also rushed over, claiming she had personally witnessed Lin Xiao Tian breaking down the door and also mentioned Lin Xiao Tian's possession of venomous snakes.
"Officer, you have to believe me. I was live-streaming the whole time. That person clearly isn't a good person."
The young police officer glanced at the female influencer, her makeup heavy, at least thirty years old. He, himself, was only in his early twenties and being called "uncle" by her felt rather unpleasant.
"Where is the person you mentioned? Did he run out?" the police officer asked.
"I didn't see him run out. Could he have jumped out the window?" the female influencer looked behind her.
There was indeed a window there, but it was far too small for an adult to fit through, and it had iron bars. It was clearly impossible to escape through it.
"Be careful! He might still be hiding in the house!" the female influencer shrieked.
Seeing the excited expression on the female influencer's face, Xue Zi Yan quickly stepped forward to explain, "You've misunderstood. He's not a bad person; he came to rescue me."
"I haven't misunderstood. He also released snakes to bite people. He's definitely suspicious." the female influencer continued to lie.
"You're the one who's suspicious! Xiao Tian isn't that kind of person!" Xue Zi Yan was angry.
Xiao Ming, standing nearby, gave the female influencer a deep look, lost in thought.
...
Meanwhile, Lin Xiao Tian had arrived at Black Mountain.
As soon as he sensed Xiao Ming's arrival with his divine sense, Lin Xiao Tian had immediately left the building.
He had used his fastest speed, so fast that even the female influencer's eyes couldn't catch sight of his departure.
Upon reaching Black Mountain, Lin Xiao Tian gently placed the little white snake down.
Simultaneously, Lin Xiao Tian poured his mystic energy into the little white snake.
Gradually, the little white snake regained some vitality.
Lin Xiao Tian carefully examined it; the life force of the little white snake was no longer draining.
However, upon closer inspection, he realized that the little white snake had lost nearly five hundred years of its life force during the time Lin Xiao Tian had taken it away.
The little white snake was currently a sixth-level Qi Refining realm demonic beast, with a lifespan of only a few hundred years. If he had been even a moment slower, the little white snake might have died outright.
"Little one, I'm truly grateful to you this time. I promise, I will accompany you to the Thunder Pool until you break through to the Foundation Establishment stage."
A Qi Refining stage little white snake had a lifespan of only five hundred years, but upon reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, its lifespan would increase by a thousand years. In Lin Xiao Tian's view, this was the only way to compensate the little white snake.
The little white snake weakly nodded. Having expended so much of its lifespan, its vitality had significantly diminished.