Chapter 115: Chapter 115: Princess Xiangming
The girl’s pupils shrank. Staring at Leng Yingying, a cold glint flashed in her eyes as she said sinisterly, "Who are you calling worse than an animal? You stinking bitch, this is the Royal City, not some poor backwater you crawled out of. You’d better watch your mouth. Say the wrong thing here, and you’ll end up dead."
With that, two points of cold light shot out. The two chopsticks before the girl suddenly launched forward, striking like vipers toward Leng Yingying’s eyes with vicious cruelty.
The two chopsticks looked ordinary, but their power was astonishing.
If this blow landed, Leng Yingying would not only be blinded, but her entire head would be pierced through, killing her on the spot.
A cold glint flashed in Ye Xuan’s eyes. ’To use a killing blow over a simple disagreement. What a venomous woman.’
He casually caught the chopsticks between two fingers, set them on the table, and said coolly, "She was just speaking her mind. Don’t you think this is a bit excessive?"
"And who the hell are you to meddle in my business?" The girl’s brows shot up, her eyes flashing fiercely. She glanced at the robes worn by Ye Xuan and his companions, her expression of arrogance and disdain unmistakable. She sneered, "Excessive? In the Royal City, I do whatever I want. Some people have to pay a price for misspeaking. Slap them. Every single person at that table. Keep slapping them until I’m satisfied!"
The two young men at her table suddenly stood up. They strode over to Ye Xuan, their eyes flashing with stunned admiration as they glanced at Leng Yingying and Feng Rouyi. Then, they barked at Ye Xuan, "Did you hear her? Start slapping your own face. It’s your only chance to live. Otherwise, not even the heavens can save you."
Ye Xuan picked up a peanut, chewed it slowly, and mumbled, "Just trying to have a meal, and you run into self-important flies. I must have stepped in shit on my way here."
"You’re courting death!"
The two young men roared in anger. With a SHING, they drew the swords from their waists and lunged at Ye Xuan.
Having witnessed Ye Xuan’s skill, the two knew he was not to be underestimated. They held nothing back. Their thrusting swords bloomed into a cascade of phantoms—a surprisingly profound Swordsmanship technique—that enveloped all of Ye Xuan’s vital points, drawing gasps from the other patrons.
From this display of Swordsmanship alone, the onlookers could tell that these two young men were from no ordinary background.
"Tch. You dare show your face with such shoddy Swordsmanship? It’s completely limp, utterly lacking in power. No wonder you’re that woman’s lapdogs. Turns out you’re just a couple of sissies."
In full view of the crowd, Ye Xuan completely ignored the swords aimed at him, casually sipping his wine while critiquing their form.
The onlookers were all dumbstruck. ’Where did this fool come from?’ they thought. ’He’s about to die, and he’s still spouting nonsense.’
Ye Xuan’s words made the two young men so furious they nearly coughed up blood. "Shoddy Swordsmanship?" one roared. "We’ll see about that when I kill you!"
SHHHING!
The swords gleamed as a dense wave of Profound Qi erupted, enveloping Ye Xuan, poised to cleave him in two.
"Enough!"
At that moment, Luo Zhan, who had been silent all this time, finally made his move. He looked up and gently pushed out his palm.
BOOM!
A sonic boom erupted from thin air. A terrifying force appeared and instantly threw the two young men back. Staggering a dozen steps, they collapsed onto their chairs, swords still quivering in their grasp.
’Who is this man?’ the crowd wondered. ’What incredible strength.’
The restaurant patrons were all secretly astonished. Although the two young men were only sixteen or seventeen, they were both at the Third Layer of the Warrior realm. To be able to repel them so easily, the middle-aged man had to be an Earth Martial Artist at the very least.
In the Royal City, an Earth Martial Artist wasn’t a top-tier expert, but they weren’t a common sight either.
"So, you have an expert backing you. No wonder you’re so arrogant." The girl’s voice was icy, a cold smirk playing on her lips. "But has no one told you to keep a low profile when you come to the Royal City?"
The girl, as arrogant as ever, glanced at the two young men and said coldly, "Get me some backup."
The two young men shot a cold glare at Luo Zhan, who had just struck them. One of them suddenly walked to the window, pulled out a signal flare, and yanked the cord.
PSSSHHH!
A piercing whistle echoed as a crimson flare shot into the sky, exploding at its apex in a shower of sparks.
A stir went through the guests on the second floor, and the way they looked at the trio began to change.
Daring to set off a signal flare in the Royal City was not something an ordinary person could do. After all, this was the Royal City; if every Tom, Dick, and Harry used signal flares to communicate, wouldn’t the entire city descend into chaos?
In the Royal City, only high-ranking dignitaries and illustrious nobles had the privilege of using signal flares. This meant the status of the girl and her two companions had to be truly astonishing.
Ye Xuan shook his head and said lightly, "A perfectly good meal, ruined by these shit-stirrers."
The girl’s expression turned cold when she heard him, but she didn’t say a word. She simply stared icily at Ye Xuan and his companions, a sneer playing on her lips.
She looked forward to seeing whether the boy would still have the courage to say such things after he learned who he had offended.
"Let it go. We just arrived in the Royal City; it’s best to avoid trouble. Since we’re about finished eating, let’s go," Hua Luoxuan said, having watched everything unfold quietly. He shook his head, took a Profound Ticket from his robes, and placed it on the table.
"Leaving? You think you can just walk away after hurting my men?" the girl barked, blocking their path. "I told you to slap yourselves, and you refused. Now you want to leave? It’s too late."
"Good dogs don’t block the path."
Ye Xuan said nonchalantly, rubbing his nose.
"What did you say? You’re courting death!"
The girl roared, her two fingers suddenly jabbing toward Ye Xuan’s eyes like daggers.
’What a venomous woman,’ Ye Xuan thought. ’Even willful arrogance should have its limits.’
Ye Xuan’s gaze turned cold. He had no quarrel with this girl; they didn’t even know each other. This so-called conflict was just a brief exchange between her and Leng Yingying.
And yet she was relentlessly aggressive, resorting to lethal force at the slightest provocation, every move packed with vicious intent.
’If he didn’t teach her a lesson, did she really think the whole world had to walk on eggshells around her?’
Sneering inwardly, Ye Xuan flipped his hand. His movement was as fluid and traceless as an antelope hanging by its horns; in an instant, he had seized the girl’s wrist.
The girl was startled. Her Profound Qi flared as she tried to break from Ye Xuan’s grasp, but how could a mere Third-Layer Warrior like her ever hope to escape his hold? An immense force pulled her, yanking her right to Ye Xuan’s side.
"You’re courting death! Let her go!"
The two young men shouted in alarm and fury. Their swords flashed like starlight as they thrust viciously toward Ye Xuan.
"Get back!" Luo Zhan barked, striking out with his palm.
With a RUMBLE, a terrifying wave of Profound Qi descended once more. The two young men were sent flying like kites with snapped strings, landing with a THUD. Their swords fell to the floor, CLANGING loudly.
"What do you think you’re doing?" Gripped by Ye Xuan, the girl felt her strength leave her. Her Profound Qi was sluggish, impossible to muster. All she could do was glare at him with icy eyes.
Even then, her gaze was filled with thick disdain and contempt, like a noble princess looking down on a lowly beggar.
"What do I want to do?" Ye Xuan smiled faintly. "Nothing much. I’m just going to do to you what you wanted to do to us."
"You dare?" The girl’s eyes narrowed. "Do you have any idea who I am?"
The girl shrieked, trying to find some trace of fear or apprehension in Ye Xuan’s eyes.
But she was disappointed. Ye Xuan’s eyes were calm and deep, without the slightest ripple of emotion.
"It doesn’t matter who you are. All I know is that you wanted to have us slapped, so you should be prepared to be slapped yourself."
The moment Ye Xuan finished speaking, a sharp SMACK echoed through the room. Before the horrified eyes of the crowd, Ye Xuan delivered a seemingly light slap that sent the girl flying. She crashed to the ground in a heap, her hair in disarray.
"I, Ye Xuan, make it a point not to hit women. But for some bitches, an exception must be made."
"You..." The girl clutched her face, eyes wide with disbelief. She glared at Ye Xuan, her expression savage and her eyes like a viper’s, wishing she could devour him whole. "You... you peasant, you dared to hit me? Do you know who I am? You’re dead, do you hear me? You are dead!"
The two young men were stunned as well, clearly having never imagined that Ye Xuan would actually dare to strike her.
"Dead? I doubt it. We’re leaving," Ye Xuan said coolly.
’Some people think they can trample on others as they please, that others exist only to be humiliated by them. They never consider that those who humiliate others will, in turn, be humiliated.’
’Since they had attacked him and his friends repeatedly, with vicious and lethal intent, why should he bother saving face for them?’
Just as Ye Xuan and his group were about to head downstairs—
THUMP THUMP THUMP!
A sudden rush of footsteps sounded from the stairs. A troop of City Guards in gleaming armor, armed with swords and sabers, hurried up to the second floor.
"What’s going on here? Who fired that signal flare?"
The captain in the lead was a burly man with thick brows and large eyes. He spoke in a stern voice as his severe gaze swept across the restaurant. Then, he spotted the girl on the floor clutching her face and the two young men slumped in their chairs. The color instantly drained from his face.
"Princess Xiangming, are you all right?" The captain rushed forward to help the girl up, while other members of the City Guard helped the two young men to their feet.
"Stop them," the girl commanded, her left hand clutching her face as her right pointed at Ye Xuan’s group. Her voice was ice-cold, her gaze venomous.
The captain’s expression turned cold. He glanced at Ye Xuan’s party and waved his hand. "Arrest them all!"
With a great rattling sound, a dozen City Guards drew their weapons and surrounded Ye Xuan’s group like a pack of wolves. Their fierce, overbearing presence sent the other patrons scrambling backward, not daring to get close.
"Surrender quietly and come with us," the burly captain said, his gaze cold. "Resist, and you will be killed on the spot."
