Chapter 190: Chapter 190: Attacking in the Street
"Let’s go."
Having won the Heart Gaze Stone, Ye Xuan stood up, ready to leave.
"Master Xuan, leaving already? The snake woman hasn’t even been auctioned yet. Not only that, but I heard there are all sorts of heaven-defying Cultivation Techniques and Divine Soldiers for the finale. Aren’t we losing out by leaving now?"
Chen Xing was clearly reluctant. Although the auction was in its final stages, the main attractions had yet to be presented. Typically, the auction of these final treasures was the climax of the entire event.
But Ye Xuan had no interest in those other treasures. Having already won the item he wanted, he had lost all desire to stay any longer.
Seeing Ye Xuan leave, Chen Xing and his companions certainly weren’t going to stay behind. Though reluctant, they left the auction house with him.
"Heh heh, the kid’s trying to slip out before the auction is even over. He’s got some brains, at least. A shame, though. If I let you get away that easily, then I, Zhao Gang, would have no business being in the Royal City."
The Sixth Prince, Zhao Gang, shot to his feet. A cold glint in his eyes, he and several of his men quietly left the private box as well.
The auction house manager, who had naturally noticed the commotion, curled his lips into a cold sneer. "That brat caused our auction house to lose so much face. He’ll soon learn that there are some people in the Royal City he cannot afford to offend."
Several senior members of the auction house staff wore mocking smiles.
"I have something I need to take care of. You three go on ahead."
The moment they stepped out of the auction house, Ye Xuan sensed something. He frowned and spoke to Chen Xing and the other two. Before they could ask any questions, he turned and walked away.
"That kid actually ditched his friends and took off. What a selfish bastard. What do we do now?"
In a corner not far from the auction house, two figures were whispering. They were none other than Chen Ming and Qin Tian, who had been with the Sixth Prince earlier.
"Forget the others. The Sixth Prince said to deal with that guy Ye Xuan first. After we’ve taught him a lesson, we can come back for the rest of them."
"Exactly. I don’t know how that Ye Xuan managed to offend the Sixth Prince, but he’s done for this time. And that fat bastard—once we’re done with Ye Xuan, we’ll deal with him. He was the most arrogant one back at the auction. As for the two girls... heh heh..."
The two of them shared a lecherous smile before they and their guards vanished.
Sensing them following, Ye Xuan let out a soft breath. He had deliberately left his friends to avoid dragging them into this. He quickened his pace and made his way onto a main street.
"He thinks we won’t dare to touch him just because he’s on a main street?" Chen Ming’s eyes held a vicious gleam.
In a sudden rush, he and the blue-robed youth, Qin Tian, swarmed out. Each was flanked by two guards, and in an instant, the six of them had Ye Xuan surrounded.
"You run pretty fast, kid. Too bad it’s useless," Qin Tian said with a ferocious expression.
"What do you want? Ever heard the saying that a good dog doesn’t block the path?" Ye Xuan asked, unperturbed.
"What did you just say, kid?"
"Insolent!"
The four guards, furious, all roared in anger, clearly wanting to put on a good show for their masters.
"I’m surprised, kid. I didn’t expect you to be so calm at a time like this."
Chen Ming offered a faint smile, his cold gaze fixed on Ye Xuan like that of a venomous snake.
"And why shouldn’t I be calm?" Ye Xuan replied coolly. "We’re in the Royal City, a place of law and order. Surely you wouldn’t dare attack me in the middle of the street? Aren’t you afraid the City Guard will come after you?"
"Hahaha, attack you in the street? Kid, you think far too highly of yourself," Chen Ming laughed, his face filled with mockery and disdain.
Qin Tian also couldn’t help but smirk. ’This kid is so naive. The Royal City’s peace and order are good, that’s true, but it all depends on who you’ve offended. This brat has offended our backer; forget the Royal City, even hiding in the royal palace wouldn’t do him any good.’
"Men, seize him! If he resists, give him a good beating first."
Qin Tian, looking arrogant and noticing that a crowd was gathering, couldn’t be bothered with further complications and issued the order directly.
"Yes!"
The four guards stepped forward in unison. The Profound Qi around their bodies surged, forming a crushing pressure that bore down on Ye Xuan.
All four guards were actually Earth Martial Artist-level experts, between the First and Second Layers. The force of their movements alone stirred up winds so powerful it was almost difficult to breathe.
"What do you think you’re doing? Stop at once!" Ye Xuan retreated a step and roared furiously. "You dare to assault someone in public within the Royal City? Do you have no fear of the law? If I remember correctly, according to the laws of the kingdom, attacking someone on the streets of the Royal City is an offense punishable by on-the-spot execution! Stop now, and don’t bring ruin upon yourselves."
Ye Xuan’s resonant voice boomed through the street, attracting even more onlookers. Many of the citizens began to whisper among themselves.
The Royal City was known for its peace and stability; for many, this was the first time they had ever witnessed a public assault.
"Enough of his nonsense. Teach him a lesson and haul him away. Move it, don’t dawdle," Chen Ming said impatiently, his face cold.
"Don’t worry, Young Master," one of the four guards sneered. Three of them fanned out, closing in from different angles but not attacking, while the one at the forefront reached out his right hand to grab Ye Xuan’s shoulder.
All four of them wore detached, confident smiles.
In their eyes, a teenager like Ye Xuan, whose aura was only at the Martial Artist level, could be captured easily by any one of them, let alone all four acting at once. They gave it no serious thought.
SMACK!
Sure enough, the guard’s hand clamped down on Ye Xuan’s left shoulder. A terrifying surge of Profound Power erupted from his palm, clearly intended to instantly cripple Ye Xuan’s left arm and neutralize his ability to resist.
"It seems you’re truly determined to disregard the law."
With his shoulder in the guard’s grip, Ye Xuan’s previously panicked expression suddenly vanished. In its place, an endless, chilling glint shot from his eyes.
He pushed off his feet, brought his right hand around, and unleashed a ferocious, direct strike.
"Hahaha, the kid actually dares to fight back."
The guard gripping Ye Xuan’s shoulder laughed heartily, completely unconcerned by the attack. He squeezed his right hand, intending to crush Ye Xuan’s scapula.
But as he squeezed, his expression changed. It felt as if he weren’t gripping a human body, but a hard, unmoving piece of iron. At the same time, Ye Xuan’s seemingly ordinary punch landed on his chest.
CRACK! The sound of breaking bones echoed clearly down the street. The guard’s eyes went wide as he was sent flying backward, blood spraying uncontrollably from his mouth. He landed with a heavy THUD on an empty patch of ground dozens of feet away, his breath leaving his body, but none returning.
The sudden turn of events left everyone stunned.
"You’re courting death, kid!" The other three guards, now both shocked and enraged, roared and rushed madly toward Ye Xuan.
Six palms closed in from all directions, hemming Ye Xuan in. With Profound Qi churning all around him, there was no room to escape.
Yet, to their shock, their fists struck nothing but air, not even brushing against Ye Xuan’s shadow.
’Something’s strange about this kid.’
The thought had barely formed in one guard’s mind when a fist slammed into his chest. He immediately vomited a gout of blood, his body sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string.
THUD! THUD!
At the same time, Ye Xuan struck the other two guards. They crashed wretchedly to the ground, one after another, with fractured ribs, chaotic auras, and ruptured internal organs.
In the span of a dozen breaths, all four guards were lying on the ground, their status—dead or alive—unknown.
This sudden turn of events left everyone present stunned.
Chen Ming and Qin Tian stared wide-eyed, looking dumbly at Ye Xuan, clearly unable to believe what they were seeing.
"You dared to commit a violent crime in public. Today, I will enforce the kingdom’s law."
Ye Xuan’s eyes were cold as he rushed toward them. SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! The crisp sound of smacks echoed as he delivered more than a dozen slaps in an instant. He slapped them until they saw stars and blood trickled from their lips, their faces swelling up like steamed buns until they were completely unrecognizable.
Suddenly, a stern voice shouted from behind: "Stop!"
Then, with a series of whooshes, nearly a dozen armored members of the City Guard arrived with lightning speed.
When these City Guards saw the scene, their expressions changed. They immediately drew their weapons and surrounded Ye Xuan.
"Who are you to dare commit murder on the public streets?" one of the City Guards demanded.
"Officer, these two men used their powerful subordinates to assault me in the street," Ye Xuan reported. "I was forced to defend myself."
Only then did Ye Xuan drop the two blood-mouthed men to the ground, dust off his hands, and speak calmly.
"You claim they attacked you in the street. Do you have proof?"
"Everyone here witnessed their actions and can testify for me. I implore you, officers, to see the truth."
The City Guards turned to the surrounding crowd and saw many people nodding in agreement. Quite a few even spoke up righteously, vouching for Ye Xuan.
However, looking at the heavily armed guards on the ground and the slender figure of Ye Xuan, the City Guards found it hard to believe that a single teenager could have taken them all down.
Just then, a City Guard helped Chen Ming to his feet. After having been slapped so many times by Ye Xuan, his muddled head was finally clearing. He immediately pointed at Ye Xuan and shrieked, "I am Chen Ming, son of Marquis Tianqi, and this is Qin Tian, son of Marquis Zhenjun! This brat killed my guards on the street and attacked us! Seize him! Seize him now!"
Hearing Chen Ming’s words, the expressions of the nearly dozen City Guards on the scene changed abruptly.
They never expected these two heavily injured men to have such powerful backgrounds: the son of Marquis Tianqi and the son of Marquis Zhenjun. The guards’ breathing suddenly grew heavier, and their gazes toward Ye Xuan now held a hint of shock.
The squad leader’s heart sank. ’This is getting tricky,’ he thought. A case involving the sons of powerful marquises was far beyond what a mere City Guard squad leader like him could handle, especially one that now involved murder.
