Chapter 375: Chapter 375: Rebelling Against the Heavens
In front of Luo Cheng, Qin Yu couldn’t be bothered to keep up appearances anymore.
He even bluntly declared that he was going to swallow up the Luo family’s businesses bit by bit.
If an ordinary person had been so arrogant, they would surely have been met with a torrent of curses. But since he was a young master of the great Qin family, none of the onlookers on the street found it surprising. Instead, they all looked at the Luo family with pity.
The Luo family was just a minor clan. Daring to provoke a powerhouse like the Qin family was like an egg trying to smash a stone.
Clans were considered incredibly formidable powers in the Imperial Capital, but they were nothing in the face of a true powerhouse family.
In the crowd, several influential figures from the Qu family had also heard the news and hurried over.
Seeing the Luo family’s predicament, they felt both pleased and regretful.
For so many years, the Qu family and the Luo family had been rivals. The hatred between them had grown, and they had even had many secret clashes, resulting in casualties on both sides.
This was why the Qu family’s Elder, Qu Rufeng, had recently attempted to assassinate Luo Cheng.
But unexpectedly, not only did the assassination fail and Luo Cheng remain safe and sound, but Elder Qu Rufeng had also vanished without a trace. When they went to investigate, they discovered the corpses of several of the Qu family’s experts abandoned in the wilderness.
Although the Qu family suspected the Luo family was responsible, they had no proof and were simmering with suppressed anger.
Furthermore, Supreme Elder Crazy Battle from their sect had arrived in the Imperial Capital and tasked them with an investigation, leaving the Qu family with no time to deal with this matter.
They never expected that just a few days later, the Luo family would actually end up clashing with the Qin family.
Now, seeing the Luo family facing such a disaster, the Qu family’s experts were naturally overjoyed.
Their only regret was that the Qu family wouldn’t be able to get their hands on the Luo family’s shop.
"Alright, I’m done with the pleasantries. I, Huang Zhong, don’t have time to waste jabbering with insignificant people like you. I’ll give you the time it takes for one incense stick to burn. If you don’t move your things out by then, don’t expect to get them back," Captain Huang said with a disdainful look.
"You..."
Luo Min’s face was contorted with fury, his bloodshot eyes practically shooting fire.
"Such a grand display of authority. Those who know you recognize you as men from the City Construction Department. Those who don’t might mistake you for bandits from some backwater."
Just then, a cold voice drifted over from not far away, reaching everyone’s ears clearly.
"Which little bastard is spouting nonsense over there? If you’ve got the guts, show yourself!" Huang Zhong flew into a rage upon hearing this and turned to bellow.
Then, he saw a young man walk out from the crowd, looking at him with an indifferent expression.
Qin Yu, however, was stunned. He then exclaimed, "You! You’re not dead? You made it out of the Artifact Refining Workshop alive?"
In his view, for Ye Xuan to dare say such things in the Artifact Refining Workshop meant he couldn’t escape punishment, no matter how distinguished his background. He should have at least suffered a fair bit.
He just never expected that after only a few hours, Ye Xuan would emerge unscathed.
This shocked him, but after the shock came ecstasy.
He had targeted the Luo family precisely because Luo Cheng was too close to Ye Xuan. Now that the main target himself had appeared, his heart was filled with a mix of surprise and delight.
Qin Yu immediately snarled, "Well, well, boy. I didn’t expect you to walk out of the Artifact Refining Workshop alive. That’s perfect. I don’t care how you luckily managed to escape. Now that you’re here, don’t even think about leaving."
As he spoke, Qin Yu waved his hand.
Several guards immediately stepped out from behind him, completely blocking Ye Xuan’s path of retreat.
"Young Master Qin, this person is...?" Seeing Qin Yu’s immense hatred, Huang Zhong couldn’t help but ask curiously from the side.
"Captain Huang, this is the young man I told you about, the one who slandered the Artifact Refining Workshop’s creations. I never expected him to make it out of there alive," Qin Yu quickly explained.
"That’s him?"
News of what had happened at the Artifact Refining Workshop today had already spread throughout the Imperial Capital. Hearing that Ye Xuan was the one who had denigrated the workshop’s Profound Soldiers, the crowd immediately broke into an uproar.
Seeing that only a part of the Luo family’s shop entrance had been smashed and the rest was intact, Ye Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to Luo Cheng and asked, "Luo Cheng, are you alright?"
"I’m fine, Young Master Ye. You’re out?" Luo Cheng said, pleasantly surprised. He clearly hadn’t expected Ye Xuan to get out of the Artifact Refining Workshop so quickly. But his expression immediately shifted to one of worry. "Young Master Ye, why did you come here? This is no place for you."
Ye Xuan understood Luo Cheng’s meaning—he was telling him not to get involved in this mess. However, the Luo family’s trouble had started because of him, and Ye Xuan wasn’t the type to ignore his responsibilities.
He waved his hand and said lightly, "I just got out of the Artifact Refining Workshop when I heard your family was in trouble. It seems someone wants to demolish your shop. Although this is my first time in the Sky Empire’s Imperial Capital, I’ve heard it’s a place that values rules. I’d like to see just who is planning to act so wantonly and dare to tear down your family’s shop."
Ye Xuan spoke loudly, and everyone knew he was obviously talking about Huang Zhong.
"You’re very arrogant, young man," Huang Zhong said, narrowing his eyes. He now understood that this young man was the person who had harshly criticized the Artifact Refining Workshop’s Profound Soldiers.
He had heard this young man was later summoned inside by Master Lu Li. How could he have been released from the Artifact Refining Workshop so quickly?
At this thought, a trace of suspicion and alarm rose in his heart. But suspicion was one thing; there was no way he would show any fear in front of Ye Xuan.
If he were alone, he might have tried to gauge Ye Xuan’s background. But with Young Master Qin Yu standing beside him, given the Qin family’s status, they could afford to provoke anyone short of a Prince of the Sky Empire.
But while Huang Zhong sneered and addressed Ye Xuan, Ye Xuan completely ignored him. Instead, he looked at Luo Min and the others beside Luo Cheng and asked, "Luo Cheng, and these are?"
"Young Master Ye, this is my father, Luo Min, and these are the elders of our Luo family," Luo Cheng hurriedly introduced. "Father, this is the Young Master Ye I’ve told you about."
"A hero emerges from the young, indeed. Thank you for what you did the other day." Despite the situation, Luo Min managed to squeeze out a smile and cupped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute to Ye Xuan.
The other elders had grim expressions. Although they also offered a salute, they said nothing.
"Young Master Ye, we meet again. The elders are in a poor mood because of this situation. Please don’t take it to heart," said the captain of the guards whom Ye Xuan had met before, walking over at this moment.
’He had personally witnessed Ye Xuan’s strength. For someone so young to be so terrifyingly powerful, combined with the rumors from today, a glimmer of hope ignited in the guard captain’s heart. Perhaps, with him here, the Luo family might actually have a chance to turn this around.’
"Don’t worry," Ye Xuan said indifferently. "With me here, no one is going to demolish your family’s shop today."
"Arrogant brat."
Seeing Ye Xuan completely ignore him, Huang Zhong’s face flushed beet red. He felt his pride had been deeply insulted.
He suddenly waved his hand and roared, "Luo Min, the time for one incense stick is up! You’re not moving, are you? Men, smash it! Smash this shop to pieces!"
As Huang Zhong’s voice fell, the group of armored law enforcement officers from the City Construction Department charged forward like a pack of wolves.
"I’d like to see who dares to smash anything today."
Ye Xuan blocked their path, his gaze icy.
His overwhelming aura actually made several of the law enforcement officers hesitate to advance.
"What are you lot standing around for? I told you to smash it, so smash it! If anyone tries to stop you, they’re obstructing the City Construction Department’s law enforcement! Teach them a harsh lesson! We’ll drag them back to the imperial dungeons for severe punishment later! Now smash it!"
Huang Zhong raged.
Hearing their captain’s words, the law enforcement officers’ eyes turned predatory as they all charged forward.
"Young Master Ye, get back!" Luo Cheng shouted anxiously.
Ye Xuan’s figure remained as steady as a mountain. The instant the law enforcement officers charged, his gaze turned frigid, and in the next moment, his body blurred into motion.
With a series of sharp cracks, Ye Xuan’s figure moved like a phantom, weaving swiftly through the group. Immediately after, miserable cries of pain rang out. One by one, the law enforcement officers from the City Construction Department were sent flying back the way they came, collapsing to the ground like sandbags, their faces bruised and swollen.
This sudden turn of events left everyone present completely stunned.
The City Construction Department’s law enforcement officers weren’t the empire’s Celestial Army Guard, but to become an officer, one had to be a Tier Four Celestial Martial Artist. A couple of them were even First Layer Tier Five Martial Sects.
But in front of this young man, they couldn’t even last a single exchange and were instantly knocked to the ground. It was simply too unbelievable.
"You brat! You dare to lay a hand on our City Construction Department’s law enforcement officers?"
Seeing this, Huang Zhong trembled with rage, staring at Ye Xuan in utter disbelief.
"So what if I did? I’ll beat up anyone who dares to touch this shop. That includes you. If you’ve got a problem with it, feel free to give it a try."
A cold glint shone in Ye Xuan’s eyes.
"This is rebellion! Utter rebellion! The heavens themselves are being defied!"
Huang Zhong’s face went pale with anger. He wished he could beat Ye Xuan to a pulp right then and there, but he was only a Second Layer Tier Five Martial Sect. Based on the power Ye Xuan had just displayed, if he went up there himself, he would only get beaten too.
For a moment, he couldn’t help but glance at Qin Yu beside him.
"Captain Huang, this fellow assaulted an imperial official in public. That should be a serious violation of the empire’s laws, shouldn’t it? Shouldn’t a bandit family and a thug like him be dealt with by the empire’s Celestial Dragon Guard?"
Qin Yu said coldly, narrowing his eyes as he stared at Ye Xuan with a sinister gaze.
The power Ye Xuan had revealed earlier had also given him a shock.
In terms of age, Ye Xuan was slightly younger than him, yet his strength seemed to be not much less than his own. Combined with the fact that Ye Xuan had walked out of the Artifact Refining Workshop unharmed, a sense of deep apprehension immediately rose in his heart.
