Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Senluo Hall
Everyone looked toward the source of the voice and saw Wang Hu walking in with a woman.
The woman was dressed in red. Her eyes were like water, yet held a faint iciness. Her ten fingers were slender, her skin as smooth as fine cream. She had delicate, arched eyebrows and a light blush on her cheeks.
Her beauty could outshine the morning clouds and surpass a hundred flowers. A single glance could captivate any man, and her presence could make the moon itself shy away in shame.
Simply by standing there, she commanded everyone’s attention.
She was Shangguan Yiran, Commandery Princess Lifen—the number one genius of the Martial Kingdom and a peerless prodigy on the East Continent’s Martial Arts Ranking.
The surrounding guards, their expressions tinged with excitement, hurriedly bowed.
Shangguan Yiran’s father, the Martial King, commanded the Martial Kingdom’s three hundred thousand elite troops. He was invincible and ever-victorious in battle, the true King of Support of the Martial Kingdom. Most of the elite soldiers in the imperial city had been transferred from the border, and many of them were old subordinates of the Martial King.
The expressions of the Eldest Prince and the Seventh Prince shifted slightly.
Every member of the Royal Family wished to win over the Martial King. His approval was tantamount to gaining half the Martial Kingdom’s power. However, the Martial King had never involved himself in the matter of succession, nor had he ever sided with any of the princes.
Zhao Ziqi and Xia Chen hastily bowed. "Commandery Princess!"
Even his brother, Xia Junze, wouldn’t dare act presumptuously in front of Shangguan Yiran.
Because Shangguan Yiran was a mountain weighing down on Xia Junze’s head.
Shangguan Yiran ignored everyone else. Instead, she looked at Shen Daoxing and said in surprise, "It’s been a while. Have you been well?"
’It’s been a while. Have you been well!?’
Everyone present was stunned.
Who was Shangguan Yiran?
She was the goddess every young man in the Martial Kingdom dreamed of but could never reach. Now, she was ignoring two princes and acting so friendly toward Shen Daoxing?
’Just what did this Shen Daoxing do to deserve this!?’
Xia Chen’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Xia Junze had once said that Shangguan Yiran’s temperament was so cold it bordered on inhuman.
’Where was the inhuman coldness now? This goddess was clearly being quite warm.’
Zhao Ziqi’s face turned pale. She muttered to herself, "How could the Commandery Princess possibly know a nobody like him?"
Qin Xiaoyue also looked on in astonishment.
The faces of the Eldest Prince and the Seventh Prince turned ugly. ’Did we make the wrong choice this time?’
Setting aside Shangguan Yiran’s background, her talent and potential alone surpassed Xia Junze’s.
"I’ve been well."
Shen Daoxing clasped his fist in gratitude.
The woman before him had helped him once in Baiyun City, and now she was helping him out of a jam again.
Xia Chen took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Commandery Princess, this man assaulted Miss Zhao the Elder for no reason and verbally insulted me. His crimes are heinous. I ask that the Commandery Princess uphold justice today."
Zhao Ziqi also hurried forward. "Yes, please, Commandery Princess, uphold justice! This man must be apprehended to set an example."
Those around them who were on good terms with Xia Chen and the Zhao Family chimed in with their agreement.
Hearing the crowd spout such nonsense, He Ku broke out in an anxious sweat.
Just as Shangguan Yiran was about to speak, a cold voice cut in.
"I’d like to see who dares to lay a hand on Young Master Shen!"
Who was that!?
’Who would dare speak like that in the Celestial Joy Tower!?’
Everyone looked toward the voice and saw an old man in a white robe walking out with a steady gait.
"You?"
Zhao Ziqi sneered contemptuously. "And who the hell do you think you are?"
"Shut your mouth!"
Xia Chen roared, his face ashen.
The old man smiled. "This old man is indeed not much of anything, just a Guardian of Senluo Hall."
Senluo Hall!?
Hearing this, the expression on every person present changed.
Senluo Hall was an assassin organization that stood tall across the entire East Continent. Its reputation was immense, and the Senluo Hall in the Martial Kingdom was merely one of its minor branches.
Senluo Hall rarely interfered in the internal affairs of the Martial Kingdom, but it still held a transcendent status. Whether it was the great families or the Martial Kingdom’s Royal Family, all treated Senluo Hall with great respect, not daring to offend it lightly.
And this Guardian of Senluo Hall before them, Zhou Zheng, was a powerful expert at the Spirit Transformation Realm, a level above the Grotto Heaven Realm.
Zhao Ziqi’s face instantly turned deathly pale.
How could she have known this man was Zhou Zheng? If she had, she wouldn’t have dared say what she just did, not even if she had ten times the courage.
Zhou Zheng walked up to Shen Daoxing and asked respectfully, "May I ask if you are Young Master Shen Daoxing?"
Respectful!
Humble!
Everyone who saw this was stunned.
This was a complete reversal of the calm, indifferent attitude he had shown just moments before.
No one could have expected that a famed Guardian of Senluo Hall would adopt such a low posture before Shen Daoxing.
He was bowing and scraping like a servant.
’He probably wouldn’t even act this way when facing the Emperor of the Martial Kingdom, would he!?’
Shen Daoxing was puzzled. "I am..."
He didn’t recall ever having dealings with Senluo Hall.
Zhou Zheng smiled. "Elder Lin asked me to send his regards. He said you left in too much of a hurry that day in the Mist Forest, and that he must thank you properly in person when he has the chance."
Shen Daoxing had a sudden realization.
’So it was because of the old man he had saved in the Mist Forest.’
Shangguan Yiran also looked at Shen Daoxing in surprise. She knew a thing or two about Zhou Zheng; although he was a Guardian of Senluo Hall, he rarely involved himself in mundane affairs.
To think he would personally make an appearance today for Shen Daoxing’s sake—this was enough to show Shen Daoxing’s importance.
Zhou Zheng swept his gaze over the crowd and said icily, "Young Master Shen is an honored guest of my Senluo Hall. If anyone wants to cause trouble for him, don’t blame my Senluo Hall for being impolite."
WHOOSH!
As his voice fell, the entire Celestial Joy Tower felt as if it had been plunged into an icehouse. Everyone shuddered to their very bones.
Xia Chen’s fists clenched, his expression becoming the pinnacle of ugly.
With Senluo Hall involved, even his brother, Xia Junze, wouldn’t dare be too outrageous if he were here.
At this moment, the Eldest Prince and the Seventh Prince were regretting their actions so much their guts were turning green. They felt like dying.
’How could they have ever imagined that Shen Daoxing was backed by both Senluo Hall and Shangguan Yiran? If they had known, why would they have ever helped Xia Chen?’
’How could the Zhao Family and Xia Junze possibly compare to Shangguan Yiran and Senluo Hall?’
Qin Xiaoyue’s face was as white as a sheet of paper. She knew she had missed a golden opportunity—a chance to climb into the upper echelons of the Martial Kingdom.
But now, it was too late for regrets.
He Ku, on the other hand, let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Zhou Zheng looked at Zhao Ziqi and said, "Kneel and apologize."
"You!"
All the blood had drained from Zhao Ziqi’s face.
Zhou Zheng said coldly, "If you don’t kneel now, then I’ll have the Patriarch of your Zhao Family kneel instead."
Tyrannical!
Unparalleled tyranny!
A chill ran through the hearts of many. Only now did they truly understand how domineering Senluo Hall could be.
The Zhao Family was, after all, a major family in the imperial city, yet he was threatening to make their Patriarch kneel.
THUD!
In the end, Zhao Ziqi knelt. She buried her head low, her expression savage.
As the precious daughter of the Zhao Family, when had she ever suffered such a humiliation?
’Kneeling in public, in front of everyone!?’
Just then, an old woman stepped forward, her face wreathed in smiles. "Guardian Zhou, the Zhao Family was in the wrong this time. In my opinion, why don’t we let the matter drop here?"
The elder miss of the Zhao Family was kneeling in apology, and a Zhao Family expert still had to put on a placating smile.
Zhou Zheng looked at Shen Daoxing and asked, "Young Master Shen, what do you say?"
"Forget it."
Shen Daoxing waved his hand. He had no desire to get entangled with Zhao Ziqi any further.
Zhou Zheng nodded slightly. "Get up. If your Zhao Family has any dissatisfaction, you can come find me directly at Senluo Hall."
The old woman from the Zhao Family helped Zhao Ziqi up, saying quickly, "We wouldn’t dare, we wouldn’t dare!"
Zhou Zheng turned to the Eldest Prince and the Seventh Prince. "From this day forward, the two of you are forbidden from setting foot in Senluo Hall. Violators will be killed without mercy!"
"The two of you are a great disappointment."
Seeing this, Shangguan Yiran shook her head.
In her eyes, few of the current princes were fit for great responsibility. Every one of them was a short-sighted, ungrateful opportunist.
Both princes’ faces were ashen, as if they had just eaten shit.
Senluo Hall was the top assassin organization in the East Continent. Even their Imperial Father wouldn’t dare to offend it lightly, but now the two of them had been blacklisted by Senluo Hall.
Most importantly, they had left a bad impression on Shangguan Yiran. As the number one genius of the Martial Kingdom and a prodigy on the Martial Arts Ranking, her status was transcendent, even above Xia Junze’s. Even their own Imperial Father had to try every means to win her over, or even curry favor with her.
This time, they had tried to steal a chicken only to lose the rice used to lure it. They had undoubtedly fallen into a huge disadvantage in the struggle for succession.
Zhou Zheng took out a token and handed it to Shen Daoxing. "If you run into any trouble, Young Master Shen, you can come to Senluo Hall at any time."
Shen Daoxing accepted the token. "Thank you."
"Then I won’t disturb you any longer, Young Master Shen."
Zhou Zheng clasped his fist and left the Celestial Joy Tower under everyone’s watchful eyes.
Shangguan Yiran smiled. "Shall we move elsewhere to talk?"
"Just a moment."
Shen Daoxing said, turning to Gu Yawei and He Ku.
