16. Things are getting hard to control

As Zhao Tianhe appeared, other cultivators quickly poured into Snow Moon Pavilion as well.

Streams of light streaked across the Sky Vault.

Members of Yuyi City's Four Great Families hurried over, seeking to uncover the cause of this sudden battle.

Crash!!!

Patrol squads with sabers at their waists and armor on their bodies soon arrived as well. Yet they stopped before the pavilion and pond, not daring to proceed any farther. They all knew Jiang Lan's identity.

"Qinghan..."

The Su Family head arrived as well, surrounded by a crowd of clan members.

At his side was a young girl of pure and captivating beauty, her skin like ice and jade, her brows bearing some resemblance to Su Qinghan's.

The girl was sixteen, her face like peach blossoms and plums, her bright eyes glistening. Clad in a red silk gown, her graceful figure swayed even more enchantingly with every step, like an immortal blossom just about to bloom.

"Elder Sister..."

She looked at Su Qinghan, her voice crisp as an oriole's song. Her skin was like frost gathered over snow, so dazzlingly pale against her red dress that it almost hurt the eye.

She was Su Qinghan's younger sister, Su Qingyao.

"Qingyao..."

At the sight of the girl, Su Qinghan's face showed a flicker of surprise, though joy outweighed it.

She had actually guessed it long ago. Jiang Lan had merely used her younger sister as bait to set this trap; he could not truly have done anything to her.

She let out a long breath.

It was enough that her sister was safe.

Yet the instant he heard that voice, Lin Fan's expression froze, then slowly turned rather ugly.

Su Qingyao was safe and sound—she had not been abducted by the villain before him?

Had he truly gotten it wrong? No wonder Jiang Lan had been so calm and composed.

Once he realized this, Lin Fan's heart gradually sank.

Zhao Tianhe and Zhao Dieyi were likewise full of astonishment. Then they looked toward Lin Fan, seemingly wanting to ask what exactly had happened.

Hadn't he said that his sister-in-law, Su Qingyao, had been abducted by someone Jiang Lan sent?

Lin Fan's heart sank slightly, and he shook his head, indicating that he did not understand either.

From the time he learned that Su Qingyao had been abducted to the time he confirmed that the culprit was connected to Jiang Lan, the sole son of the Prime Minister's Manor, not much time had passed.

Especially since Su Qinghan had already set off ahead of him to rescue Su Qingyao.

Naturally, he had not thought too deeply about it.

And before Snow Moon Pavilion, the Prime Minister's Manor guards had been brazenly blocking the way, looking as though they feared outsiders might barge in.

Some passersby had even heard them saying that no one could be allowed to ruin the Young Master's good deed...

Under such circumstances, wouldn't any normal person immediately assume that Su Qingyao had been abducted by someone Jiang Lan sent?

Wasn't this Second Generation Scion exactly the sort who loved doing such things?

Only Su Qinghan, who knew the full sequence of events, felt waves of chill rise in her heart.

Was this merely a matter of prejudice?

This Prime Minister's son was far, far more terrifying than the world understood.

If anyone truly treated him as a Second Generation Scion who drowned himself in wine, women, and pleasures while knowing nothing and accomplishing nothing, they likely would not even know how they died.

"I truly don't know how he has the nerve to say that..."

Though Zhao Dieyi did not know why Lin Fan had gotten things wrong, all she wanted to do upon hearing Jiang Lan's words was spit.

Anyone in the world had the right to say such a thing—except Jiang Lan.

"This will be hard to put a stop to now..."

Zhao Tianhe's expression darkened as well.

If Jiang Lan had seized an innocent woman by force first, then Lin Fan's attack on him would have been perfectly justified. Under Great Xia's laws, he would not have faced any punishment.

But now, the whole matter had been mistaken.

At this point, he could see that Jiang Lan had never intended to let Lin Fan off from the very beginning.

He had known full well that Lin Fan had gotten things wrong, which was why he had deliberately brought up handling the matter according to Great Xia's laws.

Zhao Tianhe had failed to realize it just now and had actually agreed to Jiang Lan's proposal.

His Master's Token had been like a meat bun thrown to a dog.

"What happened here?"

Just then, a dignified voice rang out.

In the distance, Yuyi City's lord hurried over, surrounded by a host of patrol squads.

His name was Wang Anming. He wore a brocade robe, was of medium height, and had a face that commanded authority even without anger. He kept a long beard, his complexion was slightly pale, and he strode with the force of a tiger and the wind at his heels, carrying the air of someone long accustomed to high position.

Yet at this moment, there seemed to be a sheen of sweat on his forehead.

People from the other families of Yuyi City had also rushed here. It had been many years since a battle of this magnitude had erupted.

If they did not get to the bottom of this, with such a Sixth Realm expert of unknown origin appearing in Yuyi City, no one would be able to eat or sleep in peace.

For a time, Snow Moon Pavilion was surrounded inside and out, so tightly packed that not even water could trickle through.

"Lord of Yuyi City..."

The people of the Four Great Families all bowed to the Lord of Yuyi City.

However, Wang Anming paid them no heed and instead hurried to the pavilion by the pool.

Zhao Tianhe wore a dark gray robe, with a fine belt of top-grade mutton-fat jade at his waist. A vast, pure, and profound righteous aura of the Confucian School lingered around him; there was no need to judge his origins to know that he was a Great Scholar of deep strength.