What is a Noble Family!

The group of young riders galloped away into the distance, leaving only the young girl kneeling on the ground. Hearing the voice, she seemed to lose her soul, and tears streamed down her face as she murmured:

"You owe me... owe me..."

Wang Anfeng frowned slightly and reached out to help her up, but the girl was too weak, as if her bones had dissolved. He had to exert his own strength to get her to her feet. He brushed his hand over his waist, and several silver needles disappeared into the girl's palm.

He had recently learned a few acupoints for stopping bleeding. With his internal force, the bleeding immediately stopped. The girl, feeling the pain in her hand subside, came back to her senses somewhat. She bowed to him, her voice still choked with sobs, and said:

"Thank you, young sir."

"I'm not a young sir. You can just call me Wang Anfeng,"

Wang Anfeng replied. Seeing the girl's tear-streaked face, he thought for a moment, then unfastened the relatively clean bundle from his back and handed it to her.

"Please keep this for me for a moment."

The girl was taken aback, not understanding. "This is..."

The sun was shining brightly. The young man in the blue short jacket smiled at her, his tone gentle.

"I'm afraid it might get dirty."

Willow Catkin Villa gradually drew closer. Wang Bai's anger had subsided considerably as they galloped along. The scenery was pleasant, and with a beautiful young girl among his companions, he gradually forgot the unpleasantness of earlier. He turned to chat with the girl, cracking a witty remark that made her chuckle. Her captivating beauty was even more intoxicating than fine wine.

Young men in their prime, dressed in fine clothes, riding spirited horses, a bashful beauty, and a refreshing breeze – Wang Bai felt his spirits lift, a sense of heroism rising within him. If only he had something to say, he would have recited some poetry. But at that moment, a gentle voice suddenly came from the side:

"You all seem to be in high spirits."

The voice was very gentle and polite, but it made Wang Bai and his companions jump in alarm. They had been talking loudly and hadn't noticed anyone catching up. They whipped their heads around to see a young man in a blue short jacket watching them calmly. He wasn't riding a horse, but keeping pace with their steeds on foot, not falling behind at all. Seeing them look over, he said:

"I've come to collect on the bet."

Wang Bai was slightly stunned, then recognized Wang Anfeng. Normally, he wouldn't have minded giving way to such a display of Qinggong. But with the beauty by his side and his arrogant nature, he sneered:

"Fine, the little punk brought his lover. Catch up if you can."

He immediately urged his horse to speed up again. Wang Anfeng's eyes flashed with anger at his words; he found it extremely distasteful. Seeing him about to leave, he reached out and grabbed the horse's reins. But the horse was powerful, and he couldn't hold on, instead being dragged off balance. Wang Bai burst into laughter at the sight, and his companions also relaxed slightly, thinking he was only skilled in Qinggong.

Wang Anfeng's expression remained unchanged. He suddenly bent his elbow and smashed it hard into the horse's abdomen.

The horse whinnied in pain and reared up, throwing the laughing Wang Bai from the saddle. This horse had the bloodline of a rare beast and was not easily tamed. It became even more ferocious, its nostrils flaring like flames, and it twisted its body, bringing its hooves down hard on Wang Anfeng. The force was considerable. Wang Bai, lying bruised and battered on the ground, his expression changed drastically.

He was merely born into nobility and was arrogant, but he was only thirteen or fourteen years old, far from the spoiled brats who could whip commoners to death in the street. Seeing the situation, he lost his composure and screamed.

By this time, they were nearing Willow Catkin Villa. The villa was located on a mountaintop, with a straight main road leading up to it, but the path became winding just before the entrance. Thus, his scream attracted the attention of two middle-aged men at the gate. They exchanged glances and rushed out.

They rounded several turns, looking down from above. A rare beast, a magnificent horse, neighed proudly.

A young man with his hair tied up, wearing a blue tunic, held the reins in one hand and hugged the horse's neck with the other, slamming the Mad Lion Treading Cloud Steed to the ground.

Dust flew!

The horse's mane was as wild as a lion's, its fur like flames, save for its hooves which were white like snow. It lay on the ground, neighing in pain and struggling, but it couldn't break free from the young man's grip. Such strength, at such an age, was almost unheard of, leaving the guards of Willow Catkin Villa staring at each other in speechless awe.

Like flowing water...

Wang Anfeng, adjusting his movements with the horse's struggles, had bright eyes. A horse was just an animal. Even if it had incredible strength, by using its own force against it, it could still be easily toppled. This was the principle of flowing water... when the tide comes, go with its force...

As for falling to the ground?

The Master of the Martial Arts School's fat pig also had a lot of strength when it struggled.

The Mad Lion Treading Cloud Steed, still a young horse, struggled and whinnied on the ground for a moment before finally panting and becoming submissive. In its instincts, comparable to a four or five-year-old child, whenever the person pinning it looked at its neck, it felt an indescribable chill.

Wang Anfeng exhaled a breath of stale air, released his aching hands, and stood up to look at the Willow Catkin Villa guards who had been drawn by the commotion. He cupped his fists and said:

"My apologies for the disturbance."

"You are too kind, young hero."

The outer guards of Willow Catkin Villa all took a step back, instinctively returning the salute. The young man before them wore a somewhat dirty blue tunic, but with the strength he had just displayed in subduing the horse, no one dared to underestimate him. Even if he came from a poor background, with such martial arts skills, he could defeat at least three or five of them, if not all of them.

In the martial world, discerning who to provoke and who not to provoke required foresight and ability. Martial arts were also a form of ability. They lacked martial arts, which was why they were only guards. Fortunately, their foresight was not bad.

Those with poor foresight were all dead outside. By autumn, the grass on their graves could be used as firewood.

"My Xue'er! Xue'er!"

Wang Bai, who had been waiting by the side, cried out and rushed towards the horse after Wang Anfeng stood up. His three companions dismounted together and helped to right the rare beast cub. Looking at the marks left by the horse's struggles, Wang Bai was on the verge of tears. He carefully wiped the horse with his sleeve, but the horse, unappreciative, flicked its tail, knocking away Wang Bai's sleeve, and then cautiously approached Wang Anfeng.

Wang Anfeng was slightly taken aback, thinking the horse was going to attack again. This strange horse had incredible strength, and if it happened again, he might also be exhausted. He frowned slightly, which startled the horse and made it retreat several steps, causing Wang Bai to stumble.

Then, realizing Wang Anfeng had no intention of attacking, it snorted and cautiously approached again, gently nudging Wang Anfeng. Finding no reaction, it finally relaxed and nuzzled its precious mane affectionately against the young man's waist.

"This is..."

"Young hero, you have good luck."

A guard gave a thumbs-up, saying with some envy, "Rare beasts value strength above all else. This horse has the bloodline of a rare beast. You subdued it with brute force, and now it respects you, accepting you as its master."

"You're talking nonsense, this is my horse!"

Wang Bai was furious upon hearing this, but the Mad Lion Treading Cloud Steed didn't even glance at him. Wang Anfeng frowned and extended his right hand towards Wang Bai, originally intending to ask for the pearl hairpin. However, the Mad Lion Treading Cloud Steed preempted him, nudging its head under Wang Anfeng's hand as if seeking favor. The young man was slightly taken aback, so he stroked the rare beast before saying, "This horse is yours, but I have touched it now... Hand over the pearl hairpin."

Wang Bai gave a slight start. He looked at his Mad Lion Treading Cloud Steed, which seemed to look down on him, then at his own dirty clothes. He opened his mouth and said, almost in tears:

"Just for that worthless pearl hairpin?"

"For that insignificant servant, you actually humiliate me like this? According to the Great Qin statutes, I am of noble family. Even if I killed her, I would only have to pay some silver!"

Wang Bai then roared in anger. Wang Anfeng frowned slightly, his disgust almost indescribable. Even the guards who had been smiling all along now had displeased expressions. Wang Bai sensed the surrounding disgust and malice and was slightly startled, but the words had already been spoken. He could only stiffen his neck and meet their gaze.

Just then, a clear and melodious tune suddenly rose from the woods. At first, it was gentle, lingering among the treetops of the mountains, and then it soared into the clouds, breaking the tense atmosphere. Even Wang Anfeng, despite his disgust, couldn't help but be momentarily entranced. The melody suddenly stopped.

Everyone felt a sense of loss, but a clear, smiling voice rang out. The voice was long and continuous, dense and pervasive. Though not loud, its resonance was rich and profound, clearly indicating a high level of internal force.

"Among the Great Qin's six capital punishments, those who kill without cause, even the son of a prince, shall be punished the same as a commoner. Those who kill others unjustly due to their status shall have their punishment increased by one degree. Six punishments, three killings. I wonder if this young master has thought it through?"

It was a full ten breaths after the voice fell before the sound of crisp, pleasant horse hooves could be heard. A few more breaths, and a tall, slender youth appeared in their sight. He looked about fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing a deep date-red coat over a moon-white long gown embroidered with ink bamboo and landscapes. His brows and eyes were handsome, exuding an air of scholarly refinement and approachability, as if he had read countless books.

He led a horse with his left hand and gently tossed a willow leaf with his right. The tall white horse had a gentle demeanor, and the injured young woman sat on its back, holding a bundle, looking somewhat flustered. The handsome youth smiled again, warm and polite:

"Everyone, this young lady has sustained some injuries. There should be a doctor at the villa. Please take care of her."

His footsteps paused slightly, and the white horse also stopped obediently. The youth turned and extended his right hand, saying gently:

"Miss, please dismount."

The young woman who had been so defiant towards Wang Bai now blushed slightly, looking quite lovely. Because her hands were stained with blood, she instinctively retracted them slightly. However, he didn't seem to mind. Instead, he circulated his Inner Qi to prevent touching her wound and causing her pain.

His movements were gentle and courteous, but his eyes were calm and serene, like looking at white clouds in a forest. Only when he saw that faint blush did he think with a touch of nostalgia:

"It's been a long time since I've seen Tang Hulu. I wonder how she's doing."

"But are the noble families nowadays too easy to get into... No, no, it must be that the decadent young masters of Wangxian County are too superficial, like trash."

The youth's heart was filled with disdain and arrogance.

He was naturally frail and would cough up blood after only a short period of cultivation. His family forbade him from learning such things. When the eighty-year-old patriarch begged his grandson to visit brothels and painted boats, he obediently went, simply disliking the old tunes. So, he composed new melodies himself and had the courtesans sing them.

This finally stopped his illness, and his family breathed a sigh of relief. But a few months later, all the young masters in the city knelt outside his door, begging to be his sworn brothers. His reputation spread, and even a famous courtesan declared she would marry no one but him. The old man was so enraged that he almost met his ancestors. To quell the rumors, he woke up and wailed that he would arrange a marriage for him directly.

However, while the adults were preparing to discuss suitable daughters from various families, the nine-year-old youth slipped out of the house on his own. Using a candied hawthorn and a skill he had learned out of boredom for reading people's fortunes, he directly brought back a beautiful, jade-like gem of a person.

When the news spread, the young masters of the city wailed to the heavens, asking why such a monstrous being had appeared. But after wailing, they still obediently knelt in a line outside his door.

What is heritage? What is a noble family?

It's when even being a decadent young master makes you lose all hope.

He carefully and respectfully helped the injured young woman down. The youth looked at Wang Bai, who resembled a beggar, his eyes filled with disdainful pity, yet his demeanor remained refined and approachable. With a snap, he opened his fan, his calligraphy sharp and elegant, exuding an incomparable presence.

"The foremost incompetent under heaven, the most unfilial in history."

"I am Xiahou Xuan."