Wang Anfeng and Xiahou Xuan

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"To think of a gentleman, gentle as jade, strong but not sharp, soft with restraint."

The young man before him could absolutely be described by this evaluation. His brows were gentle, his bearing polite and proper, yet the poem on his folding fan was arrogant and unrestrained, adding a touch of wildness. When the assembled crowd heard his self-introduction, most of the guards merely clasped their fists in greeting. Wang Bai was both angry and afraid, while the other two young masters from noble families felt a sense of inadequacy.

Only the young lady from a noble family had flushed cheeks. She glanced at him, then looked away, only to look back again, her girlish shyness fully revealed.

Xiahou Xuan lightly fanned himself, possessing a demeanor of aloofness and solitude, like snow and frost. He sighed inwardly:

"Tanghulu, oh Tanghulu, sometimes I truly envy you."

"After all, you have such a wonderful future husband."

This action was not a usual self-introduction. For a superior to proactively state their name among the noble families was more akin to a declaration, like a fierce tiger roaring in the mountains, only more composed. Everyone present understood this meaning, showing the young man's elegant bearing. No one dared to respond.

The only one who truly didn't understand this noble etiquette was the young man from beneath Great Liang Mountain, Wang Anfeng. He simply took Xiahou Xuan's introduction as a matter of courtesy, which was the utmost of humaneness and something a gentleman could not neglect. He straightened his clothes, clasped his fists, and replied frankly:

"I am Wang Anfeng."

Xiahou Xuan's folding fan paused slightly. His eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the young man. The people around them were also slightly startled. At this moment, Wang Anfeng spoke again:

"Thank you, Brother Xiahou, for your righteous words just now. I am deeply grateful."

Xiahou Xuan looked at him for two beats, then withdrew his gaze, only to suddenly lift it again, fixing it on the young man's face. He confirmed that he couldn't find any trace of defiance towards authority in the young man's eyes, brows, or even the corners of his mouth. He muttered to himself, and at the same time, he gently clasped his fists in return:

"No need..., the young lady just now also said that a young master stepped forward for her. I assume that was you, Brother Wang. I see your medical skills are not bad. Perhaps we could find an opportunity to spar."

At this moment, the young lady had already rushed a few steps in front of Wang Anfeng. The blush on her face had not yet faded. She first bowed deeply, then handed over the package with both hands, saying gratefully, "Thank you, young master, for your great kindness. I will never forget it."

Wang Anfeng took the package and said, "It was just a small effort, no need for thanks. Please wait here for a moment." With that, he walked a few steps to Wang Bai's side and extended his hand again, the meaning self-evident. Wang Bai gritted his teeth, filled with resentment, but after the series of events, he no longer had the spirit to cause trouble. He could only take out the beaded hairpin and hand it over, saying hatefully, "Here's the hairpin. You, you must not take my Xue'er away."

Wang Anfeng looked at his unwilling expression and shook his head, "Don't worry, I won't do that."

"If I forcibly took your horse, wouldn't I be no different from you?"

Wang Bai felt a slight relief upon hearing the first sentence, but the second sentence made him feel a sense of contempt emanating from Wang Anfeng's words. While he didn't explicitly look down on him, that profound disdain from the bottom of his heart made him feel even more stifled and angry, suppressing even the joy of getting his horse back.

He glared hatefully at Wang Anfeng, but the sight of Xiahou Xuan, who was gently fanning himself with a mild smile, sent a chill down his spine. He didn't dare to utter a single harsh word and stood up in a sorry state, almost having to drag the Mad Lion Treading Cloud Steed away with all his might. The steed still looked back at Wang Anfeng with reluctance, but the young man didn't even glance at it, so it could only resign itself to being pulled away.

Wang Anfeng returned the beaded hairpin to the grey-clothed young lady. After she profusely thanked him, she followed two guards and headed in another direction.

Willow Catkin Villa had many rules, and one couldn't casually bring people inside. However, there was another small manor where the many people who served these guards gathered. Among them were excellent physicians. Wang Anfeng watched them leave, and Xiahou Xuan walked up, his shoulder half a step past Wang Anfeng's, smiling and saying:

"I didn't realize Brother Wang was such a heartless and cold-blooded person."

Wang Anfeng was slightly taken aback and asked:

"Heartless? What makes you say that?"

Xiahou Xuan lightly fanned himself, intending to put him in his place, but said with a gentle demeanor:

"That Mad Lion Treading Cloud Steed just now looked at you with such affection. If you had only spoken, Wang Bai would surely not have dared to say another word. The cost would have been merely some gossip. Yet, you remained unmoved by such a small price. This shows a glimpse of the whole picture. In the future, if there are matters with greater stakes, even if a beauty sheds tears, I fear you would still prioritize your own reputation and remain indifferent?"

"Can such a nature be called heartless?"

Wang Anfeng slightly raised his eyes to look at the noble young master, who had a hint of smugness in his eyes. He didn't answer, but instead asked:

"Brother Xiahou, may I ask, between a person and a horse, which is more precious? Which is less?"

Xiahou Xuan smiled and replied, "The people are most precious, the state is next, let alone a horse."

These were words spoken by a wise man of the previous dynasty. Wang Anfeng's father had also mentioned them several times when he was alive, so he was not surprised. He then asked:

"Then, Brother Xiahou, would you be willing to go against your conscience and abandon your principles for someone else?"

The smile on Xiahou Xuan's face gradually disappeared, and he slowly shook his head.

"No."

Wang Anfeng straightened his body, his gaze calm as he looked at Xiahou Xuan. "The people are precious and the horse is light. Brother Xiahou is unwilling to betray his conscience for others, yet you expect me to abandon my principles for a mere exotic beast. You do to others what you would not want done to yourself, and even worse."

His voice paused slightly, and he continued slowly:

"Can such conduct be called that of a gentleman?"

With a question and an answer, the atmosphere around them instantly froze. The guard, who was about thirty years old, had beads of cold sweat on his forehead. Unlike the other guards, he had studied some books in his youth and had traveled widely, encountering all sorts of people. He could better appreciate the danger within this brief exchange of words.

He looked at Xiahou Xuan on his left, whose expression was gentle, and then at Wang Anfeng on his right, who was calm and composed. Cold sweat continued to trickle down his forehead. For the first time, he truly understood why their wages were so much higher than those of the gate guards.

You get what you pay for.

Just then, Xiahou Xuan suddenly closed his folding fan and lightly tapped it in his palm, laughing out loud. He bowed slightly to Wang Anfeng and said:

"Brother Wang's wit is sharp, I am extremely impressed. Please don't take my earlier jest to heart."

His demeanor and actions were impeccable, his smile gentle, but in his heart, he was already grinding his teeth and overturning tables, wishing he could punch the handsome young man before him until his face was bruised and swollen.

Punch the face, kick the groin.

Good kid, interesting, very interesting. Those useless guys in the prefectural city are nothing like this.

This is the second time in my life I've been put in my place!

Wang Anfeng slightly shook his head. He didn't harbor much ill will towards the young man before him. Instead, it was the first time he had debated with someone since his father's death, coupled with Xiahou Xuan's previous behavior, that he felt a sense of goodwill. He clasped his fists and replied:

"That was just a debate, it doesn't affect our personal relationship. Brother Xiahou, what do you think?"

"That is... naturally."

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