How Dare You?

Xiao Yun was, after all, a member of the imperial family. Though Zhang Yu's methods had stunned him, the superiority ingrained in his bones and his blind confidence in imperial authority soon pulled him out of his brief shock.

Where was he?

In the capital of the Wei Kingdom, beneath the Son of Heaven's very feet, in the Ministry of Justice Heavenly Prison.

Who was he, Xiao Yun?

He was the Heir of Prince Rui, one of the current emperor's most beloved Imperial Grandsons.

He refused to believe that anyone would truly dare lay a hand on him beneath the Imperial City's very walls.

He admitted he had underestimated Zhang Yu, and acknowledged Zhang Yu's strength, but he didn't believe Zhang Yu would actually dare attack him, an Imperial Grandson.

At the thought, Xiao Yun's arrogance, which had just been suppressed, flared back to life—and burned even hotter than before.

That lofty sneer returned to his face. Pointing at Zhang Yu inside the cell, he spoke with open defiance and confidence:

"Open your dog eyes and look around. Do you know where you are?

"This is the Wei Kingdom's Imperial City, the Heavenly Prison.

"I am of the Xiao Clan Imperial Family, the reigning emperor's own grandson.

"If you so much as touch a hair on my head, you'll be making an enemy of the entire imperial family. That's high treason.

"When that happens, forget a lowly Discarded Son of a Marquis Estate like you—even the entire Marquis Yong'an's Estate, and all your ignorant accomplices, will face the Extermination of Nine Generations and die without a proper resting place."

The more he spoke, the more pleased he became, and the more convinced he was that he had both reason and advantage on his side. He could almost see Zhang Yu kneeling before him, begging for mercy and trembling in fear.

In his eyes, Zhang Yu might have unusual methods, but before the absolute power of the emperor, he was nothing.

The guards and prisoners around them heard Xiao Yun's thunderous threat and fell silent, lowering their heads and not daring to look.

They knew Xiao Yun was telling the truth.

In the Imperial City, offending a member of the imperial family—especially a favored Imperial Grandson—meant certain death, or worse.

If Zhang Yu had any sense, he would surely yield and beg for mercy.

Xiao Sheng's lips moved. He wanted to intervene, but couldn't tell whom he should try to persuade.

Yet in the face of Xiao Yun's bluster, Zhang Yu didn't even lift an eyelid, let alone show any fear or hesitation. He merely spoke two words, calmly.

"Kneel."

His voice was mild and cool, without a trace of heat, yet those words seemed to contain an unquestionable law of heaven and earth.

But the moment Zhang Yu's voice fell, Xiao Yun felt a terrifying, irresistible force—like invisible shackles—snap around his soul and physical body.

The meager cultivation within him froze instantly. The superiority he had always taken pride in, born of his imperial bloodline, seemed laughable and insignificant before that power.

He felt like an ant facing the heavens, like a leaf in the midst of raging wind and waves—small, helpless, and despairing!

"Thud!"

A muffled yet unmistakably clear sound rang through the deathly silent cellblock.

As everyone watched in utter horror, as if they had seen a ghost, the Heir of Prince Rui, Xiao Yun—the Imperial Grandson who had lorded it over the capital—really did fall heavily to his knees on the cold, filthy stone floor.

The pain of his knees striking the ground was nothing compared to the humiliation, shock, and disbelief surging through him like a tsunami.

"How dare you...?"

Xiao Yun jerked his head up. His eyes were bloodshot with extreme shock, rage, and humiliation.

How dare he?

I'm an Imperial Grandson. I'm the Heir of Prince Rui, one of the most noble people in the Wei Kingdom.

He's a lowly prisoner, a discarded son of a marquis. How dare he?

How dare he humiliate the imperial bloodline like this in the Imperial City, beneath the Son of Heaven's very feet?

Does he have a death wish?

Isn't he afraid of bringing ruin upon nine generations of his family?

Xiao Yun's mind went blank. Only the words "Impossible" and "How dare he" echoed wildly in his head.

All his superiority, all his confidence, all he had relied upon were smashed to pieces by that single act of kneeling!

Xiao Sheng was completely dumbfounded too. He stared with his mouth agape and his eyes wide, as if he had witnessed the most unbelievable thing in the world.

Though he was a wastrel and Xiao Yun's sworn rival, he knew the imperial family's authority could not be violated.

Forcing a favored Imperial Grandson to kneel in public was no mere clash. It was a slap in the face to the entire imperial family, a declaration of war against imperial authority.

Zhang Yu... had he gone mad?

Even if President Du was backing him, even if he had mysterious methods, this concerned the imperial family's dignity. President Du might not be able to protect him.

The prisoners and guards around them were even more terrified, their faces pale as death. They wished they could bury their heads between their legs.

What had they just seen?

The Heir of Prince Rui had knelt before a prisoner?

This was simply like punching a hole through the sky.

If word got out, the whole capital would be rocked. Those present might even be silenced!

"Mad... He's mad... Zhang Yu must have lost his mind..." one prisoner murmured, his voice trembling.

"It's over... The Prince Rui's Mansion and the imperial family will never let this go..."

The guards' legs shook. They were already thinking about how to distance themselves from this—or whether they should just run.

The cellblock was dead silent.

Only Xiao Yun's ragged breathing and the chattering of his teeth from sheer humiliation could be heard.