A Wrongful Entry into the Tian Family

"Because the way he just ran off in such a sorry state makes it hard not to think you did something to him."

"Now everyone on the street is pointing at you, as if... you're some despicable rich brat who throws his weight around!"

"Huh!? What kind of joke is that? Am I, Xiao Hongchen, really that sort of person?"

When he learned that his reputation had taken a hit, Xiao Hongchen's face changed color and grew hot at a speed Qian Yuhan could see with his own eyes.

Noticing how little conviction lay beneath Xiao Hongchen's raised voice, Qian Yuhan pressed his lips together with a smile and kept stoking the fire:

"Brother, I, Qian Yuhan, am not one to stir up trouble, but... if you don't get to the bottom of what happened, by noon tomorrow, all kinds of newspapers in Bright Capital will surely be flooded with stories like..."

"<Shocking! The Hongchen Family's young master runs wild and tyrannizes Bright Capital! Its citizens fear him like a tiger and flee at the first sign of him!>"

"<A Wrongful Entry into the Tian Family! An innocent passerby sprints for his life through the streets of Bright Capital. The real reason is actually...>"

"<So-and-so bullies the common folk in broad daylight! Where is justice? Where is the law?>"

"<So-and-so is here! Bright Capital's sky has turned dark!>"

"When stories like these have spread through every street and alley in Bright Capital, you'll really be like someone with yellow mud smeared on his pants—whether or not you did it, no one will believe you!"

"Then tell me, what exactly should I do now?"

No matter how peerless a genius Xiao Hongchen seemed in other people's eyes, when all was said and done, he was only a boy of thirteen or fourteen.

Faced with a major issue clearly beyond his abilities, he prudently chose to ask for advice from someone he felt he could rely on.

Even if... that guy looked considerably younger than him.

"Of course we follow him and get to the bottom of this!" Qian Yuhan said, walking ahead and turning back to explain to Xiao Hongchen:

"Put that brilliant genius brain of yours to work. No matter how things turn out, as long as we keep following that man and find out who he is, at the very least we'll still have the option of taking him to court."

"If we let him get away just like that, Bright Capital is enormous, and the crowds are endless. So many people come and go every day that you might never find this chance acquaintance in your whole life. Then you'll probably have to carry this undeserved black mark to your grave!"

"Just imagine. A hundred or more years from now, you'll have long since made a name for yourself, second to none and above countless others."

"You, now a frail old man, feel that your life is complete. You lie peacefully in bed, looking at your children and grandchildren gathered around you, and begin reminiscing about the glorious days of your youth!"

"But halfway through your life flashing before your eyes, you don't see yourself in the flower of youth. Instead, you see the people of Bright Capital pointing at you, and your classmates deliberately stepping aside to whisper among themselves while clutching their newspapers."

"By then, even as you die, you'll still be choking on all that anger you never got to let out."

"Hiss—"

Imagining the bleak future Qian Yuhan had described, Xiao Hongchen felt a chill run down his back and sucked in several sharp breaths:

"Enough, that's enough! Stop, just stop! My head is already starting to hurt just thinking about it (┳Д┳)! We're going after him, no matter what! We'll chase him to the ends of the earth if we have to!"

For the people walking along this long street, today was destined to be an extraordinary day. They could hardly believe their eyes as a golden-haired boy darted and weaved between people at a speed completely at odds with what someone his age should be capable of.

His smooth, silky hair shimmered like gold and streamed behind him like a fluttering flag.

Less than twenty meters behind him, another boy was running too. But judging by the way he was panting, he seemed to be having... a pretty hard time keeping up...

Well, I'll be damned. Who would've thought that you, Qian Yuhan, with those honest-looking eyes, would start misleading people too! And you got him aboard your pirate ship that easily? The Rakshasa Phantom continued muttering under its breath.

This time, though, its eyes held more than surprise. There was also a look that said, I really am a worthy master. I've taught this old stick-in-the-mud so well. Ah, how gratifying!

What do you mean, "aboard a pirate ship"? I'm inviting a promising young man to help me slay Evil Soul Masters and rid the people of harm. This is a wonderful deed! (´▽`)ﾉ!

As he spoke, Qian Yuhan didn't forget to add:

Don't forget, you were the one who told me just now that the gray-clothed man had a student ID from the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy in his pocket. I asked Xiao Hongchen to come along because I wanted to give them a chance to mend their ways through the academy director's grandson.

And what if they don't take the chance? the Rakshasa Phantom asked curiously.

Then Xiao Hongchen and his grandpa, the academy director, can worry about it. Qian Yuhan raised an eyebrow in amusement. I'm sure Xiao Hongchen's grandpa will be more than happy to clean house.

666. You're not even pretending anymore. The Rakshasa Phantom pursed its lips and pointed toward a winding alley several hundred meters away, its voice turning grave:

"It's right over there! All three lackeys are there. Remember to leave the two Evil Soul Masters for me to eat. We agreed on that beforehand, so don't forget!"

"Don't worry. My promises are worth a fair bit."

With that, Qian Yuhan used the motion of swinging his arm to press the Rakshasa Phantom into the shadow at the corner of a wall. Then he led the panting Xiao Hongchen into the alley.

The instant he stepped into the alley, Qian Yuhan quickly adjusted his stride and walked slowly into the dim, deep lane as though nothing were amiss.

"Huff—huff—huff—finally made it."

Xiao Hongchen had only barely caught up to Qian Yuhan's pace by using a propulsion Soul Tool to accelerate. Panting heavily, he leaned against the wall and quietly followed behind him.

Looking at Qian Yuhan's not particularly tall back, Xiao Hongchen had just one thought:

Brother, none of the Soul Beasts I ran into at a Soul Beast gathering place last year were as fast as you. If I hadn't used a propulsion Soul Tool to speed up, I probably wouldn't even have seen your shadow. Can you tell me how you trained to run this terrifyingly fast? Or are you an agility-type Soul Engineer?

If Qian Yuhan had known what Xiao Hongchen was thinking, he probably would have gazed up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle with a melancholy look and sighed, This is nothing! Not only can I run fast, I can fly pretty fast too.

"Shh, we're almost there," Qian Yuhan said, turning back to remind Xiao Hongchen in a low voice. But even without the warning, Xiao Hongchen's hearing as a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor was sharp enough to catch the faint sounds coming from up ahead.