Prince Xue Beng

The blond youth raised his voice, making sure everyone in the foyer could hear him. A wave of discussion immediately rippled through the crowd.

"So that's His Fourth Highness~"

"His Highness Xue Beng? Well, that explains it~"

"He's a notorious imperial wastrel. That kid's in for it now!"

"Damn, how can that boy be so handsome? He's practically born to be a pretty little pet. If only... Heh heh heh!"

Several people who had been about to leave the hall stopped to watch, all wearing expressions that said they were ready for a show.

The rest of the comments had been fine, but why had one sounded like it came from a major villain?

Tang Yin's expression darkened. He glanced around but couldn't find whoever had let out that sinister chuckle.

From the whispers around him, he had already figured out the young man's identity.

The Fourth Prince, Xue Beng, was an infamous wastrel known throughout Heaven Dou City.

Of course, that was all an act. He appeared arrogant, domineering, and contemptuous of everyone, but beneath the surface, he was extraordinarily patient and scheming. That was who he really was.

The reason the Fourth Prince had targeted him was obvious: he wanted to use their clash as a performance for certain people, bolstering his wastrel persona.

Xue Beng could be called a clever man, but he was certainly no good person.

In Tang Yin's eyes, he was the very type who pretended to be a pig until he really became one.

Maybe he even enjoyed it!

Xue Beng's meaning was clear: You Moonlight Pavilion may treat me so shabbily, but why does some nobody from who-knows-where receive such a warm welcome?

The maid beside them felt the crowd's eyes on her. Remembering how this prince usually behaved, she paled and bit her lip before speaking softly.

"Your Highness, Moonlight Pavilion has its own rules for receiving guests. The Pavilion Master personally instructed us to serve tea to this distinguished guest."

The maid was playing a little trick. It had actually been the gatekeeper who gave the instruction, but she claimed it had come from Pavilion Master Tang Yuehua.

Still, in a way, she wasn't wrong.

Anyone assigned to greet guests was sure to be someone the Pavilion Master trusted. How they treated a guest could, at times, reflect how much the Pavilion Master valued them.

"A distinguished guest? I, Xue Beng, am the Fourth Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire. Apart from my father and my imperial brother, who could possibly be more distinguished than me?"

Xue Beng scoffed and rose to his feet, striding over with an air of superiority as he looked Tang Yin up and down.

"That outfit is nothing but a few Gold Soul Coins' worth of street-market junk. I wouldn't even use it to wipe my feet. But you've got a decent face. How about coming to work at my residence?"

As he said "work," Xue Beng deliberately drew out the word. His eyes roamed over Tang Yin's face, making his suggestive meaning unmistakable.

Most of the scattered guests were noble youths or cultured scholars with some standing. Though they found Xue Beng's words inappropriate, none dared speak up.

Some shook their heads, others whispered among themselves, and they looked on with either scorn or anticipation.

Now and then, someone even joked that if the boy really went to work at the prince's residence, they would be sure to pay him a personal visit.

The Moonlight Pavilion maid went pale and looked anxiously at Tang Yin, but didn't dare interrupt rashly.

Tang Yin remained seated, as if the foul words had been nothing more than a breeze brushing past his ear.

He even picked up the teapot and poured himself another half cup.

There was no anger or fear in his gaze as he looked at Xue Beng, only a near-indifferent scrutiny.

"Your Highness, Fourth Prince," he said. His voice wasn't loud, but it rang clearly enough to silence the murmurs around them. "Would you like to have a Soul Fighting match with me?"

Xue Beng's pretending to be a pig had nothing to do with Tang Yin. But now the man had chosen to use him as a stepping-stone.

In that case, Tang Yin might as well turn this pig in disguise into a real pigheaded fool.

The original story rarely mentioned Xue Beng's level. At thirty-one, he had probably been around level fifty, a Soul King.

Xue Beng looked about fifteen or sixteen now.

To keep up his disguise, he had barely cultivated over the years, so he was probably no higher than level thirty. And the imperial Swan Martial Soul wasn't known for its fighting prowess. Tang Yin had nothing to fear.

On Douluo Continent, Soul Fighting between Soul Masters was considered sacred. So Tang Yin could beat him up under the pretext of a match without worrying about the imperial family taking revenge afterward.

As for Xue Beng's revenge?

Sorry, pretending to be a pig meant having no faction to rely on. The emperor wouldn't hand him any power, either. To Soul Masters, a powerless wastrel prince was nothing more than a stray dog by the roadside.

A flicker of amusement flashed in Xue Beng's eyes. This had been part of his plan all along. Making a scene at Moonlight Pavilion was sure to draw attention and further strengthen his persona.

Besides, Soul Fighting with this boy was a win either way. If he lost, it would make him look even more useless. If he won, that was fine too. After all, he was level twenty-nine, while Tang Yin was only level twenty-three. Even Crown Prince Xue Qinghe wouldn't suspect a thing.

With that in mind, Xue Beng first put on a show of shock and anger. Then, with a hint of bluster, he retorted, "A Soul Fighting match it is! Do you think I, a dignified level-twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster, would be afraid of you?"

"Good!"

A faint curve touched Tang Yin's lips. Before the words had even left his mouth, he vanished from the spot like a ghost.

Xue Beng's vision blurred. A gust of wind struck his face, and before he could react, a long, powerful hand clamped around his collar like an iron pincer!

Then a tremendous force slammed him to the ground, and a dense flurry of punches rained down on his face.

It all happened in the blink of an eye.

By the time the onlookers came to their senses, the usually arrogant and domineering Fourth Prince Xue Beng had been beaten into a pig's head beneath the boy's assault.

Dead silence filled the hall. Everyone stared, eyes wide with disbelief.

That was the Fourth Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire! Usually, they only dared tease him behind his back.

The tray slipped from the maid's hands with a clatter, and she instinctively stepped away.

She hadn't expected the boy to be so skilled as well as handsome.

But she knew this was serious. So, while everyone's attention was on the two of them, she slipped away toward the inner rooms.

"Your Highness, it seems the Soul Fighting match is over."

Looking down at Xue Beng beneath his foot, Tang Yin let out a long breath. He felt much better.

"Y-you shameless b-bastard! Y-you ambushed me!" Xue Beng's lips were swollen, and he could barely speak.

He hadn't expected the boy to fight so dishonorably, launching a sneak attack.

Wasn't Soul Fighting supposed to begin with both sides declaring their names and Martial Soul levels, then summoning their Martial Souls and fighting fair and square?

"An ambush?" Tang Yin feigned surprise. "Didn't you already agree to a Soul Fighting match? Did you think I was supposed to summon my Martial Soul first?"

"To deal with trash like you, who got to your level by guzzling precious medicines, I don't even need to summon my Martial Soul!"

A victor ought to humiliate the loser without mercy! Tang Yin deeply agreed with that.

"This isn't over!" A venomous look flashed in Xue Beng's eyes. This time, he was truly furious. He'd expected to lose, but not to be humiliated like this.

"You're right, it isn't over!" Seeing Xue Beng's reaction, Tang Yin sneered. The fact that he could still talk meant those punches hadn't been hard enough.

"Stop!"

A shout came from the direction of the inner rooms just as Tang Yin was about to turn up the heat. The spectators who had been watching from the sidelines bowed as the newcomer appeared.

"Your Highness, Crown Prince."

"Your Highness, Qinghe."

At the voices around him, Tang Yin's expression shifted slightly. He hadn't expected Xue Qinghe to be at Moonlight Pavilion too. Had Ning Rongrong and the others come here for nothing, then?

The thought flashed through his mind. Tang Yin took his foot off Xue Beng's chest and stepped back a few paces before looking toward the speaker.

Two figures hurried out from the corridor leading to the inner rooms.

One wore a silver-white palace dress. She was tall and well-proportioned, her face beautiful and dignified.

The other was a young man who looked to be in his early twenties. His golden hair fell to his shoulders, and his handsome face was gentle. He gave the impression of warm jade, yet seemed difficult to approach.