"These people were quite capable. I had deliberately cleaned up the traces I left behind, yet they still found their way here." Ning Xiaochuan sighed inwardly.
Minister Tian was an important figure in Dark Emperor City and was now hiding inside Begonia Manor. Once they found Minister Tian in Begonia Manor, everyone inside would lose their heads, and even the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion might be implicated.
In the court's eyes, Dark Emperor City was absolutely no less threatening than the Blood Devouring Demon Sect.
Ning Xiaochuan showed no unusual expression. Calm and composed, he snorted. "So what if the Dragon Elephant Divine Martial Battalion is impressive? Do you know where this is? This is an estate of the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion. Do you know who I am? I am the Sword Pavilion Marquis's own grandson."
"You claim a wanted criminal of the court is inside Begonia Manor. What evidence do you have? Without evidence, you brought an army to surround Begonia Manor. Have you put the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion in your eyes? Have you put its reputation in your eyes? The Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion has never feared provocation. Throughout history, those who dared provoke the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion rarely met a good end."
Ji Hanxing was somewhat surprised. This young master before her did not possess even a trace of cultivation, yet under the suppression of her powerful Martial Dao Profound Qi, he could still remain so calm—and even dared to denounce her with such righteous fervor! Even military experts who had fought on battlefields for years did not have such nerve.
She had assumed Begonia Manor was merely an unused estate of the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion, but she had not expected its master to possess such an extraordinary background.
The Sword Pavilion Marquis's own grandson—he was a true descendant of nobility.
The Sword Pavilion Marquis's own grandson had rescued Minister Tian. This matter had become far more complicated and might even drag in a hereditary marquis's household.
Had anyone else come today, Ning Xiaochuan's words might truly have frightened them away.
But Ji Hanxing was not someone who feared trouble.
Mystic light blazed in her eyes, and the aura around her was even more formidable than that of a dragon elephant. A few threads of icy killing intent filled her phoenix eyes as she seized Ning Xiaochuan by the front of his clothes and lifted him off the ground. "When the Dragon Elephant Divine Martial Battalion handles matters, even a noble's residence may be entered by force, much less a mere estate! I have seen plenty of noble young masters—and killed quite a few as well. Think you can cow me? All troops, heed my command! Go in and search!"
"Who dares? If you make an enemy of the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion, first consider whether you can bear the consequences!" Ning Xiaochuan shouted.
Those soldiers were all intimidated by Ning Xiaochuan's words.
What a joke. The Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion had stood for more than eight hundred years. Its influence was enormous, and within the military, it could Summon Wind and Rain. It was not comparable to an ordinary noble household.
If they offended the Sword Pavilion Marquis's own grandson, then when the matter was pursued in the future, anyone who entered Begonia Manor today would likely meet a miserable end.
Going against the colossal beast that was the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion, even this Dragon Elephant Divine Martial commander before them would probably gain no advantage.
Ji Hanxing coldly swept her gaze over the soldiers. She felt helpless, but she could understand them. She was not afraid of the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion, but these ordinary soldiers held it in great awe. How could they dare oppose a marquis's household?
"Put me down!" Ning Xiaochuan stared into Ji Hanxing's eyes and spoke coldly.
Ji Hanxing's iron-armored hand was still gripping Ning Xiaochuan's chest, holding him suspended above the ground.
One hand contained the strength of tens of thousands of jin. Forget lifting Ning Xiaochuan—lifting ten of him would have been effortless.
Ji Hanxing said coldly, "As a direct descendant of the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion, you have not even cultivated a thread of Martial Dao Profound Qi. No wonder you were cast aside in such a remote estate!"
Still, she released her grip and set Ning Xiaochuan back on the ground.
"What is so great about cultivation? You are only a martial brute with a bit more brute strength, especially a rude woman like you. Who would dare marry you in the future?" Ning Xiaochuan said.
"Rude? Who are you calling rude?"
Ji Hanxing had always had a bad temper. Now that Ning Xiaochuan had provoked her, it was the first time anyone had dared speak of her so openly.
Martial Dao Profound Qi surged madly through her body, forming a massive vortex that released bone-piercing cold.
Whoosh—
The ground within a radius of ten zhang was covered in a layer of ice crystals.
Even the saliva in Ning Xiaochuan's mouth froze into icy shards and burst from his lips, yet his face still showed no fear.
"Of course I am talking about you. You grab a man by the chest whenever you please—how is that not rude? You have no upbringing, no manners, no etiquette. If I grabbed your chest, you would probably be flying into a rage by now." Ning Xiaochuan rubbed his chest, which hurt badly from her grip, his face full of displeasure.
Rude!
No upbringing!
No woman could endure such an assessment.
Ji Hanxing clenched her fists tightly and bit down on her snow-white teeth. A layer of blue mystic radiance burst from the thick spear in her hand, frightening all the surrounding soldiers until their faces turned pale.
Whoosh—
The Dragon Elephant Halberd Spear pointed directly at Ning Xiaochuan's throat, its cold gleam flickering as killing intent surged from Ji Hanxing's body.
"What? Embarrassed into fury? Want to kill someone? Come on, then! Kill me! Try touching even a single hair on me!" Ning Xiaochuan acted wildly arrogant, displaying the bearing of a noble young master to the fullest.
He had to suppress her and keep her from taking even one step into Begonia Manor.
If he could not suppress her, and she found Minister Tian inside Begonia Manor, Ning Xiaochuan would find it difficult to escape death today.
Ning Xiaochuan had concluded that Ji Hanxing did not truly dare kill him. That was why he had such courage and dared challenge her head-on.
Of course, Ning Xiaochuan was not nearly so arrogant inwardly. Instead, he was deeply wary of Ji Hanxing. Her cultivation is far too high. Even if I did not conceal my cultivation, she could still erase me with a single move.
Ji Hanxing stared into Ning Xiaochuan's eyes and briefly lost focus. A youth without Martial Dao Profound Qi in his body actually dared provoke her under the pressure of her powerful martial presence, and he was even so composed. This was not merely arrogance.
His mental fortitude likely surpassed that of many martial cultivators. If he could cultivate Martial Dao Profound Qi, he would surely become an extraordinary talent.
Was even a youth incapable of cultivating Martial Dao Profound Qi calmer than she was?
Ji Hanxing knew her formidable cultivation could not frighten him. She withdrew her mystic qi and retracted the Dragon Elephant Halberd Spear. Her teeth itched with anger as she said, "Do not think I can do nothing to you just because you are the Sword Pavilion Marquis's own grandson. Once I obtain an order talisman from the Cloud Marquis, this place will be left without a single tile intact."
Ning Xiaochuan said, "This is territory belonging to the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion. Forget an order talisman from the Cloud Marquis—even if the Cloud Marquis comes in person, it will be useless."
The moment his words fell, the earth trembled.
Rumble, rumble!
An enormous carriage rolled over from the distance.
A great carriage drawn by six dragon elephants approached, its thick iron chains stretched taut and clattering loudly. The carriage shafts shook the earth, while an overwhelming aura pressed down like the sky collapsing.
In the heavens above, a bank of clouds pressed over with it.
That immense pressure made Ning Xiaochuan's face turn pale.
Roar!
The dragon elephants roared, shaking the clouds.
Whoosh!
All the soldiers fell to their knees and cried in unison, "Greetings, Marquis!"
"Greetings, Marquis!"
"Greetings, Marquis!"
All three thousand soldiers howled, their voices shaking heaven and earth.
Even the servants inside Begonia Manor fell to their knees in great swathes, unable to bear the immense pressure of a marquis.
A marquis bore the majesty of the entire court, with boundless grandeur capable of cowing the petty scoundrels and rebel factions beneath heaven.
Thus, when a marquis arrived, the commoners within dozens of li had to kneel and welcome him.
Such was the prestige possessed only by a marquis!
Only Ning Xiaochuan remained standing tall before the gates of Begonia Manor. He did not kneel.
The wild wind rolling toward him sent his robes fluttering and made his slightly youthful face appear even more resolute.
The Cloud Marquis had actually come in person.
Ji Hanxing wore blue battle armor. Her figure was graceful, her blue hair flowed in the wind, and she held a long spear in her hand. A chill capable of freezing the ground three feet deep emanated from her body as she bowed to the enormous carriage. "Greetings, Marquis!"
Ji Hanxing's eyes flicked briefly toward Ning Xiaochuan. She wanted to see how his expression would change now, but to her disappointment, Ning Xiaochuan still stood alone before the gates, showing not the slightest timidity because of the Cloud Marquis's arrival.
His nerve was simply too great!
He did not kneel even before a marquis.
A martial expert following beside the Cloud Marquis's carriage had braided hair, a face full of beard, and heavy black armor. He glared angrily at Ning Xiaochuan and shouted in a deep voice, thunder rolling from his mouth. "Insolence! You see the Cloud Marquis and still dare refuse to kneel!"
This martial expert's cultivation was unfathomable. He had followed the Cloud Marquis in battle for many years and slain enemies by the thousands. Blood-soaked mystic qi naturally emanated from him. He was one of the Cloud Marquis's twelve greatest experts.
They were known as the Twelve Cloud Tiger Generals.
His roar contained vast, matchless divine might, shaking the ground until sand and stones flew in all directions.
The power of the sound waves formed a huge golden bell, which blasted toward Ning Xiaochuan.
Ji Hanxing's expression changed slightly. She sprang from the ground, moving as fast as a ghost. In the next instant, she landed directly before Ning Xiaochuan and swept her spear horizontally, shattering the sound wave that had transformed into a great bell.
Boom!
The long spear collided with the great bell.
Ji Hanxing did not move an inch.
The martial expert standing beside the carriage, however, staggered back three steps. Each step left a deep footprint in the ground, cracking the earth and scattering dirt and stones.
The martial expert roared furiously. "Ji Hanxing, what are you doing?"
Ji Hanxing withdrew her spear and said coldly, "Luo Mufeng, did you not see that there is no Martial Dao Profound Qi in his body at all? That sound wave of yours would have been enough to kill him."
Luo Mufeng sneered. "Disrespecting the Marquis is a capital crime to begin with."
Ji Hanxing said, "But he is the Sword Pavilion Marquis's own grandson."
Luo Mufeng's expression immediately changed slightly. He looked toward Ning Xiaochuan, truly startled. If Ji Hanxing had not stopped him just now, he might have caused a tremendous disaster.
"Since you saved my life, I shall not hold your earlier impolite act of grabbing my chest against you. Our grudge is wiped clean." Ning Xiaochuan spoke magnanimously.
Ji Hanxing ground her teeth in fury. He was still obsessing over the matter of her grabbing his chest, and he had even said it in front of so many people. She could imagine that before long, this matter would spread throughout the Dragon Elephant Divine Martial Battalion, and many people would mock her for it.
She somewhat regretted saving him just now. Someone like him deserved to be sliced into a thousand pieces.
Before you continue