Wutan City, Xiao Family Market.
The storefront of a shop called Xiao Clinic was surrounded by onlookers. Two burly, middle-aged men were shouting at the entrance. "Pah! Someone died because of your Xiao Family clinic, and you still refuse to admit it. My poor old father..." The slightly taller man wiped away his tears, threw himself over the old man lying motionless on the ground, and burst into heartbroken sobs.
The other man, who was a little shorter, kept shouting for the clinic's owner to come out and pay up. Otherwise, he would take the matter to the City Lord's Mansion.
Xiao Chen frowned as he watched the commotion in the distance. He had been cultivating for the past three months, and today he'd finally had some free time to take Xun'er out for fun. He hadn't expected to run into something like this.
"Brother Xiao Chen, let's take another street!"
Xun'er didn't want to waste this rare chance to go out, so she took Xiao Chen's hand and prepared to leave. Who the dead man was and how he had died had nothing to do with Xiao Xun'er.
Hearing her, Xiao Chen nodded. This matter had nothing to do with him, so he naturally had no intention of getting involved. He'd rather spend that time with Xun'er.
But before they'd gone very far, someone blocked their path. It was the middle-aged man who had been shouting earlier.
Somehow, the man had spotted Xiao Chen. He rushed over and dropped to his knees in front of him, kowtowing like a pestle pounding garlic as he cried, "You must be Young Master Xiao Chen! Young Master Xiao Chen, please stand up for me!"
"I can't help you. Since you know who I am, you must also know that I'm only a collateral member of the Xiao Family. I have no authority over the market!"
Xiao Chen pulled Xun'er back two steps, avoiding the middle-aged man's kowtow. He wasn't lying. As a collateral family member, he really had no right to interfere in the management of the market.
But the middle-aged man didn't seem to think so. Still on his knees, he inched forward on them, crying loudly as he approached Xiao Chen. "Young Master Xiao Chen, please have mercy and help this humble man!"
Xiao Chen's expression darkened. He glanced around and saw that onlookers had packed in tightly around them, leaving them no way out.
The middle-aged man kept inching closer. A fierce glint flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes, and he channeled the Battle Qi within him to unleash Mountain Crushing Palm, striking straight at the man's face.
The middle-aged man seemed not to have expected Xiao Chen to act so decisively. In his haste, he circulated his Battle Qi, and a thin veil of Battle Qi shrouded his body.
The palm, wrapped in a fierce gale, struck the Battle Qi veil and sent ripples through it, but it couldn't push any farther.
Seeing this, the middle-aged man's eyes filled with mockery, as if he were laughing at Xiao Chen for overestimating himself.
But in the next instant, golden flames erupted from Xiao Chen's palm. The seemingly impregnable Battle Qi veil melted away in the blink of an eye, like snowflakes before the golden fire.
The middle-aged man's pupils shrank as he watched the golden flames break through his defense with ease. He instinctively urged his Battle Qi to resist.
But he had overestimated his own strength. How could a mere Dou Shi withstand the might of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame?
In the time it took to draw a breath, the middle-aged man's figure vanished in the flames, leaving not even a pinch of ash behind.
"You... You actually killed him to silence him! Everyone saw it! This is how the Xiao Family does things!"
The other middle-aged man saw what had happened and scrambled into the crowd in terror, trying to stir everyone up against Xiao Chen with a torrent of accusations.
Xiao Chen ignored him, let go of Xun'er's hand, and shot into the crowd like a streak of golden flame. He raised his hand and struck toward the man's head. "You can die too!"
Golden flames coiled around Xiao Chen's palm. They met no resistance, easily shattered the thin Battle Qi veil, and killed the middle-aged man on the spot.
"With skills like that, you dare try to kill me?"
Xiao Chen planted his foot on the headless corpse and swept his gaze over the crowd, killing intent in his eyes. Everyone his gaze passed hurriedly backed away, afraid that, in the heat of killing, Xiao Chen might casually chop them down too.
Only then did Xun'er snap out of it. She hurried over to Xiao Chen's side, tears welling in her eyes as she choked out, "I'm sorry, Brother Xiao Chen. It's all my fault for being so willful and insisting on coming to Wutan City. I almost put you in danger!"
"Don't cry, don't cry. I'm fine, see?"
Seeing Xun'er crying her eyes out, Xiao Chen was at a complete loss. He wasn't afraid of killing people, but Xun'er's tears terrified him.
In his previous life, Xiao Chen had been a lifelong bachelor who had no idea how to comfort a girl. Now that he had to cheer Xun'er up, he had no clue where to start!
Hearing Xiao Chen's words, Xun'er's tears didn't stop. Instead, they poured down like raindrops, and Xiao Chen was completely stumped.
For some reason, a switch seemed to flip in Xiao Chen's head. He raised his hands, cupped Xun'er's face, and covered her mouth with his.
Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Xun'er's mind went completely blank. After who knew how long, Xiao Chen came back to his senses and quickly let go of her little face. But that seemed to do the trick: Xun'er stopped crying, though she lowered her head and didn't dare look at him.
Fortunately, Xiao Chen had thick enough skin to act as though nothing had happened. He nudged the headless corpse at his feet with his foot and barked, "Who's in charge of the Xiao Family Market? Come out and face me!"
"Y-Young Master Xiao Chen, I'm the one in charge of the Xiao Family Market. I was negligent in this matter, and I'm willing to accept punishment!"
Under Xiao Chen's gaze, a middle-aged man in his forties with a large belly squeezed out of the crowd and dropped to his knees in front of him with a thump.
The manager's forehead was already beaded with sweat. He knew something about Xiao Chen's deeds, and understood even better how important this nine-year-old Dou Zhe was to the Xiao Family.
Now this genius, whom the entire Xiao Family regarded as its future, had nearly been assassinated in an area under his management. If the clan head heard the news, the man would have him skinned alive.
All he could do now was hope that the young master would take pity on him. Perhaps, for the sake of his years of toil managing the market for the Xiao Family, Xiao Chen would plead for him and spare him the death penalty.
Xiao Chen stared impassively at the middle-aged man trembling on his knees. Only after a full three breaths did he speak. "Get up. You can't really be blamed for this. I called you out just to have you clean up the scene!"
"As for your punishment, let the clan head decide after the family has finished investigating!"
Leaving those words behind, Xiao Chen didn't spare him another glance. He took Xun'er by the hand and turned to leave.
The packed crowd scattered as soon as Xiao Chen approached, clearing a path for him. That was the privilege of the strong.
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