Tang Yuehua

"Impudent! What kind of thing are you to dare speak about the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?!" Soul Power surged around the young man, and two bright Yellow Soul Rings rose beneath his feet. An aura befitting a Soul Grandmaster abruptly bore down on Ye Yang.

"We're direct disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, people ordinary folk like you can only look up to. You dare block my way? Get down on your knees and beg forgiveness! If I'm in a good mood, I might even spare your worthless life, you little punk!"

[Ding! Under the pressure of soul power, Majesty automatically counterattacked!]

The instant Ning Yuanfeng's Soul Power pressure reached Ye Yang, an invisible, terrifying force erupted from him.

"Urgh!" Ning Yuanfeng took the brunt of it. An indescribable heaviness slammed into his chest, and his face instantly turned deathly pale.

The air around them seemed to freeze.

Everyone could feel the oppressive force that made their hearts pound. Though they didn't understand what was happening, their expressions changed as they looked at the young man in plain robes, who still wore a faint smile and seemed utterly unruffled.

"Get on your knees? Beg forgiveness?" Ye Yang seemed not to notice the other man's distress. In that gentle voice, now edged with bone-chilling cold, he repeated the words, a trace of icy mockery curving his lips.

"Is that supposed to be you? Or those few... chickens and dogs behind you?"

"How dare you! You insult us like this—you clearly don't take the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect seriously!"

"Insult you?" Ye Yang chuckled. His laugh rang out across the silent street, carrying a teasing note that sent chills through everyone who heard it.

"If trash like you can represent the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, then you've certainly dragged its name through the mud."

"You bastard! You're asking for death!" Ning Yuanfeng and the others flew into a rage. One of his companions even summoned his Martial Soul and charged at Ye Yang.

At that critical moment, a woman's voice, clear and melodious, carrying a strange power that soothed the heart, pierced through the murderous tension:

"Stop!"

The voice wasn't loud, yet it reached every ear with unquestionable authority.

Everyone turned toward it.

On the opposite side of the street, a carriage with elegant decorations, drawn by two fine white horses, had come to a quiet stop at some point. The curtain lifted, and a lady in court dress stepped down.

She wore a moon-white court gown, its hem embroidered with delicate silver clouds. Her bearing was dignified and graceful, her manner refined and noble.

Her features were beautiful, and between her brows lay the calm and wisdom that came with time. Her eyes were clear and profound, as though they could see straight into a person's heart.

She had no powerful Soul Power to speak of, yet she possessed a lofty grace that inspired admiration and allowed no disrespect.

The newcomer was Tang Yuehua, mistress of the Moonlight Pavilion.

She had been passing by when the commotion ahead and the sudden clash of Soul Power caught her attention. As her gaze swept across the center of the conflict and fell on the young man in plain robes surrounded by Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect disciples, her calm eyes abruptly narrowed!

That face... that gentle, smiling face, now touched with playful chill... She could never mistake it!

Though he wore ordinary clothes, the shape of his brows and eyes, the noble bearing that seemed to come from deep within... He was unmistakably the Crown Prince of the empire, His Highness Xue Qinghe!

A tempest rose in Tang Yuehua's heart. Why was the Crown Prince here? And why had he clashed with disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? If word got out, the consequences would be unthinkable!

"Madam Yuehua? Could this guy be from the Clear Sky Sect?"

Seeing that the person who had come to help Ye Yang was none other than Tang Yuehua, mistress of the Moonlight Pavilion, Ning Yuanfeng instinctively assumed Ye Yang was from the Clear Sky Sect. His expression shifted.

Ye Yang said nothing. He watched calmly as Tang Yuehua came before him, bent her knees slightly, and performed a flawless courtly curtsy. Her clear voice carried across the silent street corner:

"I didn't know Your Highness was traveling incognito. I failed to welcome you properly, and beg Your Highness to forgive me."

"Your Highness?!"

The two words rang out like thunder on a clear day, exploding through the silent street!

The expressions on Ning Yuanfeng's face and those of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect disciples behind him froze.

Their eyes widened, their pupils contracting sharply with sheer terror as they stared at the young man in plain robes they had called "commoner" and "thing."

Your Highness? In the Heaven Dou Empire, there was only one person whom Tang Yuehua, mistress of the Moonlight Pavilion, would greet with such reverence and address as "Your Highness"!

"C-C-Crown Prince?!" Ning Yuanfeng's voice rasped like sandpaper, dry and hoarse, trembling with disbelief and uncontrollable fear.

A chill shot from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. His limbs turned cold and stiff, and his mind went blank.

What had he just said? What had he done? Told the Crown Prince to get on his knees and beg forgiveness? Called him a commoner? Even tried to attack him?! This... this...

"Thump!"

"Thump! Thump!"

Several dull impacts sounded in quick succession. Overwhelmed by terror, Ning Yuanfeng's companions dropped to their knees in a wretched heap. They shook like leaves, their faces drained of color, and didn't dare raise their heads.

Ning Yuanfeng himself was struck as if by five thunderbolts. His face went from white to green, then purple. His lips trembled, and a hoarse "heh-heh" rattled in his throat, but he couldn't get a single word out.

He felt as if his heart were about to burst from his chest. A vast terror gripped his soul like an icy hand.

He wanted to kneel and beg for mercy, but his body had stiffened like a stone carving. He couldn't even bend his knees.

The surrounding townspeople were utterly stunned as well. After a brief silence, a wave of smothered gasps and sharp breaths swept through the crowd.

Countless eyes focused on Ye Yang, filled with awe, curiosity, and disbelief. This gentle, mild-mannered young man was actually the Crown Prince?!

The smile on Ye Yang's face didn't change in the slightest. He still looked gentle and harmless.

He watched the theatrical scene before him with interest, then turned to Tang Yuehua.

"So it's Madam Yuehua. I simply felt like going out to see how the people were doing. I didn't expect to run into you here. What a coincidence."

Tang Yuehua was even more unsettled. His Highness's reaction... He was far too calm!

She forced herself to remain composed and maintain her respectful posture. "Your Highness's concern for the people is truly a blessing for the empire."

"But it's noisy here, and I fear it may disturb Your Highness's peace. Would Your Highness care to come to the Moonlight Pavilion? I've recently acquired a new tea and would be honored if Your Highness would try it."

Ye Yang naturally understood Tang Yuehua's intention.

He glanced at Ning Yuanfeng, who stood frozen like a stone statue, and the faintest curve touched his lips. It was enough to make Ning Yuanfeng feel as though he'd plunged into an icy abyss.

"Very well. There are a few things I'd like to hear your thoughts on, too."

He paused meaningfully, his gaze passing over Ning Yuanfeng once more. It was perfectly calm, yet Ning Yuanfeng felt as if a cold blade had scraped across him.

"As for these few..." Ye Yang drew out the words a little.