Just then, a booming voice suddenly thundered, "What is all this commotion? Let me see who dares cause trouble outside the Prince of Yan's Residence!" It rang like a great bell, leaving everyone's eardrums buzzing. Hu Xiaotian's heart jolted. From the voice alone, he could tell that the newcomer possessed profound internal power.
Everyone stopped and looked toward the sound. The gates of the Prince of Yan's Residence swung apart, and a middle-aged man in gray cloth clothes emerged first. He was Tie Zheng, the residence's chief steward. Of middling build, he was neither particularly tall nor burly, but his steps were steady, each one taking root in the ground. A restrained brilliance shone in his eyes, his temples bulged high, and his hands were a size larger than an ordinary man's, looking out of proportion with his frame.
The gate guard hurried forward and whispered a few words in his ear. Tie Zheng fixed his eyes on Hu Xiaotian and asked coldly, "Are you causing trouble?"
Still smiling, Hu Xiaotian replied, "Not at all. I have come to pay my..." Before he could finish, a gray blur flashed before his eyes. Tie Zheng was already in front of him, swinging a palm the size of a cattail fan straight at his chest.
Although Hu Xiaotian wore a cheerful smile, he had remained on his guard. He had already built a considerable foundation in the Formless Divine Skill. Despite the distance between them, Tie Zheng's movement first stirred the air, alerting him. Hu Xiaotian reacted in time, sliding backward and instantly opening a gap between them. Even so, Tie Zheng's speed exceeded his expectations. He dodged the palm itself, but the edge of its gust still swept across him, making the skin of his face sting as though sliced by