The man watched her panicked expression, the smile on his face growing ever more brazen.
"It's your good fortune that this prince has taken a fancy to you."
"As long as you behave, you'll have no shortage of rewards."
He gave a forceful tug, trying to pull the woman toward the carriage beside them.
The passersby all lowered their heads.
No one dared step forward to stop him.
Qian Renxue recognized him.
"So it's Xue Beng."
She had once infiltrated the Heaven Dou Imperial Family under the identity of Xue Qinghe.
Xue Beng was Emperor Xue Ye's fourth son.
Over the years, Xue Beng had always presented himself as a wastrel.
Oppressing commoners and provoking nobles had long been as routine to him as his daily meals.
Qian Daoliu strode over.
Xue Beng had just dragged the commoner woman to the carriage.
A figure was already at his side.
Thud!
Qian Daoliu kicked Xue Beng in the waist.
Xue Beng flew sideways, slamming into a carriage wheel.
The wheel snapped on impact.
He clutched his waist, his face contorted with pain.
"Who was that?!"
"Who dared kick me?!"
Qian Daoliu stood in front of the commoner woman.
"A prince of Heaven Dou, openly molesting a commoner woman in the street."
"Committing such vile, filthy acts."
"Is this how the Heaven Dou Imperial Family teaches its princes?"
Hearing his identity exposed, Xue Beng initially looked alarmed.
He quickly looked around.
Every commoner on the street avoided his gaze.
Xue Beng rose from the ground.
"Who said this prince was molesting her?"
"What evidence do you have?"
He pointed at the surrounding passersby.
"Which of you saw anything just now?"
"Step forward!"
Silence reigned all around.
The passersby lowered their heads.
They had seen Xue Beng forcibly seize the woman with their own eyes.
But Xue Beng was a prince of the Heaven Dou Empire.
They were merely ordinary commoners.
Who dared offend the imperial family for a stranger?
A smug look returned to Xue Beng's face.
He looked at the commoner woman.
"Tell him yourself."
"Did this prince assault you just now?"
Tears filled the commoner woman's eyes.
She looked at Xue Beng, then at the people around her, their heads lowered in silence.
Several of Xue Beng's attendants had already placed their hands on the weapons at their waists.
Her face grew paler and paler.
After a moment, the commoner woman shook her head.
"No."
Xue Beng burst out laughing.
"See that?"
"She said so herself."
He straightened his disheveled robes.
"You attacked this prince for no reason."
"This matter can't simply be left at that."
Rhythmic footsteps came from the end of the street.
More than a dozen armored imperial guards hurried over.
Their leader approached Xue Beng.
"Your Highness, Fourth Prince."
"What happened here?"
Xue Beng pointed at Qian Daoliu.
"This prince was passing through when I discovered this man assaulting a commoner woman."
"I was about to stop him, but he turned around and pinned the blame on me."
"Not only did he slander this prince, he even attacked a member of the imperial family."
Qian Renxue's expression darkened.
"Xue Beng."
"Stop spewing such vicious lies."
Only then did Xue Beng take a proper look at Qian Renxue.
Long golden hair.
Exquisite features.
A long white dress wrapped around her tall, slender figure.
She stood beside the street, her sacred bearing draining everything around her of its color.
Xue Beng's eyes lit up at the sight.
He had seen plenty of noblewomen before.
But not one of them could compare to Qian Renxue before him.
"To think you have an accomplice."
Xue Beng raised his hand and gave an order.
"Imperial guards, hear my command."
"Arrest both of them!"
"This prince will interrogate them personally!"
The dozen or so imperial guards immediately spread out.
They drew their weapons, surrounding Qian Daoliu and Qian Renxue.
The lead guard stepped forward.
"Do not resist."
"Come back with us for questioning."
Qian Daoliu glanced at the guards around him.
"Helping a tyrant do evil."
Several guards closed in at once.
Qian Daoliu snorted coldly.
Boom!
The overwhelming pressure of a rank-ninety-nine Peerless Douluo descended with a crash.
The dozen or so imperial guards stiffened.
The weapons in their hands fell to the ground one after another.
Everyone was pinned in place, unable to move an inch.
The lead guard tried to release his Martial Soul.
His Soul Power had only just begun to circulate when it was forced straight back into his body.
The smile rapidly vanished from Xue Beng's face.
He finally realized that the person he had provoked this time was no ordinary man.
"Who are you?"
"This is Heaven Dou City!"
"I am the fourth prince of the Heaven Dou Empire!"
Qian Daoliu did not answer.
He walked toward Xue Beng, step by step.
With every step forward, the pressure bearing down on Xue Beng grew heavier.
Xue Beng wanted to retreat.
But his legs could no longer move.
The crushing pressure immobilized his entire body.
He could not even move a finger.
"What are you going to do?"
"I am a prince of Heaven Dou!"
"If you dare hurt me, the Heaven Dou Imperial Family will never let you off!"
Qian Daoliu came to a stop before Xue Beng.
There was no emotion in his eyes.
As Xue Beng stared at the white-haired man right before him, terror completely overtook his face.
"Stay back!"
"Guards!"
"Hurry and protect this prince!"
Qian Daoliu raised his hand and swept it through the air.
A streak of golden light flashed past.
Xue Beng's head flew straight into the sky.
Xue Beng's head fell to the ground.
Blood slowly trickled along the gaps between the paving stones.
Shock and bewilderment still lingered in those wide-open eyes.
Until the final moment when death descended, Xue Beng could not believe that anyone in Heaven Dou City would dare kill him.
The entire street fell silent.
The commoners around them stood rooted to the spot, even their breathing growing much quieter.
The dozen or so imperial guards were deathly pale.
They had been ordered to protect the fourth prince.
Now, however, Xue Beng had been beheaded right before their eyes.
Qian Renxue, too, froze for a moment.
She had thought her grandfather would, at most, teach Xue Beng a lesson.
She had not expected Qian Daoliu to act so decisively.
An imperial prince, killed without a moment's hesitation.
The lead guard was the first to recover.
He hurried to Xue Beng's side and placed his fingers against the side of Xue Beng's neck.
No pulse.
No breath.
Blood from the severed neck had already stained the imperial brocade robes red.
Xue Beng was as dead as could be.
The guard captain's legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.
"The fourth prince is dead..."
The remaining guards' expressions changed drastically.
A prince had been murdered before their eyes. When Emperor Xue Ye held them accountable, not one of them would escape.
Someone picked up a fallen weapon.
"Stop him!"
"We can't let the murderer leave!"
The dozen or so imperial guards forced themselves to surround him.
Their hearts were already filled with fear, yet they could only block the street.
If they let Qian Daoliu leave, they would have no way to explain themselves when they returned.
Qian Daoliu did not stop walking.
He raised his sleeve and waved it casually.
Boom!
Golden Soul Power swept across their path.
All the royal guards who had just charged forward were sent flying backward.
Several crashed into the shops lining the street.
Several others slammed into the ground, their weapons snapping into pieces.
The lead guard tumbled several times, the armor over his chest completely caved in.
He spat out a mouthful of blood and could no longer get up.
Qian Daoliu walked past Xue Beng's headless corpse.
His gaze did not linger on the corpse for even a moment.
"Xue'er."
"Let's go."
Qian Renxue glanced at Xue Beng lying in a pool of blood, then quickly followed.
The two walked down the street toward the city gate.
The surrounding pedestrians all moved out of the way.
No one dared to stop them.
Still less did anyone dare to approach.
Before you continue