Throwing His Status Around

Liu San raised his brows with a cold sneer and hauled his bulk to his feet. His companions hurriedly brought over a chair and carefully invited him to sit.

Liu San sat with his legs crossed, accepted a cup of tea, and sipped it slowly. His companions grew cocky as well, straightening up to block the windows and stairs of the Blue Flower Pavilion, as though declaring that none of them would get away.

Many of the brothel patrons in the Blue Flower Pavilion's main hall turned to watch the spectacle, showing no sign of panic. Most who bought pleasure here were men who regularly walked around with their heads dangling from their belts. Vicious fights and bloody killings were nothing new to them; indeed, they would have enjoyed it all the more if the combatants battered one another bloody and lost their heads.

"Oh, in that case, we might as well wait here. It wouldn't do for your ancestor to make the trip for nothing and damage his health in a fit of anger."

With that, Mu Bai walked unhurriedly over to Golden Roc, took out a Blood Qi Pill, and popped it into his mouth. Golden Roc smacked his beak but still looked weak, gazing at Mu Bai with eyes full of hope. Mu Bai laughed despite himself. "Here, another Hundred-Spirit Pill. If you still don't recover, we'll have no choice but to kill you for meat."

At those words, Golden Roc immediately perked up and trotted several circles around Mu Bai. Look, this badass is already much better!

Watching Golden Roc's ingratiating display made Xi Bazì's heart jolt. He actually forgot his worry over the imminent arrival of a Third-Level Peak ancestor and thought instead, This won't do. How could I, Xi Bazì, lose to a feathered beast when it comes to fawning and flattery?

At that thought, Xi Bazì hurriedly brought over a chair as well and respectfully invited Mu Bai to sit, remembering to call Sweet Potato Boy over with tea and fruit. Sweet Potato Boy was rather unwilling, finding it far too affected. Besides, why drag him into it?

Xi Bazì stood beside Mu Bai, offering peeled and pitted fruit and vegetables from time to time and topping up his tea whenever the opportunity arose, all while shooting smug looks at Golden Roc. Golden Roc's round eyes widened. This is outrageous! After just over a month apart, Master has taken in a new favorite. I have to defend my place as his number-one darling! He hurried forward with mincing steps and stood on Mu Bai's other side, flapping his wings to fan him, making sure to shoot Xi Bazì smug, provocative sidelong looks.

Oh, come on! Has this big bird really become a spirit? Unwilling to concede defeat, Xi Bazì remembered to wipe the fruit juice off his hands before starting to knead Mu Bai's shoulders.

The successive antics of the man and bird sent the spectators in the Blue Flower Pavilion into gales of laughter. This was even more entertaining than the fight earlier. After all, fights were common, but a contest like this between Golden Roc and Xi Bazì was a rare sight. They truly were a pair of clowns. Mu Lan could not help laughing either, but unwilling to let everyone keep making a spectacle of them, she walked over to ask Xi Bazì to sit.

"Wait, Miss Mu Lan. Today, I, Xi Bazì, must settle which of us stands above the other!"

With that, Xi Bazì straightened his back and stretched his neck as well. Though he was indeed tall and thin, he still fell short of Golden Roc, who stood over ten feet tall.

Golden Roc cast him a sidelong glance, not even bothering to acknowledge him.

"Have you finished fooling around? Do you have any regard for me-for my ancestor?" Xi Bazì and Golden Roc's contest left Liu San feeling ignored. "My ancestor is a Third-Level Peak expert. He could poke you all to death with one finger!"

"Then what would satisfy you? Are we supposed to kowtow and beg for mercy?"

Mu Bai feigned alarm, yet asked the question with a smile.

"If you make me happy, I might consider letting you crawl out between our legs." Liu San chuckled, swayed to his feet, spread his legs, and pointed. "Come on, one at a time..."

"Oh, careful you don't split your crotch and hurt your little treasure."

Mu Bai rose with a smile, only to stick out a leg and trip him. Liu San cried out as he lost his balance, and his fat body landed in the splits with a thud, making intimate contact with the floor.

"Ah... it hurts like hell!"

Clutching his crotch with both hands, Liu San rolled about on the floor howling, drawing a roar of laughter from the crowd.

"Hahaha..."

"Who hurt my son?!"

The spectators were rocking with laughter when an angry shout suddenly rang out. Ancestor Liu Zhen had yet to arrive, but his furious voice alone immediately sent the blood and qi surging within everyone present.

Such was the might of a Third-Level Peak expert. His Soul Power was truly immense, terrifying indeed.

Under the force of that shout, Mu Bai suppressed the churning blood and qi within him and flicked three Qi-Blood Pills toward Mu Lan and the others. Only after the three swallowed the pills did their blood and qi settle somewhat.

They could not withstand even a single shout. If a fight broke out, there would be no chance of survival.

"It was him!"

Liu San struggled to his feet and pointed at Mu Bai.

"Was it you who hurt my son? Then die!"

Ancestor Liu Zhen appeared before them in a gust of wind, his beard and hair bristling, his face dark with fury. He extended a finger toward the crown of Mu Bai's head. In that flash of lightning, Xi Bazì hastily summoned his Soul Soldiers, while Golden Roc desperately tried to throw himself forward to block that fatal finger for Mu Bai.

"Stay back!"

Mu Bai pushed Xi Bazì and Golden Roc behind him, then stepped forward himself and abruptly displayed a pure white jade disc-the Spirit Taming Sect's Elder Token!

Mu Bai knew he was absolutely no match for a Third-Level Peak cultivator, but neither did he want to flee in utter humiliation. Here in Spirit Command City, even if you're the city lord, you'll probably have to lie flat before this token!

Sure enough, Ancestor Liu Zhen had lived in Spirit Command City for many years and was a figure of some standing. How could he fail to recognize the Spirit Taming Sect's Elder Token? He forcibly halted his furious finger strike midway, just short of striking the pure white jade disc.

Shattering that jade disc would mean making an enemy of the Spirit Taming Sect! The sect had dozens of mighty Fourth-Level Xiu Zun alone, and even true cultivators at the Dao Zun realm. How could a mere Third-Level Peak cultivator dare provoke them?

To offend them through disrespect would bring the calamity of clan extermination!

"Oh, oh, this is... I, Liu Zhen, had eyes but could not see! I did not know an elder of the great sect was here. Please be magnanimous and overlook this petty man's offense just now. Please do not hold it against me!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Liu Zhen dropped thunderously to his knees and prostrated himself on the floor.

The sight of a powerful Third-Level Peak cultivator disregarding his status and kneeling before someone in public immediately sent the crowd into an uproar.

"Father, why aren't you killing this wet-behind-the-ears brat? Why are you..."

"You beast! Kneel!"

Liu San was still hesitating when a heavy pressure bore down on him. In an instant, both kneecaps shattered, and he toppled straight to the ground.

"Ah..."

Liu San screamed in pain, then collapsed unconscious.

Thump, thump, thump!

Before Liu Zhen could speak again, the gang members accompanying Liu San hurriedly knelt and kowtowed as well, no longer daring to raise their heads.

Even an execution demanded no more than a head touching the ground. Seeing this, Mu Bai naturally would not keep fighting a Third-Level Peak expert to the bitter end. If matters truly reached the point where the fish died and the net tore, neither side would benefit. He bent down and helped Ancestor Liu Zhen up.

"Ancestor Liu Zhen, would you care to share a drink with me?"

"I shall call on you another day to apologize for today's offense. For now, I must return and discipline this unfilial son!"

With that, Ancestor Liu Zhen swept up Liu San's enormous, limp body and sped away. If treated in time, even severed limbs still had a chance to regrow.

Ancestor Liu Zhen's arrival and departure had taken only a dozen or so breaths altogether, but the sight of a Third-Level Peak expert kneeling publicly to beg forgiveness left the crowd shaken for a long time.

This was the law of survival for cultivators. Before a truly powerful force, what room was there to speak of dignity? Yet what Mu Bai saw was a clan elder who, faced with a calamity that might wipe out his clan, resolutely chose to abandon his dignity as an expert solely to safeguard his clansmen.

In that respect, he was exactly like Mu Bai's own clan patriarch.