At that moment, Liu Ling and Nalan Yanran had not yet returned to the Jia Ma Empire when they heard the gossip on the streets.
As Liu Ling walked down the street, those voices filled his ears.
His face grew darker and darker, his fists clenched tighter and tighter, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.
"What fucking bullshit!"
Liu Ling suddenly kicked over a bamboo basket beside the road, trembling with rage.
"These unruly peasants actually dare to make up such stories about Miss Nalan!"
He turned toward Nalan Yanran, his voice agitated.
"Miss Yanran, let's go back and demand justice from that Xiao Baichuan!"
Nalan Yanran did not respond.
She lowered her head and stared in a daze at the marriage contract in her hands, which had already been annulled.
The strokes of the word "annulled" on the marriage contract were sharp and forceful, its ink already dry.
Nalan Yanran tightened her grip on the marriage contract, her fingertips turning slightly white.
Seeing Nalan Yanran like this, Liu Ling assumed she felt too wronged to speak.
His heart burned, and he immediately turned and walked toward Ge Ye.
"Elder Ge, sorry for the trouble, but please escort Miss Nalan back to the Jia Ma Empire first."
"I'm going to the Xiao Clan to demand justice for Miss Nalan!"
Ge Ye looked at the hotheaded young man before him, utterly speechless.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately only sighed.
"Do as you please."
The brat was not a disciple of the Misty Cloud Sect anyway. He could make whatever trouble he liked.
At that moment, Xiao Baichuan had no idea someone was coming to cause him trouble.
He was still sitting cross-legged on his bed, circulating his Dou Qi with his eyes closed.
Yao Chen floated in midair, his translucent fingers occasionally tapping Xiao Baichuan's shoulders, back, and dantian. With every tap, Xiao Baichuan felt the obstructing barrier in his meridians being poked a little thinner.
"This meridian of yours is too narrow. Your Dou Qi leaks away when it reaches here. No wonder your cultivation is so slow."
Yao Chen kept grumbling as he tapped.
"And this one is blocked from birth. Without me using my Soul Force to clear it for you, you'd struggle even to break through to Dou Shi."
Xiao Baichuan gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his forehead, yet he could clearly feel that the circulation of Dou Qi inside him was more than twice as smooth as before.
It felt like a riverbed clogged with silt for years had suddenly been shoveled clean, making the water flow faster all at once.
He could feel the still-unformed Qi vortex in his abdomen gradually becoming more solid.
Just a little more.
Give me a few more days, and reaching Ninth Stage Dou Qi will be a sure thing.
The corners of Xiao Baichuan's mouth lifted slightly. Just as he was about to break through the bottleneck in one sustained push-
"Xiao Baichuan! Get out here!"
A furious shout suddenly came from outside, followed by a noisy commotion. It sounded as though quite a few people had gathered to watch.
Xiao Baichuan's gathered breath dissipated. He abruptly opened his eyes, his face as black as the bottom of a pot.
For fuck's sake! Who the hell was so ill-mannered, barking outside this early in the morning!
Thump, thump, thump!
Knocking immediately followed, and a servant's somewhat panicked voice came from outside.
"Young Master Bai Chuan! Young Master Bai Chuan!"
Suppressing his anger, Xiao Baichuan got up and opened the door.
"What is it?"
The servant shrank back and spoke quickly.
"That young man who came with Miss Nalan yesterday is back. He's shouting outside the front hall, demanding that you come out to see him!"
"It looks like he's here to cause you trouble!"
Xiao Baichuan raised an eyebrow.
Before he could speak, Ling Xi's voice rang out in his mind, filled with excitement at the prospect of a spectacle.
"Oh, a show!"
"Hurry up, you lecher! Watching you cultivate has bored this emperor to death."
Yao Chen floated over as well, his translucent face filled with displeasure.
"Interrupting me while I'm teaching you to cultivate-is that brat courting death?"
"Go see what he wants."
Xiao Baichuan nodded and followed the servant toward the front hall.
As soon as he reached the entrance, he heard Liu Ling's powerful voice from outside, as though he wanted the entire Xiao Clan to hear him.
"Xiao Baichuan! Get out here!"
"What kind of skill is hiding inside!"
Xiao Baichuan stepped over the threshold and stood on the steps, looking down at Liu Ling in the courtyard.
Dressed in blue with a longsword hanging at his waist, Liu Ling stood in the courtyard, already surrounded by a ring of Xiao Clan disciples who whispered among themselves and pointed at him.
Xiao Baichuan folded his arms and leaned against the doorframe, his tone languid.
"What are you shouting for? It's early in the morning. Even if you don't cultivate, other people still need to."
The instant Liu Ling saw him, his eyes reddened. He pressed a step forward and pointed at Xiao Baichuan's nose.
"Xiao Baichuan, last night, you publicly broke off the engagement and humiliated Miss Nalan, then spread rumors to ruin her reputation!"
"I've come today to demand justice for Miss Nalan!"
Hearing this, Xiao Baichuan's expression became one of sudden understanding.
"Oh, so you're here to beg."
He turned toward the servant beside him, speaking casually.
"Give him a gold coin and send him away. This young master still needs to cultivate."
"From now on, don't bother this young master whenever some stray cat or dog comes begging."
Inside his mind, Ling Xi laughed so hard she could not close her mouth.
"Hahaha, you lecher, you really know how to insult people..."
Hidden inside the Storage Ring, Yao Chen watched the show and stroked his beard, feeling thoroughly refreshed.
Sure enough, watching someone else get verbally skewered was a completely different experience from being skewered himself!
Hearing Xiao Baichuan's words, the surrounding Xiao Clan disciples could not help laughing either.
"Pfft-"
"A beggar, hahaha..."
"Look, everyone! Why is Young Master Liu's nose so red?"
Standing in the courtyard, Liu Ling's face went from ashen to red, then from red to purple.
He trembled all over and pointed at Xiao Baichuan, his voice turning shrill.
"Xiao Baichuan, you've gone too far!"
Xiao Baichuan looked utterly innocent.
"What did I do? You came shouting at my doorstep, and not only did I let it slide, I even offered you money. What more do you want?"
Realizing he had lost his composure, Liu Ling reined in his emotions and said, "I won't fight a war of words with you. I came today for Miss Yanran's reputation."
Xiao Baichuan looked at Liu Ling, utterly speechless.
"Are you sick in the head?"
Liu Ling's expression stiffened.
"What did you say?"
Xiao Baichuan straightened and took a step forward, his tone utterly blunt.
"You were the ones who came to break off the engagement, and Nalan Yanran accepted the contract with her own hands. I, Xiao Baichuan, granted your wish yesterday, so why have you come shouting about justice at my doorstep today?"
"What, you're the ones breaking off the engagement, and you're also the ones feeling wronged?"
"So I was supposed to get on my knees and beg you not to break it off?"
Those words left Liu Ling speechless, his face flushing scarlet.
"You... you're twisting the facts!"
"What about the rumors, then? You ruined Miss Nalan's reputation!"
Xiao Baichuan sneered.
"I spread the rumors? Which ear of yours heard me, Xiao Baichuan, say a single word outside?"
"I went into seclusion to cultivate as soon as I came back last night. I haven't even stepped outside. You, on the other hand, have been shouting all over the streets, as though you're afraid people won't know Nalan Yanran had her engagement broken off."
"You're the one bringing disgrace on her, yet you come here and blame me?"
Liu Ling was completely at a loss for words.
The surrounding Xiao Clan disciples finally lost control and burst into laughter.
"Did this guy come here to be a joke?"
"He made a scene in the streets all morning himself, yet he blames other people for spreading rumors."
"Why did Miss Nalan bring such an idiot along to break off her engagement?"
(First of all, the author hasn't offended anyone. Second, this Tastien isn't the author's.)
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