"No! Why should I let you have it?"
Qian Renxue tilted up her fair little face and shot back without a shred of politeness:
"Where did you two pop out from? You think you can just open your mouths and expect me to give you face?"
At those words, the affected air of solemn confidence on Tang Hu's face instantly shattered.
As a prodigy of the Clear Sky Sect's direct line and an elder's successor, where had he ever gone without people fawning over him and treating him with respect?
Now that someone his own age had repeatedly made him lose face in public, Tang Hu's expression immediately darkened:
"Watch your words! Are you deliberately targeting our Upper Three Sects just because we're in Spirit City? The blood Qi contained in these bones is incredibly violent. It's of absolutely no use to your angel martial soul!"
"Who says it's useless? Who said that?!"
Hearing this, Qian Renxue immediately grew displeased. Her pretty little brows bunched together as she retorted with complete conviction:
"This bone is very useful to Xiao Hei!"
The remark came out of nowhere and left both boys opposite her stunned. Tang Hu instinctively asked:
"What Xiao Hei?"
"Here, my precious Xiao Hei!"
As Qian Renxue spoke, she stretched out both hands and held Chen Qianqiu high out of her arms, her face filled with pride and delight:
"Well? Isn't my Xiao Hei super cute?!"
Whoosh!
At her words, everyone's gaze instantly converged on him, though none could tell at a glance what kind of little beast Qian Renxue was holding.
In fact, the most embarrassed one there was Chen Qianqiu, whom Qian Renxue was holding up for display. With so many people staring at him like a monkey, every scale on his body felt uncomfortable.
They were still arguing, so how had all their attention ended up on me? Was this some kind of joke?
Meanwhile, once Yu Tianming opposite them got a clear look at Chen Qianqiu, his face grew so dark it seemed water might drip from it.
"You're just looking for trouble!"
Yu Tianming roared through gritted teeth:
"That's nothing but a pet you keep! You're snatching my things in front of all these people, and it's actually for a reptile?!"
"Stop spouting nonsense!"
Hearing him call Xiao Hei a reptile, Qian Renxue's little face instantly turned stern, and her little mouth opened fire like a repeating cannon:
"First, that uncle is selling these bones. They're unclaimed goods that go to the highest bidder in the first place, so how am I snatching them from you?"
"Second, and most importantly! Xiao Hei isn't a reptile at all, and even if he were, I'd still like him! But if you dare spout even another half-sentence of nonsense, watch out, or I'll beat you up in front of everyone!"
"You're. Asking. For. Death!"
Threatened to his face by a girl even younger than himself, the hot-tempered Yu Tianming completely lost his composure and immediately abandoned all reason.
Boom!!!
Violent blue lightning exploded through the marketplace!
The yellow soul ring beneath Yu Tianming's feet blazed with light, and he resembled an enraged ferocious beast.
With a muffled bang, the hard bluestone paving instantly cracked. Leaving an afterimage wreathed in electric arcs where he had stood, he turned into a streak of raging blue light and swung his lightning-covered right claw straight at Qian Renxue's face!
The strike was vicious. If it hit Qian Renxue, she would either die or be crippled. Several of the stronger Soul Masters in the crowd gathered their Soul Power, ready to act instantly if anything went wrong.
Yet faced with this hate-filled strike, Chen Qianqiu narrowed his dark golden vertical pupils slightly, revealing surprise.
He discovered that although this was a Soul Grandmaster's all-out surprise attack, Yu Tianming's movements actually appeared several times slower in his eyes.
It looked fierce, but it was riddled with openings. I could dodge it with ease. Unfortunately, I don't have any means of attacking right now, or killing him in a counterattack wouldn't be a problem.
As things stand, it's all up to the little rich girl.
"You're truly unreasonable!"
Qian Renxue gave a soft snort. Instead of retreating, her petite body darted sideways into the raging lightning.
The step was extraordinarily subtle. The lightning-covered claw missed her, almost brushing her hair.
And at the very instant Yu Tianming's attack missed, his old momentum spent and new strength yet to rise, Qian Renxue's right leg lashed out like a whip, swift as thunder, and delivered a sweeping kick straight to his supporting leg!
Bang!
The reversal came too quickly. A sharp pain shot through Yu Tianming's leg, and he immediately lost his balance. His body pitched straight toward the ground, sending him face-first into the dirt.
His head buzzed, and he instinctively tried to push himself up with both hands.
Then a weight descended on the back of his head with a smack.
One of Qian Renxue's delicate leather boots had mercilessly planted itself on the back of his head, pressing his face firmly back against the cold bluestone paving.
Watching from her arms, Chen Qianqiu found the sight wonderfully pleasing. As expected of the little rich girl he had set his sights on, clinging to her thigh really did feel great.
What was a peerless genius seen only once in ten thousand years? This was the difference between an ordinary genius and a peerless genius! Even though little Qian Renxue hadn't learned any Soul Skills yet, her instinctive combat experience and the physical attributes nurtured by her angel bloodline alone let her easily pin a genius of the same rank to the ground and grind him into it.
Everything had happened so quickly that before the two guards following behind could even act, they found Yu Tianming lying on the ground, using his head as a weapon to attack the sole of Qian Renxue's boot.
"Bastard! Let me go!"
The side of Yu Tianming's face was distorted under her foot, and his mouth was full of dust, yet he still struggled desperately and roared.
"Heh, you don't seem all that strong to me."
Qian Renxue gave him no chance, pressing down harder with her foot as she made a little face at him from above,
"You dared call my Xiao Hei a reptile just now, but I think you're the loach who can do nothing but discharge electricity!"
The little girl lifted her chin, her tone certain as she mercilessly exposed his background.
"I've read lots of the books in our Spirit Hall's collection. You can't fool me. A true blue lightning tyrant dragon martial soul usually only manifests fully in your family's direct-line disciples."
"Clan Chief Yu Yuanzhen's own grandson only had his birth celebration a few days ago. They even sent a special invitation to my father. So where did you pop out from?"
"I..."
Hearing this, Yu Tianming even forgot to struggle. He hated it most when people brought this up.
"What do you mean, 'I'? No arguing! Taking all that into account, you're definitely just a big lizard that looks a little like a dragon!"
"Big loach, big loach, big loach!"
"You...!"
Yu Tianming's face flushed the color of pig liver, but though his mouth opened, he had no idea where to begin refuting her.
After saying all that in one breath, Qian Renxue felt much better. She lowered her head, gently nuzzled Chen Qianqiu in her arms with her forehead, and asked in complete earnest:
"Don't you think I'm right, Xiao Hei?"
Chen Qianqiu cooperatively nodded his little head, both amused and touched. Qian Renxue herself was clearly still a little brat, yet she carried herself like a big-sister boss.
This little rich girl really was someone worth getting along with!