A Brazen Servant Blocks the Way

On Vermilion Bird Avenue, Prince Ding's Estate was decked with lanterns and colorful decorations, bustling with activity.

Xiao Chen and Liu Yue'er flew through the air and landed not far from Prince Ding's Estate.

Liu Yue'er glanced at the bustling estate, then turned to Xiao Chen beside her. "Senior Brother, it looks like the people at Prince Ding's Estate know you're coming back and are making careful preparations."

Xiao Chen shook his head slightly. "Not necessarily."

A puzzled look appeared on Liu Yue'er's face. Her senior brother had never told her much about his family before.

She only knew that he came from Prince Ding's Estate in Great Liang.

"Senior Brother, you're the number one prodigy of our Dao-Seeking Academy and the leading figure of the younger generation. Let alone a mere Prince Ding's Estate in the Liang Kingdom-even the entire Liang Kingdom should be making a grand fuss if it knew you were coming back."

Xiao Chen said, "I only sent my mother a message saying I would return. I didn't tell her when, so these people aren't necessarily here to welcome me.

"Besides, they might not know how things stand for me at Dao-Seeking Academy."

"Didn't you tell Auntie?"

Liu Yue'er still looked somewhat perplexed.

"Of course I did, but since ancient times, the inner household has always been a place of open strife and veiled struggles. Besides, my mother is only a secondary consort of the estate, and she has long since fallen out of favor.

"Everyone knows my cultivation was crippled. Who would believe that I took first place in the outer sect competition in less than a year?

"Let alone that I have the standing I do today."

Behind them, Elder Huang and his group hadn't immediately caught up. Instead, they watched from afar.

"In that case, is Prince Ding's Estate welcoming someone else?"

At that, Liu Yue'er frowned involuntarily, feeling indignant on her senior brother's behalf.

Xiao Chen said with a smile, "Who cares who they're welcoming? I only want to go back and see my mother. Surely there's no one in Prince Ding's Estate who can stop us?"

He wasn't being arrogant. The foremost expert in Prince Ding's Estate was his father, who was only a Heavenly Origin Realm cultivator. Most of the others were at the True Fate and Dao Foundation Realm.

"Let's go."

"All right."

Liu Yue'er thought no more of it. A secular dynasty like this was unlikely to have cultivators who could threaten them, let alone a little Prince Ding's Estate.

The two of them quickened their pace without thinking, and before long, they arrived at the gates of Prince Ding's Estate. Before Xiao Chen could speak, a servant stepped forward to drive them away.

"An honored guest is visiting the estate today. The estate isn't receiving visitors. Go back where you came from."

Ordinarily, Prince Ding's Estate recruited heroes from across the land, so quite a few cultivators came to visit every day. The servant didn't recognize Xiao Chen and took the two of them for wandering martial artists.

"Take a good look at who I am!"

Even when Xiao Chen came home, a wicked servant blocked his way. Naturally, he felt somewhat angry.

The servant was taken aback at first and began to scrutinize the person before him. He saw that the other party was dressed in fine clothes and was clearly someone of extraordinary status.

But Prince Ding's Estate was also a first-rate power in the capital of Liang. Even if this brat had an extraordinary background, could it possibly be greater than Prince Ding's Estate?

"Hmph! I don't care who you are. Prince Ding's Estate isn't a place for two youngsters like you to run wild. If you know what's good for you, get lost, or don't blame me for showing you no mercy!"

Smack!

Xiao Chen answered the servant with a slap. All the servants in Prince Ding's Estate now belonged to the principal consort, and these fellows had given him and his mother no shortage of trouble over the years. This slap was nothing more than collecting a little interest.

The slap instantly drew the eyes of everyone in front of the estate to Xiao Chen and his companion. The servant shouted at the top of his lungs, "Someone's hitting people! A madman has come to attack the estate!"

In an instant, quite a few people rushed out of Prince Ding's Estate and surrounded Xiao Chen and Liu Yue'er.

Not far away, the students of Dao-Seeking Academy saw this and picked up their weapons.

Elder Huang smiled when he saw that. "What are you doing? Don't forget, Xiao Chen is the number one prodigy of the younger generation at our Dao-Seeking Academy. As long as the Liang Kingdom doesn't send a Spirit Nurturing cultivator, they can't stop him at all.

"Let's see how strong Xiao Chen is in a fight."

A student asked, "Elder, is Junior Brother Xiao really that strong?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Once the Liang Kingdom's experts arrive, we'll give them a surprise and prove it for Xiao Chen while we're at it, so he can bask in the glory."

Elder Huang spoke with a smile. Of course, he also had his own selfish reasons: he wanted Xiao Chen, a future prodigy, to owe him a favor.

Hearing Elder Huang say that, everyone nodded. They also wanted to see the power of a Divine Physique!

"How dare you come to Prince Ding's Estate and run wild!"

"Men, seize them!"

As the man leading them spoke, he drew his weapon and pointed it at Xiao Chen and Liu Yue'er.

"Stop!"

A cold shout suddenly rang out from inside the estate.

An old man emerged from within. When the people of the estate saw him, they all bowed.

"Steward Qiu."

"Mm."

Steward Qiu nodded, then bowed slightly to Xiao Chen. "So the sixth prince has returned. These blind servants offended you, Sixth Prince. I hope you'll forgive them."

Though he was apologizing, his tone showed he didn't regard Xiao Chen as a member of Prince Ding's Estate.

The servants were taken aback when they heard the words "sixth prince," but then contempt appeared in their eyes. If Xiao Chen hadn't been the prince's son, they would have mocked him to his face. He was just a cripple who had joined Dao-Seeking Academy, so what right did he have to put on airs as a prince?

The most important reason they dared to look down on Xiao Chen was that the princess consort suppressed the secondary consort at every turn, while the prince usually paid no attention to affairs in the inner household. The princess consort had the final say over everyone in the estate.

Xiao Chen said indifferently, "All of you, leave. I can't be bothered to stoop to your level."

But instead of leaving, they all turned their eyes to Steward Qiu. Liu Yue'er and Xiao Chen saw it all, and Liu Yue'er could no longer hold back from making an issue of it.

Steward Qiu waved his hand. "Why aren't you leaving? What do you mean by blocking the sixth prince's way here?"

"Yes."

They answered and withdrew.

Steward Qiu was very pleased with this. He had given the sixth prince a resounding show of force, and surely the princess consort would have a few words of praise for him when she heard about it.

Xiao Chen ignored everyone and walked straight toward the gate. He had just taken a step when Steward Qiu spoke again. "A moment, Sixth Prince."

"Is there something else?"

Xiao Chen turned and asked.

With an air of conducting official business, Steward Qiu said, "Sixth Prince, you've come to the wrong place. The main gate of the estate isn't for you to use."

Humiliation, naked humiliation.

Anyone with eyes could see that Steward Qiu was humiliating Prince Xiao Chen, but not one of the people at the gate stepped forward to speak for him. Instead, they all wore expressions of anticipation, waiting to watch the show.

However good-tempered Xiao Chen might be, he couldn't possibly swallow this and enter the estate through the side gate. Besides, things were already different for him now. He had come back this time to announce to the world that he, Xiao Chen, had returned!

He rubbed his nose. "I insist on using this gate today. What are you going to do about it?"