Shame and indignation intertwined

It was only then that he thought of this method to earn some extra income for himself. He didn't dare to ask for too much, priced it at twenty, and while many people knew there was a scheme involved, most took the attitude that less trouble is better. No problems had surfaced in all this time. Even if they did, those big figures were mostly preoccupied with the beast tide, keeping their eyes on their own gains with no spare time to bother with him. His father Zeng Laoye's protection had allowed this business to continue until today, when Qin Chuan ran into it. The other interest distributors in the second array saw the dispute and their expressions shifted with some unease. Not long after, a man arrived.

"What is going on?" This person wore a gray Taoist robe with gold-threaded cuffs that suggested some status. His expression remained calm, and his tone showed no bias toward either side. Qin Chuan was just about to speak when the middle-aged Taoist interrupted. "This person is using public affairs for private gain and openly selling public property!"

"Oh? Is there really such a matter? This Xiao something would like to see who is so bold!" The Xiao surname Taoist frowned and looked toward Zeng Wu. "Really such a thing?"

"Reporting to the old senior Xiao!" He bowed, unintentionally revealing the waist token at his waist. "Zeng Wu listened to orders from above and only began collecting spirit stones."

Zeng Wu's sly gaze flashed and vanished, and mentioning "Zeng Wu" could carry extra weight. The Xiao surname Taoist was stunned, finding the man before him vaguely familiar until he saw the "Zeng" character engraved on the waist token. Only then did enlightenment dawn. "You are... hehe, I never expected you to have grown so big."

He stroked his beard and smiled faintly. "Since it is an order from above, there is no need to say more. You all do as you please. If you cause more trouble again, do not blame this Xiao for being merciless!"

"You... hum!" This middle-aged Taoist with a sense of justice snorted coldly. "Truly not a filial son!"

Zeng Wu did not grow angry but instead felt a surge of delight. He had long been displeased with the man, and now he finally had his chance. "Reporting to the senior, this person spoke rudely. If it was only cursing the junior, that would be one thing, but he did not even spare you, this senior of Yuan Zhi Li Lan. I believe he is mostly from the other domain's demonic path."

The words had barely left his mouth when his right hand clenched into a fist and slammed fiercely toward the middle-aged Taoist's face.

"Ah?" For a moment he did not react, not expecting Zeng Wu to suddenly strike. He cried out and retreated repeatedly, just as the fist was about to connect with the middle-aged Taoist's face.

A gust of wind suddenly whipped up from the side, and the iron fist followed closely behind. "Bang!" Qin Chuan's fist came after, directly smashing onto Zeng Wu's head! The speed was so fast that even the Xiao surname Taoist could not stop it in time.

"Waa!" He felt a tremendous force explode directly on his side face, blood immediately flooding his mouth and nose. He only managed to shout once before being flung away like a rag doll, the protective talisman at his waist burning with a flash of fire and quietly dissolving into smoke and dust.

Struggling to rise, he looked like someone who had been squatting for a long time, his eyes flickering with black and white light spots. "Not dead?" This left Qin Chuan somewhat surprised.

"You, don't come over!" Zeng Wu had only just woken up when he saw Qin Chuan stepping toward him one step at a time. A shadow of death coiled in his heart, driving him to retreat several steps. Deep down he knew Qin Chuan's punch had been lethal, but he had not expected the protective talisman granted by his elders. A second blow would surely kill him!

"Enough!" The Xiao surname Taoist’s face turned stern, unable to hide his unease. He had almost caused a death under his very nose, and he could not tolerate it. His foundation-building cultivation unfolded as he advanced toward Qin Chuan, intending to force him to kneel with nothing but momentum!

Qin Chuan's figure paused abruptly. He then retreated several steps with heavy stomps as the surging pressure bore down. For a moment it felt like a lotus leaf swaying in wind and rain, uncertain. His heart jolted. This was foundation building! Far from deflating, it only increased his longing and resolve!

The Xiao surname Taoist seemed intent on regaining face and demonstrating the consequences of defiance. Hands clasped behind his back, he advanced slowly toward Qin Chuan, his momentum surging like an abyss. His face remained calm, yet his heart had roared repeatedly. "Kneel down, make me kneel!" Only when the person before him knelt would the hatred in his heart be eased.

Qin Chuan's face twisted into a knot, bones and muscles popping and cracking. Seeming to sense his resolve, the qi vortex inside his body rotated with unprecedented frenzy, splitting into several streams that wandered through his limbs. Even the dust pills and sword pills, which were usually only for gathering qi and had grown old with him, began vibrating in unison! At the moment their vibration frequencies synchronized!

"Clang!" In a daze, everyone heard the sound of a nonexistent long sword being drawn.

"Pu!" The two spat blood simultaneously, yet Qin Chuan remained unmoved, though his expression was somewhat listless. The Xiao surname Taoist retreated seven steps with heavy stomps, his originally calm face twisted in ferocity. Killing intent flooded his heart like a rising tide. His mind spun rapidly as he tried to calculate the death of the man before him.

"You foreign domain demon, I saw your abnormality long ago and finally exposed your true colors!"

"Zeng family brat, did you see clearly?"

Zeng Wu was stunned, not expecting the situation to turn this way. He nodded while struggling. "Reporting to the senior, even if it reaches the city lord, the junior will answer truthfully!" He deliberately stressed the word "truthfully."

"I am a foreign domain demon? Hehe! Make me shout it!" Qin Chuan roared in fury.

"Xiao Tianlian, at Jade Screen Mountain, seven hundred and eighteen years ago, beheaded a foreign domain demon at the Dan Stone Cliff in the second array! Kill!"

When he finished the last word, he charged forward almost in a roar, his voice echoing far across the second array.

"Haha! Old hairy Daoist, look at this!" Qin Chuan had lost all trace of his earlier frenzy. His brows and eyes remained unchanged, emotionless. He raised a white-and-green jade token high in front of himself.

A large "Liu" character was engraved on it, with a line of smaller characters underneath. "Seeing the jade token is like seeing the person—Liu Family Liu Fengshan!"

The instant he took out the jade token, Xiao Tianlian felt his body tremble, disbelief flashing in his eyes. The two-zhang distance felt endless, inch to heaven and earth.

"You! You are tricking me!" Xiao Tianlian recoiled several steps in shock. Good that Zeng Wu caught him and kept him from falling. His face flushed red like pig blood, and he panted two breaths as if suffocated by something foul.

"Tell me, am I a foreign domain demon? Say it! Who am I!" Killing the heart is the sharpest. The words "foreign domain demon" felt like four knives carving into both their chests.

"You are from Liu Family!" Zeng Wu had lost all killing intent and frenzy. His eyes nearly split open, and his finger pointing at Qin Chuan trembled uncontrollably.

Qin Chuan stepped forward two paces, hands behind his back. "Do not think that the second array, not governed by Liu Family, is outside the law. Your Zeng family's hand has reached too far; it is time to chop it off." His words carried no momentum, perfectly flat. The voice was not loud yet spread far, shocking everyone who heard it.

Those involved in the matter all wore hesitant expressions, unsure what to do.

The middle-aged Taoist on the side stared at the roller-coaster plot in confusion. When he regained his senses, he lightly spat a mouthful of phlegm before the two. Injured in his dantian since early years, his cultivation had remained stuck at Qi Refining. Perhaps some unfairness he had endured made him intolerant of such filth. He stepped forward two paces and bowed. "Thank you, little friend, for saving my life."

"After much thought, I have nothing to repay. This will serve as my thanks."

He took out a pill box and handed it to Qin Chuan. Qin Chuan was slightly stunned. He did not open the pill box immediately and did not refuse, simply putting it away. A flicker of curiosity crossed his mind; pills were usually kept in jade bottles, and this was the first time he had seen one in a box.

"Old sir, no need to be polite."

"I cannot tolerate the world's filth either. Today, it is simply beyond my will."

...

The matter concluded. Xiao Tianlian and Zeng Wu sat dazed in the corner, waiting for the Jade Screen Mountain Enforcement Hall to arrive and handle them. In normal times the enforcement hall was nominal and could not touch them, but now it involved Liu Family, and their actions had been exposed. Qin Chuan had used means to make them shout, and they had indeed been quite obedient...

"You brat, don't cry like that. You've harmed me badly too!" Xiao Tianlian's heart felt bitter, mostly because of Qin Chuan. He had never expected to be played by a little junior over and over. At worst he faced dereliction of duty, since the matter of selling foreign beasts had not been touched, so the plot was not serious. But Zeng Wu was truly miserable; if implicated, his family might abandon him.

The two sat dead-staring at Qin Chuan in the tree shade corner and sighed. People of the Liu surname were not to be provoked.

"Qin Chuan! Quickly bring the foreign beast to participate in the test!"

At that moment, a young man focused his mind on the jade slip in his hand and called out. "Coming, coming!" Qin Chuan heard his name, his face brightening with joy, and he ran toward the medicine field ahead.

Xiao Tianlian was shocked, eyes wide as he roared, "What? His name is Qin Chuan? He is not from Liu Family?" His eyes and cheeks turned bloodshot, his aura fluctuating wildly.

"Senior, are you alright?" Zeng Wu was surprised that Qin Chuan was not from Liu Family, but seeing Xiao Tianlian on the brink of collapse made him anxious. "Xiao something, no, no, it's fine..."

"Pu!" He suddenly remembered Qin Chuan's cunning triumph, a hehe smile of bad intent on his face. Not careful, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"I... he..." It seemed the shame had gone too far, his mind no longer clear. He tried to speak but only babbled senselessly. His throat produced a strange sound, like a fish bone stuck inside, clacking and locking for a long time. Finally his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

...

Qin Chuan glanced at Xiao Tianlian, knocked unconscious behind him, and let out a light laugh, no longer paying attention. "You are truly Qin Chuan?" The young man seemed doubtful, for his previous indiscriminate behavior had deeply imprinted itself in everyone's minds. Without further explanation, he took out the waist token and waved it in front of Qin Chuan. "Here, this is the waist token."

He examined the token carefully for a moment, as if seeing it for the first time, then took a deep breath. "Mm. If there is no problem, we can begin the test."

Qin Chuan said nothing, indicating agreement. A little toad sat obediently on his shoulder, sticking out its tongue.