A male figure strode forward with unhurried grace, the soft rhythm of his boots marking each step with the confidence of one who believed the world itself bent to his rhythm. He was young barely past his adolescent years yet his height and unblemished face gave him a charm too polished for his age. The faint smirk that tugged at his lips carried the smugness of someone long used to admiration and obedience.
"Sorry, but I think I booked that," he said as he approached, flicking open a delicate paper fan with a flourish that made the gesture seem more like performance than habit. Behind him followed an older man in pale green robes, the same shade as the young one's attire clearly a servant .
Xiao Fengqi's brows arched in irritation. She took a step forward, crossing her arms. "Is your eyesight damaged? I've already taken this item for my friend."
Friend!
The young man waved his fan lazily before his face, his green eyes cutting toward Li Xuan as if he were a stain on fine silk. There was something chillingly familiar in those eyes,an arrogance he had seen too many times before in Mingdu's so-called noble families. Eyes that looked down upon everyone who didn't wear the emblem of a noble
"Sorry," the boy said, voice smooth as polished jade, "but I booked this item a month ago. Isn't that right, old man?" His gaze shifted toward Zhenlang, the elderly keeper of the Xiao Merchandise Store.
Zhenlang bowed slightly, his wrinkled face tightening with unease. "Young Master Feng Chen, it's true you placed an order. However, you were expected to pick up the Yaochi Snow Ginseng yesterday, as we informed the Feng Mansion."
Li Xuan's eyes narrowed. Feng. The name carried the weight of memories, If this boy was one of them, then his arrogance made perfect sense.
Still wearing that lazy smile, Feng Chen twirled his fan .
"The Feng Mansion paid in advance. Surely that counts for something."
"With respect, Young Master Feng," Zhenlang replied, his tone firm now, "your family paid nothing. These two have already cleared all the requirements."
A muscle in Feng Chen's jaw ticked. He slapped the fan shut with a sharp snap .
"I can't believe the young lady would buy such an item for… this beggar." His eyes darted to Li Xuan again, filled with quiet contempt.
Li Xuan met the stare without flinching. "The Feng family truly lives up to its reputation," he said calmly, "loud, entitled, and full of arrogance."
Feng Chen's fan twitched in his hand. "My family respects everyone among the eight great houses of Mingdu. We don't segregate."
"Then that must be why you're so eager to push your way into things that don't concern you," Li Xuan replied. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried the sharpness of a blade drawn just enough to show its edge.
Feng Chen smirked. "Since you value it so much, let's make this easy. I'll pay forty thousand gold coins for the ginseng."
Zhenlang blinked in surprise, as did several nearby attendants. Even Xiao Fengqi tilted her head slightly. Forty thousand was nearly double the item's worth. It wasn't a transaction but definitely a show off .
Li Xuan gave a small laugh. "You're really that desperate to show off in front of a lady?"
Feng Chen's lips curled. "Desperate? You mistake sincerity for desperation. This item was ordered by the head of the Feng family himself. Do you really want to stand in our way?"
"And what does that have to do with me?" Xiao Fengqi said coldly, eyes glinting. "You're not the only one with a family name."
Her voice cut through the air with the crispness of frost. Feng Chen faltered for a brief moment before composing himself again. "Little miss," he said, switching tones, feigning charm
"if you'd like, I can give you my necklace. It's worth more than the ginseng."
He unclasped the silver chain around his neck, holding it between his fingers for her to see. A faint silver glow pulsed from the pendant .
Li Xuan's gaze sharpened. He recognized that aura. A Wisdom Spiritual Essence—not some common trinket.
A wisdom spiritual essence was like a beast core that has a breath of knowledge in it .
To give one away was lunacy; it could expand one's spiritual space, improving cultivation and also give the wielder extraordinary skills humans couldn't possess as it adapted but it seemed he wasn't ready to absorb it based on his cultivation no wonder he kept it around his neck.
He smiled faintly. "Brother Feng seems to enjoy giving necklaces to women. But don't you think that one's a bit too precious to lose?"
Feng Chen's fingers tightened around the chain. For a second, annoyance flickered behind his calm façade. Then he laughed softly .
"Perhaps. But I find it amusing to see what catches a lady's interest."
Xiao Fengqi looked at the necklace once, unimpressed, then turned her eyes elsewhere. "You really don't know how to please anyone, do you?"
Feng Chen sighed dramatically. "It seems the young miss of the Xiao family is hard to impress."
Li Xuan crossed his arms. "Or maybe you just aren't impressive."
That one landed clean. The muscles around Feng Chen's mouth tightened .
He regained composure with effort, snapping open his fan again. "It seems clinging to elite beauties has made you arrogant."
Li Xuan's smirk deepened. "Better than being a peacock who buys affection with trinkets."
The air thickened. Feng Chen's servant shifted uneasily behind him, clearly aware of the tension curling in his young master's aura. Xiao Fengqi's expression softened just a little; she didn't need to step in—Li Xuan was already handling the situation better than most would dare.
"You dare insult the Feng family?" Feng Chen's voice dropped, almost a growl.
"I insult idiots," Li Xuan replied evenly. "The Feng family is unfortunate enough to have you as one of them."
That was the final crack in Feng Chen's composure. His spiritual energy flared before he could stop it . a sudden, pressure flew out from his body sending papers fluttering off nearby shelves and rattled wooden beams.
The temperature in the room dipped, and the Yaochi Snow Ginseng released a faint crystalline chill reacting to the surge.
Li Xuan didn't move. He simply looked at Feng Chen, a faint smile still lingering on his lips, calm as still water. That composure made the flare of power look pathetic, like thunder striking at a mountain.
Even Xiao Fengqi took half a step closer to Li Xuan, her expression unreadable but her aura rising in quiet readiness.
Zhenlang stomped the ground softly, but it was enough. The floorboards groaned, and Feng Chen's spiritual pressure shattered like glass under a hammer, dissipating in an instant. His own energy recoiled against him, forcing him to stagger back a step.
"Enough," the old man said firmly. "This is Xiao territory. I won't have you damaging the store over childish pride."
For a moment, silence reigned. Then Feng Chen laughed.
"So protective," he muttered. "Don't tell me you actually admire this freak."
Li Xuan tilted his head. "Jealous that she doesn't admire you?"
Feng Chen sneered. "Why would I? That little thing isn't even worth—"
"Careful," Li Xuan interrupted quietly. His tone wasn't loud, but it had the weight of a command. "You're talking about a woman who's already ten times out of your league."
Xiao Fengqi's lips curved into a subtle smile, though she didn't say a word. The warmth in her cheeks betrayed her amusement.
Feng Chen's fan splintered between his fingers. The soft wooden ribs cracked one after another, his hand trembling with restrained fury. "You've got guts," he hissed. "I'll give you that."
Feng Chen's jaw clenched. "You'll regret this."
Li Xuan's voice dropped to a murmur. "That's what bullies say when they run out of arguments."
Zhenlang coughed lightly, stepping between them. "Young masters, young lady, please. This is a place of business, not a dueling arena."
Feng Chen glared once more at Li Xuan, then turned his gaze toward Xiao Fengqi, who remained as calm as frost.
"Miss Xiao,hmph"
He didn't even have want to say ,he turned on his heel, his robes sweeping dramatically behind him as he strode toward the door. His servant followed in silence .
Li Xuan exhaled softly and looked at Fengqi. "That was entertaining."
"You call that entertaining?" she asked, crossing her arms again. "You almost got yourself in trouble."
He smiled. "Almost isn't the same as actually."
Her lips twitched, betraying a hint of laughter. "You're impossible."
Zhenlang shook his head, muttering under his breath about reckless youth and the fragility of store shelves. But there was a faint glint of respect in his old eyes when he looked at Li Xuan. It wasn't often that someone dared stand up to a Feng and walked away unscathed.
Xiao Fengqi turned back to the ginseng .
"You didn't have to do that. I could have handled him."
"I know," Li Xuan said. "But sometimes, it's not about who can handle it. It's about who should."
She studied him quietly for a moment, eyes thoughtful. Then she nodded once. "Still. Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet," he said with a grin. "He'll probably send someone to complain before the day ends."
She smirked. "Then let him. Think my Xiao family is just someone's doormat to be walked on"
Li Xuan chuckled but once again,he had gotten himself into trouble,at first . It was the Zhao family and now the Feng family even though now this one was just a spare between two males and wouldn't attract huge attention with the little miss of the Xiao family having a do in the matter.