"Who dared to stop this young master?!" – an arrogant, fat voice boomed from outside the carriage, carrying an unmistakably haughty tone, followed by a slight shudder of the carriage that had suddenly stopped in the middle of the road.
Inside the carriage, which had been gliding quietly like a wing drifting above the earth, the velvet curtains rustled gently, and the spiritual lamps hanging on the walls swayed softly with their gentle glow.
"Hmm~, what's happening?" – Xue'er murmured in a lazy tone, rubbing her eyes as she rose lightly from her sleep, her soft silver hair flowing over her shoulders like moonlight. The carriage driver's voice could be heard outside speaking with the stranger, his tone dripping with caution and annoyance.
"It seems some fools have decided to play with fire..." – Xichen said in a calm voice that carried a subtle undercurrent of boredom, while reaching out gently to pat Xue'er's head tenderly. From his sleeve, he produced a small candy glowing with a pale pink hue – a candy made from rare herbs with nourishing properties – and handed it to her with a serene smile.
"Take this, eat it while I go check on those nuisances."
He then turned toward the three other women who had been watching silently, their eyes glimmering with slight concern.
"Stay inside the carriage. I'll return quickly." – he said in a firm but not harsh voice, and they nodded without objection.
Despite its unassuming exterior, this carriage was a disguised treasure. Equipped with advanced defensive formations capable of absorbing strikes from cultivators at the Emperor Profound Realm without being affected, its interior had also been expanded by a spatial formation, making it appear inside like a luxurious reception hall in the palace of an ancient sect.
As Xichen opened the carriage door, a wave of noise and worldly clamor rushed inside – shouting, footsteps, heated arguments – as if entering an entirely different world. The soundproof formation surrounding the carriage had been blocking noises from seeping in, making this sudden influx feel like opening a gateway to a chaotic outside world, more than six meters from where they stood.
With slow but confident steps, Xichen descended from the carriage, his cold gaze fixed directly on the source of the commotion, while his black cloak with silver edges fluttered gently behind him in the evening breeze.
"..." – The first thing Xichen's eyes fell upon was a talking lump of flesh sitting on a horse that was clearly exhausted from carrying her.
The person arguing with the driver was a fat boy of fifteen or sixteen with yellow hair and burnt-brown eyes. As he spoke, the fat on his body jiggled with him.
But what caught Xichen's attention was the person beside the fat man. The other man had an invisible panel – visible only to Xichen – floating above his head, displaying the number 500.
The young man had black hair, velvety eyes, pale but healthy skin, and was wearing expensive clothes. He was staring at what was happening before him with a bored expression, apparently enjoying watching the drama unfold from the sidelines.
When Xichen emerged, the other party quickly noticed him, and his eyes suddenly narrowed, as if he had recognized him.
"Old Mo, what's going on?" – Xichen asked the driver calmly, as the latter was one of his followers and a powerful man at the peak of the Emperor Profound Realm.
"Your Highness!!" – the driver said respectfully and quickly explained what had happened – "These two suddenly appeared in front of the carriage and started yelling about how I couldn't see where I was going."
"Is that so?" – Xichen asked with an expressionless face, staring at the two, as he trusted that Old Mo would not lie to him and that what he said must be true.
"Huh! Who the hell are..." – the fat man stared at Xichen and seemed about to curse, but was silenced by Moxie's hand, which quickly stopped him.
"I apologize for my friend's behavior. He has drunk too much and lost at gambling, which is why he's in a bad mood right now." – Moxie smiled nervously while suppressing any attempts by Tang Yuan to break free, as it would be a huge problem if they angered the prince before him.
'Damn you, fatty. Is all you know how to do is bring trouble to me?' – Jun Moxie thought with genuine annoyance as he watched every movement of Xichen. 'This prince is even more terrifying than in original Moxie's memories. His strength must be at the peak of this world.'
"I don't really care, but kneel and apologize – you and your friend – to Old Mo, or don't think about returning home in one piece." – Xichen said coldly. Although he wouldn't go this far if it were someone else, the person before him was a Favored Son of Heaven, and he certainly wouldn't allow him to leave without squeezing many points out of him.
"..." – Upon hearing Xichen's words, Moxie's face darkened immediately, as what he hated most was being humiliated. 'Do you wish to make the Evil Monarch kneel and apologize?'
Moxie's velvety eyes glinted with cold, calculated murderous intent, clearly indicating he was no ordinary person, but it quickly vanished.
"Your Highness, you are a great and merciful person. I hope you will show us your magnanimity and forgive my friend's reckless actions today." – Moxie smiled with obvious hypocrisy while trying to analyze the situation in his head. He knew that even with the memories of his past life as the world's best assassin, it was impossible for him to fight against Xichen or even harm him, as before he could move, the old man driving the carriage would cut him to pieces.
"This prince will not repeat himself a third time. Kneel!!" – Xichen said in a low voice, but it contained the ice of the netherworld and the blade of non-negotiable judgment.
The moment his words were unleashed, a terrifying aura erupted from his body, like endless waves of divine pressure, as if emanating from a celestial being looking down upon the mortal world from above.
The aura was not mere pressure... it was a concept in itself – as if his very existence imposed an unbreakable rule: whoever blocks his path will be crushed.
In the blink of an eye, the temperature around the entire area rose, and the air literally froze. Even the ground beneath the horse's hooves began to crack, and the soil started crumbling under the weight of irresistible Profound Energy.
Tang Yuan, the fat man who had been shouting moments earlier, couldn't withstand half a second of the pressure. His body trembled like a leaf in a hurricane, then he fell unconsciously to his knees, his face covered in sweat, his eyes rolling in their sockets convulsively.
Jun Moxie, despite his strength, stepped back and exerted all his energy to protect himself from complete collapse. Inside his heart, he felt as if a celestial mountain had been placed upon his soul, and every breath became heavy.
'I will remember this humiliation... and I will make sure to repay it tenfold.' – he thought coldly, biting his lip until he tasted blood.
Though his heart was filled with anger and refusal, he slowly bent down... then knelt, his muscles trembling with rage and wounded pride.
"We apologize..." – he said in a low, crawling voice, his gaze fixed on the ground, never once raising his eyes toward Xichen.
[Ding! The host has humiliated Jun Moxie in public. Jun Moxie has lost 100 Fortune Value, and the host has gained 500 Destiny Points.]
[Ding! The host has cut off the first meeting between Jun Moxie and the heroine Dugu Xiaoyi. Jun Moxie has lost 50 Fortune Value, and the host has gained 250 Destiny Points.]
[Ding! The host has created a rift in the relationship between Jun Moxie and his sworn brother Tang Yuan. Jun Moxie has lost 50 Fortune Value, and the host has gained 250 Destiny Points.]
"Though it's not as I wish, I will let it go this time. Make sure not to try showing off in public next time without the ability to do anything but bully those weaker than you." – Xichen said with blatant disdain. He turned his back and walked calmly toward the carriage, as if the matter had been nothing more than brushing a speck of dust from his robe.
As he walked away, his aura completely vanished, as if it had never existed, leaving everyone to breathe sighs of relief as if they had just emerged from the bottom of an oxygenless ocean.
...
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