Chapter 25 - Prince of Daxia

The man suddenly felt a chill in his bones, as if he were being watched by a primordial beast. Without thinking, the scar-faced man redirected his punch, which was originally aimed at Long Chen, to meet the incoming fist that was larger than a platter. "Bang!" A loud explosion shook the entire tavern, causing everyone's hearts to tremble. A massive figure stood in front of Long Chen, none other than A Man. At this moment, A Man appeared like a colossal war god, his eyes blazing like fire, and a layer of eerie red covered his skin as he forcibly blocked the scar-faced man's punch. The scar-faced man was shocked; never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that the big guy could withstand him purely with physical strength. Although A Man had blocked the punch, he was pushed back several steps, almost falling on his behind, but Long Chen caught him. The scar-faced man's expression changed several times. Long Chen and A Man both seemed unremarkable in cultivation, yet they managed to continuously stop him, a Blood Condensation realm expert. His eyes were filled with killing intent as he was both shocked and furious. Seeing the killing intent on the scar-faced man's face, Long Chen was startled. His Fengfu Star had not yet matured, making it impossible to deal with him. The most crucial part was that, although furious, the scar-faced man was cunning and had not yet used his combat skills, clearly not showing his true strength. Now, for some unknown reason, A Man had suddenly become much stronger, but even if they joined forces, they definitely couldn't withstand the scar-faced man's killing move. Long Chen discreetly touched a ring, and a fiery red pill slowly appeared in his hand as he coldly watched the scar-faced man. "Stop!" Just as the scar-faced man was about to strike, a cold shout came. A group of people appeared in the tavern. There were more than a dozen people, all dressed in guard attire, but the two men at the front wore luxurious yellow robes. "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince." Everyone was taken aback and quickly knelt in salute. The man was none other than the Crown Prince Chu Yang, who looked twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a straight nose and square mouth, appearing quite dignified. The man beside him looked slightly younger than Chu Yang, with a fair complexion and handsome features, yet giving off a somewhat effeminate vibe. "Brother Chu Yang, is this how your Fengming Empire treats guests?" the man said somewhat sinisterly. At this moment, Chu Yang's face was a bit unsightly. Seeing the man lying on the ground with eight-character eyebrows, he angrily shouted, "What is going on? Are you blind? Didn't you know they are esteemed guests from the Grand Xia Empire?" Chu Yang's gaze swept over everyone, causing Yu Fatty and the others to break into a sweat, their hearts pounding. They realized this person could speak so casually with the Crown Prince, and seeing his unique hairstyle, they immediately understood that this person was likely a prince of the Grand Xia Empire. The Grand Xia Empire and the Fengming Empire had comparable national strength and were once mortal enemies. However, in recent decades, their relationship had eased, and they established friendly diplomatic relations. But unlike the emperor of the Fengming Empire, the Grand Xia Empire had only two princes, and they didn't know whether this man was the first or second prince. "It's not that I'm blind; it's this eight-character browed guy who's blind as a bat, so I had no choice but to teach him a lesson on behalf of the host." Long Chen stepped out, speaking to Chu Yang in a nonchalant tone. "Who are you?" Crown Prince Chu Yang asked, his anger simmering inside as he saw a young man speak to him in such a manner, but he remained calm, refraining from ordering his men to take action. "Long Chen." Chu Yang was taken aback. If he didn't know Long Chen's name before, now it was a rare name among the elite circles of the Imperial Capital. Originally a waste, Long Chen had consecutively defeated a Qi Gathering realm expert in the arena twice and later, by a twist of fate, became a Dan Apprentice, shrouding himself in a veil of mystery. "Why did you beat the guard of Crown Prince Changfeng?" Chu Yang's heart skipped a beat, realizing the matter involved the Alchemists' Guild, making it a thorny issue even for him as the Crown Prince. "No reason, just felt it was his fate today, acting as Heaven's enforcer," Long Chen shrugged. "You..." Chu Yang was infuriated, hoping Long Chen would give a reason so he could mediate and point out the Alchemists' Guild behind Long Chen, thus downplaying the issue. But Long Chen seemed oblivious to his intention, instead giving such a response, leaving Chu Yang seething. "You're Long Chen? I think I've heard of you. It seems you've been quite impressive lately?" the Grand Xia prince Xia Changfeng suddenly interjected. "Hehe, impressive is putting it lightly, but compared to folks from your Grand Xia, it's like comparing a dwarf to a giant." Long Chen pointed at the eight-character browed man lying on the ground, taunting, "Driving demon beasts and carriages running wild in a bustling area, disregarding others' lives, what impressive might that is. If a dog is this mighty, I can't imagine how mighty the dog's owner must be!" Xia Changfeng's face slightly darkened as he sternly asked, "Is this true?" Long Chen snorted, "Don't ask me, ask your dog." "Lu Luo, is this true?" A flash of ruthlessness appeared in Xia Changfeng's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it, addressing the eight-character browed man on the ground. "My lord, I was in a hurry and who knew these commoners wouldn't make way? How can you blame me?" The eight-character browed man, slightly recovered, replied while enduring the severe pain. "Nonsense, this isn't Grand Xia, who would recognize a royal mount? Take him away," Xia Changfeng scolded, his face darkening. Two men in Grand Xia attire took the eight-character browed man away. Xia Changfeng turned to Chu Yang, apologetically saying, "Changfeng's lax discipline is truly rude. Once back, I will ensure proper discipline, so as not to embarrass Brother Chu Yang." "Not at all, Brother Changfeng is too courteous. I hope this small matter doesn't affect the relations between our two nations," Chu Yang hastily replied. "Brother Chu Yang worries too much. Let's just let this matter pass," Xia Changfeng said, then turned to Long Chen, "Changfeng's lax discipline, thanks to the little brother's reminder, I am grateful here." Everyone was stunned. No one expected the Grand Xia prince to be so easygoing, even apologizing to Long Chen, earning him admiration for his noble demeanor. If Long Chen didn't have strong soul power and perception, he might have thought so too. However, Xia Changfeng's fleeting killing intent didn't escape his keen senses. "Your Highness, you're too kind. Dogs, you know, it's normal for them to be unruly. You need to tighten their leashes often, don't let them always bark or show their claws in public, that's not good," Long Chen laughed heartily, kindly advising. Hearing this, the scar-faced man's face darkened; Long Chen's mention of dogs had insulted all their guards. Xia Changfeng smiled slightly, seemingly oblivious to the underlying meaning, "Having just arrived in the Imperial Capital, I've heard many stories about you, little brother. Originally thought you were a noble alchemist, but it seems everyone was wrong. You appear to be dual-cultivated in both alchemy and martial arts, a prowess that commands respect. Among the younger generation, Long Chen, you're definitely a top-tier figure." Long Chen looked at Xia Changfeng, not quite understanding his intent, but only smiled slightly without responding. "I wonder if the little brother would do us the honor of having a drink with me and Brother Chu?" Xia Changfeng smiled, his smile seemingly pleasant but giving Long Chen the sense of lurking fangs like a venomous snake, making him uneasy. "Sorry, I've had too much to drink earlier and am unfit for more. Otherwise, I wouldn't have argued with a couple of dogs. I'm sorry to have embarrassed everyone, I'll take my leave first." Long Chen smiled slightly, ignoring Xia Changfeng's darkening face and the scar-faced man's deep-seated killing intent as he left with A Man. After Long Chen left, Shi Feng and others quickly apologized to Chu Yang and hurried away, truly frightened by today's events. ... "Master, why didn't you let me kill that brat? Lu Luo's root was completely crippled, that brat went too far." Now that the Grand Xia prince had returned to his residence, the scar-faced man beside him spoke resentfully. "That brat is associated with the Alchemists' Guild. Although not from our empire's guild, if you kill him, I'll have to hand you over to the guild for punishment," Xia Changfeng sipped his tea, speaking blandly. "But that brat is simply too arrogant, I can't swallow this anger," being repeatedly called a dog was unbearable. "Killing requires strategy, one must ensure to kill while guaranteeing one's own survival, that's the proper way," Xia Changfeng shook his head. "Master, do you have a plan?" The scar-faced man was overjoyed. "Of course, otherwise, would I have spoken to him so kindly? Those I've spoken kindly to have all died, haven't they?" Xia Changfeng's smile turned sinister, sending a chill down the scar-faced man's spine. "Don't forget our purpose here. We can't lose sight of the big picture for petty matters, let that brat live a few more days. The Fengming Empire's greatest festival, the Fengming Lantern Festival, is approaching, and with it, the annual martial arts competition. Today, I praised him so much, do you think it was for nothing? Humph, when his reputation reaches a certain level, at the festival, you challenge him, do you think he can refuse?" Xia Changfeng leaned back in his chair, half-closing his eyes, a cold smile playing on his lips. The scar-faced man realized this plan was vicious; at that time, countless people would expect Long Chen to fight, and he would have no choice but to step up. If he dared not to, the public outcry would drown him, not to mention he was just a hot-blooded young man. "However, remember to be cautious. As my guard, you mustn't reveal too much strength, I don't need to remind you again." "Yes, rest assured, Master. Over the years, I've never revealed my true cards," the scar-faced man hurriedly replied. Xia Changfeng nodded, his eyes looking at the night sky, as dark as the depths of his pupils, unfathomable.