Aruo cautiously opened her eyes, only to see that Li Huaixian had firmly grabbed hold of the whip with one hand.
“Big brother…”
“It’s alright. Hide behind me.”
Li Huaixian spoke calmly, tightening his grip.
The girl in the green dress was suddenly flung with great force, slamming into the wall nearby.
He released his hand, and immediately, a torrential wave of pressure surged toward the girl in front of him.
She felt like a helpless boat adrift on a stormy sea—ready to capsize at any moment.
In just a few breaths, the once-arrogant girl was already pale as death, on the verge of collapse.
And yet, even in that state, she clenched her teeth and refused to back down!
She was the pride of Dao Martial Holy Mountain!
She couldn’t accept defeat!
However—
In the very next second!
“Kneel.”
A soft-spoken command, yet the pressure suddenly multiplied a hundredfold, forcing the girl to the ground.
Blood spilled from her lips.
Her face contorted in pain.
“What a powerful technique, young man! My lady is still young—she was simply being playful. How could you bully someone just because you’re a few years older and have trained a few years more?”
Just as the girl was about to break, a deep voice rang out from the crowd.
An old man leapt forward, landing in front of the green-dressed girl and shielding her behind him.
Li Huaixian narrowed his eyes as he looked at the man.
A Destiny Stage cultivator.
So the girl really wasn’t ordinary—she had someone at the Destiny Stage watching over her.
Still, he wasn’t concerned in the slightest.
‘A Destiny Stage cultivator?’ It wasn’t like he hadn’t killed one before.
And hearing the old man’s shameless words only made his expression colder.
“Playful? Bullying the weak?”
He let out a cold laugh.
“Forgive me for being ignorant, but I’ve never seen such an oversized toddler before.”
The old man clearly wanted to use his powerful aura to dominate the scene.
But Li Huaixian didn’t waste another word.
His Dao Palace Peak aura erupted!
Though only at the peak of the Dao Palace Stage, with the blood of the Coiling Dragon in his veins, and having recently comprehended Supreme Sword Intent—’what did the Destiny Stage matter?’
In an instant, the old man’s expression shifted.
“Dao Palace Peak?”
This youth looked so young, yet he was already at the peak of the Dao Palace Stage?
Could he be some hidden prodigy from a major force?
Even if he was, a youth like him couldn’t be more than sixteen or seventeen.
Dao Palace Peak at that age? It was hard to believe.
Still, the old man had reached the Destiny Stage—surely he couldn’t be overpowered by a mere youth?
But something told him this boy wasn’t simple.
His expression turned grave.
He stood in front of the green-dressed girl, struggling to resist Li Huaixian’s oppressive aura.
The girl, taking the opportunity, slowly climbed back up.
Seeing the two men locked in a standoff, now with someone to rely on, she grew bold again.
Her brows drew together in anger as she pointed arrogantly at Li Huaixian.
“Do you know who I am?! How dare you treat me like this?!”
The old man was already struggling to endure Li Huaixian’s pressure just to shield her.
He could sense that he wouldn’t be able to hold on for much longer.
If this continued, both he and the girl would be in danger!
“Miss! You were in the wrong from the beginning—hurry and apologize to the young master!”
The old man gritted his teeth, glaring at her as he shouted.
‘How can she be so blind? Can’t she see how bad the situation is?!’
‘Of all the people to provoke, she had to pick a monster like this!’
‘If she angers him further, they won’t walk out of here alive!’
“Uncle Fu! You…”
The girl still had blood at the corner of her lips.
She stomped her foot, clearly upset.
But when she saw the murderous glare from Fu Bo, she finally sensed the danger and was equally shocked.
‘This boy, who doesn’t look much older than me… is actually stronger than Uncle Fu?!’
Her eyes shimmered with unwillingness as she turned toward Li Huaixian and said, “Everything that happened today was because I acted too rashly. I’m sorry. Please, withdraw your hand and don’t hold it against me!”
Li Huaixian gave them another cold glance.
In the next moment, both of them felt the overwhelming pressure on their bodies suddenly vanish.
“It’s not me you should apologize to. It’s her.”
As he spoke, Li Huaixian pulled Aruo out from behind him.
The young woman widened her eyes in disbelief!
‘Apologize to a lowly commoner?’
‘Was he out of his mind?!’
She was just about to protest when she sensed a sharp, warning gaze from beside her.
Uncle Fu, standing next to her, shook his head slightly.
Only then did she grumble and give a reluctant apology.
With the matter settled, Li Huaixian saw no reason to linger.
Under the wary gaze of Uncle Fu and the resentful glare of the girl in the green dress, he turned and left with long strides.
***
Langya Terrace.
It was late morning, the busiest time at Langya Terrace.
Today happened to be auction day at Langya Terrace.
The hall buzzed with voices—conversations, inquiries, negotiations—never ceasing for a moment.
Even many powerful figures who rarely showed themselves in public were now appearing freely.
After all, every cultivator needed pills, magical tools, techniques, and all sorts of other items.
And as the largest auction house in the Tian Cang Empire, Langya Terrace had it all.
Its intelligence network was even more unfathomable.
As long as you had the money, there was no information you couldn’t buy.
Li Huaixian looked around at the prosperous and lively scene, a smile appearing on his lips.
A junior manager of the auction house spotted Li Huaixian in the crowd and immediately wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He hurried over respectfully to greet him.
“Master of the Terrace, you’re finally free to come today. Steward Tan has been mentioning you constantly these past few days!”
At the mention of that name, an image of a charming, alluring figure immediately appeared in Li Huaixian’s mind.
A wave of warmth rose in his chest, and the corners of his mouth lifted in a smile.
“I know. Lead the way.”
Following the manager, Li Huaixian arrived at the door of a room.
Just as the manager was about to knock, Li Huaixian waved his hand to stop him.
He indicated for the manager to step back, then gently pushed open the door himself.
But the moment the door creaked open—
A gust of wind shot out!
A silver hairpin pierced straight into the wooden door panel with force!
The tail of the pin was still vibrating rapidly, buzzing with the leftover force of impact.
“Which servant doesn’t even know to knock before entering?”
A sultry, seductive voice came from inside—even her anger seemed laced with charm.
Li Huaixian smiled and shook his head.
‘As expected of Tanfei.’
“Tanfei, it’s me.”
As he spoke, he stepped into the room.
Before him sat a stunningly curvaceous woman.
Her long, smooth, pearly legs were crossed, revealing the round curve of one firm peach-shaped hip.
Her upper body leaned over a desk, engrossed in a ledger.
Perhaps because of the burden on her chest, two soft, full mounds were pressed against the desk.
A vast swath of snow-white flesh mischievously peeked out from her shallow neckline.
Her rosy lips held the end of a pen.
Hearing the familiar voice, she froze, then quickly turned around.
Joy exploded in her eyes the moment she saw him.
With a flick of her peach blossom-shaped eyes, it was as if invisible hooks reached out and ensnared his heart.
She immediately stood and rushed toward Li Huaixian.
Then, with a playful glint in her eye, she suddenly stopped and gave him a deeply respectful bow.
“Tanfei greets the Master of the Terrace.”
Perfectly formal.
Li Huaixian rubbed his nose.
“Alright, Sister Tanfei, there’s no one else here. Why go through the motions?”
He had known Tanfei for a long time—he knew her personality well.
She had never been one to care much for formalities.
Tanfei chuckled mischievously at his words.
Then she dashed forward and gave Li Huaixian an enormous, smothering hug!
Li Huaixian was caught off guard.
All he could feel was his entire head being buried in something soft and warm.
Every now and then, a silky, tender sensation brushed against his cheek and slipped past.