“Prince Meng Ren?” Chen Qing’er’s brows furrowed slightly.
Meng Ren was one of the princes of the royal family. Although his talent and strength were far inferior to Meng Sheng, he was still a prince, representing the royal family, and his status was no less than hers.
Moreover, Meng Ren’s strength was at the ninth level of the Xuanwu realm, not weaker than her second-grade advanced spiritual power.
Meng Ren had a close relationship with Chen Tong, and now that Meng Ren had returned with Chen Tong, it was obvious that Meng Ren was here to back Chen Tong up.
“Chen Tong, what are you trying to do?” Chen Qing’er’s gaze sharpened as she scolded Chen Tong.
“Cousin Qing’er, I’m not trying to do anything. It’s just that this person robbed someone and even beat them up, violating the rules of the market street and disregarding the dignity of the royal family. The royal guards are here to enforce the law impartially,” Chen Tong pointed at Lin Xiao, immediately pinning a huge accusation on him.
He didn’t dare to defy Chen Qing’er, but surely Chen Qing’er couldn’t interfere with a prince, right?
Thinking about how he was about to teach this brat who had offended him a lesson, Chen Tong’s face revealed a look of satisfaction.
At this moment, the onlookers’ eyes lit up again. After being scolded away by Chen Qing’er, Chen Tong had brought back a prince. Now, the show was about to begin.
In truth, many of them were secretly supporting Chen Tong, not for any other reason but because this young man was too arrogant. He had even rejected Chen Qing’er’s approach, and they were all eagerly waiting to see this cocky kid get a good beating.
With a disdainful glance at Lin Xiao, Meng Ren turned his gaze to Chen Qing’er and said in a calm tone:
“Indeed, this person has provoked the dignity of the royal family. Our royal guards are here to enforce the law impartially. I hope Miss Qing’er will not interfere in this matter.”
Chen Qing’er frowned slightly and said, “Prince Meng Ren, there must be some misunderstanding here. Heimu is my friend. I hope you can give me some face and not trouble him.”
“Miss Qing’er, I have already investigated this matter, and the evidence is clear. Please do not make things difficult for me,” Meng Ren retorted. As a prince, if he couldn’t even teach a nameless kid a lesson after invoking the dignity of the royal family, wouldn’t he lose face?
“Prince Meng Ren…” Chen Qing’er’s expression hardened, and her tone became more forceful. However, before she could finish, Lin Xiao stopped her.
“Miss Qing’er, I appreciate your kindness, but I will handle this matter myself,” Lin Xiao said indifferently, cutting her off.
Chen Qing’er frowned slightly and whispered a reminder to him, “Heimu, this person is the third prince. His status in the royal family is not low. Conflict with him could lead to significant trouble.”
However, Lin Xiao seemed to ignore her words and calmly stepped forward, addressing Wu Neng, “Your ability to twist the truth and distort facts is truly impressive.”
“Wu Neng, I’d like to ask you, that green fruit requires a third-grade pill. Can you, Wu Neng, produce one?”
Wu Neng’s face immediately turned red. Everyone knew that he was merely Chen Tong’s lackey. Even Chen Tong would struggle to produce a third-grade pill, let alone Wu Neng.
Compared to Lin Xiao, who was a second-grade spiritual controller, it was clear to anyone with ears that Wu Neng had no ability to purchase medicinal ingredients worth a third-grade pill.
Chen Tong’s expression also darkened. Although everyone knew he was twisting the truth, having it exposed so blatantly in front of so many people damaged his reputation.
Ignoring the embarrassed and angry expressions on Wu Neng and Chen Tong’s faces, Lin Xiao then turned to Meng Ren and asked calmly, “Prince Meng Ren, may I ask if you are friends with Chen Tong?”
Meng Ren was no fool. He knew Lin Xiao couldn’t cause much trouble, but even in a war of words, he wouldn’t back down. He snorted coldly and said, “Hmph, I am here to enforce the law and uphold the dignity of the royal family. This has nothing to do with personal relationships.”
“No relationship?” Lin Xiao was slightly taken aback, then suddenly changed his tone and scolded, “If there’s no relationship, then why did you let yourself be fooled into coming here? Are you a pig?”
“Pfft!” As soon as these words were spoken, the entire area fell silent. The sound of people gasping could be heard everywhere. To call Prince Meng Ren a pig to his face—this kid really had the guts…
Meng Ren was also stunned. He hadn’t expected someone to call him a pig right in front of him, in front of everyone. He was a prince, after all. Few dared to provoke him on a normal day, and now, a nameless kid had called him a pig…
Just thinking about it, a surge of overwhelming anger rose from the depths of his heart. His face turned extremely gloomy, and his voice dropped to a low, menacing tone as he said, “What did you say? Say it again if you dare!”
Everyone knew that Prince Meng Ren was about to lose his temper. Lin Xiao was in for a world of trouble.
Chen Tong and Wu Neng, who had been momentarily stunned, now wore expressions of glee. To dare call Prince Meng Ren a pig—Lin Xiao’s fate would be dire.
Chen Qing’er’s brows furrowed even more tightly. She wasn’t worried about Lin Xiao getting into trouble; she was concerned that Lin Xiao would provoke the royal family, which would not be good for him.
However, to everyone’s surprise, Lin Xiao’s clear voice rang out again, following Meng Ren’s words, as casually as if he were greeting someone: “Prince Meng Ren, are you a pig?”
“You… you’re asking for death!” Meng Ren was almost choking with rage. He immediately erupted, unleashing the full force of his ninth-level Xuanwu aura. A murderous intent surged as he clenched his right fist, ready to strike Lin Xiao.
“Stop!” But at that moment, a sharp shout rang out.
At the sound of this voice, Meng Ren’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly restrained his energy, halting his movement.
The crowd was shocked. Who would dare interrupt Prince Meng Ren at such a critical moment? They were all curious.
Everyone’s eyes turned toward the direction of the voice, and Lin Xiao also turned to look.
At that moment, they saw an old man escorting a young woman, slowly making their way through the parted crowd toward them.
When Lin Xiao saw this woman, his eyes also lit up slightly.
She appeared to be in her early twenties, wearing a long blue dress that trailed on the ground. Her hair was styled in a princess bun, and her delicate features were exquisitely beautiful, truly a stunning beauty. Her curvaceous figure exuded a captivating charm, but her every step carried an air of unapproachable nobility.
Beside this breathtakingly beautiful woman stood a black-haired old man. The old man’s face was expressionless, as if everything before him was merely a play. His demeanor was simple, and he exuded no aura, but at a glance, one could tell that this old man was a profound and unfathomable figure.
Clearly, he was an extremely powerful expert, specifically tasked with protecting this stunning woman.
“Martial King!” Lin Xiao’s expression tightened slightly. For him to be unable to gauge the old man’s depth, this old man’s strength had to be at least at the Martial King level or higher.
Someone protected by a Martial King-level expert was definitely no ordinary person.
“Sister Meng Ying!” At the sight of this figure, Meng Ren’s heart trembled, and his face showed a mix of respect and fear, far more intense than Chen Tong’s reaction to Chen Qing’er.
“Princess Meng Ying!” Chen Tong, Wu Neng, and the surrounding crowd were all shocked.
Everyone knew that Princess Meng Ying had the support of Meng Xi, the strongest expert in the Lanlan Empire. She held partial royal authority and was a significant figure in the royal family. She rarely appeared in public, so it was surprising to see her at the trade fair today.
“So this is Meng Ying, one of the four great beauties? Truly, her reputation precedes her,” Lin Xiao thought to himself. Meng Ying’s beauty was indeed remarkable.
Under the crowd’s awed gazes, Meng Ying walked toward Lin Xiao. Her indifferent eyes swept over Meng Ren as she said in a calm voice, “Meng Ren, it seems you’ve grown bolder. You dare to lay a hand on my friend?”
