“To the Young Marquis, Ling Xiao has been granted the title Tianlong King by the imperial court, a rank higher than the Marquis of East Commandery, and he is only sixteen years old.”
Lin Qian did not say it outright, but this single sentence already made her stance perfectly clear.
Slap!
A crisp slap echoed at the entrance to Turtle Island, drawing the attention of many.
Yet once they saw Ming Liu, almost everyone lowered their heads.
They hated their own powerlessness to intervene in such injustice.
They hated that they dared not step forward even though they could not bear to watch a good woman be bullied by this bastard.
“Stinking wench, you’ve been offered face and you spit on it? Our Young Marquis taking a fancy to you is your good fortune, yet you really think you’re some precious treasure?”
The one who struck her was not Ming Liu, but the guard.
Having just been slapped by Ming Liu, the guard felt aggrieved, but he did not dare vent his anger on the Young Marquis.
At that exact moment, Lin Qian became his outlet.
Of course, he dared to hit her only because he knew her answer had enraged Ming Liu. As a loyal dog, he naturally had to act on behalf of his master.
Lin Qian covered her burning cheek and stared coldly at the guard.
In terms of strength, she was actually stronger than him.
The guard only dared because he relied on the power of the Marquis’s household.
“What’s that look? You still dare glare at me? Believe me, I’ll slap you dead! Even your idol Ling Xiao wouldn’t dare let out a single fart.”
The guard jabbed his finger at Lin Qian and cursed loudly. “How dare you compare our Young Marquis to that lowly commoner? You must be tired of living.”
Ming Liu stood there smiling smugly.
Having a lackey vent his anger for him felt wonderful and saved him the effort.
“Did you hear that? Even my subordinate knows that Ling Xiao is nothing but a lowly commoner. Some nonsense king from another surname. With a single word from our royal clan, he is whatever we say he is. Without that word, he’s not even worth a fart.”
Ming Liu spoke with a broad grin, like a victor showing off his might.
Not far from the entrance, three people stood.
Ling Xiao, Yue Nu, and Leng Mei.
They had only just arrived in East Commandery. After studying the records about the region, Ling Xiao already understood that Turtle Island was a place he absolutely had to control.
To take charge of East Commandery, he had to hold Turtle Island in his own hands, even if that meant offending the so-called Marquis of East Commandery.
Originally, East Commandery belonged to the imperial court and its official government. The Marquis had seized it and turned it into his private money-making and cultivation ground. Ling Xiao was merely taking back what was rightfully his.
Ji Mingkong had taken the Shadow Assassins into the city to investigate the situation.
He had come with Yue Nu and Leng Mei to scout Turtle Island.
To reclaim the island, he needed a proper pretext.
He had not expected to encounter exactly this kind of scene the moment he arrived.
“Master, that is Ming Liu, the only son of the Marquis of East Commandery. Bullying the locals like this is the least of it. What he really dares to do is collude with the pirates of the True Demon Empire, constantly plaguing the coastal population.”
Leng Mei pointed at Ming Liu. “When I previously stayed on the Divine Phoenix Continent for a while, I spent some time here, so I know this very well. Whenever pirates raid the populace, the Marquis either sends no troops or delays them. After the pirates loot everything, he and his men split the spoils. It’s utterly despicable.”
Ling Xiao looked at Ming Liu, then at the young girl.
Although she was a stranger, he was now the Tianlong King of East Commandery, the lord of this entire city.
Lin Qian was one of his people.
He would not be pleased to see his own people bullied by local tyrants.
Moreover, Ming Liu kept calling him a lowly commoner. That was a clear sign he held the city lord in no regard at all. If Ling Xiao did not teach him a proper lesson, how could he command respect in future?
“Young Master, there’s no need to be polite with a stinking wench like this. I’ll have her tied up and sent to your residence at once. After you’re done with her, reward her to your subordinates so we can all have a taste.”
The guard chuckled lewdly.
“Hahahaha! Clever lad! In East Commandery, those who refuse the wine of courtesy must drink the wine of punishment. Fine, tie this stinking wench up and send her to my rooms. Once I’ve had my fill, I’ll definitely let you boys have a turn.”
At this point Ming Liu no longer bothered to pretend. He revealed his ugliest face, intending to take her by force.
In his view, for him to fancy a woman was her blessing. Not only did she refuse to appreciate it, she had actually dared say in public that he was inferior to that lowly commoner Ling Xiao.
Since that was the case, this woman would never cultivate on Turtle Island again. Once he was bored of her, he would send her to a brothel. Let’s see if she still dared to be so ungrateful.
“Shameless!”
Lin Qian trembled with rage.
She had heard that the Marquis and his son were no good, but because she had spent long periods in secluded cultivation, she had not realised just how shameless they truly were.
Hearing Ming Liu speak like this now, she genuinely wanted to kill him, consequences be damned!
“Shameless? Heh heh, today this young master will show you just how shameless I can be! What a joke. On the soil of East Commandery, anyone this young master wants, this young master gets. You actually dared to refuse me. You really must have eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard.”
Ming Liu revealed a vile, lecherous grin.
“What are you waiting for? Get her! Let this human woman enjoy herself properly.”
The guard wore the same evil smile and beckoned several others to pounce on Lin Qian.
“Even if I die today, I will never let you have your way! City Lord Ling Xiao will definitely avenge me!”
Lin Qian drew her sword and fought.
And truthfully, the girl was quite capable. With one thrust she heavily wounded a guard.
After all, her cultivation was not low. Those guards were only mortal-realm warriors. How could they possibly be her match?
“Young Marquis, allow this humble woman to act on your behalf. All I ask is that, once it’s done, you grant me a few days of cultivation time on Turtle Island.”
The middle-aged woman who had been standing nearby spoke up again.
She was a Two Instruments Heaven cultivator of the Heaven-Human realm, stronger than Lin Qian.
“You? Of course that’s fine. As long as you capture her alive, not only will I give you three days of cultivation time, I’ll even introduce you to my father. My old man rather likes mature women like you who still retain their charm. Serve him well and you’ll have endless benefits in future.”
Ming Liu glanced at the middle-aged woman and laughed.
“Thank you for your generosity, Young Marquis.”
The middle-aged woman clearly saw this as a golden opportunity. Unlike Lin Qian’s fierce resistance, she could not have been more eager.
“Lin Qian, take my advice. Apologise to the Young Marquis and serve him properly. His lordship is magnanimous. He might give you a chance to mend your ways. What does Ling Xiao amount to anyway? Just a lowly commoner. Why can’t you understand?”
The middle-aged woman turned her head, looked at Lin Qian, and spoke with a sweet smile, as though she were about to strike it rich.
“I would rather die!”
Lin Qian shook her head. Everyone has their own principles. She would absolutely never do such filthy things.
