Volume 1, Chapter 28: Take your people and get out!

Yun'an City, Changle Street.

This street runs north to south, lined with bustling shops and teeming with people; it is the most prosperous area in the entire city. Today, Changle Street seems even more lively than usual. Countless pedestrians find their steps slowing down involuntarily, their gazes drawn toward the same direction.

There, three figures are walking slowly.

Leading them is a young man. He wears a moon-white silk robe, his sleeves fluttering as he walks with a posture as upright as a pine. His face is handsome, yet his eyes hold a depth and indifference inconsistent with his age, as if nothing in this world catches his interest.

To his left walks a woman of cold, otherworldly beauty. Dressed in a pristine white dress, she is as unsullied as a lotus blooming on a snowy mountain peak. Distant and untouchable, the chill that keeps others at bay only adds to her lethal allure.

To the young man’s right is a petite and lovely young girl. A pale green dress accentuates her snow-white skin. Having recently recovered from a serious illness, her face carries a healthy flush and a sense of curiosity about the world. Her watery eyes dart around, filled with a shy, innocent wonder.

These three are Ye Xuan, Su Qingxue, and Liu Yuexue. One as indifferent as an abyss, one as cold as snow, and one as delicate as a flower. This combination of ethereal figures is an absolute focal point wherever they go.

"Heavens, who are those two fairies? They are even more beautiful than the celestial maidens in the sky!"

"Look at the young master in the middle—such handsome features and such a refined air! I wonder which prominent family he hails from?"

"I've never seen him before! Look at the two women by his side—either one is a beauty of the highest order. To have both accompanying him, his status must be extraordinary!"

From the tea houses and taverns lining the street, countless heads lean out of windows. Passersby cast sidelong glances and whisper, their expressions a mix of awe, envy, and jealousy.

As the daughter of the Liu family, Liu Yuexue is a local, though she rarely ventures out. Being the focus of so many eyes, her fair cheeks flush crimson with shyness. She almost buries her head in her chest, her small hands nervously clutching at her hem.

Su Qingxue, however, is long accustomed to being the center of attention. Her expression remains cold, though her gaze occasionally sweeps over Ye Xuan, her mind filled with complex thoughts.

Ye Xuan remains indifferent to the surrounding stares. Half his focus is on observing the customs of Yun'an City, while the other half is occupied with planning his upcoming journey to Beiliang. To him, the gazes of these mortals are no different from the passing wind or the dust brushing against his cheek.

Just then, in a private room on the second floor of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, the largest restaurant at the end of Changle Street, several lavishly dressed young men are drinking and boasting loudly.

"Have you heard? That Zhang Mazi from the west side of the city—I took a liking to his woman the other day, and when he refused, I broke his legs. He’s still lying in bed groaning!"

"Young Master Wang is mighty! A mere ruffian daring to compete with you? He doesn't know his place!"

A brawny youth with a fierce face is holding a wine cup, spitting as he brags about his "glorious deeds," while those around him flatter him incessantly. This youth is Wang Teng, the only son of the Deputy Commander of the Yun'an City Garrison.

Suddenly, a commotion erupts downstairs, the noise drowning out their own clamor.

"Hm? What's going on down there? Why so loud?" Wang Teng frowns in annoyance and leans out the window.

At a single glance, his eyes are fixed firmly on the moon-white figure. At first, he thinks the figure looks familiar. But when he looks closely at the silk robe the man is wearing, the drunkenness vanishes from his face in an instant.

That robe!

Moon-white fabric, cloud-patterned trim, and a small, embroidered golden auspicious cloud on the cuffs!

This... isn't this the custom-made robe he spent three hundred taels of silver on at the tailor shop just last month? His mansion had been burgled a few days ago, and the item he mourned most was this new robe he hadn't even had the chance to wear much!

Wang Teng’s eyes narrow, and fury erupts in his pupils. He slams the table, splashing wine everywhere.

"Damn it!"

A thin, monkey-like youth beside him is startled and asks hastily, "Young Master Wang, what is it?"

Wang Teng points at Ye Xuan in the middle of the street, his teeth grinding. "You! Look closely at that man! Look at the moon-white robe he's wearing! Isn't that the one I lost recently?!"

The thin youth stretches his neck, peers out intently, and then his eyes light up as he slaps his thigh. "That's right! Young Master Wang, that's it! I remember those golden cloud patterns on the cuffs perfectly!"

"Excellent!" Wang Teng laughs out of sheer rage, his face turning the color of a pig's liver. "What a death-seeking thief! Not only did he steal my clothes, but he dares to parade them through the city! And he's even got two beauties with him! This is a slap in my face!"

The more he thinks about it, the angrier he becomes. The fury in his chest burns so intensely it threatens to consume his reason. In Yun'an City, who doesn't know the name of Wang Teng? Today, he will not only reclaim his clothes but also make this arrogant petty thief pay a bloody price in front of the whole city!

"Get up, all of you!" Wang Teng stands abruptly, kicking over his chair. "Follow me downstairs! Today, I will personally strip the skin off his back!"

With that, he storms out of the restaurant, followed by his gang of lackeys.

...

Down on the street, the three of them continue to walk slowly. Liu Yuexue has slightly adjusted to the attention and is curiously eyeing a sugar figurine stall. Su Qingxue is wondering why, given Ye Xuan's personality, he would agree to such a dull request to go shopping.

Suddenly, Ye Xuan pauses. A flicker of something imperceptible passes through his calm, deep eyes. An aura of blatant, malicious intent is surging straight toward them from the front.

Almost at the same time, Su Qingxue frowns and looks up. Several young men who clearly aren't up to any good are marching toward them with murderous intent, surrounded by a crowd of servants. Pedestrians flee in terror wherever they pass.

The two exchange a brief glance. *Trouble.*

Ye Xuan remains calm. He believes that under the alias Ye Qianyuan, he has been low-profile in Yun'an City; aside from the Liu family, no one should know him, let alone hold a grudge. He assumes this group must be targeting someone else. It is better to avoid unnecessary conflict.

He gently tugs at Liu Yuexue’s sleeve to signal her to follow, then steps aside with the two women, clearing the main path. This gesture is a clear attempt to avoid trouble.

However, Ye Xuan is mistaken. The aggressive group of young men does not pass through the space he cleared. They walk straight to them and then scatter in a "whoosh," forming a semi-circular perimeter, tightly blocking the three of them.

Seeing this, the pedestrians hide far away, yet unwilling to leave, they stretch their necks, preparing for a good show.

Liu Yuexue has never seen such a scene; she turns deathly pale and instinctively hides behind Ye Xuan. Su Qingxue’s brows are tightly locked, her cold gaze sweeping over Wang Teng, a flicker of disgust in her eyes.

Ye Xuan’s brow finally furrows. He looks at the sneering Wang Teng and speaks in a flat tone. "Gentlemen, is there a problem?"

His voice is not loud, yet it reaches everyone clearly, carrying a strange power that calms the heart.

"A problem?" Wang Teng laughs as if he has heard the greatest joke in the world. He steps forward and points his chin at Ye Xuan, his eyes filled with disdain. "Kid, playing dumb with me, are you? Do you have any idea what I’m here for?"

As he speaks, one of his lackeys immediately understands and reaches out with a sneering grin, intending to shove Ye Xuan’s shoulder while cursing, "Where did this wild brat come from, daring to steal our Young Master Wang's—"

Before he can finish, his movement freezes abruptly. His hand is clearly about to touch Ye Xuan’s shoulder, but it is blocked as if by an invisible wall. No matter how hard he pushes, his face turning red with effort, his hand cannot advance even an inch.

And Ye Xuan, from start to finish, has not moved at all. He simply stands there, as steady as a mountain.

Ye Xuan slowly lifts his eyelids, his deep gaze falling on the lackey's face. The gaze is calm—no anger, no killing intent, not even a hint of emotion. Yet, this very calmness makes the lackey feel as if he has fallen into an ice cave. His hair stands on end, and a fear originating from his very soul makes him shiver uncontrollably, causing him to stumble back two steps.

The entire street falls silent. The sneer on Wang Teng’s face freezes. He is a spoiled brat, but he is not a fool; the scene before him is inexplicably eerie.

Ye Xuan then shifts his gaze back to Wang Teng, his voice dropping a few degrees colder. "I don't know what you are talking about. Now, take your people and get lost."