Chapter 76: A Small Lesson for the Petty

The air inside the tavern seemed to have frozen.

All eyes were focused on that inconspicuous table in the corner. On one side was the Young Master of the Zhao family, a man with a deep background and an arrogant, overbearing nature, along with his guards; on the other side was a lone, seemingly ordinary loose cultivator at the late Foundation Establishment realm. The disparity in strength was clear at a glance.

Zhao Kun felt a bit unnerved by the calm, ripple-free gaze of Lin Xuan, but it was immediately replaced by even greater annoyance. In this Heishuicheng, who didn't know that he, Zhao Kun, was the Young Master of a branch of the Zhao family? Even the City Lord's Mansion had to give him some face; how dared a mere loose cultivator at the Golden Core realm look at him with such eyes?

"Nonsense! If I'm not talking to you, am I talking to a ghost?" Zhao Kun raised his voice, trying to cover up his momentary insecurity with volume. "If you know what's good for you, get lost quickly! Don't dirty this Young Master's eyes!"

The guards behind him cooperatively took a step forward, their spiritual pressure mixed with baleful energy, pressing toward Lin Xuan like an invisible wall. The middle-aged man at the early Nascent Soul realm still had a cold expression, but deep in his eyes flashed a hint of contempt; he did not seem to believe that this late Golden Core loose cultivator could stir up any trouble.

The shopkeeper was sweating profusely on the side. He couldn't afford to offend either party and could only bow repeatedly: "Young Master Zhao, please calm your anger. And this guest, why don't you... do me a favor? I'll get you a better seat, and this meal is on the house..."

Lin Xuan seemed not to have heard the shopkeeper, nor did he pay any heed to the encroaching spiritual pressure. He picked up the cup of inferior "Fierce Wind Burn" on the table and took a light sip. His brow furrowed imperceptibly, as if he were not very satisfied with the wine. Only then did he raise his eyes again to look at Zhao Kun, his tone remaining flat:

"The seat, I arrived first. The wine, I haven't finished. You, can wait."

"Hiss—"

A collective gasp of cold air sounded throughout the tavern. Everyone looked at Lin Xuan as if he were a madman. Was this guy tired of living? How dared he talk back to Zhao Kun like that?

Zhao Kun was so angry his face turned red, and the finger he pointed at Lin Xuan was trembling: "Good! Very good! A poor, wretched loose cultivator, and you dare to put on airs in front of this Young Master! Break his legs and throw him out!"

Once the order was given, the two late Foundation Establishment guards closest to him revealed savage grins. One to the left and one to the right, they lunged at Lin Xuan like hungry wolves. One reached out to grab Lin Xuan's shoulder, his fingers sharp and fierce, clearly having practiced claw techniques; the other kicked directly at Lin Xuan's knee with enough force to shatter gold and crack stone.

In the eyes of the onlookers, this Golden Core loose cultivator would have his bones broken and be tossed out onto the street like a dead dog in the next moment.

However, facing this swift and violent attack, Lin Xuan did not even change his posture.

Just as those two hands and one foot were about to strike him—

"Hum!"

An invisible yet heavy force field, as massive as a mountain, suddenly expanded with Lin Xuan at its center!

The two guards felt as if they had slammed into an invisible wall of copper and iron, and this wall carried an overwhelming, irresistible force of recoil!

"Crack!" "Crack!"

The teeth-grinding sound of bones breaking rang out clearly.

"Ah—!"

Both guards let out shrill screams simultaneously, flying backward faster than they had charged. They smashed into several tables and chairs, spat out blood, and wailed in pain on the ground while clutching their clearly twisted and deformed arms and legs.

The entire tavern fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone was stunned, looking in disbelief at Lin Xuan, who remained seated as steady as a mountain.

They saw no spiritual power fluctuations, no techniques, only... was it just aura? Or perhaps, a protective body energy? But what kind of protective body energy could be strong enough to instantly recoil and severely injure two late Foundation Establishment cultivators?

The savage grin on Zhao Kun's face froze, turning into astonishment and a hint of fear. He subconsciously took half a step back, hiding behind the middle-aged man at the early Nascent Soul realm. "Uncle Zhong, he... he..."

The middle-aged man known as Uncle Zhong had long since lost the contempt in his eyes, replaced by unprecedented gravity. He stepped forward, shielding Zhao Kun completely behind him, his gaze locked firmly on Lin Xuan as he said in a deep voice: "Who exactly are you, sir? Hiding your cultivation and toying with my Young Master—what is your intention?"

He absolutely did not believe the other party was merely at the late Golden Core realm! That recoil force just now was refined, heavy, and controlled with ease; it was definitely not something a Golden Core cultivator could possess! This person's cultivation was at least at the Nascent Soul realm, and perhaps even not below his own!

Lin Xuan put down his wine cup and finally stood up slowly. He looked at Uncle Zhong with a calm gaze and said indifferently: "I am just a traveler passing through for a drink. It is you who insisted on disturbing the peace."

His voice was still not loud, yet it carried an unquestionable power. "Now, may I continue my drink? Or do you want to try again?"

Uncle Zhong's expression shifted uncertainly. The depth of the opponent was unknown, and the means he had just displayed were bizarre. He was ordered to protect Zhao Kun, and his primary mission was to ensure the Young Master's safety, not to make enemies. Fighting to the death with a Nascent Soul cultivator who was at least his equal, or perhaps even stronger, over a seat was by no means a wise move.

He took a deep breath, cupped his hands, and said: "It was our rudeness that disturbed your leisure, sir. We shall leave at once."

Having said this, he ignored Zhao Kun's look of disbelief, forcibly pulled him away, signaled the other guards to carry the two injured men, and quickly retreated from the Bai Xiao Building, his departure even carrying a hint of haste.

Inside the tavern, the silence was only broken once the Zhao family group disappeared from the entrance, followed by an even greater uproar.

"My god! Who is that guy? He actually crippled Zhao Kun's men?"

"I didn't even see how he made his move! That was too terrifying!"

"Even the Zhao family's Nascent Soul guest elder backed down? This person is definitely not simple!"

"When did such a fierce character come to Heishuicheng?"

The crowd discussed it heatedly, their gazes toward Lin Xuan filled with awe, curiosity, and a hint of schadenfreude—having beaten the Zhao family's men, this matter would certainly not end here.

Lin Xuan turned a deaf ear to the surrounding discussions, as if he had just swatted away a few flies. He sat back down and poured himself another cup of wine, while his spiritual sense spread out quietly like an invisible spider web.

He "saw" the Zhao Kun group leaving the Bai Xiao Building in a sorry state; Zhao Kun was throwing a tantrum at Uncle Zhong, while Uncle Zhong was explaining something with an ugly expression.

He "heard" in the shadows of the alley next door that those dark agents of the Nether Sect were whispering and communicating rapidly, seemingly very interested in the small conflict that had just occurred and speculating about his background.

He also sensed that in several places in the city where Nascent Soul cultivators were stationed, several obscure spiritual senses swept over the Bai Xiao Building, lingering on him briefly before quickly retracting.

"The tree desires stillness, but the wind will not cease..." Lin Xuan sighed inwardly. He had wanted to gather information in a low-key manner, but he hadn't expected trouble to find him on its own. However, after this incident, it had saved him from some unnecessary harassment. At the very least, in this Heishuicheng, ordinary people would not dare to provoke him easily again.

He slowly finished the remaining wine in his cup, left a few mid-grade spirit stones (far exceeding the value of the wine and food), and stood up to leave the Bai Xiao Building under the complex gazes of the crowd.

Next, he needed to find a place to stay and figure out a way to access higher-level information channels. The auction house of Heishuicheng, or... the City Lord's Mansion?

Just as he merged into the flow of people on the street, thinking about his next move, a slightly hurried sound of footsteps came from behind him, and a respectful voice rang out:

"Senior, please stay!"

Lin Xuan did not stop his pace, his spiritual sense having already swept over the person behind him. The newcomer was a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator dressed in the uniform of a City Lord's Mansion guard, with a respectful and even somewhat nervous expression on his face.

"What is it?" Lin Xuan did not turn his head, his voice coming through flatly.

The guard hurried forward, maintaining a respectful distance from Lin Xuan, and said in a low voice: "Senior, my City Lord invites you to have a chat at the mansion."

The City Lord?

Lin Xuan's gaze flickered. He had just had a conflict with the Zhao family, and the City Lord's Mansion was already reaching out? Was this a blessing or a curse?

"What does the City Lord want with me?"

"This... I do not know. The City Lord only said to be sure to invite you, Senior, as there is an important matter to discuss." The guard's attitude became even more respectful.

Lin Xuan pondered for a moment. The City Lord's Mansion was the official power of Heishuicheng; perhaps they could provide the information he needed and allow him to understand the imperial capital's specific attitude toward the secret realm incident. As for whether it was a trap... with his current strength and trump cards, as long as it wasn't a Soul Transformation cultivator acting personally, this Heishuicheng could not trap him.

"Lead the way," he said indifferently.

"Yes! Senior, please follow me!" A look of joy appeared on the guard's face. He hurriedly led the way, taking Lin Xuan through the bustling streets toward the most towering and heavily guarded black stone fortress in the center of the city.

The undercurrents of Heishuicheng seemed to be accelerating with the arrival of Lin Xuan.