"You don't have certification from the Formation Master Guild, yet you sell formations privately. This is a grave offense!" The bearded man spoke with gritted teeth, making him seem like a paragon of justice to anyone who didn't know better.
It was indeed true that only certified formation masters from the Formation Master Guild were allowed to sell formations. Furthermore, buyers wouldn't trust formations from uncertified masters. However, Chen Xiao was an exception. Everyone had witnessed his formation skills firsthand, and they trusted him even without certification.
As for the bearded man's claim of a "grave offense," it was a gross exaggeration. He was simply trying to intimidate Chen Xiao because of his young age.
Chen Xiao was not one to be trifled with. He glared and retorted, "On what grounds do you say I don't have certification from the Formation Master Guild?"
"Exactly! On what grounds do you claim Mr. Chen isn't certified?"
"You're slandering him! If you intend to bully us with your authority, we won't stand for it!"
"That's right! Without evidence, you're just framing him!"
The crowd who had come to buy formations also became indignant, questioning the bearded man one after another. People are like that; they won't stand idly by when their interests are threatened. At this moment, if Chen Xiao were taken away and unable to sell them formations, they would suffer the greatest loss.
The bearded man hadn't expected Chen Xiao to have such high prestige among these people. Overwhelmed by their questions, he blurted out in a moment of haste, "What do you know? Young Master Zuo told me personally that the Formation Master Guild has no record of this kid's certification!"
"Heh heh!" Chen Xiao let out a cold laugh and said sternly, "And you still claim you weren't sent by the Zuo family?"
"I, I..." The bearded man finally realized he had let slip a crucial piece of information. But with things having escalated to this point, he decided to act brazenly. "Hmph, Young Master Zuo was providing me with evidence. Don't try to confuse me. You broke the law first, are you now going to resist arrest?"
"Who broke the law?" Chen Xiao said indignantly. "You say selling privately is illegal, but I haven't sold anything yet. On what grounds do you say I broke the law? Ask them if you don't believe me."
Hearing Chen Xiao's words, the crowd realized that Chen Xiao indeed lacked certification from the Formation Master Guild. But so what? As long as the formations were genuine, that was all that mattered. Who cared about some certification?
So, they unanimously stated, "That's right, Mr. Chen hasn't sold anything to us."
Chen Xiao crossed his arms and grinned at the bearded man, wondering what else he could do.
The bearded man was both angry and anxious. He was angry that Chen Xiao completely disregarded him, and anxious that the task assigned by Young Master Zuo was about to be botched by him.
"Damn it, if I say you broke the law, then you broke the law!" the bearded man cursed in exasperation. "Men, tie him up for me!"
As soon as the bearded man finished speaking, the constables behind him immediately produced ropes.
Chen Xiao was about to resist when he heard Old Wang say with a cold smile, "Chen Xiao, don't resist. Let them tie you up. Once you're bound, it won't be so easy to get free."
Upon hearing Old Wang's words and seeing his confident expression, Chen Xiao immediately felt at ease. He extended his hands and said, "Come on, hurry up and tie me up, young master!"
The soldiers holding the ropes hesitated. They knew the bearded man was acting on Young Master Zuo's orders, but they weren't. If they succeeded, they would gain nothing, but if they offended the wrong person, they would have a difficult time. They had also seen Chen Xiao's influence among the crowd, and they wouldn't believe for a second that Chen Xiao lacked some hidden ability.
At this moment, the bearded man's expression was also uncertain. Although Young Master Zuo had investigated Chen Xiao's background and informed him, he didn't know Old Wang's identity. However, there was no turning back now. The bearded man grinned menacingly and said, "Hmph, don't listen to their bluster. Tie him up. The consequences will be on me."
Hearing the bearded man's words, the soldiers holding the ropes could no longer hesitate. After all, the bearded man was their superior. However, when they acted, they were careful, tying Chen Xiao with the ropes very gently, as if afraid of hurting him.
"Take him away!" the bearded man commanded.
"Wait!" Old Wang interjected. The bearded man intended to ignore Old Wang's obstruction, but then he saw Old Wang take out a communication talisman from his embrace and transmit a message: "I'll give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Come here immediately, or face the consequences!"
Communication talismans were a very low-level formation. As long as one formed a connection with another's communication talisman, they could transmit messages through it.
Communication talismans were not rare items, but the bearded man was completely reassured. He was certain that Old Wang was bluffing. In his understanding, the more someone like Old Wang blustered, the less capable they truly were.
Furthermore, he believed that Old Wang was just the owner of a small formation shop. Even if he knew some influential people, he would never dare to speak to someone like him in such a manner. He watched Old Wang like he was watching a clown, grinning sinisterly, "Keep pretending, just keep pretending. I'm not leaving today. I want to see who you can find?"
Chen Xiao watched all of this silently. This matter didn't need to be so complicated. Old Wang was doing this to show him his influence, so Chen Xiao guessed that the person who was about to arrive would be of considerable importance. The bearded man was about to face disaster without realizing it, which Chen Xiao found laughable.
Just then, a tall horse galloped from a distance. Upon reaching the entrance of the Zheng Yi Pavilion, the rider reined in the horse, dismounted, and directly approached Old Wang. He cupped his hands respectfully and asked, "Old Wang, may I ask why you summoned me?"
This was a slightly stout middle-aged man. Although his appearance was ordinary, he exuded an aura of authority. Old Wang, however, seemed not to see him and remained silent, leaving him waiting, clearly putting on airs.
Seeing that Old Wang remained silent, the middle-aged man began to sweat profusely. His current status was entirely due to Old Wang's guidance, so no matter how Old Wang treated him, he dared not get angry or ask what had happened, merely standing there respectfully with his hands cupped.
The bearded man carefully observed the middle-aged man for a while but couldn't recognize him. He cursed inwardly, "Pah, what's with all the pretense!"
Old Wang remained silent for a good while. Seeing that the moment was ripe, he let out a muffled snort and said, "Hmph, control your subordinates. Stop doing the work of jackals for tigers."
Only then did the middle-aged man dare to turn slightly. He immediately saw several constables tying up a young man with ropes. Although he didn't recognize the young man, these constables were all under his command. He let out a sigh of relief, having a clearer understanding of the situation.