The bearded man’s voice trembled with tears as he read on. All the soldiers in the capital were under the command of the Grand General of City Defense, and he was no exception. He had just insulted the Grand General and even threatened to tie him up. How could he possibly get away with it?
“General Zhao… General Zhao, I truly didn’t know it was you!” the bearded man stammered. He wasn't lying. Although he was a squad leader, he was merely a low-ranking soldier who never had the chance to meet Zhao Liang. If he had recognized Zhao Liang, he wouldn’t have dared to be so arrogant, even if given ten thousand chances.
“Hmph, what’s your name, and are the things they said just now all true?” General Zhao asked furiously, his face stern.
“My name is Wang Er. What they said, what they said…” The bearded man dared not refute, implicitly admitting to it. However, he still had a shred of rationality left and quickly pleaded with Chen Xiao, “Young Master Chen, it’s all my fault. Please be magnanimous and let me go like I’m nothing but a fart!”
Chen Xiao, seizing the advantage, said playfully, “What are you talking about? I was the one tied up. How can you ask me to untie you? That’s making things too difficult for me, isn’t it?”
The bearded man’s expression immediately shifted to one of understanding. He stepped forward, intending to untie Chen Xiao, “Young Master Chen, I’ll untie you right away!”
Chen Xiao, however, pulled his hands back and said coldly, “Tying me up was easy, but untying me won’t be that simple.”
The bearded man’s face turned ashen, filled with regret. Zhao Liang’s expression was also grave. He knew Chen Xiao was forcing him to take a stance. While punishing a rogue soldier was a trivial matter, Wang Er was acting on behalf of the Zuo family, which forced Zhao Liang to consider the situation carefully.
However, in front of Old Master Wang, Zhao Liang dared not show any hesitation. He immediately bellowed, “Bold Wang Er, you defy the law and act as a lackey for evil. You are hereby stripped of your military rank. Take him to prison, all of you. I will interrogate him personally later.”
As soon as Zhao Liang finished speaking, the other soldiers quickly apprehended Wang Er. Wang Er, however, shouted towards the direction he had previously hidden, “Young Master Zuo, save me!”
But no matter how Wang Er cried for help, Zuo Youren did not appear. At this point, Wang Er had completely given up hope. He knew he had become a discarded pawn, and Zuo Youren would certainly not come to his rescue.
Wang Er was, in fact, overestimating himself. In Zuo Youren’s eyes, he wasn’t even a discarded pawn; he was merely a stepping stone.
Zuo Youren had not left. He had been hiding in the shadows, observing everything that happened. Seeing Wang Er apprehended, his expression remained unchanged, as this was all within his expectations. He muttered softly, “This Old Master Wang indeed has some influence. No wonder Grandpa told me not to provoke him lightly. But this is just an appetizer. The real show is yet to come. Chen Xiao, you just wait to be played with and destroyed by me!”
With that, Zuo Youren left with a sinister grin.
After ordering Wang Er to be tied up, Zhao Liang nonchalantly approached Chen Xiao and said casually, “You’re Chen Xiao, right? Since you’re Old Master Wang’s man, just mention my name if anything happens in the future.”
As he spoke, he reached out to untie Chen Xiao. He assumed Chen Xiao was merely a junior of Old Master Wang, and seeing that Chen Xiao, despite his age, had such low cultivation, he couldn’t help but feel contempt.
Moreover, he felt that with his current status and position, there was no need to be polite to a junior of Old Master Wang, hence his somewhat arrogant tone.
However, Chen Xiao was not only not a junior of Old Master Wang, but he was also someone Old Master Wang was currently seeking favor from. Chen Xiao was displeased with Zhao Liang’s attitude and said indifferently, “I wouldn’t dare trouble you.”
Then, with a surge of strength from his hands, the ropes binding him snapped into pieces with a loud “bang.”
These ropes were made of sinew, incredibly tough. Chen Xiao’s display was astonishing, achieved not through brute force but through precise control of his strength.
Although Zhao Liang was shocked by Chen Xiao’s skill, he felt his dignity was somewhat compromised. He, the Grand General of City Defense, had come to personally untie a young man, only to be rejected and publicly humiliated.
Zhao Liang’s expression changed instantly. If not for Old Master Wang’s presence, he might have already acted. He shouted angrily, “You brat, you…”
Before Zhao Liang could finish, Old Master Wang roared, “You shut up!”
Zhao Liang was stunned. He hadn’t expected Old Master Wang to actually get angry at him for the sake of a mere youngster. Old Master Wang then continued, “Your business here is done. You can leave!”
Zhao Liang felt a surge of pent-up frustration, but he dared not disobey Old Master Wang’s words. He could only flick his sleeve and ride away in anger.
At this moment, Chen Xiao walked to the entrance of Zhengyi Pavilion. Old Master Wang said in a low voice, “Don’t blame him. That’s just his temper.”
Chen Xiao smiled and replied, “Old Master Wang, you think too much. We simply have different paths. I don’t blame him.”
Then, Chen Xiao turned and cupped his fists towards the crowd who had come to buy array talismans, saying, “Everyone has seen today that I, Chen, have not yet obtained certification from the Array Talisman Guild, so I cannot sell array talismans to you all.”
A wave of disappointed sighs swept through the crowd.
Chen Xiao quickly continued, “However, everyone, please don’t worry. I will go and get that certification tomorrow. The day after tomorrow, I guarantee that the top ten registered guests will receive personally drawn enchanted array talismans from me. Thank you all for your trouble today. Please disperse now.”
Upon hearing Chen Xiao’s promise, the people became excited again. Although they didn’t get to buy array talismans today, with Chen Xiao’s guarantee, they could wait a day or two.
Moreover, what happened today was exciting enough. Chen Xiao was too impressive, not even giving face to the Grand General of City Defense. Today was indeed a worthwhile visit, and they would have something to brag about.
After the crowd dispersed, Chen Xiao and the others returned to Zhengyi Pavilion. After Chen Xiao introduced Wang Ke to Old Master Wang, Old Master Wang took a good impression of the simple young man, and allowing him to stay for a few days was naturally not a problem.
At this moment, the happiest person was Xiao Liuzi. In the past, Zhengyi Pavilion was lifeless. Old Master Wang was often drunk and asleep, and when he was sober, he was very stern and spoke little. Now, this lively and harmonious atmosphere was unprecedented.
After dinner, Xiao Liuzi and Wang Ke went to the ghost market to set up a stall. Chen Xiao did not accompany them. He needed to seize every moment to cultivate and improve his strength.
Before returning to his room, Chen Xiao found Old Master Wang and said a few words to him, “Forget all techniques. Break and then stand, and you will find your own way. If you comprehend this sentence, I believe your array talisman skills will soon break through.”