"Hey, Zuo Youren, you haven't answered the question yet. Is this ghost market really run by your Zuo family?" Suddenly, a pleasant voice cut through the silence.
Following the sound, they saw a fair-skinned, beautiful girl standing behind Zuo Youren, her brow slightly furrowed as she asked the question.
Upon seeing the girl, Zuo Youren immediately retracted his imposing aura, lowered his head, and said respectfully, "Miss Lan, don't listen to this brat's nonsense. He's slandering me."
The fact that the young master Zuo would lower his head clearly indicated that this woman's status was extraordinary. Zuo Youren's respectful demeanor was evident, but his eyes betrayed him; they were filled with possessive desire as he looked at the girl.
Seeing the newcomer, the surrounding crowd stirred again.
"This, this is Miss Lan from the General's Mansion?"
"Someone who can make young master Zuo so respectful, and so beautiful, who else could it be but Miss Lan?"
"The people from the General's Mansion have always acted with fairness. I think Miss Lan will definitely handle this matter. It seems young master Zuo is going to be embarrassed today."
Chen Xiao's ears caught the murmurs of the crowd. He quietly asked Xiao Liuzi, "Who is this Miss Lan?"
Although Xiao Liuzi was still shaken, his eyes had been fixed on Miss Lan since she appeared, not leaving her for a moment. Hearing Chen Xiao's question, he finally snapped back to attention, his face flushing. As if to cover his embarrassment, he said earnestly, "Miss Lan's name is Lan Qinger, and she is the only daughter of the Great General Lan Tianyin."
Seeing Chen Xiao's bewildered expression, Xiao Liuzi asked, "You don't even know the Great General Lan Tianyin, do you?"
Chen Xiao nodded quickly.
Xiao Liuzi looked defeated and said helplessly, "You don't even know General Lan? I doubt you're even from the Tianfeng Kingdom."
"General Lan is the pillar of our Tianfeng Kingdom. He has spent his life in military service, campaigning north and south, achieving countless merits. His prestige is extremely high, and he is upright and incorruptible, deeply loved by the people. He is not comparable to merchant families like the Zuo family. Moreover, I heard that General Lan's cultivation has already broken through the ninth level of Body Tempering, and he is only half a step away from the Lotus Flower Realm."
Chen Xiao listened to Xiao Liuzi's words with great interest. At the same time, Lan Qinger also spoke to Zuo Youren, "Since the ghost market is not your family's business, what right do you have to drive others away?"
Her words left Zuo Youren speechless. He couldn't possibly say that his Zuo family had monopolized the talisman market in the ghost market. Furthermore, before coming to cause trouble, he had already investigated Xiao Liuzi and the others and knew that "Wang Ji Talismans" did indeed have a registered permit.
Unable to refute, Zuo Youren could only say sheepishly, "This is a misunderstanding. I was just checking if they had a permit. Now that it's clear that you two young brothers are fine, I was too hasty. But I was doing it for the stability and prosperity of our ghost market, hehe."
Finally, Zuo Youren couldn't forget to make an excuse for himself.
Lan Qinger let out a cold hum and said sternly, "I advise you not to be too arrogant. Be careful, for those who do too much wrong will eventually destroy themselves."
Upon hearing Lan Qinger's words, Zuo Youren's expression changed slightly. He suppressed his anger and did not dare to retaliate. His Zuo family could not afford to offend the Lan family. However, he mentally blamed all of it on Chen Xiao.
Lan Qinger had long heard rumors of the Zuo family's bullying and monopolistic practices. However, due to the deep-rooted connections of the Zuo family's backing forces, even her father could not intervene.
But today, she happened to witness Zuo Youren abusing his power, and as someone from the General's Mansion, she could not stand idly by.
However, since no fight broke out and no particularly serious consequences occurred, Lan Qinger found it difficult to press the issue further. When she turned to look at Chen Xiao, her gaze held a hint of admiration. A mere shop assistant dared to confront the young master Zuo; his courage was commendable.
As Lan Qinger looked at Chen Xiao, Chen Xiao was also staring blankly at her. Lan Qinger's pretty face flushed, and she secretly cursed, "Men are all the same."
However, she had misunderstood Chen Xiao. When Chen Xiao looked at Lan Qinger, his thoughts were not about romantic matters. He had even temporarily set aside the friction with Zuo Youren because he had thought of a brilliant money-making scheme. He then said, "Thank you, Miss Lan, for your righteous assistance."
Lan Qinger nodded slightly, acknowledging his gratitude. Chen Xiao continued, "I have no way to repay Miss Lan's kindness, except to gift you a talisman as a token of my gratitude."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Liuzi was the first to react, exclaiming, "Chen Xiao, you..."
He originally wanted to ask what right Chen Xiao had to gift talismans from the shop. The talismans sold by Old Man Wang cost at least twenty gold each. Xiao Liuzi's monthly wages were only five gold, and twenty gold was no small sum for him. Yet, Chen Xiao was about to give away twenty gold with a single sentence – he was truly clueless about the value of things.
However, upon realizing that the recipient was Lan Qinger, Xiao Liuzi swallowed the rest of his words.
He now worried whether Lan Qinger would even fancy the second-grade talisman displayed on the stall. She was the apple of General Lan's eye; what good things hadn't she seen?
Lan Qinger smiled gently and did not refuse, thinking that it was, after all, a gesture of goodwill from the other party. Moreover, in her eyes, a talisman was not a particularly valuable item.
As for Chen Xiao, after speaking, he lowered his head and began drawing the unfinished talisman from before.
Seeing Chen Xiao's action, everyone was baffled. Did he mean the talisman he intended to gift Lan Qinger was one he drew himself? Was this kid joking? How old was he, and with such low cultivation, how could he possibly be a talisman master?
After all, the most crucial aspect of drawing talismans was the control of primal energy. High cultivation did not necessarily mean proficient control of primal energy, but low cultivation certainly implied poor control of primal energy.
However, Chen Xiao was an exception. In the blink of an eye, the talisman was completed under his brush. His intention was to use Lan Qinger to advertise for him.
When Xiao Liuzi saw Chen Xiao pick up his brush, he knew something was wrong. But it was too late to stop him. Chen Xiao had already handed the talisman to Lan Qinger and said, "Miss Lan, this is an enchantment talisman. It will be useful for the sword you are holding."
Xiao Liuzi completely covered his face. He hadn't expected this kid Chen Xiao to be such a braggart, an enchantment talisman at that. Enchantment talismans were fourth-grade talismans, something even Old Man Wang couldn't draw. How could a newcomer like him possibly draw one? This was a huge embarrassment; the reputation of Wang Ji Talismans was ruined by this kid.
"Oh?" Lan Qinger raised an eyebrow. Like Xiao Liuzi, she also thought Chen Xiao was bragging. At Chen Xiao's age, being able to draw a first-grade talisman would already be impressive. If he claimed to be able to draw a fourth-grade enchantment talisman, Lan Qinger would never believe it.
Lan Qinger coldly accepted the talisman without saying much. It wasn't that she was trying to save Chen Xiao's face, but rather because she knew that if it were exposed publicly, the shop's reputation would be finished.
Although Lan Qinger said nothing, the people around her exploded.
"This kid isn't old, but his tone is quite large. An enchantment talisman? Does he take Miss Lan for a three-year-old child?"
"With his cultivation, he dares to say he can draw an enchantment talisman? This is hilarious!"
"Exactly, this kid must be an idiot. I thought he was abnormal when I saw him earlier, and I was right."
This time, people weren't speaking in hushed tones. What amused Chen Xiao the most was that the same people who were mocking him now were the ones who had previously spoken out against Zuo Youren's excessive behavior.
Chen Xiao had seen many such two-faced people and couldn't be bothered to pay them any mind.
At this moment, Zuo Youren was overjoyed. He felt his opportunity had arrived. He hadn't expected to get back at Lan Qinger so quickly for the embarrassment he had just suffered.
He waved his hand, signaling for everyone to quiet down, and then said sarcastically, "Everyone, you can't say that. The world is vast, and there are all sorts of wonders. This young brother might be a genius. Whether he's bragging or not, Miss Lan will know after trying it."
Zuo Youren, of course, didn't truly believe Chen Xiao was a genius. It was impossible for someone in his teens to create a fourth-grade talisman. His grandfather, Zuo Qiuming, was the universally acknowledged foremost talisman master in the empire, and he only managed to comprehend the method of drawing fourth-grade talismans when he was sixty years old.
Zuo Youren said this only to tarnish the reputation of "Wang Ji Talismans" and even make it disappear. As for this young man who dared to oppose him, Zuo Youren had plenty of ways to deal with him.
Chen Xiao, as if he couldn't understand Zuo Youren's intentions, looked intently at Lan Qinger and said, "This time, this good-for-nothing hasn't spoken incorrectly. Whether it's a genuine enchantment talisman, Miss Lan will know after trying it."