Just as Luo Min was about to speak...

At that moment, a very unpleasant voice suddenly came from across the street.

"Hey, isn’t that Luo Min, the Patriarch of the Luo family? He failed to get an audience with our Tianya Commerce Association before, so what’s he doing running over to the Divine Walk Commerce Association across the street?"

"Haha, looks like the Luo Patriarch knows he can’t get in with our Tianya Commerce Association, so he’s gone to the Divine Walk Commerce Association for help."

"Tsk tsk, the Divine Walk Commerce Association has been on the decline these past few years. Going around with the Luo family... birds of a feather really do flock together. I just wonder if the Divine Walk Commerce Association will even receive Patriarch Luo Min."

"Hmph, would they dare? The Qin family has made it known that any Pill-focused power in the Imperial Capital that dares to receive the Luo family will be making an enemy of the Qin family. Hehe, and if they make an enemy of the Qin family, won’t the Divine Walk Commerce Association just collapse even faster?"

Across the street stood a seven-story pavilion, its sheer presence dwarfing the Divine Walk Commerce Association’s building. Two guards stood there with their arms crossed, sneering at the other side of the street and tossing out one taunt after another.

Ye Xuan glanced at the sign. It was, surprisingly, the Tianya Commerce Association’s pavilion.

The Tianya Commerce Association and the Divine Walk Commerce Association really were bitter rivals. In Black Stone City, their shops were situated right across from each other. He hadn’t expected that here in the Sky Empire’s Imperial Capital, their Pill pavilions would also be directly opposite one another. They were practically mortal enemies.

Although this wasn’t the main entrance for either of the two great commerce associations, there was still a lot of foot traffic. The two guards’ words immediately attracted a crowd of onlookers.

The conflict between the Luo family and the Qin family had been public knowledge lately. Seeing Luo Min and Ye Xuan, many people began to whisper amongst themselves.

Meanwhile, upon realizing Luo Min’s identity, the two guards from the Divine Walk Commerce Association were aghast, staring at him in shock.

They had heard about the order issued by the Qin family. A wave of fear washed over them now, and they felt a secret sense of relief that they hadn’t let Luo Min and Ye Xuan inside earlier. Otherwise, the two of them would have been done for.

Luo Min’s face was ashen. He trembled under the watchful eyes of the crowd. ’I’m the Patriarch of a noble family. Since when does a mere gatekeeping guard dare to mock me?’ And yet, he couldn’t do anything to punish them.

"What’s with all this trash shouting and screaming over there? It’s polluting my ears," Ye Xuan, who wasn’t nearly as patient, said with a cold sneer.

"What did you say, kid? Say that again, and believe it or not, I’ll make you go eat shit."

"That guy is standing next to Patriarch Luo Min. He must be a disciple of the Luo family, right? Fuck, the Luo family is about to collapse, and their disciples are still this arrogant. What a pig-brain."

The two guards flew into a rage and began to curse arrogantly.

"Courting death."

Ye Xuan’s gaze turned cold. His eyes suddenly locked onto the two men, his black pupils instantly turning an uncanny cyan. An invisible ripple of Soul Power swept out.

The change in Ye Xuan’s eyes lasted only an instant before they returned to normal. No one in the crowd noticed a thing.

The only ones who reacted were the two guards. They felt a pair of enormous cyan eyes manifest in their minds as a terrifying power slammed directly into their seas of consciousness. Utterly defenseless, they lost awareness in an instant.

Before the eyes of the entire crowd, the two guards’ faces suddenly broke into idiotic grins. They began to laugh foolishly, then started dancing around while stripping off each other’s armor.

"What are those two guards doing? Why are they taking off each other’s armor?"

"Maybe they think it’s too hot and want to cool off?"

"Maybe they’re just so excited from humiliating the Patriarch of the Luo family that they can’t control themselves. It makes sense, I guess. A lowly guard says something, and the Patriarch of a noble family doesn’t even dare to talk back. How could they not be excited?"

"And now they’re dancing. A classic case of a petty man hitting the jackpot."

The crowd on the street watched the two guards stripping each other’s armor, dumbfounded and murmuring in astonishment.

Gradually, however, the crowd sensed that something was off, and their surprise mounted.

"Wait, why are they starting to take off their underwear now?"

"Don’t tell me they’re about to get it on in public?"

"Since when has the Imperial Capital become so... open-minded?"

The pedestrians on the street stared with wide eyes, their faces filled with disbelief. The two men excitedly tore off their clothes and pants, garments falling away one by one until their dark, hairy chests were exposed.

"Oh my god, why does that guy have so many whip marks on his body?"

"The other one is covered in writing! Let me see, what does it say? ’I’m a stud dog, fuck me hard’?"

"BLEARGH!"

The two men’s actions grew more and more excessive, the scale of their depravity escalating. Finally, they somehow found a pile of shit and began to devour it madly, their mouths filling with filth.

Combined with the writing and whip marks covering their bodies, the sight was so unbearable that everyone started to vomit.

Disgusting. It was simply too disgusting.

Everyone’s stomach churned, and they doubled over, vomiting loudly. The most extreme case probably threw up last year’s New Year’s Eve dinner, until only stomach acid was left sloshing in their gut. Even Luo Min, who had been so thoroughly humiliated by these two just moments ago, couldn’t bear to watch and turned his head away.

Even an idiot would understand by now that these two guards had definitely been secretly attacked.

"Heh heh."

As the crowd continued to retch, Ye Xuan’s calm voice rang out.

"No wonder these two are always telling people to go eat shit. Turns out it’s their hobby. They could have just told everyone about it; eating shit is a private hobby, after all. There’s no need to put on a public performance, is there? Look how you’ve disgusted everyone."

"BLEARGH!"

The group of pedestrians, who had just barely managed to stop vomiting, started heaving all over again. Even Ye Xuan felt his stomach turn.

"What’s all this ruckus outside?"

Just then, an angry shout came from within the Tianya Commerce Association’s pavilion. A man who looked like a steward walked out. When he saw the situation at the side entrance, his face turned livid with rage. His stomach churned, and he almost threw up himself.

He roared in fury, "What are you two doing?!"

But the two guards, completely oblivious to his words, just kept eating happily.

The steward’s expression changed instantly. Realizing something was wrong, he ignored the disgust and slammed a palm into each of their backs.

BANG! BANG! The two shit-eating guards were sent flying, looking utterly wretched. They sprayed out a mixture of blood and feces, and the idiotic look in their eyes finally cleared. Upon realizing their own condition, they immediately began to vomit violently, more intensely than anyone else had.

Only after they had thrown up until their stomachs were filled with nothing but acid did they hastily pull on all their clothes, their bodies trembling and shaking violently, their eyes filled with terror and disgust.

"What in the world happened?"

The steward’s furious shout finally brought the two back to their senses. They immediately began to wail, their words reeking of shit, "Steward Chen, it was that kid! It was all that kid’s doing!" The stench was so bad the steward had to pinch his nose and hold his breath.

The two pointed a trembling finger at Ye Xuan, their eyes practically spitting fire.

Thinking about what they had just done, the two of them instantly doubled over and started vomiting violently again.

Him?

Steward Chen’s gaze locked onto Ye Xuan and Luo Min, his pupils shrinking. He said in a cold voice, "Well, look who it is. Patriarch Luo. You dare to viciously attack my Tianya Commerce Association’s guards on the public street? Is there no law in this land? Men, go get the Celestial Dragon Guard!"

Someone from the Tianya Commerce Association immediately ran off to fetch the Celestial Dragon Guard.

Soon, a patrolling squad of the Celestial Dragon Guard arrived.

"What’s going on here?" the leading Celestial Dragon Guard captain said coldly, frowning as he glanced at the messy ground.

"Sirs, this person publicly and viciously attacked my Tianya Commerce Association’s guards on the street. I ask that you sirs of the Celestial Dragon Guard bring justice for my Tianya Commerce Association," Steward Chen immediately said, cupping his fists to the members of the Celestial Dragon Guard.

"Oh? Is that so?" The Celestial Dragon Guard captain’s gaze grew cold. He turned to look at Ye Xuan and Luo Min, and when he did, he couldn’t help but be taken aback.

"You are... Patriarch Luo Min of the Luo family? And this person beside you is..." the Celestial Dragon Guard captain asked uncertainly.

"Honorable Sir, I am indeed Luo Min, and this is Young Master Ye," Luo Min said hurriedly, cupping his fist.

The Celestial Dragon Guard captain’s face immediately broke into a smile. "So it’s Patriarch Luo and Young Master Ye! Haha, I’ve heard so much about you. Captain Shao has mentioned you both several times. Meeting you for the first time today, I can see you’re truly extraordinary."

"Not at all, not at all!" Luo Min said humbly.

Seeing this, Steward Chen of the Tianya Commerce Association’s expression changed. He immediately spoke up, "Sir, these two assaulted people at the entrance of my Tianya Commerce Association. This is hardly the time for pleasantries, is it?"

The Celestial Dragon Guard captain shot Steward Chen a look. "Does the Celestial Dragon Guard need you to tell us how to do our job?"

Steward Chen took a deep breath and said, "Of course not, it’s just that..."

"Alright, that’s enough. We will make our own judgment on this matter. You just watch."

After speaking so coldly, the Celestial Dragon Guard captain immediately turned to Ye Xuan and Luo Min with a smile, cupping his fist. "Gentlemen, the Tianya Commerce Association is now accusing you of public assault. I wonder, do you have anything to say in your defense?"

Ye Xuan immediately replied, "Of course we do. The two of us have just been standing here without moving an inch, as everyone present can attest. We’re quite puzzled as to why this Steward Chen is accusing us of public assault."

"Steward Chen, he’s the one who did it! We just saw his pupils change for a second, and then we lost consciousness!" the two guards said angrily.

Steward Chen immediately turned to the Celestial Dragon Guard. "Sirs, you heard them. I now suspect that the Patriarch of the Luo family and this kid used a spiritual attack on my Tianya Commerce Association’s guards. I ask you to uphold justice!"

"Heh, ’his pupils changed for a second.’ How ridiculous. What if I said you sprayed me with your bad breath and my heart exploded?" Ye Xuan said disdainfully.

"You..." Steward Chen’s face turned red with anger.

"’You’ what? Cut the crap. You’re accusing us of assault, so does your Tianya Commerce Association have any proof? Don’t give me that bullshit about my ’pupils changing for a second.’ My eyes were tired, so I can’t even blink? What are you, a fucking goldfish that can go all day without blinking?" Ye Xuan mocked.