Chapter 106: Each with Their Own Thoughts

"It must be so! Only in this way would he possess the Starpeak Ring, only in this way would he have reached the Spirit Path realm at such a young age, and only in this way would he dare to look down upon the four great families.

Chen Zhong was notoriously protective of his own. Not to mention his personal disciples — even if a mere disciple of the Mystic Yang Hall suffered any grievance, once he learned of it, he would definitely come to reclaim the honor. At the thought of this, Wen Hongcai could not help but feel a chill running down his spine.

The four great families might have to give the Carefree Pavilion due respect, but the Mystic Yang Hall, ranked second among the mystic sects, had no such obligation. If he offended Chen Zhong, the Carefree Pavilion might as well shut its doors in the Blood Victory Empire altogether. Realizing this, Wen Hongcai naturally knew what he needed to do. "Young master, I apologize, but I must ask — is what he said the true account of matters?"

"Of course not!" The shift in Wen Hongcai's expression did not escape Lin Xiaobao's eyes. Though somewhat puzzled at the moment, Lin Xiaobao recounted the entire series of events, all the while wondering what Wen Hongcai was truly getting at.

"Is that so?" Although he suspected Lin Xiaobao to be a disciple of Chen Zhong, Wen Hongcai was also unwilling to offend the four great families. Asking the attendant on duty now was merely a way of giving Long Xiuping a graceful way out.

But Wen Hongcai had clearly overestimated the intelligence of his own subordinate. The attendant failed to notice that the Pavilion Master's attitude toward Lin Xiaobao had been faintly tinged with deference. Still believing that his master simply wished to demonstrate impartiality and fairness, the attendant immediately spoke up: "He's lying! This longsword was indeed reserved by Master Long yesterday, yet he acted as if the Carefree Pavilion had nobody about and insisted on forcibly buying it!"

Having said this, the attendant even cast a smug glance at Wen Hongcai, as if to say: Pavilion Master, how did I perform?

Wen Hongcai was so furious he wished he could slap the man straight into a wall.

"Now that the truth has come to light, I hope Pavilion Master Wen will uphold justice for this junior!" At this point, Long Xiuping seemed to share the attendant's misunderstanding of Wen Hongcai's intentions and began to play along as well.

"Though Master Long did reserve the sword first, it was after all this young master who paid for it first. I see no reason why Master Long cannot be magnanimous and let the sale stand." At this point, Wen Hongcai had no choice but to steel himself and say the words.

"That is only proper —" Long Xiuping was just beginning to nod smugly as Wen Hongcai spoke, but when he registered what had actually been said, his expression immediately darkened. "Pavilion Master Wen, what is the meaning of this? Are you playing games with the Long family?"

Qi Junming and Xia Anqi's faces changed at the same moment. Their gazes toward Lin Xiaobao shifted noticeably. Just who was this brat? Wen Hongcai was willing to offend the Long family for his sake?

In comparison to Long Xiuping, Qi Junming and Xia Anqi, though sometimes prone to foolishness, were not without brains. Just now, Wen Hongcai had clearly been shielding Lin Xiaobao.

"That is not how one should phrase it. Besides, Master Long does not represent the Long family in his own right, does he?" After saying this, Wen Hongcai instructed the attendant, "Today, Master Long may select any single item from the shop as he pleases — no charge!"

With that, he paid the others no further heed and walked over to Lin Xiaobao, saying, "I wonder if the young master would be free to step into the back courtyard for a word?"

"When the Pavilion Master is so understanding of righteousness, this youngster would naturally be honored to heed your wisdom!" Lin Xiaobao also wished to figure out why Wen Hongcai had helped him.

Seeing Lin Xiaobao's reply, Wen Hongcai shifted his body slightly to the side, gesturing for Lin Xiaobao to go first. Lin Xiaobao did not decline and strode forward. As he passed the attendant, he reached out and patted the man on the shoulder with great pretension, letting out a faint sigh as though filled with endless disappointment, before walking through to the back hall.

Watching Lin Xiaobao and Wen Hongcai gradually disappear from sight, Long Xiuping and the other two glanced at one another in mutual bewilderment, each silently wondering just what origins this young man possessed that even the Pavilion Master of the Carefree Pavilion treated him with such deference. At that moment, none of them had any heart for sightseeing. They immediately departed, each for home — such information needed to be relayed to their elders at once.

Yet their thoughts differed. Qi Junming and Xia Anqi wanted to tell their clans that a great figure had arrived in Blood Wind City, while Long Xiuping, feeling his face had been slapped, intended only to go back and lodge accusations against Lin Xiaobao, hoping the elders of his clan would fight for his honor — unaware that his actions would plunge the Long family into an abyss from which they could never climb out.

Uncle Zhang, who had been hiding in the shadows all along, was likewise filled with doubt. This young man, who appeared to be only at the fifth stage of the Acquired Realm, actually possessed the strength of the third stage of the Spirit Path Realm. And he had an identity that made Wen Hongcai prefer to offend the Long family rather than him. It seemed this friend of the Second Young Miss was far from being as simple as he appeared on the surface.

"May I ask your esteemed name, young master?" After entering the back hall, once the servants had served tea and withdrawn, Wen Hongcai asked Lin Xiaobao with a measure of respect.

"Lin Xiaobao!" As for his name, Lin Xiaobao saw no need to conceal it, and he likewise went straight to the point. "I am curious — what did Pavilion Master Wen see in me that made it worth openly offending the Long family on my behalf?"

Just as I thought. Since Lin Xiaobao was aware of the four great families' power and still dared to defy Long Xiuping, Wen Hongcai knew that his gamble had most certainly been placed in the right spot. He said, "I wonder — has Senior Chen been well recently?"

"Senior Chen?" Lin Xiaobao was puzzled. When had he ever known a Senior Chen? Then, all of a sudden, he thought of Chen Zhong at Nine Plains Mountain. Could that old fellow actually be formidable? Only now did Lin Xiaobao recall Chen Zhong's unfathomable depth of cultivation. At the time, he had not thought much of it, but now it seemed there was likely a tremendous connection between all this and that old man. At the thought, Lin Xiaobao unconsciously glanced at the Starpeak Ring on his hand.

Of course. Wen Hongcai must have seen the ring on his finger and mistaken him for having a close connection to Chen Zhong, which was why he had not hesitated to offend the Long family. It seemed Chen Zhong's standing was even above that of the four great families!

He's young, after all. Watching Lin Xiaobao's movements, Wen Hongcai felt secret delight. Though Lin Xiaobao's tone was plainly denying any relationship with Chen Zhong, the subtle glance he had cast at the Starpeak Ring at the end did not escape Wen Hongcai's eyes. To Wen Hongcai's mind, Lin Xiaobao simply did not wish to reveal his connection to Chen Zhong.

"Since Brother Lin does not wish to speak of it, I shall not press the matter!" Given the chance to curry favor with Chen Zhong, Wen Hongcai believed no one in any mystic sect would easily let it slip by. He felt no embarrassment at all about what he said next. "I presume to call you brother, though I have more years on me — you do not mind, do you?"

Looking at the brilliant smile on Wen Hongcai's face, Lin Xiaobao felt even more certain of his conclusion, and he laughed in return. "This is the Pavilion Master honoring me; this youngster is flattered beyond measure!"

"I wonder, Brother Lin — what business brings you to Blood Wind City? If there is anything that requires Wen's services, simply say the word." Drawing Lin Xiaobao close was tantamount to drawing close to Chen Zhong; drawing close to Chen Zhong was tantamount to drawing close to the Mystic Yang Hall; and drawing the Mystic Yang Hall close would allow the Carefree Pavilion's business in the Blood Victory Empire to expand even further. Of this, Wen Hongcai was perfectly well aware.

"I merely heard that the Carefree Pavilion is hosting an auction for magical treasures and came especially to take in the spectacle. But I worried I might not have enough gold coins, so I decided to come today first to sell some things." Lin Xiaobao's words were quite truthful. As he spoke, he took out a fist-sized Coldstar Stone obtained from the ancient seal. "How many gold coins would this Coldstar Stone fetch?"