73: Chapter 73 An Unpleasant Guest Arrives

"Bang—!"

The originally quiet and peaceful teahouse was instantly disrupted by this sudden noise.

Chen Ran sat upright in his original seat, his fingers gently rubbing the edge of the rough teacup.

An invisible ripple spread outward from his body.

[Heavenly Net]

Once this Yao Race innate ability was used, everything within a hundred zhang seemed to become transparent.

Chen Ran closed his eyes and slowly turned his head to look at the floor, seeing several white, transparent figures appear in his mind.

The teahouse patrons watching the show, the hooligans causing trouble, the chaotic scene...

Everything appeared in his mind.

This was the terror of the Yao Race innate Divine Ability; this technique alone could rival top-tier martial arts, and this was merely a support ability.

Not to mention the Divine Abilities of those great Yao.

Chen Ran sensed slightly.

"They aren't experts, just a few ordinary Martial Artists."

After confirming the strength of the troublemakers downstairs, Chen Ran deactivated the Heavenly Net.

With his current strength, he could not keep the [Heavenly Net] open at all times; the consumption would be too great.

...

Su Qinghe frowned slightly, a flash of displeasure crossing her cold, clear eyes.

She stood up and looked down from above.

The first-floor lobby was already in a mess.

Several men wearing short jackets, looking roguish, were blocking the entrance.

The leader was a burly man with a face full of flab.

The sauce-colored short jacket on Xu Kui's body was stretched tight; with his heavy breathing, the flab on his chest shook, exuding an air of barbaric ferocity.

At his feet was a table that had been kicked to pieces, with broken porcelain shards and tea splashed all over the floor.

"Master Xu, Master Xu, please calm down!"

The teahouse owner, Old Sun, sat slumped on the floor. Unable to care about wiping the tea off his face, he scrambled forward, pleading with a bitter face:

"This old man truly didn't do it on purpose. It was just that you entered too hurriedly just now and knocked over the tea tray..."

"What a load of crap!"

Xu Kui glared, and his palm, as big as a cattail-leaf fan, slapped directly over.

"Slap!"

With a crisp sound, Old Sun's thin, withered body was sent flying like a broken sack, crashing heavily into the counter, unable to get up for a long time.

"You old thing, you dare to talk back?" Xu Kui spat on the ground and cursed viciously,

"I'm here today to collect protection money! Less talking, this month's regular fee is ten taels of silver, and not a single coin less!"

"Ten taels?!" Old Sun held his highly swollen cheek, his voice trembling,

"Master Xu, you only collected five taels last month. How come it's risen to ten taels this month? This old man's run-down teahouse doesn't even earn ten taels of silver in a month!"

"That was last month's price!"

A monkey-like man standing next to Xu Kui spoke in a sinister tone.

Han Jiuping wore a dark blue short shirt, his triangular eyes darting around, revealing a sense of shrewdness and sinister malice.

"Old man Sun, why don't you go out and ask around? What kind of times are these in the capital now? Jianghu people are everywhere; it's very chaotic!

Our Gang brothers patrol the streets every day to protect the safety of you neighbors. What's wrong with collecting a bit more for our hard work?"

Han Jiuping sneered and took a step forward.

"No money? If you don't have money, use this teahouse to pay off the debt!" Han Jiuping's eyes were malicious.

Xu Kui scanned the surroundings, his gaze constantly sweeping over the diners, trying to find someone.

At the second-floor staircase, Su Qinghe heard this and could no longer suppress the anger in her heart.

Her cold, clear voice rang out in the lobby, carrying an unquestionable majesty:

"In broad daylight, at the feet of the Emperor, how dare you engage in such extortion? Is there no law left?"

Xu Kui and Han Jiuping looked up upon hearing the sound.

When they saw Su Qinghe's appearance, both of them were stunned.

Su Qinghe was wearing a simple and elegant green dress today. She wore no makeup, but it was hard to hide that refined and unworldly temperament.

Especially the coldness and nobility of someone who had long held a high position and was well-read, which, in this teahouse full of mundane atmosphere, was simply like a crane standing among chickens.

Xu Kui's turbid eyes lit up instantly, staring straight at Su Qinghe, his Adam's apple unable to stop bobbing up and down.

"Jiuping, is this the person?"

"It's her!"

Han Jiuping looked carefully and confirmed her appearance.

"Yo, in this run-down teahouse, there's actually such a Heavenly Immortal-like beauty hidden?"

Xu Kui grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, his tone frivolous,

"Little lady, what are you to this old thing? What, you want to stand up for him?"

Han Jiuping's triangular eyes also scanned Su Qinghe up and down.

He leaned into Xu Kui's ear and whispered something, and the smile on Xu Kui's face immediately became even more lewd.

"I will pay Old Sun's money for him."

Su Qinghe took out an exquisite money bag from her sleeve and said coldly: "Ten taels of silver, right? Take the money and get out immediately!"

She didn't want to escalate things.

This was the capital, a place where all kinds of people mixed, and although these hooligans were low-class, they often had Gang forces backing them.

If a fight really broke out, Old Sun's teahouse would likely never have another peaceful day.

Paying to avoid disaster was currently the safest method.

"Ten taels?"

Han Jiuping suddenly let out a strange laugh and said sinisterly: "Little lady, you heard wrong. That was the price for Old Sun just now.

Since you, this great beauty, are willing to stand up for him, then the price will have to change."

He extended five fingers and waved them in front of Su Qinghe.

"Fifty taels!"

"You!" Su Qinghe's expression changed. "You are raising the price on the spot, this is extortion!"

"We are extorting you, so what?" Xu Kui stepped forward, the flab on his face shaking.

"Little lady, fifty taels of silver, not a single coin less! If you can't take it out..."

He let out two lewd laughs: "If you can't take it out, you accompany me for a day, and I'll waive this bill for you!

How about it? I guarantee to let you..."

"Presumptuous!"

A loud shout suddenly rang out.

The guard leader Liu Zhong, who had been guarding the staircase, could no longer endure it.

He suddenly drew the long blade from his waist; as the blade left its sheath, it emitted a crisp metallic ring.

"Clang—!"

A chilling blade light flashed through the dim lobby, and a sharp Killing Intent instantly locked onto Xu Kui and Han Jiuping.

Liu Zhong was an elite guard of the Su Family; although he was only a seventh-grade Martial Artist, he was a tough character who had truly licked blood on the edge of a blade.

With this draw of the blade, that iron-blooded, murderous Aura instantly made Xu Kui and the others turn pale, and they subconsciously took two steps back.

"You... what do you want to do?!" Xu Kui shouted, his voice fierce but his heart fearful, "I'm telling you, we are people from the Flying Bear Gang!

If you dare to touch a hair on our heads, the Flying Bear Gang will absolutely not let you off!"

"What is the Flying Bear Gang!" Liu Zhong's eyes widened in anger, the veins on the back of his hand holding the blade bulging, and he was about to step forward to cut down these reckless rascals.

"Liu Zhong, stop!"

Su Qinghe suddenly spoke, her voice stern.

Liu Zhong also realized, his expression changing slightly.

It was a serious crime to start a fight casually in the capital.

Especially now, during this special period; if those with ill intentions towards Wenxin Hall learned of this, and news spread that the current Senior Sister of Wenxin Hall was starting fights casually, it would be terrible.

"Yo, you even brought guards?" Xu Kui sneered, his face full of disdain, pretending to be calm as he said,

"What, you don't dare to make a move? If you don't dare to move, then obediently pay the money. If you don't have money, then obediently come with me. In this capital territory, no one dares to owe us money!"

He saw that Su Qinghe didn't dare to escalate the matter, so his arrogance grew even more, and he stepped directly onto the stairs.

"Master Xu! Master Xu, please calm down."

Just at this moment, Old Sun, who had fallen to the ground, found some strength from who knows where, scrambled up, stumbled to the staircase, and grabbed Xu Kui's thigh.

"Master Xu, I'll pay, I'll pay!" Old Sun said with tears streaming down his face,

taking a worn-out cloth bag from his bosom, his trembling hands undoing it.

Inside were a few pieces of broken silver and a pile of copper coins, adding up to at most two or three taels.

"This is all of this old man's possessions, I'll give it all to you! I beg you to raise your hand high and spare this Young Miss, she is a good person!" Old Sun pleaded bitterly.

"Get lost!"

Xu Kui didn't even look at the broken silver, kicking Old Sun away with one foot.

"Are you trying to dismiss a beggar with this bit of shitty money?!" Xu Kui cursed, "I'm not just here for money today, I also want the person!"

He strode up to the second floor, his gaze passing over Su Qinghe and looking into the private booth.

Upon seeing this, his eyes immediately went straight.

In the shadows of the private booth, a woman in white wearing a veil stood quietly.

Although her face could not be seen, her graceful figure and that cold, moon-like temperament were even more eye-catching than Su Qinghe's.

Especially that faint sense of mystery, which made people's hearts itch uncontrollably.

"Tsk tsk tsk, today I've really had a stroke of luck with women." Xu Kui's eyes lit up, drool almost flowing out,

"I didn't expect this run-down place to actually hide two top-tier beauties!"

He pointed at Jiang Mengli and laughed unscrupulously: "That little bitch wearing a veil, you come over to me too.

Let me take a good look! Tonight I'll have you two sisters serve me together..."

His words weren't finished yet.

Inside the private booth, Chen Ran, who had been resting with his eyes closed, finally slowly opened his eyes.

He picked up the cup of tea on the table that had already become slightly cool, took a gentle sip, and then slowly and steadily placed the teacup back on the table.

"Thud."

A soft sound.

The sound was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone present.

Chen Ran raised his eyes, his gaze calmly looking at the burly man with a face full of flab at the staircase.

"I heard you are from the Flying Bear Gang?"