A burly middle-aged man entered, his imposing aura filling the hall, making the surrounding air feel heavy and oppressive.
"Marquis Wu'an!" The surrounding citizens of Wu'an City knelt in reverence, their faces filled with respect. Only Chu Chen stood firm, unfazed.
"Marquis is here, quickly kneel and pay your respects!" Liu Mengdie quickly reminded Chu Chen.
Chu Chen, however, acted as if he hadn't heard, saying indifferently, "I have never met the Marquis before, why should I pay my respects."
"Bold!" The guards beside Marquis Wu'an roared, "You mere commoner, how dare you not kneel before the Marquis? You deserve to die!"
"How dare you disrespect my young master?" Beside him, Liu Mengdie chided sharply, glaring fiercely at the guard.
Marquis Wu'an's gaze fell upon Chu Chen, scrutinizing him for a moment before frowning and asking, "Who are you?"
"Guess?" Chu Chen smiled faintly.
Marquis Wu'an's eyes flashed with a sharp, cold glint, and he said in a chilling tone, "This Marquis hates it most when people play games with me. Boy, are you seeking death!"
"I truly don't know the Marquis's name, nor do I know what you are talking about. As for whether you are seeking death, that has nothing to do with me."
Chu Chen shook his head and said calmly, "Farewell!"
With those words, Chu Chen turned and left, leaving a stunned Marquis Wu'an speechless for a long time.
"Hahaha... This is too funny!"
"Where did this fool come from, daring to provoke the Marquis?"
"Who does he think he is? Just a greenhorn kid who hasn't even grown out of his mother's milk, yet he dares to be arrogant before the Marquis?"
"Heh heh, there are always some arrogant fools in this world who don't know the immensity of heaven and earth, seeking their own demise."
The surrounding merchants and wealthy individuals began to mock and sneer. In their eyes, Marquis Wu'an was like a monarch.
They were eager to curry favor, and no one dared to defy his will.
Just then, Marquis Wu'an suddenly let out a thunderous roar, "Guards! Seize him. I will cripple his legs, throw him into prison, and let him experience all the tortures in the world!"
"As you command!" Four or five guards from Marquis Wu'an's mansion obeyed and quickly rushed towards Chu Chen, drawing their swords. The glint of steel was sharp and fierce as they lunged at Chu Chen.
"Overestimating yourselves!" Chu Chen sneered. With a slight shift of his feet, his body became a blur, disappearing from everyone's sight.
Bang! Bang! Bang!...
A series of muffled thuds echoed. The guards who had charged forward were instantly kicked flying, falling to the ground and crying out in pain.
In just one move, four or five strong guards were defeated.
At this moment, Chu Chen's figure reappeared before Marquis Wu'an, his blue robe fluttering in the wind. He looked at Marquis Wu'an with a playful expression, "You said you wanted to cripple me just now?"
"This..." Marquis Wu'an retreated two steps in terror, his face trembling violently, filled with disbelief.
"Marquis Wu'an, weren't you very arrogant just now?" Chu Chen stepped closer, sneering, "Why are you scared now? I thought you were some formidable figure, but it turns out you're just a coward who bullies the weak!"
Chu Chen's attitude was extremely hostile, even described as arrogant and overbearing.
"You scoundrel!" Marquis Wu'an roared, "Do you know who you're talking to? I am Marquis Wu'an, Qin Yunhai, a member of the royal family!"
"You dare to call this Marquis a dog? Are you tired of living?"
"Heh heh..." Chu Chen scoffed disdainfully, "What are you? Fit to be called a Marquis?"
Upon hearing this, Marquis Wu'an's face turned grim, his fists clenched, his nails digging deep into his palms.
"You..." Marquis Wu'an was furious.
"Marquis, please calm down!" A guard beside him quickly intervened, whispering, "This is a shop, after all. It's not appropriate for us to cause trouble here."
Hearing this, Marquis Wu'an calmed down slightly. He glared at Chu Chen through gritted teeth, then flicked his sleeve and left.
"Young Master Chu, you've caused trouble." Liu Mengdie sighed, "That Marquis Wu'an holds great power in court and is also the King of Zhenbei of the Qin Kingdom. His strength is formidable, and his background is powerful. He is absolutely not someone to be provoked lightly."
"Didn't I already teach him a lesson?" Chu Chen shrugged and smiled indifferently.
He didn't take Marquis Wu'an's threats to heart, as he knew very well that Marquis Wu'an wouldn't dare to deal with him.
Liu Mengdie sighed inwardly, feeling that Chu Chen was a bit reckless.
"Miss Liu, I'll take my leave now." Chu Chen cupped his hands towards Liu Mengdie and then turned to leave.
"Alas..." Liu Mengdie shook her head gently, her beautiful eyes filled with pity. She clearly regarded Chu Chen as a spoiled young master.
"Marquis Wu'an, how do you plan to handle this matter?" An old man asked outside the restaurant. He was Chen Wenyuan, the leader of the Imperial Guards.
"Hmph, this ignorant fool, daring to offend this Marquis, deserves to die!" A murderous glint flashed in Qin Yunhai's eyes. He glanced towards the restaurant.
He said coldly, "Pass down the order, seal off the entire Azure Dragon City immediately. Dig three feet deep if you have to, to find this brat!"
"Your Lordship is wise!" Chen Wenyuan cupped his fists and then hurried away.
Marquis Wu'an, Qin Yunhai, said coldly, "This Marquis wants to see who has the guts to offend my Marquis Wu'an's mansion!"
"Chu Chen, what you've done today is enough to send you to a place of no return!" A sinister smile appeared on Qin Yunhai's lips, his eyes filled with cruelty.
"Hmm?" Chu Chen frowned and suddenly turned his head to look behind him. He saw several soldiers in armor rapidly approaching, holding long spears, their bodies exuding a murderous aura.
"They've come as expected." Chu Chen's lips curled into a cold smile. He had anticipated this would happen, so he wasn't panicked.
"Capture him!" The soldiers roared, running quickly towards Chu Chen, raising their long spears and smashing them towards his head.
"Scram!" Chu Chen roared, unleashing a palm strike. The violent palm energy struck the long spears, and cracking sounds echoed continuously.
The long spears shattered instantly, turning into fragments of iron.
"Such powerful strength!" The soldiers' faces changed drastically, their eyes filled with horror. The strength Chu Chen displayed far exceeded their imagination.
"Run!" The leading officer immediately shouted.
The men scrambled away as if their parents had given them fewer legs, and in a flash, they were several dozen feet away.
Chu Chen couldn't be bothered with them and continued to walk forward.
"Stop!" A fierce shout suddenly echoed through the street. Several soldiers intercepted Chu Chen, blocking his path.
"Scram!" Chu Chen coldly commanded.
"Your Excellency is far too arrogant!" The leading officer's face turned ashen, and he stared coldly at Chu Chen, saying, "I am here on the orders of Marquis Wu'an to apprehend the assassin who spread rumors! Please accompany us!"