She said this with a smile, looking around the deck before her gaze finally landed on the bearded man. “If you are unsatisfied with the price of the flying boat, you may choose another way to travel. We at Tianxia Tower never force a sale.
Please step aside so the customers behind you can board.”
As soon as the female cultivator finished speaking, someone on the flying boat slapped the gunwale. “I agree with that. Tianxia Tower’s prices have always been fair.”
“I’m still waiting to pay my fare so I can go to my cabin and meditate.”
A young man standing on the stairs was also getting impatient. “If you can’t afford the flying boat, big guy, then leave quickly. Don’t block the way.”
The bearded man was unmoved and gave a cold snort. “Fine, I merely spoke a few fair words, and you all want to drive me away.
What, are you going to bully the weak?”
While things were restless on the flying boat, the young boy below was already rolling on the ground, throwing a tantrum. “I don’t care, I don’t care! I want to ride the flying boat!”
The old man’s face wrinkled up as he pointed at the boy on the ground, frustrated by his behavior. “It’s my fault for not teaching your father well; now even you have learned to be bad.
Once we reach Donglin City, I’ll make sure your mother disciplines you properly.”
He reached out to pull the boy up, but though the child was young, he had a lot of strength when throwing a fit. The old man was unwilling to use spirit energy to hurt him and had no other tools on hand, so he was stuck in a stalemate.
Mu Chenze nudged Jiang Yao’s shoulder. “Do you know how to refine spirit-binding ropes? This is exactly when something like that is needed.”
“You underestimate me.”
Jiang Yao pulled out a green rope, showed it to Mu Chenze, and then tucked it back away. “Yellow-rank high-grade spirit-binding ropes. They can restrain a cultivator at level nine of Qi Refining at most, which is more than enough to handle this situation.”
A crowd had already gathered below the flying boat, and cultivators who needed to board were blocked outside.
Seeing that the situation wasn't right, someone had already gone to find the marketplace patrol.
As soon as the patrol arrived, they heard the words “bully the weak.”
“Who wants to bully the weak in the Conghe City marketplace?”
The marketplace patrol wore uniform attire. As soon as they arrived, the surrounding cultivators recognized them and voluntarily made a path.
The patrol captain was a capable-looking female cultivator. She walked into the inner circle and glanced around the deck and the stairs.
When she spotted the bearded man on the deck, she frowned almost imperceptibly.
“What is going on here?”
Since she hadn't cleared up the facts yet, she didn't want to judge anyone based on past impressions. She looked at the female cultivator on the deck and the bearded man. “Which of you will speak first?”
Upon seeing the patrol captain, the bearded man panicked for a moment but quickly regained his composure.
Just as he was about to speak, the female cultivator from Tianxia Tower took a step forward. “I’ll speak.”
She spoke without hesitation, never losing the polite smile on her face.
“Chen Yuan, since you want to be a rogue, don't blame me for not showing you any respect. Last year, you dined at Qianwei Hall in the eastern part of the marketplace and refused to pay the bill, claiming there was dirt in the food.
Did you think the shopkeeper couldn't do anything to you because they couldn't find evidence at the time?”
She smiled slightly. “It just so happened that a cultivator was dining in the shop that day and used a recording stone to capture the moment you threw dirt onto the plate.
At the time, he didn't bring out the recording stone because he was afraid of being harassed by a rogue like you.
Right now, that recording stone is in my hands.”
Panic flashed across Chen Yuan’s face. He frowned as he stared at the woman's storage bag, occasionally glancing at her expression, his lips trembling as if he wanted to say something.
In response, the Tianxia Tower cultivator’s expression didn't even flicker. “Six months ago, you were wandering in an alley on the west side of the marketplace. Because a woman was in your way, you kicked her, killing her on the spot.
You thought no one was around, so you used a spell to burn her to ash and destroy the evidence, thinking you were safe.
Little did you know that a family, having suffered from a theft, had hung a recording stone under their eaves for a long time. It happened to record your evil deed.
When that family returned seven days later and checked the recording stone, they found quite a lot.
The thief was you, Chen Yuan.
Seeing it was you, that person also didn't dare to bring out the recording stone.
Chen Yuan, care to guess who has that recording stone now?”
Chen Yuan could no longer stay still. His toes were already turned toward the stairs of the flying boat, and his eyes drifted toward the ground below.
When he saw the patrol team surrounding the area, and especially when he saw the capable woman leading them, his face turned even paler.
The Tianxia Tower cultivator continued, “Three months ago, in the southern part of the marketplace, you...”
“Enough!”
Chen Yuan could no longer endure it and shouted harshly, “I am merely a customer making a reasonable inquiry about your fees, and you make up all these stories to slander me!”
He shouted loudly, but his feet didn't stop. In the blink of an eye, he jumped off the flying boat, not even bothering with the stairs.
As he passed the boy throwing a tantrum on the ground, he even tripped over him.
The boy didn't care about any of that; he only cared about rolling on the ground until he got what he wanted.
Now that he had been kicked by Chen Yuan, he howled even louder.
The capable female cultivator delivered a swift side kick to Chen Yuan’s chest, sending him flying several zhang until he hit the array on the surface of the flying boat and slid down.
As soon as they exchanged moves, it was clear that the patrol captain was at the middle Foundation Establishment stage, while Chen Yuan was only at the early stage.
The female cultivator from Tianxia Tower hadn't made a move. If a high-rank cultivator intentionally suppressed their aura, a low-rank cultivator wouldn't be able to see through them.
Gu Ningyun’s eyes widened at the sight, and she couldn't help but shout, “Cool!”
Mu Chenze’s hand, which was fiddling with his folding fan, paused. “Cool? What does that mean? Is it a dialect for ‘cry’?”
He craned his neck to look closely at Chen Yuan’s face. “He isn't crying, though.”
Gu Ningyun didn't know whether to laugh or cry and quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
The capable female cultivator waved her hand, signaling her people to pin Chen Yuan down.
The Tianxia Tower cultivator raised her hand and bowed to the patrol captain. “In addition to what I mentioned, Chen Yuan has committed several other crimes.
Tianxia Tower has completed its investigation. All recording stones, other related physical evidence, and witnesses will be sent to the marketplace patrol headquarters shortly.”
Two months ago, Chen Yuan had also targeted a Tianxia Tower spirit boat like this, trying to get a free ride through harassment.
At that time, the person in charge of the flying boat was newly appointed, and their cultivation had only just reached Foundation Establishment.
Chen Yuan was too much of a rogue; the person in charge couldn't suppress him, and he succeeded.
Having tasted the sweetness of success, Chen Yuan had frequently come to the Tianxia Tower flying boat docks to cause trouble since then.
To ensure normal business transactions, the marketplace prohibited cultivators from fighting within its bounds.
It just so happened that Chen Yuan was slippery; every time he came to cause trouble, his excuses sounded righteous.
Many times when he did evil, he left no trace behind.
He acted like a rogue, a pure local thug, and he was extremely vindictive.
If someone offended him, he would retaliate in various ways and at various times.
Furthermore, there would be no evidence to prove the retaliation was his doing.
Over time, the regular cultivators in the marketplace would avoid Chen Yuan as much as possible.
Rate on N.U.
