Chapter 336: Liu Xian Appears

Chen Erbao let out a soft chuckle at Ma Qiming's words.

He was also curious about who on the other end of that call could have given Ma Qiming such confidence.

Someone with the surname Liu...

'Could it be that asshole I haven't even met yet?'

"I don't know if he's all-powerful, but you're in no position to be posturing in front of me. As for that business with the foreigner, I'll be sure to come looking for you for an explanation. I'm busy right now, so you just wash up and wait for me!"

The words were intentionally ambiguous, but to the four people present, they dripped with mockery and contempt.

Lin Zhiqing gently pinched Chen Erbao and shot him a glare. "What are you talking about…"

"Hehe, Zhiqing, I was just trying to scare him. Don't worry, I'm not interested in men."

"..."

Lin Zhiqing shot him another annoyed glare.

Watching the lovey-dovey pair, Ma Qiming felt the rage in his heart about to erupt. But then he remembered his father's advice and the call he'd received from Charles after his defeat. He clenched his fists and restrained himself.

If his father were willing to step in, he certainly wouldn't be afraid of Chen Erbao. The most difficult problem, however, was that his father refused to get on the wrong side of Medicine King Hall.

On his own, he was simply no match for him.

For a moment, the mall fell silent. The crowd of onlookers had long since been dispersed by Ma Qiming's men. Now, the vast shopping center was completely deserted.

DING-DONG…

Following the soft chime from a distance, elevator doors slid open, and a young man in a black suit walked over.

The young man was accompanied by three other men and two women.

The oldest of the men wore an azure robe and had a goatee. He had on a pair of old-fashioned, retro-style glasses, and his eyes darted about restlessly. The moment he stepped out of the elevator, his gaze landed on Chen Erbao.

The other two men looked to be in their thirties. They wore identical, form-fitting traditional jackets, their shoulders rippling with muscle. They had brutish, fleshy faces, and their temples bulged prominently, which immediately caught Chen Erbao's attention.

He could sense the aura of Spiritual Power coming from these two men.

'Impressive. He actually has two Ancient Martial Artists as personal bodyguards!'

Chen Erbao narrowed his eyes, unable to get a clear read on their strength just yet.

The two women accompanying the young man were each more beautiful than the last.

Their seductive figures and cold, detached expressions made even Chen Erbao's heart stir.

They were every bit as beautiful as Lin Zhiqing.

Their demeanors were just slightly different.

The young man walked up to the group with a steady gait. His gaze lingered for a moment on the footprint on Wang Ming's chest before shifting to Ma Qiming, a placid smile on his face.

"Young Master Ma, Young Master Wang, what's all this?"

He didn't even glance at Chen Erbao.

"Young Master Liu, my apologies for this embarrassing display. We ran into a… brute. He gets violent at the drop of a hat…"

Ma Qiming said with a fawning smile.

The young man listened to Ma Qiming, then waved a dismissive hand, his back still turned to Chen Erbao.

"Such a trivial matter… I'll have my men deal with them. Let's head on up."

"..."

Arrogant!

Unbelievably arrogant.

He completely disregarded Chen Erbao.

He couldn't even be bothered to look at him properly. The wave of his hand was like shooing away a fly—calm and full of contempt.

Of course, Chen Erbao wasn't so easily angered. He had already guessed the young man's identity and refused to believe the man didn't recognize him.

After all, he had ruined the man's plans.

Liu Xian!

The true top young master of Jiangnan Province.

His family was a cut above even Zhao Ruoying's Zhao Family.

After all, while the father of Zhao Feng and Zhao Ruoying presided over the worlds of business and politics, the Liu Family ruled the military.

The spheres of business and politics were intricate; not even the Zhao Family's word was absolute law. The military, however, was a different story. From non-commissioned officers to generals, everyone was either a scion or a retainer of the Liu Family. All it would take was a single word from Liu Xian to have the entire Hongyuan City surrounded.

As the saying goes, the mountains are high and the emperor is far away. Even the highest authorities could do little to control the powerful clans of Jiangnan Province.

After all, a single move against them could have nationwide repercussions, and no one dared take such a risk.

And that was what cemented Liu Xian's status and position in Jiangnan Province.

In ancient times, he would have been a top-tier princeling.

Just because Chen Erbao remained silent didn't mean no one would speak up for him.

Lin Zhiqing had no intention of indulging him. She stepped forward, positioning herself in front of Chen Erbao, and let out a cold laugh.

"Such a grand display, Young Master Liu. Anyone who didn't know better might think the Liu Family were the kings of Jiangnan!"

At the sound of her voice, Liu Xian finally turned around. His gaze fell upon Lin Zhiqing, and he froze for a second. The superficial smile on his face vanished, replaced by a sincere greeting.

"So it's Miss Lin. Long time no see. We parted in such a hurry last time on the Shangning. I didn't expect we'd meet here today."

"Heh, let's not pretend we're that close. We're merely nodding acquaintances. But today, I'm getting a real taste of your prestige, Young Master Liu. You truly live up to the name 'Princeling of Jiangnan'!"

This nickname had been given to Liu Xian by another young master in their circle. The reason was obvious—it was a way of "killing with praise," setting an impossibly high bar that would invite scrutiny and envy.

In this day and age, who would dare call themself a prince?

If anyone actually dared, they'd feel the full might of the state apparatus come down on them in a heartbeat.

The person who'd coined the nickname had done so with malicious intent, but the Liu Family had weathered a century of trials. How could they be brought down by such a trivial matter?

The games played by the upper echelons were hardly so crude, and a mere nickname was never going to topple the Liu Family.

At most, it would serve as a topic for idle gossip.

Liu Xian didn't get angry at Lin Zhiqing's words. His expression remained unchanged.

"Miss Lin, when did you arrive in Hongyuan City? Why didn't you let me know? I would have loved to fulfill my duties as a host."

"Spare me. I couldn't possibly accept. You should save that attentiveness for Zhao Ruoying!"

Everyone knew that the Liu Family wanted to form a marriage alliance with the Jiangnan Zhao Family, but it was unlikely that such an alliance would proceed smoothly.

One controlled the military, the other held sway over the worlds of business and politics. If they were to unite, then…

There were plenty of people who would move to stop it.

As Lin Zhiqing said this, she glanced at Chen Erbao out of the corner of her eye. Seeing that his expression hadn't changed, she inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

She had guessed there was some history between Chen Erbao and Zhao Ruoying, and her words were intended as both a jab at Liu Xian and a test of Chen Erbao's reaction.

But she regretted it the moment the words left her mouth.

She felt she should have trusted Chen Erbao.

Liu Xian chuckled, ignoring Lin Zhiqing's taunt. Instead, he looked past her at Chen Erbao.

"You must be the Mr. Chen I've heard so much about. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Chen Erbao stood casually with his arms crossed. He gave Liu Xian a quick once-over, then dismissed him, turning his attention to the old man with the goatee and the two men in traditional jackets.

"As expected of Young Master Liu. These three bodyguards you've brought are quite formidable."

The man with the goatee calmly stroked his beard, while the two men in jackets fixed Chen Erbao with gazes as sharp as a hawk's and as fierce as a wolf's.

Seeing that Chen Erbao hadn't given him a second glance, Liu Xian's brow furrowed for a split second before his expression returned to normal.

The man with the goatee spoke first, his voice amiable, like that of an old man sunning himself on a street corner.

"This gentleman is also quite formidable. I hope we'll have a chance to spar one day."

"Heh!"