Chapter 60: The Annoying Ma Guiren II
As the topic shifted to house hunting, Ma Guiren listened with a keen, sly interest, his piggy eyes darting between Lu Feng and Lin Laifu. Seeing an opportunity to assert his influence once more, he leaned back in his creaking chair, a greasy, condescending smile spreading across his wide face.
"House hunting in Crimson Vale?" Ma Guiren chimed in, his loud voice effortlessly taking over the space again. "Little Lin’s agents are decent for ordinary properties, but if you truly want luxury, my connections run far deeper. My agents have access to the private listings in the upper district—places with rich spiritual energy they nurtures one’s body and has absolute privacy."
"If these two lovely ladies are interested, they are more than welcome to join me later today. I can personally escort them to check out the finest estates my men can find."
He grinned like a shameless pervert, nodding to himself as if he had just made an irresistible offer. Then, lowering his upper body slightly, Ma Guiren bent toward Lin Laifu, leaning close enough to whisper in a voice that was barely muffled.
"I must hand it to you, Little Lin," Ma Guiren muttered with a disgusting smirk, his eyes lingering shamelessly on Han Lin’s curves and Ye Chenxue’s cold, porcelain profile. "These ladies are certainly not bad at all. Fine quality, truly. Now I understand why you’re keeping their company and dragging them along for breakfast."
Lu Feng’s mismatched eyes darkened. He cleared his throat with a sharp, dry sound, letting the two merchants know with absolute clarity that his whispered words had not been missed.
Ye Chenxue’s face turned into a absolute blizzard of killing intent. Her hand dropped toward the table, her fingers tightening around a small porcelain teacup so hard the delicate clay began to crack under her grip. She was ready to shatter it against the fat man’s skull, but Han Lin was even faster.
PA!
The violent sound of a slap echoed across the entire top-floor terrace.
Before anyone could even register her movement, Han Lin’s hand had darted across the mahogany table in the blink of an eye, striking Ma Guiren squarely across his fleshy cheek. The sheer speed of her strike surprised everyone present, including Lu Feng, who raised an eyebrow in silent astonishment.
Ma Guiren’s head snapped to the side, his gold earrings jingling wildly as a bright red handprint began to bloom on his skin.
Han Lin stood above him, her chest heaving slightly, her refined demeanor replaced by a sharp, icy fury. Her slate-blue robes fluttered as she stared down at the massive man with utter contempt.
"Watch your filthy tongue, Master Ma," Han Lin warned, her voice ringing out with terrifying clarity. "Your words are entirely crude, and to speak them right in front of us without a shred of consideration shows your utter lack of upbringing. Your actions are no better than a wild pig’s wallowing in mud. In fact, even that pink duck of yours possesses far more respect and decency than you do!"
The entire terrace fell into a deadly silence.
Ma Guiren froze for a second, clutching his reddening cheek in complete, utter disbelief. Slowly, a vein bulged on his forehead, his small eyes turning bloodshot with explosive rage.
"You insolent little bitch!" Ma Guiren roared, his fat frame surging upward from his chair so violently that the heavy mahogany table rattled. He raised his massive, ring-adorned fist, roaring as he prepared to strike her back.
"Brother Ma! Please, calm down! Master Ma, I beg of you!" Lin Laifu instantly threw himself forward, grabbing Ma Guiren’s arm and pleading frantically, cold sweat pouring down his face. "She is a guest! Do not make a scene here!"
Ma Guiren violently shoved Lin Laifu aside, shaking his head with a murderous scowl. "Calm down? Today, I will not accept such actions from a mere servant girl! I don’t care whose guest she is!"
He turned his bloodshot glare away from Han Lin and pointed a fat, trembling finger directly at Lu Feng’s face.
"You!" Ma Guiren bellowed, his voice carrying down the spiral staircase. "You are her brother, aren’t you? If you want to leave this pavilion alive today, you will get down on your knees and kowtow to me twenty times right here! Only then will I consider forgiving your group! And as for this arrogant woman—Han Lin will have to follow me back to my private quarters tonight to quench my anger!"
At his command, heavy footsteps thundered up the stairs. Four tall, heavily armored bodyguards carrying heavy iron broadswords swept onto the terrace, their aggressive energy flaring as they marched directly toward the table section.
Hearing Ma Guiren dare to demand kowtows from Lu Feng and claim Han Lin for his quarters was the final straw.
Ye Chenxue couldn’t take it a second longer.
BANG!
A surge of frigid, razor-sharp spiritual qi erupted from Ye Chenxue’s meridians, shattering the porcelain cup in her hand into fine dust. In a flash of midnight-black silk, she blurred forward, her palm striking the opposite side of Ma Guiren’s face with the weight of a falling glacier.
THWACK!
The force of her strike sent the massive man stumbling backward, crashing heavily against a wooden pillar and coughing up a mouthful of saliva and blood.
"I have been holding back my hands since the moment you sat down," Ye Chenxue said, her glacial voice cutting through his groans like a winter wind, her eyes frozen in absolute killing intent. "Touch him, or speak his name like that again, and I will sever your head before your guards take another step."
The four bodyguards arrived at the terrace edge, their faces twisting into furious scowls as they saw their master bleeding on the floor. Drawing their heavy broadswords with a metallic shriek, they prepared to unleash hell within the pavilion, their collective martial pressure bearing down on the small table.
Lu Feng sat quietly in his seat, watching the chaos unfold. He let out a long, quiet sigh and shook his head softly. He had truly hoped to enjoy a peaceful breakfast and settle his house hunting without drawing blood, but seeing the guards charge in, he subtly shifted his weight, preparing his own qi to beat some sense into the entire group if it came down to it.
However, before the blades could clash and tear the top floor apart, a voice drifted down from the upper rafters.
"That is quite enough violence for one morning, gentlemen."
The voice was remarkably calm, smooth, and soothing, carrying a strange, gentle resonance that seemed to wash over the entire terrace like a cooling spring breeze. The moment the sound echoed through the air, the heavy, suffocating martial pressure from the bodyguards evaporated, and the explosive anger in the room seemed to freeze in place.
It was the owner of the Grand Crimson Pavilion herself.
The moment the voice reached their ears, the expressions on Ma Guiren and Lin Laifu’s faces changed drastically.
Ma Guiren, still clutching his bruised jaw on the floor, swallowed hard, a flicker of genuine fear crossing his bloodshot eyes as his aggressive posture instantly collapsed. Lin Laifu’s eyes widened in sudden realization; though a trace of worry lingered on his face, he noticeably relaxed his shoulders, letting out a soft breath as if knowing the immediate danger was over.
"This is a place of fine dining and peaceful leisure," the soothing voice continued softly, echoing from behind the thick silk curtains above. "I suggest you all take a moment to relax... before things truly become unpleasant."