Heaven-Dominating Martial Emperor

But refusing wasn't an option either!

With Ye Chen's current power, he could be crushed with a flick of a finger. His very life was in Ye Chen's hands, so he had to put on a performance that would satisfy him!

The Buddha's Son, his face cold, forced himself to remain calm. "So, you are a friend from the Song family. I've heard much about you."

He began with the same pleasantries, but his tone quickly shifted as he said gravely, "I've heard the Song family is immensely powerful, like a towering, unscalable mountain in Dongxuan Province."

"But I never thought a family of your standing would resort to bullying others in public."

"Oh? Bullying?" Song Jun raised an eyebrow, looking at the Buddha's Son with great interest. "I merely wanted a glimpse of your friend's face, and that's considered bullying?"

"Or could it be that your friend's identity is some kind of secret that can't be exposed to the light of day?"

Their verbal sparring was sharp and pointed.

The city gate guard felt immense pressure from the exchange!

As the saying goes, when gods fight, mortals suffer!

When great powers clashed, ordinary people like them were naturally better off staying as far away as possible. No one wanted to get caught in the middle.

Otherwise, if they got caught in the crossfire, they could die without anyone even noticing.

"This friend of mine has always been cold and aloof. He dislikes contact with strangers and prefers not to show his true face when traveling."

"It's a rare occasion for me to host my friend on a visit to Dongxuan City, and I'd rather not ruin his enjoyment."

The Buddha's Son chose his words carefully and spoke slowly.

His tone wasn't overly aggressive, but he maintained a firm stance.

When facing the scion of a great power like Song Jun, any sign of fear or submission would only earn him contempt and encourage the other party to become even more brazen.

Besides, this was Dongxuan City. Even if Song Jun was from the Song family, he would have to be somewhat wary and wouldn't dare act too recklessly.

Hearing this, a mocking glint flashed in Song Jun's eyes.

"I just happened to run into the Buddha's Son and merely wished to forge a friendly connection in the name of the Song family."

"The Buddha's Son is so unwilling to spoil his friend's mood, but is he willing to spurn the goodwill of my Song family?"

The Buddha's Son frowned, his heart tightening.

'So Song Jun is going to use the Song family's name to pressure me?'

'At a time like this, the slightest hint of fear would be tantamount to confirming to Song Jun that there was indeed a problem with Ye Chen's identity.'

'He had to remain firm to the very end!'

'That was the only way Song Jun would remain unsure of Ye Chen's identity. Even if he were only half-convinced, it would be enough to get them through this ordeal!'

"I would also very much like to forge a friendly connection with the Song family."

"But this friend beside me saved my life!"

"Let's not speak of this again! Under no circumstances will I force my savior to do something he does not wish to do!"

The Buddha's Son's expression was solemn, his tone grave. Each word he spoke was forceful and resonant.

From a distance, one could even see a faint Buddhist halo manifest around him—a truly dignified and solemn vision!

The city guard standing by was visibly moved.

'This Buddha's Son from Yan Province's Holy Temple truly lives up to his reputation!'

'To stand up for his savior, he's willing to make an enemy of a behemoth like the Song family. How admirable!'

"Savior?" Even Ye Chen was taken aback. He never expected the Buddha's Son to come up with such a flimsy excuse.

But in a way, what the Buddha's Son said wasn't entirely wrong.

Back then, Ye Chen had slaughtered all the Song family Cultivators present and could have easily killed the Buddha's Son as well.

There was already bad blood between them, so killing him would have been perfectly justifiable.

Yet he had reined in his killing intent and ultimately spared the Buddha's Son's life. In that sense, calling him a "savior" wasn't entirely an exaggeration!

"Tsk, a savior, is it..."

Song Jun's brows furrowed, his expression turning grim.

If that were true, then the Buddha's Son's unwillingness to yield made perfect sense.

And that would make his Song family the ones doing the bullying!

If word of today's incident got out, the Buddha's Son would gain a reputation for being resolute and unyielding, while the Song family's name would be tarnished for throwing their weight around. It could even attract the attention of the provincial government.

After all, if the Song family dared to bully people in Dongxuan City—a key territory directly under the provincial government's rule—wouldn't that be a blatant disregard for the government's authority and regulations?

And if they incurred the provincial government's wrath, it would be a huge problem.

The Song family certainly wouldn't go up against the provincial government for the sake of a minor figure like him!

Song Jun stared directly into the Buddha's Son's eyes, as if trying to see through to his very thoughts.

He suspected the Buddha's Son was bluffing.

After all, even if this person really was the Buddha's Son's savior, wasn't his attire still a little too unusual?

Unwilling to even show his face, to the point of offending the Song family?

No matter how he looked at it, the situation was bizarre.

'Who in the eastern part of the dynasty could afford to ignore the Song family's reputation?'

'To dare oppose the Song family, this person either had an unfathomably deep background, perhaps one not even weaker than the Song family's...'

'...Or his origins were shady, and exposing his identity would lead to unimaginable disaster!'

In Song Jun's opinion, the "savior" next to the Buddha's Son was most likely the latter.

'If he were just an ordinary Cultivator with nothing to hide, why would he refuse to even show his face?'

The Buddha's Son calmly met Song Jun's gaze, his own face a mask of tranquility.

Deep in his eyes, however, there was a glimmer of indignation and injustice.

It was as if he were truly fighting for his savior's justice, ready to defy the Song family!

Even Ye Chen couldn't help but marvel internally. 'This guy's acting is actually this good?'

"Hmph!"

"I certainly hope you're telling the truth."

After a long, tense silence that was both oppressive and unsettling, Song Jun finally spoke, breaking the stillness.

"Why would I need to bluff in front of the Song family?" the Buddha's Son replied casually, glancing at Song Jun.

"Of course I know you wouldn't dare."

Song Jun snorted coldly. "But nothing is ever certain! If I find out that a single word of what you've said is false... the consequences will be more than you can bear."

"...And if every word I spoke is true, will you apologize for doubting me today?"

the Buddha's Son shot back, neither servile nor overbearing.

Clearly, Song Jun had finally provoked his anger.

'This is Dongxuan City! He had no obligation to bow to Song Jun's demands!'

'Song Jun's condescending attitude had been grating on him from the very beginning!'

Ye Chen glanced at the Buddha's Son in surprise, as if he hadn't expected him to dare speak to Song Jun in such a manner.

'Was this the same Buddha's Son who had been trembling before him, kneeling and begging for mercy?'

The city gate guard, standing nearby, was moved by the Buddha's Son's words, and a look of shared indignation appeared on his face.

'As a guard of Dongxuan City, he couldn't stand Song Jun's arrogant, superior attitude either.'

'Even if outsiders needed to be inspected, that was his duty. On what grounds did Song Jun think he could just meddle, just because he was from the Song family?'