Chapter 58: Nobles and Soul Masters are Different

The young man blocking the way felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss. He sensed himself being stared at by a cold snake, and he swallowed hard. The shame and anger within him, like a blazing fire extinguished by cold water, vanished without a trace with a hoarse sound.

Cheng Xiao noticed the trembling fingers of the young man, and the surge of soul power dissipated instantly. He had no intention of taking action against him. The Moon Pavilion had Soul Masters to maintain order, and minor conflicts could be resolved privately. However, disrupting the order of the dance would result in someone being thrown out.

He glanced around, silently mocking the dodging gazes around him.

Nobles? Hmph!

Nobles and Soul Masters both stood above the commoners, seemingly ruling over the continent.

But in reality, nobles and Soul Masters were different!

The confidence of Soul Masters stemmed from their strength. They might be rough around the edges, but they had the confidence to overturn tables.

Nobles, on the other hand, took pride in their decayed titles, a mere illusionary status, yet they were blindly worshipped by everyone. They bullied the weak and feared the strong, yet no one dared to overthrow their rule.

It was strange that in a world filled with martial prowess, these two types of people could coexist. It was hard to understand. Perhaps the Martial Soul Hall was useless. After so many years, it still couldn't eradicate this decaying system.

Therefore, when facing powerful Soul Masters like Dugu Bo, Cheng Xiao showed humility, trying to reveal the gentle side of human nature to avoid offending Soul Masters. One always had to show respect to those who wielded power, or they would teach you what respect meant with their fists.

But when facing nobles, he had to show a strong side, shattering their conventional hierarchy. Otherwise, he would be like now, unable to get close to Qian Renxue.

As for why Cheng Xiao wasn't afraid of them overturning tables?

Those who had the ability to overturn tables had all gone to the Tian Dou Academy. What were they doing at the Moon Pavilion? The Moon Pavilion didn't teach Martial Souls or cultivation.

Any noble who could cultivate would be sent to the Tian Dou Academy for study. Only those with useless Martial Souls or no innate soul power would come to the Moon Pavilion to learn etiquette. After graduating, they relied on the connections here for marriages and eventually entered the power circle.

The Soul Master Academy and the Moon Pavilion were two completely different paths, vastly different from each other.

Here, without resorting to violence, Cheng Xiao could scare whoever he wanted to scare. In a way, he was like the king of the hill in the forest.

As for after leaving the Moon Pavilion, when hired Soul Masters taught etiquette to nobles...

Haha, even without Ye Renxin as his backer, he wouldn't be bullied by ordinary Soul Masters. Below the Soul Emperor, he was fearless. Only above the Soul Emperor did he need to rely on the Shadow Soul Beast with all his might and risk his life for a slim chance.

As for nobles who could invite Soul Emperors for support...

There were, but didn't he have Ye Renxin and Dugu Bo's favors? Who would be afraid of whom?

Suppressing the malicious glances and quelling the restless nobles, Cheng Xiao took a few steps forward. Under the scrutinizing gaze of Xue Qinghe, he extended his hand towards the nearby Xue Ke.

"Princess, would you honor me with a dance?"

The jaws of everyone dropped slowly, dumbfounded.

Xue Qinghe's expression of astonishment flashed briefly. He had thought the other party was looking for him, but he hadn't expected him to merely invite Xue Ke for a dance?

Xue Ke was also puzzled, with a hint of confusion in her gaze.

But the gaze of everyone in the room converged on this scene. Xue Ke hesitated for a moment. Low chuckles echoed around.

The young man who had blocked the way originally felt embarrassed and wanted to leave with his face covered. However, after seeing this scene, he burst into laughter.

Where did this wild kid come from? He also wants to invite the princess to dance? Dream on!

Even if you are a Soul Master, so what? Titles are a natural barrier. The royal family has countless loyal Soul Masters. Who do you think you are? Even dancing with the princess, are you not afraid of dirtying her hands?

Cheng Xiao turned a deaf ear to all this, paying no attention to Xue Ke's reaction. Facing Xue Qinghe's scrutinizing gaze, he raised his head, smiled and nodded, his movements skilled as if the two were already acquainted. It was no different from the day they parted ways at the restaurant.

In an instant, Xue Qinghe was awakened by that nodding motion. The familiar cheeks finally appeared in his mind!

"It's him! The young man by Ye Renxin's side!" Xue Qinghe suddenly realized.

No wonder he didn't immediately recall him. As the Crown Prince, he had countless people fawning over him. It was impossible for him to remember each and every one of them.

Just like the nobles he talked to today, there weren't many he could remember, and most of them would be forgotten the next day.

Now that he thought about it, Xue Qinghe finally officially paid attention to this inconspicuous youth. His thoughts turned slightly, and he thought that he might inquire about Ye Renxin's purpose in coming to Tian Dou City from this kid.

Xue Qinghe patted the soft arms of Xue Ke, who was holding onto him, without speaking. Xue Ke instantly understood his meaning.

The perplexity on Xue Ke's face melted away like snow in a furnace, replaced by a slightly stunning smile.

She extended her jade-like hand and, to the astonishment of everyone, gently placed it in Cheng Xiao's palm.

"I accept your invitation!"

The two stepped onto the dance floor, gracefully dancing to the music.

The disdainful gazes of all the nobles disappeared as they glanced at the expression on the Crown Prince's face, then solemnly instructed those around them.

"Inquire with Xiang Yu Xuan, what's the background of this kid!"

"Go, find out where he lives! What's his identity! What's his soul power level! I want to know everything!"

The mocking laughter of the boy blocking their path froze on his face, and the whispers around him didn't seem to affect him, but they pierced his heart like sharp blades.

Various emotions like embarrassment, shame, and jealousy brewed within him. At this moment, he felt like he had lost all face in front of all the nobles. He felt like a circus monkey, a laughingstock.

Unable to bear it any longer, the boy blocking their path lowered his head, wishing to cover his face, and hurriedly left the banquet hall as if fleeing.

Xue Qinghe paid no attention to the suspicious glances of others, watching the two dancing elegantly in the center. His gaze was somewhat unfocused, his fingers lightly tapping the wine glass, pondering how to extract information from the boy later.

"Who are you?" Xue Ke's lips curved into a smile, her gaze following their dance moves, with a hint of spring in her eyes, as if immersed in the dance. But in the next moment, the voice that flowed from her lips carried a hint of coldness and curiosity.

"Uh, at the moment, I'm your dance partner," Cheng Xiao casually replied.

He wasn't interested in Xue Ke. To him, this so-called princess was just a vase, a tool connected to Xue Qinghe.

Cheng Xiao's movements didn't evade his gaze. At this moment, Cheng Xiao already knew that Xue Qinghe had recognized him, making it easier for him. Xue Ke's role was already minimal.

"Heh, your intentions are obviously not with me," Xue Ke swayed her body, her smiling lips making it difficult to discern her words. "You just want to attract the attention of the Crown Prince with my help. Is this how you repay the person who helped you out of embarrassment? This behavior is not gentlemanly."

"I thought this was a very gentlemanly response," Cheng Xiao glanced at her, the whiteness on her chest was too dazzling, but not spectacular, like a bud waiting to bloom, not enough to pique Cheng Xiao's interest.

This was the body of a normal girl. Soul masters matured too early, under the stimulation of soul power and soul rings, they all lost their youthful innocence.

"Princess, why bother? This is just a performance at the moment, an appetizer for formal discussions among politicians. After today, there will be no need for you to bridge the gap between me and the Crown Prince. You and I will have no further interaction."

In other words, you're just a tool, once the dance is over, you can go wherever you want!

Xue Ke almost bit her silver teeth, but her face remained as calm as ever. She buried her cheek on Cheng Xiao's shoulder and said fiercely, "Aren't you afraid that I'll tell the Crown Prince about your intentions and ruin your plan?"

"I should thank the princess for that," Cheng Xiao didn't care. "I don't mind if the Crown Prince knows my intentions. This is my sincerity. I show my value, and the Crown Prince helps me achieve my goals. Politicians never dislike someone because of their emotions. If the Crown Prince is influenced by emotions, then he is not worth serving, is he?"

Xue Ke was stunned. She didn't expect the person in front of her to be so calm. In the past, whoever could gain the Crown Prince's favor would excitedly kneel down and swear allegiance?

But today, what did she hear? A wild kid of unknown origin swore that if the Crown Prince couldn't satisfy him, he wouldn't pledge allegiance? The situation was reversed. Didn't he know who was in the superior position?

But this was indeed Cheng Xiao's true thoughts.

Having a love-struck mind wasn't a big problem, but if he lacked even a bit of political acumen, he didn't need to pin all his hopes on her. It would be better to contact the Seven Treasure Glass Sect or the Martial Soul Hall sooner.

It didn't matter who unified the continent, whether it was the Heaven Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire, or the Martial Soul Hall, it didn't make much difference to Cheng Xiao.

He didn't have grand ambitions, didn't care about status, he just wanted to take advantage of his weakness to grow wings, and when he had the strength, he would break free.

Becoming a god was his ultimate goal.

Therefore, he prepared to contact Qian Renxue as an "opportunist".

In other words, there was a vague "ambiguity period" between the two sides, where they were like lovers, both undergoing a trial period. Qian Renxue was assessing whether Cheng Xiao was worth cultivating, while Cheng Xiao was assessing whether Qian Renxue was worthy of being the master.

The challenge during the ambiguity period was the tacit understanding between the two sides. If they couldn't reach a consensus in the "unspoken words," then there was no need to talk about anything else.

Only when both parties expressed a willingness to cooperate would they gradually escalate and eventually reach a unified front.

Xue Ke remained silent, quietly cooperating with Cheng Xiao in the dance, her expression murky and difficult to discern.

As the music ended, the crowd dispersed.

Cheng Xiao returned Xue Ke to Xue Qinghe, nodded with a smile, and then left. Xue Ke watched his figure leave, her eyes flashing.

"What did he say?" Xue Qinghe lowered his brows, covering his lips with a wine glass, and asked softly.

He was confident in controlling Xue Ke, having cultivated her for many years, and Xue Ke would never deceive him.

As expected, Xue Ke faithfully recounted their conversation to Xue Qinghe.

Upon hearing this, Xue Qinghe raised an eyebrow, his interest in Cheng Xiao growing even stronger. "Oh? Did he really say that?"

"Yeah." Xue Ke nodded.

Xue Qinghe neither confirmed nor denied it, nor did he inquire further, engaging in conversation with other nobles.

Xue Ke's gaze wandered, seemingly searching for that figure in the crowd, but for a long time, she couldn't find him in the banquet hall. With slightly upturned eyelashes, Xue Ke's heart was restless.

Cheng Xiao had been waiting for Qian Renxue to send someone to find him.

But no one came for a long time.

Cheng Xiao had been holding on, believing that Qian Renxue was also holding on.

Both of them were not fools and were unwilling to take the initiative.

In the ambiguous period, neither lover was willing to break through that layer of window paper, because whoever broke it first meant losing the initiative, and for a long time afterward, the situation would not improve much.

Cheng Xiao didn't want to be at Qian Renxue's mercy, which meant he was too cheap, no different from other loyalists.

There was a difference between begging for food while kneeling and demanding it while standing. He preferred the latter!

Qian Renxue also didn't want to lose the initiative. As a "Crown Prince", if he couldn't control an ordinary soul master, how could he show his authority in the future?

Everyone wanted to maintain their dignity to the end.

Until the end of the banquet, Cheng Xiao had not been able to have a conversation with Qian Renxue.

Cheng Xiao frowned, feeling somewhat disappointed.

"Ah, forget it, if that's the case, let's think of another way." Cheng Xiao sighed, not too discouraged.

There were more than just Qian Renxue as an option; he had alternatives. If the road with Qian Renxue was blocked, then he would change his target.

As the crowd dispersed, Cheng Xiao finally left the Moon Pavilion, looking at the sky, there was still time, so he hurriedly moved to the Ye Mansion, preparing to go to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well tomorrow.

The Eight-cornered Profound Ice Grass and the Fiery Apricot Seed were must-haves. In addition to those, the Dew of Autumn Night, which could enhance spiritual power, was also essential. The Aromatic Silk Beauty, which could neutralize any poison, couldn't be missed either, along with...

Cheng Xiao was calculating the fairy grass he needed to pick tomorrow, thinking that if Dugu Bo didn't agree, he would use his promised favor in exchange.

Just as he left the Moon Pavilion, suddenly, two huge men blocked his path, standing side by side, almost blocking out the sunlight.

Cheng Xiao looked up, considering whether dealing with these two would cause a disturbance. He had already offended all the nobles today and had anticipated this result.

"You're Cheng Xiao?"

Cheng Xiao nodded, "What's the matter?"

"Come with us," one of them said, "His Highness the Crown Prince wants to see you."

Cheng Xiao had already activated his soul power, preparing to knock down the two of them, but upon hearing this, he was stunned. He didn't expect Qian Renxue to finally yield when everyone had dispersed.

But it wasn't too late.

In the end, he still won. A smile crept onto Cheng Xiao's lips.

"Lead the way!"

Cheng Xiao was led by the two men to a teahouse not far from the Moon Pavilion, went upstairs, and arrived at the highest floor of a loft. Upon pushing the door open, he saw the elegant man inside.

Cheng Xiao calmly sat down in front of Xue Qinghe, without a hint of humility.

Xue Qinghe raised an eyebrow, not getting angry, but instead poured him a cup of tea.

"What do you want?"

Cheng Xiao's hand holding the teacup paused for a moment, then he chuckled, "What can Your Highness give?"

Xue Qinghe furrowed his brows. He could give much more if he ascended to the throne. Could you afford it?

Upon further thought, titles were obviously not what the other party was seeking. Most soul masters were disdainful of titles, especially someone as proud as Cheng Xiao. Soul rings and soul bones? Huh, are you worthy?

"I can give you anything you want, but what about your value?"

At this point, Qian Renxue still refused to give up the initiative, trying to suppress Cheng Xiao's sharpness during the conversation.