"Ugh... fuck..."
Before Xiao Chen could finish his speech, though, a devastating solid fist slammed into his stomach, stopping him midway.
The punch this time was so strong that his body jerked violently, his ribs cracked under extreme stress, and he was filled with agony to his core. Involuntarily, a beautiful crimson arch of blood spewed onto the cold ground, followed by his curse.
But even after such a solid punch, he remained rooted in place, held steady by a pillar-like arm pressing firmly against his back.
"Enough is enough, you stupid piece of shit. Your IQ is as low as your father's. Don't drag my clan into this."
Again and again, belittling a First Rate sect in front of the whole crowd—what was he planning to do?
More importantly, considering how easily he could be beaten like this despite Zhixian's middle level of the Qi Gathering realm, it was clear that Xiao Chen was still that waste who couldn't practice, and his golden finger hadn't arrived yet—if he even had one.
So why was he already trying to provoke a big enemy for nothing?
Justice?
Even in his previous world, where law ruled the land, it was hard to find. Let alone here.
"Zhixian, you are too much! Do you even put me in your eyes?!"
And of course, Xiao Heng was enraged after seeing Zhixian once again beating his son black and blue right in front of him.
Even other Xiao family members and the crowd around wondered if Zhixian had some grudge against this guy.
After all, that punch was really heavy without any mercy.
But before Xiao Heng could do anything though, Grand Elder Baizhen stepped forward, stopping him in his tracks.
Even the other elders of the clan came forward, as they felt that Xiao Chen had gone too far. He had almost said something he shouldn't have once again.
"What? Do you guys want to stop me too? Don't forget, I'm still your Clan Leader!"
Seeing everyone stopping him, Xiao Heng roared in anger. He knew they didn't like him much, but ganging up on him in front of the whole crowd was like rubbing his face in the dirt.
"Heh... Clan Leader?"
Hearing him once again trying to assert his position, Zhixian snapped.
"You have to act like one to be treated as Clan Leader. If my grandfather didn't feel guilty about your wife, would you still be in that position?"
Zhixian was really starting to hate this father-and-son duo.
"What... spouting nonsense..."
"Zhixian, there is no need for that."
His sudden words made the situation awkward, and even Grand Elder Baizhen stopped Zhixian from going too far. After all, it wasn't wise to expose their family matters to outsiders.
"Grandpa, I am sorry for bringing that up, but now you have to make your decision for our family."
Zhixian first apologized, then grabbed the delirious Xiao Chen, who was barely conscious from the force of his punch, and forcefully placed him on the ground, facing Elder Murong.
Since he didn't get the Antagonist Point by smacking Xiao Chen this time, he lost interest in continuing this farce.
He then turned around, first gave a slight salute to the middle-aged man in front, then continued,
"Sorry for showing the ugliness of our family, Elder Murong."
"Since it has come to this, unfortunately, let me represent the Xiao Clan for now."
Zhixian then looked at Huang Yue and said with a straight face, devoid of emotion,
"Our Xiao family accepts your cancellation of the engagement with Xiao Chen. From now on, the Xiao family and the Huang family have no such relations. Let all the crowd here be the witness."
First, he directly canceled the engagement without any fancy words, and before Huang Yue could say anything else, Zhixian looked at Elder Murong.
"As for his over-the-line behavior and sarcastic words, I hope Elder Murong doesn't mind. He is a kid—restless, anxious, and unaware of what he is spouting. He has always been a little stupid since childhood."
He said this while saluting him once again in simple apology, causing all the Xiao clan members to twitch their mouths.
As for Xiao Heng, his face was already as bad as it could be. But since everyone was stopping him, he could do nothing.
"Heh... it seems the Xiao family does have at least someone who has a brain."
Seeing the young man in front apologizing in front of the whole public, and that too on such an occasion, Elder Murong was impressed.
Moreover, he noticed that although Zhixian seemed sorry, he did seem to mind their intrusion today from the cold look he gave to Huang Yue.
However, these things didn't matter to him at all. If not for Huang Yue, he wouldn't even look at this small city, much less such a small family twice in his lifetime.
What mattered to him most was that he couldn't let the reputation of his sect go to the gutter. If he allowed that, he would be shot to death once he returned to the sect—no questions asked.
As an Outer Sect Elder, he knew how Crimson Blade operated. So he looked at Xiao Chen, Xiao Heng, and all the crowds around and said in a cold voice,
"But, young man... I don't think a simple apology is enough."
'Figured!'
Zhixian sighed a little heavily after hearing Elder Murong's reply. Just as he expected, a simple apology was never enough.
Because he knew that the Crimson Blade Sect took its face very seriously. Not just anybody could slander it recklessly and go unscathed with a simple apology.
'I Hate this Face-Saving Game the most!'
Zhixian cursed under his breath with a dark expression. Then suddenly he turned around, faced everyone, and announced loudly in a thunderous voice,
"Since it was Xiao Chen who was stupid enough to slander a First Rate sect without thinking, I hereby announce that he is to be sentenced to one week in the Dark Prison as punishment."
"You DARE!"
However, before his thunderous voice could subside and the crowd could digest what he just said, another loud roar from Xiao Heng shook the hall.