"One hundred Spirit Stones? Why is Wei City's entrance fee so high? You're not trying to extort me, are you?" Ye Tian was annoyed by the guard's tone, so he didn't mince his words.
"So you're really here to cause trouble! Brothers, we've got a kid here trying to stir things up! He wants to bring his carriage into the city and won't listen to reason!" the guard immediately roared.
"Who's so bold as to cause trouble in Wei City? He must have a death wish! Arrest him and take him to the dungeons!" a guard from nearby immediately yelled.
In moments, ten guards arrived and surrounded Ye Tian. "Get the person inside the carriage to come out! Carriages are forbidden in Wei City, yet you dare to break the rules deliberately. Come with us to the dungeons quietly if you want to avoid a beating. Otherwise, we'll execute you on the spot as a spy!" an armored guard declared.
Ye Tian glanced at the armored man. 'He must be their leader, with his power at the Three Vein Realm,' he thought. The other guards were all at the Second Vein Power Realm. To put it bluntly, they weren't even as strong as the guards in Lin Yuan City.
Zhang Xinlan slowly stepped down from the carriage. She knew exactly what was going on; these guards simply saw Ye Tian as an easy target to bully.
Zhang Xinlan despised people like this, especially when they were bullying her man. As she stepped off the carriage, the aura of a Five Vein Powerhouse erupted from her. It washed over the guards, instantly crushing them to the ground.
Of course, she had controlled her power perfectly, using just enough force to render them immobile. The guard captain, however, could still move. He looked at Zhang Xinlan and immediately stammered, "We were blind and failed to recognize a master! We didn't realize you were in the carriage. Please, milady, be merciful and spare us!"
"Keep your eyes open in the future. Not everyone is someone you can bully. I'll let it slide this time. If there's a next time, it'll be your lives," Zhang Xinlan said, her voice like ice.
Her words were like a plunge into an ice cellar to the guards, and a deep chill settled over them. "We understand! We understand!" the captain exclaimed.
Ye Tian glanced at Zhang Xinlan. "You're really something," he said. "I didn't want to cause trouble, but I never expected them to act like this. Had I known, I would've taught them a lesson myself!"
Zhang Xinlan smiled faintly. "Some people only respond to a firm hand. You can't be so soft-hearted in the future. You have to remember, with our status, even the City Lord would have to treat us with the utmost respect."
Then, Zhang Xinlan turned back to the guard captain. "So, what's to be done with our carriage? Do we leave it here, or are we taking it into the city?"
"Please, milady, don't be angry. Of course you're to enter the city! A person of your distinguished status must naturally be allowed in! And the entrance fee is waived, of course!" the guard captain said respectfully.
Zhang Xinlan gave a slight nod of assent and climbed back into the carriage. Ye Tian also got back in the driver's seat and urged the horse forward, into the city.
Although night had fallen, the city gate was still bustling with pedestrians who had witnessed the scene clearly. Many began to speculate about the pair's identities, especially Zhang Xinlan's.
The streets of Wei City were still very lively at night. Lanterns hung on both sides, illuminating the road brightly. There were still many vendors hawking their wares from stalls, their cries cutting through the evening air.
"Aren't we being a little too conspicuous coming in like this?" Ye Tian asked. "Look, there really aren't any other carriages on this street. You don't think this will cause trouble later, do you?"
"What is there to fear? If anyone dares to make trouble, we'll just crush them. You're the Young Master of Shen Li Palace. By rights, the City Lord himself should be here to welcome you. Don't forget who you are. Let's find an inn to stay the night, but first, let's get something to eat.
"It's been ages since we've tasted any of the delicacies from the outside world back at Linyuan Academy. Don't you want to have a drink with me?" Zhang Xinlan added with a smile.
"I was thinking the same thing. Let's go! There's an inn with a huge sign not far ahead. It must be good!" Ye Tian laughed.
Soon, the two arrived in front of the inn. Ye Tian looked up at the sign and chuckled. "Xiangmantang! 'Fragrance Fills the Hall.' That's an interesting name. I wonder if the food actually lives up to it."
Just then, a waiter ran out from the inn. He was stunned to see that the two had actually arrived by carriage.
As far as he knew, only the City Lord ever traveled by carriage; he'd never seen anyone else do so. He had assumed Lord City Lord himself was arriving, so when he saw it was Ye Tian and Zhang Xinlan, his jaw dropped wide enough to fit an egg.
But the waiter was sharp and quickly recovered. "Are you two esteemed guests here for a meal or to stay the night? Our establishment is the most famous in all of Wei City! Whatever you wish to eat, there's nothing we can't provide! We could even prepare a meal fit for the current Emperor himself!"
"Oh, is that so?" Ye Tian chuckled. "In that case, I'd like some roasted Tier Six Demon Beast. I wonder if your inn has any? It's been ages since I've had it, and I'm feeling a little nostalgic."
'What a joke,' he thought. 'To make such a ridiculous boast right to my face. If I don't call him on it, they'll really think we're easy to fool.'
The waiter was instantly dumbfounded. 'Who in the world is this guy, asking for roasted Tier Six Demon Beast? He's deliberately making things difficult!'
'Normally, he would have confronted them for causing a scene,' the waiter thought. 'They were clearly looking for trouble. An inn this large naturally has powerful backing. But these two entered the city by carriage, which meant their status was extraordinary. He couldn't dare to offend them.'
"Esteemed guests, please, come inside first," the waiter said, recovering. "Let me go ask the Shopkeeper if we have the dish you requested. If we don't, I hope you'll choose something else! In any case, I promise our inn will ensure your satisfaction!" With that, the waiter made an inviting gesture and hurried toward the counter.
He then exchanged a few words with a middle-aged man. Meanwhile, Ye Tian and Zhang Xinlan found a secluded corner to sit down. The inn wasn't as busy at night as during the day, but it was a large establishment, and with it being the dinner hour, there were still quite a few patrons.
Someone had already taken the carriage to be properly stabled. Just then, the Shopkeeper approached Ye Tian and Zhang Xinlan. He discreetly sized them up, discovering that the young man's power was only at the Three Vein Realm. 'But the waiter said they arrived by carriage,' he mused. 'That can only mean they have an incredibly powerful family background, one that made even the city guards back down.'
Not long after Ye Tian and Zhang Xinlan entered the inn, a guard rushed into the City Lord's Mansion. He ran up to an elderly man in a golden robe and said, "City Lord, a Five Vein Powerhouse just arrived at the city gate. They insisted on entering by carriage. We were powerless to resist, so we had to let them in. We await your judgment."
"Such a thing happened? Where are they now?" the golden-robed elder demanded…