Chapter 113

Chapter 113: Wen Xu’s Frustration

Wen Xu had always viewed himself as Qin Xian’s equal—a rival, a peer, even a fated adversary. In his mind, they were the “Twin Dragons” of the empire, destined to vie for dominance.

But the truth was, Qin Xian had never considered Wen Xu a serious competitor. To Qin Xian, the Wen family was nothing more than a nouveau riche clan, a temporary power propped up by the Regency Council.

Qin Xian was the only son of Qin Ming, the empire’s regent, and heir to the thousand-year-old Qin family.

The real power struggle was between the Regency Council and the Qin family, the two pillars of the empire. The Wen family was merely a cog in the regent’s machinery, a means to control the military.

If anyone from the Wen family could claim to stand on equal footing with Qin Xian, it would be Wen Xu’s elder sister, Wen Yu. As the SSS-ranked Eastern Army Commander and the regent’s personal disciple, her status gave her a modicum of parity with Qin Xian.

Wen Xu, on the other hand, simply didn’t measure up.

Standing silently, Wen Xu’s face was a storm of conflicting emotions: anger, shame, and humiliation.

The stark difference in Yuan Quan’s treatment of him and Qin Xian stung deeply. Yuan, one of the seven deacons of the Church of Revelation and a Level 65 powerhouse, had shown deference to Qin Xian while barely acknowledging Wen Xu.

This was a blow to Wen Xu’s pride, a reminder of the reality he had refused to acknowledge—he and Qin Xian were not equals.

It was a painful realization. To the Church of Revelation and the broader elite circles of the empire,

Wen Xu was merely a scion of a newly risen family. Qin Xian, on the other hand, was the heir to a dynasty, a figure who embodied the legacy and power of the empire’s most influential family.

The humiliation was made worse by the presence of Gu Anran, the girl Wen Xu treasured above all else. In her eyes, he was supposed to be invincible, a protector who could shield her from any harm.

Yet here he was, rendered powerless in the face of Qin Xian’s effortless superiority.

Wen Xu had grown up surrounded by adulation. His sister, Wen Yu, doted on him, and his own SS-ranked talent as a Paladin had earned him the admiration of even the regent himself.

With the Wen family’s rapid rise, Wen Xu had come to believe that the Wen family and the Qin family were equals—and by extension, that he was Qin Xian’s equal.

But Yuan Quan’s dismissive attitude felt like a slap in the face, shattering that illusion.

Wen Xu’s pale face flushed with anger, his confidence crumbling. His earlier bravado in front of Qin Li now seemed laughable, a desperate act of posturing. No wonder Qin Li had been so indifferent to his threats.

His hands clenched into fists, and his heart burned with resentment. He longed to lash out at Yuan Quan, but he dared not. Yuan was a Level 65 powerhouse and a deacon of the Church of Revelation, a figure of immense influence. Even the Regency Council treaded carefully around him.

Yuan Quan, meanwhile, regarded Wen Xu with a flicker of disdain.

Wen Xu had potential, but his actions today had revealed his immaturity. Comparing him to Qin Xian was like comparing a flame to a bonfire. The gulf between them was vast.

If Wen Xu had been an SSS-ranked talent, Yuan might have hesitated to pick a side. But as an SS-ranked individual, he was simply one of many. SSS-ranked individuals, however, were exceedingly rare—once-in-a-century figures. The difference in value between SS and SSS was monumental.

Yuan Quan’s scorn deepened when he learned the source of the conflict: Gu Anran. To him, a woman like Gu Anran was utterly unremarkable. Among the elite, beautiful women were a dime a dozen, often treated as commodities exchanged between families.

That Wen Xu would jeopardize his family’s standing over such a trivial matter was both absurd and laughable.

After hearing the situation explained, Yuan Quan declared coldly, “Escort Miss Gu out of the auction.”

The guards immediately stepped forward, ready to carry out his order.

“Wait!” Wen Xu roared, his voice filled with fury.

His personal steward, Zhao Tong, stepped in front of the guards, his face cold and resolute. As a retired colonel and a Level 55 Blood Swordmaster, Zhao Tong wasn’t intimidated by the guards—or even by the Qin family. His loyalty lay solely with Wen Xu.

Gu Anran, meanwhile, was overwhelmed. As a high school graduate, she had never encountered such a high-stakes confrontation.

Her timid voice trembled as she spoke. “Wen Xu, maybe I should just leave. This has gotten so out of hand. I can apologize again to that lady…”

Despite her clumsiness, Gu Anran was inherently kind and empathetic. She believed she was at fault for the incident and couldn’t bear to see others suffer because of her.

But her innocence only deepened Wen Xu’s resolve.

Looking at her frightened expression, Wen Xu felt a surge of protectiveness. His voice was firm as he said, “Don’t worry, Anran. I’ll get justice for you. No one is allowed to bully you. I swear it.”

Yet beneath his determination simmered a sense of frustration and helplessness.

Despite his status as the heir of the Wen family, he was unable to protect Gu Anran in the way he had promised. It was a stark reminder that, in the imperial capital, the Wen family’s influence was not as unshakable as he had believed.

For the first time, Wen Xu felt the weight of the reality he had refused to face: the Wen family was powerful, but it was no Qin family.

And today, standing against Qin Xian, that difference felt insurmountable.