In the pavilion.
Xiao Chen was soothing the slightly flustered Lin Ruyan.
After all, they were husband and wife.
Besides, Lin Ruyan was indeed strikingly beautiful!
With a delicate, palm-sized face, a pair of watery eyes that seemed to speak, a pert nose, crimson lips, and an ethereal grace.
She was entirely to Xiao Chen's taste!
Although Lin Ruyan was the daughter of the wealthiest merchant and had seen her share of grand occasions, in a society structured around scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, merchants always fell short in front of officials.
Especially this time—one was the Minister of Revenue, and the other was the Prince of Zhendnan!
One careless misstep, and it would spell total catastrophe for the Lin Family!
Lin Ruyan could not help but panic.
Yet Xiao Chen remained utterly calm. Unawares, this self-assurance of his infected her, temporarily easing her anxiety.
Feeling the dependable embrace of a real man in Xiao Chen, Lin Ruyan inevitably adopted a coy, girlish posture, proactively moving closer to lean against him.
Basking in the moment, Xiao Chen smiled and said, "Don't worry, I've got everything handled. What does it matter if they're ministers or princes? Before long, there will come a time when they have to beg me for help!"
Yet to others, this scene took on an entirely different flavor!
Li Bikuan, who had been eavesdropping for a long time, could finally hold back no longer. He stepped out and sneered, "You complete fool, you sure talk a big game!"
"You've tarnished the Princess's purity, and you even blocked the doctor from treating her. For all these offenses alone, you'd be lucky if the Prince of Zhendnan didn't finish you off!"
"And yet you still have the nerve to stand here bragging in front of Ruyan!" Li Bikuan mockingly said. "You truly are utterly shameless!"
"For Ruyan to marry a piece of trash like you is a complete waste of a heavenly treasure!" The mere thought of this made Li Bikuan's blood boil with hatred for Xiao Chen.
"Xiao Chen, you piece of trash, go drop dead already! Die so Ruyan can remarry!"
Lin Ruyan could no longer bear to listen. She straightened her posture and said coldly, "Young Master Li, Xiao Chen is my husband. Having married into the Lin Family, he is part of the Lin Family. It is not your place to champion my cause here!"
"You!" Li Bikuan was driven to the absolute height of fury. "You cheap woman! I'm sticking up for you, yet you're still defending this trash!"
Li Bikuan strode forward in a few steps, grabbed Lin Ruyan firmly by the wrist, and said arrogantly, "I was simply taking you too seriously before! I should have just had my way with you right here and popped that haughty facade of yours! Get this straight—this is my territory!"
With that, right in front of Xiao Chen, he actually started cursing and moving to tear Lin Ruyan's clothes.
Lin Ruyan instantly wanted to pull Xiao Chen and run.
She knew this Li Bikuan had some training in martial arts, and frankly, the two of them together stood no chance against him.
What was more, this was Li Bikuan's own estate!
His people were everywhere!
Fleeing was the only option!
Yet Li Bikuan possessed immense strength; one hand clamped down relentlessly on Lin Ruyan's wrist while the other reached toward her chest.
The color drained from Lin Ruyan's face.
The very next instant.
"Ah!!!"
A piercing shriek rang out!
A pair of broad hands appeared before her chest. Two fingers pinched Li Bikuan's wrist, and with a gentle twist, Li Bikuan clutched his wrist and shrieked in agony on the spot.
Following the hands with her gaze, Lin Ruyan discovered that the person punishing Li Bikuan was none other than Xiao Chen!
Her expression shook, driving away even her terror; she could only find the towering man before her utterly unfamiliar.
"Disobedient hands... perhaps I should just ruin them for you." Xiao Chen's fury surged, his eyes brimming with murderous intent. He offered a seductive smile, his voice rising at the end: "Hmm?"
Li Bikuan was even more shocked.
He never imagined this piece of trash could possess such immense strength!
Just a moment ago, he felt as though his wrist was about to be crushed to pieces!
Was this really still that idiot?
Li Bikuan seriously suspected he was hallucinating.
He refused to admit that someone who had practiced martial arts since childhood could lose to him!
"What kind of cheap trick is a sneak attack!" Li Bikuan said, refusing to accept it.
Xiao Chen sneered, "You think you're even worthy of a sneak attack? You overestimate yourself far too much!"
"You!" Li Bikuan's eyes widened in fury. Gritting his teeth, he roared, "If you've got the guts, let's go toe-to-toe!"
Before Xiao Chen could reply, a "swish" pierced the air as a hidden arrow shot straight for his eyes!
Fortunately, Xiao Chen's reflexes were lightning fast. He dodged with a leap, and the arrow slammed with a *thud* straight into the pillar behind him!
As Xiao Chen turned his head, Li Bikuan was shaking his sleeve with a wicked grin.
"Let's see just how impressive you really are!"
With that.
With two "swish-swish" sounds, Li Bikuan fired off two hidden arrows in succession!
The first arrow shot straight at Xiao Chen, but the one immediately following it was aimed squarely at Lin Ruyan!
If Xiao Chen dodged the first arrow, he would never have enough time to save Lin Ruyan!
"How vicious!" Lin Ruyan cursed furiously.
Li Bikuan curled his lips into a smile. "Only fools refuse to use their brains!"
"I'll let you see for yourself whether this trash of yours will actually save you, you cheap woman!"
He sat back, waiting for one of them to get hurt.
Yet in the split second of lightning and flint, a flash of silver streaked past!
The short arrow rushing toward Lin Ruyan's eyes abruptly flipped over and plunged straight into the ground.
Still shaken from her brush with death, Lin Ruyan kept her composure just enough to pick up the arrow head, discovering that a silver needle had pierced deep into the wood, its force stopping the short arrow dead in its tracks!
She stared blankly at Xiao Chen, hearing the heart within her chest race into a rapid thump.
The latter offered an arrogant smirk, lifting the silver needle he had just swiped from the quack doctor, and said with utter contempt, "With tricks as petty as yours, aren't you ashamed?"
Just as his voice fell, half of a silver needle sank into a specific acupoint at the back of Li Bikuan's head.
"This is called the Yamen acupoint!" Xiao Chen curved his lips into a smile. "The moment I channel my internal energy, your brain will plunge into unconsciousness. In two breaths' time, you will surely die!"
"And it won't leave a single trace..." Xiao Chen said meaningfully.
This time, Li Bikuan was truly terrified.
He swallowed hard. Though he didn't believe Xiao Chen's words, he wasn't willing to gamble his life.
"You... what do you want? I... I'll give you everything! Don't do anything rash, absolutely nothing rash!"
Just as Li Bikuan was pleading in every possible way, a flurry of hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from not far away.
Overjoyed, Li Bikuan immediately shouted, "Quick! Come here, dammit! Someone's trying to kill me! Hurry up and lock this lunatic up!"
The moment his voice fell, a squad of guards in black appeared, each wielding a saber and radiating an imposing aura.
More than a dozen guards surged straight toward Xiao Chen in a terrifying formation!
"Heh heh, you piece of trash, this young master is going to make you realize what real power is!" Seeing that he had backup, Li Bikuan instantly grew arrogant again. "I'm going to teach you a proper lesson!"
Lin Ruyan's heart leaped right into her throat.
Yet the next instant, the entire squad of guards dropped straight to their knees before Xiao Chen.
A robust, resonant voice rang out from nearby.
"Divine Doctor Xiao, I beg you, you must save my daughter!"