Chapter Sixteen: Li Chengzhu's Bold Move

The homecoming ceremony in Rainbow City, meant to welcome back the war hero, was completely ruined by Li Chengzhu, the outsider. The moment Gu Linglong took his arm, the native residents of Rainbow City felt their hearts go cold. How could their beautiful, dignified city lord, who kept everyone at a distance, choose such a man... one so rough that merely looking at him made people want to act out?

If they had not been mindful of the city lord’s dignity, many of them would have been tempted to come right up and smack him with a shoe.

Meanwhile, Xiaoying, blissfully unaware of any of this, came over and slipped her arm through Li Dalao ban’s other arm, pressing her ample bosom against his elbow as she smiled brightly and greeted the already stunned citizens of Rainbow City. Even Yuan Mu stood nearby clicking his tongue with an envious expression.

In the end, the Rainbow City combat squad, which had originally been full of enthusiasm, could only withdraw in embarrassment.

Although the welcoming ceremony had been thoroughly ruined by Li Dalao ban, it did nothing to dampen the residents’ excitement or their lingering delight. Less than a quarter of an hour after Gu Linglong and the others returned to the city lord’s manor, the steward came over to tell her that the people of Rainbow City had spontaneously organized a celebration for their return, and that they earnestly requested the honor of the city lord and the several war heroes’ attendance. The steward, whose face looked somewhat aged, glanced at Li Chengzhu with hesitation, then swallowed whatever he had been about to say.

Gu Linglong sat in her chair, looked at the others, and said to the steward, “Tell them we will attend on time.”

The steward bowed and withdrew.

“Linglong, who’s this guy? Why have I never seen him before?” Li Chengzhu found it odd. He had stayed in the city lord’s manor for at least several months before, yet had never seen this so-called steward.

Perhaps because they were home at last, Xiaoying’s mood finally cleared like the clouds parting to reveal the moon. She bounced over to Li Dalao ban’s side and said, “Butler Cai had something to take care of and was away for several months, so of course you didn’t see him.”

“Oh.” Li Chengzhu nodded. “Still, I always feel like he didn’t finish what he wanted to say.”

“Heh heh.” Yuan Mu gave a sly grin. “He definitely had something left unsaid. And I bet it had something to do with you.”

Li Chengzhu turned and looked at Yuan Mu’s lewd expression, snorting hard through his nose.

“Ahem.” Yuan Mu coughed twice before speaking again. “It’s just that the people outside don’t seem to welcome you very much. That much can be guessed with one’s toes.”

“Damn it...” Li Dalao ban sprang up, but at the sight of Gu Linglong glaring at him, he hurriedly swallowed the second half of his curse. Licking his lips, he said, “What gives them the right? I’ve been out there fighting tooth and nail, and at the very least I’m one of our city’s own. And they still treat me like an outsider?”

Li Chengzhu wore a wounded expression.

“Fine, Zhuzi.” Gu Linglong shot him a reproachful look. “If you want to become part of this big family, do it slowly. Why be in such a rush?”

“Me? ...Ahem, I’m joining a big family my foot! They look down on me, and I look down on them too.” Li Chengzhu was getting angry. Why were the people of the Immortal Realm all like this?

Xiaoying rolled her eyes at Li Dalao ban. “You’ve gone and won over the city lord everyone else reveres so highly. Of course they’d be hostile to you.”

Xiaoying’s voice was sour, and no matter how one heard it, there was a hint of jealousy in it.

Only then did Li Chengzhu put on a shameless grin and sit back down, wiping his lips. “Hmph. If you’re a little better than the others, they’ll envy you, even hate you; but if you’re far, far better than they are, heh heh, then all they can do is admire you. Damn, that saying really is the truth.”

Yuan Mu looked at Li Chengzhu with some surprise. Who would have thought that someone who didn’t seem like much at first glance could actually say something so layered?

“I’d like to see how you plan to be better than everyone else by several hundred times,” Xiaoying said from the side, deliberately cutting him down.

“At worst...” Li Chengzhu glanced at Gu Linglong, swallowed hard, and said boldly, “at worst, I’ll seduce every woman in the city and make them all envy themselves to death.”

Pfft!

Yuan Mu shot out a mouthful of tea he had not yet swallowed.

Damn it all, a rough man is still a rough man. I overestimated him after all. Yuan Mu shook his head.

Qiu Feng wiped the tea from his face and brushed the leaves stuck to his eyes away, staring at Yuan Mu with rising indignation.

“Hah... sorry!” Yuan Mu forced down his laughter and put on an apologetic face.

The festive glow of lanterns and decorations throughout the city dispelled the gloom that had hung over everyone’s hearts. After resting for a while in the city lord’s manor, Li Chengzhu simply could not sit still any longer. It was bustling and lively outside—wouldn’t it be a shame not to go have a look?

He left the others behind and headed alone for the main gate, not forgetting to glare fiercely at Butler Cai as he passed.

Not long after Li Chengzhu stepped outside, Xiaoying also found an excuse to slip out. Gu Linglong had already gone back inside to rest, and Yuan Mu simply took Yuan Sen with him to find a guest room, apparently planning to stay long-term in the city lord’s manor. Only Qiu Feng remained there.

Before long, Xiaoying spotted Li Dalao ban, who had been surrounded and stared at like a gorilla.

In such a short time, that man had actually flushed red-faced and neck-veined while quarreling with a group of people, and had even recklessly taken on three at once. His venomous words, the strange expressions they had never heard before, and Li Dalao ban’s brazen gestures had completely left the three opponents speechless.

“Hmph, you dare argue with me?” Li Chengzhu said coldly. “Do you even know what I do for a living?”

Li Dalao ban had once been a journalist; he could turn his pen into a blade and skewer people with words from every angle. He had already trained himself to the realm of supreme, boundless, and flawless mastery. For these brats to come looking for trouble was no different from lighting a lamp in the toilet—pure suicide.

Xiaoying rushed into the fray and, after much coaxing and persuasion, finally calmed everyone down, then dragged Li Chengzhu away by the hand.

“What were you arguing with them about?” Xiaoying asked, somewhat disappointed in him.

“They started it,” Li Chengzhu said angrily. “Just a pack of ingrates. If they keep pushing me, I’ll wipe them all out.”

“Forget it.” Xiaoying was a little angry too. “I’m asking you: what exactly happened to my sister?”

Li Chengzhu raised his brows. Looking at Xiaoying’s serious expression, he was silent for a long moment before saying, “Do you want the truth or a lie?”

“Who has the mood to joke with you at a time like this?” Xiaoying kicked out at him.

Li Dalao ban’s eyes and hands were both quick; he caught her foot at once and yanked hard, pulling Xiaoying straight into his arms.

Xiaoying was pressed against him in a posture so alluring it was almost indecent. Her captured leg was lifted up, her whole body plastered against his, both small hands clenched into fists and held defensively before her chest as she breathed in quick, shallow bursts.

A passing traveler gave a frivolous whistle.