Starting as the young master of a medicine shop, he practiced swordsmanship for twenty years.

Chapter 355 Envy Immortal Pavilion!
On the streets of the imperial city, the bluestone slabs were scorching hot under the midday sun, emitting waves of heat.

The sounds of vendors hawking their wares, haggling over prices, and children playing mingled together, creating a vibrant scene of everyday life in the city.

An old man selling sugar figurines is blowing sugar figures for a little girl with pigtails.

The woman selling rouge was haggling with several young ladies, and everything seemed so peaceful.

"Freshly baked meat buns!" A greasy-faced man stood in front of the bun shop and shouted loudly.

The woman beside him was deftly wrapping steaming hot buns in oil paper and handing them to customers.

At their feet, a little girl of about five or six years old was squatting on the ground, drawing something on the ground with a twig.

Her two pigtails swayed gently with her movements.

"Qing'er, don't run too far."

The woman bowed her head and gave a brief instruction before busying off to attend to the guests.

The little girl looked up and gave a sweet smile: "Okay, Mom!"

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats suddenly came from afar.

At first it sounded like rumbling thunder, but in the blink of an eye it approached like a violent storm.

At the corner at the end of the street, eight pure white Akhal-Teke horses, heads held high and hooves raised, charged out like lightning.

They held their heads high, puffing out white steam from their nostrils, and their iron hooves, as big as bowls, slammed heavily onto the bluestone slabs, sending stones flying.

The horse's mane flew wildly as it galloped, and the gilded bells around its neck rang out with a piercing sound.

The lead horse had bloodshot eyes, and the white breath it exhaled formed tiny rainbows in the sunlight.

"Get out of the way! All of you, get out of the way!"

On the carriage, the coachman, dressed in the armor of a palace guard, brandished a copper-coated whip, the tip of which crackled crisply in the air.

Passersby scattered and fled like startled birds.

A porcelain stall was knocked over, and blue and white porcelain bowls were shattered all over the ground.

The vegetable vendors didn't have time to clean up, and the fresh greens were trampled into mud.

An elderly man selling candied hawthorns was a little slow, and his stall was knocked over. The bright red candied hawthorns rolled all over the ground and were trampled to pieces by the panicked crowd.

"Oh dear, who is it!"

An elderly woman with white hair was pushed and shoved into a corner of the wall, her hair disheveled.

She leaned against the wall, trembling, and cursed, "Whose carriage is this, so domineering!"

"Help! I almost died!"

A young man who looked like a scholar was jostled and stumbled a few steps, almost falling over.

The people around him echoed his sentiments, but the gilded carriage showed no sign of slowing down.

Sunlight shone on the pearls and jade inlaid on the carriage, reflecting a dazzling light.

A crimson silk ribbon hung from the carriage window, its purple five-clawed dragon pattern embroidered with gold thread trembling slightly in the wind.

"Hey, you guys in front, watch out! Get out of the way!" someone shouted from the crowd.

However, the carriage showed no sign of slowing down despite the chaotic streets.

On the contrary, they moved even faster under the urging of the guards and coachmen who whipped their horses.

The sound of horses' hooves was like thunder, and tiny cracks appeared on the bluestone slabs where the wheels rolled over them.

"damn it!"

The man who ran the steamed bun shop grabbed his wife, just as he was about to go find their daughter.

But then they saw a frenzied crowd surging in like a tidal wave, pushing them back one after another.

Not far from the steamed bun shop, five-year-old Qing'er was trying to stand on tiptoe to watch her father knead the dough.

Suddenly separated by the chaotic crowd, her small body was jostled around like a fallen leaf.

"Father! Mother!"

Qing'er slumped down on the messy street, her pink jacket covered in dust.

She watched in horror as the carriage drew closer, the nostrils of the eight tall horses puffing out white steam clearly visible.

Large tears rolled down her flushed face.

However, the cries sounded particularly helpless amidst the noisy street.

The speeding carriage was less than ten feet away from Yun'er, and the eight tall horses showed no sign of stopping.

The people around were only concerned with escaping for their lives; some even stepped over the little girl, afraid of being hit by the carriage.

As the crowd receded rapidly like a tide, no one dared to step forward.

Some people turned their faces away, unable to bear to watch, while most were only concerned with escaping for their lives.

The sound of horses' hooves continued to approach, and the little girl was less than three zhang away.

"careful!"

At the critical moment, a figure leaped down from the second floor of a teahouse on the street.

The figure stepped onto the railing, and a faint blue aura suddenly emanated from his body.

He leaped, jumping directly from the second floor onto the street.

When they landed, their feet left spiderweb-like cracks on the bluestone slabs.

He was a burly man, dressed in coarse cloth shorts, with a faded gray belt around his waist.

He had thick eyebrows, big eyes, a short beard, and slightly bulging temples; he looked like a martial arts expert.

The moment the burly man's feet touched the ground, an invisible blue aura suddenly erupted from his body, causing his robes to swell.

He stomped his left foot heavily on the ground, and the bluestone slab sank completely in.

Immediately, he shot out like an arrow, so fast that he left a trail of afterimages in the air.

In the blink of an eye, the burly man had arrived beside the little girl.

At the critical moment, he stretched out his right arm and pulled the little girl into his arms.

At the same time, he pushed his left palm forward, and a powerful internal force burst forth, forming an invisible wall of energy.

"boom!"

With a muffled thud, the invisible air wall collided violently with the two leading BMWs.

The horses reared up with neighing, causing the carriage behind them to shake violently.

The wheels left two charred marks on the bluestone slabs before finally stopping less than a foot away from the burly man.

"It's okay, don't be afraid."

After doing all this, the burly man gently comforted the little girl who was still sobbing in his arms, but his gaze was coldly fixed on the stopped carriage.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

It's unbelievable that there are such arrogant people at the foot of the imperial city.

"How brave!"

The coachman, who looked like a guard, suddenly became furious, his whip cracking sharply through the air.

It looked like it was about to strike the burly man.

The air was thick with a suffocating tension, and the onlookers were too scared to breathe, fearing that blood would splatter at any moment.

At the critical moment, the burly man suddenly looked up, his tiger-like eyes piercing through the gaps in the car curtains like lightning.

Through the thin gauze woven with gold thread, the scene inside the carriage made his blood freeze instantly.

A young man dressed in a purple robe with five claws resembling a dragon leaned against a cushion.

On the other side, sitting prominently was an old man draped in a crimson python robe.

Those piercing eyes, like two leaping flames, were gazing out of the car with an imposing and dignified air.

The burly man's throat bobbed, and he felt a chill creep up his spine to the back of his neck.

This python robe was of a standard not found on ordinary officials, and when paired with that incomparably noble purple dragon robe...
His pupils contracted sharply, and a storm raged within him.

In the Wenjing Dynasty, only one person could wear a purple five-clawed dragon robe.

"This robe... belongs to... His Highness the Crown Prince!"

He muttered to himself, his voice soft yet booming like thunder in the deathly silent street. The once bustling street instantly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone held their breath, unable to believe their ears.

The burly man felt his legs go weak, and the courage he had shown when he stopped the carriage had completely vanished.

He mechanically handed the still-sobning little girl to the rushing couple from the steamed bun shop, his throat so tight he could barely speak.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his inner panic, clasped his hands and bowed, his voice trembling slightly.

"My name is Lei Ke. I was just doing my best to save someone. I hope Your Highness will forgive me for any offense I may have caused."

After saying this, Rex knelt down heavily, his forehead almost touching the ground: "Please forgive me, Your Highness!"

This kneeling seemed to flip a switch, and the surrounding people, as if waking from a dream, all knelt down in response.

The voices echoed through the streets: "This humble subject pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

Amidst the rising and falling sounds of worship, the previous clamor seemed to have never existed, and the entire street was left in solemn silence.

The curtain of the gilded carriage was suddenly lifted, and as the crimson silk fluttered, a figure peeked out.

Lu Xuan twirled the white jade thumb ring between his fingers, a casual gesture that carried an innate air of nobility.

The jade thumb ring, engraved with a five-clawed dragon, shimmered with a warm glow in the sunlight.

The next moment, Lu Xuan threw it out, and it landed lightly next to Lei Ke's hand.

"It is my fault that I have disturbed the people today."

"Consider this ring as compensation tenfold."

As he spoke, Lu Xuan's gaze swept over the overturned stalls and broken porcelain on the street.
Finally, the light fell on the girl's tear-streaked face in the distance.

Lu Xuan's expression grew increasingly grim, and his attitude towards life became more and more indifferent.

It wasn't a deliberate indifference, but rather an instinctive neglect of ordinary people.

Damn it!

Lu Xuan cursed himself inwardly.

Rex knelt on one knee, holding up the jade thumb ring with both hands: "Your Highness is kind, but this item is far too precious..."

"What I, the Crown Prince, say is never to be taken back."

The onlookers, however, felt a tremor in their hearts upon hearing this—the tenfold compensation didn't seem to move them much.

What truly amazed them was...

His Highness the Crown Prince, the heir apparent of the Wenjing Dynasty, actually admitted his mistake in public.

"You're very good,"

Lu Xuan's gaze swept over Lei Ke's tense face, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

"You may bring this into the palace in the future, and I, the Crown Prince, will grant you one favor."

Having said that, Lu Xuan lowered the curtain, and the carriage was plunged back into darkness.

Just as Rex was stunned, a clear, cold voice pierced through the curtain again: "You must not harm passersby!"

This seemingly casual rebuke sent a chill down the spine of the carriage guard.

The guards and groomsmen's hands trembled slightly as they held the reins. Large beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads and down their chins, soaking their shirts.

He dared not delay for a moment, and quickly gave the reins a gentle tug. The eight Akhal-Teke horses, with their soft hoofbeats, carried the esteemed Crown Prince slowly into the distance.
The people in the street were left staring in the direction the carriage had gone, unable to come to their senses for a long time.

Rex stood up, dusted off his robes, and pulled a heavy cloth bag from his bosom. "My fellow villagers, you have been frightened today!"

He spoke loudly, raising the cloth bag into the air, where the silver coins inside clinked together, making a crisp sound.

Rex first walked to the side and gently placed a few taels of silver in the little girl's hand: "Little girl, go buy some sugar figurines."

He then turned to the couple who ran the steamed bun shop and whispered, "This amount of money is just right, enough to buy the child a new outfit without attracting any envy."

A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime; giving too much will bring disaster.

Reck's method of distributing silver was extremely sophisticated.
Each compensation was calculated just right, providing sufficient damages without causing harm to the recipient.

After the last startled old man accepted the silver, Rex subconsciously touched the dragon-patterned jade thumb ring in his pocket.

The warm touch warmed his heart.

The Crown Prince's promise is more precious than ten thousand taels of gold.

But he showed no sign of it on his face, only laughed heartily: "Today can be considered a blessing in disguise. It is a blessing I, Lei, have accumulated over several lifetimes to be able to serve His Highness the Crown Prince!"

Xianxianlou in the west of the city is at its liveliest time.

Twelve glazed palace lanterns hung in front of the vermilion gate. Carriages and horses thronged the area in front of the building, and every now and then, a richly decorated sedan chair would stop, stirring up a fragrant breeze.

Above the pavilion, light gauze curtains fluttered in the wind, and graceful figures could be vaguely seen.

Several women dressed in thin gauze stood by the railing, their sleeves half-rolled up, revealing their fair, lotus-root-like arms.

One of the women, dressed in green and holding a pipa, half-covered her lips with a round fan. Her eyes sparkled, drawing the attention of passersby downstairs.

"Young master hasn't come for a long time~"

"Please come inside, Master Li."

The sounds of warbling birds and chirping birds rose and fell, mingling with the scents of cosmetics, wine, and incense, lingering throughout the entire street.

Several young men in brocade robes stepped down from the carriage, fanning themselves with folding fans. The jade pendants at their waists jingled, clearly indicating that they were sons of officials.

In the shadows, there were several inconspicuous blue cloth sedan chairs, but the sedan chair bearers all looked like martial arts experts.

Suddenly, the sound of breaking glasses and cups was heard from the private room on the second floor, followed by a burst of unrestrained laughter.

Through the half-open carved window, one could vaguely see several men in brocade robes drinking and making merry.

The goldfish pouch hanging from one of their waists was particularly eye-catching under the light.

Those were clearly ornaments worn only by officials of the fifth rank or above during the Wenjing Dynasty.

At this moment, a carriage slowly drove into the West City Long Street.

Eight pure white Akhal-Teke horses marched in unison, their horseshoes striking the bluestone slabs with a dull thud.

Wherever the carriage passed, pedestrians hurriedly stepped aside, and even the clamor in front of Xianxian Tower fell silent.

"Whose driver is so ignorant of the rules?"

The thugs at the door were about to step forward and reprimand them, but they froze on the spot the moment they saw the patterns on the carriage.

On the vehicle body, a purple five-clawed dragon embroidered with gold thread gleams under the blazing sun.

"Five claws..."

The thugs' legs buckled, and they fell to their knees, their foreheads slamming heavily against the bluestone slab.

In front of Xianxian Tower, a group of girls suddenly knelt down. The girls who had been laughing and joking just moments before were now pale-faced and holding their breath.

The laws and regulations of the Wen and Jing dynasties were strict.

The Nine-Clawed True Dragon can only be used by the Emperor, while the Five-Clawed True Dragon is limited to the Eastern Palace.

The carriage currently blocking the main entrance of Xianxian Tower is clearly...
The gilded carriage curtain was lifted by a calloused hand, and Peng Lie, dressed in a crimson python robe, stepped out first.

"The Imperial Father-in-Law—has arrived!"

Before the guards and coachmen had finished shouting, a figure in crimson purple appeared at the carriage shaft.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"

The guards and coachmen shouted again.

Immediately, everyone inside and outside Xianxian Tower knelt down, and the clinking of pearls and jade ornaments echoed incessantly.

The sound of overturned cups and plates came from a private room on the second floor.

Several officials rushed out of the room in a panic and knelt down on the stairs.

"This humble subject pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince! Pays respects to the Imperial Father-in-Law!"

"Your Highness the Crown Prince! Your Majesty the Imperial Father-in-Law!"

The sound was like a tidal wave, echoing along the long street.

Peng Lie narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze sweeping over the kneeling crowd, lingering for a moment on a few trembling officials.

(End of this chapter)