Chapter Seventy-Four: A Tiger Father, a Dog Son

It was quite a while before the crowd surrounding them finally recovered from the shock. From among the onlookers, a young couple suddenly burst forward. The woman immediately scooped up her child and, terrified, began to weep. The boy, once in his mother’s arms, managed to utter a trembling "Mother" before dissolving into frightened sobs himself. The man, however, after glancing at his wife and son clinging to each other in tears, turned to Li Xingyu, cupped his fists respectfully, and said, “My name is Barker. Thank you, sir, for saving my son.”

Before Li Xingyu could reply, an angry roar erupted from a shop across the street. “Whoever dared lay a hand on me, come out and kneel to confess your crime! Break your own arm, and perhaps I’ll spare you. Otherwise, I swear you’ll beg for death and not find it!” The young man, supported by four attendants, hobbled out from the other side of the street, clearly still suffering from his fall. When he saw his beloved horse lying motionless in the middle of the street, he unleashed a stream of threats and curses.

One of his attendants whispered a few words in his ear. The youth’s gaze fixed venomously on Li Xingyu. “It was you who killed my horse and injured me, wasn’t it?”

“You’re being unreasonable! It was your horse that almost harmed my son. This gentleman intervened to save him!” the boy’s father retorted instinctively. But immediately after speaking, he seemed to realize the youth’s identity, and terror flashed across his face.

“My horse is worth more than a hundred of your brat! Not only have you injured me, you even killed my prized mount. Men, seize them!” the youth spat at the boy’s father, then glared hatefully at Li Xingyu, ordering his four henchmen forward. Though the attendants recognized Li Xingyu’s martial prowess, they believed that four against one would suffice. Yet, to their astonishment, Li Xingyu dispatched them all with a single move—each crashed to the ground, coughing blood, clearly badly injured.

With the four attendants dealt with, Li Xingyu strode toward the dumbfounded young man. Seeing him approach, fear overtook the youth at last; he stumbled backward and stammered, “Don’t…don’t come any closer! My father is General Nian Longba, a great commander of the Empire! If you harm me, he’ll never let you go!” Mentioning his father’s name seemed to bolster his courage.

Li Xingyu merely smiled at his words. So, the young man was going to rely on his powerful father now. But to the youth, Li Xingyu’s smile was all the more terrifying, causing him to lose his balance and fall hard onto the street. Li Xingyu sighed inwardly. He knew of Nian Longba—a famed general of the Celestial Empire, renowned for his martial skill and military success. Who would have thought his son would turn out such a bullying coward—truly a case of a tiger father and a dog of a son.

Li Xingyu had no real intention of harming him. With his current status as a late-stage concentration-level master, it would be beneath him to strike someone so insignificant. Still, having intervened to save the boy, he could not simply stand by and let the family be harmed in retaliation. He was pondering how best to ensure their safety when the crowd around them suddenly stirred, parting to either side. A squad of patrolling soldiers appeared, led by a middle-aged officer. The young master lying in the street brightened at once and leaped up.

This officer was a deputy general responsible for the security and patrols in the northern part of the imperial city. Noticing the gathered crowd, he’d come to investigate. But upon seeing the four men lying injured and the young master seated in the street, he felt a pang of regret. He knew all too well the young master’s character and talent for causing trouble. Moreover, as a former subordinate of General Nian, he was bound by loyalty and obligation. Inwardly, he lamented, “General Nian is a hero of the age—how did he end up with such an arrogant, ignorant, and habitual bully for a son?” Nevertheless, he approached the youth, but before he could speak, the young master shouted, “Uncle Antu, arrest this man and the three with him at once! Didn’t you see them committing violence in broad daylight?” He pointed accusingly at Li Xingyu and the family.

His words provoked a chorus of curses from the crowd, but no one dared step forward to directly confront him—a testament to his notorious reputation in the capital. The deputy general, familiar with the young master’s ways and hearing the crowd’s reaction, quickly grasped the situation. His face flushed with rare embarrassment. With a frown, he shot the young master a look, hesitated, then approached Li Xingyu. “Sir, I am the deputy general responsible for the northern city’s security. Since there’s been a conflict, I must ask you to accompany me to the station to clarify the matter. Please cooperate.” He’d already discerned that Li Xingyu was the leader among the four.

“Uncle Antu, why are you being polite to him? Just arrest them! I’ll take responsibility for everything. Don’t forget how my father promoted you,” the young master snapped, his arrogance returning now that he had the law and a squad of soldiers at his back.

The deputy general’s face darkened with anger, but soon he simply sighed deeply, torn between duty and reluctance.

Li Xingyu watched the officer’s conflicted expression and understood he was a principled man, not one to abuse his authority. Not wishing to make things harder for him, nor to let this farce ruin his own mood, Li Xingyu decided to resolve the situation. He drew forth the token the emperor had given him and presented it to the deputy. Though uncertain of all its significance, he recalled the emperor’s words: within the capital, showing this token to the guards would gain him immediate escort to the palace—proof enough of its importance.

Seeing Li Xingyu produce the token, Antu’s heart skipped a beat. He instantly recognized the royal insignia and nearly broke out in a cold sweat, relieved he hadn’t acted rashly before. If the token was genuine and he had followed the young master’s orders, the consequences would have been dire. He accepted the token respectfully and examined it closely—his astonishment only growing. Three years earlier, the emperor had personally decreed that any holder of the Celestial Token must be treated with the honor due a prince and immediately escorted to the palace. The royal family had been searching for and closely monitoring this matter ever since. The scope of the order had even expanded to the surrounding cities. No one knew who the mysterious bearer might be, but the command to treat them as a prince left no doubt as to their exalted status and the emperor’s regard.

The young master also recognized the token—its legend was too sensational to be unknown, even among the city’s idle scions, who often speculated about the token-bearer’s identity, some wagering the owner must be a famed beauty. At that instant, fear overtook him; he recalled his father once saying the bearer was likely one of the three greatest experts in the empire. All his former bravado vanished, and he nearly collapsed to the ground again.

After confirming the token’s authenticity, Antu bowed with the empire’s highest courtesy, returned the token to Li Xingyu with both hands, and said, “Sir, please follow me. By decree of the royal family, I am to escort you to the palace.” He immediately ordered his soldiers to clear the way for Li Xingyu.

[Editor’s Note: Zhulang Web’s most recommended popular novels are now online. Click to bookmark.]