Chapter 408: Family Dogs Are Named Zhao, Wild Dogs Named Xu, So What If Named Zhao?

"Get lost."

Xuanyuan Qingfeng subtly lifted her foot under the table, her gaze sharp as a knife, directed at the Beijing aristocrat who was flaunting his family background. Her single remark startled all the diners. The seasoned Jianghu adventurers were especially impressed. They thought, "This young woman, whose depth we can't discern, is certainly a dragon among men in terms of courage. The Jianghu has bowed to the imperial court for years, so daring to openly defy the son of a Minister in Tai'an City means she's likely not just a martial artist. Could she also be the descendant of a powerful official?" After hearing the insult, Wang Yuannan, the most wayward youngest son of Wang Xionggui, burst into laughter, straightened his back, and twirled an ivory embroidered ball in his hand. He was beaming, not annoyed in the slightest. To him, a woman, as long as she was beautiful enough to cause trouble, was charming even if she was a little fiery and arrogant. Wang Yuannan was merciless with young aristocrats from families slightly below his own. He knew exactly which peers in the capital to avoid, which to greet with a smile, and which to pretend to be deferential to. Of the million people in Tai'an City, only a small circle of a thousand or so truly mattered. Excluding the retired old-timers and his father's generation of powerful court pillars, there were about a hundred young noblemen he might genuinely fear. Most of them he knew well, seeing them frequently. But he truly didn't recognize this young, unfamiliar man and woman before him. He smiled confidently, completely at ease, glancing at the purple-clad woman's chest—"Deeply hidden, indeed." Then he looked down at the humble-looking man from out of town who was helping her tie her skirt—"Brother and sister? Trying to fool me?" Wang Yuannan sneered internally. "You think just because you have white hair, you're the Prince of Beiliang who wears a saber to court and doesn't kneel?"

Xu Fengnian smiled, "Alright, our transaction is settled. Two eyes for one embroidered ball—by any measure, Minister Wang's son, you've made a profit. If you don't leave now, I can't guarantee you'll walk out of here the same way you walked in. Wang Xionggui entered officialdom during the Yonghui period and impeached Xu Xiao a total of twelve times. Every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt its debtor. Unlike some people in the capital, I won't settle that old score with you, his son. You're not worthy."

Regardless of how much steam rose from the mutton hotpot in the Jiujiu Restaurant, after these words were spoken, the atmosphere inside became chillingly quiet, mirroring the frigid cold outside. The officials and their protégés at one table all spontaneously put down their chopsticks. An elderly man, previously not paying close attention, now fixed his gaze, his face turning from pale to ashen. That day during the morning court, the old man, a Ministry of Personnel official of the fifth rank, had been positioned too far back to witness the Prince of Beiliang's arrogance up close. Later, when the prince confronted over ten thousand students from the Imperial Academy alone, the old man did go to the Fuwen Archway to observe the spectacle. From a distance, he saw the young man in the white python robe behaving outrageously, and he and his colleagues lamented that Beiliang truly produced such ruffians. "He's barely come of age, and not yet formally inherited his title, yet he's already so rebellious. If he becomes the Prince of Beiliang later, can the imperial court really rely on such a boastful brat to guard the crucial northwestern border?"

Wang Yuannan was furious, smoke practically billowing from his seven orifices. He pointed a finger, laughing in sheer rage, "Kid, do you really think you're the Prince of Beiliang? Even if you are, so what? Do you dare bite me?"

Xu Fengnian extended an arm, his five fingers hooking like claws. Wang Yuannan, the notorious scion of the capital, was pulled forward, tumbling onto the table. Xu Fengnian pressed down on the back of his head and slammed it hard against the table, creating a hole in the tabletop where the Minister's youngest son's head had been. Wang Yuannan lay stiff on the ground, holding his breath and passing out. His cronies were terrified, trembling uncontrollably. As well-known noble scions in the capital, they were accustomed to kicking and slapping others when they held the upper hand, but actually rolling up their sleeves for a brawl? That would be too undignified and beneath their status. The most "glorious" things they did typically involved spitting into a bowl and forcing others to drink it after they begged for mercy, or even urinating on people—though those truly ruthless acts were usually reserved for descendants of generals whose fathers held real power. "This guy in front of us couldn't really be that barbarian from Beiliang, could he?"

Xu Fengnian pursed his lips at the young bodyguard, "Throw them all out."

The young bodyguard suddenly stood up, grabbed one of the cronies like a chicken or duck, and hurled him out the door. But before one wave subsided, another rose: the crony, just thrown out, was flung back into the restaurant, crashing into his "friends" and collapsing on the floor, presumably too stunned to even cry out for his parents. Xu Fengnian turned, narrowing his eyes. One of the true masters of the capital had arrived. The Zhao family had long ruled the empire, and naturally, they ruled the capital. Among the five or six people entering the restaurant, two were surnamed Zhao: Princess Suizhu, Zhao Fengya, and a tall, sturdy man who stepped into the Jiujiu Restaurant even before her—the First Prince, Zhao Wu, who for years had been regarded by both court and commoners as the next Zhao emperor! Zhao Fengya wore a look of schadenfreude, while Zhao Wu's face was grim. Behind them were three more people: a woman whose beauty far surpassed that of the ninety-wen women, Chen Yu, and two Imperial Guards with powerful auras like flowing rivers, whose steps were steady and who wore imperial golden sabers wrapped in yellow silk at their waists.

The Ministry of Personnel official, who had already misjudged the situation once, now looked aghast. This time, he dared not make another mistake and was about to kneel to greet the Prince and Princess. Zhao Wu, known for his imposing demeanor reminiscent of the late emperor, frowned and waved his hand, stopping the elderly man from causing a commotion. The official quickly bowed and hurried out of the restaurant with his proud protégé. The Jianghu ruffians also dared not linger in such a place of trouble. They threw down some silver, didn't bother waiting for change, and quickly fled. Wang Yuannan was still unconscious, but his cronies were truly suffering. Like ugly creatures looking in a mirror and scaring themselves, they knelt there, pleading for forgiveness, too terrified to even cry out, only making a few soft thuds. Zhao Wu chose a stool and sat down. Without looking at Xu Fengnian, he sneered, "Stray dogs have no manners. They piss everywhere without caring where they are."

Xu Fengnian turned around, gestured to the waiter to bring the pot and arrange the dishes, then chuckled softly, "House dogs at the front door bark diligently at everyone they see, not afraid of being knocked out with a brick and thrown into a pot. In the dead of winter in the capital, a meal of local dog meat truly hits the spot."

Princess Suizhu lowered her head, appearing to be a refined and peerlessly graceful young lady. In reality, her face was beaming, and she clutched her stomach with one hand, her belly hurting from her unrestrained laughter.

The woman, who on the new Rouge Registry was hailed for a beauty that made all other women "give way," quietly frowned after hearing their crude and biting exchange.

The two Golden Saber Guards' composure was beyond that of ordinary high-ranking servants. They held their breath, focused, and stood with hands on their sabers, quietly guarding the restaurant entrance, completely ignoring the sharp exchange inside the small establishment.

The First Prince, Zhao Yi, said indifferently, "You're only fit to bark back at a guard dog like Wang Yuannan. What a grand accomplishment."

The waiters at Jiujiu Restaurant dared not show their faces. The restaurant owner, a curvaceous, middle-aged woman—it was unclear who her patron was—was completely unfazed by this tumultuous situation. She walked out gracefully, chuckling softly, placed a copper pot on the table with both hands, then swiftly brought three plates of tender, marbled lamb slices, along with several exquisite side dishes: sesame flatbreads, pickled cabbage, candied garlic, and seven or eight bowls. There was also smoked vinegar from Qingxu, homemade dark soy sauce, freshly fried small chili peppers, chive blossoms, and more, in various shades of red, green, yellow, white—each dish and bowl distinctly presented, clean and refreshing, immediately whetting the appetite. She called out to Zhao Yi's table, telling them to wait a moment, then went to stand elegantly by the door of the curtained room, clearly unwilling to miss the escalating conflict between the local dragon and the crossing-river serpent. In this kind of showdown, not just small fish and shrimp, but even large fish weighing hundreds of pounds, would have to meekly go into the pot for steaming or braising, even if they thought they could stir up a storm.

Chen Yu spoke up, "You all, leave first."

The cronies felt as if they'd received a great pardon, tears of gratitude welling up, yet they still dared not move, fearing this "fairy" might go back on her word and heap more blame on them, which would surely result in their parents skinning them alive back home. Prince Zhao Yi, with a stern face, waved his hand. The cronies swiftly fled, not looking back, leaving Wang Yuannan abandoned on the cold ground. The six words "sharing prosperity and adversity" couldn't be earned through mere chest-thumping boasts during drunken revelry or by drinking a bowl of chicken blood. Zhao Yi's next words were shocking: "I heard you personally ambushed and killed Zhao Kai at Iron Gate Pass. While I don't care for that brother of unknown origin, he is, after all, surnamed Zhao."

Upon hearing this, the restaurant owner, whose charm surpassed that of younger women, sighed and retreated into the inner room, drawing the curtain. This was no longer a secret she could afford to overhear. Even though her backer was formidable, perhaps even beyond the imagination of wealthy scions like Wang Yuannan, who in the world wasn't living under the Zhao family's rule? Failing to grasp the gravity of the situation meant one couldn't survive in the capital. However, it was also her first time seeing the First Prince, who had been secretly sent to the borderlands for training since childhood. She had often heard that he always led from the front in battle; if not for his princely status, his accumulated military achievements would have long qualified him to be a powerful commandant commanding three thousand soldiers. His speech and mannerisms were imposing and heroic. This time, seeing him firsthand, she found him indeed straightforward and a decisive man.

Xu Fengnian turned around, "You can be careless about what you eat, but not about what you say."

Zhao Yi laughed heartily, "Xu, do you dare to do it but not admit it?"

Xu Fengnian smiled back, "Other things are hard to say, but beating up a house dog? I dare to do it and I dare to admit it."

Zhao Yi nodded, "If a stray dog can piss on my foot, that's a skill. I just fear one that barks with a mouth full of shit, all bark and no bite."

Xu Fengnian slowly stood up.

Zhao Yi clicked his tongue, "Just you? Not calling anyone else to do your bidding? Don't go making excuses later, saying you didn't eat and your limbs have no strength."

A Golden Saber Guard took three steps forward, drawing his saber a few inches from its sheath.

Xu Fengnian continued to advance. The guard took a step, and his gold-wrapped saber swiftly cleared its sheath, its blade flashing.

But in the blink of an eye, Xu Fengnian was standing before him, one hand on the saber hilt, pushing the nearly fully drawn blade back into its sheath. The Imperial Guard, almost at the second rank of strength, narrowed his eyes. He lifted a knee to strike. Xu Fengnian's left hand released the hilt, gave a light push, and the guard's knee strike missed. In his astonishment, Xu Fengnian delivered a spinning whip kick, which whistled through the air. The guard, ignoring the futility of drawing his saber in haste, suddenly dropped his weight, falling backward. He slapped the ground with one hand, intending to retreat a yard and then spring up, but Xu Fengnian closed in, delivering a palm strike—"Immortal Caressing the Great Peak"—directly into the ground. The guard spewed blood from his mouth, struggling to get up.

Though he no longer had the inner energy of the Pseudo-Finger Profound realm, nor the pseudo-Heavenly Phenomenon, Xu Fengnian had already personally witnessed the grandeur of its unfolding scroll. Even just the pitiful scraps he'd gleaned were far beyond what a guard of less than second-rank strength could challenge.

The other Golden Saber Guard leaped over his colleague's body and brought his saber down on Xu Fengnian's head.

In the intense battle against the blind zither player in the rainy alley, there had been the Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute.

Xu Fengnian merely turned sideways and tapped the saber blade six times in quick succession, completely neutralizing its momentum. With a flick of his sleeve, he sent the Imperial Guard flying against the wall, then controlled his swords, Huangtong and Qingmei, to pin him to the wall through his shoulders.

The remaining ten swords instantly pierced him.

After the guard collapsed onto the table, twelve shocking pools of blood stained the wall.

Xu Fengnian turned and clutched the First Prince Zhao Wu's neck with one hand. Lowering his head, he grinned menacingly, "Zhao Wu, besides your surname, what do you have to compare yourself to me with?"

Xu Fengnian pushed backward, sending Chen Yu sprawling to the ground. The Prince of Beiliang had actually pinned the First Prince of Liyang against the wall, gasping for breath. Xu Fengnian asked, word by word, "So what if your name is Zhao?!"