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Chapter 1278 - 1272: Cheng Hui Looking for Trouble

Chapter 1278: Chapter 1272: Cheng Hui Looking for Trouble

This time, Ye Xiyao did not wear a mask.

She held onto Li Changlin’s arm as they walked into the banquet hall together.

At this moment, the banquet had yet to officially begin, but the hall was already packed with nearly three hundred people.

There were plenty of elites in Shanghai City, but those who truly held status were only a select few.

People within the same circles naturally recognized Li Changlin.

As for Ye Xiyao, she was even more well-known—many socialites and their families were her fans.

Numerous attendees cheerfully approached to greet Li Changlin and Ye Xiyao, and the two patiently exchanged smiles and returned their greetings one by one.

Finding a vacant spot casually, Li Changlin sat down comfortably, remarking, "These past few days have been so hectic, I haven’t even had a proper rest."

"Brother Changlin, there’s no need for you to personally handle so many matters. You could completely delegate them to others,"

Ye Xiyao said gently and understandingly, as she peeled an orange, feeding him piece by piece while speaking softly.

Li Changlin lazily replied with a smile, "Some things just can’t be handed off to others."

Though Li Changlin had a sizable number of subordinates, it was undeniable that there weren’t many truly reliable enough to take on significant responsibilities alone.

Take Zhou Wendong, for example—he might be the Crown Prince of Wendong Club, but if he were to face someone with the strength of the Late Stage of Virtual Energy or beyond, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

Fang Xiaowei of the Mo Family, on the other hand, was formidable, already possessing the Peak Virtual Energy level. However, now that even Half-step Inch Strength and Inch Force Experts had emerged, even someone like Fang Xiaowei stood no chance against them.

"I wish we could just live a peaceful life," Ye Xiyao murmured wistfully. Though she wasn’t deeply immersed in these circles, she still knew bits and pieces—like how the downfall of the Shanghai Xiang Family was intimately tied to Li Changlin.

She was just a woman whose sole hope was to lead an ordinary life with Brother Changlin. But as the saying goes, "The tree desires calm, yet the wind won’t cease." She understood that Brother Changlin wouldn’t settle for peace as long as her illness remained unresolved.

As the two were speaking, Cheng Hui descended leisurely from the second floor, flanked by two elders and a man in his thirties.

The four of them descended the stairs, and the noisy chatter in the hall gradually quieted. Cheng Hui stopped halfway down the stairwell, letting his gaze sweep across the crowd before finally resting it on Li Changlin.

Li Changlin, sensing the other party’s gaze, raised his head and noticed that Cheng Hui had already reached the Late Stage of Virtual Energy.

His heart gave a slight jolt. He hadn’t expected Cheng Hui to advance so quickly.

Still, Li Changlin didn’t dwell too much on it.

With the resources of the Cheng Family, boosting Cheng Hui’s strength wasn’t too challenging a task.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for honoring me, Cheng Hui, with your presence at my banquet." Cheng Hui shot a meaningful glance at Li Changlin, then shifted his gaze indifferently to the center of the room.

"Young Master Cheng is the most talented martial artist of the Ancient Martial World’s younger generation. He is destined to become an unmatched figure in the future. To attend Young Master Cheng’s gathering is nothing short of a profound privilege for us."

"Young Master Cheng, you’re too humble. It’s we who should be thanking you for deeming us worthy of your company."

Many chimed in, as Cheng Hui’s reputation preceded him, and he had garnered significant admiration.

Cheng Hui led the three others down the stairs and began approaching Li Changlin.

The crowd parted to make way, their expressions mocking as they turned their attention to Li Changlin.

Though many present were already aware of Li Changlin’s identity, there were still those who believed, in comparison to Cheng Hui, Li Changlin lacked depth and foundation.

Clearly, Cheng Hui thought the same.

Stopping before Li Changlin, Cheng Hui remarked coolly, "Li Changlin, people have been telling me lately that you’re the most talented young martial artist in the Ancient Martial World, even surpassing me, Cheng Hui. Although I don’t pay much heed to such talk, I must admit it feels rather unsettling."

"Oh? And then what?"

Li Changlin remained reclined, unbothered, as he noticed that the two elders following Cheng Hui were both at the Half-step Inch Strength level.

But the real danger was the thirty-something man—this person was an actual Inch Force Expert.

Such strength indicated that this person was undoubtedly from the Upper Realm.

Normally, Inch Force Experts rarely appeared in the mortal world, as its rules forbade their presence.

However, exceptions existed. If a practitioner managed to fuse with the Blood Jade Power, they could circumvent such restrictions.

Li Changlin was well aware that the man before him had undoubtedly fused with the Blood Jade Power.

After all, the man’s aura was fully exposed; Li Changlin could sense his realm with absolute clarity.

Under such circumstances, this explanation was the only one that made sense.

"And then?" Cheng Hui’s lips curled into a faint smirk before he finally said coldly, "Naturally, I challenge you."

"Can I refuse?" Li Changlin shrugged indifferently.

He still had intentions of seizing the Cheng Family’s Divine Artifact, so he wasn’t eager to engage Cheng Hui in combat just yet.

More importantly, the presence of an Inch Force Expert here posed significant risk. If he were to fight Cheng Hui now, it might prompt that expert to overstep.

While Li Changlin’s strength surpassed Cheng Hui’s, his current realm was still lower. Against an Inch Force Expert, a single move could expose many of his secrets.

"You can refuse, but only if you publicly admit that despite your talent, you are no match for my Cheng Family. Moreover, you must leave Xi Yao—she’s the Heavenly Maiden, someone like you is unworthy of her!"

Cheng Hui’s gaze on Li Changlin was filled with unrestrained scorn, his eyes brimming with derision.

Li Changlin frowned slightly, but before he could respond, Ye Xiyao spoke coldly, "Cheng Hui, what’s that supposed to mean? Who I’m with is none of your business!"

"Xi Yao, you misunderstood me," Cheng Hui hurriedly forced a smile and explained, "You’ve clearly been bewitched by Li Changlin. He’s just an ordinary man—how can someone like him be worthy of a Heavenly Maiden like you?"

"Heavenly Maiden?" Ye Xiyao said calmly, "Cheng Hui, you overestimate me. I, Ye Xiyao, am just an ordinary girl and don’t think I’m any different from anyone else."

"Miss Ye, has Ye Haoshen never told you about your origins?" Suddenly, the young man beside Cheng Hui spoke in a deep voice. "You’re a princess of the Zixiao Dynasty in the Upper Realm. Years ago, the Zixiao Dynasty fell because it offended the Pure Yang Hall. Ye Haoshen fled with you to the mortal world."

This explosive revelation left Ye Xiyao utterly stunned.

She stared blankly at the man, her eyes flickering with faint traces of hope.

Ye Xiyao longed for him to say more. All her life, she had only known being raised by Lame Grandpa but had never been told about her origins.