Chương 9: I Just Love Animals!

As the beast closed in, Xiao Xuan looked straight into its blood-red eyes. Its pupils were dilated. Seeing someone block its path, it let out an ear-splitting shriek and rushed forward aggressively. But Xiao Xuan remained calm. He just stood his ground.

"It's alright. Calm down," he said softly with his hand still raised gently in the air. Is he trying to die? The crowd's thoughts were visible on their faces. Ahh! Help me! a running man thought, scrambling for the alleyways. Who is this idiot? Another thought. Gu Tianqi smirked from atop a sturdy stone wall, safely out of danger. This bastard is dead. Good. Very good. I won't even have to dirty my own hands to get rid of this eyesore. The beast was merely ten feet away. Five feet. Three feet.

The cobblestones trembled violently beneath Xiao Xuan's feet. He could already feel the heat from the beast's panicked breath. He did not move. He didn't have a magical system. He didn't have a core full of Qi. But he knew animals. His mind was clear, his focus solely on the stallion before him. Under the watchful, terrified eyes of everyone in the market, the massive beast reared up with a deafening neigh, its heavy hooves slicing through the air before slamming down just inches from Xiao Xuan.

As the dust settled, the beast's eyes had shifted from a blood-red to a tranquil blue. The creature let out a long neigh, its warm breath carrying the scent of sweet grass. It slowly extended its huge head, pressing its snout gently into Xiao Xuan's palm, and began nuzzling him affectionately. Xiao Xuan smiled. It was a warm, comforting smile, like a mother soothing a child after a tantrum.

"It's okay," he whispered to the giant beast, stroking its coarse mane. Oof! I wasn't sure that would work… He let out a sigh. A few feet behind Xiao Xuan, Wei Tu was currently having an out-of-body experience. Wei Tu had pissed his pants standing behind Xiao Xuan. For him, the impending impact felt inevitable, the monstrous teeth and hooves flying right at his face, but then… nothing happened. Shock overrode Wei Tu's nervous system, and his legs turned to jelly.

He collapsed backwards, landing hard on his butt with a squeak, his mouth hanging open. For five long seconds, the entire market was as silent as a graveyard. Then the crowd erupted.

"He… he didn't even use a shred of Qi! How did he stop a spirit beast with just a few words?!" a merchant gasped, dropping his abacus.

"Did you see that? The beast bowed to him! Is he an ancient beast tamer in disguise?" a young cultivator whispered in reverence.

"And they call him the Su Clan's trash son-in-law? If he's trash, what does that make us? Manure?!" an old martial artist muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. Gu Tianqi gasped in horror. Listening to the crowd cheer for Xiao Xuan further twisted the knife into Gu Tianqi's ego. I have to leave. I have to leave right now before anyone notices. Gu Tianqi prepared to slip away into the adjacent alley. Just as Gu Tianqi turned, he saw Xiao Xuan looking at him. Xiao Xuan wore a smug expression. And their eyes met.

Xiao Xuan's gaze was like that of a scheming devil. Gu Tianqi's eyes widened, knowing he couldn't stop what was coming next. Xiao Xuan took a deep breath, cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled.

"Hey! Young Master Gu! Gu Tianqi, right?!" Every single head in the market instantly snapped toward the wall where Gu Tianqi was awkwardly crouching.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you earlier when we were talking!" Xiao Xuan continued, his tone dripping with innocence and concern.

"Why did you run away mid-conversation when the beast got a little noisy? That is very bad manners, you know! You shouldn't leave your friends behind!" The crowd blinked.

"Is that the Gu clan's young master? He… he ran away?" This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"He left a mortal to die while he hid on a wall?"

"So much for the mighty Qi Da Shi (Qi Grandmaster). What a joke. The Su clan's son-in-law has more backbone in his pinky finger than the Gu clan has in their entire lineage." No one dared to openly mock the Gu clan's young master to his face, but that certainly didn't stop them from pointing, snickering, and letting the rumors fly. His prestigious reputation in the district was jeopardized in a matter of seconds. Gu Tianqi gripped the stone wall so tightly his knuckles turned white and his fingernails chipped off.

He gritted his teeth, suffocating under the weight of the crowd's sneers. He shot Xiao Xuan with a venomous look, spun around, and threw himself off the other side of the wall, fleeing the scene.

"Thank you… thank you very much, young master." The old man who was driving the carriage finally snapped out of his shock and scrambled down to bow deeply to Xiao Xuan.

"I didn't know what possessed the beast!"

"You saved us. You saved all of us! Please, tell me your revered name so that I may pray for your longevity!" the driver pleaded, singing Xiao Xuan's praises. Before Xiao Xuan could answer, Wei Tu sprang up from the puddle on the ground. The servant had instantly realized the shift in the situation's dynamic. Dusting off his robes and carefully ignoring the wet spot, Wei Tu puffed out his chest, recovering his arrogant swagger, and smiled from ear to ear.

"He is Young Master Xiao Xuan!" Wei Tu boasted loudly, his voice echoing with pride.

"The prestigious, direct son-in-law of the mighty Su Clan!"

"In that case, Young Master Xuan, you have my infinite gratitude." A soft voice washed over the chaotic square like cool water. It carried a faint scent of crushed lotus and a hypnotic charm that instantly paralyzed the murmuring crowd. A young woman stepped out of the carriage into the sunlight. She looked just a couple of years older than Xiao Xuan.

"Miss Zefei…" the old rider gasped, surprised that his mistress had personally stepped out to greet a stranger. She wore stark black and red robes made of silk so rich it seemed to absorb the sunlight. The elegant fabric hugged her graceful curves modestly, yet it exuded an undeniable allure. Her skin was as flawless as white porcelain, contrasting sharply with her lush, dark hair, and her lips resembled crushed rose petals. She had the kind of mature, magnetic beauty that could make any man's heart race.

Even Xiao Xuan was momentarily stunned.

"I am Tang Zefei from the Tang House," she said.

"My beast lost control on the journey here. You brought it under control and saved my life, along with everyone else in this street. Please, allow me to thank you properly over tea at my place." She clasped her hands together in a gesture of formal respect. The crowd gasped in unison." The Tang House?!" They were the largest, most affluent auction house in the Eastern Continent! Who in the world didn't want to curry favor with them? Being in their good graces meant endless resources and opportunities.

And here was the Su Clan's 'trash' receiving a personal invitation from one of their most beautiful executives. The market was flooded with a mix of surprise, awe, and envy. Wei Tu hurriedly leaned in and whispered the weight of her identity into Xiao Xuan's ear.

Xiao Xuan clasped his hands back and offered a smile.

"Thank you. I would be honored." Tang Zefei retreated into the luxurious carriage, and Xiao Xuan confidently followed her inside. Wei Tu happily took a seat up front with the driver. As the carriage began to roll away, the market erupted. … Inside the fragrant, spacious interior of the carriage, Tang Zefei poured him a cup of water and smiled.

"As I mentioned, I am Tang Zefei, and I will be handling the management of the auction house here in Xianghai. It is my pleasure to meet you, Young Master Xiao Xuan."

"No, no. The pleasure is all mine," Xiao Xuan replied with a relaxed smile.

"It's not every day I get to be treated by a woman as beautiful as yourself." Tang Zefei didn't blush. As a high-ranking executive, there were countless men who threw praises at her feet daily. She simply arched a delicate eyebrow and teased.

"Oh? Won't your wife get terribly upset seeing you flirt so openly with me, Master Xuan?"

"Oh, not at all. I love my wife very much and I flirt with her plenty," Xiao Xuan replied casually, leaning back against the plush cushions.

"She knows this isn't that." Tang Zefei blinked in surprise.

"Then… what is it?" If complimenting a woman's beauty wasn't flirting, what was?

"Well, I was just stating a mere fact," Xiao Xuan said with a shrug.

"You look beautiful, and I was simply acknowledging that truth out loud. Nothing more to it." Back on Earth, he had practiced his fair share of actual flirting, usually involving terrible pickup lines and nervous sweating. Simply pointing out that a beautiful woman was beautiful definitely didn't count as making a move in his book. Tang Zefei studied Xiao Xuan carefully. He was different from the prideful, arrogant, or desperately fawning young masters she usually dealt with. He was just… genuine.

"You are an interesting man, Xiao Xuan," she noted softly. She set the water jug down and looked at him with sharp eyes.

"So, I may be stepping out of my bounds here, but… how exactly did you get the beast to calm down so easily?" she asked, her voice tinged with intrigue. While inside the carriage earlier, she had been completely terrified. Despite her high status, Tang Zefei was not gifted in cultivation. She was only at the Qi Shi (Qi Master) rank, 1st stage.

Because she wanted to be highly discreet about her arrival in Xianghai, she had only brought a single guard, the old rider, who was at the Qi Da Shi (Qi Grandmaster) 2nd rank. When her horse, which was also a Qi Da Shi rank (Qi Grandmaster) spirit beast, had gone berserk, the old man hadn't been strong enough to suppress it.

Based on her vast knowledge of spirit beasts, she knew it would require at least an experienced Qi Ling (Qi Lord) rank warrior to use their solid core of Qi to create a physical, protective barrier strong enough to forcefully stop a beast of that caliber. Anyone weaker who tried to stand in front of it would have their bones instantly crushed. Yet, the mortal sitting comfortably across from her, as if he were at a picnic, had managed to do it without exerting an ounce of visible effort.

If he were an old man, she would have assumed he was a powerful cultivator of the Qi Zun (Qi Venerate) level who had mastered the art of concealing his cultivation. But his youthful face gave him away, he simply didn't have any cultivation. He was a young mortal. How could he possibly stop it?

"I just love animals," he said casually.

"They can sense that kind of thing." Tang Zefei was far from satisfied with that answer. As a core member of an influential clan, she had studied all the major players in Xianghai before arriving. The most bizarre piece of gossip she had read was that the mighty Su Clan had married off their genius daughter to a crippled commoner. She had assumed it was a political scheme and dismissed it. Yet, this 'cripple' had just accomplished something miraculous.

Does the Su Clan know something about him that the rest of the world doesn't? Is he a hidden trump card? Without realizing it, Tang Zefei found herself thoroughly captivated by the boy. To her seasoned eyes, Xiao Xuan was a puzzle box missing half its pieces, and she couldn't stop herself from wanting to uncover every single one of his secrets.