Chapter 45: Pushing Limits, A Beauty Draws Her Sword for Justice?

Throughout this period, Xiao Yifeng continued his daily trek to the market district. The overall management remained a disaster, but he had long since stopped caring about the general vendors. He simply let them do as they pleased.

However, the breakfast tea vendors specifically invited by Li Lifang were a different story. They were determined to make his life miserable. Since he couldn’t abandon his post, he was forced to endure their harassment while stuck in place.

Whenever these vendors started disputes, they would deliberately drag Xiao Yifeng into the fray, even if he tried to ignore them. They were looking for any excuse to throw a cheap shot.

Eventually, Xiao Yifeng’s patience snapped. He slammed his identity token onto the table, revealing his status as a True Disciple of the Wentian Sect. The effect was immediate—the vendors were terrified into silence and didn’t dare provoke him again.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon and the disciples gathered to change shifts, Tang Pei suddenly stopped them.

“Wait,” Tang Pei said nervously. “An Overseer is coming.”

Li Lifang was notably absent. Xiao Yifeng exchanged a glance with the others, his heart sinking. It was obvious that the petty grudges weren’t over; Li Lifang was bringing in reinforcements to suppress his own sect members.

Xiao Yifeng looked up to see three figures approaching. Li Lifang and the usual manager were flanking a middle-aged man, looking like a pair of eager lackeys.

The middle-aged man shared Li Lifang’s unpleasant, simian features—sharp cheekbones, a protruding mouth, and shifty eyes. Dressed in the black flowing robes of an Overseer, he wore a deliberately gloomy expression, as if the world owed him a debt.

Xiao Yifeng knew trouble had arrived. This had to be Li Lifang’s uncle. He didn’t know exactly what the man wanted, but it certainly wasn’t to exchange pleasantries.

“Who is the disciple in charge of Sundry Street?” the rat-faced man shouted, planting his feet firmly on the ground.

Xiao Yifeng stood up lazily, dusting off his robes as he ambled forward. “That would be this disciple. May I ask who you are?”

“I am Li Yuanming, one of the Overseers of this district,” the man barked, his eyes narrowing. “I inspected your street earlier today. It is a complete chaotic mess. How are you managing this place?”

Li Yuanming wasted no time. He was here to pick a fight, and he started throwing accusations the moment he opened his mouth.

“Oh, just an Overseer?” Xiao Yifeng raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. “With such a grand entrance and aggressive tone, I thought I had mistaken you for the Sect Leader of my Wentian Sect.”

Since the man was clearly here to find fault, Xiao Yifeng saw no point in being polite. He didn’t bother with hypocritical pleasantries and went straight for sarcasm.

Xiao Yifeng’s attitude startled Tang Pei and Ling Sisi. Usually, Xiao Yifeng adhered to the principle: If others don’t offend me, I won’t offend them.

Ling Sisi watched him with widening eyes, worry etched across her face.

Of course, Xiao Yifeng wasn’t simply asking for a beating. He knew that because they belonged to different sects, Li Yuanming’s authority over him was limited. Just as others wouldn’t offend Li Yuanming for Xiao Yifeng’s sake, Li Yuanming had to tread carefully with a True Disciple of the Wentian Sect.

His status as a True Disciple gave him the leverage to stand tall. It was the same leverage that had silenced the tea vendors.

If Li Yuanming wanted revenge, the most he could do was create administrative hurdles within the market. Outside these walls, he was nobody.

“You!” Li Yuanming sputtered, caught off guard. “What do you mean by that? This Overseer received reports that your management was incompetent. Seeing it today, the rumors were true. What defense do you have?”

He hadn’t expected a junior disciple to be so arrogant, giving him absolutely no face.

“Overseer, the Sundry Street is severely understaffed,” Xiao Yifeng replied, his tone flat. “Could you assign more personnel? If not, then it is simply a matter of this disciple’s ability being insufficient. I cannot manage it alone. I accept the punishment.”

Xiao Yifeng adopted an attitude of brazen indifference—a dead pig unafraid of boiling water.

“You can’t even manage a small street, yet you have the gall to talk back? Since you accept the punishment, fine.” Li Yuanming completely ignored the request for manpower.

He stroked his chin, eyes gleaming with malice. “I won’t say I am unreasonable. I will give you three more days. I will inspect again then. If the management hasn’t shown results, you will fail this assessment directly.”

“Overseer, that isn’t right!” Ling Sisi stepped forward anxiously, her face pale. “That street is impossible to manage alone. This disciple is willing to go help him. Please approve this, Overseer!”

The other disciples kept their heads down, choosing self-preservation. Offending Li Lifang and his uncle now was unwise. They had all witnessed how Li Lifang had targeted Xiao Yifeng recently.

Tang Pei turned a blind eye. Zhu Ming stepped back, distancing himself physically from Xiao Yifeng to avoid being splashed by the fallout. Lin Mi remained expressionless, treating the scene as if it didn’t exist.

Only Ling Sisi had actively tried to help Xiao Yifeng, even pleading with Li Lifang in private.

“Hmph!” Li Yuanming scoffed. “If you go help him, who will handle your area? A tiny street doesn’t need that many people.”

He hadn’t expected anyone to speak up for the boy. He turned his glare back to Xiao Yifeng. “Do you accept the penalty?”

Xiao Yifeng looked at the man, disgusted by the shamelessness.

Usually, poor management resulted in a low rating. But this man wanted to fail him completely, which would have severe consequences for his standing in the sect.

“And if I don’t accept?” Xiao Yifeng looked up, locking eyes with Li Yuanming before shifting his gaze to the smirking Li Lifang. “What do you plan to do?”

“What kind of attitude is that? You have no respect for your superiors!” Li Yuanming’s face flushed red with anger.

“My attitude reflects yours,” Xiao Yifeng sneered. “Since you’ve decided to abandon reason and fairness, why should I give you any face?”

“The audacity! Good! Very good!” Li Yuanming laughed in extreme anger. “Since I cannot control you, come with me to see your sect elders!”

It was a bluff. He didn’t dare drag the Wentian Sect elders into this.

He had used this trick countless times on disobedient disciples. Usually, the mere mention of dragging them before their masters caused them to crumble. He was proficient in this psychological warfare.

Their heated argument had drawn a crowd. Disciples who hadn’t left yet and passing pedestrians stopped to watch the drama unfold.

“Come here!” Li Yuanming shouted, reaching out to grab Xiao Yifeng.

As an Early Foundation Establishment cultivator, his movement was swift, his hand hooking like an eagle’s claw.

But Xiao Yifeng was no longer a novice. At the 7th Layer of Qi Refining, he had mastered several profound movement techniques. He dropped his center of gravity, twisting his body like a swimming fish. He slipped right through Li Yuanming’s fingers, sliding away to stand at a safe distance, ready for battle.

“Kid, you dare resist?” Li Yuanming felt a rush of humiliation as his hand grasped nothing but air. “I’ll capture you myself, then drag you to your elders. Let’s see if all Wentian Sect True Disciples are this arrogant and unruly!”

Humiliated in front of the crowd, Li Yuanming didn’t hold back. He stepped forward, his figure blurring into a black shadow as he lunged for Xiao Yifeng again.

Suddenly, a streak of red light shot through the air like a meteor.

Boom!

The red light slammed into Li Yuanming’s chest with tremendous force. He was blasted backward, his feet skidding across the ground as he stumbled several steps to regain his balance. The red object, having done its job, flew back into the crowd in a graceful arc.

Li Yuanming looked disheveled, his robes askew. He felt as though the entire day was cursed. He straightened up, veins bulging on his forehead.

“Who is it? Who dares to attack from the shadows?” he roared.

The crowd of onlookers grew larger, but they quickly parted to form a path.

A young girl, no older than fifteen or sixteen, stepped out from the throng. Dressed in a vibrant red dress, she radiated an aura of nobility and pride. In her hand, she held a crimson sword scabbard—the source of the red light.

Though young, her features were already breathtaking, promising a beauty that could topple kingdoms. She was like a flower bud on the verge of blooming, vibrant and stinging to the eyes.

She walked forward like a little princess inspecting her domain, her chin held high, her gaze sweeping over the crowd with unmasked arrogance. Beside her trotted a snow-white kitten.