Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 704: Chapter 704: The Porcelain Bump

"Xiao Xiao, I heard a commotion and came to check on you. Thankfully, you’re alright," Ye Qingchen’s voice suddenly called from nearby.

Upon hearing him, Xiao Xiao quickly called out, "Young Master, just wait over there. I’ll have this thing dealt with in no time!"

Ye Qingchen looked at Xiao Xiao, his eyes filled with a complex expression. He had sensed something amiss earlier and, worried that something might have happened to Xiao Xiao, had hurried over. By the time he arrived, she had already taken care of the creature.

But for some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something had been very wrong with her at the very end. However, before he could get a closer look, Xiao Xiao had already returned to her usual self.

Forget it. I’m overthinking this. It’s probably just because of that Monster Beast.

Seeing Xiao Xiao back to her normal self, Ye Qingchen shook his head and dispelled his lingering doubts.

Soon, Xiao Xiao finished dealing with the carcass. She eagerly shared some of the ape meat with Ye Qingchen, but it turned out not to be very tasty.

"Xiao Xiao, have you felt unwell at all recently?" Ye Qingchen asked while eating, unable to stop himself from recalling the scene he had witnessed earlier.

Xiao Xiao looked up, bewildered. "Unwell? Young Master, I don’t feel unwell at all. Actually, I did feel a bit sick back at the Wuji Immortal Palace. But ever since we left, I feel like every part of me is better than ever!" she said with a bright smile.

Seeing Xiao Xiao practically bursting with vitality, Ye Qingchen finally nodded, feeling more at ease.

If something were really wrong with Xiao Xiao, I would have noticed it by now. I must have been seeing things earlier.

"Xiao Xiao, let’s go after we finish eating."

After finishing their meal, the two resumed their journey toward the Western Region.

Soon, more than half a month passed, and they finally caught sight of the Western Region on the horizon.

During this time, Ye Qingchen hadn’t felt anything wrong with his body. But since Elder Chen had said the injury was deep, it was normal for him not to feel any symptoms yet.

"Young Master, look! We’re finally here! I’m exhausted!" Xiao Xiao said excitedly, pointing at the buildings ahead.

Ye Qingchen nodded. "Let’s go, Xiao Xiao."

The two arrived at an outer city of the Western Region. Despite being an outer city, it was bustling with people and full of activity. Ye Qingchen and Xiao Xiao wandered along the roadside, looking for a place to stay.

Suddenly, a figure darted out from the side of the road.

Immediately after, someone shouted from behind the figure, "Help! Stop that thief!"

The figure ran straight toward Ye Qingchen. However, Ye Qingchen had no intention of intervening. In an unfamiliar place like this, it was best to avoid trouble. Besides, his injuries meant he shouldn’t be exerting himself, so he chose to simply stand by and watch.

Seeing Ye Qingchen remain still, Xiao Xiao also stood blankly to the side.

The figure sped past, and Ye Qingchen simply sidestepped to let him pass.

"Hey! What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you hear me shouting for help? That man ran right past you, and you didn’t even lift a finger to help me!" a sharp voice rang out by Ye Qingchen’s ear.

A woman in bright, beautiful clothes stood with her hands on her hips, yelling at Ye Qingchen indignantly.

Xiao Xiao frowned and stepped forward. "Why should my Young Master help you? It’s not like the thief stole anything from him!"

The woman scoffed, as if amused by Xiao Xiao’s words.

"Heh, true. You foreigners are just uncivilized! This man next to you is clearly powerful, yet when he could have easily helped, he did nothing. And not only did he refuse to help, he even stepped aside to let that scoundrel get away! I bet you’re in cahoots with him!"

The woman’s voice attracted a crowd of passersby, many of whom had seen her belongings get stolen by the shadowy figure just moments before. They all came over, indignant on her behalf.

"Goodness, how can someone be so cold-hearted? It would have been so easy to help!"

"I think the young lady is right. This fellow doesn’t look like a good person; he’s probably in on it with the thief."

"The girl next to him is so pretty, who knew she could be so wicked?"

"Exactly! You can tell they’re foreigners just by their clothes. These foreigners are really something else!"

"I say we should just arrest them! What if they really are the thief’s accomplices?"

"That’s right! Arrest them! Arrest them!"

Faced with the crowd’s condemnation, Xiao Xiao’s anger flared. Just as she was about to step forward and argue, Ye Qingchen placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Miss, I can see that you’re quite powerful yourself. Why didn’t you catch him just now?"

Through his Double Pupils, Ye Qingchen could see that this woman was a third-level Martial Emperor Realm cultivator. In contrast, the thief who had just run past wasn’t even in the Martial Emperor Realm. It was obvious she had let him get away on purpose.

Hearing Ye Qingchen’s question, the woman snorted coldly. "Of course I could have caught him if I wanted to. But I saw him run right to you and figured you would help me out. I never expected you to just let him go!"

"Miss, your logic is ridiculous," Ye Qingchen countered. "If you could have caught him yourself, why did you need our help? Or could it be that you’re actually working with that thief, trying to use this opportunity to extort us foreigners?"

Ye Qingchen’s words were clear and well-reasoned. Hearing this, the other foreigners in the crowd immediately erupted.

"That’s right! The young man has a point! Is this woman trying to frame him just because he’s a foreigner?"

"I can’t believe her intentions are so vicious! Life is already hard for us foreigners in the Western Region, and now people are resorting to schemes like this to scam us!"

"Heh, I see you people of the Western Region are no better! You don’t just ostracize foreigners, you even try to extort us!"

In an instant, the tide of discussion turned to support Ye Qingchen.

However, no sooner had they spoken than the local residents of the Western Region grew indignant.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Do you have any idea who that young lady is? Why would she ever need to extort the likes of you foreigners?"

"Exactly! Her family is the Zheng Family—the number one family in the outer city of the Western Region! That is the young lady of the Zheng Family, Zheng Xiao! She could buy your lives with any random thing she owns."

"That’s right! I’m speechless. You foreigners are disgusting. We in the Western Region have no need for trash like you!"

"Miss Zheng was just giving this good-looking fellow a chance to prove himself. He didn’t appreciate it and even tried to turn the tables! How sickening..."

"Miss Zheng, why bother with this foreigner? He’s just a pretty face who’s all show and no substance. Why don’t you look at me instead? How about you consider me?"