Scalding hot water spilled onto the ground along with the overturned pot, causing everyone to cry out in shock as droplets splashed everywhere.
Little Tiger, being close by, couldn't react in time and barely managed to shield his face with his arm.
Fortunately, due to the angle, the splash that hit him wasn't much.
"Not going to kick the other stove?" Chen Muxue pulled Little Tiger behind her.
The government official was taken aback and immediately became more infuriated, "Just because you tell me to kick, I should kick? What face would I have left?"
Chen Muxue regretfully shook her head, "Well, that clay pot cost me... a tael of silver, compensate me."
The spectators fell silent; was the pause that obvious? It was clear to everyone you just made up that price!
The government official snorted coldly, "You want me to pay? You must be out of your mind! You set up a stall here without permission, fine of five hundred taels of silver!"
"Wow, you could have just taken it, but you found an excuse, the reason is quite heartwarming."
Chen Muxue said, drawing out the iron pot from behind her.
"Humph, a mere Foundation Establishment Fifth Rank dares to flaunt..."
"Boss, she... seems to be more than Fifth Rank," someone behind the government official timidly reminded.
"The Sect Leader of Qian Ding Sect has been stuck at Foundation Establishment Fifth Rank for years, everyone knows..." the government official's voice grew softer.
Only now did he see clearly Chen Muxue's current level.
"Just Seventh Rank! Same as me! With so many of us, we can't possibly lose to her?"
"Boss, talk if you want, but don't step back."
Chen Muxue patted her iron pot, nodding toward the government official, "Are you coming one by one or all at once?"
What a joke, she even fought against someone at Golden Core Stage, though just one move, she could still gain the upper hand. Facing a group of street thugs with a Foundation Establishment Seventh Rank, she wouldn't retreat.
"Also at Foundation Establishment Seventh Rank, what makes you act so arrogantly?!"
Spiritual Power rippled out from Chen Muxue's body.
"Ugh, so annoying, why level up at such a crucial time?" Chen Muxue exaggeratedly complained.
The crowd fell silent.
Little Tiger quietly finished the meat bun.
"Sect Leader is truly amazing!" Xiao Hua clapped joyfully at everyone's stunned expressions.
Chen Muxue cupped her hands around, "Just average, third in the world."
The government official's eyes darted about before he snorted, "Your Qian Ding Sect is just a soon-to-fall minor sect. I advise you to know your place, pay the silver wisely, and roll back to your mountain. Then I'll be magnanimous and overlook this."
"Still acting tough at this point?"
Chen Muxue walked forward with the iron pot.
"You wouldn't want to provoke people above, right?" the government official shouted loudly.
Chen Muxue paused her steps, "Are you really a government official? I thought you got that uniform from somewhere."
"Haha, now you're scared, aren't you?" A drop of sweat rolled down the government official's forehead.
"Oh yes, very scared." Chen Muxue teased, "The people you mention, are they the ones behind the restaurant?"
She patted the iron pot; those looking for trouble now were likely from the restaurant. If it had come to this, the "people above" would sooner or later be confronted.
Her demand to close the restaurant surely touched their vested interests, even if it was a small town's little piece of the pie, they wouldn't give up easily.
First, it's about profit; second, it's about their most fragile dignity.
Moreover, she couldn't show weakness. If she were an ordinary person, it would be fine, but she was the Sect Leader of Qian Ding Sect. She represented the whole Qian Ding Sect; even if she didn't reveal her identity, others would quickly find out.
Chen Muxue closed in on the government official step by step, all eyes were fixed on the two of them.
"Ah!"
Xiao Hua's scream pierced the air, and Chen Muxue reflexively turned her head, spotting two thugs from the group who had quietly slipped over to Xiao Hua. One had captured Xiao Hua, and the other pointed a knife warily at Little Tiger.
Little Tiger and Xiao Hua, who had been watching Chen Muxue, hadn't noticed the two men. The one with the knife was at Qi Cultivation Third Rank, and with Little Tiger having just begun cultivation, he didn't yet know how to wield Spiritual Energy beyond basic control, so he dared not make any sudden moves.
"Let her go." Chen Muxue's eyes finally chilled.
"You better worry about yourself!"
The government official seized the opportunity to sneak attack, hurling a Thunder Ball straight at the back of Chen Muxue's head!
Instinctively, Chen Muxue slapped it away with her iron pot, the Thunder Ball exploded on the ground beside, creating a small pit.
The fight erupted, spectators cried out and started seeking safer places to hide.
The iron pot...while unclear what material it was made of, it could deflect the Thunder Ball. However, a weak electric current still traveled up through the pot to Chen Muxue's arm.
Like when as a child, she poked her finger into an electric mosquito swatter, a sharp sting pierced through.
"I told you to let her go!" Chen Muxue marched directly towards Xiao Hua, utterly ignoring the government official behind her.
"Y-y-you... don't come over! I'll strangle her if you do!" The man, grasping Xiao Hua's neck, unconsciously tightened his grip out of nervousness as he spoke.
Xiao Hua, having remained quiet since being caught, turned red and kicked her legs a couple times.
Seeing this, Chen Muxue finally halted, "Let her go!"
"Is that all you know how to say?"
The government official, frustrated from missing his strike and being ignored, angrily formed a hand sign. A small cloud gathered above him.
"Heavenly Thunder Decision!" he exaggeratedly motioned as if pulling something down from the sky—
"Boom!"
The cloud seemed to be flung, instantly moving over Chen Muxue. A bolt of lightning as thick as an arm crashed down on her!
"Sizzle~"
The back of the iron pot shielded over Chen Muxue's head emitted a wisp of smoke.
"Im-impossible!" The government official panted weakly; that strike had cost him ninety percent of his Spiritual Power!
The Heavenly Thunder Technique was something he had secretly learned from the Hidden Forest Hermit. The secret manual described it as a high-grade cultivation technique, and after sneaking around and practicing for years, he finally mastered it!
The manual claimed the lightning summoned by the Heavenly Thunder Technique had the terrifying power of a heavenly tribulation. Even if his strength was insufficient, so the call was small, it should have been impossible to neutralize so effortlessly!
That was Heavenly Thunder!
As disbelief overwhelmed the government official, the handle of the pot in Chen Muxue's hand suddenly crackled with electricity!
"Ugh—" Chen Muxue's whole arm became enveloped by lightning! She sank to one knee from the pain!
"Sect Leader!" Xiao Hua struggled upon witnessing this.
"You damned girl!"
Xiao Hua squirmed, and a purple bead dropped from her body, cracking open.
About to rush in to save Xiao Hua, Cen Lizhui halted mid-step, seeing the bead crack open and froze in place.
Not just the bead cracked, he too felt on the verge of cracking...