"A sacred artifact!"
Not far away, Li Yuan's eyes flew wide. He had never imagined Qin Luo would so casually take out a sacred artifact.
Chen Mo stared in horror. "Ah!" His beloved was about to be threatened, and he hated his own uselessness.
Yet under the crushing pressure of the sacred artifact, he couldn't even move a finger.
"How is this possible?" Panic flashed through Lin Xuan's eyes.
Confront it? Impossible.
Bang!
The sacred artifact slammed down on the carriage, shattering it to pieces in an instant.
Qin Luo was very controlled—he didn't try to kill anyone.
With the carriage splintered, the "two people within" naturally appeared in full view.
Qin Luo kicked Chen Mo aside. "Open your eyes, simp. Take a good look."
All gazes immediately locked onto Gu Qingxue and Lin Xuan. At that moment, Lin Xuan stood in front of Gu Qingxue, shielding her with his body.
Qin Luo stopped his attack, letting the scene hang. The two of them became the absolute center of attention.
"So there *were* two people?"
"Damn, it really *is* that spicy?"
"A man and a woman all alone in a carriage… that's pretty bold."
"Who's that guy? He actually dares to steal a prince's woman?"
Chen Mo was also dumbfounded. He knew Lin Xuan; he'd even planned to cozy up to him.
But the man he'd wanted as a friend had stolen a march on him first. His mood collapsed on the spot.
Qin Luo's gaze shifted to Li Yuan. "My lord, someone is carrying on with the future princess consort. What do you think should be done?"
"Hey, someone's peeping from the shadows," Xi Huang's voice cut in. "Feels like they're working with that kid."
"Probably his backer."
Li Yuan's mind went blank. He'd only come to receive a prince, and now they were throwing this mess at him?
He had no idea how to answer.
Gu Qingxue seemed to sense his panic and quickly cut in.
"Lin Xuan and I are mutually in love. How is that 'carrying on'?" she said, her love-brained words instantly ruining whatever excuse Lin Xuan had been preparing.
[Lin Xuan is slightly frustrated. Luck -10,000. Host gains 10,000 Villain Points.]
"tsk, tsk. Gutsy," Qin Luo said, clapping slowly.
"If I'm not mistaken, this engagement was arranged by the Qin Emperor himself. And now you're telling me you want to elope with someone else?"
His tone hardened. "Are you defying the Emperor's decree? Or insulting the royal family of Great Qin?"
Each word made Gu Qingxue's face grow paler. Her lips moved, but no words came out.
Lin Xuan stepped forward in time, looking straight at Qin Luo. "Ninth Prince, Miss Gu and I have not overstepped any bounds. Our relationship is innocent."
"Innocent?" Qin Luo sneered.
What, did he have to catch them in the act to make it count?
"You humiliate me like this today—I'll kill you."
If a villain just turtled up to farm levels and "develop" quietly, he'd be dead before he reached the late game.
As a villain, there was only one word that mattered: fight.
His sword flashed. The Four Symbols Swordplay exploded forth like a torrential rain of blades, instantly drowning Lin Xuan, whose expression changed drastically.
He had never imagined that this stray prince would be this strong.
"Sword art at Perfection!" Li Yuan could not help crying out, his voice full of shock.
To cultivate a technique to Perfection was already the mark of a one-in-ten-thousand genius.
This Qin Luo truly lived up to being a son of Great Qin.
Lin Xuan roared, "Undying Golden Body Technique!"
Golden radiance burst from his body as his fist slammed toward Qin Luo.
Fiery Palm!
A gigantic flaming palm print smashed down at him.
Bang!
The two collided. Lin Xuan was sent flying, crashing hard to the ground. A green light flickered over his body, and his injuries recovered in moments.
"Mm. It's getting more interesting… but it's useless."
"Ring the Tai Xu Bell!" Qin Luo shouted.
The Tai Xu Bell boomed, its sound waves hammering directly at the soul.
Dong!
The peal of the bell left almost everyone present reeling.
Lin Xuan's consciousness blurred for an instant.
The golden light protecting his body dimmed.
Hit him while he's down—and finish it.
Qin Luo's figure blurred as he shot out, unleashing Golden Edge Piercing Mountains.
The tip of his sword drove straight for Lin Xuan's chest. With luck, he'd get a taste of that Five Elements Spiritual Body today.
"If that guy dares to move, crush him," Qin Luo told Xi Huang.
"Gladly."
Qin Luo wanted to see if sheer brute force could kill the Chosen One standing in front of him.
*Bang!*
"Brother Lin Xuan!" Gu Qingxue's anguished scream tore through the air.
Lin Xuan's defenses crumbled. His face twisted, and he roared, "Open! Open! Open!"
Boom.
His Five Elements Spiritual Body erupted, forcibly converting everything into a single force to barely maintain his golden body.
Pfft.
He spat a mouthful of blood laced with clots.
A crippling blow.
He had been heavily wounded by Qin Luo's strike.
[Lin Xuan has been severely injured. His belief in his own invincibility has collapsed. Luck -100,000. Host gains 100,000 Villain Points.]
Not enough foundation?
He went half-mad. His hand twitched toward the forbidden item hidden on his body—he wanted to use it to suppress Qin Luo on the spot.
"Don't move. Someone's coming," a voice barked in his mind.
At the same time, a powerful aura instantly locked onto both Qin Luo and Lin Xuan.
"Who dares draw weapons in the capital, the heart of the realm?"
"Do you take the laws of Great Qin for nothing?"
Boom.
The pressure made even Qin Luo's steps falter. A middle-aged man appeared in midair, looking coldly down at the two.
"You'd better give me an explanation. Otherwise, I'll drag you both off to the Demon Suppression Division."
Lin Xuan immediately cupped his fists. "Lin Xuan, centurion of the Demon Suppression Division, greets Commander Lu!"
Lu Cang glanced at him, the corner of his mouth lifting. "Not bad. It's only been a short while, and you're already at the peak of Divine Power. Seems you're only a step off from Divine Transformation."
Then his gaze moved to Qin Luo, and a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes. "So young, yet already at the Ninth Layer of the Divine Power Realm?"
Qin Luo met his stare calmly. "I am Qin Luo, Ninth Prince of Great Qin. This Lin Xuan, a Demon Suppression Division centurion, has been meeting my fiancée in secret. I ask Commander Lu to uphold justice."
Lu Cang frowned and looked back at Lin Xuan. "Is that true?"
"It's all a misunderstanding," Lin Xuan said at once. "Please investigate, Commander Lu."
Lu Cang had been watching in secret for some time already. His question was only to give Lin Xuan an official step down.
"Since it's a misunderstanding, then let it go," he said evenly. He turned to Li Yuan. "Does the prince's identity still need to be verified at the Imperial Clan Court?"
Li Yuan bowed his head. "Reporting to Commander Lu, we must still go to the Imperial Clan Court to verify it."
In other words: Qin Luo was not yet officially recognized as a prince.
Interesting.
Qin Luo's lips quirked upward. Obstacles only made things more entertaining.
Lin Xuan shot Qin Luo a sidelong look, a hint of smugness hidden in his eyes. Inwardly, he scoffed, Ninth Prince? Just a wild brat dragged home from outside.
He swore silently, I'll repay today's humiliation ten times, a hundred times over.
In his mind, Qin Luo's death was already a foregone conclusion.
Qin Luo only smiled. He walked straight to Gu Qingxue and, under Lin Xuan's burning gaze, pulled her into his arms in full view of everyone.
"If it's all a misunderstanding, then we can talk it out in the open. But…"
He turned his eyes back to Lin Xuan, his tone dripping with mockery. "I agree she really isn't good enough to be my wife. So why don't I just let her be my concubine instead?"
[Lin Xuan's mental state has collapsed. Luck -50,000. Host gains 50,000 Villain Points.]
Clearly, Gu Qingxue occupied a very important place in Lin Xuan's heart. Simps weren't limited to women; men could be just as blind.
"You—!" Gu Qingxue struggled, but then Qin Luo's voice echoed coldly in her ear.
"Move again, and I'll wipe out your entire family."
At the same time, Qin Luo muttered inwardly, When are my people getting here?
Life without subordinates was rough. As a villain, he should at least *look* like one. How could he be suppressed by a Chosen One?
[Spend 10,000 Villain Points for a single forecast?]
"Seriously? Taking advantage of the chaos to skim a fee, huh?"
"Fine. Do it."
[10,000 Villain Points consumed]
[Target is three days' travel from the capital. If nothing unexpected happens, they will arrive in three days.]
"Can I trust that?"
[You don't believe me? I can always leave.]
This little System really had a temper.
Qin Luo turned to Lin Xuan, smiling faintly. "In three days, I'll be holding a concubine-taking ceremony. Why don't you come?"
As for whether certain people agreed or not—Qin Luo had a feeling that in three days, no one would dare object.