But the pause was fleeting.

Then, Lin Hao grinned.

In the next instant, Wei Feng’s body was sent flying heavily.

Lin Hao was still standing in the same spot, but now someone else was behind him—Meng Qing.

The speed of Lin Hao’s Body Technique was simply terrifying.

"Gui Dan, get out here!" Wei Feng had already passed out. Lin Hao stood over him and bellowed.

That blasted turtle had caused him no end of trouble, so Lin Hao wasn’t about to be nice.

"Mmmph... Boff..." A muffled voice answered him the moment he finished speaking.

Then, a turtle appeared, its mouth chewing incessantly.

It went without saying that it had already ravaged anything of value in the Wei family, like their Spirit Grass.

"Damn it, what kind of piss-poor family is this? They don’t have a single decent Spirit Grass." Gui Dan stopped chewing and burst out cursing.

Three black lines instantly appeared on Lin Hao’s forehead.

First, Wei Feng had been captured by Lin Hao. Now, upon the sudden appearance of a foul-mouthed, eccentric turtle, Wei Feng’s sister’s face turned deathly pale with fright.

Trembling, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Guards! Help!"

Lin Hao’s expression didn’t so much as flicker. He simply hoisted Wei Feng off the ground, undid the ropes on Meng Qing’s wrists, and asked her, "Can you ride a horse?"

Meng Qing nodded.

Lin Hao smiled, grabbing her wrist and soaring into the sky, dragging Wei Feng along with them.

When he landed, they were already outside the Wei Mansion.

Outside the main gate of the Wei Mansion, a fine steed let out a long neigh.

An armored man sat atop the horse. He was one of the Celestial Jade City gate guards, a trusted subordinate of the captain.

He had come to the Wei Mansion to see how badly Lin Hao was being tortured, only to witness this scene instead.

The color drained from his face, and his body began to tremble on the horse.

"Leave the horse. Get lost." Lin Hao’s voice was quiet.

But the guard reacted as if granted a great amnesty. In his panic, he fell right off the horse, then scrambled away on all fours like a stray dog, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Lin Hao said nothing. He bound Wei Feng’s hands with a rope and tied the other end to the pommel of the saddle.

"Meng Qing, get on the horse," Lin Hao said. "We’re leaving the city."

Meng Qing understood his intentions. She shot him a grateful glance before vaulting onto the horse with surprising agility.

"Cover your face with this. I’d rather not cause a stampede." Lin Hao took out the red veil and handed it to her.

Meng Qing paused for a moment, then folded it in half and held it over her face.

Lin Hao slapped the horse’s rump. Pained, the horse let out a long neigh and bolted.

BOOM!

The gate behind Lin Hao was smashed open by a tremendous force, and a turtle crawled out.

Lin Hao leaped onto the turtle’s back.

THUMP!

Up ahead, the horse galloped wildly. Wei Feng, who had been knocked unconscious by Lin Hao, tumbled heavily to the ground and began to be dragged.

The searing pain finally jolted him awake.

By now, Meng Qing had guided the horse off the side road and onto the main street.

The main street was bustling with pedestrians. Hearing the approaching hoofbeats, they reacted quickly, parting to clear a path.

"Is that... Young Master Wei from the Wei Mansion?" someone asked, their eyes widening in disbelief as they stared at the man being dragged.

The Wei family was one of the three great families of Celestial Jade City, and Wei Feng was the Patriarch’s own son. Who would be so audacious as to publicly drag him through the city streets?

’I must be mistaken. I have to be.’

The speaker shook his head.

"Help... Help me!" Wei Feng struggled several times, but the horse was moving too fast for him to get up. Seeing the crowd, he couldn’t help but scream for help.

Hearing his voice, nearly everyone in the crowd gasped.

That was unmistakably Wei Feng’s voice.

Wei Feng was the local tyrant of Celestial Jade City. He became especially lawless after his sister married into the Lu family.

Every native of Celestial Jade City knew that his sister doted on him endlessly.

Yet here he was, being dragged through the streets. Everyone was shocked.

This was tantamount to offending both the Wei family and the Lu family at the same time!

Who on earth had the nerve to act so wantonly in Celestial Jade City?!

The figure in red on horseback was exceptionally eye-catching, but no one believed she possessed such capabilities.

Those with profound cultivation could see her level with a single glance: Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm.

Just then, a young man riding a turtle appeared behind the horse, looking completely calm and unruffled as he entered the crowd’s line of sight.

"Holy shit! Am I seeing things? I’ve seen people ride horses and exotic beasts, but I’ve never seen anyone ride a turtle before."

After a moment of stunned silence, someone cried out in astonishment.

"You hick! I am a divine turtle!" Gui Dan snapped, displeased.

A talking turtle... The sight left everyone dumbfounded.

However, before they could even process that, a name was called out, sparking a wave of uproarious laughter.

"Gui Dan, hurry up! Don’t fall behind!"

"It’s him!"

Amidst the gales of laughter, someone cried out in recognition.

Lin Hao’s earlier display at the city gate had left a deep impression on many. Now, upon seeing his face, many of them recognized him.

"That boy has some nerve. He looks to be only fifteen or sixteen, yet he dares to openly provoke both the Wei and Lu families." Even some of the older people in the crowd couldn’t help but look at Lin Hao with new respect.

"To think he actually managed to capture Wei Feng right from the Wei family... His methods are astounding!"

"You don’t know? A major figure just arrived in Celestial Jade City. All the important people from the Wei and Ling families are at the City Lord’s Mansion, which is the only reason he had this opening. If I’m not mistaken, this boy won’t be leaving Celestial Jade City. We should keep our distance."

The words had barely been spoken when urgent hoofbeats thundered from behind, signaling the rapid approach of several riders.

At that moment, the city gate was visible in the distance.

"Close the gates! Quickly!"

A loud shout came from behind.

Hearing that voice, the now blood-soaked Wei Feng cried out, "Brother-in-law, save me!"

A figure vaulted from a horse in the rear, leaping several yards in an instant to land before Meng Qing’s steed, and then struck down with his palm.

The horse crashed to the ground, and the city gates slammed shut at nearly the same instant.

Unseated and losing her balance, Meng Qing started to tumble forward, her face paling in terror.

From behind, a firm hand gripped her shoulder, steadying her body.

In that brief moment, the two of them had been completely surrounded.

Yet, Lin Hao remained unfazed. He took the rope he had untied from the saddle and began looping it around Gui Dan’s short little tail.

"Gui Dan, stick your tail up, or I can’t tie this!"

Lin Hao, head bowed, gave Gui Dan a light punch, looking utterly absorbed in his task.

Seeing this, the onlookers’ eyes bulged, their mouths hanging open wide enough to fit a beast egg.

You had to understand, among the dozen or so arrivals were people from both the Wei and Lu families, and several of them were masters at or above the Third Layer of the Elemental Realm.

For this boy to be so disdainful... it was the very pinnacle of lawlessness.

’To be so brazen in Celestial Jade City...’ Many people shook their heads.

"You’re courting death!" Just as they expected, Lin Hao’s actions enraged the newcomers. A burly man leaped from his horse, striking at Lin Hao’s head with his palm.

Lin Hao didn’t move a muscle, not even lifting his head.

Behind him, Meng Qing’s body trembled, suppressed by the expert’s aura. Still, she struggled to rise from the turtle’s back, intending to confront the large man.

A firm hand caught her arm. She then saw Lin Hao turn back to her, flash a grin, and even give a playful wink.

Lin Hao’s gesture left the onlookers’ Divine Souls shaken, and their faces filled with admiration!

’Even at a time like this, the boy still has the presence of mind to flirt? He’s truly a role model for our generation!’

The attacker, however, did not think so. To him, Lin Hao’s actions were a blatant, naked insult!

The power in his palm strike increased, becoming exceptionally ferocious.

"The power of the Elemental Realm Second Layer... if that palm connects... what a waste of a beautiful woman," someone lamented, shaking their head.

"Her face is covered. How do you know she’s beautiful?!" the person next to him retorted.

A woman, especially a beautiful one, becomes the center of attention no matter where she goes or what the situation is.

"Look at that graceful figure, those enchanting eyes... My heart is pounding."

"Fair point."

Someone else nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile...

"Little brother, what’s your name?" Perhaps influenced by Lin Hao’s smile, Meng Qing seemed to have completely forgotten their predicament. With her eyes only on him, she asked in a soft voice.

Lin Hao’s expression instantly soured. "My name is Lin Hao. And Meng Qing, could you please drop the ’little’?"

A smile flickered in Meng Qing’s eyes for a fleeting moment, and she nodded.

Then, as if she’d remembered something, terror flashed in her eyes and she jerked her head up.

What she saw, however, was the horrified gaze of the crowd.

Following their line of sight, her own eyes fell upon a headless corpse.

From its build and attire, it was obviously the corpse of the burly man who had just attacked.

’To kill someone so silently, and clearly not for the first time... those methods...’

Meng Qing turned back to look at the still-smiling youth, her beautiful eyes filled with utter shock.

Although her own cultivation wasn’t high, she had enough common sense to know that the oppressive aura from that man’s attack was something only a Martial Artist at the Elemental Realm could possess.

’Lin Hao is so young. Has his cultivation already reached a point where he doesn’t even regard Elemental Realm Martial Artists as a threat?!’

’This is too shocking!’

While Lin Hao thoroughly enjoyed the look in Meng Qing’s eyes, he figured that while some things should be kept from others, one’s own people could be let in on the secret.

"Meng Qing, don’t look at me like that. I didn’t kill him," Lin Hao whispered, holding up his hands in a shrug.

Meng Qing’s beautiful eyes widened. She then glanced around, searching for Lin Hao’s "bodyguard."

Lin Hao didn’t explain, instead suddenly yanking the rope that bound Wei Feng. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

*SPURT!*

A large hand made of True Essence retracted, and a man stumbled backward, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Seeing Lin Hao and Meng Qing whispering, someone had made a sudden move, trying to snap the rope.

But because of Lin Hao’s sudden yank, if the attacker didn’t pull back his hand, his strike would have landed on Wei Feng. He had no choice but to forcibly retract his move.

The result was predictable.

"Friend, release him, and I, Lu Changjun, will allow you to leave Celestial Jade City," said the man who had struck down the horse.

He was dressed in white robes, but his right cheek was covered in something resembling fish scales, making his appearance hideously ugly.

"Do you have any idea what he’s done?" Lin Hao asked instead of answering.

After a brief pause, Lu Changjun shook his head.

"Right outside these city walls, I saw with my own eyes as he dragged an old man to his death," Lin Hao said coldly.

Immediately, Lin Hao felt a hand grip his arm tightly. Behind him, Meng Qing’s body was trembling.

"He is Young Master Wei, and I am from the City Lord’s Mansion. We can offer compensation," was Lu Changjun’s reply.

Hearing this, Lin Hao smiled. A brilliant, dazzling smile.