I Don't Want to Get Hurt, So I'll Max Out My Defense

Chapter 187: 188 I am Li Xiaobai

“Indeed, do you know him? Your painting skills are mediocre at best; you’ve rendered him quite unattractively. That innate charm and temperament are completely missing from your work. Your painting technique still requires a lot of improvement,” Li Xiaobai nodded as he spoke.

The old man was infuriated, his cultivation level at the Nascent Soul Stage, and he had long mastered the Confucian ink and brush techniques. Although his painting skills were not necessarily masterful, they were certainly sophisticated enough for him to be considered highly skilled. To his surprise, his abilities were belittled so by Li Xiaobai.

This kid really had a sharp tongue.

“Does Young Master Li know where Ye Liangchen is?” Ouyang Yue’er asked with some urgency.

“Of course, I do.”

“Where is he!” The old man also asked anxiously.

Li Xiaobai flipped his wrist and pulled out a Human Skin Mask, “Far away in the horizon, yet right before your eyes, but I wonder what business the Eldest Princess has with Liangchen?”

Once these words were spoken, silence befell the crowd.

“You are Ye Liangchen, the owner of Tangneng First-class?”

Ouyang Yue’er’s mind was in a muddle. Li Xiaobai was Ye Liangchen, the elusive owner of Tangneng First-class who they had been searching for all along, was right before their eyes.

“Liangchen dislikes idle talk. I came here today for two reasons: first, to resolve the matter of the Spiritual Medicine, your princess has sworn with her Dao heart to pay fifteen thousand top-grade Spirit Stones for each plant, and second, to deal with Situ Yanyu. The Tangneng First-class bathhouse was created by Liangchen and is unrelated to others—surrender Situ Yanyu, and that will be the end of it,” Li Xiaobai said indifferently as he put on the Human Skin Mask, his personality subtly influenced and once again becoming lackluster.

“Nonsense, Master Fang, seize this scoundrel!”

Ouyang Yue’er’s voice was chillingly cold.

“Big sister, no!” Ouyang Shuanger paled with fright, wanted to step forward but was stopped by the other cultivators.

“Shuanger, do not be deceived by him. This man is a major criminal our Zhenyuan Country has been pursuing. Quickly step aside!”

Ouyang Yue’er waved her hand, and Master Fang’s figure flickered, instantly rushing forward. He struck the top of Li Xiaobai’s head, rendering him immobile, and at the same time, he picked up a wine pot from the table and poured it into Li Xiaobai’s mouth.

Li Xiaobai was completely compliant, not moving an inch, swallowing the entire pot of wine.

[Attribute Points +30…]

[Attribute Points +30…]

This was poisoned wine, but it didn’t seem to be very effective. It seemed that from the moment he entered the banquet, the Eldest Princess and her entourage had already decided to do away with him.

A cold gleam flashed in his eyes, but Li Xiaobai stayed still, not making any moves.

“Reporting to the princess, I have subdued this young man, he is at the Eldest Princess’s disposal,” reported Master Fang, hands behind his back and with an indifferent expression. His actions instilled fear into the cultivators watching, their respect for the formidable powers of a Nascent Soul Stage master was evident. They hadn’t even recovered from the shock when they saw that Li Xiaobai had already been subdued.

“Master Fang, truly a Nascent Soul Stage power to be reckoned with, laying down the law with just a strike!”

“Indeed, Ye Liangchen is the owner of Tangneng First-class. With him in our grasp, we’ll be able to uncover the secrets of the bathhouse!”

“When we interrogated that wretched Situ Yanyu before, she refused to speak a word. This time, let’s bring this man before her and torture him severely to see if she remains silent!”

“With the State Preceptor capturing Ye Liangchen, the secrets of Tangneng First-class will soon be unraveled. This is a great merit; the King’s reward will no doubt be very generous. Let us offer our early congratulations to the State Preceptor.”

The surrounding young talents watched Li Xiaobai, who sat silently in his place, and laughed heartily.

They gathered in this small town precisely because of the affair of the Tangneng First-class bathhouse. Now that the manufacturer had been caught, they could unravel the secrets within. This would be an opportunity for the entire Zhenyuan Country.

Ouyang Shuanger’s complexion was also pale, but her focus was different from the rest. She kept her gaze fixed on Li Xiaobai’s figure.

She knew that neither the cultivators at the Nascent Soul Stage nor that pot of half-baked poison would cause the slightest harm to Li Xiaobai. After all, he was someone who could bathe in lava and withstand the Heavenly Tribulation; how could he possibly be subdued by such simple means?

Moreover, she had clearly seen Li Xiaobai wink at her, signaling her not to act rashly.

Obviously, he had a plan and wanted to show off his moves.

The Eldest Princess moved with lotus steps, approaching Li Xiaobai. She removed the Human Skin Mask from his face and examined it closely.

“This mask is indeed finely crafted, even capable of altering one’s temperament, quite extraordinary. I didn’t expect Ye Liangchen to be a fabricated character. But now it doesn’t matter, as this child has consumed the Soul Severing Soup, his consciousness has been erased. Once I refine him into a puppet, the secret of the Tangneng First-class will be under my control.”

“How should we deal with Situ Yanyu and the others in the dungeon?” The City Lord asked from the side.

“She’s of no use. She was originally just a tool for extracting information about Ye Liangchen.”

“These past few days, disciples from the Fire Qilin Cave have come to propose a marriage alliance with a princess of our Zhenyuan Country. As a gesture of reciprocity, our Zhenyuan Country naturally must send a beauty to the Fire Qilin Cave to serve their disciples. Situ Yanyu looks good enough; let her be part of the dowry and send her over,” Ouyang Yue’er said indifferently.

“Hehe, understood. Situ Yanyu does indeed have a good appearance, and her figure is also nice. I reckon the master of the Fire Qilin Cave will be pleased,” the City Lord said with a laugh.

“Fire Qilin Cave is forming a marriage alliance with Zhenyuan Country, but which sister are they marrying? Why have I never heard about this?” Ouyang Shuanger asked from the side.

“Little sister, you’re not so young anymore and should learn to take on the responsibilities of a princess. The disciple from Fire Qilin Cave is exceptionally talented. With your perfect match of talent and beauty, you are very suitable. This time, the marriage has been decided by our father the King. He plans to marry you off to the Fire Qilin Cave. You must know many women dream of such a husband; you should cherish this opportunity,” Ouyang Yue’er said.

“Eldest sister, how can this be? Why was I not consulted before making such a decision? I don’t want to get married yet!”

Ouyang Shuanger’s expression changed. Family alliances fundamentally meant giving one’s daughter away to forge relationships. She had been sold.

“This is the wish of Zhenyuan Country, you need to think of the bigger picture. Go rest now, tomorrow I will take you to see our father the King.”

Ouyang Yue’er gestured dismissively. The City Lord, understanding the hint, immediately stepped forward to drag her away and continued to keep her under house arrest.

As for her oath sworn upon her Daoist heart, no one cared. She just had to be married off obediently as a bridge solidifying the friendship between the two families. Cultivation level was something that was optional.

“And what about this Li Xiaobai?”

The State Preceptor asked, in his view, the other party had been completely controlled by the Soul Severing Soup.

“I will perform the refining myself.”

Ouyang Yue’er stepped forward, preparing to cast a spell with a series of Seal Spells. The Puppetry Technique could control the puppet’s entire life in the shortest time and reveal all about him.

The rest of the young talents wore sneers, eyeing Li Xiaobai with a look of ridicule.

“This person is really foolish. Knowing that this place is heavily guarded, yet he still walks into the trap. He deserves to become a walking corpse.”

“Indeed, once the Eldest Princess grasps the secrets of the bathhouse, our lineage is bound to rise rapidly, crushing the other princesses!”

No one noticed that Li Xiaobai’s eyelids involuntarily twitched.

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