Xiao Wan looked down at Lin Feng, his voice a soft, deliberate drawl. "I came here for two reasons. First, to see how Ruoxi is doing. Second, to see what kind of man she married." "I haven't had the chance to see Ruoxi, but after seeing you, I must say I am profoundly disappointed. A good-for-nothing like you... how could you possibly make her happy?" "You can only bring shame upon her, give others reason to mock her." Xiao Wan watched Lin Feng coldly, speaking without hurry. "You said you wanted Qi Gathering Pills? Here are ten. Take them, leave the Azure Dragon Divine Sect, and never show your face here again." As he spoke, Xiao Wan produced a pristine white jade bottle. A faint sneer touched his lips as he tossed it casually toward Lin Feng. The bottle sailed through the air, looking perfectly ordinary, but it concealed a hidden surge of force. It was a petty trick, meant to make Lin Feng fumble and fall. With a soft snap, Lin Feng caught the jade bottle cleanly. He looked up at Xiao Wan, his expression calm. "What business is it of yours what happens between my wife and me?" A flicker of surprise crossed Xiao Wan's eyes before vanishing. He snorted. "Ruoxi and I were childhood sweethearts. If I hadn't been in seclusion that year, breaking through to the Marquis realm, do you really think you'd be standing here talking to me?" Xiao Wan turned, bowing his head to Shen Mei with an air of heartfelt sorrow. "Auntie, I am utterly disappointed in Ruoxi's husband. Ruoxi is the First Fairy of the Nine Heavens Empire, the Princess of the Azure Dragon Divine Sect. How could her husband be a worthless mortal who can't even cultivate? It's a waste of who she is!" "I sincerely ask you, Auntie, to sweep this Lin Feng from your door and restore Ruoxi's good name," Xiao Wan said, each word chosen with deliberate weight. "Heh..." A sudden laugh escaped Lin Feng's lips. His relationship with Su Ruoxi was their own affair. What right did an outsider like Xiao Wan have to pass judgment? "Lin Feng, who let you out to make a fool of yourself? Get back to your kennel, now!" Before Lin Feng could retort, his mother-in-law, Shen Mei, turned on him, her voice dripping with contempt. She'd specifically told Qingxue to keep this fool from wandering out and causing a scene. And yet, here he was, inviting ridicule upon them all. At the same time, a sliver of displeasure was aimed at Xiao Wan. This was, after all, a family matter. Though she greatly favored Xiao Wan as a potential son-in-law, his interference was overstepping his bounds. "Making a fool of myself? Aren't you the one doing that?" Lin Feng glanced sideways at Shen Mei, his expression still unruffled. In the year since he had married into the Azure Dragon Divine Sect, Shen Mei had never once given him a kind look. And now, she was calling him a dog in front of guests? The old Lin Feng might have meekly scurried back to his room at her command. But the Lin Feng of today, his Emperor Soul awakened, was no longer the fool he once was. He was the Emperor Buye, a sovereign who had reigned supreme through the ages. "You dare talk back to me?" Shen Mei's voice turned to ice. "A mere good-for-nothing dares to talk back to Auntie?" Xiao Wan laughed, his eyes narrowing to slits, a glint of mockery within. "Let me teach you a lesson, you piece of trash who doesn't know the difference between life and death!" A towering pressure erupted from Xiao Wan's body, a spiritual tidal wave that crashed down on Lin Feng. It was the true, imposing presence of a Marquis. Su Qingxue's face went pale at the sight. Though she disliked Xiao Wan, she had to admit the man was a genius. To have stepped into the realm of Princes while barely in his early twenties was an extraordinary talent in the entire Southern Tongxuan. In contrast, Lin Feng, at sixteen, had not a single shred of cultivation. He was a pure mortal. How could a mortal withstand the pressure of a Marquis? Subconsciously, a thread of worry tightened in Su Qingxue's chest. "Wan..." Shen Mei's expression shifted. She hadn't expected Xiao Wan to be so bold as to make a move on Lin Feng right in front of her. But a moment later, she closed her mouth, making no move to intervene. She had wanted to teach Lin Feng a lesson for a long time, held back only by thoughts of her daughter, Su Ruoxi. Now that he dared to talk back to her, perhaps it was for the best to let Xiao Wan handle it. But in the next instant, both Shen Mei and Su Qingxue were left stunned by the scene that unfolded. With a deafening crash, Xiao Wan's body was sent flying backward, smashing heavily against the palace wall. He spat a violent mouthful of fresh blood before slumping to the ground, his expression dazed. And Lin Feng, the man they saw as a mere mortal, stood untouched. His face was calm as he watched the crumpled form of Xiao Wan. "Impossible!" Shen Mei and Su Qingxue exclaimed in unison, their eyes wide with disbelief as they stared at Lin Feng. Xiao Wan's face twisted in a ferocious scowl. He stared at Lin Feng, his heart pounding in his chest. In that single instant, he had felt the chilling touch of death. What kind of power was in that gaze? A single look had grievously wounded him. How could the rumored fool, the useless trash, be so terrifying? For a moment, Xiao Wan's eyes filled with fear and panic. Lin Feng strode toward him, looking down at the man on the floor with placid eyes. "A mere prince," he said unhurriedly, "dares to be so arrogant?" Just then, Shen Mei moved, stepping between Lin Feng and Xiao Wan. Lin Feng's brow furrowed slightly as he looked at his mother-in-law. "Lin Feng, you will not injure anyone in this hall," Shen Mei scolded. "Oh?" A smile that didn't reach Lin Feng's eyes played on his lips. "Why didn't I see my esteemed mother-in-law move so swiftly a moment ago?" "Wan did not harm you. Why did you injure him?" Shen Mei asked coldly, the mockery in Lin Feng's tone not lost on her. "Are you suggesting, my honored mother-in-law, that I should have stood here and let him injure me before I was permitted to retaliate?" Lin Feng countered. Everyone present knew he was a mortal without cultivation. Yet Xiao Wan had unleashed the power of a Marquis, a clear killing intent. When Xiao Wan had acted, Shen Mei had not intervened. That in itself was a crime. Now that Lin Feng had injured Xiao Wan, she had immediately leaped to his defense. The hypocrisy disgusted him. If his soul had not returned to this body, granting him unparalleled soul power, he would be the one lying broken on the floor, not Xiao Wan. "Is this Lin Feng always so arrogant in the Azure Dragon Divine Sect?" Xiao Wan, having recovered slightly, struggled to his feet, his eyes hard. His words only served to fuel Shen Mei's irritation. She looked at Lin Feng, her expression growing colder. "If you have any shred of regard for me as your mother-in-law, then get out of here!" Lin Feng met her gaze without fear. "Then I have no regard for you at all," he said calmly. Shen Mei's face went rigid. She had never expected Lin Feng to be so utterly defiant. Just as her temper was about to snap, an elderly man hurried in from outside the hall, his face etched with anxiety. "Madam, there's terrible news!" "What is it, Uncle Wan?" Su Qingxue asked quickly. "What's wrong?" Shen Mei's expression smoothed over as she turned her attention to the old man. The old man's face was grim. "I've just received word. The Princess encountered a problem during her seclusion. She's in the Frozen Soul Grotto." "What?!" The news startled everyone in the hall. Ruoxi was in trouble? Lin Feng's eyebrows rose slightly. "Madam, you should go at once," the old man urged in a low voice. "Ruoxi... nothing can happen to you," Shen Mei murmured, frantic. She immediately set off for the Frozen Soul Grotto, the earlier confrontation completely forgotten. "Take me with you," Lin Feng said. But Shen Mei and Su Qingxue were already gone. Xiao Wan, a step behind, shot a cold look at Lin Feng. "And why would we bring along a useless piece of trash who's only good for talking back?" "Ruoxi is my wife," Lin Feng stated indifferently. Though he felt no real affection for this wife in name only, the fact remained that he was Su Ruoxi's husband. "You!" Xiao Wan choked on his anger, his eyes turning cold. "Fine. Let's bring you along. Let Ruoxi see you for what you really are." At that moment, the man Su Qingxue called Uncle Wan, Lu Wan, gave Lin Feng a brief look, then gestured to Xiao Wan. "Young Master Xiao, please follow me." "Alright," Xiao Wan said, striding ahead. As Lin Feng moved to follow, Lu Wan blocked his path. "When did you leave your room?" he asked calmly. "Guess," Lin Feng said with a faint smile. A mysterious rune flashed deep in his eyes. Lu Wan's body went rigid, and for an instant, a similar rune appeared in his own eyes. His posture changed immediately. He stepped aside respectfully, making way for Lin Feng. "Please, master..." he said in a low voice. As he left the great hall, Lin Feng's complexion had grown somewhat pale. He followed Xiao Wan onto the flying boat in silence and began to gather his thoughts. Although this body is a Primal Body, it still lacks cultivation. Using soul power consecutively puts a heavy strain on it... First, I'll see what's happened to my nominal wife.

Chapter 2: The Man She Married