The leading courtesan, Yin Yin, her clothes disheveled and her expression one of panic, ran off towards the distance, calling for help as she ran.
When the house had exploded earlier, the commotion had attracted the attention of many people. Now, seeing the state Yin Yin was in, a large crowd quickly gathered around her.
"Oh my, what happened here? What's going on?"
The madam who had led Gu Chen here rushed over, steadying Yin Yin just as she nearly fell, a look of urgency on her face.
"Young Master Gu... Young Master Gu, he..."
Yin Yin, pointing at Gu Chen with a tear-stained face, evoked pity in the onlookers, and inevitably, they felt a surge of resentment towards Gu Chen.
"Miss Yin Yin, don't be afraid. Tell us what happened. We've got your back. I'd like to see who would dare touch you!"
A luxuriously dressed young master approached Yin Yin, looking ready to support her. He too had been sitting in the outer room earlier.
"Yes, that's right, don't be afraid, Miss Yin Yin. We're here for you. You have nothing to worry about. If someone has wronged you, just tell us, and I will help you get revenge!"
Those who had sat in the outer room earlier all stood up one by one, gathering around Yin Yin. Seeing her frail and delicate form, their hearts nearly broke, and they glared angrily at Gu Chen.
"I beg you, gentlemen, to stand up for Yin Yin." The courtesan's almond eyes were filled with mist, and tears streamed down her porcelain face, making her look pitiable.
"Yin Yin, what exactly happened? How did things come to this?" the owner of the Yi Xiang Building, the madam, asked urgently.
Through sobs, the courtesan spoke in a trembling voice, "Initially, I had invited Young Master Gu to the inner room for a chat. Everything was fine at the start, but midway through our talk, out of nowhere Young Master Gu seemed to go insane. He pinned me down on the bed and humiliated me in various ways. Naturally, I was terrified and tried to get him to leave, perhaps angering Young Master Gu. In a fit of rage, he destroyed the whole room."
"Actually, I don't blame Young Master Gu. It's my fault. What right does a woman of the night have to refuse? But I was really too scared just now. I didn't mean to refuse you, Young Master Gu..." Yin Yin continued to speak, her crying intensifying as she did so.
Gu Chen stood at a distance, quietly observing Yin Yin's performance. He had to admit, the courtesan was quite talented, her acting was so convincing, it seemed genuine. In his previous life, she would undoubtedly have been a great actress, perhaps even award-winning.
In contrast to Gu Chen's calm, the crowd around the courtesan, seeing her vulnerable state, became incensed. The luxurious young master pointed at Gu Chen's nose and cursed, "You beast with a human face! It was Yin Yin's favor to choose you, and yet you dare to dishonor her? You scoundrel, do you even deserve it?!"
"How dare you hurt Miss Yin Yin, causing her such fear! It's unforgivable! Which family are you from in Ning City? State your name; I'll make sure you have no place to hide in all of Ning City!"
"No one is allowed to harm Miss Yin Yin. Anyone who dares to hurt her, I will never let them off!"
Instantly, the crowd's anger flared, and at that moment, Gu Chen became the villain in everyone's eyes.
Beauty is a disaster; perfectly exemplified by this situation, as beautiful women indeed know how to deceive.
Yin Yin, hiding in the back and seeing Gu Chen vilified, had a glint of triumph in her eyes. These were the influential men of Ning City; it would not be easy for Gu Chen to extricate himself.
Gu Chen watched the scene with a serene expression, undisturbed. He took a light step forward, and Yin Yin, like a startled rabbit, hurriedly retreated while softly exclaiming, "No..."
Her actions only further ignited the protective instincts of the men around her.
The young master who had earlier pointed at Gu Chen roared, "With all of us here, you still have the gall to roughen up Miss Yin Yin? Somebody, seize this man!"
"We are here; you won't even hurt a hair on Miss Yin Yin!"
"Don't be afraid, Miss Yin Yin. We've got your back. Just stand there and watch us give him a lesson!"
They kept talking among themselves, and upon hearing their voices, the household guards rushed from downstairs—a good dozen of them, each with some level of skill.
"Please, sirs, stand up for me." The courtesan's tear-stained face gazed pleadingly at the crowd.
"Rest assured, Miss Yin Yin. Stand there and enjoy the show. Attention, take him down quickly and make him kneel before Miss Yin Yin to apologize!" the luxurious young master said arrogantly. He was a member of the prestigious Sun family of Ning City, the only grandson of the current family head, and had been doted on since childhood. After laying eyes on Yin Yin, he fell head over heels and wanted to redeem her and make her his wife without a second thought.
This evening, Yin Yin hadn't chosen him but had selected Gu Chen instead, which had upset him. He had intended to investigate Gu Chen and find an opportunity to teach him a lesson. He never expected the opportunity would come so soon.
"Yes!"
The guards shouted in unison and charged toward Gu Chen, aiming to capture him and bring him before the young master.
Their actions showed practiced ease, no doubt this wasn't the first time for such an affair.
Witnessing this scene, Gu Chen remained calm and collected. He stood his ground, allowing the guards to close in and lay their hands on him.
Upon seeing this, the guards looked triumphantly at each other, each trying to secure their hold on Gu Chen, hoping to earn merit in front of their young master.
But the next second, without any visible move from Gu Chen, a thundering thud was heard, and the guards surrounding him flew out like ragdolls. While they were still midair, they spat out mouthfuls of blood and upon landing, they writhed in agony and screamed piteously.
The onlookers saw that Gu Chen possessed such strength, and one by one their expressions changed as they were startled into retreating several steps.
"Hmph!"
It was a dandy who sneered and broke away from the crowd, charging towards Gu Chen.
Seeing his approach, a hint of admiration flashed in Gu Chen's eyes for the man's courage.
"Die!"
Sun Jie arrived in front of Gu Chen, coldly smiling as he sent out a straight palm strike aimed directly at Gu Chen's chest.
Sensing the inner energy surging in the other's palm, Gu Chen immediately understood that this dandy actually possessed the early stage cultivation of the Nurturing Breath Realm. No wonder he was so confident in rushing forward.
In Ning City, such a county town, being in the Nurturing Breath Realm was already considered a master, especially since even the chief constable of the county yamen, Wu Qian, was merely in the mid-stage of the Nurturing Breath Realm.
Although Sun Jie was very confident, his fate was the same as his family's guards. The moment his palm touched Gu Chen's body, his whole person was flung back like a straw man, flying out even faster than he'd come.
"Pfft!"
After he crashed to the ground, a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out, his eyes filled with disbelief. After one more look at Gu Chen, he passed out completely.
Gu Chen slightly shook his head and continued walking towards the courtesan Yin Yin.
Seeing this, panic flickered in the eyes of the courtesan Yin Yin, who cried out loudly, "Save... save me... Noble gentlemen, please save Yin Yin..."
The dignitaries of Ning City came back to their senses, with some braving to use their statuses to warn Gu Chen.
Seeing this, without another word, Gu Chen took out the Jing Tian Department's authority token and held it in front of him, saying, "Do any of you recognize what this is?"
Upon seeing the large character "Jing" written in a dragon and phoenix dance on the token, those people were immediately shaken. Ning City might be a county town, but the Jing Tian Department was renowned throughout all nine provinces, being the most important institution of Da Xia. How could they, the elites of Ning City, not be aware?
"Jing... People from the Jing Tian Department..." they said in shock.
"Jing Tian Department is handling matters here. All unrelated folks, step aside," Gu Chen declared.
"How could Miss Yin Yin be involved with the Jing Tian Department..." Although they were puzzled, they didn't dare to obstruct Gu Chen any further.
"This time, let's see what tricks you have left," Gu Chen said, his eyes fixed on the courtesan as he took steps towards her.
"Aah—"
The courtesan let out a piercing scream as sinister and evil black qi emerged from all over her body. The madam of the Yi Xiang Building, who hadn't expected her courtesan to become like this, couldn't avoid it from such a close distance. The black qi entered her body, and in a blink, she was drained into a dried corpse.
This sight immediately terrified everyone, who screamed and ran for the exits.
The elites of Ning City couldn't imagine that the courtesan they had dreamt about could have such a side. Each of them was shocked, looking incredulously at the scene before them.
"You filthy men, all of you go to hell!"
In this moment, the courtesan was no longer the charming and beautiful figure of before. Instead, Yin Yin was engulfed in black qi, brimming with malevolent energy, her long hair flying wildly, her expression fierce and frightful like a terrifying female ghost.
Gu Chen's face remained calm, his heart as still as water, and in a flash, he was standing in front of Yin Yin, moving incredibly fast.
"Why, why did you have to show up here and ruin my plan? It's all your fault; you have to die, and I must kill you!" the courtesan Yin Yin murmured incessantly as if possessed, black qi emerging in her pupils, corrupting her consciousness.
Then, with a piercing scream, numerous black qi enveloping her body rushed towards Gu Chen in an instant, intending to completely devour him.
Boom!
At that instant, Gu Chen was like a massive furnace, a fierce fiery aura radiating outwards. The black qi, upon touching his body, met their nemesis and were instantly incinerated.
Seeing this, the courtesan Yin Yin's consciousness regained a bit of clarity. With a look of terror, she turned to run away, but Gu Chen's hand shot out like lightning, hitting her squarely in the chest.
Bang!
With Gu Chen's palm strike connecting, Yin Yin's body shook, and strands of black qi were forced out from her pores, combusting midair, soon burning to nothingness.
At the same time, her eyes, tainted by the black qi, regained their clarity.