Everyone froze for a moment and turned their heads, staring blankly at Jiang Chen.

It wasn’t that they really suspected Jiang Chen had anything with Cheng Huang’er, but rather they wanted to see how Jiang Chen would respond—this question was tricky to answer.

If he says there’s something, the situation gets complicated; if he says there’s nothing, what? Not interested in the daughter of the Great Emperor?

"Hao just mentioned the little princess blew a fuse at someone—you’re that ’someone’, aren’t you?"

Jiang Chen chuckled lightly and spoke, completely ignoring Hao’s question.

"How could it be me? My little sister worships me the most!"

Hao raised his head seriously, as if showcasing his charm.

"If Hao wants to hear about my direct interaction with the little princess, how about we sit inside and talk?"

Jiang Chen gestured toward the tavern entrance.

"Alright, you better tell me properly, I’ll vet you for my little sister."

Hao nodded, patted Jiang Chen’s shoulder, examining him like a parent, and walked into the tavern.

Jiang Chen shook his head with amusement and followed with the others.

Once inside, Jiang Chen couldn’t find Hao’s figure anywhere, looked around, and found him in the corner on the first floor.

Opposite him sat a woman dressed in white, wearing a straw hat with a veil so her face couldn’t be seen.

"Here."

Seeing Jiang Chen enter, Hao called out.

"This guy..."

Jiang Chen muttered in helplessness, turned to Hu Yiqiu and the others: "Master, two seniors, Elder Su, everyone please go to rest first. I’ll see what this guy wants to do."

"Be careful, he’s likely someone of your teacher’s level of strength,"

Jin Ang whispered a reminder.

Jiang Chen felt his heart tighten, nodded lightly, and distributed the Array Talismans to everyone.

Cheng Huang’er had given Jiang Chen eight Array Talismans, and there were only seven of them, leaving two extra after distribution.

After everyone went upstairs, Jiang Chen turned and walked toward the corner.

"I heard the saintess of Ice and Snow Temple is stunningly beautiful—is that true? How beautiful is she? Is she as pretty as the little princess?"

Before approaching, Jiang Chen saw Hao asking questions with gleaming eyes.

This guy... what’s going on?

Jiang Chen pursed his lips, stepped up beside the two, and cupped his fists toward Hao: "Hao."

"Sit, sit, sit."

Hao gestured to Jiang Chen to sit, still staring at the woman: "Are all your Ice and Snow Temple members female? If so, how do you continue your lineage? How do you..."

"Ice and Snow Temple?!"

Jiang Chen hadn’t paid attention when Hao first mentioned it, but now exclaimed upon hearing it.

"Ice and Snow Temple?"

"Is she from the Ice and Snow Temple? What is she doing here on our continent?"

"I heard the people from Ice and Snow Temple are celestial beauties—is that true?"

Jiang Chen’s shout drew murmurs from the crowd in the hall.

"What’s all the shouting for? Come over and chat."

Hao rolled his eyes at Jiang Chen, grumpily said.

Jiang Chen contained his excitement and sat to Hao’s left and the woman’s right; he turned to look at her, wanted to ask something but hesitated out of nervousness.

His heart was racing, it has been years since he felt this mix of anticipation, nervousness, worry, and fear of disappointment!

"What’s wrong with you, kid? Don’t be dumbstruck by beauty, you still haven’t explained things with my little sister!"

Hao pulled Jiang Chen, glaring at him.

"Hao, I and the little..."

Jiang Chen turned to face Hao seriously.

"You call her ’Little Nine’ too? Not bad, that’s a good name to use!"

Before Jiang Chen could finish, Hao interrupted and winked at him.

Jiang Chen caught on, steadied himself, and softly said, "I have nothing with Little Nine, we are just friends. Please, Hao, don’t spread rumors!"

"What’s this? Not interested in my little sister?"

Hao put on an exaggerated expression: "Have you seen anyone prettier than my little sister? Are you blind? Not interested in my little sister!"

"Hao!"

Jiang Chen sharply retorted, solemnly said: "Please stop talking nonsense, I’m already engaged!"

Uh...

Hao froze for a moment, looked at Jiang Chen in shock.

Whoa! Did this guy just shout at me? He shouted? Doesn’t he know who I am? How dare he shout at me? He... he has a fiancée? He really has nothing with my little sister?

"You... really have nothing with my little sister?"

Hao glared suspiciously at Jiang Chen: "How come she’s being so polite to you then?"

Jiang Chen felt exhausted, irritably said: "Because she couldn’t defeat me. Is that reason enough?"

"Whoa!"

Hao was shocked, stared at Jiang Chen in disbelief: "You, what did you say? She couldn’t beat you? You’re in the same realm, and she couldn’t beat you?"

"Hao, I..."

Jiang Chen was genuinely out of options.

"That’s it!"

Hao suddenly slapped his thigh: "I said so, there’s no way my little sister would share a husband with others, but she’s polite to you, then indeed, she couldn’t beat you in the same realm. That explains why! Those she can defeat in the same realm don’t get much attention, but she couldn’t defeat you, so she’s polite—this makes sense!"

Jiang Chen blinked—does that work? Well, as long as you’ve figured it out yourself.

No longer minding the self-talking Hao, Jiang Chen turned to look at the woman on the left, opened his mouth, a surge of nervous and complex emotions flooded him, and then closed it again.

"What exactly do you want to say? Don’t tell me this woman is your fiancée?"

Hao looked at Jiang Chen puzzled: "What a coincidence? The person I want to take is your fiancée? No way, she’s hundreds of years old, you’re only thirty, is she really your fiancée?"

"I didn’t say she’s my fiancée, Hao, can you please shut up for a moment?"

Already feeling complicated, Jiang Chen was getting a headache from Hao’s noise and angrily glared again.

"You tell me to shut up? You still..."

Hao looked at Jiang Chen with a peculiar expression.

"Shut up."

A low growl interrupted, a figure sat opposite Jiang Chen.

Hao’s expression changed, damn, getting told off by Jiang Chen is one thing since I almost got him in trouble, but who’s this random person talking down at me?

Turning his head, Hao was about to shout but when he saw the person beside him clearly, his tone changed: "Big Brother, why are you here?"

"Greetings, Great..."

Jiang Chen got up, cupped his fists to greet, and immediately corrected: "Young Master!"

"Sit!"

Teng Wenkang gently gestured, turned to glance at Hao: "You brat, stop picking fights with nothing to do. If Jiang Chen had really killed that guy, how would you handle it?"

Jiang Chen?

The woman in white felt a stir, turned to look at Jiang Chen.

"No way? Did he really dare to kill? Just bluffing, right?"

Hao turned back to Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen calmly said: "If not for Little Nine’s timely arrival, he would be dead."