"And who the hell are you?"

Ye Xuan glanced at him and said with contempt.

’These guys act like they’re upholding justice, but they’re really just trying to show off in front of a pretty girl.’

"Brat, what did you say?" The white-robed youth’s face darkened in a rage. Profound Power surged from his body, and he looked ready to fight at the slightest provocation.

"Everyone, this is the Artifact Refining Workshop. If you have a grudge, you can settle it outside. The Artifact Refining Workshop is not a place for you to resolve personal disputes."

A staff member of the Artifact Refining Workshop in the main hall spoke calmly.

Hearing this, the white-robed youth forcibly suppressed the rage in his heart. He then glared at Ye Xuan with resentment and discontent, making no effort to hide his hostility.

Ye Xuan was speechless. ’Are all these young men rabid dogs or something?’ He had simply refused to sell his pet, and now these guys actually wanted to start a fight.

’Sigh, what has the world come to?’

Ye Xuan couldn’t help but shake his head. His gaze fell upon Zhou Qingwei, who stood silently ahead, acting all high and mighty. He knew in his heart that, in the end, this woman was the root of all the trouble.

Thinking of this, Ye Xuan let out a cold, soft laugh in the hall. "Some people shouldn’t make an offer if they can’t afford it. They say something but then refuse to accept the outcome. Do words mean as much as farts to them?"

Although Ye Xuan didn’t name anyone, everyone knew from his tone that he was talking about Zhou Qingwei.

Zhou Qingwei’s face turned ashen as she stared daggers at Ye Xuan.

’No one has ever dared to speak to me like that in my entire life.’

Everyone else present was dumbfounded, especially Zhou Chengping and the others beside Murong Yunxiao. They all stared at Ye Xuan in astonishment, as if they had seen a ghost.

’This kid actually dares to talk to Miss Zhou Qingwei like that? Isn’t he afraid of death?’

But Ye Xuan’s expression was nonchalant; he clearly didn’t give a second thought to what he had just said.

"Young Master Ye, Miss Zhou Qingwei is a young lady from the Imperial Capital’s Zhou family. You’ve offended her so badly, sigh..."

Luo Cheng, who was standing to the side, sent a worried voice transmission to warn Ye Xuan.

"This guy is rather interesting."

In the main hall, a young man in a golden robe who had been watching the scene calmly spoke with a slight smile, but his expression was deep and inscrutable, making it impossible to know what he was thinking.

After this scene, the atmosphere in the Artifact Refining Workshop’s main hall immediately became strange.

"Brother Qin Yu, how come I haven’t seen you out and about with your Twin-Headed Firebird lately? Did something happen?"

Just then, a resonant voice rang out from outside the Artifact Refining Workshop, tinged with a hint of mockery.

"Hmph."

The mocked young man snorted coldly and ignored the comment.

"Young Master Qin Yu, Young Master Murong Yunyi, please, this way!"

Everyone turned to see Qin Yu of the Qin family and Murong Yunyi of the Murong family walking in through the entrance of the Artifact Refining Workshop.

Murong Yunyi had a smile on his face, but Qin Yu’s expression was as dark as water, clearly in a terrible mood.

"Young Master Qin Yu!"

"Young Master Murong Yunyi!"

Upon seeing the two, the vast majority of the young people in the hall hurried forward to greet them.

The Murong family, the Qin family, and the Zhou family were among the most prominent families in the Imperial Capital. As direct descendants of these families, Murong Yunyi and Qin Yu were figures that countless other clan leaders needed to curry favor with.

"You’re all too kind." Qin Yu forced a smile and cupped his fists to the crowd.

His gaze swept across the hall. Suddenly, he saw a certain figure, and the smile on his face froze. Flames of rage instantly erupted in his eyes.

"It’s you, you bastard!"

Qin Yu’s face turned grim. A terrifying wave of Profound Power suddenly swept out from his body as he strode up to Ye Xuan.

"Brat, what the hell did you do to my Twin-Headed Firebird?"

He roared hoarsely, his voice a furious bellow. The killing intent in his eyes was like a volcanic eruption, surging violently, and it seemed he would strike without another word.

This sudden turn of events left everyone stunned.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about." Ye Xuan glanced at him and said coolly, "If there’s a problem with your pet, ask yourself. Why are you asking me?"

"You’re courting death."

BOOM!

Endless Profound Power erupted from Qin Yu’s body. The Tier Five First Layer Profound Power was like a tidal wave, engulfing Ye Xuan.

Ye Xuan’s body jolted, dispelling the shockwave of Profound Power released by Qin Yu. Then, his gaze turned abruptly cold.

He didn’t say anything to Qin Yu. Instead, he looked at the Artifact Refining Workshop’s staff member. "This may be my first time at the Artifact Refining Workshop, but I’ve heard of its rules. Fighting isn’t allowed here, is it? But not long after I arrived, several people are already trying to kill me. Are the rules of the Artifact Refining Workshop just a lie?"

The staff member hurriedly looked at Qin Yu. "Young Master Qin Yu, please don’t make things difficult for us."

Qin Yu ignored the staff member and stared coldly at Ye Xuan. "Don’t think you’re safe just because you’re in the Artifact Refining Workshop. I, Qin Yu, will definitely kill you today."

The Twin-Headed Firebird was his most prized flying pet. He never expected it to suddenly go berserk that day and be killed on the spot. Qin Yu had been furious for days, searching for Ye Xuan’s whereabouts to no avail.

Now that he had finally found Ye Xuan, how could he possibly hold back?

Nothing short of killing Ye Xuan on the spot could quell the hatred in his heart.

Although he didn’t actually know if Ye Xuan was responsible for the Twin-Headed Firebird’s death, in his eyes, suspicion alone was enough. As for evidence, that wasn’t important.

"It seems the rules of the Artifact Refining Workshop are just for show. Anyone can break them as they please." Seeing the staff member’s hesitant attitude, Ye Xuan immediately sneered.

"Stop." Just as Qin Yu was about to strike, a powerful voice suddenly echoed from within the Artifact Refining Workshop.

A middle-aged man in a crimson robe emerged from the inner area of the workshop. His gaze was sharp, and he radiated an imposing aura without being angry as he looked coldly at Qin Yu.

"Qin Yu, I don’t care what grudge you have with this person. My Artifact Refining Workshop is a place of peace, not a venue for you to settle your disputes. If you do not stop, then don’t blame me for being discourteous."

The man spoke sternly the moment he appeared.

"Master Li Xu, this person did something to my Firebird..."

Qin Yu tried to explain but was instantly cut off. "I don’t care what he did. It’s no excuse for you to cause trouble in my Artifact Refining Workshop. Seeing as no serious consequences have occurred, I won’t pursue the matter. Otherwise, even if you are the young master of the Qin family, if you break the rules of my workshop, the only path for you is death."

Li Xu’s gaze was chilling, and Qin Yu immediately dared not speak.

"And you," Li Xu berated the staff member, "get to the back and reflect on yourself. You don’t even know how to enforce the rules of the Artifact Refining Workshop. What’s the use of having you stand here? Utterly useless."

"Yes, Senior Brother Li Xu." The staff member didn’t dare say another word and scurried away dejectedly.

"Young Master Ye, that’s Master Lu Li’s first disciple, Master Li Xu. He’s a Tier Six Artifact Refining Grandmaster and also the director of the Artifact Refining Workshop. He has a fearsome reputation in the Imperial Capital," Luo Cheng secretly transmitted to him.

After the staff member left, Li Xu’s sharp gaze swept over everyone present, lingering pointedly on Qin Yu.

"I don’t care which family or great house you come from. I will only say this once: anyone who dares to fight in the Artifact Refining Workshop is making an enemy of the Artifact Refining Workshop. From this day forward, your family can forget about buying a single thing from my workshop. If you don’t believe me, you are welcome to try."

With that, Li Xu said no more and turned to leave the hall.

But as his words fell, everyone in the hall fell silent, not daring to even breathe.

Qin Yu, who just moments ago had been seething with undisguised killing intent, now broke out in a cold sweat.

Master Li Xu was Master Lu Li’s first disciple and the director of the Artifact Refining Workshop; he truly had the authority to say such things. If the workshop cut ties with the Qin family because of him, his father would surely break his legs when he returned home.

With Master Li Xu’s warning, the order in the main hall improved significantly.

"Brat, I’ll let you live a little longer for now. The moment you step out of the Artifact Refining Workshop is the moment you die," Qin Yu snarled through gritted teeth.

Ye Xuan glanced at him and sneered contemptuously. "A dog that’s about to bite doesn’t bark. You’re yapping so loudly, are you even capable of biting?"

Ye Xuan’s face was full of disdain, showing no trace of fear. He, Ye Xuan, was not one to be intimidated.

"You..." The veins on Qin Yu’s forehead bulged with rage, and he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. He said menacingly, "You’ve got guts, kid. I hope you still have them later."

Ye Xuan had already turned his back, too lazy to bother with Qin Yu, leaving him there trembling with rage.

Seeing Ye Xuan go head-to-head with Qin Yu, the white-robed youth who had been shouting at Ye Xuan earlier felt a cold sweat break out on his back.

’Just what is this kid’s background? He isn’t even afraid of Young Master Qin Yu. I just threatened him and was about to attack him. Wasn’t I just asking for trouble?’

He had already decided. He would leave immediately after the trade fair ended. This was a clash he could not afford to get involved in.

Meanwhile, Murong Yunxiao watched Ye Xuan with surprise and growing interest.

As for Liu Xing and Zhou Chengping, their legs trembled, and they didn’t even dare to meet Ye Xuan’s gaze.

A number of the older individuals, however, watched Ye Xuan with considerable interest before secretly shaking their heads.

Ye Xuan looked very unfamiliar, so he clearly wasn’t from the Imperial Capital. But since he dared to be so arrogant toward Qin Yu, he must be a disciple from some major power on the Dream Realm Plain.

But no matter which major power he belonged to, daring to be so arrogant toward Qin Yu in the Imperial Capital of the Sky Empire was still a death wish.

The Qin family was, after all, one of the great houses of the Sky Empire. As the saying goes, "a mighty dragon cannot crush a local snake." If they really wanted to teach someone a lesson in the Imperial Capital, it would be a simple matter.

Thinking of this, the crowd couldn’t help but feel a sliver of pity for the situation Ye Xuan would soon face.

However, their pity didn’t last long. Master Li Xu had already emerged from the inner area of the Artifact Refining Workshop once again, but this time, he was followed by several other people.