I Can See Your Combat Power

“A man who appreciates painting and calligraphy could not possibly be a bad person.” Mi Bai’s eyes were radiant and filled with conviction.

Xiao Zheng would never forget this conversation. It was from that moment on that he recognized the person in front of him as a friend.

Making friends did not rely on the length of acquaintance. From that moment on, he knew he had made a good friend, a local scholar from West City named

Mi Bai.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint Young Master Mi. This painting will only be displayed for fifteen days before being returned to my friend,” Xiao Zheng explained to Mi Chu.

After hearing Xiao Zheng’s words, Xiao Ziyu felt a tinge of regret. A nobleman would not rob others of what they loved. Although he was smitten with the painting, he knew he wouldn’t force a sale if the artist refused to sell. However, having missed out on such a masterpiece, it might be a long time before he could appreciate any other pieces of poetry or artworks. After all, how could one who has witnessed the vast ocean be amazed by a petite river?

Upon hearing Xiao Zheng’s remarks, Mi Chu knitted his brows and retorted coldly, “Not for sale? As long as I desire it, there is no way I will allow it not to be sold!”

His domineering nature was a characteristic of Mi Chu. Unlike the cautious temperament of Mi Shen, he believed that the strong governed the world, and if something was desired but unattainable, one should strive for it, not abandon it!

“I will take this painting. If the author has objections, let him come to the Beast King’s residence in South City!”

Having said this, Mi Chu reached out to take the painting, completely indifferent to the darkened expression on Xiao Zheng s face.

Now that Xiao Ziyu, his competition, was out of the way, the painting should rightfully be his. If the author had any issues, he should come and find him in

South City.

This dismissive attitude thoroughly infuriated Xiao Ziyu, with a shadow of a black dragon rising behind him, lunging towards Mi Chu, who was about to touch the display cabinet.

The dragon shadow, formed from spiritual power, took on a tangible form with its gaping mouth wide open, its dragon fangs gleaming coldly. It pounced onto Mi Chu almost instantly, aiming for his head.

Feeling the gust of wind from his left side, Mi Chu recognized it as the dragon shadow from the Mi Clan monument. He clenched his fist and his reddish- black beast spirit, covered with spiritual power, cloaked his fist with soul armor, aiming at the dragon shadow.

Boom, crackle, crackle, crackle

The black dragon shadow collided with Mi Chu’s fist, exploding into waves of spiritual energy that radiated from the center of their clash. The blast destroyed the other display cabinets in the cabin, knocking the gentlemen off their feet.

Yet, the display cabinet holding the “Looking at the Mountain Painting”, which was placed right in the middle, was unscathed thanks to their utmost control over the fight, revealing that such a savage confrontation was not even considered a real bout to them.

“Mi Chu, didn’t you hear? This painting is not for sale!” Xiao Ziyu’s voice echoed with suppressed anger. His crimson eyes glinted coldly. Changing his clenched fist into a claw, Mi Chu gathered the soul armor onto his hand, transforming it into a beast’s sharp claw. He gripped the dragon shadow tightly and disintegrated it into nothingness. He responded in a low voice, “So what if I heard it.”

“Since you have heard it, you must obey!” Xiao Ziyu said coldly, “This is the territory of Xiao’s Clan. We won’t tolerate your insolence here!” Despite looking down on his clan uncle, Xiao Ziyu couldn’t bear the fact that Mi Chu dared to snatch things right in front of him in the Xiao family’s territory. He perceived this action as an insult to the Xiao Clan.

Insult the Xiao Clan? He would not let that happen!

“Ha!” Mi Chu laughed, “This painting does not belong to the Xiao Clan. If Xiao Zheng can’t persuade the artist to sell it, that’s his problem, not mine. Let the artist come to the Beast King’s residence. Not only will I make him willingly accept my offer, but I will also have him paint another piece for you!” The tone was so arrogant and domineering. Mi Chu continued, “A mere painter dares to compete with me in terms of status!?

His words were so blunt that it silenced the entire cabin. The prestigious men fell silent, as they were left dumbfounded. Even Xiao Ziyu could find no rebuttal, yet he stubbornly said, “I don’t care about anything else. As long as you’re in Xiao’s territory, you cannot disregard the rules.” The ruthless words made Mi Chu’s face darken. It seemed that a major clash was inevitable, but to everyone’s surprise, Mi Chu suddenly waived his hand and said, “Okay, I’ll let this slide.”

Xiao Ziyu could hardly believe his ears when the overbearing and arbitrary Ml Chu conceded. Before he could respond, Mi Chu continued, looking relaxed, “What if I don’t take this one? The Wind Media Department under the Mi Clan is the best in the world, I could easily locate this painter. At that time, I can commission as many paintings as I want! I’ll gift this one to you.”

Why fight over an egg when you can have the hen?

Calligraphy, painting, and poetry are, at their core, skills. As long as he could paint one, he could paint scores more. If the artist had passed away, then this painting would truly be priceless. But since Xiao Zheng claimed the artist was alive and well, what would be the difficulty for the Wind Media Department to track him down?

Xiao Ziyu could thwart his attempt to take the painting as it was in the Xiao s exhibition hall, and he must step forward to prevent that, upholding the dignity of the Xiao family. But could he find an excuse to stop Mi Chu from plotting against the painter?

Just as martial artists target the weak points in a fight, Mi Chu had pinpointed the crux of the matter, making it unnecessary to tangle with them anymore. “Young Master Chu, wait!” Xiao Zheng called to the departing Mi Chu, his voice filled with icy chill, “The painting’s artist is a good friend of mine. From what I heard, you intend to take him away, correct?

Mi Bai, who he had known for only a few days, was considered a close friend. He entrusted Xiao Zheng with his important painting, not knowing that his own treasure appraisal would bring danger. Xiao Zheng couldn’t let his friend suffer this harm. With the influence and power of the Mi Clan’s Wind Media Department, it would be extremely easy for them to locate him. And how could an ordinary scholar, taking care of dozens of children, resist one of the most powerful families in Xiling?

Xiao Zheng was filled with regret at that moment, hoping that he could take responsibility for this matter himself.

Mi Chu turned back, looking at the serious Xiao Zheng, shaking his head in bewilderment.

“You didn’t take those fools of Xiling seriously, did you?” Mi Chu’s eyes were full of mockery, “A bunch of useless men boasted about ‘North Zheng and South Hou¹, making you think you’re somebody?”

“If it was Xiao Qi here today, I would indeed think twice. But you, Xiao Zheng?! Who do you think you are?”

The phrase ‘North Zheng and South Hou’ that was widely celebrated in Xiling meant nothing to him. To him, Mi Hou was merely a man squandering his life with playthings and Xiao Zheng, a failure stuck in the Mortal Realm despite being in his forties. Even his common title of the Lord of the Xiao’s Clan was merely on account of him being the son of the Clan Chief. Now, Xiao Zheng presumed himself to be somebody, repeatedly foiling his plans! Could an old waste, praised by a group of wastrels, not be a waste himself? Mi Chu found the whole thing ludicrous. Be it a prominent businessman of Xiling or the ‘North Zheng and South Hou,’ to him, these flamboyant titles meant nothing at all.